CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Bukky peeled, washed and sliced the potatoes with so much care and precision. Bisi stared at her in fear and amazement.

"Madam, you are not meant to be here. My madam go vex with me" Bisi protested

"Do not worry" Bukky tried to calm her down

"I am very worried madam, my mistress would not let me 'hear word' if she hears that you were in the kitchen today" Bisi continued her protest

Bukky laughed, "please call me Bukky. I am your mistress' daughter-in-law; she shouldn't be angry that I am in the kitchen with you"

Bisi murmured a protest that still failed to get Bukky out of the kitchen. She ignored Bisi and fried the potatoes. She left some on the table for Bisi and Habib when she was done frying.

"Please remember to give Habib his share" she said as she left the kitchen. Bisi stared at her in amazement. All she did was to stand there cajoling her to leave the kitchen, but she peeled and fried the potatoes, and within a blink of an eye, she had cleaned up the whole kitchen.

Bukky found Tola at the dining table; she seemed upset at the empty bread nylon.

"May I treat you to these?" Bukky asked and she spun around in shock

"Aunty Bukky" Tola said with a smile beaming all over her face. She caught a glimpse of the chips in her aunt's hand and her tummy growled.

"Are those for me?" she asked

"Tola, I asked you a question first!" Bukky laughed

"Oh yes, you may treat me to the fried potatoes in your hand" Tola said as she smiled

"Well then, please give your mother this one and we can share the other" she dropped a plate on the table and nudged another to Tola.

Tola collected the plate and to her aunt's amazement, shouted Bisi's name

"Bisi!"

Bisi responded hastily as usual "yes miss?"

Tola handed her the plate "please give this to my mother from aunty Bukky"

Bisi left as Tola made to sit with her aunt at the dining table; she was stunned to see her aunt staring at her with parted lips.

"Did I do anything wrong?" she asked

"I am just shocked that you sent someone else to your mother when I had asked you to do so"

Tola smiled to herself; she had almost forgotten that this was her father's sister. She was and still is gentle but strict. She believed so much that respect is reciprocal and even a baby required respect. She was going to be honest and tell her aunt the truth.

"I have never served my mother before"

"This could have been a good time to start"

"Aunty Bukky, I rarely talk to her and she barely listens to me. I do not really want to see her or talk to her today. Do you know how hurtful it is to be neglected?"

"Now this, I would like to know more about. How can you be cold in your relationship to your mother?" Bukky asked her niece as she dipped a chip in ketchup and popped it into her mouth.

"I think that question should be for my mother"

"I see, so what is your relationship with your father like?"

Tola thought for a moment before answering "I do love my Dad and we are quite close except that.. I only see him once in a blue moon"

Bukky ruminated on the answer she was given; clearly the girl was shunned too often

"You would be resuming the university soon. Are you scared of leaving home for the first time?"

"Nope" Tola continued eating

"Really?"

"I am just hoping I make good friends there that will listen and chat with me"

"Are you saying you have never made any friend?"

Tola remembered Esohe "no, I have made friends before just that we had already parted ways after high school"

"Ok then. What course are you going to study in the university?"

"Law"

"Is that your choice?"

"Perhaps, I guess so"

"What do you aim for? What is your goal in life?"

Tola was silent for a while, "I want to become a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and I want to be the next CEO of my father's company"

Bukky laughed, "don't you think a course in commercial will better equip you for that?"

"I think so, but I am ready to make it work; I will strife to make it to my dream"

"I am happy that you have made your decision"

"Why is that?"

"Your decisions and choices in life are keys; I believe they can lock and open doors either positive or negative. Making right decisions is paramount for a successful life"

"Are you saying I cannot be a CEO?"

"No my dear, I am saying your plans and the choices you make to get there must be thought over carefully besides, you can be anything you want. I just want you to remember that dreaming big requires you to make tough decisions like discipline, hard work and diligence."

Tola rolled her eyes; this was one of those speeches she had heard before. Her aunt caught her in the act.

Bukky sighed, "Tola, I am telling you this because I love you and I am worried about you. You are yearning so much for attention; this usually makes people to make desperate decisions that can lead to pit falls; I am just admonishing my niece to avoid making such decisions."

"Don't worry aunty Bukky, I will make right decisions in the university and always" Tola promised

Bukky smiled and handed her a book, "I believe so. Here is my graduation gift to you; reading this book is the best choice I have ever made in my life. I hope you also make that choice"

Tola received the book and scanned through it "Thank you, I like the fact that the book is pink; it is my best color"

"Really? I never knew that, but you are most welcome"