“Hey, tell me. Are you two fighting?” Emma queried with a skeptical look.
“No auntie–” Phidelia sighed sharply and sauntered towards the stairs. “Just a bad day at school. I’ll go change now.” she glided the stairs.
Emma stared as her back faded through the corridor to her room; quiet confuse. “What’s going on with them?” she mumbled thoughtfully and shrugged.
“Hurry and get down for supper.” she shouted, heading back to the terrace to continue what she was doing.
Phidelia shoved her bag well over her shoulders, unlocking her door. After turning the keys few times, it clicked opened. She slowly pushed it opened as she shuffled in with the thoughts of her family running through her mind. She really missed them a lot especially her sister. It’s been eleven years now since they got separated. And to top it all, they haven’t been visiting per their promise. And talking about promise, Phidelia tossed her bag on to the bed as she slammed herself on her bed. She promised to give Phidel a call after school to tell her about her new school and how her first day went. She pulled the drawer of the mini wardrobe beside her bed opened, rummaging through it for her phone.
“There you are.” she pulled it out and closed the drawer. She scanned through her phone effortlessly for her sister's number. Upon seeing it, she dialed it, putting it on her ear as she relaxed her back on the bed. After a few rings, her sister answered the call.
“Hello Delia?” she uttered from the other side of the phone.
“Hello sis..” Phidelia snuffed out a laugh which was obvious to Phidel that her sister was stressed about something. “What’s wrong Phidelia? You sound stressed. Did something go wrong in school or did your asthma suddenly kick in?” she queried, a bit worried.
“No Phidel, just a bit tired. I actually had fun in my new school you know. Everybody was so friendly and the school is also huge and beautiful.” she assured.
“That’s good then. I was worried you were going to have a hard time in your new school but hearing you now, I feel so relieved. So tell me, did you make any friends?”
“Hmm, well.” she sat up, folding her legs on the bed. “I.....”
“Phidelia!” Emma's voice interrupted from the hall. “You should get down now for supper .”
“Okay, I will be there soon.” she answered, getting back to her sister. “Have to go now Phidel, aunt wants me downstairs.”
“Alright, take good care of yourself and don't forget to carry your inhaler with you always, Okay?”
“Okay.” she smiled but this time a genuine one. “Hope to see you guys soon. I have really missed you.”
“Alright Delia, I will inform mum and dad then get back to you. We really miss you too but until we see each other again, you have to be healthy always. Hmm?”
“Roger that Phildel” she exuded and they both broke into laughter. “Have to go now, bye..” she mumbled and hanged up. She sighed with smiles lingering on her face as she jolted up, leaving the phone on the bed and hurried out of the room. It had already been 30mins now since herself and Isla returned from school.
She hurried down stairs to meet everybody around the table except herself. “What kept you up there? You haven’t even changed.” she questioned Phidelia who pulled the chair with pursed lips. “I was on the phone with Phidel.” she picked up her spoon with a smile on her face.
“Hmm–I can see that.” Emma tilted her head, serving each plate one at a time. “It’s so obvious with you smiling from ear to ear.” she grinned.
Phidelia chuckled, taking her plate of omelet from her aunt. Jade and Isla have heard a lot about Phidelia’s parents and twin sister but none of them have set eyes on them. The only thing that was evident about them is Phidelia’s high spirit after talking with them on phone.
“So tell me Delia, how was your first day in school?” Martin questioned. By this time, everybody was seated behind his or her meal, enjoying it. “Well, nothing much. It was just a normal school day with classes and extra curriculum activities. Nothing special happened.”
Isla instinctively scoffed at Phidelia’s answer which made her glanced at her out of panic. “Please Isla.” she mumbled to Isla’s hearing only. Emma, Martin and Jade glanced at them both confused.
“What are you girls whispering about?” Emma queried.
“Nothing aunt.” she hastily answered, diving back into her meals. Isla also concentrated on her meals, ignoring the skeptical looks from her parents and brother. Seeing that they were not going to get anything from them, they shrugged and went back to their meals. They all continued in silence and after some few minutes, they were done. Isla and Phidelia helped Emma whiles Martin glided to the living room to work on some documents and Jade on the other hand went to his room to continue with his assignment and to have time play his video games.
After clearing, cleaning, washing the dishes and everything; they were finally done. Isla looked up the clock hanging in the kitchen and it was 6pm. She hurriedly dried her hands with the napkin and rushed to her room to watch one of the TV series she usually watch at that time. Staring after her, Phidelia smiled, glancing back at her aunt.
“I will head to my room too. I still have an assignment to complete.”
“Okay dear, we’re even done here. You should go and change now.” Emma replied and Phidelia sauntered off to her room. She shuffled in and changed into her nightwear, picking up her towel from the hanger and trod into the washroom. After some minutes, she returned back to the room, drying her hair with the towel. She hanged it back and settled behind her study desk, picking out her assignment from her bag; burying herself into it.
After a while, she was done. She glanced at he clock hanging just above her study desk and it was 7:30pm. She stretched and rose up from her seat, heading towards her bed. She picked up her phone and sat on it. She sent a goodnight message to her sister with cute bear dolls hugging each other.
Phidel read and replied back with kisses. She smiled on reading her sister’s reply and placed the phone on the drawer. She read a novel for a while before tucking herself under her blanket and drifted off to sleep.
****
It’s been a week now since Phidelia got transfered into her new school and she had not seen much of Tina per what Isla said. Isla on the other hand has always been leaving her to school with the same reasons which was her health issues and avoiding too much crowded places with less ventilation. To Isla, avoiding crowded places doesn't work for her as she loves joining the bus together with her friends to school so they chose to go their separate ways. Unfortunately for Phidelia, her uncle won't be able to send her to school always so they settled on her going with a cab. She checked on her watch and she was already running late. She has been standing at the bus stop for like 30mins now for the supposed arranged cab that usually comes for her but there was no sign of him. She kept glancing expectantly on both sides of the street but there was no sign whatsoever.
“This is crazy. When is this driver coming? Or have he plan on making me late for school today?” she scoffed, glancing on her watch once again.
She waited for some few minutes more but seeing how things were heading to, she decided to walk to the next bus stop to see if she could get another cab since there was none passing by where she stood and the arranged one for her is also not even showing up. Just as she turned on her toes, a cab pulled up beside her with one of her school mates in it. “Hey–” the girl mumbled, smiling at her.
She in turn just stood staring at her with a fixed look as her face was unfamiliar to her.
“Who is she?” she thought to herself.