Hurt

Chapter 7: Pleasant atmosphere

Waking up peacefully wasn't normal to me. Everything seemed different, I guess it should. We were in someone else's house so it'll seem different. I woke up that day not feeling different, it felt like I was expecting something, probably watching my mum beating up beforee my very eyes, that scenario became normal to me.

My heart skipped, it always skipped...I was expecting a loud cry but didn't get it. I still felt I was at our house, Lily tapped me reminding me that we weren't at our house anymore, there's no need to panic....we're fine now.

"OK???? I nodded in agreement.

Lilian came in,

"Morning girls!!!!....how was your night??? I'm sure you both slept well? We shook our heads, indicating

"yes" to all the questions, we didn't know her, even if we were at her house, we weren't free with her, we just met her, and nodding to her questions should be expected.

"Breakfast's ready....I'll be waiting for you girls downstairs, there are some clothes that I think could fit you both there in the wardrobe, take your bath and hurry downstairs OK??? She rose her eyebrows, making her question seem more elaborate.

"OK, ma!!!...we'll be down in a minute. She sensed sluggishness in my answer. Lilian left the room, not long after we were ready and went downstairs to have breakfast, we met her sitting on the breadwinner's spot of a dining table, she wasn't the only one we met there, there was also a man there, he didn't look like a married person though, he couldn't possibly be married, he looked quite young like he was in his early twenties.

"Good morning ma!! ... Good morning Sir!!, I and lily greeted both of them. The guy didn't even look at us, he was engrossed in his activity with his phone.

" Sit down!!! she commended, Lily, Vanessa...feel free to eat, OK?? Don't be shy!!... You are safe now, Lilian emphasized.

The guy sat opposite Lilian, the dining was a little bit tight, one would have to push the opposite chair to gain access to the other two chairs. I looked at him to give him the signal that he needed to adjust his seat but he asked what I was trying to do, you could imagine the fool, he couldn't shift. I wanted Vanessa to have the better part of me but I had to be cool, besides I didn't want to give Lilian the impression that she made a mistake by accommodating us.

"Alex!!! Would you shift???.... Lilian screamed at him. He was her younger brother, It was obvious. He adjusted, and we sat down and ate as we had never eaten. That was the most peaceful breakfast I've ever had since I was born, I felt comfortable. We were all done eating, I prayed Lilian wouldn't ask us anything about my family or stuff like that. But she asked anyway.

"If you don't mind Vanessa, I'll like to know what made you run out of your house? She searched for comfort in her seat, when she found it, she looked deep into my eyes to pay clear attention to what I was about to say.

" My dad wanted to kill us... I say.

Alex Giggled on hearing this,

"That doesn't happen these days, things changed we're no longer in the 1800'c or 1900'c. Teens are hardly been cajoled to do what they don't want to.

He was still on his phone while saying this, he seemed smart to me but there wasn't any big deal in what he said, it was just that he didn't look like someone who knew the meaning of the word "cajoled" I was kinda shocked though, he looked like a psycho to me, he looked dumb like he never passed any exam he took.

"My case was different. I said to them, my dad was a monster. I said soberly.

" Not a monster!!! He was a beast...lily angrily added.

" Why'd you call him a beast??? Lilian seemed so interested in knowing what the problems were.

" He beats my mum at every slight opportunity and did the same to us but we always had our ways of not being beaten to death, it's either we ran or hit him with something. I said emphatically.

Both Alex and Lilian gave me that shocking look, What were they expecting?.

Did they expect me to shed tears while telling them about my painful experience??? I was a girl with no heart then... I wasn't sure to feel the love of any sort anymore.

After giving them both a detailed narration of my dilemma at my house, they asked after our education. I told them we had you drop out, I was in my final year in high school when my dad tore my uniform, and he assured me that he'll not live to see me graduate.