THERE was thick silence hung in the air for a while between them, as each lady struggled to gasp for air. The news was exhilarating. Finally, Thalia regained herself.

“They are what?” She shouted over the phone, her voice already giving away to tears.

Before one could say ‘Jack Robinson’, Xaniyah burst into cry again, and immediately hung up, carelessly tossing the phone aside. Then she sharply turned away, more fluids dropping from her eyes.

The phone began ringing again and quickly, she picked it up and switched it off, then slowly dropped it on the dressing table, whimpering.

Just then, the door flew open to reveal Salma standing by it, she saw her crying and instantly, her shoulders dropped. Xaniyah was up and crying again.

Slowly, she closed the door behind her and walked up to Xaniyah, dragging her feet as she went.

“Xani,” she called as she got to her and wrapped her right hand on her shoulder, “you have to stop this,” she said, “put yourself together and try to move on, what has happened has happened, okay?”

Xaniyah nodded, now sniffing, her tears dwindling.

“Okay dear,” Salma said handing a white handkerchief to her. She took it and dabbed at her face with it.

“Dinner is ready, do come and eat,” Salma said, “your uncle Ermis and I are waiting,” she added and began walking towards the door.

Xaniyah heaved a huge sigh and then walked out of her room. The aroma of Salma's cooking filled the whole place and filled her nostrils. As soon as she stepped out, she headed for the dining, Ermis was at the living room, seated on the sofa and looking into a paper. He looked up from the paper the moment she walked in.

“Xaniyah,” he called, “are you feeling okay now?” He asked.

She scoffed. Feeling okay really? Well, she shrugged.

“Yeah,” she shortly replied and went over to the dining.

Ermis watched her leave, then turned back to what he was doing. A few minutes later, he got up, tossed the book aside on the couch and walked to the dining as well.

He got to the dining to find Salma still setting the table and serving the meal. He shoved the seat at the head of the table and sat. Xaniyah turned to him the moment he sat down, a crease on her brow, that was where her dad was supposed to be sitting, that was her dad's seat.

Slowly she turned to the first seat beside the seat at the head of the table by the left, it was empty, totally empty, as empty as her heart right now. That was her mom's seat. Quickly Xaniyah looked away and her eyes fell on Salma who was already dishing out the food into the white ceramic plates.

Xaniyah heaved another sigh. It was lobster rolls and potato chips. That was what her mother prepares almost every evening as dinner, she had gotten used to it.

Lobster rolls was a particular dish made with fresh lobster meat tossed in a light mayo dressing and served in a toasted, buttery roll. It is a simple and fast meal to prepare.

Soon Salma was done and they began watering their gullets, eating in silence. After a few spoons, Ermis broke the silence. He first picked up his glass of water and drank to his fill, then he turned to Xaniyah, who was beating her cutleries on her food.

“Xaniyah, you have to eat okay? Eat and regain some strength, you need it for tasks ahead,” he said.

“Huh!” Xaniyah lowly gasped. What does he mean by tasks ahead? She looked up at him, her looks inquiring.

Ermis saw the look and chuckled, cleaned his mouth with the table napkin.

“You have to cheer up, your cousin and aunt would be here soon, they would keep you company,” Xaniyah's cutleries dropped the moment he mentioned his family coming over.

“They would?” She asked.

He nodded, a slight smile on his face.

“Yeah of course, they are on their way,” he said.

“Gosh!” Xaniyah exclaimed under her breath. She loathes and hates on those two humans, especially her aunt, Ermis’ wife, Dimitra, she was so mean and wicked, she was more like a Jezebel.

As for her cousin, Danica, she was almost her age, Xaniyah was only three months older than her which would have made it easier for them to get along well, but they always never did. Danica was just the mini version of her mom, mean, wicked, bad mouthed and insulting.

“You like that, don't you?” Ermis asked, jolting her back from her land of thoughts.

Xaniyah looked at him and sighed deeply, then she shoved her seat backwards and got up, her cutleries already dropped.

“I wish I do,” she replied and walked away, leaving her food half eaten, the news that those two urchins were coming had taken away her appetite.

Salma, filled with astonishment, glanced at her food and then turned to her.

“Dear, you have to finish your food,” she called at her.

