Standing by the fridge in the kitchen, Sasha downed her second glass of cocoa. She
pulled out a pack of cookies and started munching- raiding the fridge was a hobby, so far the fridge contains anything edible.
She scooped some more bournvita into her glass, poured iced cold water into it, before lifting it to her lips.
"yummy" she smacked her lips.
She had better filled her stomach properly- she thought, because there isn't any sign of dinner forth coming.
Kemi was yet to come out of her room after the quarell that afternoon. Tunji too wasn't back, perhaps he's scared of Kemi's tongue-lashing.
Sasha stuffed more cookies to her already filled mouth as she weighed all she heard that afternoon. She never knew couples quarell behind closed doors, she thought a closed door signifies a "couples romantic time out".
She rolled her eyes, drinking more cocoa. She cared less.
She imagined her mother screaming at her dad in their room, she chuckled, that wasn't something to wish for.
A loud knock on the front door interrupted her thoughts. Quickly she pushed her glass and cookies away, wiping her mouth with her dress she ran out of the kitchen.
It might be Tunji, she would like to see the depressed look on his face.
"Hold on." she squealed as the knock came again.
Snatching the door, she froze, her smile faded, not who she expected to see.
A woman in her early fourties stood before her, holding a big handbag and a suitcase in the other. She might be one of Kemi's friends..Sasha mused.
"why are you staring at me that way? Have you lost your manners or something?" the Lady snapped.
Sasha grimaced, manners?
"How may I help you?"
"how may you help me?" the lady shrieked.
"Wonderful!"
"Look, Lady, if you came to see Kemi; she's not in the mood to see you, and if you came to see Tunji; I'm sorry he's not around." Sasha explained carelessly.
"Are outta your mind?" The woman's voice was rising.
Sasha drew a long hiss before slamming the door shut.
"Rubbish." she mused. Why can't some elderly people respect themselves?
"Who was that?"
Sasha turned startled, only to see Kemi staring at her with red-bulging eyes.
"I...uhm..some old lady..." Sasha stuttered.
"I told her you and Uncle Teejay aint around." she added.
"So you slammed the door at her face?" Kemi asked walking towards the door.
"oh my good God!" she gasped
"Sasha how could you?" she shrieked.
"I'm so sorry sister Folake, I'm very sorry. Please come in." Kemi pleaded with her sister in-law.
"Don't mind Sasha, she's such an insolent weeny." she led her in.
Folake glared at Sasha as she walked into the room with an air of superiority
"This wimp slammed the door at my face, in my own brother's house!" she wagged a finger at the unrepentant Sasha, adding stress to the word "Brother"
"Like I said, I'm so sorry sister folake. Sasha you must apologise to her, she's Tunji's sister." Kemi managed to say.
"Sorry." Sasha said bluntly
"Keep your sorry to yourself!" Folake shot at her.
"Errm... Sister mi, why don't you run a bath while I set the table for dinner." Kemi suggested, trying desperately to appease her sister in-law.
"Yea sure." Folake replied still looking irritated.
Kemi led the way to the guest room still murmuring some apologies.
"Nonsense!" Sasha hissed. The fact that she was Tunji's sister does not give her the right to call her a mannerless girl.
She was still musing and hissing when she felt a hand tug on her cheek.
Kemi pulled her towards the kitchen still tugging at her cheek.
"Aunty Kay, stop it, Its painful!" Sasha protested.
"Shut Up!" Kemi pulled her ears again.
"Don't you know who she is? Ehn? Sasha Williams tell me?" Kemi said fiercely.
"I don't care whoever she is, she called me a mannerless girl." Sasha folded her arms across her chest.
"this is a warning, don't you ever treat my guests that way, don't you know this single action of yours can land me in a divorce?" Kemi queried.
Sasha rolled her eyes- who cares?
"If you don't behave yourself, I'll send you back to your parents ."
"I never wanted to come to Lagos anyway" Sasha grunted.
"Who are you talking back at?Me?"
Kemi asked removing her slippers.
"Wait for me! Omo Jati Jati." she chased after the fleeing Sasha.
Folake cleared her throat repeatedly, as the dinning was filled with noise of spoons and forks clashing with plates.
She was enjoying the meal but the presence of the teenage girl sitting before her was irritating.
She never liked Kemi too, so hating on Kemi's sister was normal to her. She wondered how her brother would stay put with a barren woman for five years.
"Uncle Teejay, please pass me the salt." Sasha said, clearly showing she was enjoying the meal.
Folake drew a long hiss, drawing attention to herself.
"Are you okay?" Tunji asked mouthful. Personally, he thanked God for Folake's arrival, Kemi wouldn't have cooked for the next few weeks; so it was-each time thay had a slight quarell.
"I'm okay," Folake replied.
"You don't look okay ma'am." Sasha chirped, with her eyes on her plate.
