Part nineteen

Monae's POV

"Are you Okay?"

"Yes ma, I'm fine okay, so relax and stop worrying."

"You won't be saying the same if you were in my shoes Nae, the car was going to hit you and I felt like I was losing my life too..."

"Shhh let's not talk about that, I'm here and I'm fine thanks to God who sent that guy back there to save me. It isn't easy, even for me so let's forget about it okay?"

"Easier said than done, it will take a while for me to."

"Me too and please don't tell anyone about it, promise."

"I can promise not to tell anyone but not daddy, he has to know. He really cares about you, imagine how he's going to feel if he finds out about it."

"I know, I know but we can't tell him at least for now. I promise to tell him when I'm comfortable enough to."

"If you say so, I have no choice then."

"Thank you."

Imo squeezed my shoulder in response, nodding her head. We fell silent afterwards having got home and quickened our pace.

At the driveway, there was a car. I hadn't seen it around before. It looked like Imo knows who it belongs to, I saw her eyes widen and a smile found its way to her lips.

Before I could quiz her about it, the front door opened and Roxie appeared, closing the door behind her. She beckoned us to come over as she waved her hands frantically, she looked very excited, her face was glowing.

"What's with the excitement, Rox?" Imo beat me to it by asking that question.

"You'll find out about it soon, now go to the terrace, someone is waiting for you." Roxie shooed her away still bubbling with excitement. If I didn't know her, I would say she was being weird but that's just Roxie, she's always happy but today's is extra.

Imo came back and dragged me along with her to the terrace. She was equally excited and I'm sure it has something to do with the car out there.

Okay so I get it now. Everything dawned on me when we arrived at the terrace. The owners of that sleek car out there are the Steeles! No wonder everyone looks happy, even Mrs Winchester is. She has her one hand on top of Mrs Steele's and the other holding on to a glass as the two clinked them together, grinning widely.  She took a sip of her wine and said something into her ears which made both of them laugh and high-five.

Imo released her hand from mine, going towards Mrs Steele who hadn't yet seen us arrive but Mrs Winchester has and her smile faded when she shifted her gaze from Imo to me. Her eyes looked beyond me, it was a silent order she was giving me and I understood it perfectly.

I quickly looked away and took steps back. She smirked in satisfaction, seeing me a bit far away from them. I knew why she had done that, Mrs Winchester doesn't want me anywhere near her prospective in-laws and old friends. She fears, if stay with them anytime they come around, Mrs Steele will take a liking to me. That was what I heard, I don't know the whole story, all I know is there's something more to it.

I stood there cluelessly, waiting for Imo to finish so we go upstairs, I need to get outta these clothes and fast. I prayed silently in my head, hoping they continue their merriment and forget about me so I can slip away without being noticed.

My prayer was never answered, it was as if God wanted me to be noticed and I can't complain. Mrs Steele looked in my direction and instantly smiled, her smile was beautiful and not forced like someone I know. "Hey, it's you again. What are you doing there? Come over here."

I forced her a small smile in return and reluctantly walked to her but not before looking over to Mrs Winchester for approval. She huffed, her nose flaring indicating she didn't like it one bit. She actually surprised me by nodding her head and rolled her eyes before looking away, muttering somethings to herself.

"Hi." I said weakly, managing not to stutter and give away how nervous I am, sitting there with her under Mrs Winchester's eagle eyes whole hoping within me I don't anything contrary to what she wants.

"Hello Monae, how you doing?"

"Uh I'm fine." I replied her, looking behind her to glance at Imo who only smiled. "And yourself?"

"I'm okay." She turned to Mrs Winchester beside her and said aloud, "I want her to be the maid of honour, she has the perfect silky skin tone and adorable smile that compliments her beautiful face—"

"Uhm, thank you but no, I can't."

"Why Nae?"

"Why honey? This is your sister's wedding and no one deserves that spot but you."

"I'll gladly do anything during the wedding but not that."

