She jolted upright in her seat, startled, before bowing her head in greeting.
It was a sign of deep respect, usually reserved for elders or those highly esteemed.
Timothy was still trying to figure out what was troubling her when his aunt emerged from the passageway, beaming.
"Your uncle is in the bedroom! He's calling for both of you," she announced cheerfully.
"Alright," Timothy responded, suddenly remembering the bag he had been carrying.
He opened it and pulled out an assortment of canned food and snacks, mostly for the children and his siblings.
He handed a large Snickers bar to his sister, who hesitated before reluctantly accepting it with a quiet
"thank you."
He noted her lack of enthusiasm, she usually loved Snickers.
Maybe her tastes had changed, or maybe something else was bothering her.
For his uncle and aunt, he had brought along some cooking ingredients and a small 12kg sack of fine-grain rice.
