CHAPTER SIX.

In a moment, Richard honked the horn outside the gate. Like an expectant woman, Jina leapt off her bed and dashed out of the room. Richard sounded the horn repeatedly with the impression that everyone must be deep asleep. Honey, I am coming.

Instantly when Esther had her aunt's voice, she trembled and the plate fell and broke into shards. Tension filled the room as well as her heart.

"What was that, who was there?" She lingered. The girls zipped their mouths in anguish. She went down the stairs curious to know the source of the sound she had just heard. They all hid under Esther's bed but they were breathing so heavily that the sound of their breath could be heard next door.

No sooner had she got hold of the latch on Esther's door than Richard sounded the horn again as if it was a trumpet. She withdrew and headed out to open the gate.

The girls crawled out beneath the bed and sigh in relief.

"That was too close! I even wetted my pants," said Mercy, still breathing heavily.

"I want to pee." Retorted Esther.

"We should be thankful for the small Mercies that dad arrived in time to save us. We have to neaten this place and disperse before the lion returns." Mercy said humorously. "We have to be in safe hiding as soon as possible, or else it will pounce on any of us."

"Jina's face beamed when she sighted her husband. The yearning to embrace him was well defined by the beatific expression on her bubbly face."

"Welcome back, darling," she said and flung her arms around him as soon as he got out of the car.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting, dear. You stayed up late because of me."

" It's Ok honey. Don't beat yourself up over it. I know it was important for you. "

"Thanks for understanding. What would I have done without you? You are my strongest pillar." He said with a beaming face, held her hand and they both went in.

"Honey-"

"Hmm."

"How are the kids?"

"They are Ok. They are asleep already."

"They too must have missed me." He said with absolute certitude. A glint of sadness embedded in his heart. In his life, there was nothing he treasured like her children. Seeing them often emboldened his zeal to work hard.

" I will check on them before going to bed."

"But not before you eat your dinner," she said, pulling him across the dining room.

"It's midnight already.  Am I nocturnal or what?" He was reluctant but Jina coaxed him.

"Alright, if you insist, but…" he halted, having realised that his insistence might arouse Jina's suspicion.

Jina, a responsible and loving wife, set the food in front of him and observed him as he ate. 

She notices the glimmer on his face.

"Honey, you look very happy today. Did anything good happen?"

Richard almost choked. Her utterances reminded him of Juliet and he felt guilty. 

"Some water, honey. " Jina quickly hands him a glass of water to send the food down his throat.

"Thanks, dear." Thereupon there was a lump in his throat, and he was finding it difficult to swallow the remaining morsels.

He had hardly finished eating when his phone rang.

Jina got hold of the phone and before he handed it to him, noticed that it was Juli calling. She looked puzzled

Jina draws the phone closer and studies the name of the caller. She wasn't mistaken that it was Juli. Richard's heart palpitated.

" I hope it's not Julie calling." He thought and noticed the alterations in Jina's countenance. He stared fixedly at her and manned up to ask her, being very shrewd as he tackled the matter.

"What is it dear? I wonder which fool could be calling my phone in the middle of the night.

"It's Juli calling, do you know the person?"

  His chest heaved slightly and he seethed with anger.

"She is always messing up!" He muttered. There was a need for him to invent a quick lie or else this wouldn't augur well for him.

"Ju what? May I have a look?"

"Sure, dear." She proffers him the phone and his hand slightly trembles as he lunges for the phone.

He steals a fleeting glance at Jina and is seized by nervousness.

"I have to be wise to get out of this trap. Damn you, Julie! You are such a sweet charming devil. It's hard to tame you." He thought.

He gazes at the phone. It turns out that luck was still on his side. He had saved a wrongly spelt name by omitting the last letter. 

"Any name that rhymes with Julie will redeem me now, '' he thought. With much tact, he rummages through his brain and comes up with a perfect solution; Julius!

"Oh," he stated, "there's this guy, Julius who came to the office today seeking a job. You should have seen how desperate he was, honey." He said lying his way out of the dilemma.

"Did you give him the offer?" asked Jina with a wrinkled nose.

"No, dear. But I tried saving his number in case an opportunity arises. I must have been too drawn away by work to have saved the wrong name."

"If you ask me, he doesn't deserve a chance," Jina said, pouting at the thought. To her, low-class people were mere parasites and she didn't wish to associate with them unless forced by circumstances.

"Why?" Richard asked with a furrowed forehead.

"He should know that it's inappropriate to call you at this hour of the night. They won't let me be with my husband for a minute without being interrupted."

"He's just desperate to make ends meet. I don't blame him."

"My husband is such a benevolent human being, '' she said, his tone imbued with sarcasm and smiling at the corner of her mouth as she cleared the table.

"I'll switch off the phone for now. I am too tired to attend to calls right now."

"Alright, baby go take a shower. I will join you in a minute."

"Ok."

 The gesture on his face exclaimed the relief in his heart.

"Richard, you are a genius! Jina would have throttled you if you weren't so clever." He told himself. With swag, he walks out of the dining room and heads to the master bedroom. Suddenly he remembers that he hadn't checked on his daughters. He retracted and turned the latch on Mercy's room. 

The latter, hearing the sound of footsteps, feigns sleep. He approaches and stoops and kisses her forehead. 

"Goodnight princess. Love you." She doesn't stir.

He covers her properly and walks out.

Mercy smiles and opens her eyes.

"Love you too dad." She says Quietly and coils herself inside her blanket.

Mellisa was snoring when he entered her room.

" Good night my snoring angel." He imprints a kiss on her forehead and sits beside her to listen to the loud noise in her room. 

"Go on dear, this is loud enough to chase away burglars." He said and chuckled.

Mellisa was choking with laughter inward but she hardly moved. As soon as he went out, She changed to a sitting posture and giggled. "You are the best dad. Love you so much, dad." She said quietly, lay down and drifted into sleep.

Esther could hear the clattering of utensils in the kitchen. It was her newfound rival, Jina. Her heart was bitter.

"I wish you were here mom. I already miss you so much." The happy memories with her loving parents were revoked in her mind. Then her mind strayed back on the impoverished conditions back at home. She was sad that there was no way out of her suffering except to grin and bear it.

Her mind was clouded with many thoughts. She could hardly close her eyes. All she could visualise was an ogre of an aunt who detested her so much.