Three more steps and Trina finds herself face to face with a flaky barrier. Her hand curls up
into a fist which momentarily collides with barrier thrice. An unfamiliar voice shouts “Come
in!” Her shaky hand comes into contact with the cold silver handle. The door creaks open
revealing a rather odd but friendly looking face. Trina walks into the room and sits in the
chair next to this inviting face. As she lowers her body onto the chair, one thought keeps
playing in her head like an alarm clock on snooze, “what am I doing her, I can’t be seriously
about taking these therapy session”.
“So Trina, how are you doing today?” asks Mrs Betta. She lies straight through her teeth,
“I’m great and yourself?” Mrs Betta replies “I’m good thanks, but you’re certainly not great
otherwise you wouldn’t be here to see me. So tell me, what’s wrong?” Trina hesitates for a
minute then starts, “It’s been a year but I’m still finding it difficult to cope. On the third of
May last year, everything in my life changed. I woke up early to get ready for school. With
my bag of bricks and a fully packed lunch box, I heaved out of the house following behind
my dad, going toward the ash black Trail Blazer. My dad opened the door of the car. I then
relieved my back of my heavy bag lowering it onto the backseat then I jumped into the
passenger’s seat. My dad then slid into the driver’s seat, started car and we were off.
The journey from home to school was full of laughter and joy. On arriving at school, I gently
placed a kiss on my father’s rough cheek. We exchanged smiles and waved goodbye. I exited
the car and proceeded into the school gates. My first lesson was Biology which greeted me
with a surprise test. The rest of my lessons followed suit. The school bell then rang
announcing the end of the school day. After having packed our books, my friends and I
strolled to the car park where we conversed about the weekend plans.” Trina stops for a bit
and notices that the therapist is taking notes. “Please continue,” urges Mrs Betta.
So Trina continues, “On this day my mum had finally gotten the time to pick me up. My
mother is a busy, sophisticated, hardworking woman who still manages to be a loving and
caring mother or at least that’s what I thought. As I waited for my mum, an enormous
ghoulish black cloud momentarily enshrouded the fiery ball causing silence to fall upon the
car park. Shortly afterwards my mum arrived, I got into the car and she handed a chocolate
bar which we devoured together. Everything was perfect, too perfect.
A steaming hot meal of potatoes, mushroom sauce and garlic sauce marinated chicken
awaited us at home. The table was set and so I went and sat where I always sat, in between
my parents. My dad blessed the food then we dug in. after lunch, my father progressed to
the lounge to watch soccer as my mother and I washed the dishes. Ding dong. Ding dong. I
went to the door to see who was there, I opened the door to reveal a stranger.
This stranger was a middle-aged man, fairly tall with a clean and he seemed to quite flash
judging by the Rolex timepiece wrapped around his wrist. He asked to see my mum, except
he called her by her first name, Lena. I wonder why he wanted to see my mum but all I
asked was who he was, he told me that his name was James and that he was Lena’s fiancé.
He thought I was my mum’s younger sister.
I stared at him in disbelief and shock.my mouth dried up like a coconut tree in a desert. The
words I am her daughter refused to be uttered from her trembling lips. I turned around and
found myself with my betrayer. My mum’s face grew pale and her lips parted but nothing
came out. She has been exposed. She has been deceiving me all this time. My mum was so
kind-hearted and affectionate. The perfect wife and mother. I believed that she was
teaching me all this except she was teaching me the art of deception.” Mrs Betta looked at
Trina in awe and with sympathy. All she said was “ You’ve come to the right stranger.”