Chapter 5

Olima finally found a taxi, and she entered the back seat and told the taxi driver her destination, "To the Emerson estate."

The taxi driver replied, "Okay."

He started the car and drove ahead as Olima was the only one seated in the cab, arriving at the Emerson Housing Estate gate entrance. The taxi stopped while Olima paid for her ride before she alighted from the taxi and rushed into the estate gate, running home speedily.

The estate security men stared at Olima and wondered what was chasing her again, as they knew her.

One of the estate men said, "She's a gorgeous young lady, and mostly running about on errands after her parents were gone."

The others kept quiet and continued with their job, as there were four security men there.

*

Olima arrived home in front of her late father's mansion gate, and she banged heavily on the gate, calling out to Nathan. "Mr. Nathan, come and open the gate!"

Nathaniel quickly approached the gate from within and pulled the small gate open, asking her, "Why are you banging on the gate like that?"

Olima smiled faintly at Nathan and apologized, "I'm sorry, sir. Please open the gate quickly."

Olima quickly rushed into the compound and made her way towards the mansion frontage, after Nathan pulled the small gate open for her.

She was nervous and knocked on the door entrance of the white mansion. Pulling the door knob open, she walked into the living room and saw Mia was still seated on the couch, watching television.

Mia looked at Olima as she stepped into the living room. Olima's big brown eyes quickly traveled to the living room wall clock, and she gasped as she saw the time was already 8:30 p.m.

Olima swiftly rushed into the kitchen and started preparing their dinner, as she knew her stepmother would soon step downstairs to inquire if she had finished cooking their meals.

Olima didn't want her stepmother to flog her mercilessly for wasting so much time in the market area and not arriving home on time.

She hurriedly took out all the vegetable soup ingredients she had bought from the local market nearby. She washed the green vegetables quickly and cut them into smaller pieces.

Olima unhooked the dried stock fish from the rubber band and soaked it in a bowl of water.

She quickly cut the meats into smaller chops and washed them too, very neatly, while she was switching on the gas cooker and placing her empty pot on it. She started cooking the meat first.

With every second that ticked on the clock, Olima was sweaty all over her body, as she hurriedly prepared the vegetable soup fast.

She jumped in fret when she heard the kitchen door slide open.

Mia walked into the kitchen and asked, "What took you so long to arrive home on time? I'm hungry."

Olima sighed in relief while Mia approached her and watched as she was turning the big pot of soup with a big spoon and tasting the soup to know if she should still add more salt or a little pepper.

Olima directed her big turning spoon towards Mia's right hand and said, "Please taste the soup first to know if it's okay, or I should add a little salt?"

Mia opened her right palm, and Olima dropped a few drops of soup from the big spoon on Mia's right palm. Mia then tasted it and saw that the vegetable soup was delicious.

Mia licked her right palm but frowned, as she wanted her mother to discipline Olima for making her hungry.

She told Olima, "Add more salt. It lacks salt..."

Olima frowned as her brows furrowed at Mia.

She turned the soup and tasted it again on her right palm, saying, "But the soup is okay like this."

Mia frowned and used her hand to carry the salt container. She opened it and poured more salt into the soup.

Olima screamed out, "Mia!"

Just then, the kitchen door opened, and Mrs. Gina walked in, wearing her long white nightgown.

Olima quickly shut the pot of soup closed and carried it down from the gas cooker, as she hadn't prepared the semolina they would use in swallowing the vegetable soup.

Mrs. Gina asked, "What's going on here? It's already after 9 p.m., yet you're still cooking the soup, why?"

Olima quickly replied, "Nothing, ma'am, I'm almost through with the semolina."

Olima quickly poured water into an empty new pot to prepare the semolina quickly, and Mrs. Gina shifted her gaze towards Mia and asked, "And what do you stand here doing?"

Mia muttered, "Mom, I'm hungry."

