Saturday morning was always a busy one in the house of Pst & Mrs Daniel. Most of the house chores were done by the children and Mercy their house help. Though this didn't take place until after their usual morning devotion of one hour.

This family was blessed with doting parents, four wonderful kids and a diligent house help. They carried each other along in whatever they did, God was their priority. Mercy, their nineteen-year old house help was pretty, obedient, hardworking and committed.

When the family had travelled to village years back, Mercy was the little daughter of a widow, who did not have enough money to cater for six of her children. Due to that, she dispatched four of her children to those who were willing to take them as house helps. Two of the boys were given to a man who owned a big hotel. He had used them for different services and had paid them properly. Mercy the first daughter attached herself to Pastor Daniel and would not let him go back to Port-Harcourt without taking her. Then, she was a four-year old girl. Madam Ugochi as she was called tried to dissuade Mercy from leaving her because she was still very tender. The young girl had cried all evening and refused to sleep that night

She refused to eat till Mrs. Daniel assured her of going to the city with them. The girl had jumped and play and told her baby sister of two years that she would be leaving and would miss her. Grace by then had not understood Mercy and she only laughed and played with her.

Madam Ugochi was sad, but then Mrs. Daniel gave her words to help take care of Mercy and also treat her like her own daughter. That was how Mercy came to be a member of the family.

And true to her words, Mrs. Daniel took Mercy as her own daughter and the girl even started calling her ‘mom’. She was just nineteen now and had completed her secondary school. She was making preparations towards taking JAMB the next year.

The first child of Pst. & Mrs. Daniel was Joseph, their first son who was on his Masters as an optician in Canada. He was a very brilliant boy and was a scholarship for his Masters. He was twenty-five years old.

Their second child and first daughter was Glory, a twenty-three year old ambitious lady. She was currently doing her Masters also as a Civil Engineer. She had been brighter than Joseph in school, so her schooling had been much more faster. Many people had tried to dissuade her from her course, seeing she was a girl. But with her parents by her side, she had fought it through, and even come out with a first degree along with six others, amongst so many guys. Even during NYSC period, many guys had looked down on her as a female Engineer, she however paid deaf ears to them.

Glory had gotten married only a few months ago. The wedding had been a very big one, it was also a double celebration for her family because, she had just gotten admission to further her education to Masters. It was really a happy day for them.

Isabella was the third child and second daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel. She was a very pretty girl and had also done well academically. She was currently in SSS 3 and had green fingers. So she had planned to study Agricultural Science in school. She was only fifteen years old and quite matured and exposed for her age.

She made so many researches that made her stand out in intelligence among her peers. Even the teachers in school knew Isabella as a bright kid.

Her younger brother,the last born, Benjamin, was just ten years old and he was in JSS 1. He did greatly in his just concluded Common Entrance. He played the drum wonderfully in church. Sometimes he was even invited by other churches to play for them. But his father had told him not to set his heart on the money he received, rather he should play to please God.

Isabella was such a gifted girl. God had given her so many talents: she could sew,make hair and beads. Also she was a designer,interior and cloth designer. She was also a wonderful dancer. She was very outspoken and was always picked for debate, talk shows, and speech in school.

She had won prizes for her school on several occasions. There was once a time ‘Cowbell’ organized a mixed competition. There were different offices, and Isabella took almost all the offices. She took first for singing and debates. She took second in quiz, there was a close draw between her and Sophia, the girl who came first. But she lost a mathematics question to Sophia, which moved her to second position.

Her school principal was so proud of her, she was in JSS 2 then and was given a scholarship to JSS 3.

Isabella’s voice was something every girl dreamed of having. Whenever she led the praise session during assembly or fellowship ,she left both the male and female in awe. She also played the violin excellently. She was still learning the piano.

Isabella excelled in academics, but she dreaded mathematics. However, through the help of her dad, Mr. Emmanuel her math teacher, who saw her great potentials; and her best friend, Carmella, she overcame her phobia for Mathematics.

What a sweet angel Isabella was. Her best friend, Carmella, adored her and tried to help her whenever help was needed. Their friendship was a very mutual one, as they helped each other grow mentally, academically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Tiara was another friend of Isabella, but Isabella and Carmella soon began to cut off from her because of her squalid behaviours. Tiara had gotten pregnant in SSS 2 and dropped out of school.

Timothy was another close friend of Isabella. Their friendship had started right from kindergarten when they were in the same school and had grown up together. They had been classmates and even seat mates from primary school till JSS 1 when Carmella became a part of the picture. Even presently, the trio still sat together and most times went on break together.

