TEACH ME HOW TO LOVE [RE-WRITING]

Home

"I'm really happy that you're back. I missed you so much sweetheart," Mrs. Reed said as she pulled away to scrutinize her daughter's face.

"I missed you too mother.  A lot," Nina replied, a bright smile placed on her curved lips.

"Look at you, you're all grown now," said Nina's mother. " You're going to be eighteen next week. Oh God!  How did time move so fast? Soon you'll be going to college and then, you'll leave me for good." Mrs Reed sniffed as tears formed at the corners of her eyes.

"Mother, don't talk like that. You will always have me. I might leave your house, but I will never leave you. Same for me, you might not be there to take care of me all the time but I have you deep down here," Nina said as she touched her chest. She continued, " You are the person who has taught me to be me and to love me no matter what. I thank God each day for blessing me with a lovely mother like you.

It was a very emotional moment for mother and daughter as they embraced each other.
Meanwhile, Nina's father had been taking his daughter's stuff to her room and had also taken responsibility to park the truck under the tree at the eastern edge of the compound.

When he had finished, Nina called out to him.  "Dad, come join us. Group hug. Is that right? No. Family hug! Yeah, much better." She looked at her mother and they both and they both laughed.

Mr. Reed joined them and the trio enjoyed a little moment of family bonding.

"Okay. Shall we go inside now?"  he said as he smiled down at the two women that made his life complete. They left the porch and entered the house. It wasn't very big, but with love it was filled.

When they had entered the house, sweet aromas from the kitchen tingled their noses. The smell of butter cookies, Nina's favorite pastries, that Mrs. Reed had made messed with her daughter's senses.

Nina turned and looked at her mother, gaping.

"Mum, are those...!"

"Yes my darling. Your favourites. I was sure to make this day special for you." Mrs. Reed grinned.

"Hey, what about me? Nothing special for me?" Mr. Reed blurted.

"Of course there is honey. Vanilla milkshake for my dear husband," Mrs. Reed said as she swung the fridge door open and picked out a glass of milkshake.

She placed it on the kitchen slab and asked her daughter to set the table.
Mrs. Reed served the cookies in a white bowl. She accompanied them with a jug of juice which was placed at the center of the table made of fine mahogany. She placed the glass of milkshake in front of her husband's seat.

"Alright, let's eat." Mrs Reed smiled as she pulled a chair for her daughter to sit.

Her husband was already seated in his chair. Mrs Reed sat down too and then opened her hands to her husband and daughter.

"Let's pray. We thank you God for a wonderful day. We pray that you bless our meal and fill our lives with joy and love. In the name of the father, son and spirit."

"Amen." They all said in unison.

"So, Nina. Did you get a boyfriend this semester?" asked her mom with a wry smile, a little giggle escaping her lips.

Nina was serving cookies onto her plate when the words stung her ears.

"Mother!" she scoffed.

"Alright, alright. I'll let that go." Mrs Reed shrugged.

"Hmmm... No comment," Mr Reed said with a smirk.

Nina poured a glass of juice and took a gulp out of it. She then munched on the cookies one by one,  slow but steady. She took in the aroma as their texture met her with her tongue, killing her with a sweet feeling in her mouth.

"Thanks mum, this is One combo I really adore. I'm glad to be back home," she said.
"I'll go to my room now, take a shower, and organize my clothes into the wardrobe." She stood up and left the table.

"No problem honey. Go right on," said Mrs. Reed.

When she opened the door to her room, Nina was welcomed by the fresh scent of the roses that grew in her mum's garden beside the house, close to her window.

"If anyone stayed in my room for a day they would never want to leave.
The bright light of sun rise, the roses that fill my room with lovely fragrances, and the birds that sing lovely melodies to me every morning." she went on and on to praise her room.

"Oh how I missed my bed." Nina grinned as she jumped onto her bed.

Squeak, squeak, went the bed.

"Oh boy, dad has really got to fix this bed. This squeaking won't let me sleep," she snorted.

As she looked at her ceiling that had a few cracks, she remembered Erica.

"Oh no! I need to ask dad for permission to go to Erica's.  How am I going to convince him?" She raised her hands to her face in agony.

"Dad's never going to allow," she sighed.

"I'll talk to mom, she'll surely help me out.
My reasons might  sound flimsy to dad. But I know that mother knows his soft spot." Nina grinned at the thought.

She jumped off the bed and reached for her suitcase. One by one, she took the clothes out and neatly placed then on hangers that she then put on the rail in her wardrobe.
After organizing her clothes,  she went to her bathroom to freshen up.

She  found it sparkling clean and smiled at how hardworking her mother was.

What did I do to deserve such a darling mother!

As her eyes wandered around, something caught her eye.  She saw a towel, as white snow hang beside the mirror and a pair of pink bathroom sandals below the sink. 

"Oh my God. Mother got me a new towel and bathroom  sandals," she said in awe walking towards the mirror to take a closer look and feel the fabric.

"Of  course it's her,  if it were dad,  this would be a green towel and those would probably be black." She laughed.

"Why is she so sweet. She knows exactly what I love. Thank you God." Nina beamed with happiness.

At that instant, she rushed to the living room to say thank you to her mother. When she reached the dining room,  she heard clinks from the kitchen and moved straight in that direction. Mrs. Reed was cleaning the dishes.

"Mum, thanks for the towel and the sandals. They're pretty." she  hugged her mum from behind.

"It's nothing honey. I realized your towel was getting old when you were leaving for school, so I got you a new one," said Mrs. Reed as she turned to hug her daughter properly.

"I love you mum."

"I love you too baby. Never forget that," she  assured her daughter.

Hey loves

Isn't Mrs. Reed so sweet!
Well after this chapter how do you think Nina is going to ask her dad for permission? She's afraid he'll say no.  He's a tough guy, but he surely loves his daughter.

Bunches of love.