Chapter 2

🎵🎶 Welcome, to a place where you can play.

🎵A place where you can ring your friends, but you all have to stay.

🎵Welcome, we will meet you at the door.

🎵You must tell us all your secrets before you can explore

🎵The life you had before is gone, that's never gonna change

🎵But we'll all love you, hate you and we'll tell you every day

🎵 Beware, the air is different when you step inside the door

🎵And smile, they're all watching...

🎵Welcome to the madhouse

🎵You've never seen a place like this before

🎵 Welcome to the madhouse

🎵Where they all come back for more

🎵🎶 Welcome to the madhouse 🎶 🎵

Thanks Tones and I.

Home sweet home, people!

I welcome you guys to my place of residency. I call it 'The ancient of days.'

Hmm….

Nothing special, actually. I'll introduce you to everyone but first, let's talk about 'Ancient of days'

You see this big building here? The reason why I call it 'Ancient of days' you might be certain to be curious. It is not just a house or an ordinary building.

It is an old mansion.

A lot of my family members dwell here, including I and Corey. It is like a family house or something?

What a family tree.

It is huge, wide, tall and large. It has so many rooms, two living rooms, each balconies and so on. The outside looks so old – but not like that of a haunted house.

Don't get me wrong.

My great-great-great-grandfather, great, great, great, great forefathers and mothers stayed here too. In fact, they owned the foundation of the building.

Uncles, aunties, nieces, nephews, brothers, sisters, mommies, daddies, grand and greatgrand – everybody dwell here together.

I only grew up here, since birth, I've been living here with my family members and if anyone is born, we raise them here too.

It's like a culture thing. Just our way of life and living. The men in the family marrys and start their family here. We have enough of burry ground for anyone who dies – am not literally saying we entertain death here.

And if a woman marrys, she'll only spend little time with her husband in his house or bring him over to get a tip of our home.

Awkward. Weird.

I know.

It's our culture. It's our gene. A generation to generation something.

Have I introduced you to our farmyard yet?

Oh! I haven't.

Come let me take you to it.

We have a very big farmland – great acres enough to create two to three estates at the back side of the mansion. The compound together including the farmland should be half of an airport.

I really love this place. Especially, the farm.

My family specializes on the farm so much than taking care of themselves. They're all bunch of agriculturist.

Ew! I can never be that.

I'm lazy when it comes to farming. In fact, am not a fan of agricultural science.

It kills my vibes.

I remember when a brown snake almost bit Corey. That was last year. He was just two and always loves to patrol around because he manages to leave crawling and walk on foot.

Well, thanks to grandpa who saved him and uncle Chris who killed the snake.

There are different zone of farms in our farmyard. We have the side meant for farm animals – domestic, meats, poultry birds. Then we also have a lake for ducks and gooses. We have fish ponds too – a little river – the woods somewhere at the backyard too. We have flowers in the gardens – uncle Chris and his wife, aunt Debbie are specialized on that area.

They're fucking florists. Call them lover of plants and flowers. They take care of the gardens and flowers.

Few of the men in the house engaged themselves in fishing and taking care of the sheep, horses in the stables, goats, pigs, and all the farm animals. Where as the ladies emphasized in planting more crops for harvest – and cooking in the kitchen.

Whew!

I love my family. I'm so lucky and glad to have a big family with big heart.

When I had Corey during my pregnancy stage, I thought they'd kick me out and call me 'Shameless' for getting pregnant to a man they haven't seen or met before.

That was another reason why I wanted to take an abortion – which didn't work out for me. And am glad it didn't.

They accepted I and the pregnancy. They took care of the pregnancy and I, even when Corey was born, they never stopped their care and support on me.

Not everyone has a family like mine and am not shy to defend them anywhere I go.

I don't care if we're just bunch of farmers or we're not as rich as other top class people but one thing we learn to keep as our motto is this…

BE CONTENDED WITH WHAT YOU HAVE.

I just arrived home after a one hour jogging. I smell something nice, something appetizing, something tasty and yummy.

Fuck me, hunger.

I wasn't craving for anything when I left but now I am.

Who the hell is cooking this?

