CHAPTER 17

My eyes widened in shock. "Daddy I'm not going anywhere oh! What is this? Me I'm not going. Why does aunt Ego want me to come to her house all of a sudden." I protested with a pouty voice.

"Will you shut up that your stinking mouth!" My dad shouted.

I grumbled on and on stomping my feet on the ground, but I shut up anyway. I wasn't brave enough to face him yet.

"Why does Aunt Ego want her to come?" My mum asked, as confused as I was.

"Her husband called me now. Do you know that she almost had a miscarriage because of too much work."

"Jesus Christ of Nazareth!" My mum and I exclaimed in unison. I put my hand over my heart to calm my breath.

I didn't like aunty Ego even if she was my Dad's only sister. She treated my mum badly and I hated her for it, but she had been looking for a child for so long it would be so painful if she lost this one.

"How is she?" It was my mum who asked.

"She's better now but they urgently need a helping hand."

"God will not let our enemies see us. They will not succeed!" My mum prayed. It was then that I knew that I was going to go to Port-Harcourt whether I liked it or not.

Traveling was the last thing I wanted to do now with how unsafe the roads were because of the gang war which had been affecting my town but I had no choice.

I quickly packed my bag and other necessities. I hugged my brothers good bye while promising to get toys for them on my return. I also hugged my mum and promised her that I would be on my best behavior.

My Dad offered to drive me to the park which he only did because my Aunt needed me. The ride to the park was tensed and quiet and I did appreciate the silence. It was better than having forced conversations with a man I didn't like.

When we got to the park he booked a sit for me and gave me the ticket. "You had better respect yourself over there." He warned, and drove away without telling me as much as a good bye.

I knew that it would be hard for me to cope in my Aunts house because first of all, I wasn't used to staying away from home for such a long time as a month. Secondly, she didn't like me and I didn't like her.

I've always thought my family to be my responsibility. My whole family. Maybe it was something that came with being the first child. A kind of blessing, a Kind of curse, a little bit of both.