Behind the Mask✔

Chapter 12

     It was Christmas eve a.k.a. a day to mum's birthday and I was over the moon with excitement knowing what was planned out for her. Mum was resting in her room since she didn't go to work and we had the Christmas vigil later and I was reading a novel enjoying the current  peace and quiet that was rare in our house for the past weeks. Luckily for me, Aunty  Chika had said she'd be celebrating Christmas with her in-laws so I had one less person to contend with.

"Jasmine, Jasmine " I heard Aunty Ebere call my name and I hissed and grumbled before answering her

Can't  this woman leave me alone?

I found her in the kitchen leaning on the door of the store "Where is the store key?" She asked angrily

On my head

"I don't know ma"
"Why is the store locked?"

Mum had gone to the market the previous weekend and when she came back,  she arranged some of the items in the kitchen cabinets and left the rest in the store because she always  bought things in bulk. I repeated my thoughts to Aunty Ebere and she hissed

"Tell your mother I want to cook soup for my brother so he can have something to eat when he comes so she should release the store key"

I internally hissed. Dad had called and said he won't make it until after the New Year . I said this to Aunty Ebere and calmed down a bit before resuming her ranting

"Then,  I want to cook soup for myself"
I could have sighed if Aunty Ebere won't reply that with a slap but mum had rules. No one cooked soup in this house without her permission especially with the foodstuffs arranged in the store and Aunty Ebere knew this but I'm sure she was just jobless right now

"Ma, if you have permission from my mum to cook the soup I'm sure she would have given you the store key herself "

Aunty Ebere glared at me and hissed
"Jasmine, so you're trying to tell me that I need permission before cooking soup in my own brother's house"
"That has always been the norm ma "

She gave a humourless laugh and went to pick the pestle that was kept in a corner of the kitchen and looked at me before speaking
"Tell your mother that if she doesn't release that key, I will break this door and it's her money that we will use to repair it "

This one is mad  o

"But, Aunty she's sleeping "

"You're still standing here. My friend will you rush upstairs before I test this thing on your head" 

I hurriedly ran off  wondering what kind of person Aunty Ebere was . Was anything stopping her from taking permission from mum or buying her own foodstuffs and cooking her meal or better still, carrying her load out of our house and going to her own place and cook there?

Leech

I knocked on the door to mum's room and she muttered "Who is there? "

"Mummy, it's me "

"Jasmine, what is it nau? ........Come in"

I went in and found mum under a duvet looking quite tired but better than yesterday.  Her hair was in a hair net and she wore no jewellery except her wedding ring despite that,  she still looked beautiful but I was sure she needed her rest. Just about an hour ago, when I passed her room, I heard her heaving.

"Jasmine, what is it?  You're coming to wake me up at past ten. Have you forgotten that we're cooking the rice I'm taking to my parents place this night when we come back from the Christmas vigil and instead of you to rest as well you're disturbing me"