Chapter Ninety

It was not easy at all, the stages and journey she undertook to become like her sister. She had to learn her routines and habits; she had to learn her likes and dislikes; she even had to minimize her photography lifestyle for her sisters or do I say, put a pause to photography. But she did owe Rea a lot, after all her dreams all came through because of Rea and it was not the first time she was covering up for her sister. And besides, she was already the bad egg for her mother, she could not bear having her mother feel disappointed in her two daughters at the same time, the woman had been through a lot already training them single-handedly. She wanted none of her offspring to end up like her and it was already evident that Ella was the bad one. They agreed that Ella would answer the child's mother until Clarkson returned and then, her sacrifice would pay off. Getting an earphone that would be barely visible, Rea directed her sister through the basic steps and within a couple of weeks, Ella was a pro although Rea still assisted her with the work assignments. "You are doing well ",she would always tell her, singing her praises. It was going smoothly until a poke nosing neighbour from their mothers side had spotted them at the hospital and became a whistle-blower. "Which one of you two is pregnant? ",their mother was asking so anxiously, her heart at the end of the road, she was really scared, one bad news and she would snap. So Ella quickly said before her sister,"It is me, mother ",she said, her mother already believed it was going to be no one else but her. She began reprimanding her, she started drawing out comparisons between the duo, "Look at your sister, she pointed out to Ella... ",she could have gone on and on yapping at her but the guilt in Rea's was so great that she was shedding tears already, "Stop it mother ",she yelled at her mother. It was the first time she had ever raised her voice on her mother and it sounded shocking, "Enough with the blames, is it not enough that you paid her no attention, is it not enough that you showed her no love, then you sit over there yelling at the only daughter who cared not a single hoot of her career because she does not want to hurt you ",she was saying and seeing where she was heading to, Ella tried to stop her, but just like Bella, their mother was curious, "Yes mother, I'm the pregnant one and Ella had to cover up for me. She is the one you have been seeing on the big screen for a while now!!! ",she yelled. Mother was shocked beyond words, she hung up on them causing Ella panic, "You want to kill her, she might hurt herself Rea ",Ella said scared like a puppy, "It's high time mother learnt the truth sis, and besides, I'm done watching her constantly bully you. She'll come around ",she said to Ella, and as though on cue, mother was calling, "I'm coming over tomorrow girls ",she said in a more calm tone, Rea gave her the I told you so look, it was time. 

Ella came back from work the next day and met mother at home, she did not know what to do or say, which was why she was shocked when mother hugged her tightly, it has been years since kindergarten since when she last got such treatment. They filled her in on everything, and she understood, she decided to give all her support to the girls, showering them nothing but love to keep them going. She stayed with them for a while then, returned home. But she continued calling them and running them through the basics, they were a happy family once again and Ella prayed it lasted forever, or so she thought. Rea was gradually advancing in her third trimester, yet, no word from Clarkson and they decided upon that he had forgotten them, carrying on their lives. It was at this period when she was eight months gone that they got that call from home, mother had died the previous night from hypertension.