Aria POV.

"Aren't you getting up?". He asked staring down at me.

I scoffed and answered.

"Who claims to be my gentleman?".

He chuckled lightly and stretched fort his hand as a sweet lady, that I am. I took his hand and he dragged me up.

"So what do you mean by, we've found the waterfall the other way around?". I asked staring at him confused.

"Turn around". He said smugly as I did.

And to my view was the magnificent waterfall, omg it was so beautiful, I fell for it 😍. Mother nature is wonderful herself.

"I know right, to our luck we found it first". He said bringing me out of my trance as if reading my mind.

I just nodded my head smiling at him as he did same. He intertwined my fingers with his as we walked up to the bank of the waterfall.

We heard noises as we snapped our head to the direction to see Mrs. Margaret, ma'am Annie, Kiran, Clara and Maya with Anthony's parents walking towards us.

I dragged my hand out of his hold as Anthony stared at me confused as realization hit him he nodded his head in understanding trying to hide the hurts in his eyes.

Aria why are you making him feel like this?

"Anthony and Aria found the waterfall, they'll be the one to choose a position for picnic". Kiran said cheerfully.

"We'll stay right here". Anthony said pointing at his position.

Maya and Clara quickly rushed to his position and laid the picnic blanket and basket. They both sat on it and started unpacking the food from the basket it, I joined them and helped them arrange it.

"Anthony dear why did you run off with Aria like that?". His mother asked while I pretended not to hear their conversation.

"Forget it mother". He answered in a stoutly manner.

"Mind the way you answer your mother". His father added.

"You both are bitches".

He replied walking away from his parents and also away from us. Anthony come back.

(Amelia-law : Guys, I apologies for that vulgar word 😅)

I looked at Kiran to see him with teary eyes.

I got up and started to walk towards him. His mother glared at me but I pushed the intimidation aside this time.

"Anthony, pls wait up".

I said but he kept walking forward. I ran towards him now walking beside him panting a little.

Seriously, it was a little run but I felt so lazy when it comes to walking. I even ran 😥, I'm already tired.

"Just look at you, you couldn't even wait for me". I said expecting a little smile from him but the scowl on his face deepened, that made me shrink a little.

"Anthony you know I did say give him a chance, didn't I? Pls forgive and forget and see the bright future ahead of you, the only thing that makes us go backwards in this little life of ours is always remembering the erstwhile".

"Aria, have you ever had a bitter past? I don't think that you have ever had a bitter misunderstanding in your family, I don't think no one in your family has made a mistake that affected your whole life, don't you ever involve yourself in my family matters, you're a stranger". He said bitterly as anger and hatred laced out of his voice.

He called me a stranger? I felt really hurt, I felt pained by his words.
But who am I to retaliate?

I snickered and he narrowed his eyes towards me as anger radiated out of him.

"Anthony, if I say your life can't be compared to mine, you'll probably think I'm lying". I said and he scoffed silently.

"My father who people thinks he's a generous, humble and honest person, was once a wayward man. He married my mother and had my elder brother. My father sleeps around with women, drinks and gambled. With all his activity, my brother couldn't be trained in school, there wasn't food for my mother and brother to eat. Sometimes they went begging and my father cared less".

"When I was born, my grandma from my father's side didn't acknowledge me. She have always wanted to kill me, anytime she comes around my mother keeps me with her sister, as I grew up, the environment around me became cruel to me because they all found out that I was able to make effective beads and necklace. With this my grandma swore she would kill me. She called me an evil child".

Anthony stared at me startled.

"I was just 7 then Anthony, mother tried convincing her that it was been past from once generation but it went deaf ears. Of course my mother was being hated by my father's people. I was now 12 years old, when my mother almost died out of starvation, she starved herself to make sure my brother and I ate while I still went to school. That's when realization hits my father, he change his ways and decided to take all the responsible, he kept my mother and us alive. He trained me in school because he saw my eagerness".

"Of course we forgave him, we made sure we did forget our past and tried to make our future better, and then I turned 15. I was heading to the stream when I got shot by an arrow, I turned to the side to see it was my own grandmother who did it, I felt anger, pain and hatred for what thou did to me. And she said 'Die evil child, this is exactly what I'll do to you when you wake up again and same to your mother'. Does words rang into my ears over and over again".

"When I woke up, my mother cried bitterly, my father was angered toward his mother action. I've got only one life left said my mother, I was been watched every single day of my life, I don't associate, I've got no friends, my friends were father, mother, brother and my books. I got no good child hood experience. I should blame my father for everything but no, if I did so, Aria won't be standing beside you Anthony", I finally narrated.

I stopped in front of him as I stared at his horrified and perplexed future.

"So tell me Anthony, who now has a bitter understanding in their family? Tell me who's mistakes affected their whole life, tell me Anthony?". I asked calmly.

"Aria.... ".

Was what he could only say as he tense up. I didn't tell him because I wanted pity or attention. I told him to see the difference. To understand the part of giving someone a chance.

" I'm sorry 😥 Aria, I'm sorry I'm a bad person a bad child to my own parents, I'm sorry for what you went through, I'm sorry".

He said hugging me tightly, not wanting to let me go.

"Anthony I understand, I just want you to see the difference between people past. Just give him a chance". I said hugging him back.

I felt warm, safe and secure within his embrace. I broke the hug staring at his watery eyes.

"So what do you say?". I asked.

He didn't answer as he held my wrist walking us back to were everyone was. Why is he being difficult?

When we got there, his father was standing beside the waterfall. Anthony left my hand and walked up to his father and pushed him into the water.

(Amelia-law: Okay wait there a sec I thought he was going to hug his father 😯. I say no more).

Anthony and his father started beating each other in the river. This was not what I was expecting. What did I say wrong?

In seconds they stopped fighting and Anthony quickly embraced his father. Everyone was shocked with such action even his father was. His father also embraced him feeling relax at his son's action.

Anthony broke the hug, got out of the water walked toward Kiran and his mother and pushed them into the river and that's when water fight started.

I smiled at the small family having their time together.

Anthony turned to look at me and motioned for me to join them but I declined him shyly. He got out of the water, walked towards me and dragged me into the water, splashing little water on my face. In seconds Maya and Clara jumped in increasing the fun.

After the fun and I'll say I enjoyed It, we all went back to were our tent was, we change our wet cloths and came outside to have dinner.

We all ate together on a round table enjoying the night light of both the moon and the lamp.

"Father, I've decided to forget the past and give you a chance to prove yourself for I know that one day Aria would also do same for me". Anthony said staring at me as every snapped their heads to look at him.

Anthony mother watched me suspiciously.

"Thanks my son, for this a chance I won't take for granted". His father said smiling genuinely and whispered a

"Thank you". Towards me.

Wait what? I just kept staring at Anthony's father with opened eyes.

💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜
Okay dears, this is it. 😁😊😘

It seems Anthony's father knew Aria would change his son's mind.
Aria had a painful past, I do pity my poor girl.

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Cause it took me a whole day to write this 😘.

Thanks for reading 💙💙💙💙