CHAPTER SEVEN

A week later......

Mr and Mrs Alao arrive from church on a Saturday evening where they went for an elders committee meeting.

Mrs Alao calls out to Bianca who is just rounding up cooking the family dinner from the kitchen.

"Bianca, we are back."

Bianca goes out to the living room to acknowledge her parents return. "Welcome, mum, welcome dad. How was church?"

Mr Alao removes his cap and sets it on

the centre table, taking his seat tiredly. "Thank you, the church was good. What have you been up to in the house?"

"I just finished making dinner. Should I set the table now?" She asks going to sit beside her mother who has taken her seat.

"That can wait till later. There's something we need to discuss with you." Mrs Alao says sitting erect.

"What is it, mom? Hope all is well."

"Yes, it is. We just want to ask you how you have been coping with the ugly incident that happened at your school. Has the boy in question resumed and has he stopped picking on you?"

Masking her true feelings, she smiles at her parents who are looking at her face searchingly. "I have been coping well. No one at school knows I was the one involved and everything is going on smoothly. Damien is yet to resume, he will in about a week. There's nothing to worry about especially since the principal promised to stay on top of everything now. I am certain he won't pass his boundaries anymore."

"Are you sure you are good though? The reverend asked of you in the church today and he says he will like to see you for a little counselling session. He even commended you for the way you handled the whole thing, but in his words, it's important you talk to someone about it and unburden yourself. Would you like to see him?" Her father asks staring at her intently, hoping to pick up signs of whatever she was feeling. "Since you have refused to talk to us and keep telling us you are fine, you should be able to talk to the reverend. And might I add, anything you say to him is in confidence, we won't even hear about it."

"I told you I am fine, it's not such a big deal. It's not like I was physically molested or anything besides, I don't see the need to tell the reverend. When did he become a counsellor? I don't need to talk to anyone about anything, I am fine I promise. The only thing occupying my mind now is the preparation for my forthcoming examinations. Let's not make this any bigger than it is please." She says returning her parents looks directly one after the other.

"Don't talk about the reverend like that, Bianca. He means well and we only told him cause we were worried about you. He's a man of God and who best to talk to than him? We agree you were not molested physically, what about emotionally? This shouldn't even be a matter for debate, you have to see the reverend and that's it." Mrs Alao concludes authoritatively meeting her husband's approving look.

Sighing in frustration, Bianca shifts forward in her seat. "Mum, Dad, I am fine like I said earlier and I don't feel comfortable discussing my personal life with a stranger. All I had to say, I said it to God in prayers. I have unburdened my entire mind to him, and I'm at peace. Forcing me to talk to the reverend is like drawing me back to the past I left behind."

Her mother is about to counter her when her father raises his hand to stop her. "If you insist that's what you want, it's okay. We simply can't force you to do what you don't want to. As long as you are certain you are fine, then let's leave the rest to God to handle."

Mrs Alao turns to face her husband, "Honey, why do you keep letting this girl get away with everything? Imagine her referring to the man of God as a stranger." Turning back to face her daughter, "There are teenagers your age, there are also those younger and older than you at the reverend's house receiving counselling from him and growing well in the light of God. Why do you have to be an exception? I expected you to welcome the idea of receiving counselling from him with open arms and eager mind, not the other way round."

"Darling, let her be. No one knows what she's feeling better than herself. If she says she's fine, let's take her word for it and trust that she is. Enough of that already." Mr Alao says putting an end to the discussion.

"Thanks so much, Dad I appreciate this." Standing up to her feet, "I have things to do in my room upstairs, you can call me when you are ready to have dinner."

"Okay, Bianca. Go on." He replies ignoring the disgusted look on his wife's face.

Immediately, Bianca leaves the room, Mrs Alao springs up from her seat to sit beside her husband. "How could you?" She asks accusingly.

With a look of confusion on his face, he frowns in puzzlement, "how could I what?"

"We spoke about this and agreed she should go for counselling. How could you cave in to her and throw me under the bus making me look like the bad person?"

"I am sorry, darling. I didn't mean it that way. You saw how she was insisting, what else could I have done? If I had not agreed to let her have her way, it could lead to her shutting us out of her life. We can only guide her in the right direction, we can't force her."

Shaking her head in disagreement, "you are the head of this family, you could have commanded her to listen to us, and she would have. How can she shut us out of her life? We are an important part of it. She still lives under our roof and we should have a say in whatever decision she makes."

