CHAPTER 33 – HOSTING THE JOHNSONS


    Riona was in the sitting room watching the television together with Riley who was still wearing her


    bandage, even though the bruises on her face are now faded. They are sitting on a different couch.


    Maeve entered the sitting room from the kitchen and she walks up to Riona. When she got to Riona’s


    side, she said to her.


    “Just so you know Rio, my family members will be having dinner with us tonight,” she said.


    Riona turned slightly in her direction and without saying any word, she returned back to what she was


    watching on the television.


    Maeve left Riona’s side and went back to the kitchen to continue with what she was doing.


    “Rio” Riley called.


    Riona looked at Riley.


    “Did you hear what mum just said?” Riley asked.


    “Sure, I did” Riona replied.


    They continued with what they were watching until Wright entered the sitting from outside and his


    presence interrupted them.


    “Hey, dad” Riley said.


    “You are back dad, how was it?” Riona asked.


    “It was great girls, I caught a couple of fish. You girls should havee along with me, you would have


    loved it” Wright said.


    Wright was just returning from fishing. He goes fishing on thest Saturdays of the month and most


    times, he goes along with either one or both of the girls.


    “We already told you, dad, we need to watch this edition of this program. We would definitely go with


    you next month” Riley said.


    “Sure dad, we promise to go fishing with you next month,” Riona said.


    “Okay, I will not ept any excuse from either of you then,” he said.


    “There would be no excuse dad, we promise,” Riley said.


    “Rio, did your mum tell you about our guest for tonight?” he asked.


    “Yes dad, she did” Riona responded.


    Wright joined them in the program that they were watching.


    “So guys what is happening?” he asked.


    They all discussed the program and filled Wright in on what has been happening on it. They chatted


    andughed among themselves.


    Maeve entered, carrying a tray with some tes of food in it. She ced it on top of the table in the


    center of the sitting room.


    “What did you make mum?” Riley asked.


    “It smells sweet,” Wright said.


    “I made some honey mustard baked chicken drumsticks” Maeve replied.


    “I can’t wait,” Riona said.


    Riona stood up and goes to open the tes.


    “It’s so yummy,” she said.


    Riona took out one of the chicken drumsticks and took a bite. She turns and looks at her dad.


    “It’s so nice dad, you will love it,” Riona said.


    “I am d you like it,” Maeve said.


    Riona nods her head in affirmation and started to lick her lips.


    “Can you please pass that around Riona?” Maeve requested.


    “Sure I will” Riona replied.


    She took the tes and passed them around to everyone, and they all loved the taste of the chicken


    drumsticks.


    “Are they still more left mum, I want some extra helpings?” Riley asked.


    “Of course there are” Maeve replied.


    “Me too, I would make do with more of these” Riona said.


    Maeve got up and walks to the kitchen to get more.


    “I will be right back with more dearies” Maeve assured them.


    “I think an extra for me would not be a bad idea, honey,” Wright said.


    “Okay dear,” Maeve called out from the kitchen.


    Riona and Riley were both excited to have more Chicken drumsticks and they did not fail to show it.


    ………………………………………….


    Riley goes to open the front door as she had heard someone knocking. When she opened the door and


    she saw her grandparents standing at the door, together with her aunt Cynthia, she eximed and


    hugged her grandma.


    “Wow, grandma, grandpa, aunt Cynthia, you guys are here already?” Riley asked.


    “Hello Riley, see the way you look, you are all grown up now,” Mrs. Johnson said.


    Mrs. Johnson was so happy to see her granddaughter again after such a long time.


    “You cane in,” Riley said.


    They all entered and Riona who was sitting on the couch greeted them.


    “Good evening, everyone,” Riona said.


    “Hello, Riona,” Mr. Johnson said.


    “How are you Riona?” Mrs. Johnson asked.


    “I am fine, and you are all wee,” Riona said.


    Maeve and Wright heard some voicesing from the sitting room and they had figured out that there


    must be those of their visitors, so they came out to the sitting room to wee them.


    “Hey mum and dad, you are both wee,” Maeve said.


    “Thanks, darling” Mr. and Mrs. Johnson replied.


    “Wee, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson,” Wright said.


    “Hey Wright, thanks” Mr. Johnson replied.


    Mr. Johnson gave Wright a handshake.


    “Hi, Wright” Cynthia greeted.


    “Hi, Cynthia” Wright responded.


    “I am so d that you all could make it over here today,” Wright said.


    “We are happy to see you too man, I am also d to see that you are all doing great” Mr. Johnson


    replied.


    Wright held Mr. Johnson by the hand and they both left the sitting to the garden.


    “So what is the news, Mr. Johnson?” Wright asked in a low tone.


    “They are gone, Wright, every one of them” Mr. Johnson replied.


    “That is the best news so far” Wright was relieved.


    “Our men were able to convince them that you are not in Edmonton anymore and I am sure that by this


    time they would be at some other ce seriously searching for you” Mr. Johnson announced.


    “That is perfect,” Wright said.


    “Dad, we are waiting for the both of you”


    Wright turned and saw Riona standing just a few meters from him. He carefully essed her


    countenance to know if she had eavesdropped but there was nothing to show that she had done that.


    He smiled at Riona “Thanks, Rio”.


    “We must not keep thedies waiting, sir,” he said to Mr. Johnson and they followed Riona inside.


