Chapter 1: By Amaka Ezeonuogu Chidozie

CHAPTER 3

In a modest but tastefully furnished sitting room, a couple was engrossed with the television series streaming on the screen. The couple looked impulsively at each other as a sound track played out.

The music reminded them both so much of their wedding dance. The lady smiled at her husband before shifting her gaze back to the program as the voice over came back on.

She was now approaching fifty. They had been married for twenty two years; but this series always reminded her of their early days together. She smiled again, this time to herself and then slung an arm over her man's shoulder. She drew herself close to him and felt well safe.

As the 'Real Hearts' series' edition continued to play, the woman said of the protagonist Celine "Isn't she beautiful?"

Taking his time as if deep in his own thought, the fifty-two year old man first fiddled with the frills on his wife’s night wear before saying "You are so much more beautiful my love"

She was seated on his laps and now resting her head on his shoulder. He pulled her even close to himself. He thought of how much frail she was becoming by the day, and how much he still loved her.

The man stroked his wife's back lovingly, still looking lost in thoughts. He was still toying with the next words to say, when the front door suddenly swung open to admit a sixteen year old girl who sauntered into the house looking a bit tired.

The girl walked straight to her parents and gave her father a peck on the right cheek. "Daddy good evening" she said. She sat on the couch beside her father, looked at the television screen first and glanced at the Quartz clock on the wall before she asked the woman "Mom, has it been on for long?"

The woman made a face before she replied her daughter curtly "Yes it has". She looked at the wall clock herself before saying "You are late again today; I don't want you returning late from lesson again".

The girl made to respond, but her father cut her off with a wave towards the dinning table "Monic go get your food" he said "We have already eaten without you".

Monic hesitated and he added "You can bring your food here".

"Thanks daddy" she hailed happily as she rushed off to return immediately with a food tray. Monic sat on the rug at her father's feet and made to turn her attention to the screen when she caught a glimpse of her mother nibbling at her father's ear.

With her mind scant in the food on her laps, Monic smiled and said to herself "Marriage is so beautiful". She fantasized a while how hers was going to be and prayed God to grant her the man of her dreams whenever the time was right.

As the scene transited to contain her heroine, Monic fixed her attentive gaze on the screen. She decided to ignore Dave’s insinuation that there was no real love in today's world.

* * *

Monic, Monic! Monic!! Dave called out repeatedly but there was no response. As he walked along the long corridor, he wondered out aloud "Ha! where is she? Who knows what she is doing?"

As he approached the last door on the corridor, he called out again "Monic!" This time, urgency and anger glinted in his voice.

He stopped and mumbled "But mom said she was inside". He took a last step and reached the door of the room their father once used as a study.

He turned the door handle and peered into the room almost about to scream the name again, when Dave saw his younger sister staring at some incomprehensible spot on the room's plain wall.

Monic was clutching a book to her chest and seemed lost in her own world. She hadn't noticed her brother's entry. Not so sure if she was okay, Dave moved cautiously to her side.

As he made to tap her shoulder, the startled Monic jumped up from the old rocking chair she was lazying on, and let the loosely bound book pages cascade to the floor.

"Ah! Dave you scared me" Monic exclaimed as her elder brother stooped to pick up the book cover from among the mess on the floor. Coming back up, Dave hissed and asked mockingly "Scared? Now tell me young lady, what is wrong with you?"

"Nothing" was Monic’s initial reply before adding a conservative "I was just reading". She squatted to pick the rest of the scattered pages on the floor.

Turning the Mills & Boons book cover around in his hands Dave mimicked "Nothing, I was just reading".

Having picked up the pages, Monic directed her attention to arranging the leaves of the romance book series. She looked rather embarrassed and stared at nothing in particular as she felt her brother’s gaze scorch her back.

Monic coughed lightly and stuttered in quick succession "When did you come back?" "How is school?" "I hope you are okay?"

Shaking his head sympathetically, Dave laid an understanding hand on his sister's shoulder and called her by his pet name for her "Mo-mo". He paused, raised her head to meet his eyes and answered "I am very fine, thank you"

He scrutinized her beautiful brown eyes before he continued "It is you I'm bothered about". He smiled reassuringly and asked "Are you okay?"

Monic managed to mumble a "Yes" and made to look down again. His gentle but firm hand resisted the move and he gently said "You will be very fine Adanne, but you need to stop this your fantasy island thinking"

He stopped to be sure he was being understood before concluding admonishingly "Stop this your Mills & Boons madness and face the more important things that will add value and meaning to your life".

Monic finally freed her jaw from his hand and said with renewed impetus "Why do you always say that?" "I read my books and do my chores without being told, can't I read novels and magazines in my free time?"

Dave knew indeed his sister was serious with her school and home work. He let her go and moved to take over the rocking chair. He knew that the house was always clean, thanks to Monic; and her outstanding end of term results were always adequate evidence of her academic diligence.

With the book cover still in his hand Dave looked squarely at his sister, noticing how big and fast she had grown. She was also beautiful and he was proud of her. He rocked himself in the creaky chair for a while as Monic’s eyes questioned him, looking set for a confrontation.

Shaking his head, Dave sighed and said more comely "My dear, you're just sixteen; you have so much work to do to help you face the world out there"

He paused a while, stretched out his hand to return the book cover to her and continued "Of course you can read novels and magazines, but it should be such as will help you understand the harsh reality of life".

She stepped forward and took the cover from his hand just as he added I didn't say don’t read M&B novels, but don’t believe too much in it as it will only deceive you". "The romance they paint there is only fiction and never real".

She picked up paper gum from a small table in the room and set herself to the task of mending her book, almost determined to ignore her brother.

Impulsively however, she said "Bro Dave I don’t mean to slight you, but you are just twenty-one and not much older than I am". To drive home her point, she added "Don't you see how happy mom and dad is?" "They still love themselves so much, even after so many years of marriage".

As Dave made to say something, she waved him off and concluded by saying "You can't know more than dad and mom".

Without responding to the obvious contempt in her voice, Dave stood up from the chair and began to leave the room. At the door he stopped briefly, turned back to his sister and said "Leave that your novel, mom wants us to go get stuff for her from the shop".

Still looking gloomy, Monic put down the book on the table and placed a weighty dictionary on the now re-glued bound book.

As he watched her, he thought to himself, "She is right though". He wanted to harp on the fact that their parents' was an exception and that life was not always so; he even knew relationships that started sweetly but ended up in a stormy, bitter, gnashing of teeth and regrets.

He really wanted to explain more to her, but could only come up with "You know I love you very much my sister" As she closed in on him, he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and continued "When the time comes, you will find somebody who will love and care for you just like our parents care for each other"

He hugged her close and said "For now, try to concentrate more on your studies and become a woman of substance; that is more important now" "There is still plenty of time for every other thing".

They both walked out of the room together. As they strolled towards the front garage their mother had turned to a packing store for her textile materials, Dave said encouragingly to his rather quiet sister "Don’t you worry, I will not let anyone hurt your emotions, but then don’t go and cheat yourself".

"David!!" Their mother was already screaming. At that moment, they stepped into the garage and their disciplinarian mother began to immediately to reel out her instructions.

Dave looked at her sister again and prayed inwardly "God help my sister, she is too emotional" "Please don't let anyone hurt her".

©Amaka Ezeonuogu Chidozie (2015)