APART

Chapter 7: SUNDAY

        I and aunt Deja were still in the kitchen when we heard footsteps. She paused the conversation and our attention turned to the door. My uncle stood there with his pajamas, staring at us with a confused facial expression.

        "What were you guys talking about that made you not hear my knock? Oh well, sorry for interrupting."

          "Oh, it's nothing. Good morning papa." Said aunty Deja as she blew him a kiss.

         "Morning. When will breakfast be ready? It's almost 11:00 am. And we haven't had family prayer."

         "Almost 11!" Said aunty Deja who was surprised by how fast time flew. "I'm already done with breakfast. It'll be served shortly."

        "Alright. The kids are in the living room already. Hurry up with the food. They should be hungry."

        "Yeah...sure." Aunty Deja then turned to me and dropped her lips "Guess we'll continue the conversation after breakfast. That's if you'll be free."

         "Oh, sure aunt. I'm free until tomorrow."

         "Alright, come and assist me share and serve the food."

         "Okay." I stood up and followed her to the gas cooker where the pots sat. She walked up to the plate rack and got out six flat breakable plates. As she shared and scooped out a portion of rice into the plate, she'll ask me to take it out. She did so for all the flat plates and got six bowl breakable plates and served stew into them. And as she did it, i served them neatly on the dining table.

         "Alright, let's go and meet the rest in the living room." She said to me as we both walked out of the kitchen.

        "Chikaima, come and have a seat let's pray." Said my uncle as he called me to come and seat beside him.

         We finished the prayer and walked to the dining table to have breakfast. We prayed again and started eating. The stew was amazing. My aunt sure knows how to cook. My uncle made the right pick.

         We all ate silently. After eating, my aunt carried her plate and that of her husband to the kitchen while Danielle, Dawn, Darlene and i, carried ours to the kitchen ourselves. My uncle went back to his room with Danielle and Dawn to have a father and daughters time. Darlene walked back to her room silently. Looking at her, i knew that whatever was eating her up, was too much for her to handle. Anyway, she said she'll tell me in the evening.

         "Chi Chi, come and help me wash the dishes."

         "Sure aunty."

         "We need to finish up our conversation." We both laughed. My uncle didn't lie when he told me she was very entertaining. I walked up to the sink and started washing the dishes while she stacked the plates.

        "So, your grandfather's friends tried to intervene but it was futile. After your mother broke your uncle's head, he was rushed to the hospital for immediate care. He was in so much pain. I personally went to the hospital to check on him. Meanwhile, when all this was happening, your mom was no where to be found." She gave a paus and stacked some of the plates neatly.

         "A month later, it was announced to us, his employees, that he'll resume his office soon and we were all happy. He came to store for a week until one monday morning that we were informed that he was dead."

         "What! How? What killed him?"

          "Till now, nobody knows. And his death was really suspicious because the night before his death, your mom that was no where to be found during his recovery in the hospital, was in his house. It wasn't like he and his wife were having marital crisis. It just happened."