It was seven in the morning and Rosela was still in bed. Dansanisa woke up earlier to prepare breakfast for the family. She noticed Rosela's absence in the dinning table for breakfast in readiness for school.
Dansanisa, without hesitating, went straight to Rosela's room to check on her. Surprisingly, she met her still lying on the bed with face turn to the other end of the wall. She walked close to her in anger that she didn't get up on time to prepare for school.
Dansanisa removed the blanked she was covering to discovers that Rosela bed was stained with blood, she was bleeding badly. Dansanisa grunted, annoyed that Rosela still wasnt able to take care of herself during her period. She shook her to wake but Rosela was already awake.
"Why are you still on bed by this time? Don't you want to go to school today?" she said.
"Mom, I don't feel like going today," she said still lying on her bed.
"Why, don't say that sweetie," she said.
"Mom, I'm a little dizzy. That's all," she said, then turned a bit but made sure she still faced the wall.
"Get up and clean yourself, get ready and come out for breakfast. You are on your menstrual cycle and I wonder why you aren't feeling it. Thats probably part-reason for your moodiness," she said, then went out of the room to continue with what she was doing.
Rosela got up, cleaned up, wore her school uniform and came out to the dining table for breakfast. From Rosela's sudden change in the way she walked, anyone could tell that she was not normal.
"Are you okay, Rosela?" her mother asked, chewing her food.
"I'm fine Mommy," she answered with her face lowered. She was suffering great pains in her lower abdomen, she couldn't tell her mom because she knew very well that Dansanisa would never believe her instead she would get upset—unnecessarily— at her.
Amunsa gave her a flat stare, then used his legs to play with hers under the dining table. Rosela felt uncomfortable. she stood up from where she was sitting, without finishing up her food, and went to the sitting room walking slowly— to wait for Kwensa and Anuella to finish so there could leave for school.
Dansanisa saw that, she barely touched her food since it had been served to her as she asked.
"Are you not eating your breakfast again darling?" Dansanisa asked Rosela. Amunsa jumped into the conversation.
"Mom, I've lost my appetite, I don't feel like eating anymore," she said.
"Honey, why not give her a break? Let her be for now, okay? I think she is tired." He said, glancing at Rosela in the sitting room.
"Tired of what?" she said, as he kept looking at her.
Twisting his mouth, he said, "Maybe late-night reading? You know your child more than I do, so you should be in a better position to understand her."
"Oh, mummy, can we just eat in peace? I don't understand you people anymore." Kwensa said, wearing a wired face.
"Oh, thank goodness someone finally spoke out. It seems he is the only one on this table and I'm already getting fed up with this unnecessary talk," Anuella said, dropping her fork down on the plate.
"After all the false accusations she made against dad, you still care for her?" he said.
Dansanisa sighed. "Come on, guys, this is not the right time for this. Show a little concern, please!" She smiled showing her upper teeth slightly.
"Okay, mom," the two replied in unison.
"Look, guys, you don't have to always be rude to Rosela, yeah? She is your big sister, okay? So, accord her with some respect. Please!" Amunsa said, then shoved fried potatoes into his mouth and chewed.
Anuella dropped her fork again in the plate. "Now we are rude to her? Our supposed big sister?" she said, gesturing with her hands.
"I can't believe this, Dad. I honestly can't believe that you are taking sides!" she said, frowning.
"No honey, come on, I'm not taking sides with Rosela. I'm just looking out for her as I also do for you both." He rubbed her cheek.
Kwensa also dropped her fork and, this time, on the table. "No dad, I disagree. You've never treated us the way you normally do to Rosela. You tend to love and care more for Rosela, sometimes it baffles me. You give her more attention than to us, dad," he said.
Dansanisa swallowed the food in her mouth. "Kwensa stop! Just finish up your food and let's get going, okay? All this won't take anybody anywhere. Please!" She said, exasperated. Most times, her younger children gave her headaches!