    …………………………………………


    Everyone was seated at the dining table and they have all started eating and having a nice reunion


    together.


    “And what happened to Riley’s arm?” Cynthia asked.


    She has been looking at Riley’s arm all this while and has been wondering what it was that had injured


    her. She had to ask about it when she felt she could not ignore it anymore.


    “She is getting better now Cynthia, we would be taking out the bandage tomorrow” Maeve responded.


    Maeve does not want to go into the discussion of what had happened to her daughter, Riley. She felt it


    was better not to want to talk about the fight Riley had with Riona. She knows who her sister was and


    there was no way she would keep calm if she learned the harm was caused by Riona, she would


    definitely blow it all out of proportion and Maeve does not want any of that.


    “That is not an answer Maeve, what happened to her arms and to her face?” Cynthia asked.


    Cynthia was beginning to get suspicious of Maeve’s reply. She knows Maeve was trying to hide


    something, and this suspicion gives Cynthia more reason to want to know what she was hiding.


    Wright, Maeve Riona, and Riley were all beginning to get uneasy with the questions and they wished


    Cynthia would just stop with her questions.


    “I think we should continue eating now. Cynthia, Riley is fine and there is no need preying any further”


    Mr. Johnson said.


    Wright heaved a sigh of relief. He prayed silently that she would stop with her questions already as he


    does not like the direction that this was going.


    “I am not going to stop dad, can’t you see how terrible Riley looks, or am I the only one that is seeing


    her?” Cynthia asked.


    “What happened to you darling?” Mrs. Johnson asked.


    “I am fine grandma” Riley replied.


    “I know that already Riley, tell me who did this to you,” Mrs. Johnson said.


    Riley became nervous, she does not want to say what had transpired between her and Riona. She


    quietly looked at Riona who in turn, immediately takes her face away from her.


    Seeing what had just happened, Cynthia was able to figure out that it was Riona that must have been


    the reason behind Riley’s look.


    “Riona, Riona did this to you?” Cynthia asked.


    Riley was quiet and did not answer Cynthia’s question. Cynthia saw her silence as an admission.


    “But why would Riona do this to you, what happened between you two?” Cynthia asked.


    “I am fine now aunt Cynthia,” Riley said.


    “No, you can’t be fine looking like this Riley, why should she unleash her beast on you?” Cynthia said.


    The atmosphere was already tense as Cynthia was shouting at the top of her voice.


    “Stop it, Cynthia, the girls had a little misunderstanding, and it''s all better now” Wright ordered.


    “This here cannot be a little misunderstanding. Just look at her whole body” Cynthia said.


    “That is enough Cynthia, aren’t you taking the whole thing out of proportion?” Mr. Johnson said.


    Cynthia was so angered and she was not ready to listen to any exnation from anyone. She decided


    to face Riona instead.


    “And you silly brat, what gave you the impetus toy your filthy hands on her” Cynthia asked.


    Riona who has been trying so hard to control herself all along immediately rose up to her feet and


    decide to challenge Cynthia. Cynthia on seeing Riona’s reaction, also stood up.


    “You dare not refer to me as a brat again, Cynthia,” Riona said.


    Riona was already fuming, and she was waiting for just one mistake from Cynthia to show her the stuff


    that she is made of.


    “Did you just talk to me in such a manner?” Cynthia asked.


    “Yes I did, and you should do your worst” Riona challenged.


    Wright stood up and held Riona. He does not want her to keep exchanging words with Cynthia


    anymore.


    Knowing just what his daughter was capable of, Mr. Johnson stood up and tried to stop her from her


    fight but Cynthia was having none of it, she refused to heed to his voice and resisted his attempt to


    stop her.


    “You’ve got to stop all these now Cynthia,” Mr. Johnson said.


    “Leave me, dad, I need to put her in her ce. Who does she think she is, or does she take me for


    Maeve that she could talk to just as she wants?”


    “Maeve?” Wright asked.


    Cynthia''s word about not being the same as Maeve came as a shock to Wright and Riona. They could


    not believe that Maeve has been painting Riona in a bad light before her family.


    They never would have imagined that Maeve would go as far as painting Riona bad in the presence of


    outsiders. Wright felt bad and all he could do was nothing but stare at Maeve in shock.


    Riona was notpletely surprised though, she has never expected much good from Maeve anyways.


    This has just confirmed to her of petty Maeve could be. So she had actually gone to invite her family to


    Riona looked at Maeve and smiled mischievously. Maeve avoided having eye contact with Riona, she


    takes away her face.


    Riona looked at Riley who also looked at Riona and tried to apologize with her eyes.


    Riona carefully looked at everybody in the room one after the other and after that, she stormed out of


    the room.


    Wright was filled with anger. He looked at Maeve in disgust and when he felt he could not take it any


    longer, he stormed out of the room too.


    Maeve was so angry with what her sister had done. She got up from her seat and stared fiercely at her


    sister.


    “Thanks, Cynthia, you finally got what you wanted. Hope you are happy now?” Maeve asked.


    “I am sorry Maeve, I never meant for it to turn that way” Cynthia apologized.


    “Never mind, keep the apology to yourself” Maeve replied.


    She pulls Riley up.


    “When you are fully satisfied, you all can leave,” Maeve said.


    Maeve takes Riley along with her and they both left the room.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.