5 Breakfast at Home

It was a Saturday so Mrs. Raymond was going to spend time with her family. She always looked forward to the weekends when she would stay back and be with the ones she loved the most. She was also going to use the weekends to rest. Mrs. Raymond woke up a little later than usual, relishing in the luxury of extra rest. It was usually her to first rise up and prepare breakfast for everyone but this time around it was Layla and Ria who got up first. They were trained to do house duties before they thought of meal. Layla and Ria divided the house duties so that they could be done in a shorter time. It didn’t take long before the house and compound was neatly cleaned. They wasted no time in preparing breakfast. Both adults loved an early morning coffee with croissants. Layla and Ria preferred milk instead. They knew that even if they wanted it, they’re parents would come up with a lot of reasons why they cannot have it in the morning. Mr. Raymond stepped out of his room and went straight to the dining room where Layla and Ria were patiently waiting for the couples to wake up before they ate. “Good morning my lovely babies.” He kissed their forehead one after the other before he took his seat. “Morning dad…” their voice rhymed in the air. “Where’s your mom?” Mr. Raymond asked. Layla shrugged, “I don’t know, she’s probably taking her time with the sleep.” They smiled. “Hmm, I guess she needed some rest after all. I should probably call her now.” He was about to get up from his seat when Ria stopped him. “No dad, wait!” She smiled, “we would wait till she’s awake, she’s not usually late.” Soon Mrs. Raymond walked towards the sitting room. “Morning love.” She kissed her husband on the lips. Their children did not seem to like the sight of that. They looked at them in disgust. “Take it somewhere else.” Layla and Ria thought. “Morning darlings. Did I keep you all waiting? I apologize for that.” Mrs. Raymond sat down next to her husband. Her daughters who were in charge of the meal took pride in serving the family before serving themselves. Mr. Raymond prayed over the food and then they began to eat as one happy family. As Mrs. Raymond savored a leisurely breakfast with her loved ones, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air, accompanied by the pleasant sound of laughter and conversation. The atmosphere was filled with warmth and happiness. “It’s so great to finally spend time with my family… I love you all so much.” Mrs. Raymond said. “Aw, we love you too.” Her daughters said while her husband held her hands and smiled back at her. After breakfast, Mrs. Raymond decided it would be a perfect day for a family sweater. She was going to crochet the sweaters for every one. She gathered her family together and had their measurements taken. After the lovely breakfast they spent with each other, Mrs. Raymond remained in the sitting room while her husband and daughters went back to their rooms. Ria and Layla thought about their time with their father. They were much closer to their father than their mother because she always left the cottage very early in the morning and came back later at night. She would always be exhausted when she got back home. As much as Layla and Ria were close to their father, they still felt like there was a part of him that they did not know. None of them were allowed into his study room and there were still places in the cottage that were off their boundaries. They were so curious to what he was hiding that they tried severally to uncover his secrets. The sun filtered through the lace curtains, casting a soft golden glow on the room where Ria and Layla sat, their heads filled with questions and wonder. Layla absentmindedly twirled a strand of her hair, her eyes fixed on the family photographs adorning the walls. “Ria, do you ever feel like we're just scratching the surface of who Dad really is? I mean, we're so close to him, but there's this part of him that remains a mystery.” Layla said. Ria nodded, her gaze drifting towards the closed door of their father's study room. “I know exactly what you mean, Layla. It's like there's a whole other world hidden away in there. Secrets and stories that we're not a part of.” Layla rolled over the bed. “We've tried everything, haven't we? Sneaking around, eavesdropping on conversations, but all we've found are dead ends. It's frustrating.” Ria's eyes sparkled with determination as an idea formed in her mind. “Maybe it's time we take a different approach, Layla. Instead of trying to uncover his secrets without him knowing, what if we just...asked him? Layla looked at Ria, her brows furrowed in uncertainty. “But what if he doesn't want to tell us? What if he thinks we're prying too much into his private life?” She said. Ria smiled, her voice filled with reassurance. “We won't approach it as prying, Layla. We'll approach it as curiosity and a desire to understand him better. We'll let him know that we've noticed his dedication to learning a lot of things, and we're genuinely interested in what led him on this path.” Layla's apprehension began to melt away, replaced by a flicker of hope. She was definitely buying the idea. She personally wanted to see how his study room looked like. “You really think he'll open up to us? Share his secret with us?” Layla stared at her sister, in need of an assurance. Ria reached out and squeezed Layla's hand. “Dad is always free to talk with us.” She said, “I believe so, Layla. We're his children, and deep down, he wants us to know him fully. We just need to approach him with love and genuine curiosity. The sisters sat in silence for a moment, their minds alive with possibilities. The anticipation of finally uncovering their father's secret brought a mix of excitement and nervousness. “Okay, Ria. Let's do it. Let's talk to Dad and let him know that we're here to understand, not to pry. Maybe he's been waiting for us to take the first step all this time.” Ria smiled, her heart filled with peace and excitement too. She hoped it would go well.