I was so tired, I slept off in the car, well that was until I heard Adam's voice calling my name. I was so tempted to smack his mouth but didn't, cos I might just get myself injured instead.
"Asha!!!!", he said while shaking me and from the vibrations I was feeling, he was getting frantic now, cos I still didn't answer him. I think my mom might have rubbed off on him… a lot. As much as I'd have liked to keep sleeping, that wasn't possible anymore, so instead I just decided to put him out of his misery.
"Chill, okay", I said tiredly, my voice barely audible. "I'm awake, alright", I said while trying to wrench myself free from his hands. "Jeez!!!! You sound more like my mom every day, it's scary".
"Well, good for you". He said finally letting me go, when he was sure I was truly awake. I took that chance to climb out of the car as he handed me my bag. "Now you have two moms", he continued with a smirk planted on his face.
I gotta hand it to him, he does know how to get my mood swinging in his favor. "Anyways, I need to go back to the office now", he said while getting back into the car. "So I guess I'll see you later in the evening. Okay".
"Yeah I guess", I said, already walking towards the mansion. "Now you take care, I love you", he said as he started the car and began backing out the driveway.
"I love you too, now go away", I replied with a smirk on my face, still facing the mansion while waiting patiently for his comeback. "The way you display your affections for me, scares me every single time", he shouted in reply with a laugh as he drove off.
We had such an understanding, outsiders would think we were 'cray cray', but the truth was, we just got along like that.
I walked through the giant double doors to our mansion with my bag half swinging off my shoulder. The doors led into a lobby that was so spacious you could park two jeeps comfortably, always made me wonder a lot of things about my mom, like why she always gets overly spacious houses for us. Like the last house we lived in had six bedrooms, seven bathrooms, a pool, a cinema and a built in gym, covering over 7,000-square-foot and we were just three living in the house. But that house is nothing compared to this one.
This property covered at least 13,000 square feet, and contained 9 bedrooms and 11 bathrooms, an open floor plan, two sitting rooms, a huge white and black stone kitchen with two islands, two dining areas; one that could sit forty people comfortably and the other one, with six chairs, a tempered glass table, a lovely chandelier above and a simple flower vase on the table, a custom home theater, a game room with a wet bar, fountains, an outdoor patio that led to a pool, a gym, a private courtyard with a guest house closely linked with the wine cellar and en-suite bedrooms. Well, at least that was what the real estate agent told my mom, which I only heard accidentally with my overly sharp hearing.
Left to me, the house was just huge to cover up the fact that it was just my mom and I that were the only family left. I liked the house truly and trust me that came as a shock to me, cos I hate the fact that our family always have to keep moving and so we can never get rooted in a place. Like you just start making friends and falling in love with your environment and next thing is move…. Again. The house was huge, that much was easy to see, with gigantic fountains all over and the craziest door craft I have ever seen in my life, so vintage and yet modern. The lobby was something else, spacious with crazy paintings hanging on the walls and some vases by the sides of the doors. The lobby had two winding stairs leading to the top floor which so happens to be the floor my room is located on with my moms and three spare bedrooms that I'm sure she'll convert to something else soon enough. There were four bedrooms downstairs: two were in use by my dad Adam and Aunt Maia while the remaining two… Hmm I don't know. The house had a basement that was crazy large yet spooky cos my mom hadn't seen to our complete unpacking yet.
I loved my room the most in the house…cos it was perfect for me. Painting was done in black and white, matter of fact I'm not sure you'd find any other color in my room except in my closet. My room was twice the last one I had and it contained a ginormous king size bed, three pillows and a lot more throw pillows with white bed sheets and a black comforter, two bedside lamps, a few vases courtesy of my mom, a table and chair with my desktop and a few books linked with a small library, a few portraits of my mom and I and one of our complete family. I had a large flat screen TV whose inches I've forgotten and yeah the walk in closet still with the same black and white theme with black carpets and a standard vanity, then a window seat and a door that led to the balcony with the view of a flower garden and the forest, pretty nice right? Yeah I said forest, cos she (my mom) has refused to live with civilization cos of me, sad right?
My second favorite room would have to be the kitchen, basically cos it's Aunt Maia's station and also cos it follows the same theme as my room. With double islands housing so many stools and hardwood floors to finish it all up. Totally furnished with every modern kitchen equipment you can imagine… hmm no wonder Aunt Maia loved it.
From the lobby I walked to the sitting room, threw my bag on the sofa just as I was about to dive onto the large sofa, I heard Aunt Maia our live-in help slash second mom… wait make that third mom, come dashing out of the kitchen, with a lovely smile on her face and the sweet heavenly scent of cookies following right behind her.
One thing you should know about me, I would kill for the taste of Aunt Maia's cookies anytime, any day, anywhere. Don't judge, she is just pretty badass at what she cooks.
"Asha my dear, your mom called earlier to inform me that you were going to be home early, I hope nothing's wrong dear", she said with a look of worry etched upon her face now, and that was one of the things I hated seeing on her face.
