ROUTINE

The next morning which was a Saturday, there was an array of unusual activities at the Oladokun's mansion. Michael woke up by 9am to the sounds of laughter, the uncommon smell of fried bean cake popularly called (Akara) in Nigeria in his house. With a strong need to enquire where all the noise was coming from,he left his room and went downstairs to find out for himself

On getting to the staircase, he slowed down his steps as he heard light music and eruptions of more laughter. He wondered what was amusing to Stephanie as she was the one laughing loudest. He was amused and curious at the same time. Reaching the dinning room, he found his mum seated on a little stool while Jenny massaged her hair.

Jenny!

The beautiful foul mouthed Nanny. The intelligent and bold cook. The sight of the girl unraveled several buried emotions that he thought was dead and forgotten in his life. The girl who wrapped his daughter in her arms and they slept like mother and Daughter. The sight last night was so heart warming. He stared at her for some few minutes before glancing away. She overwhelmed him with her presence.

There was something magnetic about her to him.Jenny wore a pink colored dress with her hair in a bun.Her face looked so clean and bright. She smiled at him as soon as their eyes met. She called him as a soul mate would call ones lover, she pulled him and he wondered how she was doing all that without saying a word. The girl was literally messing with his brain. His instincts told him to tell her to leave his house this very minute. But she had succeeded in getting his mother to her side in 24 hours. He wanted to intrude the special conversation and ask his mother why she did not go to the saloon. They could afford any stylist they wanted.

However he decided against it and focused on his daughter who was busy entertaining the ladies. She wore her pajamas, looking like a young teenager at the age of 12. She had his gene, hence she was so tall. But she looked like his late wife Laura. The girl made several body postures and the ladies tell her what it was. Most times, the posture was not correctly done intentionally in mischief and it leads to the hilarious laughter amongst them. He chuckled while he watched the demonstration. They appear like a family with Jenny in it. It has been a long time, since his daughter was this happy. He saw his mother so relaxed as he greeted her first and his daughter followed.

"Good morning Daddy" Stephanie said.He reached for her, giving her a kiss on her head. She was all he had and he loved her so much.

"Good morning Beautiful" Michael replied.

"Good morning sir" The witch who tormented him greeted with her silky voice.

"Good morning Jenny" He replied shortly with no emotional.

"Stephanie how was your night?" He asked his daughter as if she was the only one in the room.

"I slept very well. I did not have any nightmares." Stephanie replied.

"Do you usually have nightmares?"

"Yes Daddy. But not last night. I think its because Miss Jenny was by my side all through the night." Stephanie giggled.

"I didn't know you had nightmares"

"Of course she does Michael. Most nights, she would scream and cry out. But last night, Jenny intercepted her before she would scream and choose to sleep in her room" Mrs Bose once again singing Jenny's praise.

"And I want her to always be by my side" Stephanie declared.

Michael was perplexed. This witch was also charming his daughter. Choosing not to react, he reached for the items on the dinning table. The table had three bowls of Akara filled to the brim and a large ball of papa. There was also freshly baked loaves of bread. The sight was captivating. He sat down to eat.

"How did you order bread this early morning Mum?"

"Of course I did not, Jenny baked those loaves this morning"Mrs Bose said with so much pride in her voice.

Michael refused to fall into the game of praising Jenny. He chose to sit down in the dinning to eat.

"Daddy please let me help you. Let me serve you" Stephanie said and he busted into laughter.

"Daddy I insist. I can do it." Michael looked at his daughter and nodded in agreement.

The girl took a plate and scooped some pap in it. Reaching for a pot of warm milk, she poured it inside the pap. She also added Akara balls into a platter for him.

"Daddy which sweetener do you prefer? Sugar or honey?" Stephanie asked. looking at the tray Jenny had packed on the table.

"Where is this serving skill coming from honey?"

"Miss Jenny is teaching me how to take care of my own household".

"Don't worry sweetie. You will never have to do such menial tasks when you have your household. Any bastard who walks up to you should be able to have money....." He did not finish his sentence before her Nanny interrupted.

"language please sir.." Jenny said

"That's true Michael language" His mother added.

" What the fuck did I just say?"

Michael screamed.

"Sir your statement consists of the B word and now the F word"

"oh I didn't know that Miss Jenny" he said arrogantly.

" Thank you sir. We are watching our words so that Jenny would also stop cussing also" Jenny and rolled her eyes.

Michael saw it and wanted to react.

"And in doing that everyone has to be deliberate and conscious of the way we speak" Mrs Bose added.

Michael rolled his eyes back at Jenny. He wondered what her agenda was at the moment.

"You Know that Jenny is bringing good things into this house." His mother defended again watching his reaction.

"Daddy take a bite and tell me if it's nice" she said.

There was no way of knowing if his Daughter assisted in making it. If it was done solely by Jenny, he wanted to say it tasted horrible and hurt her so bad. But if his daughter was the assistant,he will have to give the best compliment to his girl.

"Did you assist in making it?" He asked.

"Dad, please do not answer my question with another question, just take a bite and tell me.

As soon as he took a bite, it tasted nice. He knew it was already a trap. it's been long he had this for breakfast because the previous cooks were all bloody idiot and they did not know how to make anything.

"This taste so nice" he said to his daughter. This taste is delicious. I like it" she hugged him. "I assisted Miss Jenny in making it" She said and he was glad, he did not say what He had earlier wanted to say.