Zarah - infinite dreams

Chapter Twelve

 
  "Mummy! I'm going already" Zarah shouted across to her mom whom she naturally assumed was outside seeing as she was not inside. Her younger sister who was sleeping peacefully on the bed stirred, a frown marring her seraphic face. Zarah flinched, she hadn't meant to startle her younger sister like that.

"She can't hear you, she's in the bathroom" Justin supplied from outside.

"Okay, when she's done, tell her I've gone to school already."

"Ah! So soon?" Surprise laced his tone "You're early today oh, what happened?"

"Nothing, plus it's already seven anyways. It's not like I'm as early as you make it sound." Zarah responded breezily, putting finishing touches to her already perfect tie.

She stood up from the bed she sat, her face lit with a grin. Smoothening imaginary wrinkles from her uniform, she preoccupied herself with stacking her bag with her books whilst humming a merry tune.

When she was done and sure she forgot nothing, she trod her way carefully out of the tightly packed room and shoved the room door open.

Hustling herself unto the porch, she closed her eyes, exhaled a whispery sigh basking in the warmth of the early morning sunlight.

Justin stared at his younger sister suspiciously. "What happened?"  He questioned quizzically.

Zarah's eyes snapped open. "I don't understand"

"I mean why are you happy?"

"Eh eh!" She clapped "See me see question oh! Why wouldn't I be happy?"

"Sorry Aunty, don't beat me abeg, I was just asking" He said immediately, throwing up his hands in mock surrender.

Zarah responded with a playful glare earning a hearty chuckle from him as he resumed what he was doing before. He was separating the melon seeds in a metal tray on his lap from their husks.

"Have you carried your TP from mummy's purse?" He asked after some seconds without looking up from the seeds on his lap.

"Nah, someone paid my transport fare yesterday so I'll use the money for today although I have a feeling they'd still pay my TP again today"

"Hia! This one that people are just paying your transport , hope they are not all boys?" Justin asked, although you could tell he already knew the answer due to the smile in his voice.

"What if they are?". She threw back playfully.

His head snapped up and his eyes narrowed slightly. " You don't mean it!"

"I do" She said with a smug look on her face.

Her brother started to say something but she didn't get what he was saying because she zoned out staring mindlessly at the room directly opposite theirs.

"Jessica, good morning!" She called out to a dark teenage girl that looked just her age.

Jessica's head whipped up from the dishes she was washing and her mouth dropped open voluntarily in shock.

Zarah could literally hear the questions running through her head and she smiled.

"Em... Good morning" She answered unsurely. She wasn't sure why on earth Zarah was talking to her but she saw it as a golden opportunity and seized it with both hands.

"Uh... Abeg una get washing soap?"

(Please do you have washing soap?)

"Yes I think we do but its only remaining small, Do you want it like that?" Jessica nodded slowly, still dazed.