Amunsa took a deep breath. "Anuella, Kwensa, I'm sorry if— by any way— I made you feel uncared for. I really didn't mean for you guys to feel that way and I promise to make it up to you, yeah?" he said.
"Whatever, daddy" Kwensa said, still eating.
"Don't talk that way to your father, Kwensa. I thought he has already apologized?" Dansanisa said.
"It's okay, honey. Kwensa, I will make it up to you both. So, stop all this jealousy," he said.
"It's not jealousy, dad. She accused you wrongly and she should be punished so that next time, she won't try it again or even dream of saying it." She frowned.
"Anuella... It's me not you. And I have forgiven her, okay? Now, would you just stop frowning and give me that smile," he said, making weird gestures with his face.
Anuella smiled a bit at her father while Kwensa wasn't. He was still upset about what happened.
"Kids, kids," Dansanisa said, shaking her head as both Kwensa and Anuella laughed.
.
Rosela felt this hatred for Amunsa from the pit of her stomach as she sat in the sitting room. She felt like strangling him at that moment.She wished her caring, loving and understanding father was still alive. If he were, then maybe things would not be the way it was right now, maybe things would have been better and easy for her. She got cut off from her thoughts when her mother called, pushing her to recover herself as they were already leaving for school.
School bell rings, it is 7.30am and Rosela, Kwensa, Anuella and their mom Dansanisa are already in the school compound. Dansanisa was also a teacher at Wisdom Expand high school same with their children. In front of the school gate, Dansanisa and the children came out from a taxi. At this point, Kwensa and Anuella are no more talking to Rosela, they two kept malice on Rosela because of the incident that transpare between her and their father, Amunsa. They strolled leisurely inside the school compound as if they had all the time in the world. It did not even occur to them that the school bell as already been rang when Dansanisa shouted at them. "Why are you guys strolling leisurely along with me, forgetting that I'm a teacher and you could be held here for coming late?". Dansanisa said checking her bag to make sure she took her maker along as they left home in a hurry. She found everything intact in the bag. "I'm talking and you are still walking slow? Come on run". Kwensa and Anuel
Singing an old country music song in the kitchen as Amunsa is making lunch for his wife Dansanisa. Cab drove by their game, it was Dansanisa and the kids returning from school. Dansanisa opened the door entrance to a strong scent of fried rice aroma blasting on her nose. "mmm, where is this good aroma coming out from?" Dansanisa asked. "What aroma mummy?" Kwensa asked entering the house together with Anuella and also persive the sweet aroma of fried rice coming out from the kitchen. Immediately, Amunsa came out wearing a cooking cap on his head. "Talaa... Sweetheart I made us lunch" he said stretching his hands and held Dansanisa romantically. "Wow! This is indeed surprising. Where is the food?" she asked glancing at the dinning table. "Is in the kitchen... Why don't you guys take a sit and I would be right back in a second". Holding Dansanisa slowly to the dinning table and move backwardly to the kitchen whistling love piano song to Dansanisa. Some minutes later, Amunsa came ou
It's night already and Rosela is lying so weak on the bed. She was hungry due to the argument that took place earlier that day at the eating table. Rosela heard someone opening her door from outside, it was Amunsa again. Rosela didn't even recover from the other day injury that he gave her and he was here to molest her again. She turn and saw that it was Amunsa, her mother's husband. "Why are you doing this to me daddy?" she asked with tears rolling down her chick."Shout up, you murderer. No daughter of mind would stain her hands with innocent blood just like you did". "You and I know that, I didn't do it why are you always using what happens few months ago against me, why"? Rosela asked sobbing. "Udansifo tries to take advantage of me in the past no doubt but I didn't kill him. You yourself told me that you saw everything that happened that evening, why are you suddenly using it against me". "That's your problem madam, you know why I'm here. You rather give it to me peacefully
