Twelfth:
The Fifth Day of Christmas
“How is your job going” My dad asked me immediately I made myself comfortable in the parlour. “ you know we have not had the time to discuss since you came in the day before” he said folding the newspaper.
“Yes sir and I’m sorry about that. It’s actually my fault” I apologised picking up the remote control and reducing the volume of the television.
“It’s your mum’s fault, her and your aunties” my dad said smiling and in that split second I saw how old my dad had gotten. He had always had zero hair on his head and face so there was no white hair showing to remind me that he was getting old, but as his smile spread on his face at the mention of mum I saw my greatest fear. My parents were getting old, was there any way I could freeze their age while grow?
“ Job di fine” Job is fine I answered smiling back.
“Idikwa sure?” Are you sure? He asked. If there was anything my parents enjoyed doing it was peppering everything thing they said with Igbo, “Igbo Amaka” Igbo is beautiful they would say every time you drew their attention to it. Growing up in Lagos a place where most people either spoke English or Yoruba my parents had made sure my sister and I had learnt our language. We weren’t opportune to always visit the village as both mum and Dad were too busy. If I hadn’t met Amaka in secondary school I probably wouldn’t have known I had cousins somewhere. It was only few years ago that my parents had decided to retire and head back to the village. Also, my sister’s ankara business needed her to be close to where she could get the materials in very large and cheap quality. Chetachi was into using ankara materials to make book covers.
“ I have decided to not say a word for a long time now but Nna, are you okay?” My dad asked with a subtle voice.
“ it’s just work stress, the buildings and plans are actually more stressful than I thought” I answered.
“ You know, since the last building collapsed in Lagos we’ve been given new rules and guidelines to make sure such doesn’t ever happen again and as an Architect that simply means more work for me” I added as he nodded his head in understanding.
“ I understand what you are saying and my heart goes to the families that lost their loved ones in that accident, your mum cried her eyes out that faithful day” he said, I loved the way that in all he said and did he always had a way of roping my mum into it.
“But I am asking if you are okay in the sense that since you started working we’ve not heard you mention a girl. Are you no longer interested in pushing the Aguchukwu name forward?” He asked making me laugh.
“It’s not a joking matter Nna” he added.
“I’m sorry Dad, but here I was thinking something else but boom!! You drop this” I said laughing hard.
“I’m fine dad just that I’ve not met anyone yet”I reduced my voice when I said the yet causing him to look at me suspiciously
“ this your answer is not straight forward and you know women and shakara. The very first time I met your mum…” he started the story of how much tough it had been for him to woo her “when she said yes to me and put on the gold ring I had wished I had even gotten her five golden rings because she deserves it and more in fact all she needs to say is the words and I will get them for her” he finished off.
“Get me what!” My mum asked walking into the parlour with smiles
“Nothing Nkem” my dad answered immediately causing me to laugh
“It has to be something, this one that Chike is laughing “ she added moving to my dad “you will still tell me later” she said winking at my dad as I laughed hard at their attempts.
“ I came to ask what you will want to have” mum asked and I saw that as an opportunity to escape my dad and his talk.
I was sneaking out of the parlour when my body collided with another’s. “sorry” I apologised and looked up only to be tongue tied .
“Odi okay” I almost burst out at her attempt to speak Igbo but held myself
“Chike!” Amaka interrupted us with a scream and a hug drawing my dads attention to me.
“Chike bia,bia we are not done having our talk” Chike come, my dad called me snapping out of the world he had been lost in with mum.
“ I need to talk to Amaka .Dad, talk to her” I said pushing the lady in red who was now in green slightly into the parlour and dragging Amaka into my room.
“Who is she?Whats her name?” I asked immediately I shut the door.
YourPenship
David Vera Sorochi
Edited by : Ezinne Ikoro
To be Continued
Te allure of this write up ??