Chapter 4

Anita went back home with her father and mother, who arrived at her school to witness her final convocation ceremony. Her mother felt very happy, but her father kept his usual unsmiling face as he drove them home.

Mr. Joshua felt proud of Anita for not letting her beauty sink into her brain and deter her from becoming successful in life. But he still felt confused about how she was the prettiest among all her siblings. Even though his wife did not bear him a son, he did not worry about that. Their custom permitted a woman to inherit her father's property, even if she married another man. He sighed as he drove toward their home, since the university was close to their home in the city.

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

Mr. Joshua Baker owned the house, having acquired it from the direct land owners. He parked his car and unlocked the door.

Anita and her mother, Mrs. Tonia, stepped down next. Her sisters—Flora, Esther, Favour, Lisa, and Glory—were all inside, but none of them stepped out to welcome her or their parents when they arrived home.

Mrs. Tonia walked into the living room first, while Anita followed, dragging her 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 room, and Lisa and Glory shared the last room, which sometimes served as the guest room.

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

"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!" she replied.

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

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

"Esther!" Mrs. Tonia warned Esther too. 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. But Mrs. Tonia responded, "Your father caused all this." She almost burst into a sob.

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

Mrs. Tonia quickly wiped off her tears. "Nothing. I was just discussing something not important." She quickly walked into the kitchen.

Mr. Joshua's eyes narrowed at Anita, who smiled faintly at him.

Anita was not an albino, but her beauty was too much and too charming. Staring at her dimples 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 called them out, and they responded.

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

Flora walked past Anita, who was dragging her large box, and walked up to give their father a welcome hug.

"Assist your sister and take those luggage inside," Mr. Joshua instructed Flora after giving her a warm hug. She bit her lower lip and finally assisted Anita in carrying her second box to the room they both shared.

Anita did not utter any word to Flora, who carried her box to the room. As Flora turned to leave, Anita finally said, "Thank you." But Flora did not respond. She walked out of the room and back to the living room to meet her father sitting on the 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, 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 the university. Look for a trade or handwork to learn, because 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, Anita, for once? Don't you see her good grades, despite her being more beautiful than you all?"

"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 then, his wife stepped out of the kitchen and stared at him and her five daughters in the living room. Anita was the only one in her room.

"Excuse me!" Mr. Joshua walked past his daughters and into the room he shared with his wife. He knew it 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 even faced some challenges at his office. Some missing funds from a transaction were detected missing under his records. If the error was not corrected, he was on 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 her husband just glanced at her and stared away, loosening his necktie. He took off his long-sleeve shirt and stripped.

"I'm preparing dinner. It's getting late," Mrs. Tonia informed him. But he did not respond as he loosened his trouser belt too.

"Honey, aren't you saying anything in response?" Mrs. Tonia finally asked. He replied, "What do you want me to say to you? Can't you at least see that I'm busy?"

Mr. Joshua walked past his wife and stepped into the bathroom to take his bath.

Mrs. Tonia sighed and shook her head in sadness. She knew all was not well with her husband. He had been behaving unusually, and he even acted happier when Anita was announced as the winner of the award for best graduating student.

Mr. Joshua jumped up and screamed, "Yes!" Not minding the other parents and relatives around, standing to witness the awarding of the best graduating student. But when he saw Anita approaching, his smile and happiness faded. Anita did not smile at them as she approached because she thought he hated her and was not proud of her achievement.

Mrs. Tonia smiled faintly, remembering how her husband reacted to his daughter's wins. Although the university rewards were not much—they awarded Anita some cash and medal rewards—Mrs. Tonia believed her daughter's certificate would get her into one of the highest-paying jobs in their 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 okro soup had already heated and warmed up a little.

Mrs. Tonia served it into soup plates. Just then, Glory walked into the kitchen to assist her and carry it out to the dining room beside their living room.

Glory was a fourteen-year-old girl. Her siblings were seniors to themselves with only two years each. Glory was still in Junior Secondary School 3.

"Mom, I want to become a business admin, just like big sister, Anita," Glory said as she carried the tray of soups up in her arms and stared up at her mother's face.

"There's no problem with that, Glory. You should study hard as well. You have your big sister here to guide you," Mrs. Tonia replied with a smile.

"Okay, Mom. Is big sis going to marry soon? Chika told me her big sister won't be returning 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 sis is hardworking and wants to become an independent woman first, instead of depending on a man for money," Mrs. Tonia replied.

"Oh, so Mom, you depend on Father too for money?" Glory asked 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 said, smiling at Anita.

Glory turned to face Anita standing by the kitchen door.

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

"Why are you standing there and 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 did not like him.