FOUR SIDES OF THE HEART

" ma please don't do this to us, please ma" I kept doing everything I could so the EHO would not lock dad's restaurant. "ma you have children like us, do you know what we've been through, try to be more human and open the door" Brittany said provocatively. "Brittany, no, no, no don't say that" l told my sister. "why shouldn't I, she's heartless.She needs to know the truth. Mrs you guys are very corrupt, you're liars, there are a lot of restaurants out there who have defaults and after giving you a large sum of money, you let them go.You are the problem of our country.Mark my words, the world will hear this, f*******:, Twitter, i********:, every one of them, you'll regret this" Brittany continued to shout. Her anger is explosive and I've told her several times to control it."ma please forgive her" my hands were clasped together but the team paid deaf ears to us."ma, relax,open the door let's sit down, have coffee and talk" l continued.The woman walked pass me,l followed her reaching out to her hand but l couldn't keep up with her walking pace so l started running. The restaurant was crowded with people. The woman got into a car as well as her teammates.l hit the window cautiously so not to add more debts to the ones I'm owing. The car started, l ran after it till I couldn't anymore. "the drama is over, what are all of you still watching, get out of here" l heard Brittany scream, the innocent people began to disperse from the scene and gradually they decreased until it was just the three of us."are you going to keep crying let's go home mom would be worried" Brittany said and started walking away Why can't they understand how important this is to me?This was dad's last wish, l sobbed. "Athena stop crying, here let's take our things out, well keep them in the abandoned building over there"Stein threw a key at me, he had been so quiet then. l was shocked and my brain began to work, this.....this is the key the woman used to lock the door . A realization suddenly hit me "Stein you stole?"l asked "yay! that's my bro. Now we're talking"Brittany gave him a fist bump and they looked like they were enjoying their time but l wasn't. "Stein we've talked about this, why did you steal? it's wrong, what if they're searching for this and they really need it?" l asked frowning."same way they need it we need our business.As for the first question, saving your life isn't stealing, okay? Besides before they notice the key is missing we should get important things out first, which is why instead of asking unreasonable questions you should help us pack.Stop making me talk too much" Brittany heaved after explaining and both brother and sister unlocked the door and started bringing out remnants of our foodstuffs, food as well as drinks. After packing out the foods, they began to pack out chairs, shelves, tables, counters but lick said otherwise. As they were bringing out the refrigerator, l sighted the EHO car from afar and l believe they saw it took because they froze instantly. We're cooked!. They alighted from the car looking furious, the full haired woman was their leader and she was shooting daggers at us. "miss Richardson,do you want to go to jail? l never thought you would be a thief and your sister called us corrupt and heartless. So what would you call what you just did, huh?" she fired at me and each time l tried to explain to her the situation, she dominated the the talk. "l did not bring the cops here because l took pity on you, now read my lips, this so called restaurant will never be opened till you pay ten thousand dollars. Trying to override the law is illegal and you would be severely punished.my keys" she demanded angrily. l felt embarrassed and could not muster the courage to speak. Stein threw the key to her and she casteda him a stare of absolute disdain. She locked the restaurant again and left with her teammates. "at least we got some of our stuffs back. SHAME ON YOU" Brittany screamed after they left. "do you think they would have let us go if they didn't have sympathy for us? stop talking" l turned to Brittany who now had a triumphant look on her face. "l left my phone at Mr Tom's store I'm going there"l told my siblings and started walking to the roadside."hey wait for me" Brittany ran to me. " Brittany you can't leave me here" Stein stated not even whining. "says who? respect three years, finish the work, take our food home and wait for us" she hissed. l turned to Stein and silently apologized to him, with our sibling mind connection, he understood and nodded but l knew he was still annoyed with Brittany. Brittany and l walked through the busy streets and the smell of freshly baked croissant hit our nose, l kept wondering if the bakers know what they do to broke people."wow Athena look" Brittany called to my attention and l followed her finger to a necklace placed on window display. l gave her the 'we don't have money' smile ."l think l have something,let's go" she urged me, l can't say no to her. l even feel sorry for her, all her life she dreamt of becoming an animator but shes twenty with no money to further her education. When l regained my senses, l was already in the front of the store, l suppose Brittany dragged me here. There was a 'pull' note pasted on the door. Brittany tried to open the door but it didn't work, l intervened but it didn't work either. We fot embarrassed.The receptionist shot us a stare saying "do not spoil the door' then she continued her work.After about five minutes of struggling, she lifted her face."miss it's pull not push, backwards" she demonstrated while saying.l could sense Brittany was getting angry. "excuse me ma, is this supposed to be the price or the year it was made" Brittany's earlier beaming faltered. "it's the price" for about two minutes the both of them kept exchanging glances. "let's go" l pulled Brittany to avoid further embarrassment.We got to Mr Tom's store but he said my phone was ninety nine percent charged.l thanked him and reached out for it but Brittany stopped me "if it's not hundred, we're not taking it" her tone was firm as if she was the owner of the phone "bu..." l tried to oppose her idea "there's no buts" she stated. "if we're paying for it we should be satisfied" she continued. We waited till the phone was fully charged and when we got home it was nine pm. Mom laid weakly on the sofa as usual. "Athena!"Chloe and Ivanna came, running to me. 'how have you both been?" l smiled at them and picked Chloe up. " good, you came home late today" Ivanna replied on behalf of the both of them. "did you meet a CEO" she was beaming, I just poked her forehead lightly while smiling. "Athena your face is really dirty l prepared your bath" Chloe said pointing to the kitchen. "really? thanks" my smile widened. "Athena Chloe brought a three legged mutt into the house" Ivanna folded her arms keeping a stern expression. "Cooper is not a three legged mutt, watch your language " Chloe defended."why did you bring Cooper in, we won't be able to feed him" l pinched Chloe's cheeks playfully and she giggled. "mom, Nannete used up our water again" Stein came out of one of our two rooms and said. "I'll pulverize the i***t , she has refused to learn, NANNETE!" I tried to stop Brittany but she had walked away angrily. So this is the situation, abig duplex, in the duplex every tenant shares one bathroom, kitchen and sitting room. The only privacy you get is your room. l rented two rooms, one for Stein and the other for the females. This girl called Nannette lives in the down section of the duplex with us, since we share a bathroom if you don't guard your stuffs well, they can be stolen easily and the landlord cares less. Nannette uses people's water, stelas food as well as clothes. l once looked for one of my jeans only to see it on her on a Sunday morning. Anyways, l have better things to think of, we just lost our only source of income and trust me I've been debating on a lot of ways to break the news to mom without raising her blood pressure level."Athena come, come sit" Chloe dragged to one of the sofas then she sat on my lap. "l have a lot to tell you, l..." Ivanna interrupted Chloe. "l was finally able to form a band" she grinned. "l was chosen to dance the nutcracker next year" Chloe clapped happily. "wow both of you are making so much progress and l promise to make this Christmas the best one for both of you" l said, we heard Nannette scream and l can decipher Brittany slapped her. l don't know what to do with that girl. Chloe ,Ivanna and l burst into laughter. Afterwhich, we had dinner and l fed mom before giving her drugsthen l sang my two cities a lullaby. Chloe kept waking up and looking at her Christmas dress which was on a chair in the room, l could tell she wasn't able to sleep, l remembered when l was once like that and smiled. My eyelids gradually grew heavy and l drifted to sleep.