"Joy, stay here and play while I answer this call okay?" Lulu asked as Joy nodded.
"Okay Aunt Lulu." She smiled swinging up and down on the swings while Lulu answered her call.
"Hey you, to what do I owe this unexpected call today?" she smiled.
"Don't get ahead of yourself, I am only calling because you left your purse or sachet or whatever it is in my house." Benjamin said not sounding in a mood to joke around.
"Hey, relax, I've been looking for that purse everywhere, is it the red one?" she asked.
"Yes, it's the red one." He replied.
"Ahh, well okay, I'll pick it up soon, are you home?" she asked.
"No, I'm not home, so don't come over, and secondly, the fact you are so careless to lose your purse and not even try to retrace your steps to find out where you left it." Benjamin sighed, he sounded like he was scolding her, which he was.
"Hey, don't sound like you're scolding me, besides, that purse isn't that important to me, that's why I didn't go around looking for it like a maniac." Lulu said watching Joy who had just fallen off the swings but got up instantly.
"And also, why did you say you're not home so quickly? Are you lying to me?" Lulu asked, she walked to Joy who gave her a thumbs up to show she was alright and she gave her a thumbs up in reply.
"I have no reason to lie to you, I'm truly not home right now. I just don't want you going into my house when I'm not there, that's why I answered so quickly." Benjamin replied.
"Oh, well technically it's my brother's house, and secondly, I'm not that bad to just enter your house without your permission." Lulu said.
"Yeah, right, I know you Louise, you've entered my house several times when I wasn't present." Benjamin scoffed.
"It's not that many times." She said.
"Right..." He said sarcastically.
"Anyway, thank you for telling me that my purse is in your house." She smiled.
"No problem."
"So, where are you? Where did you go?" she asked him. It was strange that he just left so suddenly, she hoped he had not taken a summer leave like the rest of the workers.
"Nowhere important." Benjamin replied vaguely. He should have known by now that Lulu would not take such an answer.
"Nowhere important huh?" she asked.
"Yes, and let's leave it at that, don't pester me about it." He said sighing, almost as if he was pleading with her.
"Alright, alright, it's okay. I won't pester you or anything." She said rolling her eyes.
"Thank you." He said.
"You're welcome, so when will you be back? Don't tell me it's a long trip, you should have told me you were going somewhere." She said.
"I'll be back soon, I just took a few days off to settle some personal issues." He replied.
"Okay, if you say so, anyway, on Friday my brother, Natasha, the guys and I are going to have a movie night, it's going to be really fun and I had intentions of inviting you, so will you be able to make it back before then?" she asked.
Benjamin was technically the only friend she cared about and actually wanted to hang out with, and what better way to do that than invite him to family outings and events?
"I don't know if I'll be back by then." He said.
"Aww okay, it's no problem at all, you can come next time."
"Sure, next time." He replied.
"So since you're not home and I'm not allowed to go into your house, how am I supposed to get my purse?" she asked him. Thinking about it, it was weird that he remembered she left his purse at his house when he's not there, which meant he was thinking about her and that was more than enough to put a smile on her face.
Benjamin sighed, he knew where she was going with this.
"You can just wait for me to return before you get it back, after all, you did say it was not important." He replied.
"Yes, but now that you reminded me, I think one of my credit cards is in there and I plan to do some online shopping later, which means I need it." She smiled mischievously.
Even though Benjamin could not see her face right now, he knew she had her usual playful, annoying smile on her face.
"I know where you're going with this Louise and I can't believe I thought you wouldn't be annoying for once." He shook his head hearing her giggle.
"Well I don't care, can I go get my purse or what?" she laughed.
"You can go, but just don't touch anything, leave everything the exact way you found it." He instructed.
"It must be a quick in and out mission." He said.
"Got it, quick in and out mission. Don't worry, I won't touch your stuff. I have to go now, see you when you get back, hugs and kisses and I hope whatever personal thing you are taking care of gets resolved." She said quickly before ending the call.
Benjamin sighed and shook his head. Lulu was just too much for him to handle sometimes. He did not even know why he called her anyway.
"Joy, come on dear, let's go back home, I have to start making lunch." Lulu said putting her phone in her pocket and picking up Maggie who had been exploring the park on her own.
"Awww, okay." Joy said getting off the swings and running to hold her hand.
...
"Joy, be a good girl, sit here in the living room and watch tv, don't go anywhere okay?" Lulu asked. She had a feeling it was better Joy stayed out of the kitchen while she cooked so that way she would be able to focus.
"Okay Aunt Lulu, but can Maggie stay here and watch tv with me?" Joy asked taking off her shoes.
"Oh... I don't know about that sweetie, I don't think your mom would allow her stay inside, especially not in the living room, she could destroy things in there." Lulu said shaking her head.
"Oh but Maggie won't do that Aunt Lulu, she's a good girl, and also my mommy lets me take Maggie in the house sometimes." Joy said.
"Is that so now?" Lulu asked, and as if Maggie was listening she clucked agreeing with Joy's nodding.
"Yes she does. We will just be in the living room watching tv, I promise Maggie won't destroy anything, please?" Joy pleaded.
Lulu did not look too sure about that, but she eventually gave into the pressure of Joy's cute pleading eyes and Maggie's clucking.
"Oh alright." She said as she handed Maggie to Joy.
"Yayyyyyyyy, thank you Aunt Lulu, thank you so much." Joy said excitedly as she rushed off into the living room with Maggie.
Lulu sighed and giggled as she shook her head. She took off her shoes and walked into the kitchen.
"Now to get started on lunch." She said to herself. She brought out a pot and began to boil water on the stove.
She had to be grateful that unlike her big brother, she actually knew how to cook. Courtesy of watching her mother in the kitchen almost all her life.
She decided to make macaroni and cheese. It was quick, simple and easy. She had to admit she was not as skilled in the kitchen as Natasha, but she was certainly better than her brother Dom.
Lulu hummed as she moved in the kitchen. She was so engrossed in the task at hand that she forgot about Joy.
...
Joy laughed watching tv with Maggie. She placed her down and she began to roam instantly.
"Hey, Maggie, don't poke or prick anything." She said as the chicken turned to her almost as if she had heard her.
"I will be right back, I am going to change." She said to Maggie before rushing upstairs.
Joy took off her blouse and wore something with a short sleeve, then she rushed back downstairs only to find Maggie on the couch.
"Be careful, don't rip the couch." She said carrying Maggie and placing her on her lap as she sat down on the carpet.
...
Lulu put everything to a boil, she was satisfied with herself, then she suddenly remembered Joy.
"Joy, is everything alright?" she asked as she walked out of the kitchen into the living room.
"Yes Aunt Lulu, I am fine." She giggled.
"Alright, just checking on you." She said making sure the living room was still intact, which luckily it was.
"Okay." Joy giggled as Lulu returned to the kitchen and sighed. Being a parent was hard work, you always had to make sure you check on your child at all times.
"Kind of worrying." She said to herself shaking her head.