P for Perfect

Chapter 49- Osas

I'm tired- Jibril

The wedding's over. Tiwa and I stand in front of the hotel, watching as the elders wrap things up. There's a lot of hugging and crying that I do not partake in, far from it, I'm highly irritated by everyone. Perhaps it's that time of the month.

"There's your father," Tiwa nods her head towards Mark is standing. Him and John are in an animated conversation and their faces are hearty, the joyous relationship between father and son-in-law.

I want to go home.

"You should smile, your sister's going to her husband's house. Have you spoken to her?" Mum says in one breath, coming to stand in front of us.

"Yes," I lie. Winnie's been very busy. Also, if she saw me like this she'd know something was up immediately. I might be a pain in the neck but I'm not selfish.

"Help then pack those gifts. We'll be leaving in a bit," she dismisses us.

"What's wrong with you?" Tiwa asks softly as we arrange the gifts. I look up and find her watching me worriedly.

"I don't know," I admit. Since that conversation with Mark yesterday I've been...dead. This sudden realization hit me that I'm alone in this world. Tiwa was wrong, I don't have a mum or a dad. They're both living for themselves and themselves alone. Do they care? Yes, that's what they say. But what do they do to show it? Absolutely nothing.

"Will you get better when you meet your friends?"

"Probably," I shrug. The image of Travis and Faith fill my head. The sarcastic bunch of people I've surrounded myself with. Maybe they'll help me. Maybe in a couple of weeks all of these emotions would have washed away.

••••

I collapse on my bed with a loud sigh. Gosh, what a way to spend my day! Part of my brain is worried about the things I've got to catch up with at school but the other part of me is too lazy to care. I force myself out of the bed and into the shower to freshen up, after which I throw on my joggers and go downstairs to make a smoothie.

"Winnie's calling!" Tiwa shouts from her room upstairs. I finish up with the smoothie as she approaches the kitchen. It's a video call.

"You guys just left! You didn't even wait to see me," Winnie complains. Tiwa turns the screen so she can see me and I immediately look away.

"We waited nau, it wasn't until around 3 we left there. It's just that you were busy," I say loudly.

"John and I are still coming to see you guys. We're staying at the apartment nearby for this week so we'll be visiting a lot of people," she explains.

"So we can pop up anytime?" Tiwa perks up.

"Yes!"

"Is your father staying?" I ask, finally turning to look at her. She's still wearing her make up.

"I honestly don't know. You guys spoke right?"

"Technically," I shrug.

"Which one is technically?"

"I'd rather not talk about it. I've gotta run Winnie, I'm meeting my friends," I tell her. Before Winnie can speak Tiwa does the dutiful act of hanging up the phone.

"Are you really meeting your friends?" She asks me.

"Not exactly, I'm showing up unannounced."

"Whose place are we going to?"

"Yamíl's." I drown the rest of my smoothie and throw the cup into the sink. We exit the kitchen and then the house.

••••

We aren't the only ones crashing at Yamil's. Tiwa and I meet Jibril and Travis outside the house, both holding bottles of Sprite in their hands.

"How far?" I hala from behind them. When they turn around Travis's face goes bright with surprise almost immediately.

"Guyyyyy!!" He shouts, running to hug me.

"I missed you," I say as we hug each other tightly. When he releases me Jibril and I do the popular handshake and side hug.

"When did you get back?" He asks. Looking up at his soft face I can sense a slight change in his demeanor. He sounds strange...distant.

"Today actually."

"Where's my rice?" Travis demands. I roll my eyes, ignoring his question, instead I glance at Tiwa.

"I don't believe you've met. Tiwa, Jibril and Travis; Jibril and Travis, Tiwa," I introduce.

"Nice to meet you," Travis says curtly. Tiwa flashes her smile at them in return.

"Where's Yamíl?" I ask, looking past Jibril and towards the house.

"He's actually on his way out. I mean, we were going out," Travis tells me, his voice a bit too loud.

"To where?"

"Um...the beach?"

"You mean my backyard? Because there's a pool and the sand is like, beachy?" Travis quickly intercepts Jibril. I'm about to mention how comical the whole situation seems when Yamíl comes out of the door.

"Hey!" He grins at me. I don't miss the nervous glance he gives Jibril and Travis.

"What's up?" I ask in greeting. We shake each other and he shakes Tiwa as well. She doesn't know but he already knows she's my sister.

"I'm good. You just came back?" He asks. Travis and Jibril push our small crowd towards the street.

"Yeah. You okay?" I tilt my head. Tiwa has easily squeezed herself between Travis and Jibril and they're all talking animatedly about God knows what.

"Yeah, why?" He tilts his own head.

"You seem nervous."

"Ignore me. How was the wedding?"

"Eventful."

"You met him?"

"Yes."

"How'd it go?"

"Nothing fruitful. Anything happen while I was away?"

"Oh boy," he whistles. "You, my dear friend, are in for a surprise."

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Counting down to the final chapter🙈