Twelfth: The second day of Christmas
Did I want to be here? Definitely not but since it was Mum’s welcome party how dare I miss it?
I didn’t understand the whole welcome party thing but who was I to question the things my mum did, if you dare raise a brow at her she would start her fake tears of how she wished her husband was still alive then maybe she wouldn’t be begging me. The same trick she used to get me down to Nigeria. Somehow I wished I had gotten married last year as planned then I would have had a perfect excuse like my siblings to stay back in Canada.
I stared at my Dada’s pictures at my bed stand and smiled, we had insisted on framing the picture of him standing near a statue of Two turtle doves because he looked heavenly.
“ because of you Dada” I murmured as I pulled my gown over my head and stepped out of the room to meet my cousins who always thought it was cool to try to sound like me when talking to me.
“Why is everyone staring Amaka?” I asked my bestie as I hugged her.
“ you have a way of announcing your presence girl” she whispered making me laugh.
“Desire you look good” she said smiling “ you don’t look bad yourself girl” I replied laughing again She was one person I had kept in contact after my parents had up and decided that Nigeria wasn’t a good place to raise us. I had just started Jss2 then, finally about to start enjoying the secondary boarding school life when Dada came home all smiles “I got a better job offer”.Normally, it should have taken a lot of time to process our papers but everything had happened in less than a month. So before I could say “jack” I was crying with Amaka at the back seat of the car dropping us at the airport. We swore and promised to be best friends till death.
“ Good-day Aunty, Uncle ” I greeted everyone as I followed Amaka in search of a new table. She knew how much I hated my cousins speaking weirdly in the name of intonation.
“Chike how tall are you now?” Amaka asked the tall dark guy standing near us. I turned to the other side trying so hard to not notice him and look thirsty like the girls around us. From the mirror reflecting his image I could see he was an eye candy.
“Tall enough “ his deep voice echoed into my ears.
“I love your gown” he complimented me, that’s how it starts, always with a compliment.
“Oh thank you” I replied trying to end the conversation there. I wasn’t interested in small talk, in fact I wasn’t interested in any talks right now. I turned to get a clearer picture of his face then turned away from him stroking my wine glass as I ignored mum’s advances to make me come to her side.
“ What’s this design?” He asked trying to touch my fabric but immediately I hit his hands.
“Do you want to act dumb or something? It’s obviously a partridge in a pear tree” I replied him then turning to Amaka, I excused myself and walked towards my mum.
YourPenship
David Vera Sorochi
Edited by : Ezinne Ikoro
Okay I’m glued!!
Thank God my glue is still working!!!
Wow