Chapter Three

Chapter Three

"Hmmm, I wonder how she will take care of the children, after I have left for school". She was angry Zara did not clean up the room or organize the children to do it. Even after she came back, Zara didn't join her to work. Kendra was tired after working with her mistress, so she organized the children to join her and clean it up. They were the ones that messed it up after all. After that, she called Zara to come and cook with her.

"I'm coming" she replied from the room.

"Aunty Kendra teach me how to cook what you are cooking". Pearl said while standing on her two big toes to see what was inside the pot.

"it's plantain porridge"

"I hate plantain porridge but I'll stay and learn. I hate Zara. She is domineering'l" Pearl complained.

Kendra smiled at her and said, "don't worry you will be fine. Do you know you are blunt?" A number of time she had wanted to ask Pearl the question to get her reaction, but she always forgot.

"No I'm not" she disagreed

"yes you are and it's who you are"

She left the kitchen minutes later, giving Pearl the opportunity to do what she wanted.

She climbed a chair and stood on top of it. She picked the cooking spoon and began to stir the food.

"hmmm....stones in the food" She said and began to pick the periwinkles out of the pot, with the spoon.

"The food is not boiling" She increased the heat noded and stired the food with all seriousness

"Zara are you still coming? You are supposed to be in the kitchen with me."

"I know. I'm coming" She replied and continued with what she was doing in the on her phone.

Kendra wished her phone will be seized.

She couldn't believe what she saw when she entered the kitchen.

"Pearl what have you done?" she rushed to the pot.

"Saved your food from stones and helped it boil faster. You are welcome" she replied with a smile.

"They are periwinkles not stones! Don't you have eyes?" she asked bewildered.

"oh! so they are periwinkles not stones? I thought they are stones with the shape of beautiful sea shell". Kendra got angry on hearing her. She gets furious whenever Pearl does that. She percieves that Pearl pretends not to know for fun. Kendra quickly washed the periwinkles and put them back.

"I like what I'm percieving What are we cooking for dinner?" Zara asked when she entered the kitchen.

"We have finished cooking". Pearl replied.

Kendra was too angry to speak to anyone, especially Zara. She cleaned the kitchen, dished the children's food and lay down on the bed, hoping to get some rest before her master and mistress return from work.

She decided to think of her future, since she wasn't feeling dizzy at all.

"I will study food science and after school, I will have a restaurant. I'm sure I will have time for my school. The school will be for kids only, from daycare to primary five or six. There will be no jss1. I will ensure that all my students are smart and brainy, right from their childhood. With that, it will never depart from them.

She joined them in the sitting room to know what they were watching that was making them laugh so hard. It was an interesting movie and she found herself watching and laughing too.

"His shoes reminds me of my English teacher. You the I-swear-to-God shoe?" Desmond said.

Yours is better, it is just the shoe. Mine is my Civic education teacher. She wears oversized clothes and she doesn't know how to teach or speak correct English. She pronounces scheme of work as 'shekemi' of work". Mary said and they all laughed.

"All my teachers are boring they always scold us and call us 'noodles generation' I wonder what what they mean by that" Pearl added.

"I pity their teachers. If only they knew what these children are saying about them". Kendra thought.

"Zara I need more food" Pearl said, holding her plate out to her.

"Do I look like your mate or maid? Why did you call me by my name? and don't you have legs to go to the kitchen?" She asked upset.

The all turned to Zara, surprised at her reaction.

"Wonders shall never seize to happen. If she doesn't call you by your name, what then should she call you by? Oh! You want to be called Aunty Zara. Then you have to earn it". Kendra thought before collecting Pearl's plate to put more food for her. Zara felt embarrassed at Kendra's action but decided not to show it.

"There is sand in this food and it is salty" Zara complained while they were still eating

"How do you even have the guts to complain when you did not join Aunty Kendra in the kitchen?" Zara wondered if the statement actually came from a child she is older than.

"Don't speak to me in that manner. I'm not your mate!". She felt inferior when she looked at her straight in the eyes. There was no atom of fear in it. After warning Pearl, she left the sitting room. Kendra knew she was supposed to scold Pearl to more respectful but she hesitated. Zara needs to understand that you don't force people to respect you. You gain it instead.

Mike and Dora finally returned from work. After bathing and eating dinner, Mike called Kendra to have a word with her.

"So which course do you want to study in the university?"

"Food science". She replied, wondering why he asked and what he will say.

"Ok. I won't say much because I believe you are not a baby and you are not foolish. You know you should study harder for your JAMB exam because I won't waste my money on you if you are not serious. Not even mistakenly". He told her bluntly.

