Behind the Mask✔

Chapter 8

          I had spent five weeks already in the hospital and since school examinations had begun and I was still in the hospital, mum had arranged with the school that my exam papers be brought to me everyday in the hospital by Mrs Ibeh. I was writing biology, my last paper for the term with Mrs Ibeh as my invigilator. Occasionally, she would stand and walk around a bit and if I noticed her coming near me, I would cover the script with my hand and she would just shake her head and laugh "If you like, use wrapper to cover it, I will still see it" I would just shake my head and laugh in reply.

       When I was done,  she took my script and kept it safely in her bag and looked at me and laughed "I'm very sure it wasn't hard" It actually was very easy so I smiled at her "It was easy ma" I said and she nodded confidently "I'm sure you will do well"  I  sincerely hoped I would considering the fact that before the exam started,  dad had warned me that being in the hospital was not an excuse to lag behind and I knew better than to fail. I sighed as I remembered this "Ma, are you very sure I'll do well?" I asked her and she smiled lovingly.  Honestly, I wished every teacher was as kind as Mrs Ibeh , but teachers like Mr Wusliu, our geography teacher just had to exist. "I'm very sure you'll do well" Mrs Ibeh said "You took your notes and assignments seriously and your mother told me you wanted to kill yourself with books, you're a good child. I'm sure you'll do excellently because you've put in your very best. I can see that " I nodded and Mrs Ibeh raked her fingers through her long hair which she left down natural style. Black beauty, I thought. She didn't look old at all. Maybe she wasn't.  She missed being short narrowly and was a bit fleshy. Overall, she was beautiful and yes, she had a little of the Christian mother arms. If you know what I mean. "Now that you've finished exams and they would soon discharge you. Use this holiday to rest inugo ? " "Yes ma" I answered her "Eh hen!" She exclaimed before leaving "I must not see you at the school Christmas party next week ". My eyes  early popped out of their sockets "Ma, why? " She looked at me like I had grown two heads "What do you want to do there?" She asked me "I want to see my friends " Especially Bimpe, I wanted to add "You will see them during the holiday or when second term resumes" She said sternly and I nodded. She smiled again then we said our goodbyes and she left. I decided to walk around the room and little . The cast on my leg had been removed and I was fine except for few aches here and there. The room wasn't large so walking around wasn't a problem. I sighed at the place that had  been my home for the past five weeks. Aunty Ebere and Aunty China had apparently joined forces with grandma to make mum's life miserable.  Many times all three of them attacked mum at once and dad always said nothing. Mum said he was hardly home.  Aunty Chika was a married mother of four yet , she had the time to come to another woman's home and cause problems.  Mum told me she wasn't staying over but she had been to our house at least four times a week since grandma arrived. Aunty Ebere on the other hand, was not married and she ran a tailoring business but she still lived with her parents; my paternal grandparents but now that grandma was around,  she was also around and that woman was a serious thorn in the flesh. I was sure that the drama they all displayed here in the hospital was nothing compared to what they did at home and God knew I was not ready for such. How would I get used to all the stress? And heaven knew when they would be going back to their homes. A knock on the door jolted me from my thoughts and I answered "Come in" Aunty Anne came in with Uncle Felix and I screamed. I had not seen Uncle Felix in a long while "Uncle Felix " I shouted and jumped into his arms. The man was strong enough to catch me "Jasie girl , how are you? " he asked using the nickname the family gave me "I'm fine sir " I replied excitedly "Hmm, wonders shall never end " Aunty Anne said clapping dramatically "So Jasmine, all the time I've been coming here,  you weren't happy to see me abi?  It's Felix that you saw and you're happy" We all laughed "Aunty Anne, no nau" I said going to hug her. "I've been very happy all the time I've being seeing you "  I was actually saying the truth, I was happy that Aunty Anne was here. "See,  don't mind Anne let's go and sit" Uncle Felix said playfully and we all went to sit down "How are you? " Uncle Felix asked once we settled with me on the bed and both of them on the chair "I'm fine sir. I'm much better now " . He nodded and a serious  expression enveloped his face "Nothing must happen to you, okay?"  "Yes sir " I said "Nothing must happen to you, we can't loose you. It'll shatter us and..." his voice broke "It will kill Mabel.  She loves you more than life " I smiled as he mentioned mum. "I love her too" I said calmly "We all do" Aunty Anne said animatedly "and in that spirit of love, we want to throw her a surprise birthday party ". Kill me! A surprise party for mum. I am so in. Mum is a Christmas day baby so her birthday never went uncelebrated because we usually spent the day at her parents' house with her siblings and their families and it was always fun spending time with my cousins but I guess they wanted a party because it was her thirtieth birthday  "I'm excited " I screamed "That's the spirit" Uncle  Felix said. The man was such a vibe and always lively "We need your help" Aunty Anne said "I'm sure you know your grandma and aunties have been making your mother angry and from the look of things , they'll be around for Christmas so we can't have the party at your house , they'll spoil the fun so we've decided that the party would be at our parents place so we need you to alert any of us when she's going there especially that week and we need you to convince her not to cook anything " I nodded thoughtfully.  Usually, everyone prepared something from their homes and brought it to my grandparents' house and we'll all eat but now since there was a party, I'm sure my uncles and aunties would want to prepare more than usual "But Aunty Anne, if I tell her not to cook she could get very suspicious especially if I try to stop her from going over there so let's allow her cook. You know it's not easy to surprise mummy,  any slight change and she becomes suspicious " I added "Ah! it's true o " Aunty Anne said "Mabel that's like a spirit ,  you cannot hide something for long before she will start asking questions"  Uncle Felix nodded in agreement " I think you ladies are right. Let Mabel cook and think it's the usual Christmas celebration"  "Are we inviting anyone? " I asked "Well, not sure yet. You know it's Christmas day, people will be with their families and we also want it to be a family celebration with a little more groove than usual" Uncle Felix said and I squealed and we all laughed.