Xaniyah said nothing to her in reply, but just walked to her room. Salma quickly turned to Ermis the moment Xaniyah shut her door and he sighed deeply.

“Let her be,” he said, “I believe she would eat by the time her cousin arrives,” he concluded as he filled his mouth with a spoonful of lobster rolls.

Salma shrugged.

“Okay,” she replied.

Soon, they were done eating and Salma got up to clear the table, and a few minutes later, she was doing the dishes. Ermis went back to the living room and sat, as he awaited his family.

Salma finished up and went to Xaniyah's room. She saw her seated on her bed, her arms wrapped around her legs, she was brooding. Salma sighed, shut the door behind her and walked up to the bed.

“Xani dear, I'm leaving,” she said as she got to the bed and sat beside her, “there is food in the kitchen should you get hungry,” she added and patted her on the back.

“Thank you ma,” was all Xaniyah could say.

Salma smiled.

“You are welcome my dear. I will come over tomorrow morning or afternoon, do sleep well,” she said and just then, Xaniyah turned and gave her a hug.

The smiles on Salma's face broadened.

“You will be fine, okay?”

Xaniyah nodded as they disengaged from the hug. Then Salma got up and walked out of the room. The minute she did, Xaniyah laid down on the bed, heaving a deep sigh.

It wasn't up to ten minutes that Salma left, Ermis’ family arrived. The cab with which they had come with pulled up at the driveway with a very loud screeching sound, making both Ermis and Xaniyah to look out the window.

Immediately, Ermis walked out to meet them. He gave each of them a hug and then walked over to the cab driver, paid the bills and with their bags, they went in. Xaniyah whom had seen them from the window didn't even know what to do. She just sank back into her bed and cuddled her pillow, her thinking faculty racing, she just sat clueless.

The trio came into the house and they did came in with noise. The once peaceful house suddenly turned to a busy hive, the two ladies that had just arrived made the most noise.

“Finally!” Dimitra exclaimed, “where is that niece of yours?” She demanded, looking around the room.

“Dad, I hope there is food because I am damn hungry,” Danica said as she began making her way towards the kitchen.

“Won't you first settle down? You just arrived,” Ermis said as he sank into the sofa.

At this juncture, Xaniyah stepped into the living room.

“Good evening aunty,” she greeted and the two ladies snapped their heads at her, “welcome ma,” she added, ignoring their privy eyes.

“Hmph,” Danica mouthed and continued making her way to the kitchen.

“Good evening Xaniyah,” Dimitra said as she walked up to her, “I am so sorry your parents had to die that way,” she added.

Xaniyah's eyes widened.

“That was just fate, you have to take heart,” she said.

Xaniyah nodded a response and went over to sit next to Ermis.

“Mummy!” Danica suddenly shouted from the kitchen, making everyone shuddering. Dimitra fisted her right hand in anger.

“How many times would I tell you child to stop calling me that way? Stop wailing,” she screamed back at her, her voice at the highest pitch.

Xaniyah pulled up a disgust face as she watched her, she could even see spittles flying out of her mouth as she screamed at her daughter.

“Mummy there is food! Woohoo!” Came Danica again, almost screaming down the building.

Xaniyah turned to her uncle, he was just staring at his wife, saying nothing to her, neither did he say a word to his daughter who was shouting like a mad woman from the kitchen.

“Nonsense girl,” Dimitra spat and immediately began making her way to the kitchen. Xaniyah heaved a sigh of relief.

As soon as Dimitra left, Ermis turned to Xaniyah.

“It seems like you know I was going to send for you,” he said and she slowly turned to him.

“I… don't understand,” she said.

“I want to have a talk with you Xaniyah,” he explained.

Her eyes twitched.

“Okay,” she nodded.

“Well, like I have already said, countless times,” he began, “I am so sorry about the death of your parents Xaniyah, my one and only elder brother and his beloved wife. All I know is, there is a reason fate didn't let you go in the journey with them, you have a purpose in life which you are yet to fulfill.”

Xaniyah looked on, not knowing what to say to him, she just listened.

“You are only nineteen, and that automatically makes you a minor therefore, my wife and I had decided that immediately after the funeral rites of your parents, you would be moving to the province with us to continue life,” he said.

“Wha… huh!” She exclaimed.