Though Kendra knew he was right, his words still hurt her.

"Now I know who Pearl takes after". She thought.

"Ok sir"

"Avoid any form of distraction. You are lucky you have Zara in the house to assist you with the house chores. Study very well as if your life depends on it. I'm done". He dismissed her.

"Ok sir. Thank you sir". Kendra couldn't wait to be independent and stop calling people Sir.

"Sir this! Sir that! Even if he decides to kill you, you must still appreciate him. Why did I even say thank you? Because He was blunt and harsh to me? I can't wait to leave this house". She thought while going to the room.

"What kind of nonsense is this? Who does She think She is to seize my phone?"

"Who seized your phone?". Kendra asked her.

"Their mum". Zara replied, looking frustrated.

" 'Their mum?' Is that what you call her? Why did She seize it?"

"I don't know". She replied and left the room, ignoring Kendra's question. The last thing she cado is call Mrs Dorathy her mum.

"Mummy seized the phone because She remained on her phone and failed to clean the dining table, even after She told her to clean it". Desmond explained to Kendra.

"Zara is yet to understand whose house She is in. I'm sure this is just the beginning. Something worse than seizing of phone awaits her". Kendra thought while bringing out her books to study.

"I have cleaned the table and gone to her but She won't even look at me, let alone reply me". Zara said when she entered the room.

"I thought you said you don't know why She seized it? Well, my dear if you want to live peacefully in this house, then you must respect the parents and children and You must be obedient and hardworking as well. If you continue to say disrespectful things about her in front of her kids, what do you think will be their behavior towards you?. They will not only disrespect you, they will disrespect their parents too. That is how kids learn, from their environment".

Zara realized her mistakes but She still felt frustrated without her phone .

"But do you know if She will still give me back my phone?"

"No". Kendra simply replied. Zara's behavior was beginning to irritate her. Zara wasn't used to this kind of life. Somebody bossing her and stopping her from expressing herself or doing whatever She wants. She resolved to get it back and not wait for Dora.

"I'm studying. I don't want noise here!" Kendra warned the kids who just came in and we're arguing. Zara was surprised at how they obeyed Kendra immediately.

The next day, Kendra woke Zara up very early as usual. When She woke up, the first thing She remembered was her phone. The thought of it and the person that now has it, troubled her.

"I will collect it today". She thought fully assured. Kendra was glad Zara didn't complain and she didn't waste much leaving the room.

"Maybe she is beginning to get used to it"

She left for lesson after everyone had gone out.

"So Ken, what do you want to study in the university?". Travis, one of the new friends she made, asked her.

"Foodscience".

"Ok. So I guess you know how to cook right?" He asked with a smile.

"Not very well". She returned his smile. She was surprised She liked it when he called her Ken, because She hates pet and nicknames.

Before making friends, Kendra had taken her time to study her lesson mates inorder to choose correctly. She had chosen Travis because he is outspoken. She loves such people and thought She needs to mingle with them inorder to overcome her fears. The second friend She made was Ben. He had helped her to become familiarized with her new environment. The three of them spent sometime knowing each other and what they want to study. The lecture finally ended for the day but Kendra wasn't happy about it because she was having a good time. She her female lesson mates were wondering why she made only male friends. Kendra was also surprised at this new behavior of hers. She was used to making and having female friends. It wasn't her fault though. Ben was the one that had approached her to help her. At first She misunderstood him and thought He was into her. Probably because of her outstanding figure. When She realized he only wanted to help, She became embarrassed at how stupid she had been.

She went to her Madam's shop after her lesson. The news She heard when she got there shocked her.

"Thieves? How come? How did they unlock the shop?" She asked me the girl who told her about the news. Dora wasn't in her shop when Kendra got there. She had begged her neighbor to look after Daniel for her, before going to her husband's shop.

"Five hundred thousand? Why did he leave it in the the super market? Is he crazy?" She shouted. The news really made her crazy.

"Why didn't he take it to the bank...?" She was interrupted by Daniel who just woke up and was now crying.

When they returned from school, Zara decided that it was the best time to collect her phone. She made sure the kids were in the their room before She sneeked into the parents' room. She searched every corner of the room, including the bathroom but She couldn't find it. She came looking disappointed and frustrated. Without answering the kids or directing them to what they were meant to do after school, She went to the room and lay down on the bed.

Mr Mike still couldn't believe he was looking for the five hundred thousand he had left in his supermarket, the previous day. Just that one and only night he had decided to leave the money in his shop and take it to the bank the next day.