"Mum...Dad, there's something you're hiding, that you're not telling me!" Temi said bluntly.
Her parents both wore surprised expressions at first before Mrs. Smith asked;
"W...W...What do you mean, Temi?"
"All these stories that you're just telling...!" Temi said as she looked down, confused.
"I...I don't understand any of it...!" She said.
"It seems like you guys are beating around the bush...!"
"We're getting to that, Temi!" Her Mother said.
"I'm waiting patiently then!" Temi said as her voice lowered.
"If you 'are', waiting patiently Temi, you wouldn't be questioning why we're beating around the bush...!" Mrs. Smith said sternly.
"You never beat around the bush...!" Temi cut in.
"The reason for this one is because there are things that are meant to be hidden!" Mrs. Smith said.
"But now's the time fore to know lots of things, the 'hidden' things so that I can understand the reason for this situation...!" Temi said.
"What situation?" Mrs. Smith asked.
"The dilemma of this dream...!" Temi said firmly.
Mrs. Smith kept quiet.
Turning to look at her husband, Temi said;
"The situation of the dream, I want to understand its meaning, I want to understand why it was given to avert it. I don't want that dream to come to pass!" Temi said, her voice filled with concern.
"Prophecies or not, I want my parents to live long...!" Temi said tearily.
"Longer than their parents ever lived...!"
"I want then to enjoy the fruits of their labor...to celebrate with their children, over their children's children...!" Temi said.
"I want my Mum to sit with her grandchildren in the sitting room of my house, or any of the boys' house while she plays with the kids...!"
"And I want Pops, to always talk business and family with my husband and the other boys whenever he comes to visit!"
"I want Momma to be with me in the kitchen whenever she comes so that we could cook together and also talk with the in-laws took...!"
"And I want Pops to always sit on the couch with me beside him with my head resting on his shoulder and Mum, your hands in mine as we all tell the newly born kids our life stories!" Tears had already started rolling down Temi's eyes.
"I want 'you guys to be the ones that would train my children in the wats of God...and I want them to be close to you both!" Temi said as her voice was choked.
"I don't want anything to happen to you guys...!" She said as she began crying.
"God has promised every single one member of this household long life...God have mercy on me, but 'no' some 'Prophecy' is gonna thwart it all...!" Temi said firmly.
"I now understand now...!" She said.
"Even though it 'is' the will of God, which I know it's not, it was revealed to us by God to avert it...!" Temi said.
"And I don't know we gon' do it, but I surely find a way... God's gon' reveal it to me!" Temi said confidently and then wiped her eyes and nose with the back of her palm and got up.
As she was about to exit the room, her Mother's voice called her back.
"It was a bright sunny day, and I had just...we just had you, and, uh, we took you for, you know, the dedication and the um...the christening...!" Mrs. Smith said.
Temi didn't know why, but there's something about just those words that her mother said, that made her turn back.
Looking at her mother, she could see that her mother looked up and then down, and then up again, and then down again as this time, she played with her clothes, as if trying to avoid her daughter's gaze.
"So, when we went for your christening and dedication, you know, it would be huge service and stuff...!" Mrs. Smith said.
Temi unconsciously nodded as she headed back for her seat.
"The pastor prayed for you and blessed you and blessed us too and we got talking 'bout how the business going and growing and expanding and...well pretty much most things!" Mrs. Smith said.
"That was when 'somebody' beside me decided to ask if we would have more children...hopefully boys!" Mrs. Smith said as she slowly turned in the direction of her husband, clearly referring to him.
Scratching the back of his head awkwardly, Mr. Smith said;
"Ah...I was just inquiring...!"
"Just inquiring my foot...!"
"If it were both men and women that carried a child or twins...triplets or quadruplets, or more inside them, I think that would make a huge difference in this world!"
Mrs. Smith said as she turned her attention back to her daughter with a funny facial expression as she crossed her arms over her chest.
Temi laughed a little. Then she remembered something.
"Why is it that the men are always keen on. having male children?" He suddenly asked.
"I thought t was only India that was keen on that, but I just realized that Nigerian men are the keenest on that topic too!" Hearing this question, Mr. Smith's expression changed for a bit.
