She smiled

Emotional Awareness

   Few months after her experience with Papa's distrust, some new neighbours had moved into the building opposite Chloe's. She rushed into the house from school with excitement, dragging her backpack with her.

"Mama! Mama, we've got neighbours!" Mama Joe stepped out of the kitchen, cleaning her hands with a napkin.

"My love, you are back! At least greet me before the neighbour's news. Would you like to join me in the kitchen?" Chloe knelt before her mother as she hugged her waist, laughing.

"Sorry mama, the neighbour's clothes, spread outside, carried me away." Chloe said as she rose to give her mother a peck. Mama Joe led her into the kitchen.

To her surprise, Mama had visitors having lunch with her. The visitors sat on the old dinner table used by her family alone. Visitors were entertained usually in the dining room.

Chloe's countenance changed to her shy disposition. In the presence of two handsome young men, a young girl and presumably their mother.

"These boys look good!" she echoed to herself. Chloe glimpsed at them without being noticed.

"The girl looks like a snob; the woman is classy; where is their dad?"

Mama Joe interrupted her musing conclusions when she said, "Chloe, meet Ryan, Nathaniel and Sandra. They all attend the university's secondary school. Caroline is their mum. They moved into the neighbourhood six weeks ago." She continued.

"Caroline, Ryan, Nathaniel and Sandra, meet my last-child, Chloe. She arrived from the boarding school a moment ago for the break."

Chloe went toward Caroline, knelt and greeted her. "Welcome, ma. Hope you have settled into the neighbourhood."

"Thank you, my dear," Caroline replied. Caroline added, "Mama Joe, your daughter is well-mannered."

Chloe replied, "Thank you, ma." To the rest, she said, "Hi."

One of the two boys smote her imaginations. Chloe added,

"I would catch up with you guys. I want to change into something comfortable."

Chloe hurried out of the kitchen before they could reply to her greetings. Using her hands to redress herself, "Saviour, please, I plead with you to take these odd feelings away. They are boys! Please..."

Mama Joe said to the visitors as she stepped out. "She is the shy one, the baby of the house. Don't worry. When you get to know her, she is a sweet girl."

The children replied to Mama Joe, together with "Yes, ma."

"Mama! Mama!" Chloe called out, running down the staircase once the visitors were out of sight.

"Mama, you didn't warn me we had visitors."

Mama Joe replied, smiling,

"Chloe, dear, you came in with your big announcement. I couldn't inform you. Sorry, love."

"Mama; tell me about them. I want to hear everything. Are they nice? Weird? And so on. You know, we've not had neighbours for a while."

Eager Chloe said as she pushed her mother's hands with her dimpled face, shouting for all the gist.

"Take it easy," Mama persuaded Chloe to slow down. "I have little to say. It surprised me they visited."

Chloe replied, "For real?"

Mama Joe picking up her bag to go out continued,

"Since they moved in about a month ago, I have not spoken to them. They kept to themselves."