Ifeyinwa opened her eyes, she stared at the ceiling for some time. She sighed and reached for her phone that was charging by the bed. She tapped on the screen and it came on. It was 4:32 am.
She turned to the other side of the bed. She stared at Ifechukwu for a while before she tapped her.
"Ife," she called but Ifechukwu didn't move.
"Ife, Ife," she called again.
Ifechukwu groaned and opened her eyes, still sleepy.
"Go and take a bath," Ifeyinwa told her.
She saw that Ifechukwu was trying to go back to sleep and she shook her.
"I said go and take a bath," she repeated.
Ifechukwu hissed and opened her eyes fully. She sluggishly dragged herself out of bed, got down, made the sign of the cross and stretched her body a bit.
"Be fast," Ifeyinwa voiced.
Ignoring her, Ifechukwu got up and took off her nightwear. She opened the bathroom door and went in. She stood there for a while without making any effort to do anything.
Then, she reached for the toothpaste and pressed some unto her toothbrush. She cupped some water in her palm from the tap, and rinsed her mouth with it. She brushed her teeth. After brushing, she poured out the foam into the sink. She proceeded to wet her sponge, put some soap on it and started washing her body.
"Are you not done?" Ifeyinwa asked with a voice loud enough for Ifechukwu to hear from the bathroom.
Ifechukwu rolled her eyes at Ifeyinwa's question as she went on to rinse the lather off her naked body with water she scooped from the bucket.
She stepped out of the bathroom, picked up her towel and dabbed her body dry.
"Even when it is something important, you still will not bathe quickly," Ifeyinwa scolded her.
Ifechukwu shrugged, "that's why I have to go first every time," Ifechukwu said smiling.
"If I catch you," Ifeyinwa said as she playfully tried to hit her but Ifechukwu dodged. They smiled at each other.
Ifeyinwa took off her clothes and got into the bathroom.
The tarred roads of Amaifeke welcomed the family of the Okafors as their vehicle entered their large compound at past 4 pm. Tochi, who had earlier opened the gates proceeded to shut it. Ifesinachi, as lovely as a black African queen, stood in front of the building, smiling. The vehicle stopped and the back doors slid open. Ifeyinwa, Tobe, and Zimuzo got out from the right while Ifechukwu and Ziko stepped out from the left.
"Hey, baby," Ifeyinwa said as soon as she made eye contact with Ifesinachi.
"Hi, Sister Ifeyinwa," Ifesinachi responded with a big smile as she quickly moved to hug her.
Ifechukwu walked over to them. Ifesinachi pulled out from the hug and walked into Ifechukwu's stretched hands waiting for an embrace.
"I missed you," Ifechukwu whispered into Ifesinachi's ear.
"I missed you too, big sis," Ifeyinwa replied.
Ifeyinwa's eyes widened immediately as if she was just seeing Ziko and Zimuzo.
"Look at my cute babies looking all grown. How time flies. Come here, come here," Ifesinachi blurted out.
She grabbed them and affectionately squeezed them tightly in her arms at the same time.
"As if you're just seeing us," Zimuzo sulked as Ifesinachi loosened her grip on them.
"Come on, my beautiful baby. I have to greet the elder ones first," Ifesinachi explained.
"If it's like that, Mum should have been the first," she commented.
Ifesinachi giggled as she understood what Zimuzo was trying to tell her and in a bid to kill the topic, "Mum," Ifesinachi screamed as soon as she saw the fair and beautiful woman come out of the car.
"My baby," Kene called.
Ifesinachi embraced her tightly and everyone smiled. Tochi rushed to hug Kene too.
"Good evening, my love," Tochi said to her.
Kene smiled in satisfaction as she reached for his bearded jaw.
Then she laughed, "Tochi, where are stretching to? This is serious," she remarked.
"I thought I was the only one who noticed," Ifeyinwa added.
"It's not only you. The boy just dey fine anyhow, dey tall every day and he's not yet 18," Ifechukwu voiced.
"We that are shorter and older, can we go into the house before the one that took after our mother takes all of the glory and there's none left for us tomorrow?" Tobe jokingly asked everyone.
"This one is jealous. Is it our fault that we finished seeing you when you all arrived at the park? You should have waited to come with Dad," Ifeyinwa stated and everyone laughed.