Not that he had an angry expression on but because...
The question sounded pretty awkward and being a man that demanded three boys...
Smacking her forehead, Temi said;
"I ask questions that I ready know the answer to...!"
"Stupid me!"
Her Father just looked in at her.
His expression didn't change.
He knew that she was doing it so that he wouldn't get mad...
But he wasn't mad, he just wanted her to watch her mouth next time...
Seeing her husband's expression, Mrs. Smith could only laugh as she turned her attention to her daughter and went on with the story.
"So the pastor said that yes, we would have more kids, and your Dad asked if they were all going to be boys, and the pastor completely ignored his question!" Mrs. Smith said, laughing as she told the story.
"Oh, so yore laughing now, eh?" Mr. Smith asked.
"Shhhh...!" Mrs. Smith shushed her husband.
"When it was your turn to tell the story, you were bearing around the bush...leave me to tell it all!" Mrs. Smith said, completely shutting out her husband out of the story.
"Well, in that case...!" Mr. Smith got up and dusted his clothes (as if there were a single speck of dust on it).
"Where do you think you're going?" Mrs. Smith asked.
"I thought you said, you didn't need me anymore...!" Mr. Smith said as he looked at his daughter.
The corner of Temi's lips curled up slightly.
"When did I say that...?" Mrs. Smith asked bewildered.
"Isn't that what she just said, right now Temi?" Her Father asked.
Temi heard what her father said, but she decided to play deaf...
She didn't want to be involved in her parent's childish arguments...
"Temi?" Her Father called again.
"Dad?" Temi responded with her eyes wide open as she looked at her Dad.
Though her mode of response was weird, it showed that she was deep in thoughts, meanwhile, she had wanted to ignore being part of her parent's discussion.
"Wasn't that what your mother said?" Mr. Smith asked.
"Wasn't that what Mum said?" Temi asked, quickly playing ignorant.
"You didn't hear what your Mother said?" Mr. Smith asked again.
"Mum said somethin'...?" Temi asked as she turned to look at her Mother.
"Mum, you said somethin'?" Temi asked.
Mr. Smith watched his daughter with an open mouth.
He knew, she knew what she was doing.
"I know you know what you're doing...!" He said as he pointed at her, making his way away from the ladies.
Temi frowned.
"What I'm doing?" She asked.
"What am I doing?" Temi asked as she turned to face her Mother.
Her Mother shrugged as she smiled and looked at her husband.
"Hey, where you going?"
"Thought you said you could handle it on your own?" Mr. Smith said.
"I never said that...that's not what I said!" Mrs. Smith screamed.
Blocking his ears with his hands, Mr. Smith said;
"Shish, babe, you don't have to be so loud...!"
"If one's not loud 'bout it, then you ain't hearing, now will you get your damn ass back in this chair, before I follow you?" Mrs. Smith yelled the order as she watched her husband salute her.
Saluting his wife, Mr. Smith said;
"Yes ma'am...Just let me get my sandwich first...!"
"Sandwich?" Mrs. Smith asked.
Don't forget to get me one too babe...!" Mrs. Smith yelled.
"Righty ma'am...!" Mr. Smith replied as he heard from the kitchen.
"Yeah Dad, and don't forget to make one for me too!" Temi also yelled and then used her hand to cover her face to the side as she looked at her Mother.
They didn't hear Mr. Smith's voice again, which is an indication that he's not close by anymore...
Turning to her Mother, Temi said;
"Alright, Mum, go on with the story...!"
Mrs. Smith shook her head.
"I can't talk on an empty stomach!" She said.
"And I'm pretty sure you can't listen to the story on an empty stomach too...!" Mrs. Smith said as she looked down at her daughter's belly.
Following her Mother's gaze, Temi also lowered her head to look at her stomach.
Although her stomach hadn't growled yet, she could feel the hunger rise within her...
So looking up at her Mother, Temi nodded as she smiled nervously.
"Yeah Mum, you're right...!"
"I can't listen on an empty stomach!"
And with that, her mother smiled.