Chapter 4

Anita goes back home with her father and mother whom arrives her school to witness her final convocation ceremony.

Her mother is very happy but her father keep his usual non-smiling face as he drives them home.

He's proud of her that she didn't allow her beauty to sink into her brain and deter her from becoming successful in life, but nonetheless he's still confuse as to how she's the most prettiest amongst all her siblings.

Even as his wife doesn't bare him a son, he isn't bothering about that, as their custom permit a woman to inherit her father's property, even though, she's already married to another man.

He sigh as he drives towards their home as the university is closer to their home that's in the city.

Arriving home, he drives into their simple compound and park as their home is just a simple house, which is a flat, consisting of 4 bedroom, a living room, kitchen, 5 toilet with bathrooms.

Mr Joshua Baker is the owner of the house as he acquired and bought the house from the direct land owners.

He park his car and step a foot down, while Anita and her mother Mrs Tonia Baker steps down next and her sisters Flora, Esther, Favour, Lisa and Glory are all inside, but none of them steps out to welcome her nor their parent as they arrived home.

Mrs Tonia walk into the living room first while Anita follows suit, dragging her boxes as her father remain in his car answering a phone call.

"Mom!" Esther and Favour rushes up to their mom while Lisa and Glory steps out next.

They've separate rooms they shares as Anita and Flora shares a room, while Esther and Favour shares another room, with Lisa and Glory sharing the last room that sometimes, they uses as the guest room too.

"Welcome back home mom, How did the event went?" Favour ask their mother first as she's a 18yrs old girl.

"Fine ,why don't you ask your big sister about it?. She won two awards, as the best overall graduating student and best in her department as well" Mrs Tonia respond, with a faint smile while Favour frowns.

"Who cares mom!" she replies.

"Shut up your mouth, Silly girl. She's your big sister and you should accord her some respect!" Mrs Tonia warn Favour while Esther quickly respond, "We don't care mom!."

"Esther!" Mrs Tonia warn Esther too, while Esther roles her eyes from where she's standing by the middle door entrance, holding the curtain.

"Is okay Mom." Anita walk up to their mom and tap on her shoulder softly but Mrs Tonia respond.

"Your father caused all these" Mrs Tonia almost burst out into a sob.

"Caused what?!" Mr Joshua ask, as he walk into the living room while Mrs Tonia quickly wipes off her tears.

"Nothing,I was just discussing about something not important" Mrs Tonia quickly walk into the kitchen while Mr Joshua eyes narrow at Anita whom smile faintly to him.

She isn't an albino but her beauty is too much and too charming, staring at her dimple and chubby cheeks alone, made her look like an angel from heaven.

"Fine, Take all these bags inside and where are your sisters?!. Flora, Favour!" Mr Joshua calls them out, while they responds.

"Yes Papa,!. Good evening Dad, welcome back home."

Flora walk pass Anita who's dragging her boxes and walk up to give their father a welcome hug.

"Assist your sister and take those luggages inside" Mr Joshua instruct Flora after giving her a warm hug too and she bite on her lower lips angrily and finally assist Anita in carrying her second box to the room they both shares.

Anita doesn't utter any word to Flora whom carries her box to the room and as Flora turn to leave, Anita finally says "Thank you," but Flora doesn't respond as she walk out from the room and walk back to the living room to meet her father sitting on the long couch, taking off his shoes.

"How's your day today Flora?" Mr Joshua ask, and just then the rest of his daughters steps out.

"Father you remember you promise to take me to a private university?" Esther ask.

"Yes I remember, but you still haven't passed your Jamb exams yet, and this's the fourth time you're writing the exam with your younger sister Favour, can't you both learn from your elder sister Anita?."

"No father!" Esther and Favour both responds, surprising their father and his jaw drop.

