Late Eighteen

07| Chapter seven

"Give me that broom Ruth." Mum said as she was busy arranging the kitchen. It was Saturday, the very last Saturday of the month and mom had forced us to do sanitation.

Thank God the stupid month is over sef, it had brought me nothing but stress. I don't think I would have been able to handle more.

I looked around me but I couldn't find any broom.

"Which broom mum?" I asked, still looking around.

Mom passed me a deep glare and I frowned. What did I do wrong again now?

"Ask me that stupid question again and I'll land you a very dirty slap!"

She walked past me and I followed her carefully with my eyes. She stopped when she got to my side. I moved away a bit so the slap wouldn't meet me too much if she were to really slap me.

She snatched the broom from my hands and I stood, lost. So the broom was in my hand all along?

Chai, see my stupidity.

"Give me the broom Jare, you this blind girl."

I bent my head down, embarrassed. I knew what was coming next, the insults. One time something close to this happened- I was looking for the Torchlight and I didn't know the Torchlight was under my hairnet all along- mum told me I shouldn't be in SSS 3.

The most embarrassing part was when she said Zoe was more sharper and smarter than me.

Imagine.

"Sorry mum." I managed to mutter.

"Sorry for yourself." She hissed before continuing with what she was doing.

I stood awkwardly for a few minutes watching her. It's better I maintain my lane before my lane maintains me. Mum's slap isn't one to play with, it can make you temporarily deaf.

I shifted from leg to leg and I think mum noticed because she glared at me again.

Come on mum, what's with the glaring? Did I offend you ni?

"Stop hopping like a frog!" She snapped, sweeping the kitchen. I immediately stopped. "Infact, go and join Zoe and Zion to cut the grass in the garden. It's better I stay here alone than to be here with someone who can't even help me sweep."

"You didn't tell me nah."

I moved to collect the broom but she beat me in the leg with it so I decided to stand still. Someone will be trying to help mothers with something and they'll be behaving as if we really want to do it in the first place, doing shakara up and down.

It's not as if I have magical powers to read minds. How was I supposed to know she wanted me to sweep?

"Am I supposed to tell you? You're a woman, you should know what to do." She pointed at me angrily. "Some of your age mates are already married. You better use the brain that God gave you and start doing what you're supposed to do."

I gave her a flabbergasted look.

Married ke! At my age? Even though I even want to marry at the age of sixteen sef, I doubt any man would want to get married into a crazy family like mine. For God's sake, I am not even permitted to talk to a boy!

I rolled my eyes, annoyed. "Sorry mum."

"Just go help your siblings and leave my sight."

I didn't even waste any more time. Immediately she said that, I turned on my heel and began to walk out.

I looked behind me to see if mum was looking at me. When I saw that she wasn't, I began to mumble.

"I wonder why we're doing sanitation sef. For heaven's sake, there's a cleaner being paid for that. I'm very sure the cleaner's more than capable to build a house with the amount of money she's getting. And she ain't even working a dime for it!"