The Silence Within

Chapter 31

Esosa watched her mother place the curling iron on the dressing table then reached to switch off the socket and unplug the iron. Her mother looked at herself in the mirror then pats her hair with a smile. Shock widened Esosa's eyes when her mother gathered the brown locks in her hand and tied them into a high pony tail. Her mother was prettier when she did not tie her hair but she still looked pretty. Esosa's little rosy lips puckered. She likes it when her mother paints her lips with lipstick and shade her brows. She also wants it because it made her prettier too but her mother had said she was going nowhere to use it.

"Don't tie your hair" She spoke, unable to hold in her opinion.

"I have to, baby. It's looks more casual this way"

"But you look prettier without tying your hair" She threw her hands, swinging her small legs.

"I want to look casual" Osas patted the curls.

"But" Esosa hopped to her feet, forgetting she was standing on the bed. "I like it when you let it out" She jumped from the bed. On petite legs, she ran to her mother. She climbed her mother's laps then reached for the hair band before Osas would blink an eye.

"Esosa!" Osas called out at the unexpected act. The long brown curls tumbled down, over her shoulders, down her back. The little one laughed then leaned in to kiss her mother's cheek.

"You are beautiful like this" She pats her mother's cheeks.

"What a brat" Osas let out the rising bubble of laughter. Esosa stared at her mother. Her mother paints her face and dress up when she's going out.

"Where are you going to, mummy?" Curiosity had her asking.

"I am going out with Uncle Jafar. You know him" Osas lifted her daughter from her laps then stood up. "Umar's uncle"

"Oh" Esosa's little lips formed an o. "I know him! He picks Umar up from school all the time. Umar talks a lot about him. There was a day he came to pick Umar up and shook my hand. He said I was cute and looks like someone he knew"

Osas smiled. Surely, her daughter was cute. Not with those curious eyes and pouty lips. She dropped the little one to the ground to stand up. "That's him. Mummy is going out with him"

"Out? Where?"

"To hang out. You know. Maybe a restaurant or some other place" Osas slipped her feet into her flat sandals.

"What will you get for me?"

"What do you want?"

"Anything" She shrugged her tiny shoulders. "Ice cream. Chicken pie. Burger. Chicken. Anything will do"

"Alright, sweetheart" She bent down to her daughter's height, ruffled her hair then planted a kiss on her forehead. Esosa giggled, doing the same to her mother. "Have you taken your blood tonic?"

"Grandma gave it to me after dinner"

"You still look pale" Osas's eyes lingered on her daughter's face. She can't seem to understand the constant paleness on Esosa's face. Recently, she has been having fevers on and off. When she goes to the hospital, the doctor says it's either malaria or typhoid. It's worse when Esosa vomits.

"You worry too much mummy. I am okay. I am perfectly fine" She jumped to show her mother how healthy she was.

Osas laughed. "Take good care of yourself and do not be late to bed"

"Will you come back late?"

"Maybe" she pulled her daughter closer and kissed her forehead. "I love you"