39 Maker Of Bad Decisions
Athena looked at the strand of light brown hair in her hand with a cursory contemplation.
The hair strand was similar to Luca’s, yet she had to confirm.
She picked her phone from her dresser and called a colleague, whom she trusted enough to be discreet and fair about the matter.
“Hello Chelsea, I need a favor…”
When she was done with the call, she placed the strand of hair into a small transparent polythene bag, and put it into a compartment of her drawer; where she was sure her children wouldn’t bother trespassing–she didn’t need any form of contamination.
After that, she walked out of the room and headed to the kitchen to bake a chocolate cake for
the children.
Cakes were Friday rituals.
Because the day preceded the weekend, Athena had slotted it in for diverse cooking and baking experiences, as it helped her to spend more time with her children in the kitchen.
Today was different though, her children had a visitor.
Thirty minutes later, while she waited for the oven to do its job, the twins entered the kitchen.
“Where is Kendra?”
“We got her busy with Legos.” Nathaniel answered. “But she’s slower than we are…”
Athena glared at him, but he didn’t cower, instead he laughed with his sister, Kathleen.
“Don’t worry, mom. We’ve decided to give her private lessons, for she seems to be struggling in algebra too. Is that okay?“)
Athena furrowed her eyebrows. Was that a good idea?
Private lessons meant Kendra spending more time at her house.
However, when Kathleen gave her the puppy look, she nodded, powerless against the attack.
And when the twins laughed at her lack of willpower, she shook her head exasperatedly and turned away.
She hoped she wasn’t making a mistake.
Earlier in the day, when she had arrived at their school to pick them up, after treating Ewan, she had seen them waiting with Kendra already.
Immediately after the exchange of kisses and hugs, Kathleen had pleaded with her to let Kendra
follow them home since the little one’s aunt was yet to come and pick her up. Athena had refused, never mind that she had wanted a strand of Kendra’s hair.
They had waited together until the aged aunt had arrived to pick Kendra up. Yet Kathleen hadn’t been deterred.
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39 Maker Of Bad Decisions
She had hurried to the woman and pleaded her case earnestly,
The tired looking woman had readily agreed, without a simple fuss.
It was in that moment of watching her daughter plead with the woman that Athena had noticed. that the woman had the circulating disease.
Her passion as a doctor had instantly taken over.
She had immediately offered to treat the woman, while requesting to take care of Kendra, until the woman was okay.
But the woman had vehemently refused to be treated, citing lack of money as the reason.
Athena, surprised, had offered a free treatment for the woman, in exchange for a favor.
The woman had been wary, since Athena hadn’t mentioned the favor she wanted, but she had finally conceded after the twins announced their mother was the best.
Right now, the woman was occupying another section of her wards.
Athena had made sure of that, after they had gone to the former’s house, to take Kendra’s
clothes.
She had told Aiden to drop the woman off, and hailed a cab to take her and the children home. The dilapidated house though, which Kendra and her aunt lived in, had troubled her mind.
How was the girl studying in the prestigious school then?
Who was footing the bills?
Couldn’t the same person move them to a better home?
Athena decided to wait until the woman was well enough to answer her questions.
Yet, noting the child’s pleasant countenance intermittently, caused her to ponder on Fiona’s likely presence in the latter’s life.
Seeing as Kendra would be staying with them for a while, she wondered if Fiona would cause trouble.
Did she keep tabs on the child?
Just then, she felt a soft tap on her thigh.
She looked down. It was Kathleen. Behind her was Nathaniel.
“You both are still here? Go and play with your friend…”
But her children stayed.
Athena knew then that they wanted to talk to her.
“What’s the problem?”
She walked to a stool and sat on it, so that she could be closer to their height.
Kathleen and Nathaniel exchanged glances, making Athena wonder what the problem was,
Did they notice something about Kendra already? She wouldn’t put it past them!
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39 Maker Of Bad Decisions
“It’s about our father. How is he feeling now?”
Athena was shocked!
She didn’t know what to reply at first, until the implication of their knowing dawned on her.
“You both were spying again!” She screamed, however, whispering the spy part, for the sake of
Kendra.
The twins shook their heads, looking fraught at the accusations. “No, we didn’t do that, mom.”
But Athena didn’t believe them.
“Nathaniel, how did you do that when I confiscated your phone and laptop? You used Kathleen’s phone right? Go and bring it now!”
Kathleen paled. If her mother seized her phone, how would she and her brother have a hold on things?
No, she couldn’t let that happen. So, she shouted above her mother’s anger.
“Mom! We didn’t do it! Uncle Zane had been with us when the call had come at first, the call
from the nurse.”
A pause.
“At first, we thought that something had happened to you, so we kept tabs with Uncle Zane, checking in every thirty minutes. He let us know some hours later, when you took time in returning, that you were treating a patient, a Mr Ewan. You didn’t tell him that we know he’s our father?”
Athena shook her head. She hadn’t deemed it necessary.
Still didn’t…
“So, how is he? Is he getting better?”
She nodded. “He is.”
Looking at her kids, she was proud that they hadn’t let their dislike for their father ruin their humanity.
Nathaniel noticed this.
“Yes, we don’t like him, but he’s still our father. He is just a maker of bad decisions.
Athena nodded with a smile. Her son had explained it perfectly.
Ewan was the maker of bad decisions.
Would he right himself before it was too late?
The oven dinged then, alerting Athena to her cake.
Quickly, she got up from the stool and hurried to the oven.
Making sure to wear gloves, she carried the cake out of the oven and kept it on the top of a cabinet.
The children shouted for joy, attracting Kendra to the kitchen.
39 Maker Of Bad Decisions
The shy girl stood by the doorpost, watching the trio fuss about the cake and its color, wishing she had something like this; a resemblance to family.
At that moment, Athena looked up. Catching sight of the longing on Kendra’s face, she beckoned on the little girl gently.
“Kendra, join us. Come have a taste.”
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