Rachael shot me lasers as she warned me not to mention her name again.

"Listen up, everyone. Here is the oven, the pans, six kilograms of flour, basin for mixing the dough, baking powder, sugar, milk, half crate of eggs, flavourings and margarine for making of the cupcakes." Listed our Food And Nutrition teacher, getting the attention of almost everyone.

She then brought margarine and some container of liquid milk, poured content into a small pot and heated them over the fire. Then, she proceeded to assign Frank and Juliana to beat about fifteen eggs to be foam like.

"Is your attention here, Faith?" The obese woman asked worriedly. "Come over here and help smear the baking pans with a little margarine."

I stood up immediately and went ahead to do what she wanted me to do. Maybe, just maybe, I would not be driven insane by the demons combating inside me.

Everyone in the class were grouped into twos and threes and assigned what to do, while the rest watched as our teacher added sugar, a bit of baking powder, the beaten eggs and some flavours into the flour.

"Excuse me, Ma. I want to speak with Miss Daniels." I turned quickly to face that familiar voice which I recognized as my guardian's own.

Hastily, I untied the apron from the back, pulled it off and wreathed outside.

"Aunty Thalia," I pulled her into a hug. Mrs Thalia Oko was such a good woman. Everyday, I usually thank God for making her to be my guardian at school.

She returned the hug back, even tighter. "Your mom called earlier today and informed me that she would come around two pm to take you home."

My heart skipped. "Did anything happen at home?" An arched brow graced my face as I broke the hug.

"She told me that she would come to take you for a medical check up. Actually, she called me hours ago but the person I told to call you said you weren't in class." Mrs Thalia said but I simply twitched my lips, having nothing to explain.

A default ringing tone filled the air as Mrs Thalia brought out her phone from the little purse in her hand. "It's your mom, go and take the key from Mrs Diane and bring out some of your properties." She muttered as she stared at the caller Id before swiping the screen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mixed emotions were what I was saturated with. If then that I was going for medical checkup then it was going to be a great relief to me. I really wanted to be done with the shit of bed wetting even at my very age.

Sluggishly, I dragged the bags of mine that I decided to take home, with the school park in mind.

At another thought, I wondered if this wasn't my mom wanting to change my school once again. And God knows that I wouldn't forgive her this time around.

Now yet another thought crossed my mind. It was me wondering the reaction of my roommates when they return back to the room and behold my box and one of my bags missing. And eventually not seeing me in school for the next few days, if not week.

Of course, it would be goodbye to the unwanted thorn in her flesh, to Ruth.

As though it was just a screen play, I saw Fiona from a far. She was walking towards my direction.

I removed my face from her approaching figure and kept it glued to the school's car park that I was getting nearer to.

"Are you leaving?" Fiona who stopped in front of me, in an attempt to halt me, asked.

"Just for a while," I shifted right and dragged my lilac box, continuing my journey to the car park.

"Hey wait, let me help you out with this one." Fiona stretched forth her hand to get hold of my cute lilac bag that had a teddy bear attached to the zip. "Is it your mom that came to pick you?"

I stopped and turned fully to her. "Yes, it's my mom. But please can you stop acting this good, it's weird."

"I've always been good to you." Fiona pointed out.

"Whatever, just know that I won't introduce you to anyone." I eyed her and let go of the cute lilac bag she sought to carry. She smiled as though I was just saying. But she would soon know better.

"You mean that you would have left without telling any of us. That's not fair." I hated her unwanted company. And now she won't just shut her mouth.

"Us?" I arched a deep brow.

What was us? Did she know the gravity of using that word us? I doubt she did.

"Yes na," She nodded. "We would have thought that you went missing."

I almost laughed. It was damn hilarious. But at the same sickening.

"All right, you can now give me my bag. It's my mom over there." I was serious when I talked of not introducing her to my mom.

"Oh, she's pretty." Fiona stated with a nod. But to my utmost surprise, she walked past me to my mom.

What the hell just happened? Nah, where in the hell was she leading herself to?

Seeing that she was already talking to my mom whose face was morphed into a disconcerted one, made me chuckle deeply.

Facts was that my mom was cool but no so cool. That woman was damn rude and cold to those that weren't family, or that didn't act like family.

That was the bone of contention between her and my dad's mom. I can vividly remember the day when mama barged into our house, telling her to give her son a child. And it so annoyed my mom because I was playing with my sisters in the living room then.

"What do you mean by a child, mama?" It didn't go down well with my mother. "Aren't these kids children?"

Mama looked around dramatically. "I see no son."

"It's rude barging into my house..."

Mama cut in. "My son's house."

"I built the house with Jacob! Barging into this house wasn't enough. It's now to utter absolute gibberish. Get out of my house, mama."