Folake was about to snap at her when Tunji said
"Yea, or you aren't enjoying the meal?"
"The food is okay but.."Folake decided to use that opportunity to show Kemi she was still the boss.
Kemi looked up, her spoon held halfway to her mouth,she knew it, she expected it, her sister in-law would always pick on her.
"But, it tastes half-done, like some part still tasting raw" folake concluded.
Kemi sighed, that was a bit light.
Sasha dropped her spoon, glanced at Kemi, then at Tunji, she wasn't sure they heard that 'Old-lady' speak, what's with the neutral looks on their faces?
"Well ma'am" Sasha cleared her throat
"Any food that becomes softer than this isn't good to the eyes not to talk more of the stomach"
Kemi looked up sharply, glaring at Sasha, the girl should shut up!
"You don't need to point that out to me!" Folake retorted.
"Yea...true." Sasha spooned more food to her mouth.
"Its just that, you have to take whatever you're given, whenever you are not in your own house. When you're a visitor, act like one, at least to show you've got manners." Sasha said carelessly.
"Sasha!" Kemi shrieked.
"Sasha please get us some more beef from the kitchen." Tunji said quickly, he's so much pleased.
Sasha wasn't like Kemi who take advantage of the weak, she aims for the strong like her.
"Alright." Sasha laughed to the kitchen. While Folake stared at her horrified.
"Unbelievable!" Folake found her voice.
"I've never been insulted this way all my life! Tunji did you hear that?" she squealed.
Tunji simply resumed eating his food.
"I'm so upset, I've lost my appetite." Folake rose to her feet.
You never had one! Tunji wanted to voice out as he watched his sister scamper out of the dinning section- fuming. He loved his wife, his marriage-and no unmarried sister of his, should be a pest.
"Sister Folake.." Kemi rose to her feet.
"Sit down!" Tunji pulled her back.
"can't you see that..."
"Shhhhh....." Tunji hushed her.
"The beef..-sir." sasha emerged from the kitchen.
"Thanks." Tunji picked a piece, directing his hands toward Kemi's lips.
Irritated, she slapped his hands off.
"You don't have to do that, while your sister is watching." Tunji pointed out.
"I could excuse you guys...you know." Sasha winked at Kemi.
"Omo Jati Jati." Kemi spat out.
"I told you screaming isn't good for your health." Tunji said, turning her to face him.
"Leave me!" Kemi protested.
"I can never." her muttered against her lips. He missed those lips.....
Kemi dropped her bag on a settee, tucking in her shirt, same time trying to wear her jacket. She was running late for work, the night was tiring, courtesy of Tunji.
They made it up again, she would forever love that man.
"Sasha!" she called out.
No reply
"Sasha Williams!"
"Mah!" Sasha emerged carrying her books.
"Gumorrin!"
"I'm running late for work." Kemi began.
"that's no news, I'm running late for school too." Sasha replied.
"Your pocket money and your transport fare are on my dresser.." Kemi continued ignoring her sisters comment.
"The one in your room or the master bedroom?" Sasha asked.
"make sure you board the cab of gentlemen okay?" Kemi adviced ignoring the question.
"Meanwhile,..." she pulled Sasha to herself
"Sister Folake is in...Sasha please, I beg you, steer clear, please, no retorting, no grimacing.."
"I've heard." Sasha cut in.
"bye." Kemi snatched her bag from the settee.
"Aunty Kay?"
"Yes?" Kemi replied impatiently heading to the exit.
"Kenny and Kola said...They said I should tell you..." Sasha ran after her.
"tell me what?" Kemi half walked, half-ran to her car.
"They'll be coming to Lagos this weekend, for the Easter." Sasha caught up with her.
Kemi shook her head, Kenny and Sasha meeting again? That combination wasn't good atall.
"So what did you tell them?" She ignited her car.
"I said they could come, since there are enough rooms to contain them and enough food to feed them."
"Good, so why telling me now?" Kemi said swallowing the laughter bubbling up in her.
"Just to inform the owners of the house." Sasha replied.
Without a word, Kemi reversed her car and sped towards the gate.
Sasha waved, happy that Kemi was cool with her info. She've missed Kenny alot, her twin from a differnt mother. She shook her head walking back to the main building to pick her books and pocket money.
"I thought you all left the house without a word." Folake said sipping from a mug of steaming coffee; clad in her nightie
"No" Sasha replied walking straight to her sister's bedroom.
"Bye." she said as she walked towards the exit.
"Eeerr, whatchamacallit....errm....Natasha right?" Folake's voice stopped her.
"Sasha." Sasha corrected her irritated.
"do you know Lagos very well...errm..I mean...you know places?" Folake asked.
"Yea." Sasha almost screamed.
"You don't mind accompanying me to see a friend this evening?"
