CHAPTER 18
The following day Delilah decided to give herself a private holiday. She texted Mr. Allan about being very sick and unable to be at work, she added that she was receiving a home treatment from her mother,
Yes, she always lied to him and as usual he gave her the permission she requested for.
By so doing, he was indirectly telling her that she was special to him than all others at work and that she was going to belong to him one day, and Delilah knew about that.
After she had attended to mails and phone calls from the office, she picked up my headphones and a novel outside the house. She took a slow walk to their pool with a deck-chair and as she went, she shook her head to the rhythm of the song that played through her headphones. She sat on a chair under a shade and began to read.
She read a whole page and when she was about to flip over, she began to dooze.
The breeze was tranquil and the weather was mild, she could not resist the urge to close her eyes and sleep.
When Mama Freda arrived at eve her cellphone rang, it was Melanie, her husband's younger sister who called to inform her that she and her little girl would be visiting during the weekend. Mama Freda walked behind her car after they had spoked at length to unload the goods she purchased from the market, a lot of fried fishes, chocolate candies, a shoe and lots more. She always looked out for her two daughters even though her husband was gone.
Her beloved Dorothy too, confined for a crime she didn't commit.
She was astonished on seeing her daughter's car parked outside, she started to call on her when she had entered the house and wondered why she did not step out to welcome her home.
She paused when there wasn't any response, and walked straightway to the store house to lessen her weight. She washed her hands and took an apple from the fridge and then, she began calling again as she made for the pool since it was one of the places her daughter loved to be.
Delilah always preferred a solitary place where she could sit back and have her entire life replayed in her memory, a place where she would sit down and think up solutions to her problems.
She was simultaneously sleeping and smiling. 'hmm ... divine' Mama Freda uttered as she kept walking up to where she was curled up on a deck-chair and away from this world.
That was a clear evidence of good living. She was about tapping on her legs when she blinked and yawned.
"I heard your footsteps as you were approaching mom, welcome home, how was work?" She sat up and took off her headphones.
"Not bad, not good, we're just coping."
She looked steadily at her daughter's face, she noticed that her eyes were red, she had slept for a long time.
"You're tired, were you at work today?"
"I did not go to work today, I'm really tired mom." She coughed and clasped her hands over her face."My face cloth." She gesticulated.
Delilah's phone beeped, she picked up her phone and after she had checked to see who had sent her a message, with amazement she popped her eyes at her phone to confirm that it was Mr Allan but then, sh had to hide it from Mama Freda.
Her mother passed a little white towel to her and she wiped her mouth.

"You should come to the hospital tomorrow."
"I think it's fever and a headache." Shock made her to turn off her phone, she feared that Mr Allan might decide to call her. And of course she wouldn't want to pick up the call in Mama Freda's presence. She would ask her, "Are you sleeping with your boss?"
"Come to the hospital tomorrow." Mama Freda stressed.
"Yes I will."
"Better. I spoke with Melanie on the phone, she and her daughter would be here by the weekend."
"Nice nice nice... She was at the police station two days ago, she's even more worried about her brother than we are."
'That's because we are starting to accept reality, he could be dead and may not come back." Mama Freda became sad, she began to bite the apple in tiny bits.
"My friend Suzanne has returned from Portugal and on one of these days she will pay me a visit, I want you to be on your best behavior."
"Alright mom but I have no problem."
"You tend to act like a little baby whenever she's around. Meanwhile, I got you a few things from The Jammies Super Store."
"Oh well that is because she's my second mother," She smiled. "Wow, what did you buy from TheJammies?"
"You guess." She flicked a finger at her and rested her jaw on her palm with support from the arm chair.
"Fried fish, or a pink gown..or blue anything." She rolled my eyes left and right with my hands raised in the air as if to say what else if not these. She leaned back on the deck chair and smiled again showing her teeth, she sure had an infectious smile because her mother was smiling too.
"Well...fried fish, sliced bread, choccy ice and blue suede shoes."
"Oh I wouldn't trade you for gold, mere gold." She got up abruptly. "Dinner is served already!" She started walking away, she paused and turned around. "What do want to have for dinner?"
"White rice with vegetable salad."
"Lilah, I also bought grilled shrimps and fried potatoes inside a foil!" Mama Freda had to shout since her daughter had already disappeared into the house.
That night in her room, she checked her phone for Mr Allan's message: Get well soon Delilah, we miss your presence.
She blushed and held her cheeks, she quickly typed him a reply: 'We' miss your presence or 'you' miss my presence? Please be explicit.
Absently, she deleted the reply and forced her self to sleep.
During the night, Mama Freda startled her with the squelching sounds of her footsteps in the corridor. Her soul seemed tgood luck been swept out of her body and she listened carefully and suddenly her door was flung open, and her mother stood by it with a worried face.
"I had a nightmare, twice. I can't sleep Lilah." She was sweating.
"Join mevin my bed then," She took up the duvet. "You will be fine, who did you see in your dream?"
"Your father ."
"What... what about him?"
"Never mind."
She moved into a chair placed by the wall, the foam was covered with a blue velvet, soft and comforting. Mama Freda raised both her legs and rested them on Delilah's bed and leaned on it with her face facing the ceiling. Her face was heavy, her eyes glistened strangely, she probably had been tearing.
"I'll be better here."
"Have you ever thought of re marrying?" Curious Delilah asked, she expected her to say yes of course I have plans to be married again but she said a different thing.
"No not already, not ever." She shrugged twice. "I'll be fine Lilah believe me."
"That's cool so you wouldn't bring in a bully or a monster back home."
"Monsters aren't really proven by appearance today, a lot of people are leaving with monsters in their homes."
"Phew..."
Through out the night, Mama Freda slept on the chair. At dawn, Delilah watched as she ate her breakfast hastily, wore her dress and walked up to her car.
It was so unlike her, she usually waited till daybreak before she drove to work.
"Mom?"
"Yes Lilah good morning sweetheart I left your food on the table, remember to come to the hospital today for a check-up."
"I think it's too early for you to step out on the road, I mean it's still dark and they will be a few vehicles on the road, or don't you think so?"
"I had a call from the office dear and it should be about something urgent, I need to go."
"Alright but I thought it's weekend, they should allow you have some rest, well, I want to talk with you about something."
"Oh what could that be?" She closed the door of her car and walked back to the steps where Delilah was standing with a curious look.
"I now have a lawyer mom."
"Oh dear you have a lawyer or you have found a lawyer?"
"I have a lawyer who's a public defendant mom, Dorothy will be back home soon."
Mama Freda hugged her daughter, the gloomy countenance she was putting up before had suddenly been replaced with happiness.
"Today I was going to sleep with a man who promised to solicit for your sister at the court only if I could let him have his way with me." Delilah pulled away instantly with an open mouth and surprised face, "He said he didn't want to use condoms but after I pleaded with him he re-considered me and here...." She fetched a pack of condoms from her handbag and waved it at her face. "This is it, I swore to do anything to preserve you both remember?"
"Who is this evil man?"

Story continued
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