Episode 17

"Well... I will go to the kitchen and find out what we have for dinner, it's already getting late" I said looking at the wall clock.

"Can I join you?" 

"Why not, I enjoy your company babes!" We went into the kitchen together.

"Sorry that I can only keep you company, I don't know how to do any stuff in the kitchen," she confessed.

"Thanks for being honest, let me be your teacher, my teaching ability is a hundred percent sure bet and let me remind you, very costly" I joked.

"No problems, ma'am! How would you like to be paid, cash, transfer or check?" She played along.

We chatted until I finished making dinner while she only watched and gave me a hand when necessary.

She helped set the food on the dining table and she said she would invite Chris to come eat herself while I go and announce it to his parents.

"Sister Jennifer, feed me" Nancy said immediately she ran into the dinning.

"Don't you ever let your own sister rest, eat by yourself," my aunt said, sitting down on her usual spot.

"Is she your sister? She's my own sister alone" Nancy pouted her lips.

"Aunty sister owner!" My aunt laughed, I only smiled and lifted Nancy to a chair beside me to feed her.

"Where's Lisa?" Uncle asked, looking around.

"She went to call Chris for dinner" I answered as I busied myself with feeding Nancy.

"He isn't in the right state, she should have let him be, he will only get out of his shell if he has a quiet time alone to think" he said.

"I think so" Lisa said stepping carefully down the stairs, all eyes went to her, "he doesn't even want to open the door, he will get over it though"

My heart melted, why is he being childish, this isn't helping at all. 

The spoon I held fell off my hand…

I bent slowly and picked up the spoon while my uncle gave me a peering look, my aunt asked; "are you okay, Jen?" 

"Oh yeah, I'm okay, very." I answered quickly and fed Nancy with shaking hands.

"Lisa, let's just eat. I will talk to him in the morning, let him be for now" my uncle said and scooped food to his mouth.

Lisa sat down beside Nancy, her leg reaching for mine under the table. I started fighting my weakness to stop myself from crumbling.

As soon as Nancy said "Thanks mom... thanks Dad '' I excused myself to go inside but my uncle called me back.

"Sit down, Jen, your mother called me earlier and she said she wants you to come home, have you talked with her?" He asked.

"Yes, I...want to go back home but that's if you want me to" I replied relaxing a bit on the armchair. Nancy went to her mother.

"When would you like to go?" He asked and I felt happy he had my interest in mind.

"Whenever you think will be best uncle, I stand by your decision and that's why I told Mama to seek for your consent before I start making arrangements to travel" 

"You didn't have to do that, anyways, it's okay. If the weekend is okay with you, then I think you will have to go with your aunt to her shop before Friday to make a new hair and she will take care of any other thing you might need, hope you are okay with that?"

"Yes uncle, that would be nice" I accepted. 

"Ehm... Jennifer, come to my room for the paracetamol we talked about earlier today, you wouldn't want to go home sick, it sucks" my aunt called after me as I was already going upstairs.

"Okay, thanks auntie" 

When I got into my room, my heart beat leaped up when I found him seated on my bed, he looked up at me immediately he heard me come in, I felt afraid because of the look on his face.

"I'm sorry for... what happened earlier, it's not what you think" he said standing up, I moved backwards when he came close to me.

"Wh…what are you doing here, you scared me" I swallowed hard as my back went against the door.

"Why are you suddenly afraid of me? Have I grown horns overnight?" He asked, touching my cheek.

"Not like...see, Chris, don't touch me" I pleaded and pushed his hands into his pockets with a curse.

"Well, so you know, I didn't do anything stupid out there, just that you all neglect my efforts to say what happened exactly the way it is, the boys from last night saw me on the street and they recognized me" he stopped and looked into my eyes.

I looked down on my feet and apologized for causing him problem, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have gone out there in the first place" 

"That wasn't your fault, I didn't tell you so you would start blaming yourself, I just don't want you to think I had deliberately started a fight though in the state I was, I gave them tough time and the security men came in" 

I moved towards him and touched his face reluctantly, "there were blood stains on your face and body, did they hurt you?" I examined his face.

"It's not a deep cut to worry about, I inflicted a little injury on myself when I wanted to measure up to their acts" he said when I saw a cut on his neck.

"Sorry, those bastards..."

"Don't get upset by them, I am perfectly fine and I don't feel any pain at all, especially since you are here with me and your soft fingers are caressing me" he smiled and kissed my hair.

I moved away from him immediately and went to stand beside my wardrobe.

"Your hair still smells like heaven and your eyes remind of the stars" he said as his eyes followed me, his veins moved and I knew he stood at a place and his hands remained in his pockets because he forced his legs and hands to stay in one place.

"Why didn't you come out for dinner?" I asked to know if the topic will change.

"Because I know I won't be able to eat and I might end up undressing you with my eyes and the rest of the family will see the naked truth and wonder" he said.

"Okay, I want to sleep. Can you go to your room now?" I said in a cool voice.

