Chapter 6

• ~LEONA~
• "Sister Leo, please help me with my assignment." Vera walked into my home office with her workbook.
• "Am busy Vee. We'll do that later." I focused on my computer.
• "No no no!" She shouted.
• "Okay fine. Lemme have a look." I took the book and looked through.
• "This is simple, Vee. Here, I'll teach you." It was just a simple algebra, so I took some time and taught her.
• "Wow Leo, you teach so perfectly more than our teacher. Why didn't you become a teacher too?"
• "Am already a teacher." I replied smilingly.
• "Wow? Really? Where do you teach and who do you teach?" She asked innocently.
• I chuckled. "I teach at home. Meaning, am your personal teacher and will always be until you don't need me anymore." I pinched her cheeks playfully.
• "Aww. You're so sweet Leo and am proud and fortunate to have you as a sister. I'll like to be like you one-day because you're my perfect role model. I love you Leo." She said and ran off.
• "I love you too little sis." I muttered even though she was already gone.
• I sat back behind my computer but I hardly relaxed when someone else walked in.
• "Leo." Elsie called.
• "Uhmm"
• "My fees are due and I have to pay it." She said.
• "Sure. Sorry I forgot." I took my check book and tossed it to her to fill.
• She tossed it back after filling in the amount and without checking, I sighed it off.
• "Anything else?" I asked when she was still standing after I gave him the check.
• "Well, I.. I.. just."
• "Wanna go shopping?" I cut her off.
• "Yeah. How did you know?" She asked in surprise.
• "Am your sis Elsie and I know you more than you know yourself. Anyway, pull that drawer and pick any amount you desire."
• "Any amount?" Her eyes widened.
• "Yeah."
• I felt her lips on my cheeks that instant."You're so sweet Leo. I can't believe this!"
• I chuckled as I watched her leave the office.
• I focused back on my computer and it wasn't long before someone came in.
• "Leo, I hope you haven't forgotten that my birthday is tomorrow." Valerie reminded me.
• "How can I? Just relax, I'll handle everything okay?"
• "That's my sis." She beamed and left.
• "Leo, have you paid the utility bills and your father's medicine, have you paid for it."
• "I've already done that mum."
• "What of my car? Has it been serviced?"
• "I have and I also got you another one. You can check it out. Is in the garage."
• "Thank you, with you around, I don't think there's a need for me to worry at all."
• I smiled at her before she left.
• I concentrated back on my work and for the past thirty minutes, there was no disturbance until I felt someone towering above me.
• I looked up to see Raymond.
• "Hi Ray. Need anything?" I asked.
• "Yes." He replied.
• "Am all ears."
• "I want to feed you, Leona." He said and brought out a tray he was hiding behind him.
• "What? I've already eaten."
• "No you haven't. You've been stacked in here since morning, even though it was a Saturday and you forgot to eat. You've been taking care of this family so much that you hardly have time for yourself. You've been taking good care of us all and now I want to take care of you too." He shut my laptop.
• "But Ray..."
• "Shush." He said and took a spoon. I kept quiet and he began to feed me.
• "Now can I work?" I asked after finishing the delicious meal.
• "Not yet."
• "May I know why?"
• "I want to spend sometime with my sis today."
• "What? Are you kidding me? You know I've got a lot to do."
• "But all you do is work work and work. When you were in school too all you do was read read and read. It's like you don't have a life at all. Why must you enslave yourself this way? Everyday Leo this, Leo that" He ranted.
• "Come on Ray, don't let me explain the obvious. You know how much this family has helped me and you know why, so please stop questioning the obvious. This family is my responsibility, Raymond, and I enjoy attending to everyone's needs."
• He signed. "Alright but you won't stay in this office today, Leo. I want to take you out so that we can catch some fun."
• "But Ray..."
• "Shhhh. You won't say anything, Leo. Remember that all work and no play will make you dull and unhappy." He took my hand and walked me to my room.
• He sat me down in front of my large dressing mirror and loosed my hair.
• "What are you doing, Ray?"
• "Keep quiet and watch okay. You can close your eyes too."
• I nodded and he began working on my hair. After that, he began to apply somethings on my face.
• I opened my eyes after he was done and my jaw dropped.
• I couldn't believe my reflection. "Who's that Ray?"
• "You of course." He chuckled.
• "How did you do it? Do you perhaps have some magic?"
• "The magic is in you, Leo. I hardly did something to you. Perhaps you don't know how beautiful you are even without makeup."
• "But this is so..so..wow!"
• "Yeah, now shall we go?"
• "Where?"
• "You'll soon know."
• I took my purse and we got out. We barely made it to the garage before it started pouring heavily.
• I tried covering my hair and face to prevent the makeup and hairdo from ruining but it was of no use as the rain was only aiming at my face.
• What the hell! What kind of rain is this?.
• I opened my eyes and tried to look around in case I'll see Raymond but I didn't see him. Instead, I saw Tasha, my stepmom.
