NOT THE ONE || Completed✔

1: One hour-fifteen minutes

If you were reading this book before, I'm so sorry to inform you that I deleted the last chapters I had updated and changed the storyline. But the characters are still the same. Do refresh this book in your library and I hope you enjoy the new storyline I put together. Thanks 😊 and sorry. 😩

And oh, thanks a lot @ShanteSOspecial for the book cover above. Love it. ❤

When other languages (igbo, Yoruba, etc) are used, they are written in italics in between apostrophes.

                               ***

“Joy.” I heard my mother calling from the door and I knew why, but I was too tired to want to get up. So, I pretended to be deep in my sleep.

“Joy!” She called again but this time, she was louder than before, but I still wouldn’t budge. I needed my sleep and lately, no one has been giving me any in this house.

“Joy!” I heard again, but this time around, it came with a slap to my buttocks.

“Mommy.” I called angrily and turned to sit up immediately.

“Let’s go and pray, jare.” She said and folded her wrapper around her waist.

“I’m coming.” I muttered but didn’t miss the look she was giving me. “I said I’m coming.” I repeated, frustrated as I scratched my aching butt.

“You better come downstairs fast. If not, your father will come and wake you himself.” She told me as she started to leave the room while murmuring how selfish I am.

I’m not selfish. My parents have always been prayer warriors and now big sis is missing, they take every opportunity to fast and pray, do vigils and all. Grandma is around, making this whole thing worse.

I miss big sis a whole lot but this is torture. Every single day, I wish she’d just walk through the door and tell us she was trying to prank us to know how much we’ll miss her, but I know big sis. She might be jovial and all but she could never play an expensive joke like that. She's too much of a circumspect to do that.

“Joy!” I heard my father’s voice this time and it made me jump out of my bed.

“Sir!” I answered and quickly picked up my scarf from my reading table before running out of the room.

When I got down, while catching my breath, my Dad shot me one of his threatening look that could kill any human being, if possible.

“Grandma, good morning.” I greeted and she just nodded while tapping her feet on the floor impatiently, her cheeks rested on her right palm.

Grandma, our no nonsense woman, who could make even Dad look like a puppy. Immediately she heard big sis was missing, she almost broke down. I was really surprised when I heard it. Dad had to bring her over in order to monitor her health closely.

“All eyes closed.” Dad said and I moved over to where grandma was on the couch to sit beside her.

“What are you doing?” Dad asked as I was about to sit down. “My friend, will you get up! If you sit down now, you’ll be sleeping instead of you to be praying.”

I grumbled as I got up from the couch.

“Let me hear word.” Mom reprimanded and stood beside Dad.

I looked around right before Dad started singing to notice Chima and Chioma weren’t downstairs.

Lucky them.