Chapter 44--AN ANSWER 2

I wanted to be disqualified. What I had to do was disobey some of the rules, and get myself failed so I won't make it to the final stage. I was determined to do that. "It will work" I told myself. Uncle Robinson was not the one to grade us, some other teacher did that. I didn't know who, but he himself said the results will be formed, collated and announced by an assistant in the hall, and every student would be present. So it was not him. He would not mark our scripts, I was grateful.

Whoever marked our scripts would be honest, and would fail me because I picked, wrote, typed and said the wrong answers in most of the questions. (Deliberately) Then, Uncle Robinson would have no choice than to disqualify me, and then, I would have enough time to serve my punishment at the camp.

Maria, Anita's little cousin was a bright girl too but she declined joining the rest of us for the training. She was still grieving and the teachers let her. They even asked her to take some days off school if she wanted. It was that bad. Well, the search for Anita didn't come to an end yet. Everyone was still on the lookout for the girl, I joined them too so no one would suspect anything but each time I did, something broke within me because I knew we were all searching for a person that was already dead, and whose body could never be found.

Anytime my eyes caught Maria's, I felt like running up to the little child, and divulging all the secrets I knew about her sister whilst encouraging her to take revenge but it was impossible for me to do. That feeling weighed me down so much, that was why it made me happy anytime the bell was rung, for closing hour and with so much relief and at the sound of Mike's truck at the gate, I'd pick up my schoolbag and lunch box and hurry out of the school into Mike's waiting arms. Oh, it was always so much relief.

When we got home, Mike would run a bath for me. He didn't want me to be late for my schedule at Dr Brown's. He always made sure I kept to time. So, I'd have my bath, eat lunch that mom already prepared in the morning before leaving for work, and then Mike would make sure I had siesta for thirty minutes at least. He was the one who drove me to Dr Brown's everyday, except on weekends when mom was available to drive me there herself.

Sometimes I would not eat the lunch packed by mom, because for some reason, i didn't like to have to microwave foods. I like freshly prepared foods. You could not say I was a picky eater. I wasn't. I still aren't. I ate a lot, and ate almost anything but that kind of dwindled when Cameron and the kids at school told me with mockery tones, that I was fat and clumsy.

So, on those days, Mike would buy me some pizza but I didn't like that either because it was junk and it'd make me more of a potato than I already was. I'd only take a bite. Mind you, I am not picky. I was just overwhelmed with many things and especially the mean remarks from Cameron and the other kids at school, so that's what I reacted to.

After a while, Mike did notice my reaction to the pizza he brought daily, so he stopped ordering pizza for me.

He made beef and broccoli plus cheese for me instead, sometimes it was just cabbage and steak plus a hot bowl of soup. I always ate it all, what could I do?- He was a good cook and very good at persuading me. Sometimes, he cooked in our kitchen but most times, he went to his kitchen to prepare it and then brought it to me on the dining table. That time, I must have had my bath twice. He was so nice. He was there for me during the times mom was not available (because she was at work).

He in fact bought me a little alarm clock. So, everyday after school, I'd bathe, eat, rest a bit and then nap- in that order- and then exactly after thirty or thirty five minutes of napping, the alarm clock would wake me up. Then, I'd get ready to drive in Mike's truck and in few minutes, we'd be off to Dr Brown's. By the time I was done with Dr, mom would be waiting outside with her car. She asked Mike not to bother picking me up since she returned from work around the time I finished my schedules.

One day as usual, mom came to pick me up from Dr Brown's on her way from work, It was 6:35pm, and around the twenty fifth of September, five days to the final training between the chosen best two students at Enchanting Promises High School, and ten days to the long awaited Annual Camping. The babies were not with her and I asked her why. She said, "Don't worry, they are safe, I already breastfed them this afternoon. I left them with a trusted someone"

I nodded. That would be Jack. Who else could it be? Except mom was already keeping female friends. That was unusual but as mom had begun doing the unusual things ever since we returned to the estate, it could be anything.

After mom had asked me how my meeting with my therapist was, and if I had had lunch, I told her about Mike.

"He prepares food for me, mom"

"I see. That's why you don't eat the lunch I pack for you. Maybe I'll have to tell him to teach me how to cook" she said with no emotion on her face.

"No mom, I didn't mean it that way. I..." I thought she was offended.

"It's okay, darling. I appreciate him giving me all the help he can, it's really kind of him to do but I don't want anyone preparing your food- i want to be responsible for that, okay?" She told me.

"Yes mom"

"Did you say broccoli? What does he cook for you?"

"Beef, broccoli and cheese. Cabbage and steak plus soup, sometimes rice and chicken casserole" I replied her

"Okay. Noted. I'll do that every morning before I go to work"

"But mom..." I wanted to tell her I didn't like to microwave foods

"What, darling? Is there any problem with that?"

"No mom" I shook my head. I didn't want her to worry too much about me. "You could just let Mike do it, mom. I mean, it seems to me you don't know I don't like it when my lunch is cold"

"What? Really? I put it in the microwave, how can it get cold in there?" She asked me, with shock written on her face. "Is that why you don't eat it at all?"

"Yes, mom. I'm sorry mom" I said. She sighed, rubbed my hair, and said nothing until we got home.

At home, she went straight to Mike's door and had a brief talk with him. I didn't know what she said but Mike stopped preparing my meals afterwards. I was upset but I didn't show it. Mike also stopped running a bath for me. I wasn't upset about that. Actually, I didn't like that he came to my bathroom and watched me slip my naked body into the tub, and I always didn't get out of the tub until he turned away. He didn't touch me or anything but I just felt like it was wrong for him to look at my body. I don't know, but it was just a feeling.

He obviously didn't think it wrong because he kept doing it--standing at my door and asking me to enter the tub. I'd shamefully take off my towel and hang it, then climb the tub and cover my whole body with water and flowers. Even then, he would not leave until after asking if I was okay for the umpteenth time. I wanted to tell him that I could bathe on my own and that I didn't like it when he came to my bathroom and watched me bathe, but it'd hurt him, (or so I thought), so I didn't say anything. I was uncomfortable in silence.

He was only being kind. I should not make him feel bad about it. Right? That was my thought

But he stopped doing that after all that talk mom had with him at his door. I don't know how mom found out because I never told her. Mom was highly observant. Till today, I still wonder how she found out.

I know she knew because that night, she called me and had a talk with me, "Don't let anyone touch you, okay? Don't let a stranger touch you at all, okay?" She said quietly. "Not even Cameron" but she did not exactly mention Mike's name

I nodded. Cameron would never touch me, I was sure of that.

"I know, I've told you this before, but I'll keep saying it, darling--there are some parts of your body that should not be touched, especially by a man. Do you know that?"

"Yes mom" i nodded. She sounded so critical

"Good. Mention those parts"

"My chest, my navel, my lips, my neck, my stomach, my arms, my bottom" I replied, touching those parts as i mentioned them.

"There's one more you omitted" she said, gazing into my face. I thought and thought but nothing else came to mind, then she pulled me closer and said, "Your vagina" I nodded.

"You know what a vagina means? Do you, darling?" She asked looking closely at my face. I nodded, touching it. Mom never used euphemistic terms to describe those parts. She mentioned them with their exact names.

"Yeah, that. Don't allow anyone to touch you there. If anyone tries to, please avoid that person, and tell me about it, Do you understand me?"

I nodded. She asked me to say yes. "Yes, mom. I understand" i said. She sighed and embraced me. She looked so worried and I felt so much concern for her. She was always more concerned for me than I was about myself