Mia and I retreated to our room, emerging only when summoned for dinner. The dinner was a short one which was followed by our night prayers before going to bed.
My earlier assertion that Mia was ecstatic about meeting her foster parents the following day was no exaggeration. After dinner, she enthusiastically packed not only her clothes but also mine. She must be quite desperate to get parents who love her.
But we can't be sure yet if they're going to be a good tree or bad one.I couldn't quite put my finger on why I had this strange feelings about the couple. While Mia slept soundly through the night, I lay awake, mentally preparing myself for the impending change. The next morning, shortly after breakfast, Sis Margaret announced to the other children that we would be leaving that morning.
Just a few minutes after we'd finished breakfast, Sis Margaret appeared, instructing us to gather our luggage. A sleek Lexus was waiting outside, and as soon as the driver spotted us, he emerged from the vehicle to collect their bags before opening the door for them. Sis Margaret shared a heartfelt, last-minute hug with them, and we settled into the car, waving goodbye to us and the eleventh hour goodbye from the other kids got us emotional .As the car sped away, Sister Margaret struggled to conceal her tears. She had watered us till we grew into beautiful flowers and someone else plucking wasn't what she could take even though she had no choice but to let us go.
After a three-hour drive, we finally arrived at the house – a sprawling duplex that exceeded my expectations. It was stunning I must say .The enormous black gate and fence seemed to swallow up the entire property.
"Lila, this house is stunning...' Mia exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement, while my expression remained dull in stark contrast to hers.
"Oh my goodness!' Mia squealed as the car came to a halt, bouncing out of the vehicle with enthusiasm.
"Mia, please compose yourself,' I whispered, trying to disperse her excitement. We approached the trunk to retrieve our luggage, but the driver intervened, insisting on carrying it into the house himself.
As we stepped inside, I was struck by the opulence that surrounded us. Trust me when I said I was just so amazed and for a moment, my worries dissipated like mist in the morning sun. It was if it was erased by something I didn't know, I couldn't even define.
We were still looking around when a husk voice ran through the room.
As we continued to explore the room, a deep, husky voice ran through the space.
"Welcome, girls!' We turned to face our foster parents, standing side by side. However, my attention was still drawn to the flashy lip gloss that seemed to grate on me.
"Are they deaf or just stunned into silence?" My foster mother asked, her tone buttered with amusement, as we still struggled to find our voices.
"Honey, please don't be too hard on them"my foster father intervened, gently stroking her hair. They're going to need some time to adjust."
"Remember, our son will be living with us too."
"Take them shopping; they need some new clothes" he added, before turning away. I couldn't help but smirk, feeling an urge to smack his bald head, but my foster mother fake warm words brought me back to reality. '
"You can call me Mum" she said with a smile.
"Okay, Mum!" Mia replied enthusiastically and she gave us some scornful look and walked away after gesturing to us to follow her. Mia followed like a moron. As if she's being controlled by a remote.
Mia's enthusiasm about our new foster parents was starting to make my blood boil , but I bit my tongue. While I was glad to see her happy after so long being alone, her behavior was becoming increasingly concerning and was rankling me.
After being shown to our room, we were treated to a sumptuous dinner, where we were instructed on proper etiquette for handling our cutlery.
However, the meat tasted off, and I sensed something was amiss from the first bite. I glanced at Mia, who was devouring her portion with gusto, while I could only manage a single bite. I didn't make that obvious though. I just had to keep forcing out those smile to their disgusting faces.
After dinner, I retired to our room, feeling uneasy. Before we knew it, night had fallen. At around 8:00 pm, our foster mother arrived with our dresses, but what struck me as odd was that she locked the door from the outside.
"Mia, did you notice she locked the door? Doesn't that seem strange to you?"I asked, my voice low.
"Lila, let's just enjoy the moment. Come see my dress"Mia replied, her excitement unwavering.
"Mia, do you think we're safe here?' I pressed, my concern exceeding the climax
"We should be grateful we're with a good family already"she said, her optimism unshakeable.
"But how can we know they're good people when we've only been here for a day?'" I countered almost pissed off.
"My dear. Let's just forget we are orphans and continue our lives like they're our parents."
I was left speechless. Meanwhile, Mia had tried on all her dresses, beaming with joy and jumping all around. She had drifted off to sleep peacefully few minutes after. How could sleep so peacefully? I approached the door handle and attempted to open it again, but it remained locked.
I returned to my bed, trying to sleep, but my eyes refused to cooperate. She must have related to what my thoughts were. As I lay there, friending the ceiling, I was startled by the sound of footsteps. It wasn't just one person; it sounded like a group of three to five people. I sprang out of bed, but the footsteps abruptly ceased. I wondered if it was just mere illusion.
A few minutes later, a loud bang echoed through the door, sending a chill down my spine. I jumped to my feet, and the banging stopped. I felt a surge of adrenaline, and my heart was racing. I glanced around the room and spotted a mop handle, which I grasped, positioning myself behind the door.
My throat constricted as I swallowed hard, and hot sweat trickled down my face. Yet, I stood firm, gripping the mop handle tightly, ready to defend myself against any potential intruder.
I was still there when I heard successive knocks and then the door opened.