They proceeded to enter the house.
"So, Brother Tobe, when is Dad coming?" Tochi asked when they got to the front porch.
Ifesinachi opened the door, giving everyone space to enter.
"If he finishes everything he needs to do in Lagos, then he should be here by next tomorrow," Tobe replied.
Ifeyinwa sat on the bed after applying her face moisturizer. She picked her anti-depressants from the bedside stool, popped some into her palm, opened a bottle of water and swallowed the medicine. She sighed and climbed on the bed. She opened her phone and dialled a contact saved as My Eternal.
A male face came on the screen and then, "Baby," the masculine voice from the video call said.
"Baby," she called back.
"So have you freshened up now?" he asked her.
"Yes, I just did now. Unlike Mum in normal conditions, she said it was okay to have dinner before taking our bath since we were all hungry and no one ate on the road for fear of purging," she told him.
He laughed, "so that no one shits on the road," he added and they both laughed.
Their laugh subsided and they let out a sigh of relief. She looked at him.
"Have you taken your drugs?" he asked her.
"Yes," she replied.
"I miss you," he said.
She was quiet. He could see no emotion on her face.
"Baby," he called.
"George, you know what to do if you miss me. I don't need those words right now. So, please spare me," she stated.
"Baby, we don't have to bring up this topic every time we are trying to have a conversation," he noted.
"Then I don't think we should be having a conversation at all," she muttered and hung up.
She took her phone and began to scroll through some pictures of wigs. She held her phone in between her chest while staring at the ceiling. Tears fell to the sides of her eyes.
"Yes, angel. It was hectic. And when we got here, we had to help Ifesinachi and Tochi to finish cleaning the house," Ifechukwu said over the phone as she opened the door to the veranda upstairs.
She sauntered to the rails, bent over and rested her arms on them.
"So the burial is next week, yea?" Zimuzo, Ifechukwu's friend voice asked from the speaker.
"Yes. August 8th is the date," she affirmed.
"Be strong, baby. You all will get over this very soon," Zimuzo voiced.
Ifechukwu was sulky, "mmhmmh," she sounded in partial agreement.
Zimuzo giggled, "all right, my love. My regards to your mum and the rest," she told Ifechukwu.
"They'll hear. My regards to yours too," Ifechukwu replied.
"Good night, baby," Zimuzo said.
"Good night, angel," Ifechukwu responded.
She dropped the phone. She opened her YouTube page, refreshed it, hissed and logged out. Then she opened her Facebook Messenger app. She had dropped him a message earlier in the day but he hadn't seen it, let alone respond to it. What changed? Why did he change towards me all of a sudden? If I did something wrong, why won't he say? She asked herself. She stared at their messages, his name and online status for a while. I can't even help myself from stalking him. She thought to herself.
"Big sis," Ifesinachi's voice called from the door. Ifechukwu hadn't heard when she opened it.
Startled, Ifechukwu quickly minimised the app. She turned to look at Ifesinachi. Ifesinachi moved closer to her. Ifechukwu smiled.
"What's up?" Ifechukwu asked.
"Nothing much. I saw the rays from your phone through the window and I decided to say hello," she quipped.
They chuckled. Ifechukwu exhaled and turned to look into the cold night.
"What a fine August night," she stated.
Ifesinachi had her eyes fixed on her. Ifechukwu felt the stare, so, she looked away from the view. She bent her head down and then, she looked up at Ifesinachi.
"What's wrong?" Ifechukwu asked. "You can talk to me."
Ifesinachi took a deep breath.
"It's just business," she uttered.
"What about it?" Ifechukwu posed.
"It's not booming. And you know I'm doing part-time at the University so I can work to take care of myself. But it's hard. It's really hard. If it's not the people that want to sleep with you before they help even when they are very capable of helping, it's the ones that would stress you and still not buy from you," she paused.
"I miss when Mum and Dad had so much. I wonder how all that changed in just a few months. I won't be surprised if the only thing we have to our name is this mansion and the car," Ifesinachi explained.
Ifechuwu laughed and turned to rest her back on the rails. Ifesinachi gazed at her.
"It's hard for all of us. Sometimes, I even get tired of complaining. I don't know how Mum and Dad manage to even take care of themselves along with Zimuzo and Ziko," she shrugged, "they are their responsibilities though," she stated indifferently. "But, it'd be nice for us to help too, unfortunately, we can't for now," she added.
