Chapter 1
Diana.
"Well, that serves you right Emilia,"
I remembered what I had said to Emilia the night she told me she was with a child, a child for someone I had always told her about, someone that I had the urge to be with, to look at, someone she knows I love, yet she went and had a baby for him.
"FATHER I HAVE A CONFESSION."
"Father, I have sinned." Emilia who sat in the confession booth, said with tears in her eyes, trying to swallow all her sobs in, and at the same time, trying to make what she's saying audible enough for the reverend father.
Back to reality.
I sat on my bunk in the hostel, with books on my laps. I signed as I rest my head on the wall behind me, I can't imagine myself going through this process all over and over again.
My mind trailed back, when i had scolded my elder sister on how she was suppose to dress...
"Em, you are not supposed to dress this way. And you know it." I said, as i stood infront of the long mirror in our room, trying to adjust my long skirt and scarf.
"Not, everyone is a church warder like you. Live life a little." she replied.
"But you always tell mum you wanted to be a nun, nuns don't dress this way. Emilia."
She burst into a peal of scornful laughter, laying on the bed, she outstretched her hands, still laughing like I had said the funniest thing she had ever heard. What's wrong with what I have just said?
"My good God.." she exclaimed.
"What's wrong with what I had just Emilia?" I ask, giving her my full attention as i stared at her from the mirror.
"The fact that you are still this naive is what makes you so cute. But when you open your mouth, you spit out nothing but childhood fantasies. That's just confirms that you are still a kid."
"Emilia, I am not a kid. The fact that you are in your first college year does not mean you should consider high school students as kids. I am 17." She chuckled, then shake her head.
"You and I know you are still a kid, according to the society standard, you have to be 18 before you can be considered as an adult. But you are 17years, 3months, 5 days, 25mins and 14seconds old. If I am correct. You still have up 9months to grow."
I glared at her. She does this, whenever she's out to mock me and my arithmetics ability. she's good with Arithmetic, When I say good, I mean really good with arithmetic, and her retentive memory is at its peak.
"What? Am I not correct?" She said with a mocking smile i want to knock off…
"Let's just go already before you calculate the number of times I have said a certain word today." I concluded, dismissing the whole conversation.
Well, she does that a lot, just as I have said earlier, her retentive memory is so distinct that she aces most of her exams.
"Okay, Sister Diana." The mockery in her voice was so obvious and a little annoying.
"I don't mind, being a sister, Emilia. I will dedicate my life to God, and serve him in true holiness."
"So you are telling me you would remain a virgin till you die? You ain't gonna take in a d**k?" She asked with wide eyes.
"Oh my god Emilia… Where is my holy water? " I turned away from her, doing the sign of the cross.
"Diana!!! Emilia!!! Come down here, Mirabel and Leila are here already." We heard our mum yell from the living room downstairs.
"Okay, mum," Emilia yelled in reply.
"Emilia, you need to stop those thrashy words, instead you say male reproductive organ." I whispered.
"It's called a D**k Diana."
I had to put my hands to cover my ears from listening to her say those trashy words. She's found of cussing, especially when we are not with mum and dad.
"Whatever. Soothe yourself, Mother Theresa." She scoffed when she saw I wasn't interested in listening.
I walked down the stairs, raising my flowing skirt so I will be able to walk faster.
"Jerry, come take a look at my lovely girls. You are so beautiful my darling." Mum calls out to dad in admiration, not knowing what Emilia is wearing underneath her clothes, something I would feel ashamed to wear around the house. Thank God, she said it's a pool party, and just girls would be there.
"You went off again Diana." Mum snapped her fingers in front of my face.
"Am sorry mum." She held my hands, squeeze softly, then smiles.
"You should come to see me in my room tonight after mass before you go to bed." She ordered.
"Okay, mum. I will…"
She pulled me into a hug, which lasted for a few seconds as the horn blasted from outside indicating that Leila and Mirabel are inpatients, or probably we were wasting a lot of time.
"Mum we ain't staying in the church forever, we have to go already. Mass starts by 5 pm, and this is 4:37, we might get stuck in traffic, mind you, we are officiating today, so by courtesy we should have been there 30mins before the program starts." Emilia said, already feeling irritated.
Mum ignored her, then tuck back my loose strand of hair behind my ear before kissing both of my cheeks, then with her heart-melting smile, she whispered.
"May the Lord be with you."
"Amen mum." Both Emilia and I said.
"You can sleep on the stairs," Emilia said, walking briskly past me, as she raised her skirt also.
"Wait for your sister Emilia," Dad said walking out of the kitchen.
"She's too slow dad. C'mon already and stop standing there daydreaming like a jobless fellow." Emilia yelled at me.
"Emilia, stop picking on your sister. Okay Diana you need to go now." Mum intervened.
***
§Rockabye baby Rockabye §
§Am gonna rock you§
§Rockabye baby don't you cry§
They all sang along to the song blasting from the car radio. I can't even remember when they learnt this song, obviously, it must be from those college keg parties Emilia told me about. Can't imagine why she would dance and even sing such a song.
"Turn off the music, we are close to the church already.." I yelled at them,
"C'mon, you all aren't doing the right thing and you know it," I said. Then got up from the back seat to switch off the radio.
