It's the thought that counts... Chapter four

"Mayowa is everything alright? You look so frail" Mayowa's mother asked, examining her daughter's body with her eyes as she came down the stairs to join them in the dining room.

"I'm okay mom" Mayowa lied taking her seat, she stared at her dish with no appetite of her own even though what was served was her favorite for breakfast, scrambled egg with a few slices of fried plantain surrounding it.

"Darling you aren't even looking at your daughter" she said to her husband, who sat directly opposite her enjoying his cup of coffee and his online newspaper article on his phone.

"What's there to say? I asked her not to have her hopes high for that boy but she wouldn't listen, I accepted many wonderful suitors but she refused them all, I even asked her not to dress indecently the other day and you shunned me saying I should leave your daughter alone, how is she now my daughter?" he said not taking his eyes off his device.

"Is that all you have to say here?" she asked.

"What more do you want?".

"Look at her eyes, can't you see the bags underneath them? Look at her body, they've grown so lean over night, can't you see that something is wrong with her!?" she said raising her voice with every word she uttered.

"It's nothing mom, please just forget it" Mayowa pleaded.

"I am the mother young lady and not you, I know what is best for you" she shunned Mayowa.

"How much do you want?" He asked taking out his wallet.

Her eyes lit up with excitement but she managed to calm herself down to prevent them from seeing, but she fooled no one, "How much do I want?".

"Here go to the mall with her or something" he said counting out five thousand naira, he dropped it on the table and then returned to his phone.

"It's our daughter I'm talking about for God sake, you think this will do?" she yelled.

"Alright then take this for snacks and other things" he said dropping another five thousand on the table before taking another sip from his cup.

She reached for the money and slowly pushed them into her pocket, "Don't worry dear, I'll lighten up your mood today" she said taking out her phone.

"You see, even your parents don't care about you" Luci said appearing before her, taking his seat close to her mother.

"I know" Mayowa whispered.

"What was that sweetie?" Her mother asked.

Mayowa shook her head and said "Nothing".

"Oh! Okay, finish your food quickly" she said sipping her tea.

Luci had a grin on his face, he had been nothing but torture to Mayowa ever since that day, breaking her all over again.

"Life must be really rough for you" Luci said staring at her mother, who was too busy with her phone and the pictures of hand bag products.

"What do you want from me?" she said.

"You know I only want what's best for you" he answered mimicking her mother. He clicked his fingers causing a cup and a hug to appear in front of him, he filled his cup with an already brewed tea and then took a sip, "I love quality tea and what best way to enjoy it, if not with the family".

"What's best for me?" she asked once again.

"What else? If not what you truly desire" he answered standing up from his seat, he moved towards her mother.

"What I desire?" she asked.

"Yes exactly what you desire, we can take them all away" he said rubbing his fingers around her mother's chin.

"You leave them out of this!" she yelled pushing her chair backwards with enough force to make it tumble over, this drew the attention of both her parents.

"Mayowa dear, what's the matter?" her mother asked.

"Yes sweetie, tell her what's wrong" he said licking her cheek, letting his saliva drool over her.

"Get away from her you monster" Mayowa screamed grabbing the knife on the table, she raced to her mother and attempted to stab him but only ended up stabbing the knife into her mother's neck.

"Mayowa!" her father yelled as blood began spewing out of her neck.

"What have I done?" she muttered.

Luci stood hands crossed with a grin on his face and said, "Truly you are a special one".