5

It was seven in the morning and Rosela was still in bed. Dansanisa woke up earlier to prepare breakfast for the family. She noticed Rosela's absence in the dinning table for breakfast in readiness for school. 

Dansanisa, without hesitating, went straight to Rosela's room to check on her. Surprisingly, she met her still lying on the bed with face turn to the other end of the wall. She walked close to her in anger that she didn't get up on time to prepare for school. 

Dansanisa removed the blanked she was covering to discovers that Rosela bed was stained with blood, she was bleeding badly. Dansanisa grunted, annoyed that Rosela still wasnt able to take care of herself during her period. She shook her to wake but Rosela was already awake. 

"Why are you still on bed by this time? Don't you want to go to school today?" she said. 

"Mom, I don't feel like going today," she said still lying on her bed. 

"Why, don't say that sweetie," she said. 

"Mom, I'm a little dizzy. That's all," she said, then turned a bit but made sure she still faced the wall. 

"Get up and clean yourself, get ready and come out for breakfast. You are on your menstrual cycle and I wonder why you aren't feeling it. Thats probably part-reason for your moodiness," she said, then went out of the room to continue with what she was doing. 

Rosela got up, cleaned up, wore her school uniform and came out to the dining table for breakfast. From Rosela's sudden change in the way she walked, anyone could tell that she was not normal. 

"Are you okay, Rosela?" her mother asked, chewing her food. 

"I'm fine Mommy," she answered with her face lowered. She was suffering great pains in her lower abdomen, she couldn't tell her mom because she knew very well that Dansanisa would never believe her instead she would get upset—unnecessarily— at her. 

Amunsa gave her a flat stare, then used his legs to play with hers under the dining table. Rosela felt uncomfortable. she stood up from where she was sitting, without finishing up her food, and went to the sitting room walking slowly— to wait for Kwensa and Anuella to finish so there could leave for school. 

Dansanisa saw that, she barely touched her food since it had been served to her as she asked. 

"Are you not eating your breakfast again darling?" Dansanisa asked Rosela. Amunsa jumped into the conversation. 

"Mom, I've lost my appetite, I don't feel like eating anymore," she said. 

"Honey, why not give her a break? Let her be for now, okay? I think she is tired." He said, glancing at Rosela in the sitting room. 

"Tired of what?" she said, as he kept looking at her. 

Twisting his mouth, he said, "Maybe late-night reading? You know your child more than I do, so you should be in a better position to understand her." 

"Oh, mummy, can we just eat in peace? I don't understand you people anymore." Kwensa said, wearing a wired face. 

"Oh, thank goodness someone finally spoke out. It seems he is the only one on this table and I'm already getting fed up with this unnecessary talk," Anuella said, dropping her fork down on the plate. 

"After all the false accusations she made against dad, you still care for her?" he said. 

Dansanisa sighed. "Come on, guys, this is not the right time for this. Show a little concern, please!" She smiled showing her upper teeth slightly. 

"Okay, mom," the two replied in unison. 

"Look, guys, you don't have to always be rude to Rosela, yeah? She is your big sister, okay? So, accord her with some respect. Please!" Amunsa said, then shoved fried potatoes into his mouth and chewed. 

Anuella dropped her fork again in the plate. "Now we are rude to her? Our supposed big sister?" she said, gesturing with her hands. 

"I can't believe this, Dad. I honestly can't believe that you are taking sides!" she said, frowning. 

"No honey, come on, I'm not taking sides with Rosela. I'm just looking out for her as I also do for you both." He rubbed her cheek. 

Kwensa also dropped her fork and, this time, on the table. "No dad, I disagree. You've never treated us the way you normally do to Rosela. You tend to love and care more for Rosela, sometimes it baffles me. You give her more attention than to us, dad," he said. 

Dansanisa swallowed the food in her mouth. "Kwensa stop! Just finish up your food and let's get going, okay? All this won't take anybody anywhere. Please!" She said, exasperated. Most times, her younger children gave her headaches! 

Amunsa took a deep breath. "Anuella, Kwensa, I'm sorry if— by any way— I made you feel uncared for. I really didn't mean for you guys to feel that way and I promise to make it up to you, yeah?" he said. 

"Whatever, daddy" Kwensa said, still eating. 

"Don't talk that way to your father, Kwensa. I thought he has already apologized?" Dansanisa said. 

"It's okay, honey. Kwensa, I will make it up to you both. So, stop all this jealousy," he said. 

"It's not jealousy, dad. She accused you wrongly and she should be punished so that next time, she won't try it again or even dream of saying it." She frowned. 

"Anuella... It's me not you. And I have forgiven her, okay? Now, would you just stop frowning and give me that smile," he said, making weird gestures with his face. 

Anuella smiled a bit at her father while Kwensa wasn't. He was still upset about what happened. 

"Kids, kids," Dansanisa said, shaking her head as both Kwensa and Anuella laughed. 

.

Rosela felt this hatred for Amunsa from the pit of her stomach as she sat in the sitting room. She felt like strangling him at that moment. 

She wished her caring, loving and understanding father was still alive. If he were, then maybe things would not be the way it was right now, maybe things would have been better and easy for her. She got cut off from her thoughts when her mother called, pushing her to recover herself as they were already leaving for school.