TANTRUMS.

Kylie POV.

It remained a few days before the holidays began and Kim was so excited because her father had informed her, that she was visiting her aunt, who stayed at Glodine.

" Aunt. Mandy takes Victor and me for outings whenever I go visiting and also gives us a fistful of candies." Kim said as we washed the plates, we had used for eating lunch. Nowadays, Kim keeps insisting on joining me in doing the chores because she thought it was a lot of fun with me.

" She must be very nice."

" Yep and she makes sure my bed is comfy and warm before we go to sleep." She said as she got down from the stool, she stood on to pick a cup on the kitchen table." I think she is fond of me as she has no daughter but four sons." She said handing over the cup to me before climbing the stool.

" Four sons?"

" Yeah, Steve, Nick, George, and Victor. They are all grown-ups except for Victor, who is seven and a very cute boy." She paused, what she was doing, and turned to look at me." You are coming with me to Aunt. Mandy's, right?" She asked looking at me expectantly.

" No, I can't come with you, you're supposed to enjoy your time there and I might hinder your fun," I said as I scrubbed a plate.

" You won't." She whined.

" I will. Moreover, I would be a burden to her."

" Aunt. Mandy is a jolly person and she wouldn't mind you over."

" Still, if I go to Aunt. Mandy's house, she'll be the one to feed me and provide a room for me."

" I have my room that she placed aside for me when I go visiting. I wouldn't mind having you there with me and she also won't mind."

" I'll feel bad because of it and the guilt won't make me happy, while others are."

" But...."

" No buts. I'm staying back here. End of discussion." I said with a tone of finality.

" But.."

" Kim." I cut her off as I shook my head.

Upset, she got down from the stool and ran out of the kitchen. I also boiled in anger as I finished the dishes, alone.

Glodine held a lot of sad memories of my life than joyful ones, which I had gone away from thinking that with times I have been away, the sad memories would erase, what I didn't know was that the name would bring about the bad memories. I would have been really glad if it were to be another city where Kim's aunt resided but when Glodine comes to me it is about immense pain and sorrow.

Hours later when had cooked dinner, I called Kim down to eat but she didn't respond or come out of her room. After some minutes, I went up and knocked at her door.

" Go away." She said from inside.

" Kim, open this door."

" No."

"Would you at least come down and take your dinner?"

" I'm not hungry." She said stubbornly.

" I made lasagna with..."

" I'm not interested in your food." She cut me off.

Not knowing what to do to convince her, I sat down on the floor and waited for a movement or anything. No sooner had I stayed there when I heard sobs coming from the room. Stunned, I rose to my feet and placed my ear in the door to confirm if it was from the room.

" Kim open this door," I said but all I heard was sobbing. All my efforts to open the door proved abortive and I became worried that I began to look for a spare key but couldn't find the door's fit.

I never knew the time had passed by so quickly full when I heard the sound of a vehicle outside. Quickly, I ran to the door and met Mr. Vale who was just coming home from work. When he saw me he asked me what the problem was.

" Kim," I said pointing in the direction of the stairs.

" What's wrong with her?" Making his way to her room, he asked.

"She locked herself and has refused to eat."

"What?" He asked startled as he increased his pace to her room. On getting to her room he knocked.

"Go away!" She shouted.

"Kim sweetheart, it's Daddy." He looked at me." Can you please open the door?" He asked calmly, while he signaled to me that I shouldn't speak.

"Is she there?" She asked him after a while.

"Who?" He pretended to be confused.

" Kylie."

" She's in her room and not here." He said as he signaled me to hide in my room, which was opposite Kim's. Obediently, I did what he asked of me and when I was in the safety of my room, he spoke again." Come on out she is not here."

I couldn't hear what she was saying but the next thing I heard was the clicking of the door.

"She isn't here." He paused and I guessed that she was probably looking for me in the corridor. "What is wrong? Did she offend you?" His tone became concerned but she broke down in tears, and I felt pained."What did she do to you?" He asked when the sobbing subdued.

" Daddy." She called sounding pained.

" Yeah."

" Why....why can't....can't Kylie follow me to Aunt. Mandy's?" She sniffed in between words.

"I don't know. Did she tell you that?"

"Yes, she said if she girls she would be a burden to Aunt. Mandy is it true?"

" Well... I don't know but I think Kylie has her reasons for not going to Glodine."

" That is where she is from, right?"

"Yeah, but we wouldn't want to meddle in her affairs. Okay?"

" Yes, Daddy."

"She also told me you haven't eaten dinner."

"Yes."

" Why?"

" I'm not hungry." She sniffed.

"You must put something in your belly so you can be stronger. Why not all eat together and you'll apologize to Kylie fit stressing her out? Is that okay?" He asked her." Now go downstairs while I call on Kylie." He suggested and soon after heard small footsteps going down the stairs.

When the footsteps faded, I opened the door of my room and thanked Mr. Vale before going down the stairs to join Kim.

Dinner was awfully quiet and weird, especially with the tension between Kim and me. When we finished our meal, I was about to pack the plates when Kim offered to assist me.

In the kitchen, when we had dropped the plates in the sink, she hugged me before the muttered that she was sorry for how she had behaved.

" How can I stay angry with such a cute little girl I'm also sorry for snapping at you."

"Apology accepted." She said before they scurried out of the kitchen.

I was inside my room about to retire for the night when I heard a faint knock.

" Kylie, are you awake?" Mr. Vale's voice sounded startling me because I had thought it was Kim, who was fond of entering my room at night.

" Yeah, you can come in," I said as I sat upright on the bed

" Can I talk to you for a minute before you sleep?" He asked as his head popped in

"Sure," I said as I patted the bed for him to the seat.

" I'm sorry if she has annoyed you in any way." He said as doing as he sat down.

" Not at all, I am not upset, she's still a child, and such tantrums are expected from a child of her age."

" You aren't angry at her behavior?" He asked surprised.

" I am not. I was worse than she is when I was a kid. I could be categorized as a naughty one because anywhere I went I had caused trouble, that it got to a time when I was seriously dealt with." I smiled as I remembered how I had been then.

" You remind me of someone, she was also like that. A troublemaker and clumsy as hell. I still wonder how I fell for her."

" Seriously!" I laughed and was shocked when I remembered that he has a child. " Is she Kim's mother?" I needed to contain my curiosity.

" How I wish. She had been my love but due to circumstances and how fate wanted it, we ended up being apart."

I simply maintained my silence because I feared I'll say something stupid so I did nothing and just looked at him.

"Years later, Kim's mum came into my life. She was a loving and dedicated partner, at least that was what I thought of her not knowing she aimed to ruin my life." He trembled like he was back in the past." One day she packed her loads and left the house claiming that I wasn't good for her because I had no money to take care of her, I thought I had closed her chapter then not until she came back one day and dropped an infant with, Mandy, my elder sister who was fortunately at home that fateful day to receive the child but also left a letter that said she didn't want to have any bond with me and my wretched self. Since when Kim came into my life I was dedicated myself to giving her the best I could give her but I still feel inside of me that she is lacking something and I need your help to help me find out what it is, would help me?" He said as he looked at me.

Clearing my throat, I began to speak" Mr. Vale my...."

" Drop Mr. Vale and call me Louis." He demanded, which surprised me.

"If you need my opinion here Mr.Va...sorry Louis. I'd say lacking your love and attention."

" Love and attention?" He said starting at me.