My Precious

FIVE

The Nun eyes widened, she took off her eye glasses that was half way her nose.

"Oh, Grace."

Grace adjusted on the seat.

"Can't I?" She asked anxiously.

"Oh, yes. You can." She replied her.
"There are procedures and laws, you can't just keep her."

Grace looked on.

"What I'm saying is you will have to adopt her legally." The Nun said finally.

"I'm ready to do that. Whatever it takes. I love her and I want to have her, raise her as my own in love." Grace said desperately.

She sighed.

"Okay Grace but I hope you have given this a thought. There's more to adopting a child than just having them."

"I understand ma."

"Okay. Come back tomorrow and let's talk better on it and see if we can start whatever process necessary."

Grace thanked the Nun and left for home. Excitement took over her, she told herself times without number that she was doing the right thing.

On getting to her compound, she was welcomed by a disgusting sight. Heaps of dirt were piled next to the entrance to her house. She knew who was responsible, her neighbor who was a chronic troublemaker. Getting into an argument that she would definitely lose was not on Grace's to do list. She used her right foot to push it away.

"Ah, Grace!" Her neighbor yelled as she came out from her house.

Grace turned to her and smiled.

"Good evening ma." She greeted.

"What is the meaning of this rubbish?" She snapped at Grace.
Grace looked at the dirt and looked at her neighbor again.

" It is not my dirt and judging from its contents, it's yours. "

"Shut up there! It's mine." She mimicked. "So, what if it's mine? Answer me? What if it's mine?" She was shouting now and it was what Grace really loved to avoid.

"It's okay ma. I'm sorry. I'll thrash it."
Grace said pleadingly.

Her neighbor calmed down and feigned an innocent look.
"Eh, I'm not saying you should dispose it for me but if that's what you want to do, thank you." She said and went into her apartment.

"You are welcome." Grace said after her but she was sure she wouldn't hear her.

She entered her house and flung her handbag on the chair. She slumped next to it and sighed. Can my day get any better? She looked at the time and it was some minutes past six, just then her stomach rumbled. She wasn't chanced to have lunch and it was telling on her hungry stomach. She stood up, went to her room and undressed. She put on a light top that was patterned with flowers and a little jean that was seven inches away from her knee. As she prepared food in the kitchen, she heard a knock on her door repeatedly and it lacked a lot of patience, she ran to the door and opened it. It was her landlady.

"See the dirt in front of your house, so dirty." She said.

"Good evening ma. I was about to get rid of it." She said hoping to erase the thought of she being dirty from her landlady's mind.

"There's a meeting on Friday and I expect you to be there." She said sternly.

"I'll be at work." Grace protested.

"So? You must be here for the meeting, there are pressing issues to be discussed. It's not as if we would be here forever. It is the most convenient day for everyone. Except you." She said.