Chapter Eighteen

KELECHI'S POV

   When I woke up the next morning, I was not shocked when I found myself in Ben's room. I didn't scream. I didn't push him away because I knew I probably sleep walked here.

    We grew up here in this house. This was our room before my late mum (may her soul rest in peace) decided that we were suddenly opposite genders and shouldn't be sleeping in the same room. It was a bit awkward at that time because my monthly visitors started and I was still trying to get used to the fact I was going to bleed from my lady part. And mum wanted me to behave myself around boys. Like I was going to get pregnant if I stayed beside any boy.

  Now I think about it, that was the time Ben relocated to UK.

   "Good morning." Ben murmured as he got out of bed.

   "This is turning to a habit. Maybe we should exchange rooms. I pack my things here and you pack your things to my room. That way, I won't sleepwalk to anybody's room. " It sounded so simple when I explained it like that. Ben only sleepily nodded at me before going to his bathroom.

  I checked my phone like I always did every morning. Checking WhatsApp status for something to distract me a little. Laughing at a few memes I saw, I got a message from an unknown number. Clicking it open, I could tell who sent it.

   So you sent Agbero¹ to beat me up. Issoright²...

   I blocked him immediately. I did not want to have anything to do with him. I was still a bit shaken on what had happened that evening. It was only two days ago, so, I'm permitted to feel vulnerable.

***

  "Meso, that sugar is enough for your tea!" Mommy Meso, Uncle Joe's wife. Everyone was on the table except Uncle Joe, my dad and Uncle Sam. Baby Gozie was on his mummy's lap. He was the happiest one on the table. With an adorable smile, he kept playing with his mum's hair. Probably counting it. He's only nine month old. So, I'm not surprised.

"But mummy, I'm a growing child." Meso murmured as she stirred her cup of tea.

"Which kain³ growing child? It's only Gozie here that is a child." She retorted before noticing that Ify was adding too much butter to her egg. "Ify, stop that." She took the butter away from her reach.

"Children sef. Don't mind them. That's how they'll be packing all these sweet sweet⁴ things in their body." Mama contributed to the little drama happening.

Aunty Carol, who everyone had been avoiding since she came decided to contribute to the matter. "I hope my child won't give me too much wahala o!" She rubbed her protruding belly as she spoke.

No one said anything.

We really were avoiding her. We still didn't like what she had done. Aunty Carol was the number one drama queen I know. That is, aside mama. She lived for violence. She was the type of person you avoided if you wanted peace of mind.

"Promise mummy, you hear. When you come out, you will not give mummy headache." Aunty Carol started talking to her baby in the stomach.

"After eating, everybody should prepare. We are going to check our Christmas and New year clothes." Mama announced. She had gotten everyone's measurements months ago for the occasion. Mama was a fashionista. Despite her age, she was always in style. Last thing she would want was her family embarrassing her outside with their lack of fashion sense. So, she insisted on having her fashion designer making our Christmas and New year outfits.

Aunty Carol thinking mama included her smiled. I laughed inside because I knew mama had not included her. Who would have known she was going to appear out of the blue for our Christmas get-together, pregnant. Certainly, mama with all her spirituality could not have seen it coming.

Smiling to myself, I kept eating my delicious breakfast of tea and bread with akara⁵. Ben noticed me smiling and was puzzled. He must be thinking I have finally snapped.

"Mama, I didn't know you have been sewing my Christmas and New year outfits." Aunty Carol asked in happiness. "Thank you, mama!"

"Don't thank me o! I did not include you o! Ah! How would I have known you were joining us this year with a baby on the way?" Mama being the action woman that she was, did not waste time clearing the misunderstanding.

Mama obviously was not happy about what Uncle Sam had done. After all, how was she going to explain it when she faced the ummuada⁶, the CWO, her fellow women? How was she going to explain that her son had gotten his sister-in-law pregnant out of wedlock?

Despite how disappointed she was, she was not going to turn away a pregnant woman. Especially one pregnant with her grandchild.

"Ohh! That's why I was surprised." Aunty Carol replied awkwardly.

"Don't worry, we can get you something to wear quickly. The material we used for the clothes might remain. " Mama tried to lighten up the mood.

Abruptly, Ben left the dining room.

GLOSSARY

Agbero: hoodlums/ thugs in Yoruba.

Issoright: meaning "it's all right" mostly used in a disapproving tune.

Kain: it can be replaced as "kind of" . It is a pidgin English.

Akara: Bean cake. Very delicious with bread by the way.