REGRET

Isere smiled, her stomach rumbled in joy as she followed her parents to the door escorting them with her mother's hand bag on her hand.

She couldn't explain her happiness, she watched as her mother followed off her father's trail.

The reason for her jubilation was that, she had told her mother about her friends birthday party but had been deprived from attending it.

She was fifteen for crying out loud! She thought. She didn't understand why her parents had deprived her from so many things.

She was going to be in jss3 (junior secondary school 3) this year September, she was growing up and she needed to socialize. They forbade her from talking to any male, reason she went to an all girls school and wasn't allowed to go to a boarding school.

She knew if she had persisted that they let her go, she'd be slapped and called a child of the devil for wanting to try things of the world.

Her parents were disciplinarians; wicked she'd call them instead. They chose her outfit for her which were only long skirts and long sleeve shirt and long gowns.

She wasn't allowed to watch any other program on the TV asides news. She wasn't allowed to visit friends neither were friends allowed to visit her, she wasn't allowed to braid her hair even during special occasion such as; Christmas, new year, easter, e.t.c.

She hated how they had hidden her from so many things, making her read her book more than a thousand time.

Her mother was always around even if the father was not, so she couldn't leave home or watch other television programmes like her friends. Her friends always made fun of her calling her an omo get inside, (A child not allowed out of the house).

Her best friend, Esther had told her of this party that fine boys would be attending, and she was eager to go but her parent wouldn't let her out. Now that they've gone out that same day giving her the opportunity she needed to go to the party and come back before they return.

As soon as they left, she ran up to her room, locked the door and waited for some minutes before, going under her bed and bringing out some of her fancy outfit that she had hidden away from her parents.

Her friend Esther had gifted some of the clothings to her while some were bought with her savings.

She had seen movies on her friends phone and how ladies looked hot in amazing short skirts, bum short, crop tops and short skimpy gowns. She brought out a black short leather skirt and a pink crop top that revealed her upper cleavage. She admired herself with so much gratitude.

Isere was obsessed with herself, she wasn't the only one that complimented herself as she was also complimented by others too.

She was light skinned, she took that from her mother and because she wasn't allowed out and was always indoor, her colour never darkened instead it brightened. She had curly hairs too and pink lips. She wasn't short neither was she tall, she had always been complimented by boys before and that made her more satisfied with herself.

She applied her red lips gloss since that was the only make up she had and walked out of her house smiling that she was going to enjoy life as a teenager once in her life.

************************************

Isere friends were shocked to see that Isere made it, Esther was overjoyed that she took a lot of pictures with Isere. Isere was amazed by what she saw. It was a pool party, girls were in bikini and shorts, she admired the fine boys and she had always wanted a boyfriend for herself and tried what her friends had been doing too.

She wanted to be kissed, touched, fingered and even though her parents had told her those things were bad and were meant for adults, her friends told her that if it was bad, then why do their parents do it.

Isere tried reasoning with them telling them it was because they were married that was why they could do it but Jumoke, a tall dark skinned girl that was known as queen of boys told her that it was a lie and if it was, then why didn't they abstain from it themselves.

Jumoke wasn't done as she kept saying how sweet and pleasurable the feeling was and she was a testimony to the feeling.

Isere started to build another thought in her and promised herself she'd try it someday.

That night was the best for her, she had danced, drank alcohol for the first time, felt goosebumps when a guy touched her on her breast, her waist and pecked her on her cheek. She loved the feeling and she wanted more.

It wasn't until another hour that she realised that the time was gone and it was past ten.

She hurriedly alerted Esther asking for her assistance. She knew she was in trouble. Her parents must be back, she thought.

When she got home, she saw her father with a long cane on his hands and her mother praying and crying.

When her father saw her, he was shocked upon seeing what his daughter was wearing and how messed up she looked.

"Isere Katherine Osagbai!" Her mother spoke in surprised, still staring at her daughter's outfit.

"Where are you coming from and dressed like this?" He asked sternly, scrutinizing her every movement.

"Da...da.." She stuttered, lost in words, the tears rolling down her cheek as she felt insecure trying to cover herself.

"I do not have a prostitude for a daughter you hear me!" He yelled still wiping her, she cried as she begged her mother to intervene, instead the mother kept praying and chatting, ' father remove the demons outs of my daughter!'

She hated her parents, They always said it was the devil's work whenever she told them anything or did something bad. Her mother had never for once had a mother-daughter talk about life instead it was all about them locking her in and telling her it was the devil's work and they were training her in the way of the Lord.

She promised herself that moment that all she had been deprived of is what she'd do when she goes to the university.