Chapter eleven

Josephine.
She woke up with a severe headache, It felt like multiple stones were thrown on her head, Her head felt heavy. She stood up from her bed groaning in pain, she walked to her cupboard and took her medicine, when she checked the time she was it was two in the afternoon, she has been sleeping since morning due to the stress of all the assignments and classes. She quickly took her bath and wore her clothes, she wore a blue skirt and a black top to go with it, she arranged her hair into a messy bun. She decided to look out her window one more time to see if the book was there, she opened her door and walked into the balcony, she looked down to see the book wasn't there, it was missing from the same place she dropped it. When She looked up her eyes met Stella. Stella's house was directly next to Josephine's house, Josephine could see Stella if she stood by her balcony, Stella was standing by the window, She waved at her and Josephine waved back and closed the door.
New neighbors Josephine thought.
Josephine's mother had a tradition of baking a pie for every new person in the neighborhood, Josephine had to deliver the pie and help her mother bake it. She knew her mother would be here anytime soon to force her bake the pie Josephine hated that tradition, She wasn't a people person, She liked been alone, friends weren't her thing. She sat on her bed and was about to use her phone when her door opened.
"Finally decided to wake up." Her mother said with a smile on her face.
"Mamma, Good afternoon." Josephine said.
"Afternoon Jose, How are you." Her mother said, Her mom usually addressed her as Jose it was a nickname she had since from birth.
"I am good mamma, how are you?". Josephine asked.
" I am Good, We have new neighbors." Her mother said.
"Yes Mamma I saw her." Josephine replied.
"Let go downstairs and get everything ready."
Josephine groaned annoyingly "We still do that Mamma."
"yes we do, now let go." Her mother dragged her off the bed.
Her mother had arranged everything in the kitchen, all ingredients were neatly arranged on the counter table. Flour, baking powder, peaches they had all ingredients.
"Now, Let start cooking". Josephine said. As usual Josephine mixed the dry ingredients while her mother mixed the watery ingredients. once they were done they mixed the dry ingredients and the batter together and poured it into the pan, Josephine sliced the peaches and arranged them on the pie.
"Mamma do you remember when I first tasted peaches." Josephine said while licking the remaining batter off the bowl.
"Can I ever forget?, You made a tantrum of how much you hated them and never want to taste them." Her mother said with a smile on her face.
"Then I came downstairs that night just to steal peaches from the fridge." Josephine said with a laugh.
"I caught you, You thought a ghost was in the kitchen with you." Her mother said.
"You came all up on me Mamma, You were sneaky." Josephine said.
"Didn't know I would scare you, I could remember how you shouted loudly, you almost woke up your father." Her mother's smile started fading away when she said his name.
"Yh I almost woke dad up" Josephine said with a sad voice. "I love those days Mamma."
"Same here baby" Her mother was about to hug her when the oven beeped indicating the pie was done. "Oh it all done."
Josephine took out the pie and kept the out to make it less hot, She took out the basket and kept a wine, some napkins and when she made sure the cake wasn't that hot again she took it out of the pan, placed it on a plate and kept it in the basket. The peaches made the cake beautiful.
"Get dressed and take the pie." Her mother said.
"I'm already dressed." Josephine said.
"You smell like oil and butter, Go get changed maybe even take your bath." Her mother said.
"I don't think I need that Mamma, I will spray perfume." Josephine said.
"Jose come on, Can't you just do this." Her mother said.
"Fine!". She ran upstairs and took her bath, She wore a blue homely dress and a black palm.
I can't wait to get these over with her inner voice said.
She stood in front Stella's door, Josephine realized that Stella's house was smaller than the other houses in the neighborhood. when she knocked no body answered, before she could knock again the door swung open, Stella stood there with a smile on her face.
"How can I help you?" Stella said.
"My mother has these tradition of baking a pie for new neighbors." Josephine said while raising the basket towards Stella.
"I love pies, What kind is that." Stella asked.
"Peaches." Josephine said with a smile.
Stella's smile soon turned into a frown, she took a minute before she spoke." Get out, I don't want your disgusting pie." before Josephine could say anything, Stella banged the door on Josephine's face. Josephine was so angry, she shouted some curses and left the basket in front of Stella’s door. She stepped into her room angrily and locked her door not wanting to talk to any one, She avoided her mother when she came in. Josephine's room was upstairs, Her balcony faced directly at Stella's house window.
"what does she think of herself?". Josephine shouted to her empty room, She opened her window and walked into the balcony and she looked out to see Stella standing by her window, Josephine raised her middle finger and spited out "Fuck you." She locked her door and then laid on her bed angrily.