Chapter 4 - Returned Home

Anita went back home with her parents, who arrived at the University to witness her final convocation ceremony.

Her mother beamed with happiness, but her father kept his usual unsmiling face as he drove them home.

Mr. Joshua felt proud that Anita hadn't let her beauty sink into her brain and deter her from becoming successful in life, but nonetheless, he remained confused about how she turned out the prettiest among all his children. Even though his wife bore him no son, he didn't bother about that, as their custom permitted a woman to inherit her father's property, even after she married another man.

Mr. Joshua sighed as he drove toward their home, since the university sat close to their house in the city.

Arriving home, Joshua drove into their simple compound and parked. Their home was a modest flat consisting of four bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and five toilets with bathrooms.

Mr. Joshua owned the house, having acquired and bought it directly from the landowners.

He parked his car and waited to answer a call. Anita and her mother, Mrs. Tonia, then stepped out of the car.

Anita's sisters—Flora, Esther, Favour, Lisa, and Glory—all stayed inside; none of them stepped out to welcome her or their parents as they arrived home.

Mrs. Tonia walked into the living room first, and Anita followed, dragging her two large boxes. Her father remained in his car, answering a phone call.

"Mom!" Esther and Favour rushed up to their mother, while Lisa and Glory stepped out next.

They had separate rooms they shared.

Anita and Flora shared a room, Esther and Favour shared another, and Lisa and Glory shared the last room, which sometimes doubled as the guest room.

"Welcome back home, Mom. How did the event go?" Favour, an 18-year-old girl, asked their mother first.

"Fine. Why don't you ask your big sister about it? She won two awards—best overall graduating student and best in her department as well," Mrs. Tonia responded with a faint smile.

Favour frowned. "Who cares, Mom!"

"Shut your mouth, silly girl. Anita's your big sister, and you should accord her some respect!" Mrs. Tonia warned Favour.

Esther quickly responded, "We don't care, Mom!"

"Esther!" Mrs. Tonia warned her too, while Esther rolled her eyes from where she stood by the middle door entrance, holding the curtain.

"It's okay, Mom." Anita walked up to their mother and tapped her shoulder softly.

"Your father caused all this," Mrs. Tonia said, almost bursting into a sob.

"Caused what?" Mr. Joshua asked as he walked into the living room.

Mrs. Tonia quickly wiped away her tears.

"Nothing. I was just discussing something unimportant." Mrs. Tonia hurried into the kitchen while Mr. Joshua's eyes narrowed at Anita, who smiled faintly at him.

Anita wasn't an albino, but her beauty overwhelmed and charmed. Staring at her dimples and chubby cheeks alone made her look like an angel from heaven.

"Fine. Take all these bags inside. Where are your sisters? Flora! Favour!" Mr. Joshua called them out.

"Yes, Papa!"

"Good evening, Dad. Welcome back home." Flora walked past Anita, who was dragging her boxes, and gave their father a welcome hug.

"Assist your sister and take those luggages inside," Mr. Joshua instructed Flora after giving her a warm hug.

Flora bit her lower lip angrily and finally assisted Anita in carrying her second box to the room they both shared.

Anita didn't utter a word to Flora, who carried her box to the room.

As Flora turned to leave, Anita finally said, "Thank you," but Flora didn't respond. She walked out of the room and returned to the living room to meet her father sitting on the long black couch, taking off his shoes.

"How was your day today, Flora?" Mr. Joshua asked. Just then, the rest of his daughters stepped out.

"Father, do you remember you promised to take me to a private university?" Esther asked.

"Yes, I remember, but you still haven't passed your JAMB exams yet, and this is 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 responded, surprising their father. His jaw dropped.

"What has come over you girls? If you still fail to pass your JAMB exams this year, then forget about going to university and look for a trade or handwork to learn. I cannot waste my hard-earned money sponsoring you both through a private university when you cannot even qualify for a government university. Now leave my sight, silly children. I'm 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 the fact that she's more beautiful than all of you?"

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

"Shut your mouths and don't 'Father' me. I have been 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 warned. He stood up from the couch just as his wife stepped out from the kitchen and stared at him and her five daughters in the living room. Anita remained the only one in her room.

"Excuse me!" Mr. Joshua walked past his daughters and entered the room he shared with his wife. He knew the situation was entirely his fault. He had shown more love to the rest of his daughters than to their senior sister, Anita, and made her look like an outcast. Now he regretted it.

Mr. Joshua was even facing challenges at his office. The manager had detected missing funds from some transactions under his records, and if he didn't correct the error, he stood at the verge of losing his job as a banker in a government-owned bank.

His brows furrowed as his wife stepped into their room to meet him a few minutes later.

"Aren't you being too harsh to our daughters today?" Mrs. Tonia questioned, but he just glanced at her and stared away, loosening his necktie. He took off his long-sleeved shirt and stripped.

"I'm preparing dinner. It's already getting late," Mrs. Tonia informed him, but he didn't respond as he removed his trouser belt too.

"Honey, you aren't saying anything in response?" Mrs. Tonia finally asked.

"What do you want me to say to you? Can't you at least see that I'm busy?" He walked past her and stepped into the bathroom to take his bath.

Mrs. Tonia sighed and shook her head in sadness.

She knew all wasn't well with her husband. He had been behaving so unusually. He had even acted happier when the university announced Anita as the winner of the award for best graduating student.

Mr. Joshua jumped up and screamed, "Yes!"—not minding the other parents and relatives standing around to witness the awarding of the best graduating student. But when he saw Anita approaching, his smiles and happiness faded, because Anita hadn't smiled at them as she approached. She thought he hated her and wasn't proud of her achievement.

Mrs. Tonia smiled faintly, remembering how her husband had reacted to his daughter's wins. Although the school rewards weren't much—they awarded Anita some cash and medal rewards—she believed her daughter's certificate would land her one of the highest-paying jobs in the country.

Mrs. Tonia sighed and walked out of the room she shared with her husband. He was already taking his bath, and she could hear the sound of water splashing in the bathroom.

She walked into the kitchen where the okra soup had already heated and warmed a little. She served it into soup plates. Just then, Glory walked into the kitchen to assist her and carry the plates out to the dining room beside their living room.

Glory was a 14-year-old girl. Her children aged themselves with only two years each, and Glory was still in Junior Secondary School 3 (JSS3).

"Mom, I want to study Business Administration, just like big sister, Anita," Glory said as she lifted the tray of soups in her arms and stared up at her mother.

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

"Okay, Mom. Is Big sis going to marry soon? Chika told me her big sister won't return home because she's already pregnant and expecting a child for her fiancé," Glory asked.

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

"Oh. So, Mom, do you depend on our Father for money too?" Glory asked, surprising her.

"No, Glory! Now that's enough of the conversation. Carry the soups out before they get cold. Oh, Anita is already here to assist us," Mrs. Tonia said, smiling faintly.

Glory turned to face Anita standing by the kitchen door.

Anita had overheard their conversation, and she had a faint smile on her face too.

"Why are you standing there staring at us? Come assist us serve the dinner. I'm sure your father will soon be out," Mrs. Tonia said.

Anita's smile quickly faded from her face as she heard her father's name. She didn't like him.