Rats, Roses And Paper Bones

chapter 16: A dissapointment

“Doyin!”

The loud voice jolted me out of my beautiful, peaceful sleep.

Yes, my beautiful, comfortable bed at home.

Not the metal bunk beds and compressed mattresses at school that felt like they had been specifically designed to break my spine.

I was finally home for midterm break.

This was what my sister had been looking forward to the most. She had packed all her belongings with excitement the day before, eagerly waiting for Mum to come pick us up.

And now, we were home.

The voice calling me was probably Mum's. It was either time to eat or time to do house chores.

I reluctantly opened my eyes and looked at the clock.

Ten o'clock.

Ten in the morning, and I was still in bed.

The whole house was probably already awake, but apparently, I was the only one still sleeping.

Before we left school, I had warned Mum that I planned to spend most of the break sleeping. I hadn't been getting enough sleep at school because of late-night prep, early morning wake-ups and the general stress of boarding school.

The break was only nine days long.

Nine precious days to sleep myself into oblivion.

Mum, of course, had not been impressed.

"I know you. You'll spend half of this break sleeping. Take it easy, okay? The break isn't only for sleeping. You should read and revise too."

She had said that while driving us home.

What a killjoy.

I had come home to rest, and rest I would.

I rubbed my eyes and sat up slowly. My body clearly had no intention of cooperating with me.

My bedroom door opened.

Mum walked in.

“Still not ready to get up?”

“Yes, Mum,” I mumbled.

She shook her head, amused.

“Well, too bad. You have thirty minutes to freshen up and meet me in the kitchen.”

“Thirty minutes?”

“Yes. Thirty.”

And with that, she walked out.

I stared after her.

My beautiful sleep had been violently interrupted.

I dragged myself towards the bathroom, still half-asleep, and had barely picked up my toothbrush when my little brother, Divine, burst into the room carrying a large piece of cardboard.

“Good morning, Doyin!”

He was practically bouncing with excitement.

“Good morning, big boy.” I smiled. “Why are you so happy?”

I climbed out of the bathroom and saw him jumping onto my bed.

“You're back!” he exclaimed. “And Mummy is making my favourite food today.”

“Oh, really?” I tackled him playfully by the knee and sent him tumbling onto the bed. “And what's your favourite food?”

He looked at me like I had asked the most obvious question in the world.