Aeipathy ➳ Normani ✓

five

C H A P T E R F I V E
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It was clear that Onewa was very jittery from the way her smile was painfully stretched on her face. Her eyes exuded anxiety, too. She was dressed in an outfit similar to the one she'd worn the last time Normani had seen her -- a pair of jeans, a patterned dashiki and old, sturdy trainers. Her hair was covered completely in a headscarf.

Onewa's was very humble, an open plan house with slightly outdated appliances and crumbling architecture. In the distance, she could hear the TV playing and assumed the child she'd be looking after was the one watching.

"Thank you for agreeing to do this Normani, I can't thank you enough." Onewa said.

"No thanks needed, I should thank you for the extra income."

"Things are so expensive these days, extra income is a blessing. Sometimes I just feel like dropping off of the face of the Earth, just for a day so I don't gotta worry about bills, or work or school."

"I totally relate." Normani said -- though compared to Onewa, her troubles were miniscule. Although college was stressful and her dancing kept her busy she didn't have it as hard as the woman before her. Onewa had a whole other human she had to feed and look after, along with college with its pressures and working in a busy city like New York.

"Anyways, I should get going or I'll be late. You have my cellphone number so you'll give me a call if anything goes wrong."

"Yes ma'am." Normani nodded.

"Let me introduce you to my daughter," Onewa said and motioned for Normani to follow her into the living room. The living room was small and only contained one couch and arm chair, along with a battered, square TV set. On the floor, right in front of the TV was a little girl who looked no older than two years.

"Ekhana baby, come say bye-bye to Mama and hi to Normani."

The child turned her head from the TV and looked up at her mother and then Normani.

She was a beautiful little thing, with a small cocoa-coloured face and large dark eyes and large natural hair. She stood and waddled to her mother and raised her arms to indicate that she wanted to be picked up. Onewa kissed her face a couple of times and cradled her close.

"Be a good girl for Normani, okay?"

The child nodded.

"Give Mommy a kissy." She said and the little girl puckered her lips and kissed her mother.

"I love you, okay?" Onewa said and Ekhana nodded.

Onewa lowered her back onto the ground and she waddled back to her previous spit in front of the TV.

"Ekhana doesn't talk much, but she is an easy baby. Just let her watch TV for a little while longer and feed her some crackers and juice in a little over half an hour. Use the pink sippy cup at the sink and place the crackers in the red bowl."

"Okay, got it." Normani nodded.

"Now I must go." Onewa said but it was clear that she still seemed a but anxious about leaving her baby with Normani.