LET’S GO BACK TO NIGERIA

"Nigeria?!" Vivian asks at the top of her voice.

"Yes." Andrew nods.

"But why Nigeria now? After abandoning it for ten years? Why there of all places?" She asks again.

"For how long do we plan on living in hiding? We are not Ella, why must we live the rest of our lives on the run?"

"I am not saying we shouldn't return back there, but it's happening all of a sudden, you haven't discussed something of such with me before."

"Don't worry, I understand your fears. No one will notice us since Ella is not with us." Andrew says in low tone.

"How do you want us to discuss this with the kids?" Vivian asks still. "We telling them to leave the life they are already used to most especially their friends to a strange and unfamiliar environment."

"Nigeria is our fatherland, the place we originated from. Please, let's return there." Andrew pleads.

Vivian keeps mute for a while and later nods in agreement. "Okay."

"Thank you." Andrew embraces his wife happily.

*********

Jessie sits on the rocking chair in the compound sipping hot tea. "The atmosphere is so beautiful." She whispers to herself. "What a lovely day to be lonely."

Linda opens the door and locks eyes with her mom, she quickly shuts the door to avoid any contact with her, but is forced to open the door again when she didn't hear her mom trying to reach out to her or scold her. Linda gently opens the door and takes a peeps at her mom. "What is wrong with her mood today?" she asks no one in particular and decides to hear from the horses mouth. "Why are you here all by yourself?" she asks her mom as soon as she arrives at her front.

"Nothing." Jessie replies with her eyes fixed on the beautiful flowers in front of her. "Since no one wants to come in contact with me in the house, I have to make sure I find peace staying alone."

"Tch!" Linda scoffs feeling irritated by her mother's reason. "Enough with the pity acts, just drop the acts already, do you think what you just said will make me sit and discuss with you?"

"I don't want that either."

"What?" Linda asks again.

"You heard me, I don't want you to sit with me either. Please, go to your father and leave me all by myself." She whispers calmly and sips her tea.

Linda stares at her mother for a while, has she ever seen her mom this calm and so reserved? "If there is anything wrong with you, don't be afraid to tell me. Who knows? I might be able to help you out."

Jessie picks up her phone which was beside her on the rocking chair and walks out.

"What on earth happened to this woman?" she asks herself as she watched her mom leave. "Could it be that she is now having change of mind? Maybe she wants to change her ways?"

Paul reads through the book with his glasses and plans to stand when his wife walks in but couldn't execute his plan as Jessie didn't even act as if she noticed him. Instead, she walks straight upstairs. Paul continues to watch her until she is finally our of sight. "What happened to her?" he asks himself and his daughter walks in. "What is wrong with your mother?"

"I have no idea too." she replies and sits. "All I noticed is that she just doesn't want to talk to anyone."

"Did you have a fight with her?" He asks again.

"No, as a matter of fact I was trying to ask her if all is was well with her outside, but she just walked away. Something must be really wrong with her."

"Do you think she will change her heart and ways now?"

"I hopes so." Linda whispers. "What is the title of the novel you are reading?"

"The heart of a Lucifer." Paul replies and closes the book to check the book cover. "It's a wonderful story."

"Where did you get it from?" She asks again.

"I just came across it In your mother's book shelve."

"What is the story all about?"

"It's about a woman who betrayed the man she love because he loves another women. She betrayed him to the level of death all because of jealousy, and at the end of the day, she has to live the rest of her lives in extreme loneliness holding a lot of regrets and bitterness in her heart."

"Such a tragedy!" Linda exclaims in a low tone but all of a sudden something rings bell to her ears. She looks at the novel and her father consecutively. "What did you just say now?"

"What so you mean?" asks Paul seeming confused.

"I mean regarding the novel you are reading, what did you just say the story was all about?" She asks again.

"Didin't you hear me well earlier? I said the story is all about a woman who betrayed the man she love because he loves another women. She betrayed him to the level of death all because of jealousy, and at the end of the day, she has to live the rest of her lives in extreme loneliness holding a lot of regrets and bitterness in her heart." He repeats, word for word.

"No." Linda whispers to herself and shakes her head. "It musn't be what I am thinking, no." she shakes her head again.

"What are you thinking? Is everything okay with you?"