Flying away with the hawk

I had just returned home from school when I saw aunty Rita seated in in a sofa in the sitting room. I was already screaming with excitement as I ran towards her and held her in a tight and warm hug. What a pleasant surprise to see my favorite aunty once again!

Aunty Rita wasn't as old as an aunty is expected to be. She was only 24years, So I regarded her more like an elder sister and a friend . Due to this little age difference age difference between us, we bonded and understood each other very well more than how my mom would like. Lol.

For the most part of the night, we kept talking about alot of things since the last time she visited. I had really missed those sizzling gists she had always told me about campus life. To my greatest delight, aunty Rita announced that she would be living with us for the next three weeks before going back to the university. This meant she would be around for my 18th birthday.

The next day in class felt very boring and slow for me. I couldn't wait to spend the rest of the day with aunt Rita and listen to the intriguing stories she had earlier promised me.

As soon as I stepped into her room. I found aunty Rita sitting in front of the mirror, busy with her make-up. She turned around and smiled at me, revealing her lovely gapped tooth. she really looked very gorgeous when she smiled.

After I had greeted her, she informed me that she would be going out in the evening to mingle. I was about to ask her what she meant by "mingle", when Mom barged into our room and started screaming at her.

No doubt, aunty Rita was a rebel who always wanted her freedom. Even though, Mom had objected to her night movements each time she comes to the house, aunty Rita maintained that she was now an adult and mum had no right to dictate how she wished to live her life.

My admiration for aunty Rita always expands whenever I watched her argue with Mom. Atleast, this was someone that couldn't be intimidated or controlled by mom and I longed to possess such kind of boldness one day.

Frustrated with anger that Rita had left the house without even saying a word to her, mom turned towards me and began to scream advices at me: " Don't you even dream of becoming like Rita who is very stubborn and never listens. She would definitely get into serious trouble one day if she continues on this path". I laughed in my head as Mom continued to to rebuke aunty Rita.

" This your advice came too late ,Mom. As a matter of fact I admire Aunty's confidence and I wished to be just like her". I said within me.

Aunty Rita didn't return home until the following morning. Mom couldn't do anything but grumble irritably at such impudence. The look on mom's face was quite funny to me and I chuckled silently. I could wait for aunty Rita to finish her breakfast and tell me how and where she had spent the night.

I wasn't happy when Aunty Rita said that I should forget about it, that I was too young to know. I reminded her that I would be graduating from high school in less than month and it would be unfair if she would still regard me as a child, just as mom always did.

After much pressure, aunty Rita revealed to me that she was at a night club. I have heard about a pub before but I never knew what happens there, this made me more curious. "How is a club like, what do they do there, do you have friends there .....????

I was so fascinated by all what I have been told by my aunty that I began to create pleasant images in my mind about such a wonderful spot.

I appealed to aunty Rita to carry me along the next time she goes to the club again "Oh, I'm sorry but i can never take you with me to such a gathering. your Mom will raise hell on me . Didn't you see the way she was was barking just now? She would definitely tear me apart if I dare take you out at night". aunty Rita said in mocked fear.

" But I'm always alone in this house, mom doesn't allow me to hang out with friends or even attend a birthday party".

I became very depressed when aunty Rita responded with that crushing but familiar punchline , " your mom only wants what's best for you".

Maybe she saw the teary look of misery in my eyes and felt sorry for me. Immediately, she pulled me closer to her and held my face in her hands, something that Mom hardly do. She promised to take me out next time.

In the hour they followed, she said alot about clubbing, partying and how a young lady should live an adventurous and fun-filled life. She had began to tell me about her experiences with men when Mom angrily kicked the door of the room open and we both held our breath in an abrupt shock.

Mom immediately ordered me to go get her fruits. This really made me furious, why would mom interrupt when the discussion was begining to gather steam.

On my way to the market, blissful images of the the beautiful life aunty Rita hasy painted kept persisting in my mind. It was now obvious that Mom didn't approve of my friendship with her sister and that was why she always ceases every opportunity to pull us apart.

I laughed at my mother's naivety . I and aunty Rita shared the same room and slept on thesame bed. We would still continue our conversation later and I would definitely continue to learn alot from her. There's absolutely nothing my mom can do about it.

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The above write up is merely a fiction tht briefly explain how some parents in an attempt to protect their daughters from the world, end up accomplishing the opposite. A Mother, instead of being strict, should engage her teenage daughter in decent discourse about the feminine vigor and interactions with the opposite gender. At this stage,a teenager would always crave for a confidante and a friend whom she could totally rely on. If a mother fails to fill this void in her daughter's life, soon enough, the daughter would eventually start flying with the hawks.

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