Just one week to Jane's birthday and Lily was still undecided on what to get her as a present. She had told her bestie that the gift was ready, when it actually wasn't. Jane didn't need to know that. Well … she would get the right or normal things girls loved. Now this posted a bigger problem, what new girls stuff would she get her friend? Lily had given Jane everything she could think of, on her previous birthdays and what different, unique stuff would she get this time? She hadn't been in school the day before and decided to skip again that day. This would make it two days absence in a row. If she had been in school, would have asked any of her female course mates on what to get. Lily decided staying at home as her mother wasn't feeling too well, had headaches and felt feverish. But she felt better today and Lily opted to ask her about what she would get Jane.
Eucharia was at this moment, in the sitting room, watching cartoons. Her mother had always loved watching them. So cute , Lily thought as she left her room to meet her mum. She got to the sitting room and stood still with shock with what was going on. Her mother was eating peanuts while watching TV! Ever since Lily was a child, Eucharia had been allergic to peanuts, she never took them. What the hell happened? Why was her own mum taking things that were unsettling to her system? Is she okay? Lily thought as she stared at the older woman from the door. Was that the reason for the headaches and fever? So her mum secretly took them? All these while, the object of observation still ate the peanuts as she watched TV and was yet to notice her daughter.
Moreover, Lily got into the sitting room, sat by her mum and held her hands. Eucharia smiled at her.
"You decided to join me here. You must feel lonely my poor baby."
"Yes mum." Lily placed her hands on her mum's shoulder and held her. She looked into the other woman's face, checking and searching for any strange signs. All in all, there was none.
"Mum?"
"Yes love."
"How are you feeling? Are you okay?" Eucharia looked baffled by the question, perhaps she felt better already and supposed that her daughter already knew that. Lily had some explanations to make.
"You are allergic to peanuts, why then are you taking them? We don't buy them. So how and when did you get them?"
"Well … today, I just craved them and I bought. As you can see now, I'm no longer allergic."
"Bought them? When? It can't be today or yesterday. I have been at home with you mum. When exactly did you get them?"
"Oh baby, I actually bought them some time ago and I assure you, I'm no longer allergic to them."
"Really? That's great news I guess." Lily's voice was flat. She shook her head, words failing her. Her mother had been very strange lately. From twerking and singing at the top of her voice to eating peanuts. That was indeed strange.
"Sure love, I'm glad I can eat peanuts like normal people do and that you're happy for me." Either Eucharia missed Lily's flat tone or she chose to ignore it.
"Yeah … Have you heard from Magnus mum?" There were unanswered puzzling questions from Magnus' last visit.
"Not really, why? Do not tell me you miss him."
"Oh mum no. Just wanted asking."
"I see." But did her mother really see? One question kept ringing in her head.
"For how long have you known him?"
"He's my junior colleague."
"Junior colleague? Like in the hospital? Mum I know people working in the hospital and I'm very sure that I've never seen him."
"I don't know him, never seen him before. A complete stranger …" Eucharia said, she appeared to be far away.
"Stranger? But mum, you just said he's a junior colleague."
"What? I never said that. Eucharia looked at her daughter searchingly. "Lily are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm very okay mum and I clearly heard you just say, 'Magnus is your junior colleague'."
"No …no, go relax baby. When you've had your rest, we will talk, okay?"
Her mother looked … there was no word to describe it. But one thing was clear. Eucharia did not look herself. Lily not wanting to lay emphasis on the issue, opted to do as her mother had said; relaxing in her room and hoped her mum would get better. The older woman clearly didn't recall what she had just said. Lily's concern about the strangeness of her mum was more. Something was off with her, the young lady was sure of it. The only thing Lily had to do was obey her mum ; relax and discuss someday. And that was exactly what Lily did.
As the young lady laid down relaxing, thinking about her mum's demeanor, some weird feeling came, a feeling of being watched. Lily smiled and passed it off as paranoia. That was paranoia definitely. But, the feeling persisted. Lily shook a little. Who could be watching her? From where? As she thought, instincts told her they were watching from the door. Her instincts had been working effectively these past days. She immediately glanced at her door and true to her suspicions, someone was peeping at her. She didn't close her door completely. Lily didn't really see them, but one of the foot wares of the person was visible from the slight opening. Oh! Lily thought, as the watcher silently walked away. This corrected her earlier thoughts! The watcher was the same person who had eavesdropped on her while she had read the warning written in the piece of paper from the parcel. It wasn't Magnus who had watched her. Her mum had been the one watching her.
*********
Without any further waste of time, Lily dialed Philip's number. The young lady was so scared. He was the one she would really on. Lily suspected her mother's situation was not a health issue, it was … something … she couldn't describe. Why would the strange things now go to her mum? Was this her mother's phase? Philip picked up on the second ring.
"Hello Lily."
"Hi Philip, there's a situation here."
"Oh what dear?"
"It's mum, she's acting strange, she's not herself at all."
"Strange? In what way?"
"I can't really say this on phone."
"Okay, I'm on my way. And Lily … do nothing until I get there."
"Sure … Please."
"Anytime Lily." The call ended.
Lily's fear skyrocketed, her mother was … no … she refused to use the word. Her mother would never be insane. Oh GOD, please bring my mum back to me, she prayed. She hadn't done that in a long time. How would she approach her mum? What could be the reason for her mum's creepy act? The sudden sound of the doorbell interrupted her thoughts. It couldn't be Philip. It wasn't possible he made that fast. Just a regular visitor or something that would take off her mind from the strange occurrences around her. She got up from her bed to see to whosever it was. When she got to the sitting room, it was vacant. Her mother wasn't there perhaps in her room as always. Lily opened the door and it was their most unwelcomed visitor. The visiting person was Magnus.
**********
Lily paused, looking at their visitor. What was he doing here? Did he come back to complete what he had started? The most annoying of it all was, he looked worried. The question now was worried about who?
"How is your mum?" Magus said.
Lily's question had been answered. The depraved man was worried her own mum! What? When Lily didn't answer immediately, obviously stupefied by the question, Magnus attempted going into the house. But Lily who'd had enough of the crazy incidents, obstructed his entrance.
"Where the hell do you think you are going to?" She was furious. This seemed to baffle the man and Lily looked on. Her nemesis had the grace to look shocked!
"Language Lily … besides you just looked at me with contempt when I asked after your mum, as if you had no idea of what she did when I last came here."
"My mum is just fine. You can go now."
"I need to see her to be sure." Lily's face turned dark.
"Just don't … Get the hell out!" Magnus swallowed.
"Wait Lily … what have I done? I do not see any wrong in asking after one's friends." Lily'd had enough and attempted to close the door again but Magus didn't bulge.
"Please Lily, your mother seriously needs help." Magnus looked so worried and it was unsettling to her.. How did he know about Eucharia's condition? Lily hadn't told anyone except Philip and it was unlikely that her protector told her nemesis. So what was all these about?
"How do you know she needs help?" At the question, Magnus relaxed a bit.
"Oh … sorry to have kept you in the dark. The last day I came by, remember? When the delivery boy brought you a parcel?"
"Yeah …" Just where was this leading to? Lily thought.
"Immediately you took the parcel to your room to see the contents, your mum attacked me with a dagger she hid all along. She was so strong, the only thing I had to do was evade the attacks. So I escaped."
What the hell?