Chapter 2
Does he remember the promise he made me?
I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't realise when I slumped on my seat as exhaustion took over me. Next time I open my eyes I find myself snuggling in my blanket on my bed in my bedroom. I blinked my eyes to clear my vision. I removed my blanket and placed my legs on the floor. I was still dressed in my football jersey.
Dad must have put me to bed.
I stared at them after looking at the smiley bandage on my both knees. He always does that when I'm asleep because I whine at him every time saying I'm not a kid anymore and he would reply to me saying I'm still a kid to him. I went to the bathroom to take a shower as it was already dinner time. I stripped out of my clothes and took a warm shower as my muscles ache a little bit because of sleeping in the car throughout the ride. My bruises stung as warm water touched them. I ignored it and soon came out of the bathroom as my stomach growled. The last meal I had was my breakfast and now I was so hungry so I soon slipped into my pyjamas and went down following the delicious scent of fried chicken coming from the kitchen.
"What special for dinner today," I said as I took my seat on a high chair as I took a piece of fried chicken from which dad had placed beside the stove.
"Spaghetti with spicy fried chicken. Be careful it's still hot," he said as he had just now taken them out of hot oil. I still took a big piece of it and took a hearty bite.
"Hmmm, dad it's so spicy, juicy, and tasty just as I like," I said with my mouth still chewing on it as I took one more bite of it. He smiled looking at my face. He was done frying the chicken and in the meantime, I was done eating four pieces of chicken. He took the food to the table as I was done eating my fourth chicken piece and was now licking my fingers.
"Lu, bring us water with you and come to eat your dinner," he yelled from the dining area as he was done setting the table. I grabbed the jar of water and two glasses for us. I took my seat and dad put the big share of spaghetti on my plate with more spicy chicken pieces.
"Dad I'm already half full," I said looking at my plate with a pout on my lips.
"Finish it then you will get ice cream as dessert," he said with a smile on his face. He knows this trick always works on me.
"Dad, it's bribing," I said while looking at him with narrowed eyes. Well, I'm not complaining.
"So you don't want ice cream then I will finish it on my own," he said while putting the spaghetti in my mouth as I was about to disagree. I chewed on it fast to talk again but he again put a spoon full of spaghetti in my mouth.
"Dad," I said, still with a mouth full of food, making him laugh. We had the rest of the dinner with me telling him stories about my school and hostel about me and some about Ella. He laughed listening to my story about how we coloured our chemistry teacher's face purple by mixing the chemical and asked her to check it and poof her face was purple.
After that, I and Ella had to clean the garden for a whole week as our teacher complained to our head sister. Dad never stopped me from doing anything mischievous; he even sometimes gave me ideas but always warned me never to hurt someone. He never stopped me from being myself. My aged girls liked to dress up and grow their hair till their waist learning how to do makeup but I never was interested in those things. I like my hair short and I feel comfortable in my football jersey. I could go weeks wearing that.
"Dad I'm full, I can't eat anymore," I said as I couldn't eat more while slumping in my chair as my tummy was so full that I couldn't even lift my finger. "You didn't even eat anything," dad said moving his head as he took my plate to finish it.
"Dad, if I continued eating like that there will be two balls on the football ground when I go back to school after vacation," I said with a horrified expression on my face which made him laugh. After dinner, we decided to watch a movie with ice cream in our hands. Dad first didn't give me ice cream, teasing me saying I was full.
"Dad there is always lots of room in my stomach for ice cream," I said and took it from his hand. Dad slept in half the movie so I completed the movie after covering him with a blanket as I snuggled beside him in the same blanket. I know he was tired from his work but he still wanted to spend time with me. So do I. I miss him so badly when I'm back at school. In the morning when I opened my eyes I again found myself in my bed. In this house where I sleep, I found myself in bed the next time I opened my eyes. Courtesy goes to my dad. I rubbed my eyes as I took a deep sniff of air around me. I woke up after smelling something sweet. Without wasting time I ran down to find dad making pancakes for me.