Pulling her closer to him, "you don't understand, you can force a horse to the stream, but you can't force it to drink water. This generation is different from ours where you can impose your will on your children, now we just have to guide them subtly and hope they go the right way. I don't want a situation where she would have to keep secrets from us because she's scared of us forcing her to do what she doesn't want to."

"When you put it that way, I guess I just have to agree. It's not like I've got much say on the matter anyway."

"Thanks for understanding, darling. That's just the way to go."

"I need to go and have a discussion with her, there's something I have to clarify."

"What's that, darling?"

"Don't worry yourself about that, I just want to have a mother and daughter talk is all." She stands to her feet and gives her husband a peck. She slips on her slippers and makes her way up the stairs to her daughter's room.

Knocking softly twice, she opens the door to find Bianca lying on the bed looking up at the ceiling.

"How are you doing, sweetheart?"

Bianca rolls over on the bed to a sitting position. "I'm fine, Mom."

Mrs Also takes her seat on the only single piece of furniture in the room facing Bianca directly. "I came to talk to you."

"What is it, Mom? I hope you have not come to convince me to go for the counselling cause I'm not changing my mind." Setting her chin stubbornly, she crosses her legs under her.

"I have not come for that, I came to discuss something else with you. It's about the reverend."

"What is it about him? I don't like talking about that man, he creeps me out."

"My point exactly. I have noticed your obvious dislike of the man which I don't understand. You should know he only means well. How does he creep you out if I may ask?"

"Let's not talk about it, Mom. Some things are better left unsaid."

"Come off it, I'm your mother and you should be able to tell me anything and I mean anything at all. Who else are you going to open up to if not me?"

"You want to know, mom?"

"Yes, I do."

"Okay, mom. I have noticed he gives me some odd looks in church, he winks at me and smiles unnecessarily. That's not all, he asks me questions that I find strange like if I'm a virgin or I have a boyfriend. There was even an instance when he was touching my face and rubbing his hands down my arms in a manner I can't quite describe. The truth is I feel uncomfortable around him, and he emanates some vibes that don't resonate well with me. He acts like a pervert and......."

Her mother cuts her off, her hand covering her mouth in shock, "Will you shut your mouth before your father hears this nonsense you are saying? Just when and how did you turn out to be like this? I am yet to understand how you arrived at your conclusion from all the nonsense you just spewed. The man was only being friendly and showing fatherly concern. He's surely just making sure you don't go astray. Would you label your father a pervert if her rubs your arms?"

"Mom, you don't understand. I wish I had a better way to make you grasp what I am trying to say. I know how I feel around him, and it's not good I tell you."

"I will pretend I didn't hear the thrash that came out of your mouth. You need to go on your knees and ask  God for forgiveness for trying to besmirch his anointed. I would never have believed you could say this if I didn't hear it directly from you. I see what's happening here, it's the devil trying to make you depart from the ways of the lord by making you imagine things that aren't there. So, that's why you have refused to go for counselling."

"Remember I was reluctant to tell you this, I suspected you were going to react this way. You and dad have been brainwashed by that man you seem to think he walks on water. I know what I know and you can't tell otherwise."

"You are a fool and if you dare utter one more provoking statement, I will slap some African sense into you. I knew it, I sensed it, I could tell something was off about you. You have started keeping friends that have a bad influence on you, haven't you? Otherwise, how would you have the guts and effrontery to say such words?" She stands up to pace the room. Pointing a finger at her, "you know I saw this coming, I just didn't take it seriously. I saw it coming when you started writing in that diary of yours and keeping it a secret. Only God knows the evil things you must have written in that book." She stops pacing, "by the way, where's that diary? I need to see it right now."

Thinking of a quick lie, "I don't have it anymore, I forgot it in school one day and I couldn't find it anymore."

Looking at her suspiciously, "you better be telling the truth. You must not repeat a word of what you told me to anyone else especially your father else, you will rue the day you were born. Do you understand?"

Nodding her head slowly, "I do."

"A large part of me thinks you need deliverance, it's you who has been brainwashed by the devil to see the man of God in that light. Anyway, I'm headed downstairs for dinner, I expect you to be in tow. This conversation is not over, just bear that in mind." She turns on her heels and leaves the room muttering to herself.

Bianca takes out her diary from her drawer and quickly shoves it in her school backpack as soon as she exits making a mental note to keep it her school locker for safekeeping since she doesn't trust her mom not to come looking for it later.

Sighing, she hides the backpack under her bed and leaves the room to join her parents for dinner.