Ben's POV
I had spent the first half of my life in Nigeria. That is approximately ten years. Ten years is enough to get attached to someone. And that someone for me was Kelly.
She was always the wild one while I was reserved, the one that always got us in trouble. She was so bold enough to drag one of grandma's hen by the feathers and feed it a piece of meat to prove that hens have teeth. It was a mother hen and she was just four. What kind of four- year old does that?
At four, I was not scared of hens. No, I was not scared. I was terrified of them, especially the mother hen with their puffed up chest and pointy beaks.
She was never the one to be bullied especially when she was the tallest in our class. But now, it seems she's stopped taking her growth pills. She's so short I can't believe I was once intimidated by her height.
She was always the impulsive one. She actually thinks after acting. It is really ironic that she loves Barbie, gentle poised Barbie when she is the female Captain Jack. There was a time dad stepped on her Barbie cassette mistakenly. She didn't even wait for apologies or explanation. She just jumped on dad screaming before biting his ear.
She later apologised after she was promised a new Barbie doll house and a collection of Barbie cartoon videos.
She is the type of girl that would rather apologises after the deed is done than to take permission or beg for it.
I have to admit she made my childhood interesting. At least until we ( my parents and I) relocated to UK. I guess that was when I realised how important she was to me. Though we met every Christmas, it was not the same. I always kept to myself. So, It was hard to making mates¹. It took me a few years to realise I liked her as a girl.
I was sure if she found out she was going to hit me on the head in an attempt to "restore my sense". Not to talk of my family. They would just book me for deliverance.
I knew she saw me as a brother and it hurt. Imagine your crush seeing you as her brother. I am sure many guys can relate to this. The difference is I am actually related to her.
At that time, I made conscious effort to stay away from her. I stopped calling more than five times a day. (Yeah, I really had it that bad.) I guess she noticed because she always asked me if I was angry with her.
As if I needed more problems, mom caught dad cheating and wanted a divorce (the divorce didn't go through). She later found out she had womb cancer and they had to remove her womb to save her life. She had been trying to conceive for years. Dad cheating and finding out she won't conceive again tore her. She was so depressed, she took her own life few days after the operation.
I didn't know she had cancer then until the time she had the operation. I was so wrapped up in my world I didn't notice she was depressed. What hurt me most was that the entire family knew she was sick. Even Kelly. And no one told me.
My mom's death was my breaking point.
I wished I paid more attention to her. I wished I told her how irreplaceable she was and still is. I failed her as her son. I couldn't handle living in the same house I lived with mom. When I go to the kitchen, I'd remember her smiling face when she cooked. She loved cooking. When I am in the sitting room, I remember how much she loved sitting on the sofa closest to the TV. Even the air freshener reminded me of her, reminded me of my loss. Mom loved the fragrance of flowers so she made it her mission to make the house smell like a flower shop. Everything in the house was a trigger. I missed her so much.
I blamed my dad for her death. If he had been faithful, she would not have been depressed when she found out she couldn't conceive again. If he had been a good husband and assured her that he would still love her if she couldn't conceive, she would still been alive.
I started pushing people (including Kelly) away. I just wanted to be by myself every time. I stopped coming for Christmas. Stopped calling everyone. I avoided everything and anything that reminded me of my family in Nigeria, though I was stuck with my dad in UK.
Kelly tried getting to me. She called, sent a lot of texts and even tried visiting me in UK. But I would always ignore her. I was mad at her and everyone for keeping my mom's sickness from me. She later got tired and "declared war" against me. Her words not mine.
Years later, I heard her mom died in the fire explosion at Otedola bridge. It was then my anger disappeared. Kelly was all I could think of. I wanted to be there for her, wanted to comfort her.
No one deserves to loose their mom like that. Definitely not my Kelly.
I understood how painful it was and I didn't want her to go through the pain alone.
The funeral happened days after her mom was announced dead. I came back rushing to her thinking she needed me.
When I got to her house, right in front of the gate, I saw her with a guy that is probably her boyfriend. He was holding her, comforting her, doing what I came to do. It seemed she didn't need me. Maybe all those years of avoiding her made her forget me.
So I did what I do best. I left. I know that wasn't the best decision ever. I didn't think she would like to see me. Not after snubbing her. If there is one thing Kelly hates most apart from being hungry, it would be snubbing.