I know it's only one person that has the secret ingredients and logic for making this kinda meal.

With the sweet smell of it, I can tell what's cooking.

Mmm. Smells like chicken soup, broth, quinoa, garlic soup and more am still trying to guess.

God.

The smell is taking me towards the kitchen like a cheese planted at Jerry's doorpost.

Ah ha! I knew it. "Kill me, Nadia." I groaned when I got to the kitchen and met my cousin sister, Nadia Miller, chopping the veggies.

She chuckled, knowing what I meant.

Nadia Miller is brown skin – too bad she's not as white as me. She is Uncle Chris and Aunt Debbie's only child and daughter. She got her brown complexion from her mother, Aunt Debbie.

Nadia is just a year older than me but we look like age mates and blood sisters – like twins. Maybe because we do things together, play together and go to the movies together.

I loved her since we were kids. We attended the same school since five. Same highschool and college. We never separated ourselves from each other.

She was the only family member that attended my wedding in dead minute and always kept my secret – deepest secret. She encouraged me to tell everyone about the pregnancy four years ago.

But I pity her. She recently broke up with her boyfriend last week after two years of relationship. How sad?

The coward only felt lust for her. He never showed her real love. He used her and when he was done using her, he dumped her in the middle of nowhere.

I was the only one who petted Nadia after five days of crying on my shoulder. Am so glad she has gotten over with the trauma.

And moved on like me. Hehehe.

"You know what baby gal. I can decide your death later but first help me chop more carrots to make this breakfast faster."

I groaned again, "I almost forgot that we're nearly a hundred in this house." She laughed and bump her shoulder on mine. I took another chopping board and chopping knife to join her.

Nadia is the only one that tolerated my tantrums and taught me how to cook. I'm a slow learner sometimes, especially when it comes to making new varieties of food.

But her mom is a cooking genius.

I was about to ask her if Corey was awake but then, she push forward first, saying, "You getting fit these days, gal."

Fit?

Pfft!

"Me? Fit?" I try not to laugh out. And I did. "You know you can auction for comedy, Nadia."

"Seriously, Barbie." She looked at me and added, "Remember your size like how Adele used to be in the past? That was how you were and now…" She glance over my body like a man flirting over a woman. "I think you're going thin, baby gal."

I agree. I am. For the past two years now, I've been spending much of my time in the gym.

I avoided eating sugary foods and junks. And am seeing the progress. "Thank God you said 'Thin' my weight trainer said I already lost 100 lbs in two weeks."

Her eyes lit as she squealed. "That's huge!"

I couldn't contain her tight arms around me.

I can't breathe, Nadia.

"Oh, before I forget…." She picked a brown envelope on the countertop and gave it to me. "An attorney came this morning when I was getting some veggies in the farm. He said this is for you."

My brows furrowed as I received it from her. "An attorney?"

Nadia was waiting for me to open it so she could see what's inside too. Her hands were on her hips and her brows were up.

The envelope was sealed on every side. I opened it and found a white sheet of paper folded in three pace inside. I took it out and Nadia leaned closer to get a view of it.

"What the fuck is this?" Nadia is trying to understand the written statement while am here still processing what am seeing in front of me.

A divorcement? From George?

Nadia got piss like she was in my shoes, "That bastard. I knew it. I knew it was gonna end like this. He got you pregnant and dumped you afterwards. He's an animal."

I was turning weak already. My strength was leaving me, batch by batch. I have this weakness, whenever I'm in a terrible state, I feel like am about to die. Mom use to say, I have a weak heart and blood.

I leaned on the counter and tossed the paper aside. Nadia caught it before it landed somewhere.

She saw me shedding tears quietly, she came beside me and wrap me up in her arms. "Shh….. it's gonna be alright."

No, Nadia. It has never been alright.

"Tell me he doesn't know we have a son." My eyes watery and Nadia was wiping it off my cheek with the back of her hand. "If he knows my place – though I never brought him here, then he surely knew we have a son and didn't come to check on him."

"Just forget about that guy, Diamond. He's not useful."

