...

"MY MOM IS coming tomorrow." my mom said during our dinner that Sunday.

"Oh God!" I thought.

That was not quite okay with me. My grandma was a person you won't believe. She's one of those 'Ta-rie' individuals. You know what I mean? She would always throw questions sometimes in Igbo language like, 'I g'atakwa oka? I g'atakwa ugba? I g'eri kwa achicha?' And so many others. She always want those around her to eat like gluttons. She doesn't believe much on foreign foods especially all the packaged food we eat daily. She believes in local dishes and according to her, It's more healthier. She said it was local foods that made her strong even at old age but I believed she was just exaggerating; old age is still old age and I didn't think she was any strong. All old people including her are all feeble, so local dish or not, if you get old, you are old.

Back to my grandma's queries; she was just persistence when it comes to her food query. She would even ask me when ever am done eating, 'are you filled? Are you sure?' she would even ask if I would eat her own portion of food; sometimes I would just stare at her tiredly as she queries me. 'Will you eat rice? Will you eat beans or would you prefer rice and beans?' She won't even allow me to answer the first one, she would throw another. Sometimes out of frustration, I would just consecutively answer 'no-no-no-no' to her questions but one thing would just catch my attention, 'will you eat AGBUGBU?'

Some call it 'fio-fio' as the English name but I don't think so. Fio-fio is never inside any English dictionary. For me, agbugbu is the Igbo name while fio-fio is the African name, but anyhow, I never played with it. I love it with all passion; my granny would just prepare it with delicacies most likely achicha and I would descend on it like a man who just came back from exile. My grandma had this attribute of a good cook. Even at old age, she cooks great. Sometimes I wonder between my mom and her who cooks the best. But anyways, I think Ezeagu women are the best cooks in the whole world. They are all blessed with that gift of cooking best.

Now the news of her coming didn't sound much impressive to me though she's the only grand relative I had. My father's parents are dead but I didn't think he was an orphan. Orphans to me then were children whose parents are dead, but my dad is not a child so he's not an orphan. My mom only had her favorite mom. Sometimes I even wondered if my mom actually have a father; it just as if her father never existed. No one mentions his name. I haven't seen any of his pictures. I think her father died when she was still a baby, believe me.

As I was saying, the news of my granny's visit seemed so disturbing to me. I was already facing the tribulations of associating with Stephanie, now my grandma would just add to it. This two months was not going to be that nice. Don't misunderstand me; I didn't hate my grandma but she disturbs me a lot with her eat and food sermon.

I didn't notice that during my little trance of my granny's visit, I actually stopped eating.

"Joshua?" my mom called and I regained myself. "Are you alright?"

"Yes I'm fine." I replied.

"You barely touched your food, aren't you happy that granny is visiting?"

"No, it's not that," I lied. "I'm only worried about the talent show coming up in the next two months."

"Don't worry about it, I'm sure you will do great." my mom said with a smile to cheer me up.

"I know you will make us proud." my father added and my heart skipped a bit. I wasn't sure about that. "Oh God, please help me." I prayed silently.

It wasn't such a good idea; There was no way I was gonna associate with Stephanie without Henry and the rest of my classmates and friends been aware of it. They have known me to be a devoted misogynist and it would seem odd to them to see me for the first time with a girl not to talk of with Stephanie the holy.

That Monday, I was in class, behold Stephanie appeared from the air and approached me. "Hi Josh!" she said and I was shocked.

"Hi!" I replied reluctantly.

"You know," she continued. "I forgot to tell you about the schedule of our meetings yesterday."

I looked around and I saw how my classmates focused their attention on us surprised and I predicted what was going on in their minds; thank God none of my friend's were present; I was just facing only a few classmate inside and they weren't a real problem to me.

"Oh!" I managed to say. "What's the schedule?"

"It's three times in a week, first on Monday, during the leisure time, second on Wednesday, also during the leisure, then lastly on Friday…"

"During the leisure period." I said annoyingly cutting her short.

"No," she replied innocently with a smile. "Friday is after school hours not during the leisure."

"Okay, Okay I've heard you."

"Remember to come today during the leisure hours."

"Okay bye." I said trying to hasten her departure.

"Bye." she replied as she left with her smile which everyone have known her for. Each time you see her, She was always cheerful. I didn't think she ever had any problem.

