ℂ𝕃𝕆𝕊𝔼ℝ 𝕋ℍ𝔸ℕ 𝕐𝕆𝕌 𝕋ℍ𝕀ℕ𝕂

║TWENTY～SIX║

DING DONG!
The doorbell rang.
“Joan, go and check who's at the door!” Bailey called out to her daughter, from the kitchen. Joan was seated in the living room, watching TV, from the kitchen.
“Alright.” Joan stood up reluctantly from the sofa, shrugging her shoulder as she walked towards the door, still looking over her shoulder at the TV. It was her favorite TV programme that was showing presently and she didn't want to miss a glimpse of it. The doorbell rang again.
“Haven't you opened the door, yet?!” Bailey who had been busy packaging her home-made baked food, yelled angrily, when she heard the doorbell ring the second time.
“Oops!” Joan who was carried away by the TV, remembered what she was asked to do and  smacked her forehead, murmuring.
“Coming!” she yelled, skipping to the door.
“Aunty Shirley!” Joan grinned when she saw her Aunt, after opening the door. Her smile disappeared immediately, when she saw Aunty Shirley placing her hands on her hips with a deep frown on her young pretty face.
“I am sorry.” Joan apologized, twitching her lips.
“What took you so long in opening the door?” Aunty Shirley said scowling.
“I was busy.” she smiled, sheepishly.
Shirley then smiled, touching her niece's cheek. “How are you?”
“Good!” Joan beamed, two dimples appearing at both sides of her cheeks.
“What of your brother?”
“He is sleeping. Aunty Shirley, guess what?!” Joan said ecstatic as the both of them walked into the sitting room. Shirley raised both of her eyebrows, inquisitive.
“No guess game, tell me straight away.”
“Tada!” Joan pointed to the TV.
“Whoa! Chop junior!” Shirley gasped, smiling. It was her favorite TV show too.
“Yeah, Chop junior. That's why I didn't open the door for you in time.” Joan confessed, smiling.
“Don't ever, ever leave me standing on your porch again or else…” a faux frown appeared on Shirley's face.
“Or else what?” Joan fained a frown too, folding her arms.
“You will never watch Chop junior show, again.”
“Really? I know you can't do that.” Joan smirked.
“Try me and see.” Shirley rolled her eyes, clicking her fingers three times close to Joan's face and Joan giggled.
“What's funny?”
“You can't even roll your eyes properly.” Joan teased.
“Do you?”
“Yep! Watch me.” Joan rolled her eyes slowly at first then, faster.
“Hey! Hey! Stop that! Those eyes of yours are creeping me out already. It looks as if they are loose from the eye socket and are going to fall out.” Shirley covered her face with her palm, laughing.
“Shirley! Good to see you again.” Bailey walked into the parlour seeing her identical twin sister and her daughter conversing.
“How are you?  You've been busy?” Shirley spun around, on hearing her sister's voice.
“I am exhausted as you can see,” Bailey smiled bleakly at her sister, massaging her sore wrist. “and you young lady, what took you so long to open the door?” She scolded Joan, sternly.
“I…I…” Joan stuttered.
“This is what took her time.” Shirley revealed, pointed at the TV.
Joan frowned at Shirley but, Shirley pretended as if she didn't notice she had hurt Joan's feeling.
“I thought you were doing your assignment! You reduced the volume of the TV, so I won't know you are watching TV instead of doing your assignment?!” Bailey yelled angrily at her daughter.
“I am sorry, I…” Joan apologized. Her face was flushed red in embarrassment.
“Shush!” Bailey silenced her. Tears hung in Joan's eyes. She hated to be reprimanded in front of Aunt Shirley, because Aunt Shirley had warned her that anytime she behaves naughty,  she won't buy dolls and candies for her.
“Now, take your books, go to your room and take a nap. By noon, I'll wake you up to do your assignment. Is that taken?!” Bailey chewed her out and hissed. Joan immediately picked up her books that was sprawled on the centre table in the parlour and ran to her room, sobbing.
“Hey sis, you were too harsh.”
Shirley whispered.
“Harsh? I don't think so. Train up your child in the way he she should go, so when he  his old, he will not depart from it,” Bailey told her plainly and then, plopped down on the sofa.  “Mum was a disciplinarian.  Remember during our childhood days, If we forget to do our house chores, you know what mum will do, right?”