"What has come over you girls?. If you still fail to pass your Jamb exams this year, then forget about going into the university and look for a trade or handwork to learn as I cannot waste my hard earn money sponsoring you both thru a private university, when you cannot even qualify for a government university. Now leave my sight, Silly children. Am sure you all inherit your dullness from your mother, can't you learn from your elder sister for once, Don't you see her good grades, despite she's more beautiful than you all."

"Father!" Flora, Esther, Favour and Lisa all exclaims sadly.

"Shut your mouths and don't father me. I have being a good father to you all, yet you cannot be good daughters in return. Fail your exam this year again and see the other side of me!" Mr Joshua warn, and he stand up from the couch, just then his wife step out from the kitchen and stare to him and her five daughters in the living room as Anita is the only one in her room.

"Excuse me!" Mr Joshua walk passes his daughters, and walk into the room he shares with his wife as he knows is entirely his fault. He has shown more love to the rest of his daughters more than their senior sister, Anita, and made her look like an outcast, now he's regretting it.

He's even facing some challenges at his office, as some missing funds of some transaction was detected missing under his records, and if the error isn't corrected then he's at the verge of losing his job as a banker in a government owned bank.

His brows furrows as his wife step into their room to meet him few minutes later.

"Ain't you being too harsh to our daughters today?" Mrs Tonia question, but he just glance at her and stares away, loosening his neck tie, he takes off his long sleeve shirt and strips.

"I'm preparing dinner, Is already getting late" Mrs Tonia informs him, but he doesn't respond as he loses his trouser belt too.

"Honey you ain't saying anything in response?" Mrs Tonia finally ask, and he replies, "What do you want me to say to you?. Can't you atleast see that am busy?."

He walk passes her and step into the bathroom to take his bath while Mrs Tonia sigh and shakes her head in sadness.

She knows all isn't well with him as he has been behaving so unusual of him and was even acting happier when Anita was announced as the winner of the award for best graduating student. He jumped up and screamed "Yes!", Not minding the other parents and relatives around, standing to witnessed the awarding of the best graduating student and when he saw Anita approaching, his smiles and happiness faded as Anita didn't smiled to them approaching as she thought he hates her and isn't proud of her achievement.

Mrs Tonia smiles faintly remembering how he had reacted to his daughter's wins, although the school rewards wasn't much as they awarded Anita some cash and medal rewards, but she believes her daughter's certificate will get her into one of the highest paying jobs in their country.

Mrs Tonia sigh again and finally walk out from the room she shares with her husband as he's already taking his bath and she can hear the sound of water splashing in the bathroom.

She walk into the kitchen as the okro soup has already heated and warm up a little and she serves it out into a soup plates. Just then Glory walk into the kitchen to assist her and to carry it out to the dinning room beside their living room.

Glory's a 14yrs old girl as her children seniors themselves with only two years each and Glory is still in Junior Secondary school 3 (JSS3).Class.

"Mom I want to become a business admin, just like big sister" Gory says as she carries the tray of soups up in her arms and stare up to their mom.

"There's no problem with that, You should study hard as well, You've your big sister here to guide you" Mrs Tonia smiles to her.

"Okay mom, is sis going to marry soon?, Chika told me her big sister won't be returning home as she's already pregnant and expecting a child for her fiance" Glory ask.

"No Glory!. Although I don't know about that, but Anita will get a job first before she settles down, You know your big sis is hardworking and want to become an independent woman first, instead of depending on a man for money" Mrs Tonia replies.

"Oh, So mom you depend on father too for money?" Glory ask her, surprising her.

"No Glory!. Now that's enough of the conversation, carry the soups out before it gets cold, Oh Anita is already here to assist us" Mrs Tonia says as she smile faintly and Glory turn to face Anita standing by the kitchen door.

Anita overhead their conversation and she have a faint smile on her face too.

"Why are you standing there and staring at us?, Come assist us serve the dinner, Am sure your father will soon be out" Mrs Tonia says and Anita's smiles quickly faded away from her face, as she hear her father's name, and doesn't like him either.