Aunt Maia was dare I say the most beautiful woman I had ever seen for someone of her age. She was fifty two and had been with us for ten out of those years, but every day she seemed to look younger, if that was even possible. She was a light skinned woman with brown flame-y hair that reached down to mid-back, hair she always had in either a ponytail or a bun. She was a short woman standing at five feet four, with the build of a delicate porcelain doll yet the strength of a warrior. She had the strangest eye color I had ever come across, gold, yet had depths that spoke of her experiences. Her face well-structured and a smile always on her face. She was one of the few people I had met, that my mom actually took advice from and heeded every-of her instructions, it was silly but true.
"Well Aunt Maia, today has been one hell of a day for me", I said walking towards her now. "So please put your smile right back on and let's get to cookie eating shall we", I said tryna lighten up the mood and put a smile back on her face.
"Asha you sure?", She totally didn't believe me but she's not hearing another peep from me. "Of course I'm sure". And just for emphasis I added, "100%".
She still wasn't convinced but she knew from experience that she wasn't getting anything from me if I wasn't willing to share and so she decided to let it go. "Alright dear, if you say so".
"But wait, I hope you don't intend to leave your bag on that chair", she said with a hint of humor in her voice. I didn't need no explaining before I got my bag off the sofa so fast you'd think it was about to catch fire, why you might ask. My mom is the definition of perfectionist, so anything outta place is only asking for trouble.
Laughing loudly now Aunt Maia said, "Now come on, I've got your favorite cookies in the kitchen, made 'em specifically for you".
This lady knew me to my soul, "Aunt Maia, have I ever told you how much I love you and the works of your hands, I asked dramatically and she couldn't help the smile that broke out on her face again, giving her sweet crinkles by her eyes. I couldn't help the joy I felt at seeing her smile again, so I continued by going down on one knee and taking a hold of her hands, then dramatically saying, "if I haven't, I'm saying it now… I freaking love you so much". After which I kissed her hands.
She just burst out laughing all together and I couldn't help but join her. We laughed so much, I think I had tears in my eyes. "Ha ha ha… Alright sissy if you say so. Now come on".
With that I followed her straight to the kitchen to dig on the best cookies ever invented, chocolate chip cookies….hmm, hmm!!!!! Heaven in my mouth.
Sitting on an island chair, I waited patiently for her to serve me my treat while going through my phone for my schedule for the week. I had self-defense classes Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. "Argh!!!" I groaned while running my hand through my hair. I already feel like crap for the wrong use of all the moves I learnt and I still gotta learn more, my life sucks.
"What's wrong honey?" Aunt Maia asks as she deposits my cookies and glass of milk before me.
"Nothing, I just realized that my life really sucks", I replied wearily as I took a bite out of a cookie and instantly I smiled. I am such a sugar addict.
"Sweetie your life doesn't suck, so stop saying silly things like that", Aunt Maia admonished. "Now finish up your food, Adam will be back soon with your dance instructor".
"Wait WHAT!!!!!" I screamed out in shock. "Now this is the definition of betrayal", I said frowning at her.
"How could you let mom do this to me", I say accusingly. "I specifically said I wasn't interested in this project of hers didn't I? Why do you guys just insist on ruining my life?" I was so frustrated I couldn't even think straight anymore.
"Asha your mom is only looking out for you, and I totally support her decision, cos you need to do something useful with your time so you don't bring back your demons and crazy headaches", she said while tryna calm me down.
I'm past the point of thinking things through right now. Like why would she try to force her stupid project on me, I'm her child not some artist she signed or crap. Fuck I hate this.
"You know what, I'm not taking no dance lessons, neither am I gonna do anything she asks and if y'all don't like it then hell's available for all", I said with a tone of finality.
I just dump another cookie in my mouth, down my remaining milk and head up the stairs leaving a weary looking Aunt Maia in the kitchen.
Don't you judge me, I love her yes, but that don't mean they can run my life as they deem fit. It's mine for a reason you know. I am so mad at my mom right now.
I don't even know how I managed to get up the stairs so fast, next thing I know I'm standing in front of my room. I think I thought walked, if that was even a thing.
I opened the door to my room, dumped my bag by the window seat and went straight to the bathroom cos all I need right now is a freezing cold shower.
I lost half of my outfit on the way to the bathroom, gave myself a very cold treat under my power spray shower, after which I dried myself with my towel, wrapped my head with another one, then got myself a sweet bathrobe from the railing which I'm guessing my mom had to have dumped in the bathroom for me. She definitely loves me and yet hates me all the same.
Exiting the bathroom was the worst thing I had done all day, why? I stepped out only to find my mom seething while pacing in my room. I'm impressed she didn't barge into the bathroom. When she heard the bathroom door close, she finally stopped her pacing and turned to look at me.
"O…kay, do I wanna know why you're mad and seething in my room like this", I say with a half-smile, not even making a move to get a few feet away from the bathroom door.
"Asha Asha Asha….", she said while trying to keep her anger in check. "Do not make things hard on everybody, I'm only going to say this once. Get dressed and be down in less than five minutes or there'll be no place in hell to hold your bones when I'm done with you", she said with fire burning in her eyes clearly warning me that she meant everything she just said.