Chapter 27

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Thursday morning started as beautifully as she wished it would, even more than the intensity which she wished. She woke up eleven minutes past ten o'clock. She jumped into her usual routine, one that she had imbibed since she had woken up at the hospital marred. She had only newly become seventeen, the cause of her hospitalization occurring on the very day that she had turned seventeen, her birthday. She went into the bathroom and took a bath. After her bath, she covered her visible scars up with high quality long lasting waterproof concealers and proceeded to do her makeup. She did all these before washing her mouth. She dressed quickly, having settled on a purple flare gown that stopped on her knee. She wore her slippers and headed out of her room. Her sisters' chatter wafted into her ears. They all had the same voice, but their style of talking was very different. Besides, Corinne's pitch was always higher than the rest.

'Oh! The movie was mind blowing I swear,' Corinne said. Her voice allowed Chinwem to pinpoint her location because it was coming from the right side of her bedroom door where she stood. Her sister was in the dining room. She heard plates, ceramic and wondered if her sister had made breakfast, not Corinne but Melody. Well, Melody was ever the cook and she never joked with breakfast.

'I stopped at the scene when they were holding a press conference and she wandered off,' Melody's voice came from the left side. She was indeed making breakfast for her voice had just come from the kitchen. 'I can't remember if she wanted to make a call or if she was watching the scenery.' She paused and Chinwem knew she was trying hard to recall. 'Anyways,' she began again and Chinwem just knew that she had failed in her recalling. She continued. 'He just appeared from nowhere, poof! Those assassins arrived with him and he killed them. She was so terrified that she fainted,' she said with one of her amused laugh. It showed that that scene had pleased her.

'And what movie are both of you discussing this morning?' Chinwem asked from where she stood, contemplating where she should go, the kitchen or the dining room.

'Oh, it's this Korean movie, Queen and I,' Corinne answered her.

'You have awoken munchkin.' Melody said. 'Come give me a hand in serving breakfast,' she requested. Chinwem went to the kitchen to do as she had been told.

'Good morning,' she greeted her. The smell of meat stole her nostrils. Whatever chef d'oeuvre Melody had put up smelt like heaven.

'Good morning belle, you look gorgeous this morning. You slept well, didn't you?' she asked. Chinwem nodded, studying the dishes which she had arranged on the kitchen table. She had made egg fried rice and spicy minced meat. She was just covering the two huge ceramic bowls.

'I did Melody. How was your night?' she asked receiving the bowl Melody handed her. It was slightly warm. It contained the rice.

'I slept well thank you,' she replied taking the second bowl. They walked out of the kitchen together to the dining room. Corinne was just coming out of the dining room.

'I was just coming to lend a hand. I thought you might need it since both of you were taking so long in the kitchen.'

'We are here now,' Melody said as they reached her. She smiled.

'How was your night?' Chinwem asked her.

'It was not so splendid. Melody kept invading my space with her foot and hand. I was tempted to come in and sleep with you,' she groused.

'You wanted to sleep on my bed with me, not to sleep with me,' Chinwem corrected her. Melody guffawed as they all walked into the dining room. The bowls were placed on the table.

'I'm as straight as a ruler if that is what you are trying to find out,' Corinne said.

'Come and eat the two of you,' Melody said sitting on one of the chairs in the round table of five. Corinne grumbled under her breath about not being allowed to talk as she sat down. Chinwem ignored her. 'Would you please pray for our meal Chinyem?' Melody requested.

'Alright, I will. Oh dear lord, as we eat, I pray that the food shall choke Mmachim and Mmachim alone,' she prayed referring to Melody by her native name. The three went into fits of laughter. Melody reached out and smacked Corinne playfully on the back. Corinne returned the smack in between sniffs and hiccups. Meanwhile, while all these were going on, Chinwem dished her breakfast and began to eat, savouring it as if they weren't there. But when they were gone about an hour later, she missed them greatly.