Love, Life and Everything In-Between

CHAPTER II Hello love... “Who’re you again?” I ask the strange woman that stood in our kitchen. But she looked at me, said nothing but smiled. Like, what am I suppose to do with your smile? Her gaze went from my mother to myself, I think she was thinking about what to do. Before I could say anything more, my mother moved quickly and embraced her. My mother is not the type that shows emotions but my mother was crying, just from hugging this woman. My mother! A real Igbo woman was crying! My dad came from behind and embraced them as well. At this point, I stopped eating my oats and I just stared. Like, what else can I do other than that? This is so confusing and uncomfortable. “nwa m nwanyị nọ n’ụlọ” (My daughter is home) That’s what my mother said, over and over again. I literally thought I was hearing double but let me not jump into conclusions yet. I had to cut the emotional reunion cos what was the meaning of all this? “Mum! Dad! What’s going on?” I said. They needed to understand that they had some explaining to do, I need to know right now. They looked at me, with so much emotion going through their faces and, honestly, they couldn’t hide it. I think they forgot I was in the room else this melodrama probably wouldn’t have happened. “My dear,” my father said “I would like to introduce you to your elder sister, Ada” “Ah!!! Sister ke!” I said to them. “Which sister are you talking about?” “Well…”my father said but my mother cut him off. “Don’t you have college to go to? When you come back, we will talk!” “But mummy, how do you expect me to…” “Just do as your mother says.” My dad said. It was obvious they were not going to answer any more of my questions. So standing there will be a waste of my time. I take my bag off the table and head out. I guess they need time with their prodigal child. The drama going on here isn’t what I signed up for abeg. As I walk towards the door, Uche calls my name. “Ifeyinwa, I’m so happy I get to see you again.” I just got the chillsI...got… the.. chills!!! How the hell does she know my name? I don’t know this woman from jack and she knows mine? I just smile and walk away. I need to get out of this awkward situation. When I was 16, got my belly button piercing. It was something I always wanted to do but for some reason best known to my parents, they didn’t allow me, to be honest, they never allowed me to do anything fun. So one day after school, I went to this place with my fake Id and got the piercing. It was painful and sore but it was worth it until one day, it wasn’t. I fell sick and my mum found out and then my dad found out. I swear, she has always been a stern woman but I have never seen like that. She was screaming… she was crying…she was frantic. I was trying to explain cos I was crying from the pain. I tried to stand up but that was the last thing I remembered, I had fainted. The next time I opened my eyes, I was in the hospital rok. with my mother at my side and my father was talking to the doctors. I kinda got sick because the piercing was infected or something like that. The whole experience was pretty foggy until the day I was discharged. The piercing was removed of course. My mother took care of me till I got better. I was so pampered that period until she was sure I was better then she gave me the spanking of my life. My dad grounded of course but my mother… I never truly recovered. After that day, they made me promise never to hide anything from them again. So tell me, why is it okay for them to hide things from me, their child, their flesh and blood but if I try it, I’m gonna be given the speech of how I will be sent back to Nigeria? I really need answers. I pick up my phone and I dial Lisa. She will tell me what’s going on. I called her, not once and certainly not twice and she didn’t answer. So I leave her a message. “Sisi call me, someone is saying she is our sister! Her name is Ada!” All I have to do now is wait…

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