Mrs Steele was about to protest but kept quiet and closed her mouth after Mrs Winchester spoke up harshly, "stop insisting, Yves!" She huffed again, rolling her eyes. "The girl doesn't want it, why push it further when it's for the best?"

"What do you mean by that, mother? It is my wedding and I get to choose whoever I want to play any role in it which means no one can defy my choice and Monae is who I want as my maid of honour."

"Shut your mouth, shut it! You're so stupid sometimes it really makes me sick, are you my daughter at all?"

"Don't go there Morganna, why are you saying all this? There's no harm done if she wants her sister blood or not, to be her maid of honour. It's is every girl's dream to choose her own maid of honour so why are you taking that from her?"

"You get out!" She sneered in a high pitched voice that made me jerk up from my seat, ready to run when a hand pulled me back to my seat. It was Mrs Steele, she laced our fingers together and turned to glare at her friend. "Don't let me descend on you Monae get out now!"

"I'm sorry." I quickly apologised to her as I unlaced my fingers from hers and quickly stood up, running away from the terrace as fast as I could.

I didn't want to be there any longer and witness her anger or a quarrel between her and Mrs Steele or Imo just because of me.

Brushing stray tears from my cheeks, I stifled my sobbing and lowered my head as I made my way to the front door.  I chose not to use the door that leads inside the house and risk  being seen by Roxie or daddy.

All I want is to disappear into my room and be there all by myself all day. I wouldn't wallow in sadness or kill myself thinking about why she's like that towards me. I've come to realise that no matter what I do, she's forever going to loathe me and scorn me in anyway she can.

I had my head lowered and didn't see someone approach me a few steps away from the drive way. He bumped his shoulder into mine slightly and walked away silently, not sparing me a glance.

I looked at him but couldn't make him out, he was walking towards the gate.

Oddly, he was covered head to toe despite the sun shining with great intensity today.

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I took off the robe I wore around me, walking towards the body size mirror in the closet. I stared at my reflection in it and slowly twirled around, checking for any bruises on my body from what happened earlier this morning.

My mouth curved into a smile, there wasn't any.

The events of this morning slowly invade my memory. From our race to that moment when I thought my life was going to end, gosh everything was so real, I thought I had died already and that I was never ever going to come back into this world anymore. It would have been for the best if I had died, I would have met mummy up there and we would have been happy, there won't be any Mrs Winchester or Rex to make my life hell, everything would have been bliss.

I actually thought I had until that guy back there came out of no where and pulled me away with a great force, making us fall and yet again he saved me by taking the fall, I fell on him and he got bruised when I should have.

He took all my pains, he's like Jesus and on a second thought, I've realised God sent him there to save me because truly, he was my saviour. I don't know how I'm ever going to repay him and I don't know him from anywhere either. I'm forever going to be grateful to him for saving my life, if it weren't for him, Monae Araba Daniels, will only be a memory in the heart of those who care about me.

Thinking about it makes me realise that there's actually someone, I mean someone out there who wants me dead. He or she wants me wiped away from the surface of the earth completely and eternally and that brought tears to my eyes.

Slowly, I broke down in the middle of the closet wearing nothing but sorrow and realisation of someone out there hating me so much they want me dead. "What have I done to you and who are you?!"

That was a rhetorical question that I have no answer to, neither will I ever have an answer for.

"Monae?"

I had been too deep engulfing in sorrow that I didn't hear someone open the door and get in. How could I when I was screaming my heart out in sorrow?

I quickly grabbed the robe and draped my body with it when I heard footsteps approaching the closet. Mrs Steele entered and when he eyes landed on me, her face fell and I could see tears welling in her eyes.

Quickly, she rushed to me and squatted beside me. Mrs Steele then pulled me into a hug and truth be told, I needed a hug. A motherly hug for that matter and that's what I felt, it was warm and full of affection, a feeling I haven't had in a long time aside Roxie's.

She gentle rubbed my back, coaxing me to cry more. "Cry my dear, cry it all out if the tears will make you okay."