I knew it! Sasha almost said, else why would her 'old-lady' be acting so nice.
"Dunno, I'll ask my sister first." Sasha replied, leaving the the house as fast as her legs would carry her.
Folake stared at the door and sighed, at least she tried. Her aim to stop being an enemy with Sasha was working out. So far she wanted to stay in that house for more days, she can't survive under Sasha's hatred. She must admit, the girl was more than her.
Barbra grinned, as her son danced into the living room, he looked so excited-like he won a lottery.
"Daddy...mummy...Cassie...you'll all soon miss me..." Kola sang matching his dance steps.
"so what's up?" Cassandra asked, her eyes glued to her phone's screen.
"You'll miss me o!" Kola slumped beside his father.
"Tell me." Williams enquired.
"Sasha just called, and guess what? Aunty Kemi said I and Kenny could come over!" Kola hugged his father excited.
"Wow..so did she ask after us?" Barbra asked. The last time she spoke to her daughter was when she left for Lagos.
"Yea, she sends her regards." Kola replied catching his breathe.
"I guess she didn't include my name." Cassandra looked up.
"Why say so?" Kola enquired.
"she hardly picks my calls." Cassandra replied pained. Deep within her she still loved her sister.
Same here, Williams almost voiced out. He had called his daughter countless times, but she never picked. He only resolved asking after her from Kemi.
"You caused it yourself, you made her hate you." Kola said accusingly.
"Whatever." Cassandra rolled her eyes.
"Maaamiii" Kola cooed cuddling his mother.
"Kola leave me! You're no longer a kid" Barbra slapped his hands away.
"Leave my wife alone for me." Williams pushed Kola away.
"No she's my mother." Kola protested in a childish voice.
"Shameless small man, stop touching my wife jor!" Williams laughed, glad for the change of topic.
"Kola leave his wife nah!" Cassandra joined.
"mummy you see ko?" Kola pouted.
"Ah ahn! Leave my son alone for me o, he's my last born o, omo daada" Barbra crooned,
"Ehen! Me I'm not omo daada abi?" Cassandra laughed.
"Nobody is like my last born o." Barbra, lifted Kola to her laps.
"Ehn ehn! What about me?" Cassandra rushed to secure her own position, same time colliding into her father who was on the same mission.
They all fell on the rug, laughing out loud.
***********
"So this your friend we're going to see, is he married?" Sasha asked Folake as they hailed a taxi.
"Yea, we agreed to meet in Lagos, we'll be travelling to Paris this weekend." Folake explained.
"Hmm" Sasha was engrossed in her own thoughts, having Kenny around her was like having her other half.
"Madam, you say First villa chic'n'beef koh?" the taxi driver enquired.
"Yea"
"we don reach" he replied fitting taxi into the parking lot.
Sasha straightened her dress as they walked into the restaurant.
"What the heck! This man came with his son again?" Folake muttered looking disappointed.
At the far end, sat an elderly man with a young man in his mid twenties.
The elderly man rose to his feet as they approached him.
"Hy, how are you?" folake tried to sound casual.
The young man looked up to shake her hands, he waved at Sasha only to look back at her again, his face registering recognition.
"Sasha?" Micheal asked in disbelief
"Mike?" Sasha flew into his arms.
"Oh my God! is this you?" Micheal looked her over.
"What are you doing here?" they both chorused before hugging each other.
"Dad...she's my friend-portharcourt." Micheal told his father who was just staring
"Yea.." Sasha smiled at Folake.
"Come..come...you must tell me what happened." Micheal led her to a different table.
"Wow, what luck." Mr Amaechi sighed, sitting down.
Folake sat too, very happy she brought Sasha along. Who would believe Sasha would take Mike out of her sight.
"so how is it gonna be like?" Folake asked.
"Yea, we'll be travelling this weekend."
Amaechi smiled.
"Oh my God!" Folake almost screamed.
Her dream of a most romantic weekend with her lover was unfolding.
At their table, Sasha and Micheal engaged each other in a more serious discussion, she told him about her journey to lagos. He sympathized with her.
"So who's she to you?" Mike gestured towards Folake.
"Kemi's sister-inlaw, who's she to your dad?" Sasha asked
"He said, she's his business client, but I don't think so." Micheal replied.
"I don't think so too." Sasha grimaced
"That why mum asked me to come with dad." Micheal explained shaking his head.
Sasha felt sorry for him.
"I heard, they'll be travelling this weekend to paris." Sasha chirped.
"Yea, I'll be going with them" Micheal announced.
"hey..we can soil their plans, stop the journey or make it miserable." Sasha suggested
"No..."
"Never mind leave the job to me!" Sasha cut him short, her eyes glinting.
Micheal laughed taking her hands in his,
"I missed you."
"Same here." Sasha laughed.
To be continued tomorrow at 10am.
