Night Call - Tobi D. A (accelerated reader books TXT) 📗

“They would respond to your ignorance if you don’t stop”, she shouted while walking away. Ada was always the bossy sister, she would say anything just to get me to do her will.

Unfortunately, this was one time I wish I’d believed her and listened.

The sun slowly went down like a falling feather, and the moon began to make its appearance as the cold nights spot light. My fairytale married parents were all set for their getaway date night, dad was a total gentle man, dressed in a noir tuxedo, fair to say he looked like Chiwetel Ejiofor at the met gala, and mom was nothing short of a melanin Disney princess that night. I began to wish I could just wed Funmi immediately and have such stupendous date nights, unfortunately my parents wouldn’t have me engage in such an affair yet as I was still in high school and as most would say, ‘a hormone raged teenager’.

The night…I can’t emphasise this enough, the night was all too perfect, the air was so fresh, you would think climate change was a myth and the stars were all out in the sky like there was a stellar party up above, the moon couldn’t be left out of this phenomenal beauty, it put up a stunning blue glow and looked like it was ready to steal the night skies prom.

Unfortunately, all this perfection was not enough to please my ever demanding big sisters mood. Ada was upset that she had to stay in that night instead of hanging with her friends, she saw me as an anchor in her social life. This always made me feel bad because I never asked to be treated like an egg. Ada called me down from my room after our parents had left, her call had the tone of a wild beast, funny how she switches to sound like Whitney Houston when she’s sane.                                 

“Demi! Get your butt down here now!” she yelled.

I got downstairs and met Ada holding a foolscap paper of what I couldn’t think was anything but a chore list. Sigh, sometimes I wish I could be wrong because that’s exactly what it was. Ada had made out a totally unambiguous list of house chores which had its main event as “dish duty". I could do nothing but grumble and get to it, because she was not one to take ‘no’ for an answer, such a gentle soul...

On Adas' kind chore list, I had to “Clean the guest room, Feed the dogs, clean up the restrooms, lay new sheets on her bed, and clean up every dish in the kitchen sink". Sounds like the dishes was the least of my problems, yes? But I tell you, the sink was as full as a Vikings beard in winter, probably not the best example but it was a lot of dirty plates, you’d wonder if we had a party all day.

I began to face my predicament by first feeding the dogs, Butcher and Kiba. They seemed quite uneasy, which was strange because the night was beautiful. It was almost as if they would cower in fear each time I hum the made up melody in my head, strange but I didn’t care, I had lots more to do, that is, if I lived to the end of this slavery.

It’s understandable if you’re wondering what form of dispute could be between me and my big sister. Sorry to blow away your thought cloud but we have none. Perhaps I pissed on her arms a couple hundred times as a baby, but in my defense, I was a baby. Ada must have loved been the only child and seeing how my birth took away her free bird privileges, that’s my only possible reason for her mean nature towards me.

I began to think of all the times she was nice and caring, thoughts of “that one time in grade school, when she stood up for me against bullies and the times when she would make me the best snacks just to make me feel good on my birthdays, I remember how she once so…”, “DEMI!!!” she yelled yet again and interrupted my delightful thoughts, bringing me back to the current reality of her total grumpy nature. Ada had called on me to ask about my progress so far, how typical of her.

Thinking of how much more I had left to do, I decided to take up the dishes because that was the main challenge for me. The plates piled up high in the sink like a leaning Eifel tower, the dreadful stench of used dishes created an epicenter in my belly. Ohhh, how awful this seemed.

Anyways, I put on the rubber gloves and got to it, besides, whatever is worth doing is worth doing well, I guess.

I could see the full moon through the window in front of me, it looked at me as I stared at it and it gave comfort, placing a nice tune on my lips, I began to whistle. I loved to whistle and hum melodies, some kids at school would tease me of being a bird. This didn’t occur to me at that moment, but it was the first time I would ever whistle at night with such flow. Ada heard my tune from the living room and came in to ask whether I had gone mad, her question puzzled me in a comprehensible way. But then again I replied with a bold tone, “What do you mean? I have done nothing wrong” And then she said “You’re creating a bad omen with your whistle, you could be calling spirits”. I burst into laughter, wandering why she would think in such a superstitious way. Ada loved myths but this was the first time I ever heard her talk this way, “certainly this could not be true, she is just trying to scare me” I thought to myself.

Ada turned away and almost immediately, I resumed my melody. “They would respond to your ignorance if you don’t stop”, she shouted while walking away. Ada was always the bossy sister, she would say anything just to get me to do her will. Suddenly I heard a voice drown my whistle, it was a female voice mumbling, I couldn’t make out her words at first. She sounded like a soft wind that battled with a sore throat. Fear had come over me, but I convinced myself that this was Ada trying to mess with me.

Almost immediately, the night got so tensed, I felt uneasy and watched, the blasted canines successfully made it all so strange with their continuous barking and howling. “Maybe they saw someone? What could be wrong with these dogs? They certainly aren’t hungry, I fed them already, and why hasn’t Ada said a thing about all this ruckus?” I thought to myself.

The voice then spoke again, more audible and frightening.

“Crash!”

I dropped a ceramic plate in fear and horror of the words I heard her say. My fingers shook like a cold dog after an ice bath and my heartbeat raced faster than a working generator, my pants were a bit wet from dish water that splashed on me earlier. I was too scared to pass out, I froze from what I heard, in regret of my disbelief in Adas’ warning.

I would never forget, the mystery voice said to me “Your call I have heard, ye tonight I answer your NIGHT CALL”

Text: Tobi Ayegbusi
Images: freeapplewallpapers.com
Cover: freeapplewallpapers.com
Editing: Tobi Ayegbusi
Translation: Tobi Ayegbusi
Publication Date: 11-16-2020

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