That statement made me pull away from her and stare at her face. She gave me a small mile and I thought Imogen had blurred out the accident earlier this morning to her till she brushed her thumb on my cheeks, wiping my tears.

"Don't let her get to you okay honey? Morganna can be something else sometimes but deep down, she's a softie."

I visibly relaxed knowing she didn't know but then I scoffed within me, hearing her refer to Mrs Winchester as a softie. Don't be fooled, it's just an act. It's just an act she puts up around people but she and I together with this family know who she really is.

When I didn't say anything, she continued. "She's a softhearted person, though it's very difficult dealing with her sometimes and I've seen how she relates with you. It's so wrong, that isn't how she's supposed to be even if you aren't her blood daughter and I also see you, you're bold and always turning the other cheek to her. I realised after you left how hurt you were, you didn't say it but your reaction back there proves it and that is why I'm here, to apologise to you not on her behalf, no but mine. What happened there wouldn't have been so if I didn't suggest it, so I'm—"

"No, no, please don't apologise!" I quickly stopped her from apologising, clasping our hands together. "You didn't do anything wrong back there, you were only saying the truth and I believe no one has to apologise for speaking the truth. It's just, I wasn't comfortable that's all."

"Your discomfit was caused by my words—"

"Playing the good guy are we?" We both turned our heads in the direction of the voice, standing in the doorway of the closet was no other than Mrs Winchester. I was greatly surprised seeing her, she's never been here ever since we relocated her and I thought she doesn't even know the way to my room, actually.

"If you aren't here to apologise to her for your tantrum back there then just leave. She's better of without another here."

Her eyes weren't glaring daggers at me for once but her hands were crossed on her chest as she ambled to us with a poker face, "there's no need to repeat yourself again Yves, I'm here to apologize to her."

The word, apologize, alone in her statement, made me sharply look at her with an open mouth and my eyelids raised higher than a mountain. Apologize....and to me?

"Yes, I'm here to apologize to you." She confirmed, equally staring at me. I didn't expect her next action because I assumed she was just shitting me. Mrs Winchester slowly lifted both hands from beside her and clasped them together in front of her, "I'm truly sorry for how I mistreated you back there and all those times since you started living with us. My behavior was uncalled for and totally wrong, I'm sorry and please forgive me."

Again, I opened my mouth. To say I was surprised, was an understatement. I was stunned, hearing those words being uttered from her and to me. Gosh, if I didn't know her, I would say, she was truly a remorseful person and a softie as Mrs Steele said.

I saw through her apology, she can't get me fooled. It wasn't genuine, no one will truly apologize and utter each word with clenched teeth!

Although her face didn't give away any emotion, her clenched teeth and tensed jaw showed how insincere and forced her apology was.

"Monae?" Mrs Steele called me softly, tapping me on my thigh.

I looked away from Mrs Winchester to her and closed my mouth, waiting for her to continue.

"Do you see it to be sincere? I mean her apology?"

"Uhm.. oh yeah, I do. I'm just surprised."

"Yeah you would be, so do you also accept it?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Call me Yves, silly!" She exclaimed happily and pulled me in for a hug again before drawing back and got up on her feet. She walked over to Mrs Winchester and placed her hand on her shoulder, "I'm glad you apologized and hopefully everything will be okay between you two."

"Anything for my daughter." She agreed, giving a tight lipped smile afterwards.

"Sweetie, we are all at the terrace, get ready and come up there okay?"

I nodded in response but spoke up, "okay." When I remembered it wasn't mannerly to speak with your head rather than mouth to elderly people.

She passed me a warm and genuine smile before holding her friend's hand, dragging her out of the room. Before they left, Mrs Winchester glanced at me scathingly and smirked.

I gulped and took a step back, can I say I'm dead after this look?

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Yes you can, Nae!

Mrs Winchester apologising to her?😱 and later calling her, her daughter? Something isn't right here, I have a very bad feeling about this......