Chapter eighteen

Jasmine was running late. It was past three and she had to go pick up her children from school. The demand for her bread has increased in the past few days so they worked tirelessly. She had already put up a vacancy job sign outside the bakery.

"Funmi, I'll be back in twenty minutes please make sure everything is under control, let me go pick up the girls" She said to her assistant.

"Okay ma, you know you can trust me any day. I've got you covered.  She simply nodded and left. As she drove off in her car, she thought of what  Funmi had said. Did she just say trust? She scoffed laughing out loud to herself. How could she say that word. She barely even knew her. Jasmine made a mental note watch out for her. Those kind of people can easily stab you in the back.

The word trust triggered her so much.

She doesn't even trust her own self anymore. She has been on the edge, always double checking and watching out. She never lets anyone into her personal space because she now believes that people cannot destroy what they don't have access to.

She got to the school, it wasn't like the glamorous elite school her children went to when they lived in Victoria island but it was a good school and she loved it. She went to Juliet's class, the teacher told her that headmistress wanted to see her and that Juliet is in the headmistress office.

Alarmed, she rushed to the headmistress office without asking the teacher any questions. She hoped her daughter hasn't gotten into any form of trouble. In the office, she found her daughter sitting quietly with a boy about the same age with her. There was a bandage on her right knee and instantly Jasmine knew all was not well.

She  rushed to her daughters side. "Juliet, what's the matter, are you alright?"

"He pushed me on the playground i fell and there was blood everywhere?" She pointed at the boy sitting next to her. 

"What?" Jasmine looked at the headmistress then to the man sitting opposite the her who was obviously the boy's father.

"Good afternoon Miss Jasmine. Please have your seat"  She gestured for her to sit on the chair close to the boy's father.

"Don't tell me to have my seat, what happened to my daughter?" She flared. She also noticed that she flares up at the slightest provocation. She had vowed that she wouldn't let anyone mistreat or use her anymore. Her days of naivety were over.

The man stood up, he wasn't drop dead handsome but he had pleasing features like his sparkly guileless eyes, his concrete jaw and his titan shoulders. But that's none of her business. All she could think of was that this man's son had injured her daughter.

"I'm so sorry ma'am. My son and your daughter got into a fight. Actually, it's your daughter who started it and my son had to defend himself. It wasn't intentional and I apologise"

"What do you mean by it was my daughter who started it? Are you trying to exonerate your son for his lack of control and violence towards my daughter?'

"Of course not, he has been punished by the school and I'll also punish him myself when I get home. I'm just trying to explain the circumstance of the incident to you so you don't get the wrong impression"  He said, he had a debonair aura, one that could make you charmed but she wouldn't let herself be fooled. They were all the same, always avoiding accountability for their actions and that's what he was trying to do

"Don't explain anything to me. Your son was violent towards my daughter. What if it was a head injury and resulted into worse complications, is this the nonsense you'll be telling me? You've refused to train your child well and you want me to understand?" She was raising her voice now.

He looked at her in biwilderment. What's wrong with her? Why was she being so testy and intentionally refusing to understand? Well if she wanted him to take full responsibility for what her daughter was also a part of, he would. He didn't want to drag the issue.

"I'm so  sorry ma, I take full responsibility and I promise this will never happen again".

"Madam please try and understand that it wasn't intentional" The headmistress finally spoke up.

"Don't tell me to understand. And you, were was the teacher when they started fighting, why would you leave kids alone on the playground without supervision. This is total nonsense. Infact I'm out of here. I can't stand this bullshit for another minute. She dragged her daughter out of the office paying deaf ears to the pleas of the headmistress. She picked up Judith and drove off the school premises.

"What really happened?" She asked her daughter on their drive home. Her anger had subsided and she started wondering why she was so angry. That wasn't her on a normal day.

"Daniel called Jessica a big head  I told him not to insult my friend, he didn't listen so I hit him.

"What? Why did you hit him? Were you the one he was insulting? Why didn't you report to a teacher?"