"But he used me." I cried more. My heart aches. I feel broken hearted than the past right now. "All these years I was thinking he'll get back to his senses…..and find me…..and we'll come back together...." My voice lowered the more. "And here he just concluded our relationship with a divorce. What are my wrongs, Nadia? Tell me."

"Your records are perfect, Diamond." She tried to coax me. "He is the loser. Trust me, he doesn't know what he had just lost. He'll come begging you and you'll make him suffer for this."

I nodded and she wiped my eyes.

Nadia is always my comforter. I love her so much. She's always there for me, night and day.

I signed the divorcement. According to Nadia, she said the attorney was gonna come back later in the day to get the envelope.

We finished making breakfast and everyone settled in the dinning room.

A rectangular table with over thirty to forty chairs around it. We flooded the table with all kinds of foods and desserts.

Nadia and I were already tired from making so much for breakfast. It was like catering for a party. Good to know that we have a big rooster chart for those specialized in the kitchen every day.

Since Nadia and I made breakfast, we won't be making lunch or dinner till Friday. Sometimes the men in the house cook and when they does, theirs is tasty even more.

The only thing that'd make me to turn on the gas stove from Mondays to Fridays is because of Corey. He only love what I make for him. Sometimes, Nadia's.

Since am on a diet, I picked out few food with low fats and much of veggies on my plate.

Corey was eyeing me. He prefers to copycat the things I do and serve himself also.

I laughed when the veggies slipped from his fork and landed on his plate like a platter of shit. "Here, let me help you."

"He is a man who loves to do things on his own. Right, Corey?" Dad was seated next to Corey. He even helped him serve his portion.

Corey shook his head vigorously with a bright smile and digged into his plate.

I shook my head helplessly. Whenever Dad calls him a 'Man' his happiness increases and his mindset for growing up quickly enlarges too.

I know it.

"Hey," Nadia poke my arm with hers. She was next to me. "Have you finished your reports, yet? Mrs. Patricks said we have to report it by 8 sharp tomorrow morning."

She's talking about our duties in the office.

Nadia and I work together as partners in the same department in a GIS company called THE LOGISTICS.

It's barely two weeks since we got transferred from the minor company we used to work before to a bigger one. And I heard the pay is a DON!

You know what that means?

Hehehe.

I'll start planning my to-do list starting from this month ending. I gat a lot to invest when that money shows up.

First, I'll likely change Corey's school. He attends a public nursery school for now. He's never happy when going to school. He wants to attend Carter's school. Cartersville Oliver is Corey's cousin and same age. He is mom's younger brother's third son. Uncle Vetlove and his wife, Aunt Marietta. Carter goes to private and Corey will soon join him.

"Almost." I answered her and took a sip of my fruit smoothie.

"I haven't started mine yet." She sighed and pouted her lips. "Care to lend me yours to copy?"

She still haven't changed yet from being a copycat. Right from childhood, she always looks at me to do her own stuff. The only difference is that she has cooking talents than me.

I remember during highschool days when we writing exams, she usually sit next to me – I'm not bragging that am brilliant than her but it's the truth.

One time, I opened my answer sheet for her to copy during exam in college and she wrote everything in a row like a clone of my work. She almost copied my name in her answer booklet.

I look at her and shook my head as I hold my smiles. "Yes, Ms. Stewart, but don't copy my name."

She frowned and rolled her eyes, "Geez, gal. You haven't forgot about that?"

I shrugged. Who would? It's her favorite talent.

We where whispering and chuckling until my maternal grandmother interfered, "Dia, am liking your stature these days. I can see your hips and shapes coming out in the right places."

Geez, grandma? At least not in presence of everyone. "I just want a new change of appearance, grandma." Am a great liar.

"New change? Where is that burning smoke coming from?" My cousin brother, Trey Hollingsworth looked around.

I just ignored him. He is just eighteen and recently got into NYU. "I guess your head is swelling too much these days as the campus' best basketballer – oh or maybe because of too much hypes from the girls."

The others bust into laughter.

He frowned and murmured something before facing his plate.

Corey took my attention when he demanded for another portion. Thanks to dad who served him another plate full of veggies and quinoa.