Door opens, keys clacking
"Heyo! You're back".
"Yep".
"That was quick".
"I know, I'll go back there next week for interview".
"Are you kidding me, interview. So, it's a job now".
"Huh! Maybe am saying it wrong". Anita said "come check out my ride". She added
They stretched their head out, looking outside
"Ooh-oh someone dropped you".
"Really, that's my new car".
"You got a car!". They said unison. They all rushed outside
"Oh my gosh". Veronica exclaims, lying on the car bonnet
"Congrats babe. But wait, why did you get a car?". They asked
"Am going to fucking Minderburg, where all the good stuffs happens, I need to feel among". She said,
smiling.
"Bad girl, am so happy for you". princess said
"Nah, am not really happy about the whole school thing, but I guess I'll get use to it". Britney said
"Yeah, me too". Veronica added
Rushed in, shocked at what she saw, she drops the bags she was holding slowly.
"Excuse me…. what are you guys doing here?". Juliana moves closer to them slowly
"Oh, you must be daddy's daughter".
"Excuse you? whose daddy".
"Juliana!". He called
"Dad, who are all this people and what are they doing here?".
"Hey babe". Walks in, kissed him on the lips. That look in Juliana's face.
"Dad who is this woman, who are this people?". She yelled
"Darling you would not speak to your father with that tune, I won't take".
"Oh would you shut up! look at this slot, teaching me manner". A big right hand on her face from her
father.
"Enough, you've become so rude".
"Dad, you slapped me". she said teary
"And I would slap you too if you don't keep that tiny mouth shut".
"Dad…. Who is this woman?". Drops her hand from her face
"She's your step mother, and those are your sisters". He said "Baby, shall we?". Stretched his hand
toward her, she placed hers on his and they stepped out.
Shudders, single tear drop turns into multiple tears drops. She rushed to her room. Hugged her pillow,
crying profusely.
Lonely hours, so late at night. Sitted on the bench outside her porch, star gazing. Door opens, distracted
her meditation.
"What the fuck do you want?". Saucy said
"Get inside now".
"Or what?".
"Or you leave my house". He threatened
"That's the only sensible thing I've heard you say". Saucy added. She got up from the bench. While her
dad was standing by the door, she hit his shoulder with hers while she walked in.
Up in her room, lying on her bed, she hugs a pillow. Clearly lost in thought.
"What do I do now?". Turns sideways. The form lying on the table beside her bed, she was just staring.
"The exam starts next week, why did I even waste me money to purchase this". She said. Got up from
her bed, picked up the form. Tried squeezing it. Then she drops it back angrily. "Why would they even
say boys only? Don't girls deserve something good. Curse this stupid vagina, I mean that's the only thing
that singles me out, and this boob. What's the use of it anyways. Am good to be a boy, I mean am
stronger than most of them". She said all this and stopped when she was in front of her mirror.
"Wait". She moved her hair backward, as if they were short. "If you can't be it, you can fake it". She said
looking at the form.
Barge in on them.
"Juliana, can't you knock".
"What am I hearing dad, am just coming back from school and I got kicked out. They said you haven't
paid my school fees, why!". She yells
"Because I asked him not too". Her step mom said. She sat upright, using one of her hand to cover
herself properly with the duvet.
"Excuse me".
"That's the door right there, use it".
"Dad, why would you let this slot put her mouth in our family business".
"Juliana! She's your step mother, and you would respect her. See, this is why I did not pay your fees,
because I can't be wasting my money on this".
"Waste dad. What did I ever do to you? you call sponsoring my education a waste". Sober tone
Mum!". They said unison. "We got the admission".
"Oh, dear minderburg would be so happy to have you". she added
"You're paying for them, and not me". single tear drops. She walks out of the room.
They both jumped on their parent bed in excitement
Walking behind him, yelling
"What do you mean by you're not going to school?". Havana yells at Richard. Richard stopped walking,
turn around facing her.
"It's my decision".
"So that you smoke your life away, no way".
"I can still smoke in school".
"Do you want to kill me?". she said
"Come on, now you're blackmailing me".
"Please, I don't want you to leave your life like this, smoking, drinking. It's not what I want for you". she
added
"Fine, I'll go".
"Thank you". she hugged him. "Mm, you need to shower". Giggled
"Whatever". Walking away.
Walked pass each other on the road, with this greeting "good day"
Hanging her clothes outside, cabrin and her friend walks in.
