GIRL FROM CHURCH

Chapter Two

Jade

I slowly picked on my sliced banana and put it into my mouth. It was Sunday, the whole table was quiet. I was sitting with my mum, my stepdad and my step sister, Vanessa. She was older than me anyways. About to get into the university. At least, I was happy that she would soon go back anyways because I have always hated her guts since I got back here from Spain last month. I just wanted to visit my grandma. She was my mum's mum. She was spanish and her husband was American. But my dad was Nigerian. I really do not remember everything about him but I know he disappeared when I was eight and since then, my mum and I had been hopeless. We barely ate and mum decided we came back here. She fitted into my step dad's life two years ago – immediately we came to Nigeria.

"We will be late for church," Mum reminded.
I knew the church we would be going to anyways. We never attended a particular church so I did not know if I was Catholic or Anglican or Pentecostal. I even doubted God existed. Just immediately my twin sister, Jasmine died when we were eight, my dad disappeared. If God existed he would not let that happen to me. We were devoted christians, we went to church and we prayed. I was even bullied at school because of it and Jasmine always came for my defence.

Nessa sipped from her peach juice and continued with her rice and stew. I was the only person having fruit salad this morning. I never even felt like eating, Mum begged me to. My mum was only thirty two. She had me when she was sixteen. She got pregnant at fifteen and had me and Jasmine at sixteen. She said my dad denied it but later accepted when Jasmine and I were five.

That night he walked into the house and mum said he was our dad, we were excited. So elated. My dad told us he was a soldier and that was why he could not be with us. He lied to us but you know, as kids, we didn't know anything so we did not ask him about his rank and the country he was defending. We all just let it slide. He lived with us for two and a half years before disappearing. Already, Jasmine was gone. Mum said she was.

I cried my eyes out because she was my other half and my everything. I was so restless for days, for years even. The memory started fading at the age of fourteen, when I got here.

"Do we have to go to the same church?" Nessa broke the silence. "I mean, dad, I want to go to a different church with you."

"Nessa? What's wrong? We are attending a church my friend invited me to today. And we will stick to it, I promise," my mum said in her fading accent.

"I don't care what you promise. I simply requested I go to a different church with my dad. It's not a crime, duh."

I finished up with the cucumber and a little groundnut and condensed milk was in my plate. Aramide took my plate away.

Step dad was extremely rich. He had lots of maids and securities everywhere. There were even cameras around the house but they were all hidden. I had only managed to spot a few.

"Are we ready?" My stepdad asked.

"Dad?" Nessa called. I got she was pissed off. "I was saying something and you totally ignored it. That's not fair!"

"Vanessa? Maybe another Sunday. I'm only attending this one because we were invited by Mrs Ugochukwu," he said to her.

"That's really unfair." Nessa pressed her lips together. "I'm just going to get my phone upstairs."

I went up too to put on my shoes. They were black strappy heels. I checked myself out in the mirror. No doubt I looked stunning in my gown. It was an off-shouldered gown. The upper part of it was white and the lower part was black. It was longer at the back but shorter at the front. My hair had been straightened. Anybody who saw me would think I was white because of my features.

Anyways, it was time to head to HOUSE ON THE ROCK. The church my mum said we would stick to.