NOT THE ONE || Completed✔

23: In Trouble

Head inclined, kneels planted to the ground and eyes shut with tears streaming down her cheeks, her lips pursed. Joy couldn’t bare to look her father in the eyes as he yelled at her; neither could she stand the disappointed look on her mother’s face.

“Go upstairs.” She heard her big sister say, and knew she was talking to the twins.

“How could you do such a thing to your fellow classmate?!” Her dad's voice thundered across the sitting room.

“Please, calm down.” Her mom begged, her voice almost inaudible if not for the edgy silence that consumed the house.

“Calm down?! Didn’t you see what happened?!” Mr. Kelechi referred to his wife before turning back to Joy. “You are very lucky they didn’t expel you, because if they had, that would have been the end of your education.”

Joy wanted to swallow, but it felt like the huge lump that had formed in her throat was to big to gulp down, so she took in shaky breaths to relieve herself.

“Kelechi, calm down. At least, she’s not dead.” She heard her grandma say in her quiet tone.

“What if she had died, mama?!”

“But she didn’t.”

“I didn’t know she was claustrophobic.” Joy finally found her voice, but it was more of a whisper.

“So you still have mouth to talk.” Mr. Kelechi made a move to hit her, but was stopped by grandma, who gripped him by the waist. “Mama, leave me o.” He demanded while struggling to remove her hands from his waist.

He had already freed himself from her grip when she let out a gasp while clutching her chest.

“Mama, what’s wrong?” His eyes widened and Joy's head snapped up.

Because her vision was a blur, she had to wipe the tears from her eyes before seeing her grandma falling back to her father’s arms. “Mama!”

***

Deborah turned off the cooker and leaned on the counter. In her hand, Joy’s phone rang. Because she had lost hers and a few other things she owned due to the accident, she had to make use of her sister's phone whenever she was around.

“Hello. How’s grandma?” She asked after checking the caller's ID.

“She’s fine.” Her mother replied from the other end. “The doctor said it’s just stress and she needs to rest.”

“Thank God. Are you already on your way?”

“Not yet. Your father is arguing with your grandmother.”

Deborah blinked. “Why?”

“Because she doesn’t want him to punish your sister.”

“Oh.”

“Have you people eaten?”

“I just finished cooking.”

“You people should eat before we get back o, because I don’t know when we will leave here today.”

“OK.”

“And make sure Chima and Chioma goes to bed early.”

“Yes ma.”

“Alright. I’ll call you when we are on our way back.” Her mother said and she replied with an 'OK' before they both hung up.

Deborah’s hand dropped to her side as she let out a deep sigh. To say she was disappointed in Joy would be exactly what she felt. She had warned her against retaliating and told her of the impact it could cause yet, she had gone ahead to do the opposite of everything she had said.