I could not get it out of my head. The fact that she had a boyfriend. (Yeah, I'm sure he is her boyfriend. She posted him on her FB account and WhatsApp status.) I just could not tolerate seeing a guy get close to her in ways I couldn't. I needed to get close to her. Even if it's as her annoying cousin.
So when uncle Simeon ( Kelly's dad) somehow contacted me and informed me about the Christmas get together week, I seized the opportunity. I even came early. The get together is not until Monday, 21st but I came last night, on Friday, 18th.
She really was not happy to see me. When I came down to the living room to watch a football match, she started dragging the remote with me with just words.
Normal Kelly would have dragged me on my ear till I gave up the remote. Something was off about her. And I wasn't the cause. Hope it's not guy trouble.
I didn't know how to ask her what was wrong. So I went to my room. Minutes later, there was black out. That didn't stop me from watching my match. That is what my iPad is for. My TV substitute.
After the match, I became hungry. I hadn't eaten dinner cause it was late and it is almost afternoon now.
When I couldn't find anything cooked food in the kitchen, I decided to look for Kelly. Kelly always ate, so there was always something cooked.
I searched for her but couldn't find her. Ugh I couldn't believe she left the house without leaving food. The food was one of the things I liked about Nigeria.
How can I be in my home country and be forced to eating in a restaurant!
Grandma must hear this.
I tried using the gas cooker to prepare something to eat but it wasn't working.
Ughhhh!!!
I left my phone on the island and went to search for the ATM card uncle Simeon left me.
I had my airpod in my ear. So it wasn't a problem knowing when my phone was ringing. Immediately I picked the call, something exploded in the kitchen.
Shit!
I left the gas cooker on!
I found bits and pieces of my phone at the entrance of the kitchen. Everything shifted to the other side.
It was a little explosion. Thank Goodness it was not big enough to destroy the house and me in it.
I couldn't call anyone. My phone exploded and I didn't have any contacts on my iPad.
I decided to change my clothes and leave with the little cash I had in my wallet. Someone somewhere might accept pounds in exchange for food.
And that is how I ended up with a girl. She looks good but not as good as her. We met at a restaurant outside the estate. When I had problem paying for my meal with my currency, she had offered her money (obviously in naira) in exchange for mine. I didn't care if the exchange value was accurate. I just wanted to have my meal in peace. And she helped.
We had been talking for hours in the restaurant ( or rather she had been doing the talking and I was just there, ignoring. I had tried different blunt ways to say ' bye ') until we decided to leave. Or rather I decided to leave. She followed me. She just couldn't get the hint that my only interest was getting food. She had offered help, I had taken it. Simple. Why was she still with me?
" Wow! It's evening already" she said once we were outside.
I used that opportunity to say " Yeah, it's late. I need to go home."
" You're right."
I could not stop myself from smiling. I was going to be free from her.
" Goodnight" and bye. Hope I never see you again… unless I'm hungry and looking for someone to exchange currencies with.
"Goodnight" she sounded off as she stared at something at my back.
I didn't see her. I just felt her dragging me. With the way she was handling, she was probably angry. I might end up with bruises on my perfect hand.
"Woah! Slow down tiger."
It was when she turned to face me, I understood how angry she was. There are three types of anger Kelly has.
Level one anger: that is the normal one she has for no good reason. She can be angry because you are taller than her or you are smiling when she is not in a good mood.
Level Two anger: it happens when you say or do something against her. I tell you. She can not be a lawyer. She would probably explode when a judge settles on a verdict that is not in her favour.
Level three anger: is the highest level. That was the type of anger she had.
Her delicate chocolate lips was scrunched up in an adorable way ( telling her that would make things worse. Let me let her believe she looks intimidating.) Her chest rose up repeatedly as she huffed for air, trying to control her anger.
"What –" she was about to explode so I apologised quickly for whatever I did that made her angry.
"Sorry, okay? I'm sorry."
She paused and started touching my head turning it to check for something.
"Ben are you alright?" She asked
I did not understand what she was trying to do until she placed the back of her hand on my forehead.
"Oya stop!"
" What happened in the kitch- " she got interrupted by a call. From her facial expression, uncle Simeon must be the one calling.
" Hello dad"
Said it!
A/N
Mates¹ : British way of saying friends.
That is the longest chapter ever. And coming from Ben. Seems he's more of a storyteller than Kelechi.