Rosela barely kept her peace throughout the night concerning what had happened. Rosela knew that she couldn't do anything to Amunsa. She had always, since the first time of Amunsa molesting her thought that if she had the strength that could match with Amunsa, maybe he wouldn't have been making her the subject of his threat and a sex machine. She laid on the bed thinking that if she tries telling anyone, Amunsa would carry out his threat on telling the police about what happens in the past.A knock came through on her door, it's was her mother, Dansanisa. "Rosela, Rosela. Open up." Dansanisa said. "Mom the door is open, come in" She couldn't stood up from the bed to answer the door. Rosela was lying lifelessly on the bed as she didn't eat dinner the previous day, plus the huge incident that happened that night with Amunsa. She opened up and walked in. "Why are you still on the bed?". "Goodmorning mummy" she lifted up her head a little from the bed. "Morning my dear, how are yo
Some minutes later, Rosela woke up to find Amunsa sitting by her side with his face lowered down and eyes closed. Rosela wanted to sneak out of the room, she moved her legs slowly, uncover herself with the blanket she was using and moved her body to the other edge of the bed side, but unfortunately, Amunsa awaken by the sound she was making due to the pains and headache she was feeling. "Oh, you are awake finally, thank God. You should eat your food cause I learnt from your mother that you didn't take your dinner last night". He stood up and brought the noodles near to her. "I will go out now to get you some drugs, I guess that would make you feel better yeah". He opened up the door and went out to get the supposed drugs. Rosela on the other hand was very hungry and couldn't hold back from the noodles aroma, she drew closer to it, grab the fork with one of her hands holding her lower abdomen and start to eat the food without a single thought on her head to whether Amunsa has poison
Taxi drove by the gate, It was 2:30pm and Dansanisa was back from school with Kwensa and Anuella. They came out from the taxi, walked inside the compound to met Mrs Bancog who was being drawn too deep in her thoughts. She didn't even hear them walked in neither did she heard or saw the taxi that drop them. She got startled by Dansanisa's cold hands. She was still in shock concerning what she saw earlier that morning. Mrs Bancog was a bit older than Dansanisa, her age was around mid 50's while Dansanisa was only 40."Are you okay Mrs Bancog" Dansanisa asked taping on her shoulder. She got startled by Dansanisa's tapping. "Ah! Dansanisa, you are back already?". "Yes.... Mrs Bancog. A cab just dropped us not too long ago" she said guessing at her, wondering what could have been Mrs Bancog's the problem. "Alright. Ah! This you dress fine oo, is it new?". "Yes it is" Dansanisa replied. "I thought as much cause I'v not been seeing you wearing it". She chuckled rubbing her two palms.
Rosela lays in her room as if there was no life in her again. She was ashamed of what her step-father, Amunsa always doing to her. She asked herself a lot of questions. "Why is my mother finding it so difficult to believe me as her own daughter? Why is she so blind to notice what I'm going through in the hands of this man? Why is it that when I try telling her the things Amunsa is doing to me, she shout at me and worn me never to made mention of it again? Why is mother behaving this way towards me on matters that concerns my step-father? When did she become like this, when? She wailed while standing up from the be, walked slowly to the bathroom when she heard a knock on her door. She didn't respond as she kept going and enteded the bathroom. Rosela knew it was her mother because she is the only one who normally checked on her since the incident of her and Amunsa took place. She didn't want her mother to see how mess she was. "she won't believe me anyway even if she sees me like th
Exactly 5:00pm in the evening, food and a jug of juice are already being set on the table in readiness for dinner. "Wow! What are we celebrating here" Amunsa asked when he came out from the room and saw the already find set table, when a knock came through on the door. "who could that be?, Are we expecting someone?" Anuella asked arranging the plate on the table. "Yes, Rosela's friends from school are supposed to come this evening to visit her but I don't know if there are really the one knocking on the door". Dansanisa said. "I will go check" Anuella volunteer rushing to the door and saw that it was truly Rosela's friends, Katie and Sandi. She sigh and left the door for them to come in when Rosela came out of her room immediately she heard the door bell from inside. "Katie, Sandi. Welcome to my home" she hugs them. "We heard that you were not feeling well and we decided to come visit you" Sandi said. "You guys have done well, thank you" Rosela thanked them holding their hand