As they loosed hold of themselves, the hunger stings struck Dorcas's abdominal walls again.
"Please I have to go and freshen up for dinner" she pleaded frowning her face as Tom and Shirley sat down on the cushion "Because right now, I'm starving" she added holding her stomach with her hands
"Oh now, you are starving" Tom teased with laughter and clung his right hand over Shirley's shoulder
"Mom, please go. We will be right here" Shirley assured with beams "That's my baby" Dorcas said cheerfully, walked up to Shirley and pecked her right and left cheek sequentially.
Instantly, Tom quickly grabbed the remote on the center table to change the channel.
"Daddy" Shirley screamed with gritted teeth as Dorcas headed for the room "What!" he questioned with a strange look full of surprise and sat down. Shirley hastily knelt down on the cushion, placed her hands together uprightly, closed her eyes a bit and appealed in a low tone "Nickelodeon please"
"Oh that…no way" Tom asserted meanly as he leaned back on the cushion, grasped the pillow to his chest and looked into the remote to locate the channel number he wants. Shirley quickly drew closer and gripped his right elbow
"Dad please channel 37, channel 37, 37, 37 please 37…" she kept whispering to him with a depressed face "You know I don't watch that" Tom asserted to Shirley's bewilderment. She swiftly removed her hands from his elbow to face him directly
"No, that's not true" she argued as she folds her arms underneath her chest, grimacing "We always watch Nickelodeon together, every day, right here, in this sitting room" she detailed, pointing with her right hand to the television and the sitting room to show how they do it
"Really?" Tom asked pretentiously in confusion "Yes" Shirley responded boldly, looking at him intently to ascertain his next excuse "Maybe, that was then. But right now, I want to watch the news" he said meanly and fixed back his gaze on the television as he pressed the channel number he wants
Shirley suddenly became gloomy and conceitedly assumed a crying mood. "Dad please don't do this to me" she pleaded with a shivering voice as she held onto his right elbow again and lowered her forehead on it "Please…" she pleaded again to make Tom change his decision
"Ok… Nickelodeon" he succumbed meekly to her plea "Wow, thanks daddy. You are the best" she said happily as she hugged him "Yeah, anything for you dear" Tom concluded and pecked her forehead "Now Nickelodeon" he added as he pressed 37 on the television's remote and Shirley sat close to him with obvious happiness all over her face
As the channel took a while to show up, Shirley remembered how graced she is to have Tom and Dorcas and complimented them.
"Dad" she called softly "Yes dear" he answered calmly as he turned to her "Guess, my prayer intentions whenever we pray the rosary with the rosary man" she demanded fixing an intent gaze on his face "What?" he questioned interestedly as he couldn't lay his hands on what exactly is her prayer intentions
"Firstly, I usually thank God for making you and mom my parents" she replied with beautiful smile "Really" Tom ascertained as he withdrew his shoulders to the right a bit in amazement, to be sure she actually said that "Yes, because I know most of my classmates whose parents are divorced and what they pass through" she retorted with solemnity as Tom nods sadly, feeling for those children she talked about
"Secondly, I always pray you and mom will remain together. Thirdly, God should bless me with a baby sister" she stated emotionally "Come here" Tom said in a low tone, drew here closer and hugged her tightly such that her head is almost invisible. Then, he held her shoulders with his hands
"Look at me" he said as Shirley raised her eyes to contact directly with his "Thank God for me and your mummy, Thank God for you. You are more than a blessing to us" he asserted looking intently at her "I give you my words, me and mom will never file a divorce. Even if we do, God with his special grace will not allow that, for your sake" he assured passionately as Shirley nods in agreement and they hugged each other again
"I love you so much my angel" Tom whispered to her ear "I love you too daddy" she replied softly "And you will surely have a baby sister very soon" Tom assured again as they unglued from each other "Really, thank you" she appreciated and pounced on him joyfully
Dorcas instantly emerged as they loosed hold of each other.
"What's going on here?" she inquired curiously as she looked at them suspiciously "I was telling dad of my prayer intentions when we pray the rosary with the rosary man" Shirley answered calmly
"Interesting, I guess they are not bad ones?" Dorcas inquired as she drew Shirley to herself "Yes" she responded with smiles "Good" Dorcas said, knelt down in front of Shirley and slowly closed her eyes "To all of my baby's prayer intentions, I pray you oh Lord to grant awesomely, in Jesus name" she prayed as Tom and Shirley chorused "Amen"
"I love you so much, mummy" Shirley said and hugged her "I love you more dear" Dorcas whispered softly as they still held each other
"Enough of the love, dinner please" Tom quickly interrupted as he couldn't bear the hunger any longer "That's true" Dorcas affirmed as she unexpectedly carried Shirley up to her surprise "Mum" she called out joyfully
"What? You think you have outgrown my arms?" she asked with an interrogative gaze as they all laughed and progressed to the dining
Dorcas placed Shirley on the first seat by the left and made her way to the right. "Thank you, mummy" Shirley said appreciatively, leering as she adjusted on her seat "Thank you too baby" Dorcas replied as she sat down on her seat
"For what?" she asked inquisitively "For being my baby" Dorcas replied with bold smiles as Shirley smiled back
Tom drew out his seat from the head of the table, in between them and sat down. "Dishing time!" Dorcas acclaimed "Salivating time!" Shirley responded as they laughed
"No…no, let me do that. I did the cooking remember?" he asked interrupting their laughter "Oh" Dorcas affirmed raising her eyebrows and handed over the ladle to him "Have your way my sweet chef" she adorned sneering as she drew her seat closer to the table and rested her hands on the table
The dishing time is indeed the salivating time in the Smith's residence. As Tom dished the food so did Dorcas and Shirley's taste buds agitate for the delicious meal. They swallowed tons of saliva and inhaled enough aroma from the food before Tom finished dishing it. He kept smiling with so much pride as he watched their expressions. Dorcas quickly prayed over the meal and they launched their forks into the pasta.
"Dad, you are indeed a great cook. I mean, this tastes good" Shirley praised with attractive smiles "Thanks baby" he accepted favorably as he caressed her right cheek "Not just good my dear. He is exceptional" Dorcas confirmed as she chewed the pasta in her mouth
"I have always witnessed his cooking skills on rare occasions. So, whenever daddy cooks, it's always special to me" She smirked with delight over Tom's cooking skills "Thanks love, you praise me too much, this is just pasta" he asserted raising his shoulder
"This is more than a Pasta, dad" Shirley chipped in as she quickly swallowed the last portion of chewed pasta in her mouth "Yeah" Dorcas affirmed as she looked at him zealously "Alright, I see it as a privilege whenever I do this. So, it's nothing" he assured as he gathered a portion of pasta with his fork
"We love you dear" Dorcas affirmed as he cuddled his right elbow "Hmmm, like you have an option?" he teased as he looked at them weirdly and they laughed