"Pancakes," I said in my delighted voice as I saw dad making a stack of it. I ran to eat it but dad pushed my hand away.
"First go and brush your teeth and wash your face too. I can see drawl running all over your cheeks" dad said in his firm voice as he pointed at my cheeks making me immediately lift my hand to wipe it but nothing was there.
"Dad," I said as he teased me, making me laugh at my reaction.
"Go fast, get ready, and come down. I will take you to the Riviera mansion after breakfast" dad said, making me run back to my bedroom to change fast before he could say anything more. I was eager to go to the Riviera mansion. When I went down dressed in my oversized t-shirt and ripped jeans I found dad sitting on the table with a newspaper dress for his work.
"Come I was waiting for you," dad said, keeping the paper aside as he smiled at me. We had our breakfast together with me eating in a hurry so we can leave soon. Dad moved his head in amusement as he saw me eating fast as he was sipping on his coffee.
"Let's go," I said as I kept my empty juice glass back.
"You broke your record of eating breakfast so fast. Last time you took ten minutes and today only five" he said looking at his wristwatch in his amused voice as he laughed at me seeing my eagerness to go there.
"Dad, now let's go, you will be late for your work," I said in my serious voice as I ran towards the door with him following me. In fifteen minutes we reached there as it was not that far away from where we stayed. A maid opened the door for us and I ran into the house as I always used to do as a kid.
"Grandma" I screamed on top of my lungs as I saw her sitting in the living room talking with aunty Charlotte.
"Oh my what a surprise my beautiful Luna is home," she said heartily as she opened her arms to engulf me in them.
"I missed you so much," I said like ten years old as she patted me on my back lovingly.
"Everyone misses the only grandma no one misses me" I heard aunty Charlotte saying in her sad voice making me look at her with a grin.
"I missed you too aunty," I said as I hugged her now while moving out of grandma's arms.
"You know all my friends liked the muffins you sent me last time," I said with a big smile on my face.
"I will make more for you so you can take some for your friends but before I give it to you," she said with a pleased smile on her face. Aunty Charlotte always liked to feed everyone.
"Charlotte, don't spoil her, '' dad said as he took his seat beside grandmas after saying good morning to them.
"You didn't even give me a chance to spoil her. I told you so many times that I will take care of her but now you have to go and put my delicate child in the hostel," aunty said in her firm voice as she once again showed dad her disapproval for sending me away.
"I know you will take care of me more than me but I also know how naughty my daughter is. You know what she did to her chemistry teacher" and just like that dad told them all my doings making them laugh.
"Honey come here let me see you properly," grandma said after some time so I stood up and went near her.
"You have grown so tall and beautiful just like your mother," she said lovingly as she patted my cheeks.
"Girls grow so fast. It feels like she was a toddler yesterday and now all grown up" dad said in his heavy voice. I could see he didn't like me to grow up. He wanted me to be still his small Luna who runs behind him with a running nose.
"Stop all your emotional talks. So Luna, have you decided what you will do on your sixteenth birthday" aunty asked me in her excited voice as she wiped the corner of her eyes. Yes, I was going to turn sixteen in a few days. I went on with what I had decided to do and they all listened with lots of patience. After some time dad left for the office.
He worked in the Riviera industry as a manager. Dad and Uncle John were friends from University after graduation. Uncle John asked to join him in his father's company and since then they have worked together. We are like a family. All of them love me. All of them and suddenly I remembered the reason why I wanted to come back here. I asked aunty about him. She told me he was coming back from California for his summer break. It was his last year in college. I was still talking with them when I heard the horns of the car.
"I think he is here," aunty said with a big smile on her face.
"I will go and open the door" saying that I ran towards the door before a maid could do it. With a big smile on my face, I opened the door as I felt the same giddiness I was feeling yesterday to see him after a year. I saw him getting out of the car and then another boy his age got out of the car then next thing I saw the smile disappeared from my face. A beautiful woman wearing a mini dress stepped out of his car and clasped his arm making my heart sink to my stomach.
Who is she?