Boarding School

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

EJ🖋️

I stepped into my room after exiting Nickel's and that was when I let the tears drop freely. I couldn't believe that Anthonio had hit me. Not once but three times. Three times for crying out loud.

I felt so ashamed and disgusted with myself that our daughter had to see that. Our, I mean my daughter, he lost that right already. If there's one thing I promised myself, it was never to let my kids in on our fights.

After crying for like 2hrs or more I went inside my bathroom with my phone in hand, prepared a cold bath and sank in it.

I needed to talk to someone or maybe first take a bath to cool the stinging of my cheek and probably wash off tonight from my memory.

Picking up my phone from the near-bath stool I left it, I took pictures of Anthonio's hand prints on my cheek. It might come in handy later.

Dailing Jane, I placed my phone on speaker and listened to the phone ring, immersing myself in the water.

"Hello, Aliyah is anything the matter?" The sound of my best friend's voice brought me out of whatever Terrance I was in.

"You never call so late at night." She said worried.

"It's not late it's like past 9."I said in a voice I didn't think I owned.

"Sure it is but you never call this late. What happened? You're sounding broken." She said suddenly sounding serious from the Jane I knew.

"Well, that's cause Anthonio has never hit me atleast not in decades." I said holding back my son.

"Anthonio did what?" She asked surprised.

"Anthonio slapped me Jane." I complained before a sob broke out of me.

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" What else is missing? Where's your car key?" A very angry Jane in nothing but her nighties and a coat over it was asking me. The anger in her voice wasn't directed at me. It was at Anthonio. That I was sure of.

Jane and I have been friends since childhood. while I was a November kid, she was born in march making her a few months older than me but she'll hear nothing of it claiming that one's senior was one's senior. Drama queen.

I pointed towards the dresser I usually keep my car key. She immediately grabbed it and dragged my laugage downstairs. My two packed bags on both her hands while I grabbed my makeup bag and that of Nickel's in my hands.

Vincent dragged Nickel's two luggages with him downstairs. Nickel was such a light sleeper, it's a miracle she's still asleep. I hope she's not sick though.

After my call with Jane explaining everything that happened between Anthonio and I to her, she immediately drove here and help me pack both mine and Nickel's clothing, shoes, toiletries and make-up. Undies included.

I dropped those in my car and headed to my daughter's room to pick her up. My poor daughter was confused when I picked her up demanding for her car key.

"Mum what's happening? My keys are in the drawer." Nickel said climbing down from my arm.

Jane walked into the room with her older son Vincent. He's almost 18 and an aspirant medical student.

"What happened to my child!" Jane screamed the anger in her voice multiplying.

I didn't blame her for shouting. I would too. Nickel's face was a mess. Her eye was swollen and there's tear stain across her cheeks.

Nickel looked down covering her face with her hair. She must be embarrassed. She hated crying in front of others and from the smirk on Vincent's face he was going to tease her so much about it.

"Mom. You should have told me aunt was coming over" Nickel yelled running to the bathroom making Vincent laugh. Yup I was right. He would be teasing her later. Pi

I collected the key and handed it over to Vincent. "You have 3 minutes to get downstairs Nick I already packed your toiletries." I screamed after her heading downstairs.

We waited a while for her to come down before heading towards our respective vehicles. Nickel was riding with me so we would have time to talk. Vincent rode Nickel's car while Jane rode hers.

Thank God for technology I couldn't imagine opening and closing the gates and doors.

"Do you really want to go to the boarding school?" I asked Nickel holding her left hand in my right as soon as we departed our villa gates.

"It's all I've ever wanted since sister left mum. But I will be honest with you, it's not just about the boarding school it's about the freedom I lost when Sarah moved away."

"Ever since Sarah moved away, you've been making me feel like I'm in some sort of a cage mum. You've been protective and possessive and I just wanted a little freedom."

So this was it, my daughter was feeling suffocated by my love and here I was, thinking I was doing what's best for her. I've been selfish, as selfish as my parents were with me and the realization of that made me cry even harder.

"M-mum. Why are you crying?" Nickel asked her voice unsteady.

"I'm crying cause I just realized that I have hurt you a lot baby. I am so sorry about that. If you can, please find it in your heart to forgive me. Forgive this over protective mother of yours."

"Mum, please stop crying. I could never hold a grudge against you mum. So please stop crying or you'll make me cry." Nickel said.

My emotions were getting the best of me this was the second time I was crying tonight and the first in front of Nickel since she turned nine. It's been so long since I cried.

Nickel passed me a tissue from the box that was Infront of my dashboard. I cleaned my nose and tears with it, before collecting another one from her and repeating the action.

After a few minutes of silence, I cleared my throat before speaking up.

"If you want to go to a boarding school, you'll go. But to the one close to our house. Not too close cause there's obviously none around." I said making the both of us laugh.

"But it's going to be a good and expensive one. Well, like your dad said, we're making so much money for you and your siblings to spend." I said trying to immediate Anthonio's voice.

We both shared another laughter before the car turned silent and I focused on driving.

"We will be staying with aunt Jane for a while till I figure something out baby. Is that fine by you?" I asked Nickel glancing over at her before facing the road back.

I saw Jane's car pull up at a burger spot we both loved so much and did same while Vincent sped pass us.

Pulling over I saw Sarah stepping out of her car and talking to someone on her phone. From the sound of her voice, it was definitely Vincent I thought stepping out of my car.

"Next time, when you see your mother pull over, you do same. I thought I raised you better." Yup it was definitely Vincent I convinced my already convinced self. I looked over at Nickel and saw her looking at me and holding in a laugh.

Ohh, she looked like she was about to blow up.

"I don't care whatever it is that's going on with you child at-"she takes her phone away from her ear and checks the time before putting it back on her ear. "At past 3am you should behave better Vi. Now make a U-turn or better still reverse and come back here." She shouted making both Nickel and I laugh.

"Ohhhh, Vi is going to kill me soon why can't he be as calm and collected as Miguel and my life would be so easy." She complained after dropping the call.

If there's one thing I loved about my best friend, it was her ability to be strict and playful. I mean she's strict when she needs to and playful when needed.

We stepped into the place and ordered quite a lot of burgers, about 12. I don't know who's gonna eat all that, but I hace far too many problems to be concerned about such a trivial matter.

"Give me your phone Ali." I heard Jane's voice. I dipped my hand into the side pocket of my joggers and handed them to her.

She unlocked the phone and I saw her typing something on it before handing the phone over to me.

"We're skipping work tomorrow and mopping around. We're going to get drunk." She shouted happily like some teenage girl making the not up to ten customers present shoot us angry looks. I wishphered a sorry to them while Jane just rolled her eyes while clicking her tongue making Nickel laugh. Typical Godmother and Goddaughter.

I had a feeling she was gonna say something sassy so I pinched her arm making her whine before I let go and she rubbed her arm.

"This is gonna leave a mark tomorrow." She complained glaring at me. See, a child.

If there's one thing I loved about this place it was that they were never closed. Your typical 24/7 place and they're quite affordable.

We waited for like ten minutes more before Vincent finally showed up and dispite being so much taller than Jane, she still pulled his ear and gave him so much warning. Again typical Jane.

We stepped into our respective car and headed straight to the Meyers Villa. Jane made Vincent Carry all our bags even though Nickel and I offered to help.

She also set rooms up for us. I pity her poor maids that she made do so much work at past nine I called her.

After offloading our bags, Jane and I had two burgers each at her bar with a lot of alcohol before calling it a night or typically, day cause I'm very sure I heard Miguel greet us good morning before heading to practice. I'm not so sure though. Plus the sun was up already.