“She would lock us up in our room  and wouldn't let us eat until we've made up our mind to do it. ” Shirley said and laughed.
“And the day  I came home late from school, what did she do to me?”
“She told you to stand on one leg and spread your arms like a butterfly for thirty minutes.” Shirley replied and sat beside her twin while Bailey smiled, blushing.
“What of the time you accepted a gift from a boy in highschool?” Bailey asked.
“Mum destroyed the gift and she made me watch her do it.”
“And the time Miles, the pompous guy who was our classmate in highschool, sexually harassed you?” Shirley asked this time, starring at her sister, whose sweaty face was flushed red completely.
“Mum, came to school and slapped him in the presence of everyone.” Bailey laughed hard, holding her stomach.
Shirley laughed till a tear, trickled down her cheek. “Mama was so funny… I really do miss her.” Shirley  said, emotional, stifling a sob.
“I do too, may her gentle soul rest in peace.” Bailey patted her sister shoulder, gently in sympathy. “Why do you think she did all this things?”
“She was trying to instill discipline in us and she succeeded.”
“Exactly! That's exactly what I am doing.”
“Hmm, I see.” Shirley sighed. “Are the food items ready for delivery?” Shirley stood up from the sofa abruptly, heading for the kitchen.
“Yeah,…” Bailey said pensively as she struggled to lift her tired self from the sofa, following behind. “Almost done.” she said when she entered her untidy kitchen. The kitchen sink was stacked with with dirty utensils, the worktop was smeared with butter, broken eggshell littered the kitchen,… with the state of the kitchen, you will know it had been humming with activity.
“Oh my! You've really been busy.” Shirley said and gave her a thumbs up.
“Since, 4am. It hasn't been easy.” Bailed yawned loudly.
“I see. I'll pick it up from here. I'll load the van with the goods, so I'll distribute to our retailers. D’Quin Confectionaries has already requested for homemade coconut candies and Mr Wales requested for homemade cupcakes for his son's class party.”
“Wow! I can't count the number of people who are already patronizing us. God is awesome!” Bailey said gleefully, amazed at the outcome of the business she started fully last year. “Absolutely! Long live Bashiredez Cuisine!! Formerly known as Barshiredez home delivery service. We're soaring like an eagle!” Shirley jubilated.
“Hallelujah!” Bailey exclaimed.

        ☬               ☬                ☬

      Nicole's house was as silent as a graveyard, she sat comfortably in bed, covered with her blanket, reading her bible she purchased few weeks ago from a bookshop, close to her neighborhood.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God,” she creased her forehead staring at the bible passage, bewildered. “John 1:1.” she highlighted the verse in bible and closed her bible. She mumbled a short prayer.  Ever since she surrendered her life to Christ two months ago, she hasn't found the right church to attend so, she decided to be studying the Bible herself. She crawled out of bed, picking up her cell phone. She smiled when a picture of she and Gary appeared on the home screen. Past events of what happened between them, relived in her memory. It seems like as if it was yesterday, the incident happened.
“Why haven't I changed my wallpaper?” she asked herself.

You're still in love with him.

The thought crossed her mind. Truthfully, she still felt those butterflies in her belly anytime she thinks about him though she has decided to move on. Gary has confessed he didn't really love her but, she did and still does. So, what's the essence of being concerned about him? At the moment, thinking of entering an intimate relationship with another man, scares her to death. She doesn't want to make the same mistake, she is scared of making the same mistake.
    An incoming call made her fully conscious.
“Who are you?” she read the name of the caller, curious.