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~CHAPTER EIGHTEEN~

I walked into the school library to borrow a physiology textbook. I paced around, looking from one shelve to another, the shelves was neatly arranged having the same course written by different authors. The librarian waved to call my attention, I walked over to her broad desk stacked with books.
"Hi" I heard someone say behind me.
"Hey" I smiled realising it was the same Indian girl I sat with on my first day at school.
"I am Priyanka Oberoi" she introduced her self in the Indian way.
"Nora is my name" I said giving my School identity card to the librarian.
"Here" The librarian gave me the textbook. I thanked her and used the egress with Priyanka
"Sorry to bother you. You must be the girl I saw on the news. "
"News?" I asked as I tapped my lips thoughtfully,
"Are you not the one who was oppressed by the owner of Borwan Airlines."
"Yes" I muttered as I remembered.
"I like you. You are so bold" she said and hugged me. I hugged back inhaling the strong smell of garlic from her breathe.
"Thank you. What course are you studying here?"
"Aeronautical Engineer" she said in excitement.
"So you want to build planes for India"
"Oh yeah___ I know we have numerous people who have built planes but do you know why I picked this course?" She paused and giggled as she placed a hand on my shoulder. " Because I want to innovate something different, I also want to change the paradigm of most people in this world, especially those who thinks women are inferior.I don't like the way they treat women in our society. What about you?"
"Nutrition and dietetics. I want to eradicate filthy and misbranded product from my country." I told her and she smiled.
"Then we are similar. We both want to help our country and the world."
"Right." we exchanged contact and I went our separate ways.

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I sat on a recliner at balcony to study to avoid distraction. Kayla had invited a friend over to study with her.
The soothing feeling of the evening breeze made me doze off. I was woken up by a noise coming from inside the house. I quickly stood up, I adjusted my blouse and went inside to see what was happening.
"What's your problem? She only came over to assist me with my essay." I heard Kayla holler from the room.
I tiptoed to the entrance of the room to see what was happening, the door was left standing ajar. I peeked through it to see Marvin arguing with his sister.
"Never bring friends to this house. I have warned you. Janelle get ya things outta here and leave!" he took the paperwork they had been working on and flunged it across the room.
"Janelle ain't going anywhere. You get out of here!" she yelled holding a pillow against her chest.
"You're talking to me like that" he slapped her, she glared at him, wiping her tears with trembling hands.
"You are not going to get away with it this time, I promise you" she whimpered.
Marvin removed his belt and hit the wall to threaten them.
"Are you going to go now" he sneered at Janelle.
As he was about to hit Janelle, I hit the door multiple times with my fist to halt what was going on, for I couldn't bear seeing the horrid scene.
"Enough! Please. Marvin if you continue, I will call the corps." I threatened.
He swirled his belt in the air and laughed.
"Here comes the super hero. What do ya know?" he gritted his teeth. I moved nearer to him and looked into his blue eyes. He was a feet taller, but I wasn't intimidated by his height and strength.
He starred back wondering what a seventeen years old girl can do to a twenty year old strong man who has all it takes to beat me.
"Leave! This oppression has to stop Marvin she's your sister for Christ sake" I said in rage.
"Brave girl eh!" he hissed, he shoved me aside as he walked past me out off the room.
"This is what he does when mom is away, he maltreats me" Kayla sobbed.
"Kayla you never told me you had a thug in the home. Look how he scared me to death. I gotta go now before he comes with a knife." Janelle said gasping.
"I am sorry" Kayla muttered. Janelle packed up her books that was scattered on the floor and put them hastily into her bag and left.

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Aunt Uwa looked at me with an unconcerned expression on her face as I narrated what happened earlier.
"He is just acting as a big brother" she said as she offloaded the groceries she bought on the kitchen counter.
"But is it not right to invite a friend to study. I don't see anything wrong in what she did."
She removed her black wig exposing her untidy
hair that was braided all back and shook it before putting it on the kitchen cabinets.
"See I don't have time for that now. I am busy I have dishes to prepare for a birthday party" she said as she put on her apron . She gave me potatoes to peel. I nodded my head in disbelief .
This was not the Aunt Uwa I know, she wasn't caring at all. It was only her business that mattered to her most. Looking at Aunt Uwa evoked memories of my mum. My Mum had never done this to me. She would listen to my complain and discipline my brothers and I if we misbehave. She was always there for me. I wiped my tears with the sleeve of my sweater as I recalled. She looked like my mom but doesn't act like her.
After I finished peeling the potatoes I washed my hand and headed of to my room.
"Are you okay?" I said sympathetically as I entered the room seeing Kayla sitting at the edge of the bed.
"Don't bother asking 'cause you know am not." she said adhering the paper that got torn when Marvin threw them.
"Kayla. I really need to know what's going on in this house. About the relationship between you, your mother and your brother." I said and sat beside her on the bed.
"My Mum doesn't care about us, so Marvin tranfers all agression to me. "
"But you know this has to stop."
"It will that's why we are praying."
"Why is Marvin hostile? Look at how he scared your friend to death."
"I am friendless because of him. Last year, I invited my two friends over- Danielle and Erin for a slumber party, he spiked our drink and that made Erin sick for weeks, her parents almost had my mom arrested but she pacified them, so they dropped the charges" she shift from the egde of the bed and sat with her legs crisscrossed.
"Why did he do that?"
"I don't know. "
"Has he always been this way?"
"Nah. Since dad left, he has been depressed. Mom too, including me. I started getting better when you came. "
"God's in control__Have you tried calling your dad."
"He's been out of reach eversince. Nora, I am not moved anymore. " she said smiling.
"Really?"
"I am not moved or bothered because Jesus is in my boat, since he is here the Storm will be calm." she laid on the bed and tucked herself in the blanket.
"Wow! I am so much astounded at how your faith grew." I turned to her. She sat up and shook her head so her soft curls will fall to her face.
"Can you help me weave my hair . I love the way you styled your natural hair." she said kneeling on the bed to touch my hair that I had loosened the previous day and did cornrows on it myself."
"It's the truth, God answers prayers Nora. Sincerely speaking, I have never had a mortal friend who I can share my problems with, so last year when my mum allowed me to go for my church teens retreat, my pastor asked us to write down our prayer request. I wrote 'My lord and my God, I want a mortal friend whom I can talk to and also help in my spiritual growth in Christ' __ God gave me you, Nora." She confided in me as I braided her hair
"Thank God!"