Not Just Play by Warick Love Page B

school, you say? Father, how many times do I have to tell you? I will not take up Law. I want to study Design and work for Tante Gabrielle. Please, do not push this issue any further. I beg you.”
     
    “You listen to me, Garnet. You are my only daughter and it is your responsibility to live up to our name. You have no place in design. Goodness, you do not even know one antique paperweight from another. You will do as I say.”
     
    “Mother, please. Will you help me out on this? You know this is not what I want! Why can’t he let me do what I want with my own life?” She said in a shrill voice.
     
    Riva looked at her daughter and held her hand. “Garnet, you know your father means well. Please listen to him. You are our only child and we only want what’s best for you.”
     
    “But mother! You heard me. I don’t want to take up Law. I cannot even defend my own case. How could you possibly believe that I have a future there? I will do anything----anything. Just don’t let me do something I do not have a heart for.”
     
    Her father looked at her as he removed his glasses. “You really can be too stubborn sometimes, child.” He let out some air and loosened his tie. “Since I cannot convince you to become a lawyer, then you might as well marry someone who is a lawyer. If I cannot drag you to law school, Garnet, I would have to drag you to the altar and marry someone who can give you a bright future. “Go upstairs and sleep. We will talk again tomorrow.”
     
    “Marry someone? What was that nonsense you just said, Father?” And then, it dawned on her. She laughed hollowly and glared at her father. “You wouldn’t dare. You wouldn’t dare!” By then, her throat started to constrict and her eyes began to blur. Hot tears gathered in her eyes and fell down on her cheeks. Shame and frustration mixed in her insides and she stood up quickly.
     
    She rushed to the door and fled away from the library, running to seek the refuge of her room. The moment she got in, she banged the door. She sagged to the floor and poured her heart out. She felt as though her whole world has crumbled.
     
    Her tears fell nonstop as she thought of her seemingly hopeless case. Either way, she is damned and she needed to be with someone right now. She thought about her aunt and considered asking her to turn her father around. However, her Tante Gabrielle has enough problems of her own right now----what with the renovations being done in St. Martin. For one moment there, she thought about running away, about fulfilling her dream of living all by herself. But then, she remembered how her father had cut all her accounts when she extended her stay in the Caribbean. If not for her aunt, she would not be able to shop in all her favourite boutiques and buy all the tokens she brought with her.
     
    That night, she called one of her dearest friends, Amanda Carson. She spent the entire night crying over the phone. Amanda is their former neighbour and is among her earliest friends. They moved to Sun Town about a year ago and she missed her terribly.
     
    “It’s gonna be fine, Garnet. You will think of something. I know you will. Just think what it must be like for your parents. They only want what’s best for you. Also, about this marriage thing, have you met the guy yet?”
     
    “Met the guy? Gosh, Amanda. He could be any guy. He could be this balding man that I kept on seeing at the bookstore. Or that man behind the glasses who could be my father for his age.” She let out an exasperated breath. “No, I haven’t met him yet.”
     
    “You see. Maybe he’s not so bad after all. He could be handsome and sweet and sexy----like all those things you read about in books. Just think about it. It could be a lot better than being stuck in law school.”
     
    Garnet sighed. “I wish I had different parents. I wish I didn’t have to do either. Amanda, can’t you see how messy my life is gonna be? Doing any of those two will make me do