filled her mind as she continuously bit into her lower lip.
What was happening to her? What kind of life was she living? A fake life? When would she start living a genuine life? The kind of life she and her unborn child deserve.
"Joyce wake up." she whispered to herself.
I can't continue like this- she rose to put the bed lamp on. Taking advantage of the dim light, she paced up and down the room.
Her mission was different from what she's doing presently, far from been accomplished. She allowed herself to be treated like a waste-bin by 'the Williams' or what ever they call themselves- she's carrying a Williams in her womb too, though it isn't genuine;atleast she deserved to be treated right.
Those devilish kids who believed they could talk to her anyhow, or their mother who was trying to act up a good woman. A good woman? Which woman would be so kind to someone who nearly ruined her marriage? Perhaps she's trying to win her husbands heart- well then, she succeeded. But Joyce can't be fooled, oh yes Barbra succeeded in keeping her home, and got her kids and husband treating her-Joyce like an unwanted Alien.
Barbra even had the guts to ask to do the dishes after breakfast-the day before, all in the name that her kids are going to school.
And that jerk-Williams- she fumed. What' he feeling like? Like he succeeded in keeping his family together, so she doesn't matter anylonger right? He talks rubbish and gets away with it.
"Me Joyce.." she smiled painfully.
Very soon she'd be putting to bed, how's she sure her baby has a position in the house?
"No." she shook her head.
"Joyce can't take it anymore."
she've got to fight for her 'right', she should be treated a 'wife' that she is. No more lazying around and keeping mute, Joyce's got to make her own voice known.
***********
Cassandra sneezed as she wiped dust particles off the electric appliances in the living room, that was a job she hates to do- those dust particles made her sneeze like...if care isn't taken she might end up having a very bad cold. She so missed her beloved Sasha, that girl was good when it comes to works like this; she would never sneeze nor cough even when everybody in the house does so. Sasha was a sister she never thought she'd have, she was suprised when Sasha came to her room one night just to have 'some girlie talks', Lagos really changed her or was it Joyce?
"Careful,stop dusting those dirts my way." Joyce snapped. She've been sitting on a sofa all along watching the girl smile and mumble to herself.
"Maybe you should go to your room, cos I'm cleaning this whole place up." Cassandra replied politely. Her mother's home, so she must act good.
"I'm not sitting on your head, neither does the living room belongs to you." Joyce retorted.
"then stop complaining about the dirts." Cassandra replied, scrubbing the darduma in the middle of the room. She heard Joyce' hissing angrily, she smiled, there's no point hissing back, unless she wants her mother to start another sermon about respecting elders.
The sound of th the TV caught her attention, what was wrong with this omo-Ibo?
"You should have atleast allowed the thing to dry off, I just wiped it with a wet towel!
Cassandra complained.
Joyce hissed in reply.
"You're really getting on my nerves!" Cassandra noted, putting off the TV.
"And you're asking for my trouble." Joyce rose to her feet.
"I don't ask for trouble, I dish it out ma'am! You must be outta of your mind if you think you can get crappy on me!" Cassandra anger was rose to its peak.
"Cassie shut up, you must have lost your mind?" Barbra walked into the living room.
"No mum, this omo-ibo is high on something." Cassandra protested as her mum pushed her towards the stairs.
"your mother is the one that's high." Joyce fired at her.
"normal thing! Useless slut!" Cassandra shot back at her.
"Cassie you must have lost your manners? get inside!" Barbra warned her mounting the stairs.
"Winchy-wincho! Iya Aje! Wuuuuuu!" Cassandra clapped before running after her mother.
Joyce stood at the spot, too surprised to speak. All her strength was gone..
Tunji smiled as he watched the duos study with 'deep concentration', they were just studying for Kemi's sake; when their post-utme exams would be coming up in less than eighteen hours?
Kemi had chosen the spot for them to stay and study, in her words 'its shady and comfortable' true to her words, the duos seemed to enjoy the shade- with legs spread out, the balcony was filled with different textbooks, past question papers, including Kemi's Tablet and Laptop- which she gave them ' should in case, they'd like to surf the net'.
