The Silence Within

Chapter 4

Her father had said nothing but her mother had scolded her as if she was a kid. Everything she wanted to say fell into deaf hears. Her mother had just shouted and scolded more which angered her. None of it was her fault. That old woman had bumped into her car. Why will no one listen to her? She was the victim, the one the woman had beaten up. The woman left scars on her neck. It still stings. Nobody had said anything about that. Now, she had to use makeup and her hair to cover it up anytime she want to go out. She turned in bed, hugging her pillow to her head. The pillow smelt like her, feminine and seductive. Wanting to do something with her hand, she sat up, crossed her legs underneath her and got hold of her camera, Mac 6, which was on the bed. She picked the hand towel on her nightstand and proceeded to wipe the camera clean.

She had nine siblings, a father who was a senior advocate of Nigeria and one of Nigeria's richest and most influential men. Her mother owns one of the most expensive secondary schools in Lagos state, Abuja, Kaduna, Port Harcourt, Kano and Yola. The eldest of her siblings was Shola, thirty-one years of age, a successful lawyer who was married to Dolapo, with three adorable kids.

The second was Makinde, a successful car dealer, who export and import automobiles, married to Amarachi, with a kid and two years younger to Shola. Toke was the third, the jobless wife, who lives a lavish life depending solely on her husband's and parents' money, married to her childhood sweetheart, Nathan and still pregnant with their first child, a year younger to Makinde and three years younger to Shola. The fourth was Miracle, the computer engineer, who would soon leave the country for Baltimore to further his doctorate degree in electrical and computer engineering at John Hopkins.

She was the fifth, who had spent eleven years of her life in California due to many reasons and had returned back to Nigeria two years ago, two years younger to Miracle. Samson and Sarah were after her, twenty years of age and studies in Babcock University, Nigeria, both in their third year. Taiwo and Kehinde also known as Tenny and Kenny, identical female twins, seventeen years of age and in their final year in senior secondary school, attending British International School, Lagos. The youngest was Mofe, fifteen years of age first year in senior secondary school and attends the same school with Tenny and Kenny.

She swiped the lens, her Mac 6, sitting in her palm. She was like a proud swordsman who wiped the glinting blade of his sword with diligence and peace. The camera sat in the hand on the one who knows how to hold it, who got power from it, who emitted strength with it.

They had everything on a platter of gold. They were born with a silver spoon in their mouth. Their mother, Cynthia, had not deprived them of the love and attention they needed and had always been with them. Their father was a busy man so they hardly spend time with him but he was generous at heart when it comes to money. During Lola's stay in California, her mother had tried to visit whenever she could, just to see her and spend some time with her. What she disliked most was the fact that her parents' marriage had turn almost cold. This was due to many reasons she chose not to remember. They hurts and had left scars in everyone's heart.

Aside from the scars her parents' marriage had left caused, she had her own scars and pain and secret she hid from the world. She shut her eyes trying to push away memories that swamp in. The little creak of her room's door got her attention. She sat still on the queen size bed to see her mother walking into the deluxe room.

The colour of her room was neutral. Grey, white and black were colours of most of the items in her room. The floor was white, the bedpost, walls and other furniture were white except the armchair and sofas which were black Italian leather, her curtains grey. There was a flat screen television, the biggest size, opposite her bed with a home theatre and a big frame of her picture above her bed. The room was always cold with the air-conditioner always working. Her feminine scent each time, hangs in the clean air.