Some of my classmate especially the girls was so transfixed as they wondered how I interacted with a girl like Stephanie without laying any insults on her, though I didn't quite gave her all my attention.

During the leisure period, I went to the choir club. Stephanie did the introduction. All the members of the club was surprised to see me among them especially the girls but they all welcomed me happily. You won't believe this but in everything I've done since I began making my own decisions, coming to the choir club seemed to me to be the most important. I enjoyed everything we did there. I decided to continue attending the club.

That evening, my grandma arrived but guess what? Her queries wasn't that much. She brought some Akara balls which I ate but not with much pleasure. My grandma even with a wealthy son in-law still does her local dishes herself; sometimes I concur with my granny in her saying that local dishes gives more nutrient than foreign ones. Each time I ate akpu which African name is fufu, I feel refreshed and more satisfied. Unlike the semovita and the foreign wheat we eat.

Back in school, my friends started noticing my absence in the senior cafe. Though I didn't attend the choir club on Tuesday and Thursday, yet I found it hard to go to the senior cafe again. Things were really changing in me and this time, it wasn't a trick, it was real and some of my friends have started noticing it.

"Josh?" one of my friend, Paul called me one day. "You have been acting strange lately, have you repented or what?"

The question kept me thinking for some moments. I felt a flow of guilt all over me. I knew beforehand that what we were doing was wrong but Paul's question made me feel like I was been deceived. One has to repent when he has sinned and Paul asking me if I have repented meant I've been sinning; although I knew that already but I felt a strange change in me. As for Paul, I gave him a disappointing answer. Even though there were some changes in me but I didn't change from being a misogynist.

At home, I did some practice but granny won't stop her speeches. Though sometimes I enjoyed her speeches because they were most times hilarious but right then, I had a talent show which was fast approaching to prepare for. My grandma was just like Stephanie; always happy and full of smiles. Maybe somehow Stephanie was related to her, but wait if Stephanie is related to her, then it meant she's also related to me. God forbid, Stephanie cannot and can never be my relative.

I become a habitue of the choir club as I never missed any of their meetings but sometimes I missed my old life. Something happened and it was so awful. Paul saw me in the choir club arena.

"Josh!" he called. "What are you doing here? Don't tell me this was what was keeping you from attending our meetings."

Frankly, I felt two different ways that moment. Firstly, I felt like shooting 88 bullets all at once into Paul's skull with my eye for exposing me in the presence of Stephanie (my church member) and Aunty Somto our teacher, then secondly, I felt like I should just disappear or evaporate to the sky or better still be swallowed by the ground because of how everyone in my new club was staring at me like I was in a court and was accused of something as I was expected to defend myself, but impossible, I would still stand and face everyone. That moment, I wished tomorrow should come as fast as possible so everything would just be a past, but no way, I will still have to face today while still waiting for tomorrow.

"Eyaa!" Paul said. "Okay nah, good luck."

He left with smiles and I could read the mockery hidden in his smiles. I could imagine how he was laughing behind me then. I knew something have gone wrong. My friends must all hear of this. This was such a great damage to me. Why should I even worry? Mouth will say and mouth will reply. I didn't have to worry.

After the practice that day, I left thinking of the Jamb questions I was going to face in the class from my friends and just like I predicted, it happened.

"Josh-Josh!" Henry shouted as soon as he saw me. "I heard you are the latest choir master in town, Is that true?"

I could sense the mockery smile written all over him. I had to cover up and defend myself.

"What do you mean?" I retorted playing angry.

"Paul said he saw you in the choir club." he said still smiling his mockery smiles.

"Yes and what's wrong with that? I needed to join a club."

"But I thought you were in the W.H club." James cheeped in.

"Yes, but Henry is in the club too and also in a drama club, so what's different about mine?"

"In all the clubs in this school, you chose the choir club." Paul added.

"That's because I was persuaded by my mom and Aunty Somto to join the club so I couldn't disappoint my mom." I lied.

"I could've thought so," Henry shouted. "I knew my guy couldn't just change like that."

"But even with that club, you should find a way to also attend our meetings in the senior cafe." James concluded as I smiled vigorously and nodded to it. "Ah so close." I thought.