"Won't you at least kiss me goodnight?" He scoffed with an inclination of his head.

"Chris, please go" I begged, avoiding his eyes.

He walked to me and dropped a quick kiss on my lips, "goodnight, love" he turned to leave but I didn't have enough strength to fight the demon that pushed me to hold him back.

"Chris, wait" he refused to look at me, "I'm really sorry if I'm causing you pain, I just want you to understand that I'm trying to do the best thing, this isn't easy for me as well and I know you are pretending to be okay because of me"

"I understand, Lisa and I talked and I also know it's the right thing to do, we are never going to be together forever, anyways" he said but he didn't turn to look at me.

"Thank you" I said and hugged him from behind, he didn't flinch, he stood rigid.

"When are you leaving?" He asked, I moved to stand in front of him and look at his face, it's a good thing he isn't crying but his jaw is clenched.

"Weekend" I said simply looking at his face but he wasn't looking at me, he looked past my head even when I touched the prickles of beared now visible on his chin.

I didn't fail to notice that hair had grown a bit on his head. That didn't change who he is and will always be to me. My lips still go dry and longed for his lips, he still smells the same and I still love him all the same.

"Then..." He managed and slowly reached for the door to leave, but I held him, went on tiptoe and placed my lips on his. 

"Goodnight...my prince charming" I whispered softly and released him, his larynx shook slowly as he swallowed and left.

I closed my door and leaned against it sadly. I stood like that for minutes before I wobbled to bed, sleep didn't cross my eyes and when I forced my eyes close, his face appeared.

I tried reading, I walked about and all other effort to get some sleep but it all proved abortive, I took another bath and even listened to Celine Dion's blues to know if it will lue me to sleep but that's even the worst because it talks more about love and heart breaks.

I slammed the phone when it started singing I'm naked, I stood up from the bed and thought of going to watch TV. It might help since I always get sleepy while watching it.

I opened my door to see him standing on his doorway staring at mine, "you can't sleep too?" He asked.

"No, I just...woke up and..." I was going to deny it but he came to me, took my hand and closed the door. 

"I will help you get some sleep, okay?" He took me inside his room and locked the door.

"You couldn't sleep?" I asked, perching on his bed.

"Yes, I keep wondering how we got this far. It's driving me nuts. I think about everything that has happened in the three weeks or so that you came here, just kind of a sweet sensation" he said frankly sitting down.

I placed my head on his broad chest and closed my eyes, "it's all very strange but the most exciting moments of my life, I'm crazy about you, Chris" 

He circled his hands around me, held me tight and placed his jaw on my head, "Me too, we are going to get over it soon, okay?"

"I pray so, maybe when I enter school, I will forget and live on if I put my studies first" I said slowly.

"Yeah, we will...let's go to sleep" 

We lay down on his bed, my head on his chest, I listened to the rhythmic thud of his heartbeat and I dreamt all the way to my world of fantasy…

The fairy tale ends in the morning…

My eyes fluttered open when the sun rays sipped in through his window and peered through my eyes.

I threw the sheets over my face and shut my eyes again, why should it have to be morning already? I don't want to wake up to all that sadness again.

"Hey babe! It's morning" I heard his voice as he tapped my leg.

"Shit! I got that" I cursed and sat up, he gave me a peck.

"I see that my bed is more comfortable, that's why you don't want to wake up" he mused.

"Wait! How late is it?" I jumped out of the bed at once.

"It's still early," he laughed. "Just go to your room, freshen up and join mom in the kitchen"

"Joy killer!" I picked up a pillow and threw it on his face, he caught it with his two hands and sent it flying back to me.

When I meant to dodge it, I hit my head on the wall and shrieked, "aaaaaaahhhh!" I fell on the floor and held my head as I continually winced.

"Jeez! Play gone wrong, I'm doomed" I heard him say as he came to hold me, the door opened just then and my Aunt came in.

"What's wrong, Jenny?" My aunt asked.

"Well...I think she hurt her head, she had come to wake me and I frightened her so she hit her head on the wall while trying to run" Chris replied sharply. Honest liar.

"Why would you frighten her like that, sorry dear, stand up" she helped me stand, "let's go to the kitchen, let me boil hot water and press it" 

"Aish!" I kept wincing as she led me out of his room, Lisa entered his room as we left, she's surely doing a good job holding back her laughter.

"Do big Aunties hit their heads on the wall?" Nancy questioned when we got into the kitchen.

"Before nko?" Her mother laughed.

"I don't want to be a big aunty again so that I will not hurt my head" she said and went to her father in the sitting room.

"That girl won't kill me, do you know what she said last night, she asked me to get out of bed that there can't be two women in a bed with just one man, I wonder who's teaching her all that" my aunt said.

"They teach a lot in school these days and I guess if her teachers didn't tell them something like that, then she saw on television or heard from another source, you know children nowadays" I specified.

"Yeah, probably," she commented. "The water is ready, let's go to the bathroom"