Remember To Forget

Epilogue

Five years later.

The medium oil in the frying pan hissed and attacked with little hot drops of vengeance. It's sizzling reduced as a second badge of sliced plantain relaxed into the pan.

"Mommy, tell James to give me my toy, he's being mean!" A little, dark - skinned girl ran into the kitchen with smeared tears on her adorable cheeks. Her braids bounced as she tried to gain her mother's attention.

"James Asmau Chidi, give your twin sister her toy." Laura screamed to the grinning boy, obviously enjoying the result of his mischief.

His father walked into the kitchen with a little baby boy in his arms. He strolled to his amused son then took his daughter's toy from him.

Jasmine Zahrah Chidi took her toy from her father's hand then muttered a thank you when she hugged his leg.

It took few seconds for the three year old twins to forget their conflict and return to their favorite SpongeBob SquarePants show.

They screamed the theme song till their elder sister, Katherine told them to shut it.

Fifteen years old Katherine strolled into the kitchen, she rolled her eyes at her snugged parents.

"Some of us do not want nightmares o!" She lamented dramatically, breaking her father from her mother's waist.

"Hello there daughter that I grounded for a week."

Jonathan had grounded his daughter when he found out she was among a group of kids that had planned to sneak out for a palor birthday party.

"I'm still not talking to you daddy." Katherine moved to take her junior brother, Isreal Musa Chidi, and favorite sibling from her father.

"You know why I'm mad at you right?"

"Because I almost sneaked out." Katherine deadpanned.

"And because you didn't give your mom and I a chance to partake in that decision. Why didn't you just ask us?" Jonathan's folded his hands as he ended his question.

"Well... Because..." Katherine sighed then looked at her mother who gave her an encouraging smile and nod. "Dad I love you but you could be pretty, I mean extra protective. It's like you're scared I might go out and not come back. I can't trust you with stuffs like that because it feels like you don't want me to have a life you can't control. I know you still think I could get kidnapped but I need to be able to take care of myself. I mean dad, I always have a bodyguard in school. I'm fifteen, a teenager and it's weird because I'm not the only rich kid in school but it's like I'm the only one who might get shot in the head if I don't have a huge man around me." Katherine sighed, sadly.

"Don't say stuffs like that baby." Jonathan said, his voice restrained in disappointment. He knew his daughter was right.

"Dad it's true. I hate being that kid, you know. I hate parties but I'll rather go to them than stay in my room all day long. I love you guys so much but I need a social life too. Everyone has moved on except you Dad." Katherine's eyes pleaded with her father.

Laura took her husband biceps into a side hug, "We need to trust her if we want her to trust us okay."

Jonathan bowed his head in solemn defeat, "I don't want to loose you or any of your siblings. Events in the past  made me over protective but sweetie I do it because I love you. I'll try to do my best to trust you but there will be rules."

"As expected." Katherine ran into her father's open arms, "thanks daddy."

No matter her age, she would always be little Katherine to her parents, mostly her father.

"If you still want to go for this birthday party, you can. But you..."

"Don't worry dad, It's not my thing. I prefer watching mom beat you in monopoly. That never gets old." Katherine and her mother laughed at Jonathan's playful grimace.

Jonathan held his last son as his wife and daughter set the dining table.

They ate in between chatters and mild banters. Afterwards, Jonathan settled with his wife and children.

Isreal slumbered on his mother's breast while the twins argued non-stop about the only the kind of things three year olds cared about. Katherine and her parents moved to play a game of monopoly.

Laura fed her baby, her eyes pictured her ever good-looking husband joke with their daughter.

Curled up on a couch, she soaked in her entire world in a room. Her family, her heartbeats and her happiness. Their little expressions, voices and gleeful demeanor placed itself into her mind.

Each stride of warmth and absolute pleasure of home groomed into a fufilled memory, always to remember and never to forget.

"Come on mom, dad's winning." Katherine snarked at her mother.

"Let's make a bet, if I win you give me the password to your phone and if you win, you get unlimited shopping for a week." Katherine thought carefully then took her father's deal.

Laura shook her head at their battled gaze, like father like daughter, she thought then picked up her monopoly cards.

Despite life's imperfections, it was the beginning of theirs, in harmony and hopefully a continuous ritual of mirthful togetherness.

                      The End.💌