HOME
905 Words
Ada arrived home with three bags, one dead phone battery and the appetite of someone who had spent six weeks pretending cafeteria food was edible.
The front door had barely opened before Adam shouted from upstairs.
“She has arrived!”
Ada laughed.
“Can you not?”
“No!”
He appeared at the staircase.
He looked at her suitcase.
Then at her.
“You’ve become bigger.”
Ada stared at him.
“That’s your welcome?”
“I’m complimenting you.”
“You’re terrible at it.”
Her mother came rushing from the kitchen.
“Let me see my baby.”
“Mummy!”
Ada dropped her bag and hugged her.
“You’re thinner.”
“I’ve been eating.”
“Clearly not enough.”
“Mummy, I’m fine.”
“You’re not.”
Adam walked past them.
“She’ll recover. Give her two days.”
Ada looked at him.
“Recover from what?”
“Being away from civilization.”
“I’m going back.”
“Excellent. The house will survive.”
She laughed.
That was home.
Not the building.
Not the furniture.
This.
Her mother’s complaints.
Adam’s teasing.
The twins arguing over who would carry her smaller bag.
Her father’s voice somewhere in the background.
“You’ve not even greeted me.”
Ada turned.
Her father stood at the entrance to the sitting room.
She smiled.
“Daddy.”
She walked over and hugged him.
He held her for a moment.
“Welcome home.”
“Thank you.”
“How was school?”
“Fine.”
“Fine?”
Ada smiled.
“Good.”
“Good?”
“Very good.”
He nodded.
“Better.”
Ada rolled her eyes.
“Still interrogating me?”
“Still answering questions badly?”
Adam laughed.
Ada looked at him.
“You’re enjoying this.”
“Very much.”
She sat down.
“Daddy, I need something.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“You’ve been home for three minutes.”
“I need a power bank.”
Her mother immediately laughed.
Ada turned.
“Mummy.”
“What?”
“Why are you laughing?”
“You don’t remember the last one?”
Ada sighed.
“It stopped working.”
“Because of your nails.”
Adam’s eyebrows shot up.
“Nails?”
Ada glared at him.
“Don’t start.”
Her mother continued.
“She was using it to power that little lamp while doing nails.”
“I wasn’t.”
“You were.”
“It was one time.”
“Your third power bank.”
Her father looked at Ada.
“I thought you stopped doing that.”
Ada shifted.
“It’s not really a business.”
“Then what is it?”
“A hobby.”
“A hobby that destroys power banks.”
Adam laughed.
Ada threw a cushion at him.
“Shut up.”
Her father shook his head.
“I’ll buy another one.”
“Thank you.”
“But I thought we agreed you were focusing on school.”
“I am.”
“You’re studying Pharmacy.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you still doing nails?”
Ada looked at him.
“Because I like it.”
Her father paused.
That answer clearly wasn’t the one he wanted.
“Ada.”
She softened.
“Daddy, I can study and still do something small for myself.”
“I don’t want you worrying about money.”
“I don’t worry about money.”
“I do.”
The room quietened.
Her mother glanced at him.
Mr Godwin continued.
“When I was growing up, I worked because I had no choice. I don’t want my children living like that.”
Ada looked at him.
“I know.”
“Then let me provide what you need.”
“But what if I want to provide something for myself?”
He studied her.
“For what reason?”
She hesitated.
“Because it feels good.”
Her father looked away.
Her mother immediately picked up the power bank conversation again.
“Anyway, I’ll buy it.”
He looked at her.
“You don’t have to.”
“I know.”
She smiled.
“I’m her mother.”
Adam leaned toward Ada.
“Your nails have caused national controversy.”
Ada whispered back.
“You’re next.”
“For what?”
“I haven’t decided.”
He laughed.
And for a moment, everything was normal.
Until her father said:
“Ada.”
She looked up.
“Yes?”
“Come to my study later.”
“Why?”
“I have something to discuss with you.”
Adam looked at their father.
Then at Ada.
“What?”
Mr Godwin ignored him.
“After dinner.”
Ada nodded.
“Okay.”
Her father walked away.
Adam waited until he was gone.
“That’s suspicious.”
Ada frowned.
“What’s suspicious?”
“Daddy doesn’t call people into his study unless they’re in trouble or about to receive something.”
“You’re ridiculous.”
“Am I?”
Ada smiled.
“Yes.”
But later that night, when she walked toward her father’s study, she wasn’t smiling anymore.
Because the door was slightly open.
And before she knocked, she heard her father say into the phone:
“Are you absolutely certain the programme has been approved?”
Ada stopped.
Her hand remained in the air.
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD