CONCEIVED IN DARKNESS

CHAPTER 11

Mrs Moses woke up Saturday morning earlier than usual, before the first cock crowed. She did all the house chores and cleaned the compound before Adanna woke up. Just so as to prevent talking and sharing duties with her. She wasn't sure how she would hold up and she wasn't ready to find out.

Adanna woke up much later in the morning and started for her parents room to ask how the chores would be distributed as they usually did back then when things were...

She got out to a pristine surrounding; from the sitting room, to the kitchen, to the balcony, the drive way. Everywhere had been cleaned. She saw her mum come out of the guest toilet in her cleaning dress.

"morning mum, trust you slept well." She asked pretending to be sleepy.

She nodded and continued walking towards her room avoiding her gaze.

Adanna followed distantly "I was coming to meet you for my share of morning duties, when I noticed everywhere was pristine already.

"yes, I didn't want to wake you. Besides I needed the exercise. Just clear your room. Breakfast is also ready.

Adanna tried to swallow her doubts about her mum's intention as to why she did all she did. But it kept resurfacing.

She walked back into her room and cleaned it after which she had a good bath and got dressed. She wore a simple plain dress and it reminded her of Claire. It was hers, she had given it to her while she was still living with them because it looked so fitted on her as it accentuated her curves.

She reminded herself to call her later in the day to check how she was faring and besides she had to tell her about her resumption.

She went into the siting room and saw her dad having breakfast while listening to the news. CNN has always been his favorite channel. Tip toeing, she hugged and greeted him from behind. He turned around smiling as he responded. Adanna sat with her dad and they talked for some minutes after which she went to get her breakfast from the kitchen and came back and continued the discussion.

It was noon already.

Mr. Moses suggested they all watch a movie together. So they chose the 'perfect man.' It was showing on M-net channel on DSTV.

They watched in silence and horror as the movie unfolded showing the true colors of the so called perfect man.- Carter Duncan. The part where Dave King died a slow death as Carter strangled him brought little droplets of tears to her eyes and she wondered if people are really that wicked in reality

Adanna, lost in the moment turned and smiled at her mum when Carter kissed Leah so passionately at the club. Her mum didn't look at her but smiled back. It was genuine.

Mr. Moses noticed it and grinned too. He was elated. His family seemed to patching up and becoming whole again.

As the movie played on, they all laughed and sometimes grinned like the Cheshire cat.

In-between, Mrs Moses stood up and brought cold yoghurt and crackers biscuit for refreshment and indirectly lunch. It should suffice in place of pop corn.

The abruptness when Carter hit the gentleman repeatedly and violently who was merely inquiring about his dodge charger from Leah at the gas station terrified Adanna as she wrapped herself in her mum's embrace to hide from the horror.

3D movies always made it everything seem so real.

The coldness she exhumed stilled the warmth of her body as their eyes met. Adanna quickly adjusted and passed on the 'I am sorry message" with her eyes. What was she thinking? She asked herself.