Chapter 6 Mrs Bright's Visit

The following day, Josh awoke to the ray of light entering his room through his half closed curtain hanged on the wall as a cover for the window. He stretched his body and directed his gaze to the wall clock in his room.

"8:00 am!!" he sprinted out of bed immediately and headed to his siblings' rooms to wake them all.

"Gosh!, we woke up really late." Aster muttered tiredly.

"Don't worry, I already assisted you with a lot of things this morning. It's so obvious you were really exhausted last night." he assured her with a smile on his face.

"Oh my!, how can I ever love you less. You're the best thing I have." she hugged him with relief.

"What about us?" Karla and Darla peaked their heads through the door.

"You're dressed?" Aster was surprised.

"Of course. You're only left with taking care of yourself and Arby. We can't do that for you. You know, Arby is a little bit hard to take care of." Josh explained scratching the back of his head .

Aster laughed at him and smacked him on his side.

"If you can't take care of Arby, how would you take care of your child when you finally become a father?" she teased him.

"Well, that's still a long way to go. Maybe I'll know what to do by then. It's better you stand up right now. We're late enough." Josh stuttered and ran out of the room while the twins laughed at his nervousness. He became nervous when Aster mentioned him becoming a father. Shy Josh.

Few minutes later, they were done with a light breakfast of sliced bread and tea. As they were preparing to set out for their various schools, the alarm bell rang making them aware of someone's presence at their gate.

"Don't worry sis!. I'll take that" Aster hurried out fully dressed in his school uniform.

He opened the giant gate, only to meet someone he never expected to see. Someone his whole family was not ready to see at all. Not on a day like this, when they were already late for important things.

Her presence alone sent chills down Josh's spine. Aster who didn't hear any sound for a while hurriedly went out to see for herself.

"Who's there?" she asked from a distance walking closer to her brother.

"What are you doing here ma'am?" she heard him ask the person at the gate. By then, she has gotten to the gate. Her stomach churned nervously at the sight. The least expected person at the moment. She controlled her nervousness and smiled at the figure in their front.

"Mrs Bright, good morning ma'am" she showed an act of curtesy as the mannered girl she is.

"Good morning Aster. How's everyone?. Why would you call me Mrs Bright?. Am I not your aunt?. I would have preferred you called me that" she feigned anger and Josh scoffed with an eye roll.

"No offence aunt, I just thought calling you by your husband's name would be better. We are all fine.Thanks for your care" she replied her simply and curtly.

"Where are your siblings?. Can I see them?. You know, it's been a while."

Aster looked at Josh swiftly not sure of how she should reply and quickly thought of something to say.

"Ah!, that's true. Luckily, we were on our way to school. I'll call them out for you to see and greet them." she said.

*If that's what you really want to do* she completed in her mind.

Before she could turn around to leave, her aunt stopped her.

"At least, be hospitable enough to let me in. I've been here for a while now. The sun is beginning to get hot."

*Like you were invited. It's your cup of tea. Anywhere you stay is none of our business* Josh mumbled. Aster had no choice than to let her aunt into the compound.

Fortunately, her siblings were fully prepared and had brought out their necessities as well as locked the door.

Mrs Bright walked towards the children and they didn't welcome her like they used to. Instead, they stared at her like she was some kind of masquerade.

"How are you all doing?" she made to carry Arby when she got to where they were, but he started crying and ran towards Aster step by step.

Josh almost laughed out loud at the scene.

*Even, a baby doesn't want you near him* he thought with a smirk.

"I heard one of you was sick yesterday. Why don't you take today off school. Moreover, this is just some minutes past nine. You're late already" she spoke to the twins, but they didn't utter anything.

"You're right, which means, you have to leave now. We do whatever we want, and no one can question us. I mean, it's not your business. Sorry if I sound rude, but I can't let some irrelevant person disturb my plans. If you want to see us, you would have come on a different day." Darla suddenly spoke up and opened the car boot. She placed thier lunch boxes into the car, and entered the car together with Karla.

Josh kept laughing inwardly while Mrs Bright felt embarrassed. Karla brought out her head from the car window and asked if Aster would not be taking them to school that day as a way of shunning their aunt who was still trying to drag them into a conversation.

"Of course, I would. With due respect ma'am, we have to get going. As you can see, we're all hale and hearty." They all got into the car while Mrs Bright left amidst total embarrassment.

"You dare humiliate me, I'll surely get back at you for this. I'll make you beg for me to save you and come to your aid. You'll crawl on your two knees begging me to help and save you, I'll really make sure of that. By then, no one will be willing to help you. No, no one will be able to help or save you, not even your dead parents. I don't know how Camille managed to have kids like you. Arrogant peacocks." she murmured angrily referring to their mother– her brother's wife.

Aster drove out of the compound and locked the gate after their so calked aunt left their house. Josh let out his pent up laughter and smirked at her.

"God knows what the witch came to do."

"I guess, what I'm thinking is really true. She's behind the peach Karla ate and Sephina's change towards my sisters. But I can never be so sure until I see the medical report today." Aster was in thought.

"What are you thinking about?. You look worried." asked Josh who sat on his usual seat which was beside Aster at the front.

"Nothing much dear. Let's talk when we get back. We're all late right now." she said and Josh nodded affirming her words.

She dropped them at school and headed to the university again. But today, she's unlucky because she has the subject being taught by the troublesome lecturer from the previous day.

"What do I do?, I'm soooo late today. Should I not go?" she thought as she drove there.

"No!, I can't be scared. Got to face him no matter what."