"Damn. Another two long boring hours." Leila said.
"First of all, stop cussing Leila, secondly it's not two long boring hours, it's the time you spend in the presence of your creator."
"Just ignore her girls" Emilia whispered, but I heard it.
"And what's that supposed to mean Emilia? Just wait till I tell dad that about what you are wearing under your garment." I threatened
"And just wait till I tell dad how you are crushing on Elder Clayton's son." She attacked.
I stared at her blankly, I never knew she knows about my little secret. Did she read my diary…
"Sorry. Little sis. I stumbled on your diary last night and I must commend your writing skills, you are good with literature. Your description got me anxious to meet him, I wanna see if you are that good at describing people."
With that, they all got down from the car, leaving me alone. Inside the car, I had to make sure my door is open, so I won't get locked in. My mind went back to my encounter with Noah…
"Don't tell me you are gonna seat in the car all day, thinking about your escapade with elder Clayton's son, Miss Diana."
I got startled immediately I heard that Emilia's voice, I never knew she was still there.
"You still here? Where are the others?"
"You think I was standing there? Hell no. I had almost walked into the chapel when I decide to apologize for invading your privacy last night only for me to notice you are not even behind us. C'mon, let's get going already.
I raised my cloth, then placed my leg down on the floor out of the car, to get down comfortably. We walked briskly into the inner chapel from the sidewalk of the church compound, not going through the front door like we would have done if we weren't officiating. But since we are, we are to assemble with the other church warder for a brief pre-mass meeting, to know where we would stay when ushering the people to their various seats.
"We are quite late already… thanks to you, sister Diana."
One would think the way Emilia is talking about lateness that she's a serious believer, but I know she isn't.
"Peace be unto you Sisters." We heard the head church warder rounding off the meeting.
"Oh my God, how would I know where I would be officiating without attending the meeting," I whispered to Emilia.
"Excuse me, sister." She tapped a natural red-haired lady.
"Yes."
"Am sorry for stopping you, I just want to know who's with the list of the officiating sisters."
"Oh, I think sister Martha handed it over to the head altar server. Check it with him."
"But I don't even know who he is or his name…" Emilia said.
The sister looked at us weirdly. Probably we are kidding her or something, I tried pinching Emilia on her arm for her not to ask further questions, but seems she's bent on getting her answers.
"You serious, you don't know the head Alter server?" The sister asked us.
"I am sorry, I don't. I have been away for a while, just came back recently to see that most of the people who held important posts in the church have either been promoted or have been transferred."
"Oh. I am sorry for doubting you. It's Noah Clayton. He's the new head altar server."
"Oh… Thank you, sister…"
Emilia had this look that screams, he's my sister's crush.
"So Miss Diana, are you ready to show us where Mr Clayton- jr is? Guess that was why you were pinching me all through right?"
"C'mon, Diana let's just go already."
"Okay, now she's shy People…" Emilia raised her voice. I had to walk really fast so as to avoid further embarrassment.
We heard the angelus bell, indicating that mass has started.
"That's him" I pointed to my long term crush. who is standing, backing us with that lovely leg posture, that would make you check your legs if they are as straight as his.
"For a start, he has a nice posture. I think your description of his posture is really correct."
"Stop it already Emilia, we are at a close range. Please."
She giggled naughtily.
"Good evening sir Noah." Emilia greeted immediately we got to him. He turned to face us immediately.
"Good evening sisters. How may I help you."
Heaven knew I died and came back again, looking at his lips that were moving so softly like that of a child, so pink, wet and enticing, his sharp pointed nose, that I wanna rub my face on, at the same time inhaling his hair scent. I just wanna do all the dirty things with him.
"My name is Emilia Daniels, and this is my sister Diana Daniels. "
"Okay… Miss Daniels, how may I help you?"
"We came late, and we are directed by a sister to you, we want to know what wing of the church we will be officiating."
"Okay… let me check.."
I couldn't look up, my face was glued to the ground, his shoes actually. I almost had eye contact with him earlier. I wonder how she can even stand his gaze.
"Miss Diana is to stay at the main door ushering people in, while you miss Emilia, you are to stay close to the Alter, at the side of the altar servers stand."
"Oh. That's good sir, but I request a switch in position, Diana is the non-sociable type, it will be hard to welcome people into the church premises."
"Oh… well she's your sister, you know her better. Do as you wish, Miss Emilia. If you would excuse me Please.."
I heard sounds of retreating footsteps, that was when the courage to raise my head, came rushing back like the opening of an already filled dam.
"Seems like little sis would have some special time, checking out her crush, while I use the opportunity of staying at the church entrance to check out the cute guys that would be present for a perfect match" Emilia whispered to me.
"So you did that just for yourself, and not because you wanted help me? " I asked
"Well you shouldn't be surprised, since both of us have our little secret, why don't I enjoy it while it lasts huh?"
She walked closer to my form, smiled then tap my cheeks.
"Tick tick tick, the clock says. Go get your man and live life a little, make sure you smile well, you look like a goddess when you smile."
And with that, she stooped down a little, the english formal way to greet the elderly in the church, then walked out …
Where the hell did mum and dad see Emilia, I have a haunch that either of us was adopted, we look and act differently… scratch that. We actually look so alike but act entirely different.