𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐃 (𝐀 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧-𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥) ✔

- 43 -

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It's not too late to say a happy new month, right?
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I sat quietly on a stool as I stared up at the clear blue sky. Revealing things to my family was one thing, hoping that Mrs. Williams reversed her curse, was another. I loved Henry so much to let him go but his mother was not seeing that.

It was Monday and the reason why I was still in the village was that Henry still wanted time to talk to his mother. I was starting to see this as mission impossible.

I heard shuffling and finally, someone sat beside me. I turned to my side to see that it was Abasifreke. Aside from Mary, the rest of my siblings were in school. Mother had gone to the church and father had gone to an elder meeting. Mary was busy at the back washing the clothes while Abasifreke last time I checked, was cooking.

"The porridge is done," Abasifreke announced to me while looking at the phone she shared with Mary. When she noticed I didn't make my move, she turned to face me. "Sister?"

"Do you think she'll reverse the curse?" I wasn't speaking to Abasifreke but myself.

Abasifreke sighed, pocketing her phone. "She has to, by force or by force. There's no choice to it."

I turned to Abasifreke, and she shrugged. "What? She's very wicked, extremely to say the most. Why didn't she think about us before laying some curse? Now it's going to affect her son too. She has no choice but to pull it off."

Abasifreke might be right on that. Henry seemed to love me and seemed like he'd stand by me regardless of the curse. His mother has to pull it off or it would affect him.

"She's likely not to," I voiced out something opposite from what my brain was screaming to me. "Henry and his sisters were adopted. She has no child of her own. She's likely to turn a blind eye since Henry isn't her biological son."

"You see!" I flinched when Abasifreke exclaimed and stretched out her hand. "She cursed mum to give birth nonstop, not knowing she was trading her children too, putting it in mummy's tummy. Which of us do you think was supposed to be hers?"

I tried not to laugh at my sister's statement. "Abasifreke, be serious for once."

"Maybe it's Jessica, that girl likes to say 'you're mad, you're mad', all the time. Maybe Mrs. Williams was supposed to be her mother." That did the trick. I laughed hard while imagining my younger sister Jessica, being older than my other sibilings. "See, that's better."

"Huh?" I stopped laughing to look at Abasifreke.

"Laughter looks best on you." She went to her serious mode. Something we only see when she was angry. "Don't overthink things, God knows best. Besides, I wouldn't trade Jessica or any of you guys."

That got me teary as I pulled Abasifreke into a hug. "Me too."

While hugging her, I tried not to think about negative things. Yes, Mary was the more mature one that gives advice, but Abasifreke's advice were usually solid and normally stick for life because of how unusual she gives it.

I felt my phone ring in my pocket, which broke Abasifreke's and I hugging moment. I reached for it to see the word 'My love' written on the screen. I swiped to answer and placed it against my left ear.

"Henry, morning," I greeted him. It was still morning, though the time was three minutes to twelve.

"I miss you, love," Henry sighed at the other end, while Abasifreke gave me knowing looks. "Mother is just being difficult."