Mia frowned and stomped her feet on the ground as she walked to meet her mother.

Mrs. Gina said, "Go and sit down at the dining table first. The soup will soon be ready."

Mia frowned and walked towards the kitchen door, shouting, "Olima, be fast, please."

Olima nervously replied, "Okay."

She breathed out in relief as she saw her stepmother and stepsister had left the kitchen.

Olima sighed as she was through preparing the semolina. She switched off the gas and used her light blue gown to wipe off her sweaty forehead, before serving the semolina out onto smaller flat plates.

Not wanting to anger her stepmother and stepsister, Olima quickly dished out their soups into smaller plates and placed everything on a big tray, carrying it out to the dining room to serve her family.

Mia sat on her usual dining chair across from her mother, and Olima walked up to the dining table and dished out their meals.

Mrs. Gina adjusted her seat closer to the dining table to start eating, and Olima served them bowls of water to wash their hands.

Mia first washed her hands, before her mother did.

Olima asked Mrs. Gina, "Ma'am, do you still need anything else?"

Mrs. Gina frowned and replied, "No, go and eat your food first."

Olima replied, "Okay." She walked away, but just then, Mia screamed out, "Mom!"

Mrs. Gina glares at Mia and asked, "What's it?"

Olima also paused beside the kitchen door and stared back at Mia.

Mia said, "Mom, the soup is bitter."

Mrs. Gina's eyes narrowed at Mia suspiciously, and she stared at her soup since she had already washed her hands.

She dipped her right index finger into the small plate of soup and tasted it herself, and her face twisted in irritation as she stood up from the dining chair and questioned Olima, "What's the meaning of this nonsense you just cooked, Olima?"

Olima took some steps backward and replied, "Ma'am, I..."

Mrs. Gina moved away from her dinner chair and rushed up to meet Olima.

She asked, "You what? Didn't you taste this soup at all?"

Olima stammered, "I did, ma'am... Mia added more salt into the soup, and..."

Mrs. Gina landed Olima a hot, resounding slap on her left cheek. [SLAP!]

She approached Olima more and roughly dragged Olima towards the dining table, bending Olima's head into her small soup plate, saying, "Here's the soup, taste the soup by yourself and eat the nonsense you've cooked! You stupid witch! Did Mia follow you and prepare the soup? Aren't you the only one who had cooked the soup and was in the kitchen when I entered there?"

Olima cried and tried to explain, "Ma'am, please..."

Mrs. Gina landed Olima another hot, resounding slap on her right cheek and yelled, "Shut up!"

Mrs. Gina started beating Olima while Mia smiled viciously.

Mrs. Gina yelled, "You witch! You killed your parents, now you want to kill me and my daughter too?"

Mrs. Gina continued beating Olima, and Olima begged, "Please, ma'am. I'm innocent, I didn't touch Mia. I didn't spoil the soup. Please, ma'am." Olima cried.

"Shut up! And get out of this house! I'd rather not see your ugly face here again. Nathan," Mrs. Gina called out to the gatekeeper, and he swiftly ran into the living room and responded, "Yes, madam, you sent for me?"

Mrs. Gina said, "Throw this witch out of this house, I'd rather not see her here again."

Olima begged, "No, mother, please... I didn't touch Mia, I didn't spoil the soup."

Mrs. Gina landed Olima another hot, resounding slap on her left cheek and said, "One more word from you, and I'll have you arrested tonight, you witch. Nathan, throw her outside now, and never let her into this mansion again, ever!"

Nathan grabbed Olima by her left arm and dragged her outside the mansion, as he was now working for Mrs. Gina alone.

He dragged Olima outside the house that was her late parents' property, and towards the mansion exit gate around 10 p.m. in the late night hour.

Mia smiled victoriously, and Mrs. Gina was the happiest that she had finally gotten rid of Olima, and the mansion was now her property.

She went outside the house to find out if Nathan had thrown Olima out or not.