Susan stands up crosses her night wear firmly tight and moved close to the reading table.
"You know you should get a job" Susan advised as she pulled out the chair and sat down.
"I have a job Mom" Molly replied as she seats up. "Douglas still pays me monthly salary" she explained further looking intently at her.
"You mean he gives you peanuts" Robin chipped in standing by the door with crossed rms. He asked that in mockery which is too bad for a morning.
"Robin stop" Susan shunned him. "You know you aren't getting enough from there? She asked
"I know mom, not like his lab isn't working. Just lack of huge customers. Besides I love the setting and its all about my passion" Molly explained convincingly.
Susan wasn't so sure of words to say, but she needed to clear her point but still lacked words to use. "Hmm" she breathed out hard
"Ok" she replied as Robin moved in to sit with Molly on the bed at the same time she gave him a quick angry gaze which prompted him to ask "What?" but she said nothing and turned away.
"You remind me so much of your father Molly" Susan said
"Yeah" she affirmed
"Because of the animal thing" Robin cajoled with a frowned face.
"Yeah the animal thing is there, but the outrageous zeal, strong spirit and determination is just same as yours" She answered as Molly puts up a bold smile. That seemed like the most comforting thing she has heard in a while.
"we got married to each other with all the love fantasies intact. We went for vacations, did all that is worth it and took out time to express our love and care for each other. His love for animal never stopped him from loving me more. That lured me into loving animals too. Your birth was the best thing that happened to us Robin" She told them in tears and smiles.
"Not until, he took up the cloning project" She continued
"You mean animals to humans?" Molly interrupted while trying to sit upright
"No" She answered. "Animals to animals" She added.
"That's exactly my research project in college, but deals with animals to humans which is almost the same thing" Molly said again
"How did it go?" Robin asked
"Donald made dog hybrids with different animal genes and DNAs. Its success was used for the war over Xylom" she replied as she wiped her tears.
"Xylom?" Robin and Molly asked simultaneously
"You mean the Xylom limestone site?" Molly asked curiously
"Yes but we lost to the Boatabs because the hybrids with the carnivorous clones began seeing the herbivorous clones and soldiers as prey and began to hunt and kill them. Gozax withdrew from the war due to loss of its military personnel and clones, giving in to Boatabs"
"Wow!" Robin exclaimed
"Donald still continued with the research to close the lapses of the project. Then he decided to capture and tame a lion alive. Subsequently, use the tamed lions semen as specimen for cloning. His major aim was to provide a safe atmosphere for all the clones" She said as she leaned back on the chair and continued.
"He started the taming process which began yielding some success over time. That was 4 months into your conception Molly. On one of his sessions with the lion, he tried to assess the ability of the loin to detect a friendly face and not harm it. Before this he made pictures of himself and positioned it before the lion but the lion was helpless when he got to it. He decided to practice this in real setting. Donald made the lion chase him" this time crying out hard that she can barely be heard.
"He fell on the ground lying upwards to enable the lion see and recognize his face; but it didn't get the memo. It launched it claws into Donald's stomach" She added with her eyes closed as tears rushed down her cheeks. Molly rushed and hugged her in tears as Robin stood close patting her back in sympathy.
"It's ok mom" Molly said in tears
Still in tears, "I did all I could to save his life. I rushed him to the hospital from work immediately I got the news only to see him lying helplessly on the hospital bed. I laid by him begging God each passing day to heal my husband. I spent all I had and all his savings but he died" She said crying harder.
"Pull yourself together mom" Robin pleaded.
After some time of crying and sympathizing with each other, they got over their emotions and wiped their tears.
"What happened to dad's cloning project?" Molly asked with her reddened eyes out of tears.
"Honestly, I don't know. I didn't bother about that. I was engrossed by his pains for the days he lasted. My husband was of utmost importance to me than the project" She replied
"Hmmm" Molly breathed out "I was traumatized by his loss that I found it so hard to cope. At nights I would cry tirelessly. The doctors warned me severally of my risen blood pressure because of my physiological condition but that was least of my worries. All I wanted was to have my best friend back. Douglas had to get me another job forcefully to pull me back on track and prevent me from losing another life."
"So nobody took up the project? And the government did nothing about it?" Robin asked
"Yes, nothing happened" She answered as Robin and Molly looked down in disappointment.
Molly quickly held Susan's hands firmly, "It's ok mom, I promise to make you proud and revive your joy someday" Molly pledged
After some time of silence, they heard a heavy knock on the door. Then, they realized they have been carried away for some time.
"I will get that" Robin said and left.
Then Susan drew her chair closer to Molly and held her hands
"Molly?" she called
"Yes mom" Molly answered
"I was damn serious about you getting a well-paying job" Then she paused for some seconds and continued "I was fired yesterday" she stressed
"What? what happened? why?" Molly asked in confusion
"You ask too many questions" Susan replied with a smile
"I want to know, talk to me" she still asked curiously
After a while, Robin called out from the sitting room
"Molly you've got a package"
"Yes!" she shouted joyfully and rushed out of the room as Susan followed her.
"Please sign her" the delivery man said pointing to the space for signatures
He handed over her package to her, they bid goodbye and she shot the door. As she turned "What's that?" Susan asked as she was coming down through the stairs.
"Of course I can't order an article not to talk of text book on anatomy of carnivores" Robin replied reluctantly as he focused on the tea he was making.
"You can be so annoying" Molly told him aggressively and headed for the fridge. Then Susan said calmly to Robin's ears
"You should take it easy on your little sister" she advised
"Like she deserves it?" He replied as he went back to the sitting room.