• I sprang up suddenly to see her with another round of a bucket full of water.
• Gosh! So it was all a dream. I wish it wasn't a dream at all.
• "What are you still doing here when I told you to leave yesterday? You're sleeping so soundly after all the problem you caused us huh?
• I was soaking, wet and began to shiver. My clothes stung on me like a second skin.
• I managed to get out of the bed.
• Where's Raymond? After yesterday's discussion with him, he left and promised to come wake me up early this morning but why didn't he do so.
• "Listen mum.."
• "I won't listen to anything Leona. All i want you to do is to pack out of this house."
• Elsie walked in to the room and began packing my stuffs.
• "I can't leave like this mum. Please hear me out for a minute." I pleaded but she only grab my hand and began pulling me from the room till we got outside and she stopped.
• "It's not my fault that I got pregnant mum. It was a mistake."
• "Then is it my fault you got pregnant? Was I the one who opened your legs for the man to enter? Don't provoke me and get out of here".
• "I didn't know I was pregnant mum. I just got to know yesterday and it was really a mistake."
• "Oh! so now you've finally accepted that you're pregnant? Thank God, because I actually thought another saviour was about to be born through you. It was a mistake indeed when you went and opened your thighs willingly, right? She asked sarcastically.
• Elsie threw my luggage at me and all the clothes fell from it on to the floor including my files.
• "Take your things and leave. We don't need you anymore." Elsie said and they shut the door on my face.
• "Open the door please." I banged on it.
• "Mum, please, open the door, you know I have nowhere to go. Please, don't do this to me. You're the only family I have. I'm so sorry mum"😭😭😭 "No mum, I didn't do anything at all. Please believe me." My tears flowed freely as I knelt in front of the door and wept.
• After sometime, I crawl to my luggage and picked the clothes back into it as well as my files.
• I stood at the same spot after parking for almost two hours. I was completely lost. I didn't know what to do anymore.
• Raymond has told me to consider the baby since it was innocent but why keep something who's responsible for the condition my family is in now?
• My dad has been in the hospital since. I wonder how mum is managing to get his medicines.
• I can't believe my dad is in the hospital because of me and I can't even see him if I want to.
• I know he'll be so heartbroken for what happened and it is all because of this unknown child I was carrying. This must stop now!
• I got up to leave when I spotted an envelope beside my luggage. I took it and was about to put it in the bag when I realized that it was the same envelope 💌 the proprietor gave me on the day of our graduation.
• I opened it and began to read.
• Dear Miss Leona,✍️
• 📃📜📝
• We're glad that you made it as the best student our school has ever had and the President who has been so intrigued by your intelligence will like to employ you as soon as possible with a payment of $1million, a mansion and a 2021 Benz model but unfortunately, you got pregnant so the government has withdrawn this offer since you can't work with your pregnancy...📝
• I stopped reading as the letter flew from my hands.
• "What!" Why did this happen to me? Why me?
• Why should it be me and not anyone else?
• I lost so much because of this baby.
• That one million dollars is enough for me to enroll all my siblings into school and enough for me to give my family a decent living.
• We could move into that mansion and forget about this old and weak cottage we're living in.
• But no! I lost it all.
• I left my luggage in front of the our house and raced to the junction. I stopped a taxi which conveyed me to the hospital I went to have my malaria treated.
• Why the hell would they have to do that to me?
• I got out of the taxi like a crazed person without paying the driver. I could hear him following me to take his money but I didn't mind him.
• I ran into the hospital and the moment I saw a doctor, I rushed towards him and held him by the collar. I think I lost my sanity because my next action was not something Leona will ever do.
• "How dare you ruined my life this way?" My hands connected to his cheeks and he winced.
• The onlookers gasped.
• "Before I knew it, the securities were holding me."
• "Did she escape from the mental asylum or what?" The doctor questioned and straightened his shirt.
• "Is that what you gonna say after implanting someone's baby in me?"
• "What is she talking about?" The doctor questioned. He seems to be innocent.
• I looked around the room and my eyes spotted the nurse who administered the injection.
• She looked away when my eyes met hers.
• "She's the one." I shouted and struggled with the securities to free me.
• The doctor turned but the lady nurse moved swiftly from where she once stood.
• Why is she hiding?
• The doctor turned to me and shook her head.
• "She's crazy. Do well to keep her from the sane people here." The doctor said and began walk away.
• "No am not crazy!" I screamed.
• He stopped and turned.
• "That's what they all say." He said quietly but loud enough for me to hear and resumed his steps.
• "Please, I need to talk to you urgently doctor. It's very urgent!" I pleaded tearfully.
• He ignored me and disappeared into one of the wards
• I believe that Leona is getting closer to the mystery surrounding her pregnancy. I hope she will get a job soonest to rewrite her family story, pregnancy or no pregnancy. To unfold what comes next, keep reading
• Watch out for next episode