"I'm sorry mum" It was then Jasmine knew she had been silly for throwing unnecessary tantrums

"Don't sorry me. How many times have I told you not to raise your hands on anyone?"

"It won't happen again"

"It better not. You owe him an apology"

"My teacher made me tell him I was sorry"

"Well you should apologize to him again tomorrow and no tab or cartoons for the next two days"

"Mummy!" She protested but she wasn't listening. She thought about how rash she was back in the office. The former her would have listened and reasoned with them.

She kind of loved the new her. The old her brought her nothing but pain and betrayal but the new her would shield her from it.

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The following week, Jasmine went to pick her kids and to her surprise, she saw Juliet running round the school compound with the boy who had injured her the previous week.

Juliet had told her she apologized and they were now friends but she was still shocked. They were so engrossed in their play, they didn't notice her presence.

She spotted the boy's father laughing and talking with Juliet's teacher. She was disgusted. Where was his wife? She was probably at home with their second child waiting for her loving husband not knowing he was flirting with their son's teacher.

"Juliet!" She called out to her daughter who reluctantly left Daniel to come hug her.

"Mummy, Daniel gave me  his soldier toy" She said excitedly holding out the little toy.

"Wow! That's cute. Now hand it over let's go get your little sister and go home"

"She can have it. I have lot's of it" Daniel said, he was a cute little boy who doesn't look anything like his father. His mother must be pretty. She thought. She wanted Juliet to return the toy but she didn't want to hurt his feelings.

"Thank you very much Daniel. I really appreciate your kind gesture." she smiled at him. She was already pulling her daughter away when his father walked up to her.

"Hello Miss Jasmine. It's so good to see you when you're not angry" He said. She immediately frowned her face. She wanted no form of familiarity with him.

"Sorry about the other day. I have to go get my other daughter. If you'll excuse me. Do have a nice day."

She pulled her daughter along with her. He stared at her with a puzzled look on his face. She definitely has some underlying issue because he can't explain her attitude. He knew she was a single mother, his son's teacher had told him. She looked so beautiful and in shape for a mother of two. She intrigued him.

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The following Saturday, Jasmine took her kids for their usual mother and daughter time at domino pizza. She got ordered pizza and got them cold stone ice cream. They were all seated at a table close to the entrance when Daniel's father walked in with his son. Jasmine felt like disappearing.

His son left his father as soon as he saw Juliet and rushed to their table excitedly. While his father waved at them and went to order their pizza. " Juliet! What are you doing here?" Daniel asked in his babyish cute voice.

"My mum got me ice cream and pizza" Juliet answered. She picked up a slice of pizza "take this" she offered and the gesture melted Jasmine's heart. Children were so pure. She wished adults could be like them. The world would be a better place.

"Thanks but my father will get me mine" He said.

"And we meet again, this world is really small indeed" His father walked up to their table smiling sheepishly that it made Jasmine want to throw a piece of pizza on his face.

"Indeed" She simply said wishing he would just leave her alone.

Can we join you? I just ordered my pizza.

She nodded, not wanting to be rude and because of his son who was already engrossed in a conservation with her daughters.

" I reckon we're not properly introduced. I'm Stanley by name"

"I reckon you calling me by my name earlier so you obviously did your research" Stanley noticed the coldness in her reply but shrugged it off.

"Yeah, I did my research and to be honest, you're more beautiful than the Jasmine flower. Infact, they'll be so ashamed to bloom in your presence. You were given the perfect name"

Jasmine had had enough. "Isn't it weird that a married man like you is stalking his son's classmate mother and giving her weird compliments? Go home to your wife and stop causing her pain"

"If my wife were at home, trust me I would never go out without her, talk more of complimenting another woman. She was so beautiful that I always loved to take her out and show her off to the world. I lost her two years ago. Anyways it's nice talking to. Have a wonderful day"

The sheepish smile on his face vanished as he stood and left the eatery with his son. He didn't even take his pizza.

Jasmine felt the taste of the pizza drain from her mouth. She looked on as he left and was totally speechless. She has been such a bitch and she knew it.