AFTERMATH OF APRIL FOOL II

PS: sorry I couldn’t post this last night; I was extremely tired from my yesterday affairs and light was not on my side. I hope you have a nice read?

EHIS returned home from the market with an optimistic mind. She was very aware of her mother’s perfectionism and her takes for no-nonsense. She hoped that her family would forgive her although it seemed quite far from what they would do. Humming her favourite song, “I put a spell on you by Annie Lennox”, Ehis started to prepare the dishes.

Sooner than she expected, everybody started returning from their outings. She tried to fake a smile and pretend that everything was alright. Her father wondered why she was greeting him more than once and she kept asking the same question “Are you feeling good? Is everything alright at work?” Her parents were keen on knowing why she was being so awkward instead of been joyous. Every member of the family set out to the dining area to eat dinner before they went to church after they had noticed that Ehis had taken out time to prepare a wonderful meal. Eseosa felt that her baby sister went too much out of her way to prepare the family dinner and couldn’t help but feel sorry. Uyi and Osas couldn’t care less of any happenings; they just didn’t want to be left out.

Ehis felt a huge pain in her chest as she watched her family eat happily. How was she supposed to tell them that it had all been a prank? They looked extremely happy; she couldn’t bear to steal that joy away. Clearing her throat more than twice, she looked back and forth to her mother, her father, Eseosa, Uyi and Osas. Osas however, kept spooning his food in mouthful.

“Daddy, mummy, yesterday when I said I got a scholar…”
“Oh dear!” her mother cut in”…You don’t have to worry, like we said, it’s an amazing blessing God has surprised us with. We are proud of you”
“Well mummy, about that, I lied!” she waited to allow the shock register on their faces before she could continue “I know you may be wondering what gibberish I’m emitting but it was just an April fool prank I played on you all.” Ehis gritted her teeth as they looked on at her “I’m sorry I didn’t end it earlier, I wasn’t sure how to do it.”

She noticed her father dropping his cutlery quietly on the table trying to remain calm as he folded his hands together. She wasn’t sure what to expect. Everybody just stared on and she felt like disappearing. It was like Mother Nature had summoned on silence to move left, right, up and then ordered it to splash down like a splatter of rain from the sky onto the bare floor sprinkling the earth and basking it with its glory of quiet! Everything from that moment just stood on a standstill, even the wall clock standing on the wall. Just then, her sister, Eseosa started to talk but her mother hushed her silently.

“Ehis, is this how we have brought you up?” her mother started “Playing foolish pranks and telling hopeless lies?”
“Mummy, I didn’t mean to…”
“Hush! Let your mother finish and don’t be silly.” Her father cut in. Ehis could feel the tears well up in her eyes as she looked at her fingers.
“Look at me when I’m talking to you!” her mother continued loudly “Do you think we have time to play foolish pranks?” she looked from her mother to her brothers who kept on munching their meal nonchalantly especially Osas. She tried to open her mouth to talk but her throat was clogged with tears she couldn’t even bring herself to speak.
“So you don’t even know how to apologise?” her mother screamed “Your mouth can emit rubbish, but it can’t apologise?”
Swallowing the heavy brink of tears that threatened to fall off her eyes, Ehis sighed as she looked up at her mother “I’m very sorry” she said as she fought back the tears that was already falling off a corner of her eye. Her sister hissed as she stood up looking irritated
“You’re really a douche bag, unbelievable!”

Ehis could swear she saw a ghost smile play on her sister’s lip as she said that statement. How could she mean that and still try to smile? Her parents were standing up too and faintly smiling. Why were they smiling? Did she look funny in her pitiful state? She squeezed her eyebrows as she looked up. They were indeed smiling. Hian! What was going on? Now, she was extremely worried.
“Ehis?” she heard her father call amidst smiles
“Sir?” she replied formally looking up
“The prank you played should never repeat itself again! We will not tolerate it like we just did.”
“Yes sir.”
“And like you fooled us yesterday, Ehis, you have just been fooled too!” he continued as he laughed heartily with his wife
“Sir?” Ehis could not comprehend. How was that even possible? April fool had ended.
“April Fool Ehis, back to you!” Eseosa squealed into her face “Did you really think we didn’t know those papers were fake?”

Ehis couldn’t believe her ears. So this had all being a prank on her. They had acted all goofy and nice just to get back at her? Who does that? They even made her waste her precious money making expensive dinner! Arrrhhh, this was really frustrating. So her mother had just shouted at her just for pranks sake? Wow, her family was just unbelievable. Ehis could not hold back the tears anymore. She was chocking. She looked at them all, laughing, giggling and chuckling excitedly. They didn’t care that she was hurt, they were just happy to have gotten back at her. She hated them all at the moment. Even Uyi had joined in their game pretending not to know anything. She stormed out of the dining into her room. She jumped on her bed and let the tears flow freely. She could hear them preparing to go to church for the washing of feet mass, she didn’t care much about that anymore.

POSER: So I tried to finish the story with some kind of twist at the end but I’m sure some of you had a different view to how I should have ended the story. What would your end have been like for Ehis? What would you have liked to see happen that didn’t really happen in the story? Please, I’d like your comment. It would go a long way to know my reader’s mind. Happy Good Friday