📚Episode Five
"Mum! Dad! What's going on here?" She asked as she walked into the house, tightening her grip on her book.
"Baby, come have a seat" her mom said, patting the space close to her.
"No mum, I'm not sitting until you two tell me the reason for your behavior" Ivy said stubbornly.
"Ivy can you just take a seat first" her dad spoke up, and she looked at him for a while, before taking a seat close to her mum.
"So what is the problem?" She asked immediately she sat down.
"Ivy will you just be calm for a moment and let us speak" her dad sighed tiredly.
"Okay fine! I am calm" she sat back and exhaled deeply.
"Ivy dear, you know we love you so much right?" Her mom smiled.
"Mom what is the meaning of this?" Ivy asked, feeling confused.
"Just answer the question, you know we love you right?"
"Yes I do know that" she answers still in a state of confusion.
"Look Ivy, the thing is your grandma is really sick and almost at the point of death" her father started...
"For the past days she's been with us and the doctor's been coming to check up on her, but the thing is, it is not that way anymore. Your grandmother has gotten to the final stage of diabetes! Early today she slumped, and we quickly took her to the hospital where she was revived, and now she's living on oxygen at the moment"
"All this cost me a lot, I know how much I've spent today, and I know there are more coming on the way, the things the doctor told me are not encouraging at all. For the past few weeks I have been spending a lot, and it has been telling on me"
"I do not want to bother your uncles anymore coz they've been the ones taking care of her before now, and you're also aware that they're the ones taking care of Alvin's education. So I chose this responsibility, and I have to do everything to make it work"
"You know my pay at work isn't really that much, and your grandmother needs us now more than ever, we cannot possibly let her die. So I and your mother has taken a decision, I know it may sound selfish and it's gonna break you, but it's for the good of everyone" her dad took time in explaining.
Ivy just sat quiet the whole time gawking at them, not knowing what to expect next. She knew it was gonna be something bad, so she got prepared for the worst.
Her father looked at her with soft eyes, and then he continued.
"I'm sorry Ivy, but you will have to drop out of school!" He dropped the bombshell, and Ivy's eyes widened.
"What!!!!"
"The responsibility of your school is quite huge and we cannot take care of both your school and your grandma's bills, it would only wreck us coz we have no funds for that"
"One has to let go for the other, and it can't possibly be your grannie, she is gonna die. So it has to be you! Your school can wait, but your grandma's life can't" Her father announced.
Ivy was dumbstruck hearing all this words coming from her father, she could not believe her ears, it has to be a dream someone should pinch her.
Her parents shared a glance, and then looked at her. Her father studied her expression and it was totally blank, they wondered why she wasn't saying anything.
Her mother looked at her in fear and pity, and the fact that she remained silent was giving her so much concern. She was really worried, she loved her daughter so much.
"Ivy darling, please say something, you know you can always go to school after your grannie's treatment. Our prayer is for her to be okay soon, and you should pray so too so you could return to school" her mother pleaded.
"Baby please understand us" her father added.
"Yeah sure sure I will, I will understand coz that is the only thing I've been doing in this house" she said in a dangerously calm tone
"Ivy! Ivy!! Ivy!!! She has to always be the one to sacrifice for everyone. All my life I have to keep making sacrifices but I'm not complaining anyway, you're my parents you know what is best for me, so who I'm I to object to your decisions?"
"If me dropping out is school is the best way to resolve your problem, then I am fully in support" she added, pain written all over her voice.
Her parents felt really bad that they had to say this to her, but it was the only way they could think of.
"If you'd excuse me parents, I have to go inside and catch some rest I had a long day today" she said and stood up from where she was seated.
She stood on her feet and faked a pained smile, before walking away.
Her parents watched her as she climbed up the stairs, and seeing this, they were in so much pain as much as she was. They shared a glance, and shook their head sadly.
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Alvin gently opened the door that led to his sister's room, and there he found her lying on the bed, with her phone by her side.
He looked at her and shook his head in pity.
He returned from school late and found the whole house silent, his mum was working alone in the kitchen and it was so odd. Ivy always helped her mom out in the kitchen, so what happened today?
It was when she refused to come down for dinner that he concluded that something was wrong.
He questioned his parents about it, and they told him everything that happened earlier today. Since then, she's not come downstairs.
He felt bad for his sister, he doesn't want her to be a dropout. He wished there was something he could do, but there was none.
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"Hey sis I brought you food, it's cinnamon shrimps and fried fish, you're gonna love it" he said walking up to her with a tray of food.
"I'm not hungry" she mumbled, not even turning to spare him a glance.
He looked at her and sighed sadly, before sitting close to her on the bed, and placing the tray on the floor. He gently turned her head to face him, and her face was filled with dried tears. She's been crying all along.
Seeing this, Alvin felt bad. And without wasting any time, he hugged her tightly to himself, and she bursted into tears.
"Alvin why me? Why does it have to be me?" She muttered crying badly.
"Hey sis it's okay, you don't have to cry please. You know I hate it when you cry" he consoled, but Ivy wasn't buying any of that.
"Ahhhhhhhhhh" she screamed at the top of her voice. He felt like joining her too, but he has to behave like a man.
"Ivy please put yourself together, you don't have to do this" he pleaded.
"Alvin you're not in my shoes so don't tell me that. Do you know what it would feel like to be a dropout, do you?.....
"What happens to my graduation year? My friends, everything! What would I be doing sitting at home while my mates are in school?
"I am a lady, and I do not deserve all this things that are happening to me. I feel betrayed, I am not okay Alvin! I am not okay" she yelled crying profusely, and he patted her back slowly, with her heads on his chest.
She was crying like a baby now.
"I just wished there was something I could do, I would have done it without looking back. But all the same, I am not gonna sit back and watch all this! There must be a way out, any way at all" he said looking determined.
"Just stop crying now and please eat your food okay? I'm gonna make sure you do not get to dropout of school okay? Just trust me on this one" he assured still holding her and patting her closely.
And Ivy nodded, sniffing like a child.
"Just cheer up okay?" He cooed.
"Okay" she nodded slowly.
"Now eat your food" he said shifting the tray close to her, and Ivy nodded, slowly reaching for her food.
She could not resist the aroma
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