Tunji's eyes rested on Sasha, there she was, all her attention fixed on a past-question paper. Her free hand caressed and black-long dreadlocks-the source of her strength; her silky full eye lashes didn't move as her eyes travelled round the paper. He shifted his gaze to Kenny who seemed engrossed in a textbook-with a pout. Tunji scoffed, Kenny was free to pout afterall he's an only child; he should serve the role of a boy and also a girl.
He held his breathe as Sasha looked up, like she sensed his presence, he was about to tip-toe away when she gave a long sigh, followed by a hiss.
"I'm tired o." she announced.
"Same here." Kenny agreed without looking up.
"These past questions are almost same...can't read them no more." Sasha added yawning.
"This Biology text book looks like a novel I've read already" Kenny pushed the book away.
"That's cos you've read it for good three years".
"Yea, I know almost everything." Kenny rolled his eyes.
"Hmn, Genius! Define Biology." Sasha laughed.
"Nobody's gonna ask me that question, its so dumb."Kenny eyed her.
"Stop looking at me that way, I'm not your wife!" Sasha pushed his face.
"For better for worse- you must marry me." Kenny teased.
"Stop it jor." she pushed him again.
"Stop what? Our Marriage is made in heaven my sweet pumpkin." Kenny teased some more.
"I wonder what your children would be like? Terrorists?" Tunji laughed walking up to them.
"You didn't hear our gist, did you?" Kenny whispered.
"I didn't" Tunji smiled, sitting beside them on the darduma.
"When I become a Major General ehn? Everybody must respect me." Sasha announced.
"Major-general? When did Unilag start offering Military courses?" Tunji asked.
"she'd go for NDA after her first degree." Kenny replied.
"You have the strength?"
"Strength ke? I know Kung fu." Sasha replied.
"When this Country engages China in any kind of War, I'd fight them off with my Kungfu." she added.
"Really?" Tunji managed to say amidst laughter.
"Yea, I can do the crane, praying mantis, tiger, tai chi, drunken style, ...all of them. Jackie Chan was my my student you know"
Tunji was already reeling with laughter, that girl was something else.
"Sofrey sofrey o! Don't burst o." Kenny patted his back.
Their discussion continued, with Kenny telling them how he would love to be the best Medical Doctor in the world.
"You were supposed to be studying!" Kemi Shrieked from behind them.
"Honey you aint helping matters:" she glared at her husband.
"No aunty Kay, we're through with the books" Sasha chirped.
"and you don't have the word 'revision in your vocabulary?" Kemi squealed, her bulging tummy moving up and down.
"we're just having fun." Tunji rose up to meet her.
"I can smell food." Sasha rose to her feet crinkling her nose.
"Eat me nao!" Kemi snapped.
"Seriously, I can smell curry and thyme too." Kenny does the same.
"That won't stop me from whooping your bum" Kemi replied.
"Spare them those threats, they're looking hungry." Tunji hushed her.
"no, Uncle Tee-Jay let her continue o. Shey she'll soon get to the labour room nao." Sasha snapped her fingers.
"and what's that supposed to mean?" Kemi asked hands akimbo.
"actually, we'd be spectators, to laugh our heads off at how you'd be screaming your head off." Kenny hardly completed his statement before Kemi's hand swooshed towards his direction. He tried to run away but she caught his arm.
"Mummy...mum...They want to remove my cheeks o!" " he screamed as Kemi pulled his cheek.
"They want to kill your only son o!" Sasha screamed.
"Ehn? Ta ni? Kemi If I catch you!" Ashley huried out of the house.
"Look at how swollen his cheeks are! I must pull yours too o!" Ashley added examining the pouting Kenny.
"Mummy, sorry ma." Tunji Pleaded as Kemi hid behind him.
"No problem o! Shebi I'll soon take my children away." Ashley clapped.
"Eeyyah mummy, its not fair o." Tunji pleaded
"Okay pull my own cheeks."
"Which cheek? Maybe she should pull your beards." Sasha laughed running away as Tunji chased after her, giving room for Ashley to get at Kemi.
"double six!" Kola squealed excitedly.
"Oh puleease, don't damage my ear drums." Cassandra hissed jealously.
