Naya and Vince

57

Shouts woke me up the next morning.

Jessica had had an argument with her father concerning something he said to her mother. The fatigued woman came back from work in the morning and according to Jessica, her father told her that it was because of overworking that her body system could not bear him a son. Jessica had gone mad with anger and challenged her father.

The girl was still pissed as we drove to school in her mother's car. Jessica was fuming and I couldn't help comparing her to Pa John, one of our neighbor's, old Danfo bus. Her mother who was at the steering wheel beside her kept patting her shoulders once in a while to calm her down. Jessica looked so much like the woman. They had the same glowing fair skin, beautiful brown eyes, small pink lips and more. Their resemblance was uncanny.

The clock on the car's dashboard said it was nine twenty and we were not close to the gates of Regal high yet. It was the first time I would go to school this late but Aliyah assured me that there would be no punishment for us. I watched Jessica's mother grip the steering wheel tight again like she had been doing occasionally. Jessica's mother wasn't crying but I was sure she was hurt. She looked exhausted when she came back but still she offered to drive us to school for no good reason. I presumed that it was just to stay away from her husband.

When we got to Regal high, it was just three minutes to the end of sports time. I knew that before we even got upstairs to change into our sport wears, sports time would be over.

"Don't mind your daddy okay? He says. . . things sometimes," Jessica's mother said giving her a side hug when we got down from the car.

"Are you going back home?" Jessica asked holding on to the straps of her school bag like a little child.

"Yeah baby," the woman replied with a tired sigh. "Even if I don't want to be there, I need to rest. Dealing with the accident victims last night was exhausting. And I still have to go back to the hospital this evening."

"Mummy I am proud of you. You're a hardworking and kind woman. Not a lazy woman who sits in the house all day thinking of families to put asunder," Jessica told her mother pulling her into an unexpected hug. "You should be proud of yourself."

Her mother smiled. "Thank you my love. But you know Evelyn is not that bad. She just made a mistake–"

"You are always defending her!" Jessica whined, stomping her feet. "She's the reason daddy is no longer acting himself!"

Her mother sighed again and rubbed her forehead. "Okay, I'm sorry. I have to go."

Jessica hugged the woman again."Bye."

"Bye love. Have a great day okay?"

Jessica nodded.

"You too ladies," the kind woman said to us.

"Thanks ma," Aliyah and I chorused.

As we walked the length of tiled road leading to the senior block with Jessica and Aliyah exchanging small talks I didn't partake in, I could hear the noise from the school field beside the senior block. I wasn't angry at Jessica though. I couldn't stay mad at her after watching her mini breakdown this morning.

"Morning ladies," Stephen greeted draping an arm over my shoulder. He also had his other arm on Jessica's shoulder. The conversation I had with Aliyah last night played in my mind but I shook it off. I was certain we were wrong.

"Stephen, you missed sports?" Aliyah asked him.

"Yeah. I woke up late. Coach is going to kill me."

I noticed Jessica gently peel his arm from her shoulder. That was so strange. The fact that Jessica had not even said anything  to Stephen was stranger. I think Stephen noticed.