Her Mistake

∆ THIRTY THREE ∆

Dedicated to stapphy

Using the knife, my hand danced furiously on the chopping board as I cut the carrots into small pieces. Fried rice was for dinner and I was looking forward to it so bad.

"What about those guys asking you out? David and Adu?" Sister Deola asked. She was washing the rice in the sink. For some odd reason, she had worn her short grey gown wrongly. The front was worn as the back and the back as the front.

The dress fitted her podgy body like a second skin and her straight human hair weavon which stopped at her waist was tied into a pony tail.

I stopped with the chopping and set the knife on the wooden chopping board placed on the kitchen counter. I took a few of the carrots I had chopped and threw them into my mouth. "It's Daniel and Abdul." I corrected, though it came out muffled due to the carrot I was chewing.

"Whatever." She hissed then asked, "what's up with them?"

I shrugged even though she couldn't see me. She was facing the sink, washing the rice causing her back to face me.

"They're just there. Abdul and I haven't talked personally in a while. Though we chat on Facebook but Daniel and I still talk. He's in my class."

"Who is asking you about talking?" Her head moved slowly as she shook it in the negative. "I mean; are you dating any of them?"

I threw more of the chopped carrots into my mouth then propped my elbows on the counter beside the chopping board."Not at all! I heeded to your advice." I lied.

She turned around with the bowl of washed rice. "That's good to know. Education is your major priority and not some boy."

The upper part of her gown was wet with water. She never used an apron while cooking in the kitchen as opposed to the rest of the family.

"Our interhouse sport is next week Friday." I decided to change the topic. "Will you be available, so you can come?"

She responded, shaking her round head in the negative. Our heads had the same shape, it was something we girls inherited from our father. Most of our facial features were inherited from our mother.

Placing the big bowl of washed rice on the kitchen counter where I was, sister Deola picked the napkin hung on a nail in the wall next to the gas cooker. Using the napkin, she took off the lid of the pot. Steam rushed out the pot of boiling water.

Quickly, she dropped the lid of the stainless steel pot on the table, grabbed a serving spoon and the plastic green bowl with the rice she washed minutes ago then proceeded to turning the rice into the pot of boiling water.

"I would have gone back to school. I need to defend my project." She stated while turning the rice into the pot using the spoon she took.

"Oh. Alright then." I picked up the knife. "You can't even run sef. So it's better you don't disgrace our ancestors during the old students race."

"Ode!" Sister Deola muttered. "Senseless girl."

While laughing, I took the carrot which I had stopped chopping halfway. "But it's the truth."

"Truth kill you there." She retorted, still turning the washed rice into the pot with a serving spoon.

I took my seat on the only raised stool in the kitchen then continued with the chopping of the carrots.

"Sister Deola," Remi's annoying voice announced her presence in the kitchen.

Sister Deola hummed a reply as she dropped the empty plastic bowl on the counter. She closed the pot quickly, and wiped her hands with the napkin.

"I'm hungry."

I rolled my eyes. Were we playing here?

"As you can see, we're celebrating cultural day. We're dancing here." A hiss followed. Sister Deola threw the napkin over her shoulder as she took another knife from the knife block sitting on the counter to join me.

Remi pouted her lips, sucking in her cheeks as she frowned. "I'll tell mummy you both are bullying me."

"Do you need transport fare?" I mocked eyeing the short jumpsuit she had on. Mine was blue, hers was yellow. Surprisingly, we were both wearing it today. The upper part was off-shoulder, it ended just below both our knees.

The frown on Remi's face deepened.

"Or would you like a free ride from me? I can carry you on my back to the sitting room." Sister Deola mocked seriousness as she picked one of the spring onions in the plate I had put the ingredients for the fried rice.

Remi stormed out of the kitchen with the frown on her face causing sister Deola and I to laugh.

"That one thinks she can intimidate anyone just because she's the last born." Sister Deola said making me laugh further.

My hand reached for more of the chopped carrots to snack on but sister Deola used the flat side of the knife to hit my knuckles making me retract my hand. "Ahan na!"

"If you finish the carrots, will the carrots be substituted for your teeth?"

Internally, I grumbled and continued with the carrots I was chopping.

"Who is bullying my daughter?" Mummy arrived in the kitchen with a hand on her hip. Remi stood next to her with a smug smile on her face.

"Your daughter is disrespecting her elder siblings." Sister Deola had turned from the chopping board to gaze at mummy and Remi at the door way.

Hastily, I reached for some of the chopped carrots and threw them into my mouth.

"Finish it o, it is your teeth we will use for the fried rice abi?" Mum spoke just as sister Deola had done earlier.

"I told her but she wouldn't listen." Sister Deola threw carrots into her mouth.

Remi walked over to us at the counter and stretched her hand to take some of the carrots. Simultaneously, sister Deola and I tapped her hand making her pout with a frown on her face.

"Mummy!" Remi called in a whiny voice, turning to face our mother whose side was now leaned on the side of the refrigerator.

A disapproving frown reached our mother's face making her approach us. She gave my elder sister and I a very painful knock on the head.

I let out a loud cry of pain immediately after the knock on my head. Sister Deola just rubbed her head as she scrunched her face in pain.

I had just made my hair into the allback style the school had told us girls to make so the knock hurt my head more. As I rubbed the area with my palm, I sighted Remi laughing, mocking sister Deola and I.

"Stop eating the carrots!" Then mum threw some of the carrots I had chopped into her mouth.

Glossary
1) Ode - fool