C8 The writer

"An old woman is always uneasy when dry bones are mentioned in a proverb, Mirabels father said banging the table. "I never said you are wayward, I only said that's what wayward girls do in school. If your conscience is pricking you, then my dear something must be wrong with you" he said eyeing prisca, she was his first daughter.

He was always fond of using proverbs whenever he wanted to prove a point. They never seemed to get along in anything.

It was not as if prisca was stubborn or disrespectful, she was rather strong willed, and since she turned eighteen she had seemed to become bolder which only infuriated her dad who likes keeping everyone under control, including his wife, she was not exceptional, everyone always ran along at his command.

It was only prisca his first daughter and his only son that answered him back but on rare occasion and didn't always end well. He never failed to tell them how woe betides anyone who curse his or her parents.

It was a hot afternoon on a Saturday. Prisca had travelled home after finding out their mom has been ill against her father's wish. Her dad had told her not to come home but rather face her studies that he'd handle everything but she had insisted. He hasn't been happy with her since then and she seemed not to care.

"Oh please, dad, the sound of your voice when you said that, it's as if you were referring to me, I'm not a kid" she said crossing her leg.

"You are going back to school today" he said folding his hands and looking at her sternly.

He had been very shocked two days ago when he heard the door bell and found her in front of the door after he had warned her not to come home.

"But Dad please I want to see Mom today before I leave, the illness is really getting serious, I'm so worried" prisca said.

"Alright then, let's be on our way, where's your brother? He asked.

"I think he's in his room, reading or so, I'd go and get ready then" she said leaving the sitting room for her room.

Mirabels dad looked very worried and troubled. He was always frowning lately. He sighted heavily sitting on the sofar as he waited for her. He was so full of thought, from the doctors report the his wife was not getting any better and it was all his fault. As if that was not enough he was trying his best to be the best father and lead his children in the right way of God, he wanted them to be strong without any form of weakness. He hated some of their weakness, perhaps they would have been better if they were guys, and they were only seeing him as being mean, he thought aloud.

After few minutes prisca came out of the room, she had seen the look in her dad's eyes as she walked past him, but she cared less, he always seemed to pick on everything she did and she was already tired of being his precious daughter who always wanted to please him or earn his trust. Her dad on his own part had wanted to complain about the dress she wore but on a second part decided not to talk for reasons best known to him, or probably because he was too tired to talk.

The drove silently to the hospital which was quite far from the house,they bought some fruits she liked on the way too.

"Dad do you remember the lecturer I told you about, that asks girls meet him up at hotel before he can give them good grades? Pricsa said breaking the silence.

"You didn't tell me, it's your mom you actually told she's the one that told me, what about him? He said.

" He died in a fatal accident o, I know we aren't supposed to rejoice at people's death but I can't help it, my friend had two carry over in his course because she refused him".

"God has his way of judging the wicked, it's not in our hands, but the scripture says suffer not a wish to live. He hates the progress of students, defiling them and therefore he's behaving like one, what can I say, everyone will sow what they reap" he replied.

On reaching the hospital they found her asleep, and just sat and watched her sleep. Her younger sis Jane who has been taking care of her in the hospital sat beside her. She stirred occasionally and moaned like someone in pain as she slept.

"Jane was she able to eat the food I brought in the morning" he asked looking at her thoughtfully.

"She just ate a little" said Jane. She was the youngest sister of mirabels mom in her late twenties.

" Mom please get well soon" prisca whispered almost in tears.

" Prisca it's fine, stop making it look worse than it seems, she's just sleeping and she would get better soon enough" he said firmly but deep down he was also scared.

As if his wife had heard him she woke up from sleep to find three eyes staring at her.

"Mummy, how are you" prisca said taking her hand.

"I am fine my dear" she said smiling at her as she caressed her cheek.

"I pray you get well soon and come home" said prisca.

"Honey how are you feeling" he asked.

She looked at him nodded in reply, like she was too tired to talk and shut her eyes again.

After some hours they left the hospital 🏥. Prisca was very relieved and happier because her mom seemed to have improved more than the previous day. It was already few minutes past five in the evening so her dad had asked her not to go again but rather leave the next day, He was very particular about night travel.

After cooking dinner she dished out the food for everyone and they ate silently at the dinning room, he was also very particular about table manners and no one dared talk while eating.

She was so glad he liked the food and ate everything up because anytime she cooked he either complained that the salt was too much or the pepper seemed not to be enough.

After they finished eating everyone retired to their various rooms. Racheal the last born and baby of the house joined her sister in her own room. She was very fond of her big sis and always stocked to her whenever she was around.

She has been closer to her dad when she was little until she clocked eight, she noticed that dad always raised his voice and looked scary when he was angry and she started shying away from him. Her dad had once mentioned that Adam hid himself from God when he sinned against him and found out that he was naked and that was what she was doing, it had rather amused her.

Prisca picked up her phone to update the story she was writing. She had been writing stories and drawing and painting pictures since she was little until she found a site that paid for it. Since she was little she always loved everything about art and literature.

After her graduation from secondary he dad wanted her to study law against her wish because she wanted to study theatre art, it had brought about series of heated argument between her parents then. Her mom had insisted she studied what she liked and had passion for but Mr Adams had stood his ground. She had still not forgiven her dad for that.

Back in her first year in other to get back and know if he'd change his mind and let her study to course of her choice by taking her studies lackadaisical and bringing home bad grades, but it only made matter worst as he had threatened to pull her completely from. She didn't know if he was serious or not but she didn't want to test his patience so she improved.

But as she picked up her phone to type, she realized her mind was blank and she was running out of ideas. She dropped the phone back and lay on the bed staring at the ceiling.

"I thought you said you wanted to write your story" racheal asked looking up from what she was doing as she noticed her sister had dropped her phone. She was knitting a sweater for her mom.

"Yes, I am thinking" said prisca.

"About what? she asked.

"About what to write in this new novel" she replied.

"Write about us then, you, me, mummy, daddy, our family" Rachel replied innocently beaming with smile.

Prisca looked at her thoughtfully, that was really a good idea, she was going to add to the story, a family just like thiers, it would make her have more idea to put down.

"Thank you baby girl, I would do just that, you are very smart" she replied happily.

"Awwwn, only you and Mom calls me that, I miss mom".

"Don't worry mom will come back soon, come here and give me a hug".

After some time racheal fell asleep on the floor and prisca lay her on the bed and tucked her in.

She went to the fridge drank a cup of water and came back to the room with more energy to write. There was really much to write now as great ideas seemed to be coming out, thanks to racheal.

There was really so much to write about her family, her dramatic mom, her crazy immediate sister, her brother and Mirabel the explorer, incredible Rachael and her dad with his overpowering personality, she thought rolling her eyes.

Hope this novel turns out wonderful for my readers, she thought dreamily as she switched off her phone to sleep, she already heard many die hard followed and fans on the site who looked forward in reading every new novel she started to write. She had just written four chapters in less than three hours. Of course she was a woman of wit and intelligence, it would turn come out wonderful.