They were lost in thoughts. Ifesinachi squinted her eyes and smiled.
"We should not lose faith. I just needed someone to hear how I felt. I believe that God has not forgotten us. He will make us smile again. He has us in mind," Ifesinachi told Ifechukwu.
"Yes. His time is perfect," Ifechukwu muttered with a forced smile.
She took Ifesinachi's hand in hers, "I love you," she whispered.
"I love you more," Ifesinachi replied.
Ifechukwu entered the dining room with a teacup in her hands. She pulled a chair out from the table and sat on it. She drank out of the cup while Tobe, Tochi, Ziko, and Zimuzo gazed at her.
She noticed their gaze.
"What? If you are in so much hurry, go and join them in the kitchen. It's not like I'm having all my breakfast now," she voiced.
"Sister Ife, so you have not stopped being hungry before everyone gets hungry?" Tochi asked her.
"I don't know. Did I stop looking like me?" she riposted with a funny and questioning look.
They laughed. She smiled.
Ifesinachi came in with a big plate of pancakes, Ifeyinwa with a big serving dish of already made pap, and Kene with a dishing spoon. They each put their item on the already laid table.
"At least she prepared the table even if she didn't help in the kitchen," Ifesinachi muttered as she sat down.
"Excuse me," Ifechukwu said in a bid to attack Ifesinachi.
"What is wrong with what she said, lazy thing?" Ifeyinwa intervened.
Ifechukwu rolled her eyes.
"Come on, girls. Why are you both behaving like you don't know your sister? We all know the lazy people in this house are Ifechukwu and Tobe, and trust me, I've gotten used to it because you are all my kids and I love you all like that," Kene explained.
"Yes, Mum. We know you do but did you have to include my name?" Tobe inquired.
Everyone laughed except Ifechukwu.
"What is he saying? Are you not lazy? That is if you aren't even the worst," Kene asked Tobe.
Tobe sulked.
"See his face. Please, Zimzim, pray for us," Kene said.
"Lord Jesus, thank you for this meal which you have provided for us through Dad and Mum. Bless it and bless them. Bless my siblings and grant their heart desires, in Jesus' name," Zimuzo prayed.
"Amen," everyone said in unison.
Ifeyinwa stood up to dish the pancakes. Ifechukwu dished the pap and everyone ate their food peacefully.
"So Mum, have you spoken to Dad?" Ifechukwu asked Kene.
Kene waited to swallow her food before she answered.
"Yes, his bus is on the way already. He should be here by evening," Kene told her.
"Okay. He might get here at the same time you guys arrived yesterday," Ifesinachi stated, forcing some pancakes into her mouth.
"I guess so," Kene exhaled. "So, babies, how has work been? Ifeyinwa, what's up with George? And Tochi, nothing about the admission yet?" Kene quizzed.
Ifeyinwa smothered a sigh, "Work is fine, Mum, but business is very slow. It's coming but it is so slow and it is really hard and frustrating. Just that George helps a little sometimes but you know Mum, he also isn't saying what we want to hear."
Kene appeared troubled. She tapped Ifeyinwa's hand softly and turned to Ifechukwu.
"Well, mum, just like Ifeyinwa said, it is really hard. If not for the small gigs I get, I would have been living under the bridge. Getting it in the entertainment industry is hard especially with someone who has acne," Ifeyinwa pouted.
"Well, that's their loss. They do not see what I see and I'm pretty sure that when the time is right, they will look, and they will see you for the pure talent you are," Kene encouraged her.
Ifechukwu tittered, "You're just saying that because you're my mother."
"And because I'm your mother, it doesn't count?" Kene asked.
"It does," Ifechukwu muttered.
"Of course, it does," Kene affirmed and turned to Ifesinachi.
Ifesinachi shook her head. Kene turned to Tochi.
"Seriously, mum, no good news yet. I'm just trying to learn a skill," Tochi spoke immediately.
Kene fluttered slightly. Ifeyinwa and Ifechukwu rubbed her hand. Zimuzo stood to hug Kene from behind.
"I wish someone would just reach out, and take all of our problems away," Kene wished.
"Me too," Ifechukwu said.
"Me too," the others agreed.