The latter's eyes widened in disbelief. "Alu! What did you just say?"

Just then Jacob who happened to be my dad entered the living room.

"Jacob nwa m, your wife wants me out of this house!"

"Babe," Now my siblings and I had long stopped our plays and watched the whole drama with innocent eyes.

My mom wasn't in for dad's coaxing words. "Tell the bitch to get out already."

"What!" Dad and his mom chorused.

It went down hot for the three of them. But at the end of the day, dad ended up begging mom.

"Who is this?" My mom faced me once I came over to where she stood with Fiona. "The car is open, go put in your stuffs."

"She's a schoolmate."

"Now little girl go and continue with your studies, all right?" Mom turned to Fiona who suddenly felt embarrassed.

She turned to me and I shrugged. I told her.

I went to the car and dumped my box and bag in the boot, with my mom following me. Soon we were both seated on the front seat as she reversed her car and soon zoomed out of the school.

Fresh air hit me. Of course the school had fresh air but it was like the same air I've been breathing in since two months now. The air that I felt right now was that of freedom.

Nothing was as good as freedom. And nothing was bad as well as that same freedom. You know, things that usually serve dual purposes has their pros and cons. Take for example, the human mind.

It was used for both thinking and imaginations. Now that same mind that conceived a bright idea for one was what would lead another to commit homicide.

As senseless as this may sound, whatever good thing we thirst for must come with a price.

"Where to?" I asked my mom whose hands were on the steering and face glued to the road. "Home?"

"Yes. But we would be branching the hospital first. I got you a card, earlier this morning so that you will meet the chief consultant doctor. Didn't Thalia tell you?"

"She did but not this detailed." I answered.

"Well," She swerved her car right and over took a small blue Camry. "That's because I detailed nothing to her."

"I'm hungry." I blurted out.

"Rita is home. She cooked a delicious meal." Mom informed and my eyes widened.

"What?! I thought she has her PTS nursing exam to take." I was surprised. Rita never liked staying at home due to conflicting personalities with mom. Plus the house chores she hated being involved in. "So where in the earth is Halsey and Maria?"

Also, I knew that those three couldn't stay together. Halsey and Maria were normally a team, while I and Rita another team. And me not being at home would lead to an attitude from the two eldest siblings.

"Halsey left home two days after you were taken to school about a month and few weeks ago. She's engaged to Christopher." A smile graced her face. "And Maria...Maria is all right."

I cleared my throat. "Hopefully, she is. But where is she?"

"At school. So then, Rita would be going to school from home for the main time."

I nodded even when I was still discombobulated. Maria was normally the one that usually do come back every weekend based on mom's instruction.

"But..."

"I know that I made the rule but you know sometimes you kids do find a way of making it flexible."

Coming from that was absurd. I couldn't, wouldn't and shouldn't believe her.

But then, did I just hear that Halsey was engaged to Christopher. I was so happy for her. She had been through so much shit. At some point it seemed as though she was cursed when it came to relationships.

But along came Christopher and now they are about to take the nuptial vows. And the sweetest thing is that Christopher was quite a generous young man. He never ever failed to buy me prestigious things whenever he comes visiting.

"We've reached the hospital, get down." I was out of my personal space again as I looked around from the protective barrier called window that momentarily separated me from the outside world.

After we both came down and mom locked the car with the remote, we strode into the biggest of all the buildings in the hospital.

The hospital was not where I would say I wouldn't like to be in. Like, come on it's going to be where I will spend a greater fraction of my life while working.

I wanted to be a surgeon. That doctor who would be loved by my all patients. That doctor who knew what she was doing.

But then, I also had a flair for singing. It was my favourite hobby. It made me happy and euphoric.

Oh! How much singing do please me.

It connects me with others in such a way that is soul lifting. Once upon a time, I was a chorister until we relocated and then the choristers in our new district church weren't that encouraging.

"Excuse me, Ma'am what is your number? I'm 72. And I'm sure that by now I would be close to seeing the doctor." My mom told a woman who she was kinda of sure of coming before.

The light skinned woman on a gown suite that wore black shades and a prominent lucid diamond ring battered her lashes before giving my mom the stink eye. She flipped her expensive looking human hair wig over her shoulder as she crossed her long legs, attracting our eyes to her heels.

This woman looked fancy. Her nose scrunched up in disdain as she glued her eyes on the playing TV.

"I'm talking to you?" My mom was now sounding unsure of herself.

Silence.

"Nurse please the person inside the doctor's office is number what?" My mom shook her head and went ahead to ask a good looking nurse that just entered the reception office.

"I think seventy, Ma." The nurse assumed and my mom still went ahead to thank her.

We sat down waiting for our turn. From the corner of my eyes I could see my mom turn more than once to glare at the woman who was now typing away on her apple phone.