"Hey Saucy". She said. Strange looks on her face when she saw the clothes saucy was hanging.
"Hi, what's brings you here?".
"What do you mean by that, I came to see you. Meet my friend Jessica.
"Oh hi". She said, Jessica nodded.
Night hour…...
"Okay bye". Saucy said. "Why aren't you moving?".
"Bye Jessica". She waved, then that cold stare to Saucy. Facing each other, arms fold. They didn't utter a
word, just signing to each other. Saucy want to know why she didn't follow Jessica back.
"Ok am done with this, what's up?". Saucy broke the silence.
"Am not leaving here till you tell me what you're up too".
"I don't understand".
"The outfit I saw you hanging earlier, who owns it".
"Why do you care?".
"I saw a guy wearing the same outfit today, on our way to your house".
"So! People buy the same thing all the time".
"Seriously".
"Ok fine, it's for my boyfriend". Bit by bit, she started laughing hard at Saucy.
"Boyfriend! Are you kidding me!".
"Nope".
"You think am stupid right".
"Sometimes".
"I don't believe, it's not possible".
"Why? You think I don't have romantic feeling".
Walking recklessly on the road. She stopped when she saw her friends. Indistinct chatter. She looks so
anxious and distress. She was overwhelmed and she spoke to her friends in a frantic manner, which
affected the clarity of their communication. Till veronica held her close, and called out her name "Anita".
Inhale and exhale.
"I don't know what to do….". she said anxiously. They where by the road side, all four of them. Anita
turns her head to her right then she sighted Richard. Without any hesitance, she rushed up to him,
leaving her friends.
"You are so careless". She yells at him. He was with his friends, smoking. He paid less attention to her, as
they wrap him another one…. Anita was just short of words.
"Can't you hear what am saying?". She yells even more. Her friends just watching from a far
Richard carefully rolled the cigar between his fingers, wrapping it tightly before bringing it to his lips.
With a flick of the lighter, he ignited the tip, inhaling deeply as the end began to smolder, filling the air
with the rich aroma
"Really! you really think smoking is the best thing to do now". She yells. Richard took a deep drag from is
cigar and exhale a cloud of smoke directly into her face, a deliberate act of spite. Anita started choking,
in anger she drags the cigar from his mouth, threw it on the ground then steps on it so hard.
"There! Am telling you something important, and all you have to do is smoke. Your pregnant mother,
need hospital, what's wrong with you". Anita kept on yelling at him. Richard just calmly asked his friends
to give him another cigar, with a flick of the lighter, he ignited the tip. Then he places the tip of his cigar
in Anita's nose. Her friends rushed quickly to her aid. She was bleeding and was coughing too. On the
floor. Richard squat, looking at her.
"The next time I see you, you better have a pack of this". Showing off his cigar. "Else, they would be
blood everywhere". He drops the cigar on her body, walked away.
"What were you thinking Anita?". Her friends scold her, they helped her up.
"Really mom! Abortion pills, how could you". Richard yells at Havana. She tried to talk but he shuns her
"Don't even say anything, am so disappointed". He added, a nurse walks in
"Sir you have to be calm".
"Get out". He said calmly
"No, no you don't. I don't believe you".
"Hurh, fine".
"Okay, fine! What happen?".
"Must you know everything".
"Uh-huh yes of course".
"Fine! I went for the exam".
"Exam, mm what exam?".
"The form you saw with me the other night".
"Form, form". She said repeatedly, till she remembered clearly. Gasps "Nooo". She dragged it out
"Yes".
"You did not".
"I did".
"But-but how are you going to pull this off".
"Same way I did for the exam". Saucy said. "The form was so expensive; I couldn't just throw it away like
that. and besides, am tired of home, am tired of work. Promise you would not tell anyone".
"Fine I promise". Cabrin said
"Now can you go home".
"Fine I will, but I'll be at your house tomorrow, we have to plan". She added, hugged her and left.
Saucy walked back home.
"But sir".
"Get! Out". This time he yelled. The nurse rushed out
"Richard, you don't have to…...". she tried to scold him, but she was calm
"Am sorry".
"What if you died mom, what then?". He said, sat next to her
"Am sorry, am so sorry". She said crying profusely
"I thought you said you don't want to abort the baby".
"People were talking, they were?".
"Fuck what people say mom, they would always talk".
"Am so sorry". She cried. Her hugged her, caressed her hair.