C5 NOT SO IN MY OWN HOUSE 1

When they left the mansion that morning, Emiola too went out because he still have some things to attend to in his office; so Grace was left alone with Itunu for the first time. She took her to a room she has prepared for her, when Itunu heard that the room solely belong to her she marvelled, because the room was far bigger than the one she shared with her aunt, her husband and the three children.

She looked at the bed in the room and she unconsciously touched it, she has never slept on a bed before in all the places she has lived; she either sleep on a mat or spread some worn out rag - like clothes on bare floor and laid on it!

Seeing this beautiful room and the soft bed that is now called her own, she was nearly moved to tears been a sensitive child. She wondered in her heart how things could suddenly turned this good for her. While she was thinking about this change of fortune, Grace collected the small bag that held all her belongings from her hand and empty its contents on the floor.

The reason she did this under the bright light in the room is to be sure she did not come with materials that has bed bugs from the slum. After she examined the few things in her bag and saw they were really not worth keeping, she told her that all of them must be burnt and she will buy her better replacements.

This caused Itunu another big surprise who in all her life has never been given a new dress, now she heard that complete new set of dresses will be bought for her! She was completely overwhelmed and began to thank Grace; but Grace asked her to sit down on the bed for a heart to heart talk.

When they sat down, she told her that the only way she expect her to say her thanks is to be a good and obedient child. She told her that the same way this relationship is sudden to Itunu is the same way it is sudden to her too; this because she actually was looking for a maid to hire before her hair stylist tipped her for adoption and she decided to adopt her as her daughter.

After explaining this to her, she begged her again to be a good girl And give her no reason to regret this adoption. At the end of her speech, she told Itunu never to tell anyone who she was before she came into her home. Rather she must tell people she is Itunu Emiola.

When Itunu heard this, she knelt down as a well cultured Yoruba girl, with tears of joy on her face she held Grace hands with both her small hands, like a mature person; she thanked and promised her that she will not do anything to make her regret the adoption and the bearing of her family name.

Grace was highly emotionally moved when she saw the way she acted. She knew Itunu understood more than she told her in few words; she also knew that the difficult circumstances she has been through has caused her to be more matured than her age. She picked her up where she knelt and hugged her to her chest warmly as a loving mother and said,

"Please be very free in this house, you are my daughter from today and till the end of our lives, do you hear me?"

"Yes ma" Itunu answered. But Grace corrected her and say, " You should say yes mummy"

Shyly Itunu said, "Yes mummy"

Grace noticed that she was shy and reserved and she knew it will take her time to be completely free to talk to her the way she wanted. She held her arm length away from her embrace and looked into her eyes, just at that moment it dawn upon her that Itunu actually resemble two of her daughters so well and this was a very big surprise for her! And she said to her,

"You actually resemble two of my daughters, with this resemblance it won't be difficult for people to agree that you are my blood, so call me mummy; do you hear?""

"Yes mummy" Itunu still shyly answered.

After this mother and daughter heart to heart discussion, Grace took her through the mansion and it's environment; they did some works here and there; while they were doing those works she saw that it was not a case of Itunu trying to impress her, but she was naturally strong and hardworking like her own daughters.

This made her to pay attention to her striking resemblance to her daughters again, and then wondered how this strange girl could resemble her own daughters facially and in the ways she does things!

Later, they took their bath, ate and she told Itunu to go to her room and have a siesta. She herself went to the master bedroom to take a nap. But Itunu is not used to sleeping in the noonday where she came from, so she tossed and tossed on the bed with her young soul wondering about this current happening in her life.

In her young heart she was afraid that this turn around won't last, because she has never enjoyed any lasting good season as she was constantly thrown around by her family members. Due to this she prayed because she somehow believe in praying to God

"God, please let this daddy and mummy keep me here and send me to school as they promised my aunt, God please I am begging you; please if you do this for me I will, I will, ehm, I don't know what I will do; but I will thank you!"

After this prayer she wondered about the house Grace and her husband gave to her aunt, then in her heart she believed her aunt's husband will come back and forcefully take over the house from her aunt if he hear that this house was given to her.

The man never liked Itunu, he used to call Her a jinx that nobody want, and he was always against her aunt for wanting her! He even used to blame her for their poor state; as if they were not poor when she came to join his household. So she used to threaten her aunt that one day he would leave the one room apartment for her and Itunu and go to a far away place where they won't be able to find him

Itunu felt this was what he has done after her aunt gave birth to the triplets. He ran away from his responsibility and left her aunt to single handedly care for three new born babies and the other three growing kids. Thinking of this she wondered what will eventually become of her if Grace did not show up. She definitely knew her aunt will not for long be concerned with her wellbeing; when she will not even be able to care for her own children.

This made her to appreciate the sudden appearance of Grace in her life at a time so crucial as this, then she solemnly vow that she will do everything in her power to make Grace and her family happy and not regret that she adopt her.

The thought of her past life as she was thrown around between her aunt's and uncles haunted her soul in no small way! This was the reason she laid on a comfortable bed for the first time in her life and sleep eluded her.

She got up after much tossing and quietly returned to the sitting room and sat down alone, feasting her eyes on the gorgeous decorations in the place.