Tired of waiting, I decided to watch the boring movie that was playing on the TV screen. I've seen the movie before at the cinema with Rita, when it came out new. And of a true, it was really over hyped.

The script writer wrote a cliche. And the actors and actresses were mostly upcoming. Not to talk about how unnatural it looked.

"Seventy two!" A nurse emerged from the doctors office with a file I guessed to be mine.

My mom and I stood up the same time the fancy woman did. We three were almost about to enter the doctor's office together.

"Are you Ms Daniels?" The nurse asked the fancy woman.

"No...but the woman wasn't around when I came so I took her number." The latter spat out belligerently.

"That's not a plausible excuse." The nurse politely said. "Besides, we are delaying others that want to see the doctor as well."

"Will you keep shut, nurse! How dare you open your rotten mouth to talk to me in such a nonchalant manner." The fancy woman sparked like electricity.

"Do you by chance know who I am?" She continued with a sneer.

The nurse faked a cough. "Number seventy three, please." She then turned and faced my mom. "Sorry ma, let someone see the doctor while the conflict between you both is settled."

"Ma," The nurse turned to the haughty fancy woman. "Please who are you?"

The latter removed her black shades. "You don't know me? Kelly Paul? The popular Nollywood actor that was nominated twice in row for the funniest actress."

"Oh really?!" My mom chortled. "If you were really that popular we all would have recognized you at first sight. Trash!"

I rolled my eyes as the doctor's office door opened and the patient who earlier in it came out. "Nurse please where can I run this test? The doctor needs the result for further treatment."

My mom dragged me by wrist into the doctor's office while she gave the nurse a grateful nod.

A huge looking middle aged dark skinned man on white coat sat down on his rocking chair, signalling to both my mom and I to have our seat.

And that we did.

"What's the problem?" He looked at me. "You're Faith, right?"

"Yes," My mom answered in my stead while I nodded.

Then my mother went ahead to narrate to him my health issues. It was really shameful for me as I watched me being discussed.

Why did she even not take me to our family doctor again? It was embarrassing for another doctor to hear my story.

"It's nothing to worry about okay. So the card here says that you are seventeen and..." He perused through the file before him and nodded twice.

Then he scribbled down something on a blank paper and told my mom to give it to the pharmacist.

"But Sir, she has taken antibiotics before. Her body may grow some kind of resistance to it." She voiced out her fear.

Doctor shook his head. "Just do as I said. Besides make sure she limits the way she takes water and beverages during the evening. More so, she should be using the toilet frequently." He turned to me. "Don't hold back your urine whenever you are pressed. Wherever you are or whatever...you hear?"

"Okay Sir, thanks."

We left the hospital and it was very funny (regarding what happened earlier at the hospital) and annoying.

"That woman is a lunatic." My mom said as she started the car and drove out of the hospital, leaving behind a great trail of dust.

"How is daddy?" It was shameful of me to ask of him now.

"Good." She answered monotonously. Her voice sounded like one being choked. And she looked like one who ice literally ran through her veins at that moment.

"Is he around..."

"Can we have this talk when we get home? I'm driving." She interrupted me and when she thought I was not looking, she rubbed gently at her temple.

I didn't like this reaction. However, since she said that it was when we get home then so be it.

My dad is my favourite of the both parents. Even though kids are not really meant to show favoritism in stuffs like this, just like parents amongst their kids. But I couldn't help.

Dad was just a nice man who would hardly refuse me my request. Hopefully, he was not on another business trip.

I whined my seat down so that it was like a bed and I rested on it.

"Faith get up! Don't sleep when I'm driving. It's a bad habit." I groaned at that statement. You see? If it was dad, he wouldn't mind a bit.

I took the seat up and it was once back to normal. But then, I placed my left arm on the armrest and then placed my hand under my jaw, Supportingly.

"Faith!" That authoritative alto voice.

"Mom?!" I almost yelled. "What is it?" Why won't this woman let me rest for once in her car?!

"Are you shouting on me?" Her hands fisted, ready to smack the rudeness she impacted in me, outta me. "Goat."

I rolled my eyes. If I'm a goat and she claims to be the one that birthed me then she too was a goat.

Simple logic.

"What the hell did you call your mother? A goat?!" I literally shrieked at her voice. Did I...did I say that out?

"Get out of the car." She spat out.

I opened and closed my mouth like a respiring fish. "But..."

"We're home, get out!" My eyes widened when she said that. I looked out and saw our grey wrought iron gate.

She horned thrice before the gate man knew he was to open the door.

In all its glory stood our peach coloured twin duplex that was graced with a touch of tiles here and there.

"Mom," I smiled and she smiled back, probably expecting me to utter something emotional or...

"Will you now tell me where dad is?"