Our Second Mother

The shrill cry of a year old baby infiltrated the air and night peace of dawn in the house of the Alans. Aster ran from the kitchen back to her room and saw her baby brother in tears holding the left side of his forehead making her realize he had hit his head on something upon waking. Perhaps, the door frame or the door itself.

"Don't cry Arby. Don't cry" she cooed while patting his back as he dozed off again on her shoulder. She sighed and carried him to the living room to sleep on the sofa instead of the bed in her room as she was going to wake him up sooner to prepare for

She returned to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for her younger ones. In no time, she was done cooking. She looked up at the big wall clock in the living room and smiled satisfactorily.

"Thanks goodness. I still have enough time to prepare myself and the kiddos."

"Wake up Josh" she opened the door of the room beside hers, then the next room beside Josh's.

"Karla, Darla, you guys should get your butts off the bed. You're going to school this morning. Stand up and make it snappy." she switched on the light in both rooms.

Josh grumbled annoyingly for being waked and headed for his bathroom. Quickly, he was through with his early morning clean up and went to greet his sister.

"Morning Aster" he hugged her from behind. Aster turned around and pecked him lightly on his forehead.

"My other half, good morning. Good to know you slept well. You didn't even want to wake up this morning."

"Not that sis, I was just ti......" he stopped halfway without completing his statement. He does not want to complete his sentence so his sister won't feel bad. He had done a lot of jobs the previous day making him feel fatigued.

"What happened?. You were saying something" Aster asked with her brows raised high up and a spoon in her hand. She was dishing out their lunch into their food flasks before he came in.

"How about Arby?. Is he still in your room?" Josh asked changing the topic of discussion. As the second child and first male child of the family, he has the sole and primary responsibility of assisting his sister.

Earlier, he had wanted to complain of being tired, but knowing fully well that she's trying all her possible best to make them comfortable, he immediately kept mute. Things have not been easy for his sister ever since the death of their parents and complaining would make her feel sad and incapable.

Orphaned a year ago, Aster became a mother at the age of seventeen. Gosh!, what were you thinking?. She didn't get pregnant, but her siblings became her children as they were still young to be left uncared for. Her parents died in a car accident on their way back from a business trip.

Upon hearing the news, the whole family broke down emotionally even if some were happy secretly within themselves. Shocking the whole family, was the pronouncement of the deceased will by the lawyer. After sharing the properties the way the Aster's father wanted, the lawyer read the secret will to them.

"My dear children, life is not always a bed of roses and you can't predict what will happen the next minute. In case of any bad happening, I want you all to stay together and support one another. It's not going to be easy, but you'll have to persevere. And my precious Aster, as the first child among my kids, I want to give you an instruction. Under no circumstance, I repeat, under no circumstance should you leave your siblings to the hands of others, not even my family nor your mother's family. I want you to take care of them yourself and bring the best out of them. Till they are grow up, they should never leave your vicinity. One more thing, never trust anyone and don't trust blindly."

This had shocked the family members to the core of their bones, but there's nothing they could do about it. The deed has been pronounced.

"How am I to take care of children at this age of mine?. Not even one or two, but four. Gracious four!. Worst of it all, Arby is at the most delicate stage of life, he's just a year and some months. What am I to do?, how do I do this?, would I not got to school?" Aster had thought severally before picking up the courage to face it.

"It's father's will, dad's instruction. For him to say that, he knows I can do it. I can't let him down. I'll take care of them, good care of us and make sure we succeed in life. Even if it's hard, I won't back down" she had concluded in her mind.

As young as she was, she had cleaned her eyes, straightened up and took up the responsibility with courage and little fear.

Luckily, her father said to leave the house for them and some other things including the amount of money in her mother's bank account as well as his secret bank account which the lawyer gave them the information to in private.

Moreover, she just finished college and was seeking to be admitted in the best university abroad. However, her plans definitely changed. She would no longer be able to go abroad, rather, she would attend the one not too far from their home, in the same country they reside.

"It's better than nothing." she had thought before applying to be admitted.

"He's no longer in my room, I laid him on the sofa in the living room. Go bath for him" she instructed Josh with a pleading tone. Though, she's older than him with two years, she respects him still. Josh hurriedly did what she asked and dressed him for the day after bathing him.

"We're done too!" Karla and Darla giggled as they sat in the dining table dressed in their respective school uniforms awaiting thier breakfast that was yet to be served.

Serving them their food, Aster kisses their cheeks with simles wide on her face.

"Eat up fast, we have to get going. I bet you don't want to be late"

"Of course sis" they dug in their meal and ate silently. Only the sharp clicks of their cutleries hitting the dish was heard.

Minutes later, they whole family exited the house dressed for their respective activities, and entered Aster's car. Don't be surprised, she had learnt how to drive immediately she clocked eighteen.

She dropped them in front of their school gate and headed to hers together with Arby. He's yet to begin school following the culture of their family.

No child was to start school until they're three years old or close to. This was to ensure that any of the Alan's children won't rely completely on anyone. At that age, a child would be able to eat, speak and make little complains at the least.

She sat Arby on the passenger seat, and drove the car –straight to the university.