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~CHAPTER FOURTEEN~

"Morning Nora. How was your night" My aunt said as I entered the kitchen, she brought out home made meat pie from the oven.
"Here, taste." she cut one of the meat pie into a half and gave me.
"It's hot." I flinched, throwing the meat pie to the floor.
"Sorry. I thought you knew how to handle hot food since you said you have been the one cooking at home." she laughed.
"Yes. I could have made use of a plate instead of just holding it with my bare hand." I rubbed my palm as I placed it under cold running water.
"Please help me prepare the table for breakfast. Don't be nervous, do it as your mother taught you to."
"Okay" I walked to the dining area at the centre of the kitchen. The kitchen was big enough to fit in additional table and chairs.
"Good job" she commented as I fixed one side of the table, placing the teacup and spoon in the right place. My Mum didn't actually teach me how to serve a table without a tray, she only taught me using a tray with three major things there- plate of food, spoon and glass of water. I used the knowledge of food and nutrition to arrange the table.
"I am done" I said as I looked up at her.
"Alright. You can serve your food, I will call Kay and Marv."

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"Marvin can you help me pass that bottle of juice?"
Kayla said, she decided not to use tea, because she was allergic to it.
"What happened to your hands?" Marvin glared at her.
"Let me get it for you." I stood but Marvin pulled me down to sit.
"She's not an handicap, she can get it herself." he gave me a fierce stare, his brown eyes telling me I shouldn't dare disobey him.
"You're closer that's why I asked you to help me" she was abashed. I could see it in the way she got up from her sit and took the juice bottle that was just so close to him.
"Marvin be careful" Aunt Uwa scolded.
Marvin eyed his mom when she wasn't looking at him and continued eating.
It was obvious now, something is wrong with this family. The way they communicate with themselves. Where is thier Daddy? They have made no mention of him in the past three days.
"Kayla once you're done with your food you wash the dishes." Aunt Uwa said carrying her plate to the sink.
"Okay"
Everyone finished breakfast and went to do their personal activity. I was the only one left on the table. I was done eating but, I just needed time for my food to digest.
"Can I help?" I muttered as I stood beside kayla at the sink. I wanted to use the medium to ask her some questions.
"No thanks. I am almost done " she said shyly, she was a bit taller than me with more weight. She wasn't fat nor slim, she was just normal with perfect figure but she was fatter than me.
"I will wash my plate" she shifted aside for me to wash my plate. I also washed the chopping board and knife left in the sink.
"You love working" she smiled, she dried her hands and went to the water dispenser at the left corner of the kitchen close to the refrigerator to fetch some water to drink.
"Can you fetch some for me too?" I gave her a puppy eyes.
"Sure. Cold or warm?"
"Warm"
As she bent over, I noticed three red lines in between her thigh, since she wore shorts it was visible to see, it looked like marks gotten from a whip.
"Did your dad travel? I haven't seen him since I arrived." We were in our room now. She sat on the bed trying to fold her washed clothes.
"He is not leaving with us."
"Why?" I sat on her dressing table admiring the variety of hair cream, body cream, makeup kit and nail polish.
"They got separated for no sensible reason." she lamented. She was done folding her pile of clothes. She came to where I sat and took out a large piece of A4 sheet and scrunched it, tossing it to the floor"I hate my life" she muttered and walked out of the room.
Where was she going to? I didn't bother following her. I picked up the crumpled piece from the floor and opened it, I used my palm to straighten it to see what was in it . It was a drawing, she drew a portrait of Uncle Neri. Mr Neri Hartford, the white man in the wedding pictures of My mom and Dad. He was married then to my aunt, they travelled all the way from California just to attend my parents wedding, they also came over when I was born with four years old Marvin and little baby Kayla who was three months old. He is a very approachable young man with his chestnuts colored hair with his usual crew cut that brought out his masculine oval face and his pointed nose and his attractive blue eyes which you could drown in. I remembered telling him when we came visiting 'I love swimming in your eyes', then nine years old, he laughed not knowing the meaning of what I meant. Ever since, Uncle Neri nicknamed me eyes swimmer.
He looked like those men who do heavy weight lifting because he got the physique. My mom had said 'she married him because she needed someone to knead her dough without stress'
My aunt was a caterer before she got married, she studied Food Technology in the US, she is a certified Baker and that's how she earns her living ,apart from the night classes she takes on Fridays.
Kayla was traumatized by the Divorce. She was drawing a portrait of her Dad. Mr Hartford was a loyal and Godfearing man from my perception but what happened? Why did they get separated? These are the questions I can't ask my aunt. Maybe that's the reason Marvin has this weird character of scaring me with harsh words like 'our house is haunted with demons. You're gonna pack your boxes as soon as you are victimized' he had said in the second night spent in this house. He really sounded serious, I was scared, first I thought he was nut. He is also traumatized.
I became concious of my environment. In less than a week, school will resume. Tomorrow ,Aunt Uwa is going to take me to see the University owned by the anchor of the popular 700club show-Pat Robinson, an American.
I dugged into my purple leather purse, I had kept safely in the wardrobe shared by Kayla and I. The wardrobe was big, you could walk into the wardrobe and come out in another place in the room filled with shelves where you could fold clothes for future use. It was built like a door that led to a cloth jungle. It's very good for privacy and probably a good hideout in playing hide and seek. I texted dad
Good morning dad . How is work going. I found out something odd today. Adesuwa and Neri is divorced. Hope things are going well just as it is with me here?