One unique thing about them was that they were all in the science department. Timothy was good at Physics and Chemistry, he was the head boy of their school. Isabella was good at English, Biology, and Agric and was the head girl. Carmella was a guru at Mathematics. She always had a simple way to solve any question regarding mathematics.

Timothy had asked Isabella out on three occasions but she had maintained that she was okay with their relationship.

Timothy’s mother and Isabella’s had sat for WAEC in the same centre and they sat side by side. It was a joyful thing when they discovered they were neighbours in Port Harcourt. They had continued their friendship, passed it on to their spouses and children.

Mrs. Wilson was Timothy’s mother and she was a big trader. The families were so close that they often invited each other over for meals. During such gatherings, Isabella and Timothy had always been together. The women always had their petty matters to talk about.

The duo, Timothy and Isabella were always seen walking side by side or hand in hand in school. And most students believed they were lovers. Some girls who were having a crush on Timothy grew jealous at Isabella, funny fact was that even their seniors had a crush on Timothy. Isabella wasn't left out of this, because some boys had even approached Timothy on some occasions, telling him to stay away from Isabella, those threats were from the senior boys. But so far, no one had been able to separate them.

The Saturday morning rose bright and calm. It was the 10th of August—a day that stood out for one special reason: it was the weekend closest to Benjamin’s birthday. Though his birthday fell on a Thursday, the decision was made to celebrate it that Saturday, when everyone could enjoy it to the fullest.

By 8:00 a.m., the household was already bubbling with activity. The aroma of breakfast filled the air as Mrs. Daniel prepared a feast of yam, eggs, and bread with hot chocolate. That wasn't unusual, Mrs. Daniel made breakfast every Saturday. She was helped by her daughters on Sundays, and was interchanged between Mercy and Isabella during the week.

It was Benjamin's duty to sweep the parlour and his room every morning. Isabella swept her room and her parents room and Mercy did all other work. Most of the time, washing of plates were done by both girls.

Laughter echoed from the children’s room as they chatted about what to wear and where they might be going.

At exactly 9:00 a.m., breakfast was served. Everyone— Pastor &Mrs. Daniel, Mercy, Benjamin, and even the ever-committed dietitian Isabella—ate hungrily and happily. The excitement was contagious. It wasn’t every day they got a surprise outing of this kind.

By 10:30 a.m., the car was ready. The driver was already loading up boxes of snacks—biscuits, Ribena, soft drinks, and sweet treats. Benjamin, the birthday boy, beamed with joy as they all got into the car.

The journey to the park was filled with songs, laughter, and playful teasing. Benjamin couldn’t hide his excitement—he ran from one game to another, climbed everything in sight, and made sure to try every ride. After the park, they headed to the beach. Mercy, who was always a little shy, surprised everyone by trying to keep up with the boys that had immediately taken a liking to Isabella. She even let the waves splash her feet as she giggled with glee.

By 4:00 p.m., they returned home, tired but happy. As they stepped out of the car, some still had sand between their toes and crumbs on their clothes. After changing, everyone gathered for prayers. By 8:30 p.m., the last amen was said, and the house finally settled.

That night, Isabella seemed unusually quiet. Maybe it was the overwhelming joy—or maybe she was just reliving the fun in her mind.

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Saturday, 10 August 2019

As I write this, tomorrow is Sunday. I can’t stop smiling. I’ll never forget how Benjamin’s eyes lit up at the beach, or how relaxed sister Mercy felt at the beach today. For once, Benjamin said, “This day means everything to me.” It was a perfect day. Goodnight.

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Sunday, 11 August **2**019

Service today was awesome. Sister Mmesoma's worship was really thrilling. And Ben, he played so sweetly, my baby brother.

My name is Isabella Daniel, I am fifteen years old. I am in SSS 3, we just started summer coaching. Some of my friends call me Isabel, Ben calls me sister Bella, Timothy calls me Ella Baby. Dad calls me his baby girl or Bella. Mom calls me Bella too and sister Mercy calls me Isabel. Carmmy calls me Ella. Oh! I can't go on with what people call me.

I'm slightly fair, I'm tall and slim with a nice shape. I guess I'll have to explain myself today. I have long eyelashes and full eyebrows. I have small pink, almost red lips and rather large eyes, though a small nose. My cheeks are plump and soft. My friends and dad say I'm very pretty and a rare gem. I took after dad, including his hairs.

Ben at times says ‘ Sister Bella, you are very beautiful ’ and then we'd laugh it off. Those who taunt me in school call me ‘ Pastor's daughter ’ and I'm proud to be that.

Dear diary, as we progress, I'll tell you more. Bye for now.