Chapter 4

"He won't know if we don't snitch" joy winked but that didn't cool Maria's temperature as her heart was racing kilometers.

"Let me show you our project" Beatrice said and joy was happy and she let Beatrice hold her to the headmistress office to get the keys.

"Who is the little girl?" The headmistress said as she saw Beatrice walked in hand in hand with her. "Good morning ma, my name is Joy, her daughter" she said and the headmistress was speechless, she looked up at Beatrice face but Beatrice had a confused face looking at Joy. Joy was smiling happily, having achieved pranking Beatrice herself. 

"Oh, my, you look cute, you must look like your father" the headmistress said smiling at her, 

"No" Beatrice suddenly said and the two look at her

"She looks like her old grandma, that why she has wrinkles on her forehead" Beatrice said and joy glared at her.

"How old are you?" The headmistress asked looking confused at the duo, "I'm almost six" joy replied and looks at Beatrice. "Where is your friend?" The headmistress finally asked after being confused by the nasty duo. 

"She is a little sick for yesterday restlessness, I promised to show joy our project if she comes and also clean up the room, that's why I'm here" Beatrice said.

The headmistress looked for the key and handed it over to her, "whenever your friend is okay, I want to see both of you" she said and the duo nodded before leaving.

Immediately the two got outside, they looked at eachother and started laughing. 

Beatrice led joy to the work room and joy was marvelled by the work they did. They cleaned up together and finally went to get their lunch, they brought it back to the hostel and gave aunty Mimi and Maria their share.

They narrated their adventure from the headmistress office to the work room. Silently, aunty Mimi admired Beatrice who could successfully manage all the trouble.

It was time to leave, Joy was sad to part ways with Beatrice, she promised to visit again while Maria was begging her not to ever try it.

After hundreds of hugs, Beatrice finally had a heart relief that Joy accepts to leave. Even though Beatrice also didn't want to part with her, she hide hers well as an adult and sadly walked her leave.

***

In the car, Joy wiped her tears and looked at aunty Mimi who was comforting her. "You knew my mum well right?" Joy asked suddenly, aunty Mimi's face was clammy. Joy as never asked of her mother like it was a taboo to mention it, aunty Mimi has also be conscious not to mention the topic as well.

"You don't need to hide it from me, I know she left me, just tell me all about her" Joy asked with a serious face. 

"Okay, I will tell you all you need to know about Cecilia Martin" aunty Mimi finally replied after a deep breath. 

"Your father and her met in a business meeting like he said, he  loved the fact that she was a hand working woman, diligent and beautiful, they got married, your mother as you know is a model, you have seen her picture before, she didn't want to get pregnant on time but she did, after giving birth to you, she was still interested in her heighten up in her career, but your father wanted her to take care of you a little while longer before returning into her career. There was an opportunity opened at Ely that could make her climb up to the apex of her modeling ladder, she told Goerge but he refused, she was furious and she brought out a divorce paper, your father was so heartbroken and he signed the papers to make her happy, I watched her that day happily packing her load, leaving a year old baby for me, I have never seen her so happy like that" aunty Mimi said as tears were dropping from her eyes.

Joy picked up a napkin and cleaned her face, aunty Mimi was shocked to see Joy looking like the story she just narrated wasn't her story. 

"Was my mother ever as carefree as Beatrice?" Joy asked and aunty Mimi laughed.

All this while, Joy was thinking about Beatrice, a young girl she just met.

"Don't be so naive, people are different, you don't compair like that" aunty Mimi said and the car stopped.  They got down and went straight inside the room and did the necessary.

Luckily, Goerge came back home an hours before the usual time but things were already in place, nothing indicates their secret journey.

"Welcome, Goerge" aunty Mimi said and collected his briefcase, "aunty, I'm super tired today, where is my princess?" Goerge replied and put off his jacket. Collect his cup of water from aunty Mimi as usual, drank half and returned it. 

"Your princess is in her palace" she replied and walked away. Aunty Mimi was already praying to God to not make Goerge suspect Joy. She quickly placed his briefcase in his study and went to warm his food.

Goerge walked into Joy's room silently, he saw Joy busy with her book, he was amazed, she was looking like a serious CEO going through office files, so cute. When did his princess become this serious with her book?. He peeped and saw several drawings.

They were drawings of gowns, he couldn't wrap his head around the reason behind Joy sudden interest in drawing gowns.

"Daddy, what do you think of this beautiful gowns?" Joy said as she looked up to her trumatized father.

"So, you know I walked in and peeped at your drawing?" he asked and sat beside her and was checking the drawings one after the other.

"I knew, but I could not talk because you will interrupt my inspiration and It might have to end up as one of the those in the bin" she said pointed at the overfull bin at the far end of the room.

"May I ask, what's this all about?" He said and arranged the papers.

"They are my invention, trust me, this will move market and I can't wait to get a professional editing" Joy said very happily.

" What inspired you?" Goerge asked as he was happy to see Joy truly happy. Joy wanted to mention Beatrice but remember the trip and it's details is meant to be a secret forever.

"I just seem to love the invention of gowns and I thought of doing one and luckily many ideas come on board" she said and Goerge was confused about the baseless excuse she gave.

"Daddy, are you planning to remarry?"