Not appreciating Ahmed’s misogynistic comment, Amanda, the common-law fifth wife, gives him an ultimatum that will compel him to swallow his Pride, Ego, Masculinity, and MORE *wink*
We tip-toe around the house and sneak into Archella’s backyard. Surprisingly, there are a few trees left. We notice some cautious butterflies fluttering around.
Jackie says, “This is the perfect place to hide until we figure out a plan for capturing Archella.”
Through a broken window we hear Archella talking to herself. “I have to pay a visit to Granny.”
I wonder if her granny is an evil dino too.
“Look here,” says Isay, snapping me out of my thoughts. “We have to do this math problem to enter the house.” He points to a lock on the door.
I look at the math problem. 23+555=?
I know the answer! But we cannot type it now, or else Archella will see us entering her house. “Easy,” says Isay. I try to stop him, but he quickly types in 578.
We tumble into Archella’s room. “Ah!!!” all three of us yell.
Archella lets out an enormous roar. The roar forms a huge blast of wind, and we are pushed away.
There was a whirlwind of activity when she said her “goodbyes” to the people she loved so dearly, and her father’s words of advice as he tenderly spoke to her before she got into the car for the trip, would stay etched in her mind as she drove through to the big city.
“Megan, you are a woman now. You need to chase after your dreams. Keep creating beauty in your life, just as you create beauty in your work. One day, Megs, you’ll meet a man you will love. When you do, remember to create beauty in your relationship too.”
Her beloved mother had similar words for her. “Megs, my sweet baby, it’s time to spread your wings. Have a safe trip and work hard at your job. Make the most of every opportunity. I hope you meet a good man, just as I met your dad. When you find the right man, you’ll know it in your heart. And when you know it in your heart, you need to love him from the heart. No-one can teach you this, but that’s the only advice I can give you – love him from the heart.
If you keep doing this in a relationship, it can melt away all the tricky moments and challenges as you make your way through life together. Your father and I are best friends and we also love each other dearly. If you can’t relax and be his friend, and be yourself, and if you can’t admire and love him for who he is, despite any differences between you, then he’s not the right one for you. Go now, and make us proud!”
Megan climbed swiftly into her car, holding back her tears so that her parents wouldn’t see. She wanted them to be proud of her. She wanted to grow and move on with her life. But this was a tough moment for her.
Friday morning came and here he was, on that familiar journey, heading westward on a never-ending piece of straight road in the early hours of what still felt like last night. The journey of what seemed like a thousand miles, that he’d made so often with Penny, on shopping trips, out to catch the ferry at Caen, or sometimes to the races at Saint-Malo. In his memory, even back then it always had a little air of melancholy about it: the empty N175 delivering you into dead and dying villages one after the other; all of them pretty in parts but somehow imparting something sinister in their sombre desolation.
Here an abandoned Cidrerie, there the crumbling edifice of a farmers’ cooperative, all reminders that throughout the region the agri-economy had either got big or disappeared. He climbed up and out of Troarn, and ever onwards, and noticed that sign that he always saw, telling him that an enormous number of kilometres still remained before he’d reach Caen, and so yet more to Saint Lô.
This was always the point where they started to feel the grind of the excursion.
Luke still couldn’t believe it. In what seemed like a moment, the hopes of all were upon him. He shook his head, trying to reason with the situation. Perhaps it wasn’t that bad, considering it centered around his office. Only those he worked with would be affected by what he’d be doing. They’d bear the brunt of it, as would he.
He smiled to himself, forcing himself into a calmer state of mind. A broken grin painted his features, robbing of them of their handsome form. His eyes grew dull, their green depths giving way to blue undertones. As he walked to his car, the wind ran along his skin, sweeping his dark auburn hair out of place. He shivered, his anticipation strange.
Even with what he knew, Luke couldn’t shake the feelings of dread and guilt. He’d taken on far too much, smothering his very being. Once inside the car, he slumped in his seat, clutching its steering wheel. “What have I gotten into?” Luke asked himself. “Why’d I agree to plan our whole party?!” His gaze was unfocused, lost to the notion.