Chapter 2 Married Again

Sarah was the first daughter of her parents and almost half a decade later, she had stepped up to be a mum to her younger siblings.

Her father worked as a civil servant and was close to the retirement age so she knew she had to get something to do. She was 16 at this time and worked evening shifts at a bar owned by her late mother's friend. She was only earning little so she had eyes on eventual opportunities that would later come by.

At home, she found peace but every time she crossed her father's estate gate she'd go through the exact tragic realization of events just as on the day her mother died.

On this very occasion, it had hit her never like before, and just after entering their residence, she moved to the covered side of the opened gate, falling to her knees as tears began to roll down her cheeks.

Sat there, she wept her eyes out as she felt broken inside given the responsibilities that had been shifted to her upon the death of her mother.

She went on to sit on bare ground with her face resting on her bent knees as she continued to weep...

On the other side of town, her father was in his car driving back home from work.

"These young girls never cease to amaze me with how open they dress. If only they had a mother like my late wife, they would all be covered up like my precious daughter." He said in a conversation with himself looking out the window and fighting for his next breath as fumes from the car's engine filled the insides of his car.

"Puta! Don't tell me this is about to happen again! Don't die on me now, please! Not here at the market, please! I only repaired this engine last week for God's sake and that took a toll on the last paycheck I got" shouted Sarah's father.

Getting down from his car, he opened the bonnet to huge fumes of smoke and this naturally attracted stares from people at the market. He stomped on the ground in anger as he checked back in his car for his phone.

"Mario! What are you always repairing in my car? If I remember, I gave you 5000 pesos for a new engine and a change of oil. Where are you because I'm about to tow this car to your shop!" He said hanging up in rage.

He rang up Mario again---

"I am towing it to you with no deposit as well, make sure I have it back by tomorrow else you will be a dead man!" He said as he hung up again.

Having to complete the journey home on foot, he made his way home.

Getting to his compound, he noticed the little pedestrian gate was opened and this increased the rage he had in him.

Coupled with the day's stress, he was ready to unleash his anger onto the first person he laid eyes on, the rage shone in his eyes as they swole up with grit but just he crossed the opened gate, he noticed a yellow bag Sarah took everywhere laying randomly on the floor and he looked immediately to his left to his daughter, Sarah, in tears.

Looking down at her, he said called her name.

"Sarah, Sarah, What's the matter? What happened to you?" he asked.

She noticed her father's presence and immediately stopped crying as she didn't want him to feel as terrible as she felt.

"I'm fine Dad," she replied.

"If you were, you would happy in the kitchen doing what you enjoy, preparing food for your younger siblings you know," He replied.

"What is the matter? Tell me, did anything happen at the bar? I know you're worried about your mother but I promise you, it's going to be okay" he continued.

He closed the opened gate as he picked up the yellow bag close to her feet.

"Get up baby, your mother is in a much better place---You know we all miss her. I do, your siblings James, Jesus, and Maria miss her as well. We all do Sarah."

Still sobbing, she got up, and reached for her bag from her father's hands, as she made her way into their home in her father's arms.

For the rest of that evening, Sarah's father went over what had unfolded in his head over and over again.

"They are not getting over Angel anytime soon" he muttered referring to his late wife.

He pondered on what he could do as he baked in his thoughts all through the evening into the night till the following morning, at the rising of the sun he came to a decision.

"I am going to introduce Bella to them," he said snapping back into reality.

In his schematics, getting a second wife would solve all the problems they were facing, or at least most of them.

It would provide a second guardian for his kids, a wife for him, and another stronghold to provide income for the family.

He got up from his bed with a smile for the first time in ages as he waltzed in and out of the bathroom before moving to the living room about to leave the house.

"Do I inform them now or leave it till sunset?" he asked himself.

Just as he opened the door, he noticed they were all slumbering except Sarah who had been woken up by the creaking sound the door made.

"Good morning Dad, what's the matter?" she said in a tone reminiscent of how dizzy she was.

Finding her awake, he called her outside intending to inform her of his plans for a new wife.

"I wasn't expecting to find you awake, I need to change that door," he said with a giggle.

"How are you? Did you sleep well?" He asked

"Yes Dad" she replied squinting her eyes.

"I called you here to inform you about something---I'm thinking of getting married again"

As soon as Sarah heard the end of his sentence she wasn't half-asleep anymore, she woke up immediately.

'What do you mean... married" she asked almost in slow motion not for clarity as she heard him crystal clear but she asked in disbelief.

"It hasn't been long enough Dad, How have you gotten over Mum this quick?" she asked.

"No don't say that darling, it has been 5 years!" said her Father.

"It hasn't felt like that to me. It still feels like it only happened yesterday" replied Sarah.

"Trust me, it didn't happen yesterday love. I am making this decision for the good of us all, trust me," he replied as he reached out to hold her hands.

"It has been on my mind for a while now and seeing you tear up yesterday only hastened the decision" he continued.

"I couldn't even sleep, Sarah. It is going to ease a lot of things. Think about Jesus, Maria, and James. You can't bring them up all by yourself, you need help darling and she will provide this help" he said still holding her hands.

"Are you not tired of working for us all? I am still working away over the retirement age how long do you think that can go on for?" Asked her father.

"I am sorry all these have to happen but please do consider" He concluded almost in tears.

Sarah began piecing the puzzle together as she stood in silence for over a minute as her father stood over here waiting patiently for a response. She thought to herself that the reality of it all may not be as terrible as she thought.

"Okay, should I inform them as well?" she asked referring to her younger siblings

"No, I'll bring her home in the evening and introduce her myself. I love you, you will find cash behind the TV, take it and prepare an evening meal. Take good care of the home and your siblings for this evening." He said as he drooped her hands and picked up his briefcase.

"Okay, Dad" replied Sarah.

She got a little hug from her father as she made her way back into her room while her father left home heading to the mechanic workshop where his car had spent the night.

Getting into her room, Sarah laid close to her siblings on the big-sized bed they shared with her mind running through the words of her father. She got to understand the points he was making as she imagined it being successful and them being a big happy family once more.

"Must be nice" she whispered to herself.

She looked out the window as it got brighter outside by the minute then immediately shifted her gaze to her siblings who continued to sleep to her right.

"Get up! Get up! It's 7 already! "said Sarah.

"James, Jesus, Maria---you guys, wake up already! It is time to prepare for school"

"Just a few minutes more please," James muttered half awake.

"Get up now! You'll get to sleep as much as you want tomorrow" she said frustrated as they continued to lay on the bed.

Out of options, she moved to drag James off the bed by his arm into the bathroom.

"Sarah! My arm, what are you doing!" he screamed while dizzy on the floor.

On the cold bathroom floor, he woke up in distress, and with the annoyance at being the scapegoat, he returned the favor to his siblings who remained in bed sleeping.

"How are you guys so heavy?" said James as he tried pulling them both at once into the bathroom.

"What are you doing?" Asked Sarah dying of laughter.

"Returning the favor as you can see" James replied.

They all got up now and had to make lemonades out of waking up in the bathroom and being late for school.

Sarah went around their home to tidy as her siblings prepared for school.

Getting them dressed and prepared, she took all three of them to school, and afterward, she went by the restaurant she worked day shifts at.