FATE

15 - Breakfast

Jeez, I couldn't get to the table last.

I hurriedly rushed downstairs to our family dining for bteakfast. Our family dining was on the second floor. The one on the first floor was a banquet table of twenty four chairs.

My mom and dad with Tamara were already sitted at the table.

My dad at one end with my mom to his right and Tamara to his left. I sat next to my mom and Cynthia sat next to her's.

"Mummy goodmorning, daddy good morning. Good mornig step mom," I greeted.

"Congratulations on your graduation Lilly. It's good to have you back home," Cynthia smiles, chugging down a glass of water.

"Thanks," I replied genuinely.

I don't hate Cynthia. In fact, I love her.

I never saw her as my half sister but as a sister.

"Good morning everyone," Jason's bass voice hit the room. He took his seat opposite my dad.

"Good morning, " we replied, in low voices.

"Good morning all," Mabel greeted as she walked in with the kids.

Mabel sat next to Cynthia and we sat next to the kids.

"Let's pray," my dad announced and everyone shut their eyes, holding hands together.

Our morning devotion was held on our dining table at breakfast.

Christian family indeed.

"Lord Jesus, thank you for the gift of life," he began.

"Thank you for making Lilly my daughter graduate with good grades and thanks for giving her a good man," my mom said, her hands linked with my dad's.

Did I hear her well?

I opened my left eye to peek at my mom.

I knew my mom cared about grades but as for the man part, I don't know who she's referring to.

"Thank you for my family," I said.

"Thank you Jesus for making me pretty, " Isadora said and everyone laughed.

"Thank you for dada and mama," Junior said and I slightly opened my eyes to look at him, only to find Jason and Mabel exchanging glances and smiling at each other.

They can't even respect God, I scoffed.

Pls make una carry the extraness to your room.

"Thank you for my beautiful wife and family, " Jason said with a smile.

"Thank you for giving me and sdorsblr husband, my family and this family," Mabel said, her eyes closed and blushing.

What's wrong with this one?

"Thank you for my family," Cynthia said her eyes wide open.

She shot me a glare and I gave her one too.

The only people that fully participated in the prayer were, my dad, mom, Tamara and the kids.

The rest of us were busy doing amebo.

"Thank you for this family," Tamara smiled and we all chorused an Amen.

We were here to eat, yet, we didn't pray for the food.

We never had family devotions, except on Sunday like this. My dad believed that everyone must have prayed before coming down.

I immediately gave Mabel an eyeroll after prayer and she blushed focusing on her food.

We all ate in silence and this made me lose my appetite.

Why did we have to come down stairs anyways?

I was going to drop my plate in the kitchen, after my meal, when my dad called me back.

"Sit down Lilly, everyone sit, " he ordered in an authoritative voice that still made me scared till today.

"Now Lilly, apologise for what you said to Tamar yesterday. You had no right, "

What???

"But dad," I countered.

"Didn't you hear me?" He shouted and I flinched.

That scared me.

I swallowed hard. " I'm sorry," I managed to say, tears welling up in my eyes.

My dad hardly shouted at me, he only scolded me.

I guess he was going back to being the rigid African father.

"Good, everyone should be down by eudhy in their church wears, " he announced and all the children chorused a 'yes daddy'.

This was the part of my dad that I geared the most. The strict, stern, rigid part. The disciplinarian.

Every one knew better than to go against Chinedu Johnson.

"You all may go," he dismissed us.

This was my dad.

The one in power, he called the shots.

I couldn't go against him, I don't for the balls.

As rigid as he could be, he was still loving, caring and the best father.

Since Tamara came, my dad stopped being the latter.

He became cold.

I walked into my room in frustration, banging the door behind me.

Not only did my dad just shout our me and take that niches side, Every one took her side.

Mabel just finished giving me a piece of her mind that was like, adding fuel to fire.

That made my tears of fear and hurt to be replaced with anger and frustration.

Great! I huffed.

What a beautiful way to start my day.