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The house felt empty, dad wasn't back from work. I heaved a deep tired sigh and went up the stairs to my room.
My room was still scattered as I left it for school in the morning. My bed was undressed, my books were scattered on my reading table, the floor was sandy and the blinds was not opened.
I looked at the room and suddenly missed my mum. Despite being strict and busy, she was a loving mother who enjoyed doing everything for her children despite how old they were. Me and my brothers had mum doing everything for us.
While we are having breakfast, mum would go to our rooms and clean it. She would lay the bed, opened the window blinds, arranged the reading tables and pick our pyjamas and other dirty clothes to the washing machine. She enjoyed doing it and she did it everyday without giving us a chance to learn how to clean our room.
Once I and mum visited my first brother's house to spend the weekend, mum took over the cleaning of the whole house and bathing of my nephews and stopped my brother's wife from doing her chores. when mum tried cleaning their matrimonial room, it had been war with my brother's wife strongly opposing it and my mum refusing to give up. my brother had to beg his wife to allow mum clean the room for peace to reign.
I smiled at the memory and walked into my room.
My mother was like a nanny to me but mum is now late and the cleaning of my room is on my personal maids shoulders but they are such a bad bug. Always stubborn and waiting to be told before doing what they knew they should do.
Mary... I yelled.
Mary... I repeated loudly after waiting for some seconds.
Mary ran into my room wearing a blue polo on a black skirt.
You are back from school? she asked.
I noted the harshness in the question and made no attempt to answer it.
You are my personal maid, you are supposed to clean my room every morning, I said.
I was busy, Mary said.
Just clean my room please, I replied and went into the bathroom.
I removed the sweat soaked school uniform and had a cold shower. When I got back to my room, Mary was almost done.
I wiped my body and wore a simple gown.
My uniform is in the bathroom, take it to the washing machine please, I said.
You need to learn how to do things, you are not a kid, Mary said and I froze.
What did you just say? I asked.
Nothing, Mary replied.
When did you start telling me what to do? I asked.
I was just suggesting, Mary replied.
I guess you are tired of this house, you will soon get fired, trust me, I replied.
It was just a suggestion oh, Mary said.
I don't remember asking for your suggestion...
I was cut short by my father's car driving into the compound.
I smiled and skipped down the stairs to the sitting room.
I waited at the door and a minute later, it was opened by my dad.
Welcome dad, I greeted and threw my arms around my father.
How is my baby doing today? And how was school? Dad asked.
I'm fine, school was fine, I replied.
That's my baby, dad replied.
But dad you are late today. You come back by 5pm but today it's 5:45pm, I said.
So you are now monitoring me? Dad asked and touched my nose.
If I don't monitor my dad, who will? I asked.
Hmm, well it was my secretary that delayed me, she needed to have a word so I had to listen to her, dad replied.
That fat lady, what does she want? I asked with a frown.
It was strictly business. Why the frown? dad said.
I won't lie, I'm jealous...
Jealous? Dad cut in.
That's how they do and then the next thing it will be a date, I replied.
Hahaha, what's the big deal in me going on a date? Dad asked.
I don't want that. I can't stand you having a new wife, I said.
What if I plan to have? Dad Said.
You better get over such plan, it can't happen. People marry to get children and you have five grown up children already so what's the need of a new wife? I asked.
Wife doesn't only give birth, they do many things including warming bed, supervising meal and etc, my dad said.
Trust me dad, you don't need a new wife, I'm here for you, you have me, I said.
And I don't plan giving my baby a step mother either, my dad said and kissed my forehead..
Now you are talking. Many girls are gold diggers, they won't mind marrying an old man for money and then they will sap you dry and run away or worse kill you and put a younger man into your house, I replied.
Sounds like my baby is growing wiser, dad said.
Yes she is. So dad let's go upstairs, I said.
Ok, my dad replied and handed me his suitcase. I collected it.
We walked up the stairs to his room. I dropped the suitcase on the shelf.
Refresh while I go and supervise how the maids cook dinner, I said.
I wanna eat afang soup, Dad said..
Ok dad, I said.
I'm sleeping with you today, I added and walked out of the room.
I went to the kitchen and told the maids what to cook. In less than an hour, food was ready. I set the table with the maids and dismissed them.
I had dinner with my dad and we discussed about our day as usual.
After dinner, I cleared the table and we retired to the room.
Thank God tomorrow is Saturday, I'm planning to go to the cinema with Juliet, I said and jumped on my dad's bed.
Cinema all the time, why not library? Dad asked and lay down beside me.
I just want to catch some fun, I replied.
You will be writing WAEC soon, you should be studying, not having fun, dad said.
Hmm, I sighed and pulled a duvet over my body.
You won't go abroad for university education, I prefer you study in Nigeria so you need to perform well in WAEC. You need to study hard. After WAEC you can have all the fun you need, dad explained.
Alright, I replied and shifted close to dad and in less than a minute, I slept off.
I was woken up by a soft kiss on my left cheek and the duvet lifting slowly....... Next episode loading