chapter 6

"Mom is back", said Ifeoma.

So Victor ran outside the compound to meet his mom,then Micheal went into the kitchen.

As thonia heard that aunty peace had returned from the market, she became scared and her heart began to beat so fast.suddenly Micheal came in and fear grabbed her.

 "Hey, are you scared,my mom is back and you know what she's going to do when she founds out that you broke a plate.so would you do what I asked for or not",he asked.

Thonia became scared, meanwhile she never wanted to have anything to do with Michael.

 "I can't do that, please I could do any other thing for you.i can do the laundry for you if u want", she said as she pleaded with him.

 "I don't need you to do the laundry for me.besides your good for nothing brother is already doing it", said.

 "So when Else should I do for you please", she asked.

 "Nothing!,I already told you what wanted.so if you are not ready to give me then forget it",he replied.

Immediately, he opened the door to leave,he met his mother and ifeoma at the door.

 "What's going on here Micheal?", asked aunty peace.

He didn't say a word to her,he was just silent.

 "Michael what's the problem", Ifeoma asked.

Then he took a deep breath and said:

 "Thonia broke a plate",he said as he left immediately.

Then thonia went on her knees and began to plead with aunty peace.

 "Aunty please am so sorry it's a mistake", said thonia.

 "A mistake right!,am going to teach you a lesson right now", said aunty peace.

 "Then she picked up the mopping stick and began to beat thonia up.thonia cried for help but her cries echoed back into her ears.aunty peace even used a knife to cut her on her arm and there was blood all over the kitchen.

Ifeoma stood in the kitchen watching her mother beat up thonia but she refused to help.when she saw that thonia was already bleeding, she then decided to ask her mom to stop.

 "It's okay Mom,I guess she have learned her lesson from this", she said.

 "Useless girl!, you good for nothing child",she vituperated.

 "Since your Dead parents didn't give you a good home training,I am ready to install that into your stupid head", said aunty peace.

 "Am going into my room to change my clothes, before I come back to this kitchen, make sure that you have clean this stupid blood of yours", said aunty peace as she left the kitchen in anger.

 "You better be fast in cleaning this this mess before she comes back in here because am not going to ask her to stop next time", Ifeoma said as she hissed and left.

Then thonia left the kitchen and went to the backyard.

As she got to the backyard,Alex saw her crying and immediately he left the clothes he was washing and rushed to her.

 "What happened thonia, what happened to your hand",he asked in surprised.

 "It's aunty peace, she beat me up and tear me with a knife simply because I mistakenly broke a plate", she replied.

Hearing this, Alex became so angry.

 "Come let me help you clean up the wound",he said.

 "Let me go clean up the kitchen first", she Said.

 "No!, you are not going anywhere.you are injured badly and now you want to still go clean up the kitchen", Alex said in anger.

 "She asked me to clean up the blood stain on the floor before she comes back"thonia replied.

 "Go and so down am coming,I wish hello you clean it",he said as he went to the kitchen.

After he had finished cleaning up the blood stain on the floor,he then went to meet thonia at the back of the house.

 "Are you done!", she asked.

 "Yes I am",he replied.

 "Thanks Alex", she said.

 "You don't have to thank me thonia,stop it.so what do we do now",he asked.

 "I don't really know,i guess I will just go back to the kitchen before she comes", she replied.

 "You are hurt and still bleeding, yet you still want to go back to the kitchen and continue working?",Alex asked in anger.

 "Don't worry Alex I will be fine.just go and continue the washing", she said.

 "Bleeding on your arm doesn't seem fine!",he said.

 "Come on Alex don't worry I will be fine!", she said.

Then she cleaned the blood on her arm but she was still bleeding.so so went to the kitchen.

On reaching there, she saw Ifeoma and her mom already preparing the food.

 "What are you doing here, have you come to put those your stupid blood into our food right!?", asked Ifeoma.

 "If you don't get out of here now,I will poure you a hot water", said aunty peace.

So thonia left the kitchen immediately and went to the backyard to meet Alex.

 "What happened,she chased you away right!?", asked Alex as he saw her.

 "Yeah", she replied.

 "Alex my arm hurts so badly and it's still bleeding.what are my going to do", she asked.

 "I don't know thonia, am so confused and we don't have any money to treat it", replied Alex.

 "Let me help you clean it up",he said.

Then he used a wet rag to clean up the wound.as he was still helping her to clean the wound, Micheal came out of nowhere and started shouting at Alex.

 "What are you doing you fool!,I thought I told you that I would be going out with this clothes today and you have not even gone anywhere in the washing", asked Micheal.

 "You are going out at night and this is morning.i think before then the clothes might have all dried. Please just allow me attend to my sister first",he replied.

 "Now tell me Alex, when did you started treating people's wound", Micheal asked as he began to laugh.

 "It's non of your business",he replied.

Thonia didn't even looked at Michael's face.she was just crying because the wound was really hurtful.

Then Micheal threw a money on Alex body.

 "Count this",he said.

And Alex quickly took the money and counted it.

 "It's four thousand naira",he replied.

 "Use it to treat the wound.but that won't change anything",he said.

 "Thank you Michael", Alex said.

 "I don't need your appreciation, keep it to yourself and make sure you wash all this clothes before noon",he said as he left.

Then Alex and thonia took the money to a nearest pharmacy to clean up the wound and also buy some drugs too.