Chapter Two

"Now get up and follow me. There's a lot of stuff to do, and you are lingering outside as if you are a fool."

Jina remembered that the gate was still open. She turned to Esther and motioned to the green metallic gate that had been left half-open.

"First go and close the gate. Many crooks are roaming around."

Esther hopped towards the gate and closed it with a bang.

"Hey," Jina yelled, "do you want to break it? Can you imagine how much it costs to put up that gate?"

The poor girl shakes her head nervously in hearty disagreement.

" I thought as much. Next time do it properly. You must know your way around here or else…"

She went forth swivelling her plump figure awkwardly rolls of fat swelling out on her neck. Esther followed a few paces behind her aunt. She was sad and bitter; her mind blurred with thoughts. It was hard for her to reason out why her maternal aunt was treating her indifferently.

" She's a queer one! But I won't complain yet. '' Esther thought to herself. With the plight of repelling poverty at home, there was no way she could resign easily. Endurance was a prime factor in achieving anything. Jina, unlike Esther's mother, Emily, was lucky to have married into the rich family of Bwaku's. This was one of the richest families that owned the biggest estate in the city. Richard, her husband, was the first son of Bwaku and the apparent heir to everything his father owned since he was Bwaku's only son.

They passed through the living room and Jina swivelled on the left. The magnificence of the spacious beautiful living room captured Esther's attention. She walked at a slackened pace and studied the surroundings in great admiration.

"This must have cost a fortune!" She muttered and hurled herself in a voluminous seat near the huge flat television set that glued on the wall.

"Wow, the gods must be crazily unfair! How can they bestow all this fortune to one family, and sheer deprivation and sorrow to another? If the gods themselves are unjust, how then do we expect men to dispense justice?" She smirked and wandered her eyes around the whole room gaping.

"Don't worry, Esther, keep dreaming. One day you will own more than all this."

She told herself and beamed, her heart full of optimism. A moment's thought convinced her that she should first relax a bit.

Suddenly, a beautiful lady and a gentleman surfaced at the door. Esther sprang up promptly. There's a display of fear and guilt on her face.

The gentleman, seeing Esther, flickered a generous smile on his face. He was smartly dressed in his frenzy jeans and a blue rolled-up sleeve. The gentle smile on his face made him appear younger than his age.

"Honey, isn't she a darling?" Mr Wabua exclaimed after nudging his wife in the arm.

"Hmh, Jina has got some taste. Come, dear," he said, beckoning Esther with his hand. Esther walked slowly towards the strangers.

"How are you, dear." The lovely couple greeted her with charming smiles. Esther notices a big contrast between them and Jina at the first acquaintance. They were friendly and approachable. Mr and Mrs Wabua were Jina's close friends. Their apartment was a few metres away from Richard's mansion. The beautiful apartment could be easily spotted as you stood on the terrace on the left side of the mansion.

"What do they call your pretty face?" He asked with a sense of humour. Esther was intrigued at the funny question,

" I mean your name-"

"Esther."

" Did you hear that, my love? She's Queen Esther…what a beautiful name!" They smiled and sauntered to the long couch. The couple settled down and made Esther sit amidst them.

Jina entered the kitchen which was filled with dirt. Her face grimaced at the unpleasant sight. Everything was out of order.

"These girls are spoiled. See how dirty they left the kitchen!"

She walked to the worktop. It was topsy-turvy.

"All this needs to be cleaned up. Clean the draining board and the sink after washing the crockery. I want the whole place sparkling clean." Jina said moving through the kitchen giving instructions on what should be done and how it should be done.

"You must learn how to use the cooker properly or you might be electrified in a flash. I know this is the first time you have seen a nice kitchen like this." She said sarcastically her tone full of spite and pursued,

"Come, I'll show you how to operate the cooker." Jina advanced to the spot and swivelled around to talk to Esther. She was outraged that she was in her own company. All the while she had thought that Esther was behind her. Anger boiled inside her and she flared up.

"Esther! Foolish girl, Esther..." She stormed out in fury and headed to the living room.

"This is why I loathe wretched people. They are always a mess and troublesome." She grumbled continuously.

"There is nothing as beautiful as being a child. Look at how innocent she is! if I could turn back time!" Mrs Wabua exclaimed. Her husband gazed at her for a while.

"Do you know what would happen?"

"No, I don't. You tell me." The latter cleared his voice and answered.

"I would have to marry another beautiful woman my age." He deduced his point with a wry smile at the corner of his mouth. The gesture on his wife's face altered. She pouted and then clenched her teeth in anger. Wabua leapt off his seat and stood aloof.

" I will pay you considerably." His wife exclaimed.

"I know how best..." retorted Mr Wabua, giving a toothy grin, blowing her a kiss.

Esther was delighted by the attitude of her new company. They were an adorable pair, cheerful, kind-hearted and deeply in love. She was in a vast mood as if she had known them for a long time.

" If I grow up, I will be like them." Esther thought and her heart was lighted with hope.

" Esther, did you see him?" He illustrates the character of men."

The cheerful lady said, her face gleaming.

Mr Wabua looks at her with a broad smile.

"You all are too mean and provoking." She said and then gestured to Esther,

"Don't mind him, my dear." She grinned and stroked Esther's hair.

"I like both of you. You are good people, not…"

Esther stopped realising that she was about to make a big blunder by mentioning Jina's flaws to strangers she had just met once.

"Your Aunt must be lucky to have a niece like you. And her daughters, they will be happy to have you around."

"You think so? Are they friendly and cheerful?"

"You've guessed right, my dear. They're just like you." Said Mrs Wabua.

" Where's this silly girl? This is why I don't normally relate to the poor. You endeavour to help them, but all they want is comfort and nothing else, Parasites!" Grumbled Jina and walked all the way ranting. Suddenly she could hear noises in the next room. Mrs Wabua's chuckles were now distinct all around the house.

"Such a sweet, tender-hearted young girl! Jina should have sent you to our house instead. Honey, what do you think?"

"Esther reminds me of Cynthia when she was her age."

Mr Wabua said as an afterthought taking his former seat.

"Cynthia was too playful and mad. She would turn the entire house upside down and cause trouble all the time." Said his wife in retrospect.