C9 THE HUMILIATION OF A GEM 1

This is the second day of Itunu in her foster parent's home, she is gradually feeling less awkward in the place. She slept soundly through the night and that was the first time she slept this comfortably in her young life. Unlike when she was thrown about by her relatives and made to sleep on next to nothing or squeezed into uncomfortable corners of their rooms!

Here she slept on a very soft sleep enhancing bed, she woke up so refreshed and her bones were realigned! She cleaned up her room and after this she joined the family in their morning routines. When they finished she ate the most healthy and delicious breakfast ever in her life!

Jiire on his own, having been rebuked and having heard a bit of Ewanimi's story, he wanted to prove to his mother that he was not a monster and he wanted to get into Itunu's good book. So he was super cordial and friendly With Itunu. The two of them packed the plates to the kitchen after breakfast.

Of course their mother told Itunu to wash the plates alone because Jiire was heading out to school and the driver who will take him to school has come .

When he got to school, his friend who taught him to be a brute to the maid met him and asked him if his mom has brought the new maid home, and if he showed to the maid that he was her lord? But he was very shocked with Jiire's answer

"In a house where the master is a beast, the maids are slapped around, but I am princely and human; so I will treat our maid with a deserved honour as fellow human being!"

His friend was stung with his bitter harsh truth and he was momentarily speechless! When he found his voice he asked with annoyance "On what side of the bed did you wake this morning that you responded to my words as if we were fighting?"

"I am not fighting with you, I only give you the answer of a guy who woke up with his right senses; I mean one who knows that even maids are humans with self esteem and must be treated with respect due them.

A person with this sense knows he needs not be bossy and wicked to prove to a maid that he is the prince and master that must be respected in his father's house.

If Jiire's first answer was a brutal truth and a shock to him, what this second answer did to him was undescribable; he felt so offended and walked away with a furious scowl!

"I will pay you back for this insult in my own time, you just watch out for my turn and make sure you do not complain when I strike you!"

"I will wait for your payback" Jiire said. When he left Jiire said, "As if he can handle me, he almost derailed me!"

Back in his house later that morning, his mom took Itunu out to a children dress store and bought many fanciful dresses that matched her complexion for her. In the store, while they were picking the dresses, she asked Itunu to try some of the dresses so that they can get the right sizes for her.

Due to this Itunu have to parade shyly and joyfully Infront of her in some of those dresses,and Grace was so surprised to see how she glowed in those new clothes. She completely transformed into a very pretty girl before her face! She wondered as she watched her turned and spun gleefully before her what the people she lived with in the slum will say if they see her now!

She know they will not believe she is the same girl she just took away from their slum yesterday, this means it was poverty that dimmed her beauty before. While she was looking at her all over again, she noticed the striking resemblance between her and two of her own daughters again, and those daughters are the two among her daughters who resemble her husband.

If she did not have unshakable believe in her husband, she would think Itunu was a well hidden mysterious daughter of her husband born out of wedlock. She just wonder about the resemblance for a while and took her mind off it as one of the mysteries of life.

They returned home after the shopping , they brought few of the things they bought with them and left the rest to be delivered later by the store courier service. When they returned home it was already late in the afternoon, Itunu was so happy that she did not care about food; but her foster mother made sure she ate something.

After the meal they did some little works here and there in the mansion until Jiire returned home, when he saw Itunu in a new dress he was so amazed at how beautiful she was and how strikingly she resembled two of her sisters and he unconsciously said,

"Wow, you look so beautiful! Mom don't you see that she look like my sisters, she is like their mini version?"

"I told you she is my daughter and not a maid, do you now believe?"

This statement threw Jiire's mind into confusion, but since his mom did not explain he let the matter rest, he believe one day his parent will tell him and his sisters who Itunu really is. For now he bathe, took his meal and sat down to deal with the assignment given to him by one of his teachers; while he was at it Itunu sat calmly beside him, looking at some of his text books.

When he finished he asked her about her former school, in her answer he found out she was behind in her education; by her age she should be ready to move into Junior high school, but she is still in primary four. Jiire promised that he will help her to regain the lost ground so that she can catch up with her mates.

The night soon came, their father returned from his office and they took their meal, after the meal; the way both Jiire and Itunu sat looking at Grace's face showed they want her to continue to tell them the remaining story she began to tell them yesterday.

Seeing them sitting with expectation she said,

"I know you want to hear the rest of the story of Ewanimi, a girl who was extra ordinarily beautiful and brilliant; but who soiled these Grace's in her life with arrogance born out of too much self awareness and hard hearted cruelness!"