Chapter 4: Returned home

Anita went back home with her father and mother, who had arrived at her school to witness her final convocation ceremony.

Her mother was very happy, but her father kept his usual non-smiling face as he drove them home.

He was proud of her that she hadn't allowed her beauty to sink into her brain and deter her from becoming successful in life, but nonetheless, he was still confused as to how she was the prettiest among all her siblings.

Even though his wife hadn't borne him a son, Mr. Joshua wasn't bothered about that, as their custom permitted a woman to inherit her father's property, even if she was already married to another man.

He sighed as he drove toward their home, since the university was close to their house in the city.

Arriving home, Mr. Joshua drove his black car—A Toyota Camry into their simple compound and parked, as their home was just a simple flat consisting of four bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and five toilets with bathrooms.

Mr. Joshua Baker was the owner of the house, as he had acquired and bought it from the direct landowners.

He parked his car and sat in the driver's seat, while Anita and her mother, Mrs. Tonia Baker, stepped down next.

Anita's five sisters—Flora, Esther, Favour, Lisa, and Glory—were all inside, but none of them stepped out to welcome her or their parents as they arrived home.

Mrs. Tonia walked into the living room first while Anita followed suit, dragging her two boxes, as her father remained in his car answering a phone call.

"Mom!" Esther and Favour rushed up to their mom while Lisa and Glory stepped out next.

They had separate rooms they shared: Anita and Flora shared a room, while Esther and Favour shared another, with Lisa and Glory sharing the last room, which they sometimes used as the guest room too.

"Welcome back home, Mom. How did the event go?" Favour asked their mother first, as she was an 18-year-old girl.

"Fine. Why don't you ask your big sister about it? She won two awards—as the best overall graduating student and best in her department as well," Mrs. Tonia responded with a faint smile, while Favour frowned.

"Who cares, Mom!" Favour replied.

"Shut your mouth, silly girl. Anita is your big sister, and you should accord her some respect!" Mrs. Tonia warned Favour, while Esther quickly responded, "We don't care, Mom!"

"Esther!" Mrs. Tonia warned Esther too, while Esther rolled her eyes from where she was standing by the middle door entrance, holding the curtain.

"It's okay, Mom." Anita walked up to their mom and tapped her shoulder softly, but Mrs. Tonia responded.

"Your father caused all this." Mrs. Tonia almost burst out into a sob.

"Caused what?!" Mr. Joshua asked as he walked into the living room, while Mrs. Tonia quickly wiped off her tears.

"Nothing. I was just discussing something not important." Mrs. Tonia quickly walked into the kitchen while Mr. Joshua's eyes narrowed at Anita, who smiled faintly at him.

Anita wasn't an albino, but her beauty was too much and too charming. Staring at her dimples and chubby cheeks alone made her look like an angel from heaven.

"Fine. Take all these bags inside. And where are your sisters?! Flora, Favour!" Mr. Joshua called them out, while they responded.

"Yes, Papa!" "Good evening, Dad." "Welcome back home."

Flora walked past Anita, who was dragging her two big boxes, and walked up to give their father a welcome hug.

"Assist your sister and take those luggages inside," Mr. Joshua instructed Flora after giving her a warm hug.

Flora bit her lower lip angrily and finally assisted Anita in carrying her second box to the room they both shared.

Anita didn't utter any word to Flora, who carried her box to the room.

As Flora turned to leave, Anita finally said, "Thank you," but Flora didn't respond as she walked out from the room and back to the living room to meet her father sitting on the long couch, taking off his shoes.

"How was your day today, Flora?" Mr. Joshua asked, and just then the rest of his daughters stepped out.

"Father, you remember you promised to take me to a private university?" Esther asked.

"Yes, I remember, but you still haven't passed your JAMB exams yet, and this is the fourth time you're writing the exam with your younger sister Favour. Can't you both learn from your elder sister Anita?"

"No, Father!" Esther and Favour both responded, surprising their father, and his jaw dropped.

