Waking up earlier than usual, Naina set out to help her mother with her early morning duties like milking the cows, feeding the chickens, preparing breakfast and cleaning up the house.
Naina's home was nothing like the Hathaway mansion. They lived in a three-bedroom bungalow in the countryside with two acres of land. They planted maize, cabbages, a few fruit trees all for sale. They also kept livestock like cattle, rabbits, pigs and poultry they had to take care of.
"Am sorry about yesterday, your dad is just worried," her mother, Linda, began.
It was around midday, and they were preparing molasses for the cows.
"It's okay mum. You don't have to apologize for that. I shouldn't have been gone for that long," she soothed.
"You were studying, it's not like your purpose fully avoiding home," Linda said with a laugh which her daughter could tell was forced.
Wanting to change the subject, Naina asked," and where is Nicky? I haven't seen him or heard him around?
She had honestly missed her baby brother and in the past six months she hadn't seen him and phone calls with him had become quite rare.
"That brother of yours is another thing," her mother exclaimed.
Putting down the molasses she was holding, she turned to face her mother. To her mother, Nixon was always the best, even when in the wrong. Her mother would never have berated him, unlike her when she was in the wrong ,and now hearing this had her shocked.
"What do you mean?" she asked, hands akimbo.
"I rarely see that boy around, he is either locked up in that house of his that he would never let anyone enter or out with his friends every day and all night. He has even decided to get dreadlocks which he doesn't even maintain and looks like a goon and refuses to shave them. We are very worried about him and your father has tried talking to him but nothing is getting through to that boy," she complained, her eyes expressing just how worried she was about her son.
"Let me go see him," Naina said, already wiping off her hands on her dress, moving in the direction of Nixon's house, which was separate from the main house but still within the same compound as per African traditions after a male goes through initiation.
"There's no point in that, he is not around," Linda said, getting back to work, no longer as worried as before as she knew if anyone could get through to him, it was only Naina.
Getting back to work, Naina resolved to find out what was wrong with her brother before the end of the day.
"How are you feeling today?" she asked over the phone.
"Definitely better than yesterday," Lily assured, before adding," I can't believe he hit me," she said, her voice getting higher showing she was starting to get angry.
"What happened?" Naina asked, keeping her voice soft not to upset her friend more than she already was.
Pacing around her room, she stumbled upon some books. Picking them up, she placed them on the bed.
"He was going on about how I was wasting his money with no intention of taking over his business. When mum spoke to defend me he tried to hit her and I jumped in the way hoping to stop him," she said, now crying.
" Why? Why is this happening to us? We were so happy" she paused, trying to get a hold of her emotions and find her words," It's not like I am blaming mother, but why hasn't she ever left him. You know I found out that he used to hit her even before Adrian came around?" she ranted, her voice a telltale sign that she was angry.
"I don't know Lily. I don't know why they never leave when they notice the abuse," she sighed, not just for Lily's mother but for every other lady out there getting abused.
"But its fine. Rick and I are going out. We will talk later," Lily waved it off.
"You know it's not. But okay, we will talk later. I also have to check on my brother,"
Saying their goodbyes, they ended the call.
When Naina was young she loved to make short notes on the novels she read, and going through the first of the books she picked, she figured those books were about novels, but getting to the bottom of the pile she found her diary. Diaries that she thought were burned with all her old stuff, a few years ago when her dad got mad at her.
"Naina come help in the kitchen," her mother called.
"Yes mother," she called back. Placing the novel books back on her shelf, leaving the diaries on her bed.
Going into the kitchen, she found her father. In the past, her father cooked family meals on rare occasions and Naina loved her father's food, so she would always be in the kitchen hoping to learn to cook as well as her father.
Smiling," What's on the menu, chef?" she joked, moving to the kitchen counter.
"My famous sweet potato Mukimo with beef stew," he smiled, handing her the chopped beef to marinate.
"I am sorry about yesterday, i just have a lot of stress lately," he said, mashing up the sweet potatoes.
"It's okay dad. What is wrong?" Naina asked, despite knowing the fact that her father doesn't like to share, hoping he would open up to her.
And as always, her father ignored her question and focused on making the food, closing any chance of conversation.
"I will go get Nicky, i doubt he will want to miss this," Naina said to her father, excited about her brother trying the food.
Making her way to his house, as always she did not knock, just barged in, sighting her brother on the couch, with a dark-skinned lady straddling him.
On noting the intrusion, the naked girl quickly scrambled to the side to cover herself up, leaving Naina no longer staring at her naked back but at her brother's naked body and eyes locked in his merchandise.
Before Naina could start having thoughts about what was in front of her, she turned around with the intent of leaving, but before making it out the door she noticed the drugs strewn around the table.
Turning around, she gasped," What the hell?"
"Well hello to you too, sister," Nixon, having gotten over his initial shock and covered up, greated a lazy smile playing on his lips.