"stop jealousing my son Cassie." Williams picked up the dice'.
"I had three sets of double six, when I played with mum this morning" Cassandra puckered.
"Oh yea." Williams rolled his eyes shaking the dice'
"Oh daddy don't roll your eyes...its girlish." Cassandra laughed.
"hmn, I learnt that from you." Williams defended.
"I learnt it from Sasha" Cassandra chirped.
"Talking about Sasha, I'm missing her." Kola said quitely.
"Yea, I miss her fights, if she was here, we won't play this Ludo in peace." Williams agreed.
"And I guess your mum is missing her troublesome daughter too."
"Sasha'll be like..." cassandra mimicked Sasha
"I don't give a hoot! I and Kenny don't miss your sorry heads!" she snapped turning the Ludo over before bursting into fits of laughter.
"That's what a perfect Sasha would do or say." Williams laughed with his Kids.
Joyce drew a long hiss as she crossed and uncrossed her legs. which grown man would play Ludo with his kids at night? That shows how irresponsible he is. His 'wife' is probably snoring her life away upstairs, while he's baby sitting- what a weakling!
"Dad...lets start all over again. I'll take 'Blue' " Cassandra suggested ignoring Joyce.
"I'll take Yellow, daddy'll take red and green!" Kola said.
"Your mum hates green." Williams told them with a smile.
"wow...no wonder she refused to buy me a particular green dress when I followed her the mall." Cassandra laughed.
"Sasha loves green." Kola noted.
"what a sick colour loved by a sick person." Joyce hissed, visibly irritated.
"Only sick people hiss and talk alone." Cassandra said audibly throwing her dice'
"I wasn't talking to you!" Joyce shot at her.
"Neither was she talking to you." Williams boomed.
"Do you have to include Sasha or her mother in everything you say?" Joyce continued.
"Maybe you should bash your head on the wall- Hater!" Cassandra spat.
"Don't dare insult me!"
"Cassie..errm...Kola, please go to your rooms, we'd continue the game tomorrow. Good night." Williams spoke up.
"Night dad..." Kola hugged him.
"Night." Cassandra pecked him.
"Love you all." he called after them as they lighted the stairs.
"What's your problem, I won't have you harassing my kids!" he faced Joyce when he heard the door close.
"Neither would I have your wife threatening me!" Joyce rose to her feet.
"Threaten you? Barbra would never do that!"
"Of course your sweetheart is always innocent!" Joyce clapped.
"When will you treat like the person I am? I have equal rights as Barbra!"
"No you don't! You're just here cos of the child in your womb."
"Then you must be silly, if you think you'd throw me out after having ths baby! " Joyce yelled angrily
"Of course, after the test, you either leave with the baby, or only the baby remains if its truly mine!" Williams was equally angry.
"But Willy...that not your promise to me." Joyce wiped the tears streaming down her face.
"You said you love me, you promised to make my life good...that's why I let you do this to me." she sniffed.
Williams swallowed hard, his heart melting.
"If I knew You'd treat me this way...I won't let you get in between my legs..." Joyce wept loudly.
"Its okay, I'm so sorry..." Williams held her as she shook with sobs.
"You're making things difficult for me by your attitude." He patted her back, his hands froze when he heard a slight cough.
"Mummy said you should come to bed." Cassandra announced.
"Tell her i'm coming." Williams replied leading Joyce to a couch.
"when you're done with your miss!" Cassandra's voice rose with accusation.
"Cassie!"
"I'm sorry dad." she started mounting the stair case but stopped halfway when she heard a knock.
"Who's that nao?" she asked unbolting the door, though she knew it was risky to do so without peeping, atleast not at night.
"weldone o, my name is John and I'm here to..."
"Oh Mr John, please come in." Cassandra said excitement creeping into her voice. Her plans are working out well.
"Dad, this is the man that came the other time-looking for Joyce." she smiled mischieveously as John walked into the living room, with an old woman.
"Oh my God! Mama?" Joyce shrieked.
She bit hard into her tongue, she should'nt have said anything, she just gave herself away.
TBC TOMORROW AT 12NOON.
