Twelfth: The Fourth Christmas Story by David Vera Sorochi

Twelfth

The Fourth Christmas Story

“What is that guys name again?” I asked Amaka immediately we woke up from sleep.

We had gone to bed exhausted from the party Amaka had thrown for me.

As much as I had not wanted to be present for my mum’s welcome party there was no way I wouldn’t be present for my own party.  During the party I had met former classmates and friends that I had long forgotten their existence. I had Amaka near me all night snapping fingers, hugging different people while giving fake laughs as she reminded meof who each person was.

“Which guy? There were many guys at the club.” Amaka said while laughing out as I can only imagine that the previous night had flashed before her eyes. We had drank and danced like no one was watching and in all honesty no one was actually watching.

“Aje you can still dance” Amaka remarks as she laughs and hits my shoulder.

“I’m talking about the one you said has gotten taller at mum’s welcome party” I asked curious to know who the guywas.

He had looked different from the other guys at the party; the other guys had all been putting on suits with ties while he had been dressed casually which singled him out and sort of felt to me like he was screaming ‘I do not want to be here’

“Ohh Chike” she answered yawning loudly

“Chyke? Who is Chyke?” I asked

“Desire, it’s Chike” she corrected me

“Chyke? That’s what I said” I replied

“It’s Chike, Chi-ke and not Chy-ke” Amaka said stressing the pronunciation of the name.

“Chike?” I asked making her laugh, but before she could reply me, my room door opened slightly.

“Why are you both sounding like Four calling birds?” mum asked as she opened the door wider and walked into the room; “I’m sure the young man is somewhere sneezing his head off with the way you both have been calling out his name” she added.

“Mum! privacy please?” I asked her throwing the sheets over my body to cover my nakedness.

“Sorry, Amaka your mum called, they need you at home” mum told my best friend before leaving with a smile on her face.

“You know you should cut your mum some slack” Amaka said as put on her gown, “all she did, she did for you guys and for the good of the family with good intentions.”

“I understand but you can’t blame me for being pissed at her, she uprooted me from my life here without permission” I sulked.

“You are only talking about permission because you were given the opportunity to stay outside the country, some of us yearn for the opportunity you had” she added. “Some of your cousins crave for the things you have” she said shutting me up.

“ I’m sorry about my attitude” I apologised joining her to dress up.

“Don’t apologise to me Desire, the person you should apologise to is your mum not me. You have been holding on to an anger that has no justification for 16 years now which to me makes no sense” she added before we left the room.

I waited until Amaka had left my house before I went into mum’s room. Her room was the same as I could remember it felt like nothing had changed at all, the mirror was still where it had always been, the lamp stand and the lamp on it was still the same, so was the bible laid beside the lamp.

“Good morning mum can I talk to you about something?” I asked trying to avoid making eye contact with her.

“Good morning Desire, sure you can” she replied lowering her reading glasses and closing the book too sudden for me to notice the name of the book but from its spine I saw the name of the author written boldly ‘David Vera Sorochi’

“Nice book I guess?” I asked trying not to make it awkward.

“Yes it is, not your kind of book though. It’s a Christian novel” she said placing the book on the stand “I’m sure you are not here to discuss my reading choices Desire?” she questioned me

“Not really, actually, I’m here to apologize. I’m sorry Mum, I’ve been angry at you for a long time now, I’ve harboredthis whole bulit up anger at you and dada, more at you though for uprooting me from my comfort zone” I said with my head bent “it wasnt only about the fact that I was forced to leave the life I had here to start up another in another country, but also the fact that when we moved I was the only one in the house who wasn’t in college then. I had toendure being bullied for little and irrelevant things by the kids in school, this made me really angry because if you had not encouraged dada to make us move I wouldn’t have faced all those. I was so pissed that I didn’t even want to hear you out and just when it felt like I was finally adjusting to my new life you decided to move us back to Nigeria.” I said rolling my eyes at intervals.

“Come here my baby” mum said extending her hands for me to come close. I let myself hug her for the first time in a long time.

“I only insisted that we move because your dada and I wanted you three to have the very best in life, if we had knownthat you were bullied in Highschool trust me we would have moved you from that school.” she said patting my back as we continued to embrace each other. “Did we suspect that the move would be hard? Yes, and that was why we let you guys have the upper hands most times. We are sorry for the harm our decisions made but one day you will be a parent and you will understand that being a parent  comes with the responsibility of always wanting the best for your family” she added gently running her hand down my back to comfort me.

“We did not move back honey, Your dada is buried in Canada how dare us move back and leave him? Your siblings are there with their families I only suggested that you come back with me because I felt like you needed a clean break from your messy breakup and your job. If you decide at any point to return then we will book our tickets back.” she said making me sniff. “We are opportuned to have two homes and I intend to flex it anyhow “she said the last words making me laugh a little.

“I love you mum, I swear I do” I said releasing the hug and cleaning the tears on my face with the back of my hand.

“I never doubted that and I’m sorry if I ever made you question the love I have towards you all” she said and kissed my forehead. I was turning 26 soon but it felt peaceful having my mum kiss my forehead I extended my hands for another hug, she drew me close and gave me a tight squeeze which caused me to giggled as she released me from the hug.

“ I’m going over to Amaka’s, she mentioned something about her mum and her aunties making chicken soup” I told her before blowing her a kiss and leaving her room.

YourPenship

David Vera Sorochi

Edited by : Onwuzuligbo Judith