KASERA

Portrait

4

Sundays in the Bakoro home was very routine. Their Sundays usually began with Lesly dragging his wife, Na'ama out of the room because she took ages getting dressed and she eventually made them late. UD didn't understand why her mother spent so much time dressing up, even if Na'ama was the wife of the poorest farm labourer and dressed up in rags she would still shine brighter than the most exquisitly dressed lady.

When they finally manage to get to church, UD always sat with her parents even though the young ones sat in youth ministry and children ministry. She wasn't welcome there.
After service, UD usually waited in the car while her parents socialize. She had opted to do so because she hated being the cause of her mother arguing with one of their acquaintances. Na'ama Bakoro was a very pleasant and lively woman but when anyone offends her daughter in her presence she becomes a fearsome creature. To avoid this UD stayed in the car till her parents were ready for them to go home. On rare occasions, Tiana came to keep her company in the car. Something she was grateful for.

This Sunday , however, started with UD and her mother waiting for her father in the car. He had been locked up in his office for a long time and they didn't know what was keeping him so long.

The last of her patience expended, Na'ama pressed the horn of the car loudly. At that same moment her father came of the house. He rushed to the car laughing.
"Na'ama you're going to break down the house." Lesly remarked teasingly as he got into the driver's seat.
"I was aiming to break your head instead. What in God's name kept you that long, Mr. Bakoro?" Na'ama referred to her husband as Mr. Bakoro only when she was angry with him.
"Calm down, my love. At least now you know how it feels when we have to wait for you every time." Lesly grinned.
Na'ama punched his right arm which was controlling the steering wheel.
"Hey! No punching the driver. It's dangerous." he said.
"Dad is right, mom." UD said from the back seat.
Na'ama turned and glared at the girl. "Don't back your father, Kasera you also didn't enjoy waiting."

"I certainly enjoyed watching your restlessness, mom. You looked like a caged lioness." UD laughed. Really laughed.

They couldn't tell who was most surprised, Lesly, who nearly bumped into another car, or Na'ama whose eyes were popping out of their sockets, or UD herself who was looking like the sound couldn't possibly have come from her.

That was the first major surprise of the day.

After service, UD made her way to car immediately she spotted Mrs. Janet Anane approaching her parents. That woman was the wife of the DCE of the Afaso district who resided permanently in Nofa their little town, the manager of the town's only guest house, the town's biggest gossip and worse, the mother of King. Association with such a person was in the long run detrimental and her parents understood that perfectly well.
The one who did not understand that she was not welcome was Mrs. Anane. She and her entourage of gossips tirelessly tried to make friends with her mother no matter how many times she rejected their invites to various outings even though Mrs. Anane and a number of her ladies' families were richer than the Bakoro's.
UD was thankful for the fact that that friendship would never happen.

UD was reading on her phone in the car when someone tapped on the window of the car door. Lifting her head, she saw Tiana motioning her to row the glass down. She did so.
"Do you have something against the church?" Tiana asked. The look on UD's face was that of confusion.
Tiana laughed. "You literally flew out of the church after the Grace was said. One minute you were by Miss Sunshine, the next, i couldn't find you."

UD shrugged. "Didn't want to stay long enough to put someone through the sweet pain of complementing my great beauty." UD stepped out of the car.