THE WEEKEND

It’s Friday, Kenina began to sort out everything she’ll need for her travel, she had carefully chosen particular songs that made up the playlist that set the mood for seamless parking. The packing period lasted long she spent half the time dancing and singing. She had booked a chauffeur earlier who would drive me in my car down to my home town, she couldn’t afford to let that stress and tiredness from driving long distance happen, my parent’s anniversary already sounds like so much introduction and meeting people which equals stress. Except for new structures, my home town haven’t changed much. At this point, Kenina could faintly see her Father’s magnificent house.

“Home sweet home” Kenina amusingly announced

She didn’t exactly know what her Father feared, but he had three gates before his house, he also had security cameras in every nook and cranny outside the house, the sound of Kenina’s vehicle would have alerted her parents hence the standing ovation she met at the entrance of the house. Margret’s position has always been at her husband’s side, those two never seem to get enough of each other, making Kenina envious, feeling incomplete without someone who would possess a tip of her Dad’s affectionate and romantic attributes.

“Welcome home Leannan…” my Dad announced with a broad smile, followed by a warm embrace and a pat at my back before he headed inside the house. My gaze shifted from my Dad to my mum

“Welcome home munchkin, I’ve really missed you” Mum said as she wrapped her arms around me in a warm embrace.

“I missed you and everything about home. How’re are you doing, you look sumptuous, Dad is really taking good care of you, I teased winking my right eye. She ushered her into the house and helped with her luggage.

“Good thing you arrived early, rest a little, keep your things in places you want them, freshen up and be down for dinner on time, dinner is at 7”. Mum reminded before quietly shutting the door behind her.

Kenina sank into the bed in that instant, it felt so soft and cosy like always, nothing had changed in her room, she still had her belongings in exact positions that she left them. Her eyes went from one corner to another searching for nothing in particular until her vision became fuzzy and she slept off.

Kenina was woken by some noise coming from the kitchen, she could perceive something delicious too, she guessed it must have been her mum because she always does the cooking or her Dad would rather go hungry.

“25 years of cooking everyday” Kenina whispered tiredly.

She felt better after having that short nap, I dragged myself to the bathroom to take a shower, after which I slipped into a casual wear and twirled down the stairs. There was no one seated yet, so I went to the kitchen to take a look.

“I’m almost done with everything, you should have come earlier, get the dishes and prepare the dining table” mum whined

Kenina went to and fro from the kitchen to the dinning until everything was set before she went to call George. Kenina looked everywhere and didn’t seem to find him, she was going to ask Margret if he went out to get something when she heard his voice and traced it. She found him at the balcony and on call, he rounded up the phone immediately he noticed her presence, his countenance changed too. Kenina informed him that dinner was ready before leaving to join Margret.

They quickly and quietly had dinner together, after which they all retired to bed early in order to wake up early to behold what tomorrow held for them, they all looked forward to the anniversary celebration.

Kenina woke to lots of sweet enticing delicious mixed aroma of different meals, she couldn’t tell what exactly was cooked, cooking or what was going to be cooked, but certainly she would have access to lots of foods and cakes that day.

Kenina knew they were acting, her parents put extreme acts whenever she was Kenina around including George who barely held conversations anymore, Kenina played along since that is what they wanted, that is the least she could do, it was their day after all. The ceremony was at it’s peak when Frederick walked in bearing gifts, Kenina never invited him, she guessed that not picking his calls made him inquire from Mr Martinez and since he was in good terms with her parents, here he was, uninvited.

‘’My day wouldn’t get any worse than it is’’, she muttered.

More guests started to troop, bearing gifts and wearing cute smiles. It was a long and happy evening, everyone danced and seemed to have had the most fun.

Everything was successful and ended well, the guests were gone, we went back home, it was just Kenina and her parents once again.

Kenina knew things had changed drastically, it wasn’t the home she was raised in or the parents that raised her, a lot of things didn’t seem to connect, lots of things were definitely off.

George went from being lively to a man of concise and few words, laughter didn’t echo their household anymore, they barely found reasons to talk to one another. Kenina used to have a very sweet daughter-father relationship with her father until that accident happened that claimed her brother’s life and left my parents badly injured.

Initially, the family consisted of George, Margaret, Luca and Kenina. Luca was Kenina’s elder brother, they were so close and fond of each other that one would think that they were twins. It was Kenina’s birthday and Margret had baked her a cake, Luca had insisted that they drove to the store to get the white dress that Kenina kept admiring the last time. All of George’s pleas of a complete family being enough for Kenina fell on deaf ears so he succumbed. They were done shopping and headed home, but Luca pleaded for another stop to buy Kenina’s favourite candy. George pulled over at a supermarket while Luca raced over to grab the candy. He walked out of the store in amusement, he locked gazes with George and smiled before continuing, and that was the exact time when an over speeding big lorry without brakes hit Luca. Luca had dislocations and was badly wounded so George took him to the hospital, he had also informed Margret who took Kanina alongside to the hospital. Their arrival and that of the Doctor who came to update us George on Luca’s health was just in sync, he proceeded to break the saddest news to the Millers.

