Chapter 36_ Food at Last

Again, senior Eira rushed her instructions.

Perhaps, we might have forgotten the

details of her previous instruction.

"Sneak to the spaces under the sinks on

the count of three." she looked at us to see

if we were with her.

We nodded that we understood.

I personally couldn't wait. If l knew we would be sneaking, I would not have been reluctant about coming. It was such an esprit I always loved, sneaking.

"One...two..three" she finalized and we

scurried under the sinks we first hit upon

like diminutive rats.

I squeezed myself under the space fittingly.

There was a man who should be in his early

forties busy with his cooking business.

From where I was under the sink, I watched

him work with a frying pan, he was frying

cronuts which sent back some memories

back at home.

Mama used to fry cronuts in her pastry

store. I used to steal that for Anas whenever mama complains she was eating too much of it and she shouldn't eat it anymore. I remember my well-mannered

baby sister would respectfully decline stating that it was only right for a properly mannered young lady to follow her mother's instructions.

It was funny how I was the elder but she

admonishes me and surpasses me in

matters of etiquette. Whenever she preaches on to me about lines mama had installed in her, I would scatter her hair playfully and cut the words off her mouth.

I was just glad she was there. You know, mama would have her to care for her even

though she couldn't remember me now. But

I want to believe the void would be there.

Maybe just maybe, somewhere deep down

in her, she would feel that something was

missing. That a space was void, Motherly

instincts maybe.

However, I do not want to count on that in

order not to be disappointed later when I find out she has just been living her life happily the way senior Eira's parents were living theirs without her.

It must have been heartbreaking for the

senior. It would be heartbreaking for me if it

was me. So, I felt and understood the senior's pain and the unforgiving gaze when Mia scolded her for going to see her

mother.

It was something I know l'll also do myself.

How can I get a chance to go to the other

dimension where I know mama and Anas

would be, then the the school expects me

to act like they don't exist and just return to

the school?

Hell no, I would certainly pay them a one-sided visit like senior Eira did her family.

My gaze traveled to senior Eira and I saw

she was already picking up some of the

cheesesteaks lined on the rack by the busy

chef.

She would peep and watch the chef closely.

when he was not looking, she would steal

one and then two of the cheesesteak.

I knew she would soon be done. I glanced

at Mackenzie too, she was picking up the

food with ease. The chef was not on his

stand but the food he was preparing, he had

served some of them on the rack pan

where Mackenzie was picking from.

As I was about to avert my gaze, I saw the

chef return with a bottle of Apple wine. He

handed the bottle over to Mackenzie when

he got to her.

My mouth popped open without waiting for

my consent.

She was using her powers again. I do not think using our powers selfishly to our

benefit was alright. Perhaps, she had forgotten all about what we were taught in

the magical ethics class.

Sometime later, I have to remind her. I don't

want her to end up turning to another Ajax. I

heard that was how it started with Ajax.

Using his magic and bending it to his will

made him get greedy and he wanted more.

When next we have teacher Hadleigh's

class, I would make sure Mackenzie was

present. Not just present, that she pays

attention because it was obvious she hasn't

been paying attention.

I quickly commenced with what I had come

to the kitchen to do. The chef still hadn't noticed me. I saw him place another cronut

in the pile of the already fried ones he had

fried and had placed on the stainless sieve.

Slowly, I extended my hand when he was

not looking, and gently I picked up a cronut

and then two. I thought four should be

enough for breakfast and lunch and I was

about to pick up the third one..

Clang!

The pauni in his hand that he was using for

frying fell just right in front of my foot

I saw him bend slowly and my heart began

thumping hard in my chest. He bent and

extended his hand without looking to pick

the pan up. When he couldn't pick it up

without looking, he made to bring his face

closer to see clearly.

As my heart raced faster, I used my feet to

push over the pauni into his hand.

"Oh" he whispered as the pan reached his

hand and he picked it up. He resumed his

frying without noticing me.

