Chapter 3 LONELY

The knock on the door was quite heavier than the first knocks. She groaned in bed, it took her minutes to sit up. Her eyes were still heavy from sleeping. From the way she glared at the door, you could tell she was cursing whoever it was that was knocking on the door under her breath. Taking few minutes to inhale enough air, she walked to the door, hopefully it was Mary, the house help. Mary was a middle aged woman, to Grace, she was equal to the task.

"You are needed downstairs dear" Mary said smiling.

"What for? This morning? Come on! It's too early for calls!" she groaned, leaving the confused but amused Mary to smile.

"Grace, it's seven in the morning, and you know you should be up by now. Quickly, go downstairs and answer your parents" she said dragging Grace out of her room. They discussed on their way downstairs, and behold, her mother was standing with a cake coated in blue color with her father beside her. The two parents were smiling broadly, but Grace wore a look of disgust. Margaret, her mother noticed the change in her mood, so, she kept the cake, gently.

"Honey, is anything wrong?" she asked, going close to her daughter. Grace let out a discomforting laugh with pain in her eyes.

"Why should anything be okay? If I could forget that today was the birthday I was thinking of, do you think all is well?" she asked her parents, expecting an answer.

"Grace, I know where you are heading to. But honey, this is Nigeria, Lagos at that, things are not as easy and free as you think. Very soon you'll start associating with your mates, but not now" her father, Dominic said, also drawing forward.

"You know what dad, you people can have the cake to yourselves. It's pointless because no one sees my pain. I am lonely, isolated and if not careful, it is playing a bad role in my mental health. I just pray none of us regrets this decision" she said leaving them, while heading to her room. Mrs. Dominic Margaret turned to her husband, he sighed when he met his wife's gaze. They both sat down.

"Don't you think we are going too far Dominic? What if all this was a bad idea?" she asked her husband. The tension that morning was indeed a huge one. The cake was still on the dining table, waiting to be devoured. Mary stared at the both, within her, she knew that their thoughts were good, but the actions towards the thought was a bad one. Who was she to counter their decision? She was only a mere house help. Carrying the huge cake with a candle on it, she headed for Grace's room. So many thoughts raided her. A teenage girl who had not remembered her birthday, didn't want to eat the cake, bringing it up at that moment wasn't a great idea. She resolved to keep it in the refrigerator in the hallway, near Grace's room. "I'm going to talk to her" she said.

Poor Grace sat on her bed, carrying her stuffed bear. She had taken her bath and resolved to sitting in silence. The room was a big one. Having nothing to do, to walk to and fro inside the room was the best plan. Lost in her thoughts, she had no idea when Mary came in. A light tap on her shoulder brought her back to reality.

"Dear, you night want to eat something" Mary said smiling. She kept the tray which contained a cup of tea, bread and omelet on the dining table inside her room. As a compliment, Grace smiled, urging Mary to leave her in her own confinement. Not wanting to waste the food, she had her breakfast, in tears.

Only if there was someone to talk to, to let out the pains and feelings she had. None of her tutors were friendly. They were strict, so it made no sense confiding in them. The silence in the environment was indeed a great one. The type you felt in the dark. Like one who walked into a cemetery. Soon, she felt bored again, and was back to her usual activity, social media. Scrolling through her phone, another pornographic video popped out. Being lonely again, she felt the urge to commit the act, and soon, she was touching herself.