Kanina wished she was in that vehicle too, she wished she had died instead, or at least being badly hurt to lessen the guilt, she believed she was at fault, that Luca would still be alive if he didn’t care so much, that he would still be living if he desperately didn’t want to get her a birthday present, this is same reason Kanina doesn’t celebrate birthdays, they were sad days for her as she reminisced that ugly incident over and over, she thought everyone blamed her, especially George, that is she preferred not to come home at all, well except for occasions like this, because through all those years, she was imprisoned by what her mind believed.

It accounted for why George became hostile. The once joyful and happy family grew distinct, Kanina became the only surviving child. Although Kanina shared equal parental love with my brother, she never even in my wildest imagination think something this bad would happen to me or my family.

Kanina was so glad to be home and no matter how wrong the timing was, she wanted to talk about that accident with her parents, the therapists she saw said it would help with our healing process.

“Since this is the only way to bring you home, I’ll seize this opportunity to talk to you about something really important” George stopped to take a deep breath before saying “We would like you to consider getting married”

Kanina’s parents weren’t the type to make huge decisions such as this for their kids but guess people change, this particular change came to her as an iced surprise, she never expected it, she couldn’t even give a reply so she just fixed my gaze in space.

“Kanina Dear, you know how things has been since the demise of your brother...” Margret paused, Kanina drowned her eyes but didn’t drop.

Kenina deducted that must have been center of most discussions in her absence since Margret didn’t object, she rarely calls me her by her birth name, but she did that just now.

“We love you and want the best for you, you’re our only child now, so we’ll do everything to see you happy as well as help this family grow. Your father and I rubbed minds together before we came to this conclusion, take your time, think about it, sleep over it if you want to and give us your response when you have one”. She advised.

“If that is your way of driving me away then come plain about it, is that your only reason or there’s something you both are not saying? You can deny but I won’t continue keeping quiet because it hurts so bad, I’m way too young to live in guilt and walk in eggshells around my biological parents. How about we have the conversation of my choice, let’s talk about the accident from five years ago. Scold, quarrel or curse me if you want, let your emotions out. I can’t continue wishing the dead was alive and having the alive behave like living is the worst thing therein” Kenina bluntly admitted, sobbing.

“I don’t wish to talk or sit and listen to this gibberish” George snorted

“Gibberish? Dad, do you honestly like the way you’re living? The grudges you bear secretly, I doubt you do, you need this to move on as much as I need it, unless you want to keep telling yourself that sugar coated bitter lie. Do you think your son would want to see you live like this? In guilt of something that couldn’t have been averted? I blame myself each day for what happened, sometimes I wish I died instead and he lived or that I died with him” Kenina paused searching for answers in their eyes to either continue or stop.

Their eyes bore hatred, regret and rejection, they dreaded the conversation.

“Fine, I’ve heard what you both said and will think about it, for now, I’ll get some sleep, Goodnight”

Kenina ran to her room crying profusely and locked her door, she concluded that coming home obviously was a mistake even though she thought it would be different since it was a call for celebration. Kenina could hear her parents converse loudly, each trying to be heard, she buried her face in her pillow and cried even more until she slept off.

Kenina woke up with swollen eyes, the morning wasn’t one of the ones she was happy to wake to, she preferred to lock herself in her room all day but a knock came.

“I’m not hungry” she yelled

Kenina heard Margret’s voice say, “No one made breakfast yet munchkin, we want to talk”

“We?” Kenina repeated

“Yes, your Dad is here too” Margret said and Kenina hesitantly unlocked the door

“I’m sorry for talking without manner yesterday” she apologized first.

“No, we are sorry” George apologized, shifting his gaze to Margret who in turn nodded and held his hand.

“I pondered on everything you said, you’re right, we just didn’t want to admit to being wrong. I can’t believe I was lectured by my little girl, you’ve grown a lot and we’re so proud of you” George admitted, Kenina saw the sincerity in his eyes, they were both at the verge of crying till mum exclaimed

“group hug...”

The hug lasted a while since we sobbed on each other’s arms and comforted each other thereafter.

“The part we said we wanted you to get married soon still stands” My Dad added and I quickly detached from the group hug feigning disagreement.

“I’ll prepare breakfast” George assured

“Can I join?” George and Kenina replied in unison as they made eye contact after hearing themselves, a loud genuine laugh was be heard from outside the house as they followed Margret downstairs and into the kitchen.

George wasn’t a helper in the kitchen, unless chattering away was the help one would need in the kitchen. Kenina was so much better than him, even though Margret still did the greater part of the cooking.