"What has come over you girls? If you still fail to pass your JAMB exams this year, then forget about going to the university and look for a trade or handwork to learn, as I cannot waste my hard-earned money sponsoring you both through a private university when you cannot even qualify for a government university. Now leave my sight, silly children. I'm sure you all inherited your dullness from your mother. Can't you learn from your elder sister for once? Don't you see her good grades, despite her being more beautiful than you all?"

"Father!" Flora, Esther, Favour, and Lisa all exclaimed sadly.

"Shut your mouths and don't father me. I have been a good father to you all, yet you cannot be good daughters in return. Fail your exam this year again and see the other side of me!" Mr. Joshua warned, and he stood up from the couch. Just then, his wife stepped out from the kitchen and stared at him and her five daughters in the living room, as Anita was the only one in her room.

"Excuse me!" Mr. Joshua walked past his daughters and into the room he shared with his wife, as he knew it was entirely his fault. He had shown more love to the rest of his daughters than to their senior sister, Anita, and made her look like an outcast. Now he was regretting it.

Mr. Joshua was even facing some challenges at his office, as some missing funds from transactions had been detected under his records. If the error wasn't corrected, he was at the verge of losing his job as a banker in a government-owned bank.

His brows furrowed as his wife stepped into their room to meet him a few minutes later.

"Aren't you being too harsh to our daughters today?" Mrs. Tonia questioned, but he just glanced at her and stared away, loosening his necktie. He took off his long-sleeve shirt and stripped.

"I'm preparing dinner. It's already getting late," Mrs. Tonia informed him, but he didn't respond as he loosened his trouser belt too.

"Honey, you aren't saying anything in response?" Mrs. Tonia finally asked, and he replied, "What do you want me to say to you? Can't you at least see that I'm busy?"

He walked past her and stepped into the bathroom to take his bath, while Mrs. Tonia sighed and shook her head in sadness.

She knew all wasn't well with her husband, as he had been behaving unusually and had even acted happier when Anita was announced as the winner of the award for best graduating student.

Mr. Joshua had jumped up and screamed, "Yes!" not minding the other parents and relatives around who were standing to witness the awarding of the best graduating student.

When he saw Anita approaching, his smile and happiness faded, as Anita didn't smile at them while approaching—she thought he hated her and wasn't proud of her achievement.

Mrs. Tonia smiled faintly, remembering how her husband had reacted to his daughter's win, although the university's rewards weren't much—they had awarded Anita some cash and medal rewards. But she believed her daughter's certificate would get her into one of the highest-paying jobs in their country.

Mrs. Tonia sighed again and finally walked out from the room she shared with her husband, as he was already taking his bath, and she could hear the sound of water splashing in the bathroom.

Futhermore, Mrs. Tonia walked into the kitchen, as the okro soup had already heated and warmed up a little, and she served it out into soup plates. Just then, Glory walked into the kitchen to assist her and carry it out to the dining room beside their living room.

Glory was a 14-year-old girl, as her siblings were spaced two years apart each, and Glory was still in Junior Secondary School 3.

"Mom, I want to become a business administrator, just like my big sister, Anita," Glory said as she carried the tray of soups up in her arms and stared up at her mom's face.

"There's no problem with that. You should study hard as well. You have your big sister here to guide you," Mrs. Tonia smiled at her.

"Okay, Mom. Is Big Sis, Anita going to marry soon? Chika told me her big sister won't be returning home, as she's already pregnant and expecting a child for her fiancé," Glory asked.

"No, Glory! Although I don't know about that, but Anita will get a job first before she settles down. You know your big sis is hardworking and wants to become an independent woman first, instead of depending on a man for money," Mrs. Tonia replied.

"Oh. So, Mom, you depend on my father too for money?" Glory asked her mother, surprising her.

"No, Glory! Now that's enough of the conversation. Carry the soups out before they get cold. Oh, Anita is already here to assist us," Mrs. Tonia said as she smiled faintly at Anita.

Glory then turned to face Anita standing by the kitchen door.

Anita had overheard their conversation and had a faint smile on her face too.

"Why are you standing there and staring at us? Come assist us serve the dinner. I'm sure your father will soon be out," Mrs. Tonia said, and Anita's smile quickly faded from her face as she heard her father's name. She didn't like him either.