"Matthew, are you sure it's okay that I called you in? Honestly, I wouldn't have but Henry became so busy that he cou-"
"Mrs. Joseph, I'm sorry to interrupt, but it's fine," Matthew flashes the pregnant woman a small smile, "Sarah's operation was a success and the doctors allowed me to take her home, she's currently with the kids. It's fine."
Miriam smiles gratefully and hollers for the twins to rush out. Matthew walks back into the house to drag out the traveling bags into the car.
"Mommy! Which bow do you think matches my dress? The turquoise one or the purple one?" Zoba asks from the patio.
Miriam picks the latter and yells for her and her sister to get moving. By now, Matthew is already done loading and was now warming the car.
"Ugh! I'm so mad right now!"
"You saying it doesn't change shit!"
Miriam slaps Zoba's arm, "Language, young lady!"
Zoba smiles apologetically and runs to the car with her bright sundress flowing as she runs. She greets Matthew and they begin to chatter animatedly.
"Olaedo, you have to learn how to start wearing dresses," Miriam shakes her head at her daughter.
Olaedo pouts and walks to where her mum is standing, "Mommy, not you too!"
"I'm serious, my dear!" She pulls her daughter into a hug, "You know your school uniform is a corporate outfit, not a hoodie and jogger pants." She points to Olaedo's dressing.
Olaedo rolls her eyes... Internally, "Mom, don't even remind me!" She touches her forehead, "The mere thought of entering this car is giving me a migraine."
Miriam chuckles. She places one hand on her bump and places the other on her daughter's head.
"Speaking of cars..." Olaedo begins.
"Ola-"
"He's not here, is he?"
Miriam shakes her head.
Way to sour an already soured mood!
She can't say she's surprised. She knows her father wouldn't be here.
What? Pfft! It's not like his children going to school for the first time is one important occasion at all.
Miriam moves the hand from her daughter's head to her shoulder, "He wanted to come,"
"He said he'd be here." Olaedo shakes her head, "And don't cover for him, mom!"
She stomps to the car and enters, sitting very close to the window as possible. Zoba sits beside her and opens her mouth to say something but Olaedo's glare zip it shut.
"Let's go, Matthew," Miriam says when she enters the shotgun.
During the course of the journey, Olaedo's anger and irritation dissolve as she enters a conversation with her twin.
"Oh my God, Olaedo! Come and see this!" Zoba squeals as she pulls her sister close to her so that they are staring into her iPod screen.
"Conducive classrooms. Foreign and home teachers. Standard and equipped Laboratories. Mixed dorm. Post-learning activities. Pizzeria. Restaurant. All at Popper's Pupil Academy."
Olaedo raises a brow as her sister squeals again.
"They have a pizzeria, Olaedo! A pizzeria!" Zoba smiles so wide as she clutches her iPod close to her chest and a look of euphoria plasters on her face.
"I feel like I'm going to paradise!"
Matthew and Miriam chuckle from the driver's seat.
Olaedo rolls her eyes and moves back to the window. She hates to admit but she is quite impressed. A school with a pizzeria? You don't see that every day.
"It sounds too good to be true." She simply says.
"Ever so pessimistic! Olaedo, not everything is as Wattpad writers paint it out to be,"
Olaedo gasps, "Zoba, how dare you?! Do not bring Wattpad into this!"
She reaches out and pinches Zoba on her arm. The latter yelps and that is how the pinch-fest started.
"Alright, it's okay! Zoba, you know your sister has allergies, you shouldn't be pinching her like that." Miriam says as she eyes them from the rear mirror for any foul play.
Olaedo sticks her tongue out at Zoba who does the same to mock her.
"Mom, if I throw Zoba out the window, will I be grounded for life?"
Zoba gasps dramatically.
"Olaedo, you're not throwing your sister out the window. There's no escaping this one, darling. You're going to school."
Olaedo pouts childishly and huffs before turning on her iPod and clicking on the *W* icon.
The distance from Magiari to Bosoto was as long as the distance between the beginning and end of the Niger River... Okay, maybe there's a teeny bit of exaggeration there, but still!
It took three more hours to get there, it would have been two but Miriam's cramps got worse and they had to stop along the way, not that Olaedo was complaining.
Deep in her soul, she'd pray that the newborn would come that minute so that the plan of going to a Boarding school would be canceled, even if the rational part of her knew that would be impossible seeing that Miriam is in her 7th month.
Pulling into a driveway, Zoba's lips drop in awe as she presses herself on the door to sneak in a better look at the huge complex. They had to pass by three security checks before they were allowed to drive in.
"They have a valet!" Zoba whisper-yells as Matthew tosses the car keys to a stout man on a navy blue shirt and black pants.
"It's valet, without the 't'." Olaedo corrects.
Zoba rolls her eyes. She continues feeding her eyes as Matthew helps Mrs. Joseph out of the car. They walk to the first building that has a huge sign that read; *Administrative Unit*
"Hello and welcome to Popper's Pupil Academy! Do you have an appointment?" A peppy voice greets them as they walk in.
*You need to book an appointment? How Prude.* Olaedo snickers in her mind as she stands beside her sister.
"Yes, indeed we do. It's under Joseph." Miriam replies.
The tiny lady turns to her laptop. After some clicks and taps, she turns to them with a blinding smile, "You can go right in. The Principal is in."
Olaedo gulps as they walk into the wide double doors. Like the door, the office is ridiculously wide and empty. One side housed a tall cupboard with students' files, probably. While the other side housed a wide table with various trophies on it.
"Mrs. Miriam Joseph, I presume?" A man in the center of the room says.
Olaedo purses her lips as she stares at the man. Trimmed mustache, small goatee, bald head, oversized suit... He is definitely a Principal.
Olaedo zones out of the conversation when the Principal begins to dish out the ethics of P.P.A, as well as rules and regulations. She didn't pay attention at all until it was time to get settled in.
Settling in equals Miriam leaving and Olaedo didn't what that to happen.
When the twins escorted their mother and driver to the car, they burst into ugly tears mumbling how they don't want to leave their mother.
Miriam knows she has to be firm and to hold the tears till when the twins are gone. So she does just that. After crying and mumbling on their mother's bosom, they finally depart.
In the car, Miriam cries her heart out, not only because she'll miss her kids but because Henry wasn't here to share this moment with her.