       We were in the middle of our laughter when the door flew open and Aunty Ebere came in. I mentally rolled my eyes,  she couldn't even knock "Good afternoon ma " I greeted her and she simply nodded ignoring Aunty Anne and Uncle Felix "Hello,  Ebere can't you greet or are we too small for you to see?" Uncle Felix asked and Aunty Ebere hissed " Did you greet me?" she asked rudely "Jesus!" Aunty Anne exclaimed and I chuckled which resulted in Aunty Ebere giving me a hard knock " Ogini,  Why are you laughing? " she asked me "Shouldn't she laugh again or she should cry because of you? " Aunty Anne defended me and I mentally hyped her "Look, Anne or whatever you call yourself I don't have time for you this afternoon. I came for Jasmine " Aunty Ebere retaliated "So, what Mabel has been saying is true?" Uncle Felix said angrily, standing up and Aunty Anne followed suit and held him . Uncle Felix was quite like mum, not very tolerant of nonsense and his anger was on another level "Oh, so Mabel has been gossiping with my name okwa ya?" Aunty Ebere said rudely. It was honestly taking my all not to turn and give the woman a resounding slap. Her utterances made no sense at all and yet she kept talking like a broken record "Can you just shut up?" Aunty Anne said angrily "What is your problem? Just to greet people is what you can't do. Jasmine here greeted you as her elder and you can't do same and you're even calling Mabel by her name when you dare not do same to her husband who is her age mate and you can't greet us that are seniors to the person you say is your elder brother. You're just a mannerless goat" Aunty Anne said and honestly, I was happy. Aunty Ebere was rude to mum and her siblings  yet dad and grandma encouraged her. Aunty Ebere frowned at Aunty Anne, obviously she had no comeback for Aunty Anne's comment but I wasn't too surprised,  guess you can't argue with the truth. "Anne leave her,  it's Michael I blame giving her leverage to insult his wife" Uncle Felix said. "Jasmine dear, I'm going now but I'll come back tomorrow " Uncle Felix said and I nodded. Now we were ignoring Aunty Ebere "Let me see you off "Aunty Anne said and then turned to me "Jasmine, I'm coming back okay? " "Yes ma" I said " Coming back to do what? " Aunty Ebere shouted. Welcome back from the shock  I said mentally. Aunty Anne ignored her and just as they were about leaving,  Dr Adegoke rushed in saying words that shocked me  "Mabel has been brought in unconscious"

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There goes Chapter 8. Sorry for the late update.
We hope Mabel is fine o.
Thanks for reading,  God bless.