CHAPTER NINE

KAFFY'SPOINT OF VIEW

I took the nearest cab home, wondering what drama had gone down again at home. I hit my favourite playlist REBEL. ‘Numb by Linkin Park’ started to play. I plugged in my earphones, enjoying the blast, the lyrics hitting so close to home.

I was born to an immigrant Nigerian father and a Nigerian-American mother of arabic roots. I love my parents to death but sometimes, my dad freaked me out. He was determined to not let our Nigerian heritage disintegrate so he literally ruled the home with a strict hand.

My father, Olabiyi Olotu was quite the traditional man, but compared to his relatives, he was super liberal. My siblings and I used to joke about how he had a plan drafted for each of us as soon as we were born but heck… that was not a lie.

Carefully, he had planned every single path of our lives. My elder brother, Malik was a mechanical engineer, prim and proper, always following his rules, though I suspect, he might be up to something.

My elder sister, Aisha was a successful gynaecologist and engaged to the love of her life, Ahmed. My immediate elder sister, Aliyah,who happened to be my favourite sibling, was a renowned lawyer and public speaker There was me, whom dad wanted to study nursing, and my little twin siblings, Sami and Amal.

Honestly, I wonder how mom copes with dad. She has always been sweet and softspoken but beneath all that was a strong woman of steel. To conform, she tried ao hard to dumb it down and boost dad’s fragile ego.Sometimes, that rebel rears out its head but she tries so hard to suppress and subjugate it. I believe she struggles between the indoctrination and conditioning she has undergone, and the unlearning she is going through.

I entered the house which was as silent as a graveyard. ‘Kafayat!’ mom’s breezy voice called. I walked to her and was about to kneel when she pulled me up, ‘Honey, don’t do that.’ She hugged me, ignoring my protest.

Farah, my mom, whom we called Um was a light skinned woman who was tall and blessed with curves. She was plump and so beautiful, she turned heads wherever she went. She was very intelligent but sadly, downplays that. She was a very complex personality and I wished so much that I could read her.

She smiled sadly, her blue eyes filled with grief, ‘Ibnah, your father had to go sort out an emergency. Your cousins would be coming over to America and staying for quite a while. I want you to be prepared.’

I was about to say something when she interrupted, ‘Your uncle died last night of an illness. Everything is a mess right now. Your cousins will be staying over for a long time. Three of them are minors so we’d be adopting them.’

I sighed, wondering how dad would be right now. He might be the most stubborn man I know but he loved his younger brother with all his cold heart.

TRINA'S POINT OF VIEW

Kaffy had to go home urgently. I had been quite worried about her. I had sent several messages but she hadn’t replied. Chloe, on the other hand, didn’t pick my calls. None of them had replied to my messages on our group chat.

I arrived home an hour later than usual because I went to a small store which had a section dedicated to fashion. The scent of that store made me calm and creative. I got a volunteer on whose face I tried new techniques of make-up. I left there with an elated mood and the business card of an old woman who was intrigued.

I took a shower and changed into a tank top and shorts. I walked into the kitchen to see mama and my two grandmothers cooking up a storm. The aroma of biscuits permeated through the kitchen.

I smiled at them and greeted them with hugs and kisses. My family was large and filled with so much love, it was almost choking. The downsides were just that there was no privacy and everyone was in your business and tried to influence your decisions.

My maternal grandmother, Carina and paternal grandmother,Adriana were best of friends even though they came from different cultures and heritages. They made up a small percentage of why mom and dad were still together.

People often commented on how lucky I was with my large family and how ‘exotic’ I was. Some thought I had the perfect life however that was far from true. I almost never felt like I fit in.

I did not look black or spanish enough. I did not fit into the stereotypical box of a spanish girl. I could cook but I did not enjoy the activity. My grandmothers had nearly given up on me.

I had the most loving family but they weren’t so supportive when I declared my intentions of being a make-up artist. Mama thought it was a phase. Only papa was supportive, though not so openly.

The grandmothers ruled the home and would stoop to emotional manipulation and whatnot to get whatever they wanted. Together, they were a horrible unstoppable pair.

After having dinner at 6pm, I hit the gyms. It was some obsession I held onto strongly. After punishing myself for having some bowls of icecream and several cookies, I took another shower.

I was about to take a nap when I saw a text from Kaffy. I called her and she really sounded gruff.

‘Hey girl. What’s up? You don’t sound good,’ I asked. Kaffy sighed, ‘I am fine.’

‘No,You are not fine,’ I retorted.

‘Let’s wait for Chloe. I don’t want to repeat myself,’ She admitted.

We called Chloe who seemed to be in a worse mood. Her voice was husky like she had just finished crying.

‘Chica, you alright?’Kaffy asked. Sniffling, Chloe replied, ‘Yeah. I don’t want to bother you guys with my issues. It seems like that’s what we keep going on about. The world doesn’t revolve around me.’

I didn’t know when I cut her off, ‘Babe, it’s fine, okay? You have us.; That’s why we are here.What are friends for? To only eat junk and talk about boys? No! And I’m talking to you too, Kaffy.’

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