It felt as though I had a hangover, which was ironic because nothing touched my lips all night.
My head hurt really bad but my body was tired of sleeping. I rolled over and checked the time on my phone. 11;26 am
Sitting up slowly, I felt a lump rising in my throat. I missed mumsi and my siblings terribly. I also missed Daddy, but standing side by side with Mumsi, my mother wasn't a good mother.
I decided to call Mumsi, my heart beating in anticipation.
What if she doesn't answer? What if she no longer feels a sense of responsibility towards me since I'm not her…child?
"Adam nwanyi! My daughter, how are you?"
Mumsi sounds elated I called and this brings a smile to my face.
"I'm fine mumsi. I'm sorry I haven't been calling. How is Daddy and my siblings?" I asked.
"Oh nwam! I know you have been busy trying to focus on your studies my dear, it's not easy. Your mother cannot be angry with you for such a reason as that. Your siblings and father are fine Nnem. And we're glad you're okay. Oya Nne, tell me, how has school been?"
I start to tell her about school, leaving nothing out. I tell her about Benedict and Susan, I tell her about the party and Gigi. I even tell her about my mother, and her neglect.
We speak for hours, and Mumsi always has the right thing to say, and after our call, I feel relieved.
Before we end the call though, Mumsi tells me something comforting.
"Anytime you want to come back, if you feel slightly uncomfortable, come back home to your mother," Mumsi says comically and it caused me to laugh.
"Mumsi," I say after my laughter. "You know I'll be fine ma,"
"Of course, aren't you your mother's daughter? But Ada'm nwanyi cannot be uncomfortable when she has a home. Innula'm?"
I laughed again. "Yes Mumsi."
My door opened slightly and my mother's head peeked into my room. My smile fell off my face instantly. Mother smiled and walked into my room, shutting the door sharply behind her.
"Good morning, mother," I managed to greet, my eyes glued to her the whole time.
She smiled, "Good morning darling, I noticed you came home early yesterday, did anything happen at the party?"
"Nothing happened." I replied dryly.
She looked unsure, like she didn't believe me, like she expected me to say more.
"You've been asleep all day, are you feeling sick?"
She asked.
"No," I replied again, dryly.
Mother nodded. "Breakfast is ready, mm?"
I nodded, with no intention to say anything else.
My mother and I stare at each other in silence, with words we want to say dancing on the top of my tongue.
"How is Mrs Ulomma?" She asked but I know she does not care at all. I reply still, because I know it's her attempt to talk to me.
"She's good." Then I stand up from my bed and go into the ensuite bathroom, deciding that I don't want to sit in that awkward silence anymore.
I don't come out until I hear the click of my door, signifying it was closed.
I hope into the shower after ensuring my door was locked, whilst playing NF's hope album from a Bluetooth speaker I found in my room.
By the time I go down for breakfast, Tope and Tiwa are the only ones at the table, they are discussing about random things and Tiwa shoots me a death glare when she sights me. I roll my eyes. Bread and egg is served on the unnecessarily large dining table, and I take my seat quietly. Tope gives me a warm smile and tells me good morning and I return his greeting with a weird smile of my own. In no time, I'm done with my food and I get up and leave the table.
~
"Why am I so exhausted?" I scream into my pillow. I sit up and check the time on my phone.
2;56 pm
I throw on a blue top and black baggy jeans, wear my headphones and decide to go for a walk. I bump into Tiwa on the stare case.
She gives me a look.
"Where are you going to?" She asks
"I don't see how that's your business, Tiwa." I tell her and I give her a sarcastic smile.
Tiwa rolls her eyes and shoves me slightly while walking to the bottom of the stairs. She sits on the couch and grabs a remote to the television.
I roll my eyes and I walk out of the living room, and out of the gate. I increase the volume of my music to the highest one, and begin to walk aimlessly for thirty minutes. In the corner of my eyes, I see a little girl who looks five, trying to cross the road by herself.
My heart flies into panic mode.
Almost immediately, I spot a bus coming and U grap the little girl with so much force, even I am afraid.
The child looks at me with innocence that I know isn't feigned. She has pretty brown eyes and her light brown hair was packed into two pig tails.
"Are you out here alone?" I ask, as I bend down to her level.
She shakes her head.
"What is your name love?" I ask, as I pat her hair down.
"Angela." She says and I smile at her.
"You shouldn't be crossing the road alone, so nothing harmful happens to you. Okay?"
"Okay,"
"Who are you here with?" I ask her.
"My brother is playing basketball over there, and I wanted to get icecream." Angie explained, and I followed the location of her hand. Her brother was probably among the basketball players who were too deep into your game.
"I'll get you icecream but now, we have to cross the road and ask your brother for permission," I told her.
"But my brother plays for hours!" She groaned and huffed, folding her arms. Then she gasps and looks at me with a smile on my face.
"You can distract him!" She says "then I'll get my icecream!"
I laugh and shake my head at her.
"No child, grab unto my hand. Your brother needs to know you're safe," I tell her and she grumbles but holds unto my hand and we cross the road together.
As soon as she sees her brother, she skips to him, a wide smile on her face and he carries her up and spins her around. She laughs in excitement, and they begin to converse and she points at me. He starts walking to my direction, and, my gosh, he is tall. He's a light skinned boy with hazel eyes and light brown curly afro, and he looks like the older, male version of his sister.
"Hi, thank you for helping my sister cross the road." He says to me and I smile a bit.
"It's nothing. She's adorable, anyways."
"What's your name? You don't look familiar. Are you new here?" He asks
"Do you know everyone in the neighbourhood?" I asked teasingly.
He laughed for a bit– a beautiful sound.
"I just think I would recognise you, if I've seen you before." He said as he places his sister down.
"I'm Dalu."
"The Dalu?"
"What do you mean?" I ask in horror.
Have I been discussed already? It's just my first week.
"Everyone has been talking about you."
Everyone? "Who's everyone?"
He chuckles at me and offers a handshake.
"I'm Chinedu. I go to your school, or you go to my school..?" He trails off.
I shake his hand, still curious. "Nice to meet you."
"Would you mind, um sitting with Angie for a while? Practice ends in 30 minutes," Chinedu asks but I stare at him, waiting for him to complete his sentence. "Please?"
I shrug, "Okay,"
Angie grabs my hand and takes me over to the bleachers. I entertain her by giving her something to watch on my phone, while watching the guys play basketball absent mindedly. By the time 30 minutes is over, Chinedu comes to the bleachers and thanks me.
"It's nothing. Angie is adorable, we're like best friends, right Angie?" I ask and look over to the little light skinned girl. She nods with a wide smile.
"I have to get going now, I guess I'll see you around," I say to Chinedu and bend down to give Angie a tight hug.
On the way back home however, a fresh anger floods my systems as I remember that I was set up in that ridiculous party.