Of Bone

Christmas was a helluva fun. After Christmas, Adetoun was expectant of the new year. She was happy. It gladdened her heart that she will be leaving the year and walking into a new one.

"Happy new year," she heard the cackling noises outside, from the neighbour.

She stood up and peeped out from the window. It was morning already and the sun shone to its fullest . She looked at the side of her bed and found it empty. Her sister had woken up already. She hummed tiredly. The pounding on the mortar could be heard from the kitchen. "Arrgh, I have slept more than I should have. Mum would be angry at me," she said and stretched out on the bed. She jumped down from the bed and hit the ground with a thud, as she ran to the kitchen. Her mother glanced at her immediately she walked into the kitchen.

"You are awake?" her mother asked while she dropped some soup she scooped from the pot into her palm before licking it. She rolled her tongue.

"Yes, I came to join in the kitchen. I might be of help in a little way."

"Toun, I doubt. We are done making the rice and other necessary things left with the soup," Iyanu said and raised her head up from the thing she was pounding. She dropped the pistol in the mortal, then gently carried the mortar and stood to her feet as she made to the gas stove where the pot laid on it. Iyanu was the eldest of the siblings.

"We didn't feel like disturbing you and your brother to help us out in the kitchen. The cross over night really took a toll on both of you," her mother said and touched the lower part of her eyes. "Just see the bags below your eyes. I hope you had enough sleep."

"I did, mum," Adetoun replied and walked back to the room tucking her hands into the front pocket of her sweatshirt.

She glanced around her room and walked out, before entering her brother's room. "Hey, you are still asleep? What says the time?" she swiped her phone and took a glance. It's some minutes past nine, _for crying out loud,_ she thought. She walked toward the bed and sat down. Her brother laid on the bed with his head resting on the pillow.

"The crossover service we attended last night was so energy zapping. The long sleep I just had came in handy," her brother said.

Adetoun laughed and flung her hand at him. "Really, Femi?"

Then, they stared at each other for some minutes.

***
They were all sitting on the dining table. Iyanu opened the big stainless plate in front of them. She held the big spoon and served the food to everyone. Femi grabbed the cutleries and made to dip it into his plate.

"What about prayer? Have we prayed?" his father said while his eyes moved around the dining table.

Femi grumbled, and dropped the cutleries while it clinked on the plate. 

Iyanu smiled. She said the prayer and everybody blurted "Amen," at every pause. Femi's eyes was half opened while he waited for her to finish quickly. After the prayer had ended, Femi grabbed the cutlery hungrily and started eating.

"This is a whole lot. This food was properly prepared," their father said while the food choked in his mouth, as he struggled to chew every piece of it.

Their mother smiled. "That's my watchword. I'm good at what I do. You have to give me some credits," she said.

"And me too. You know this wouldn't have been possible if I didn't make it happen," Iyanu chimed and craned her neck. 

They all laughed except Femi while he was engrossed with the food. Iyanu tapped him slowly and he chirped out a wan laughter.

"We are off," their dad said while they all sat on the sofa in the sitting room fixated at the Samsung television fixed to the wall. They watched E! Channel, while Iyanu gestured at the every move of the reality stars been shown on the television.

"Really, mum. I love your outfit," Iyanu said. She turned facing them. They all stared at the chicly above-the-knee taut black dress she wore. It bared her slightly protruding belly but her body structure was perfectly brought out.

"I'm off to a date with my husband. See y'all later," she said and waved at them.

"Bye, mum," they said in unison before their parents waltzed out of the room.

After some minutes silence, Iyanu turned facing her siblings. "Where do you both intend going today." 

"I'm off. I was waiting for mum and dad," Femi said immediately, stood up and walked out of the sitting room.

"What about you, Adetoun?"

"I'm going to be indoor. I'm not feeling this new year any bit."

"Good. I'm going out now to welcome my boyfriend. He is coming here."

"Oh really? Good"

Iyanu walked into the room and walked out after some minutes. "I'll be back soon, please," Iyanu said and looked at her wristwatch. She pushed the door open and walked out of the room. Adetoun moved to the dining table to finish the food she abandoned. She ate all, and held the chicken while she munched it slowly cracking the bone at every attempts.

Poom! She heard a sound of footstep and stopped biting her chicken.

Poom! Poom!! Poom... The noise continued non stop. She stood on her legs and kept walking toward the sound of the foot steps till she got to her room. On her bed laid three stick of bones.

"Really? Who could have done this? It can't be Iyanu. Err...how can she eat meat and drop the bones on the bed where we sleep?" 
She was beginning to loose her temper. She gasped furiously and swallowed her spittle.

Poom!! Poom...the sound kept thudding in a disorganized way. She ran to the sitting room and immediately she got there, she fell to the ground and fainted. Myriad of bones laid all over their sitting room while they all thudded and made to attack her. 

It was a bony new year.

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