Pheew!

I sighed as my heart had almost jumped out

of my chest.

I saw the other girls also heaved a sigh of

relief. They had witnessed the chef bending

toward me.

Senior Eira gave me a thumbs up while

Mackenzie nodded at me.

I picked up the two more cronuts I wanted

to take and saw senior Eira's signal if it was

cool to go now and I nodded approvingly.

So did Mackenzie.

Slowly we crept out of our hideouts and crawled our way out of the kitchen zone.

When we got to the door, I cried out my

shock.

"That was close!"

"It was but you did well. Remember you will

face more than this when you start going

on missions so take this as an exercise."

senior Eira exhorted.

Any little matter, senior Eira would reference them to missions. It seemed as though the missions were precious to her even more than it was to the school. But, I know that was not possible. She must have gone to a lot of it that she does not know better than to mention it at any given stint.

"Why are you carrying so much?" I asked

Mackenzie who had about five

cheeseburgers on her own hand plus the

bottle of Apple wine the chef had passed on

to her.

"When you come back on your own to get

dinner and maybe breakfast tomorrow,l and

senior Eira would not come with you

because we've carried enough to last us

throughout the day" her voice was calm but

the sarcasm was barely hard to miss.

Reciprocating her sarcasm... "I did carry

enough to last me for the day, I do not

necessarily need to eat so much" I barked.

Senior Eira was about to call us to order

when another voice did behind us.

"Aren't you students supposed to be in

curfew?" the thick dominant voice echoed.

Oh no!

I knew that voice, I had promised myself I

wouldn't get on his bad side throughout the

years I would spend in the school. Now, it

seems getting on his bad side was inevitable.

"Don't turn" senior Eira instructed. We

started moving forward without looking

back and turning to him.

"Stop in your tracks, don't make me stop

you." he repeated.

I and Mackenzie were about to turn when

senior Eira stopped us. " Don't make the

mistake of making him see your face".

We stood confused and didn't know what to

do.

In a flash, we heard a slimy sound surging

our way. Realization of what it was dawned

on me.

"All black!" I screamed.

My shout or was it the nickname that made

him pause, which gave us the time to run

away.

"Bring your hands!" senior Eira shouted and

we grabbed her extended hands

immediately.

She teleported us out of there and the next

thing, we found ourselves in our room. Oh

no, it wasn't our room. It was the room we

found ourselves in during the curfew.

When we arrived the room, we panted like

hungry lions, and Mia shot us a surprised

look.

"What took you thieves so long." she said

with a mouthful.

l almost went over to slap the food out of

her mouth." Just shut up, you timid

momma's girl. I have a feeling the school

will expel you for lack of guts" I spat.

"I was not the cause of your predicament

missy. Why don't you lash out on who you

should." she continued to eat her food.

Mackenzie jumped on the second bed

"Atleast we got the food " she dropped the

cheeseburgers on the bare sheet. " And

drink" she raised her drink up.

"And a stained sheet" senior Eira shook her

disapprovingly at her

She ignored the senior and began to eat her food and so did I.

I had almost no energy left in me before

and the last encounter with all black just

drained the little energy down to zero.

"Are we not going to be in trouble with teacher Zane later?" Mackenzie asked.

"He did not see our faces" senior Eira

replied then turned to me. " Why did you

scream all black like that? You better don't

mention that name ever again. The teacher

has a retentive memory and he doesn't

forgive easily. Next time you mention the

name in front of him, he would pick up on

who you are immediately." she finalized, a

warning tone in her voice.

I heard Mia gasp " You got in trouble with

teacher Zane?!"

"Why don't you mind your business you

selfish chubby face"I hissed even though

she doesn't have a chubby face. I just had

to find words to insult her with and that was

the first to cross my mind.

She almost shrieked "I don't have a chubby

face!"

"I see you've gotten a new glasses" Mackenzie broke the brewing brawl.

That got Mia's attention away from me "I

have." she smiled.