GREENER PASTURES

CHAPTER ONE

The tension in the MOFOR's household was so thick that even the sharpest knife could not cut through. Family meetings were always bad news because it was during such meetings that everyone's secrets would be brought to light. How the said secrets even leaked, no one knows.

Mr Mofor, a diehard Apostolic Christian is a very strict disciplinarian but as it always is, the children took it for wickedness.

"It has come to my notice that some of you leave this house at night with no elder's permission." His loud and authoritative voice echoed throughout the five-bedroom house. Being a family man, he had many other children in his house including the two children of his deceased sister.

"Talia Brown and Kelly, can you explain yourselves?" It was always like a courtroom, the only difference being that the children did not have their lawyers.

"Papa, we took permission from Ndiga Maureen'' the anger evident on Mr. Mofor's face could scare a child to the point of taking a bitter pill.

"Maureen! What do you mean by you taking permission from Maureen huh? For crying out loud she is a cook and I am sure she did not even hear you!"

Maureen is the cook who helps Mrs. Mofor. She has serious hearing problems that even a hearing aid cannot solve. Mr. Mofor has moved from one specialist to another to no avail. The children in the house, especially Talia, will always go to her for permission because they know she would just accept and send them away. After all, she does not want to be disturbed.

"Didn't you see your mother? Or even your uncle? What about me huh? The worst-case scenario is asking permission from the father himself.

"I was told by a colleague that you guys were roaming the streets at 10 pm which is past curfew, do you know how that makes me feel? So much for wanting my children to be examples." roaming the streets? Have we become wounded lions? How I wish I could be. Talia thought and so did the shouting go on and on though she had already blocked it out and she was very sure Kelly, her cousin, had done the same.

"For this reason, you guys are grounded for two weeks." Which reason? Talia thought to herself. Being grounded by her father was nothing new to her. The only people left to be grounded were her mum and Maureen. The thing is Mr. Mofor always gets angry when things do not go his way, and he wants you to laugh when he says so and frown at his command.

Funny enough, he has succeeded in getting someone who can do what he wants without asking any questions.

Mofor Elizabeth at thirty is a well-known lawyer their dad cannot stop boasting of. He cannot stop comparing her with Liza as they commonly call her despite their age difference. That just adds to the fact that she is a daddy's girl, always ready to do his bidding, the real puppet as Talia always calls her.

However, the real problem she thinks she can hide but is so obvious is that at her age, no man wants to marry her. A very beautiful lawyer at thirty, she took the beauty from her mother, the height from her dad, that was the same as every other Mofor sibling except Talia who completely took after her mum in resemblance, and only God knows where her height went.

Some came for the money, even those who came to settle down ran away like headless chickens because Liza was an iron woman. Her character, as their mum always says, disqualifies her for marriage. All this hurts her but she is blinded by the praises of her father. The truth is, reality knocks in when we are alone, and that is the psychological battle Mofor Elizabeth has been fighting by herself during her alone time.

As for Mofor Samuel, he is the dove of the house, always peaceful and calm. So playful and lovely that you will think he was adopted. He is a petroleum engineer according to the certificates because he is a teacher. He has always wanted to be a teacher but since his dad wanted an engineer, he studied it, practiced the profession for a year, and started teaching.

This came as a disappointment to Mr. Mofor who went around boasting of his son being a petroleum engineer only for him to get news that he is now a professor in a higher institution.

While others appreciated him for being a professor at such a young age of 28, Mr. Mofor was furious and almost disowned him. The only thing Mr. Mofor appreciates Samuel for his settling down with Esther, his high school sweetheart, a very lovely lady because according to him that was the same age he settled down and started building his empire. Now Talia always wondered if the empire he referred to were his businesses or his family.

Talia Brown has always been the black leg of the family according to her father and Liza. Though she does everything her father demands of her, it was always after a lot of shouting. Talia believes that her father never gave her the right of choosing a career for his children. From a very young age, each child was already told what they will become.

Well as children, they were happy to be lawyers, engineers, doctors, and business tycoons because that was the dream of every parent. But as they grew up and went to school, priorities changed, especially that of Talia. She discovered after finishing high school two years ago that she did not want to be a doctor anymore and that was because she discovered her love and passion for fine Arts. Talia could get lost just admiring a painting, she felt elated each time she got a new drawing instrument and that was how her 'disgraceful job' was discovered by her dad.

Everyone will appreciate Talia's painting, but they all had one story to tell. She could never fully practice her profession in this country, and even if she succeeded to do so, her dad will not let it happen.

From a young age, she was always seen with crayons and colors drawing and painting, in short, she painted and drew most of the portraits in the house and it was because of her mother's love for flowers and the very detailed drawing of her parents on their traditional wedding day that her father did not discard them. Everybody goes into awe when they see the painting but Mr. Mofor's remark is always an arrow to the heart.

A/N

Ndiga means elder, and it is a name in the ngemba language given to any elder. The person must not be old. It is just a sign of respect.

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