So, This Happened - by Ema's Seal

Some people are easy to miss.Not because you spend every day with them, but because every time you finally get to be around them, you remember exactly why you missed them in the first place.That is how it is with you.We saw each other last year, and now, somehow, another year has passed before we got to properly spend time together again.We had only a few days together, but somehow, we managed to fit an unreasonable amount of life into them.We watched movies.I made your hair.We cooked together.We sang.We played games.We went on that unnecessarily long walk.We talked about life, people, Lagos, relationships, your new girlfriend, random things, and all the parties you had been attending and the experiences you had gathered while I was somewhere else living my own life.And, of course, you beat me at chess."Still slightly offended about that, by the way".But I think what made everything so nice was how ordinary it was.There was no special itinerary.We weren't trying to create some unforgettable memory. We were just there.Moving around the house. Eating. Talking. Laughing. Doing little things together.And somehow, I really enjoyed it.Which is actually funny because we haven't spent this kind of time together in... who knows how long? We've mostly just been cousins who exist in different parts of the country and occasionally remember that the other person exists.Abuja. Lagos. Mainland. Island. Distance doing what distance does.And yet, give us a few days in the same space and suddenly we're acting like we've been hanging out every weekend.I also discovered that you apparently have a quote for EVERYTHING.Every conversation.You could be talking about life and suddenly:"Life is short, make the most of it."We're talking about something completely different:Another quote.I'm beginning to suspect you have an invisible book of quotations hidden somewhere and you just open to a random page whenever you're running out of things to say.I don't know anybody else who does that.But somehow, it's very you.And then there were the stories.You telling me about the places you've been, the parties in Lagos, the things you've seen and experienced, and me realizing there are entire versions of your life that I know nothing about because, well... we haven't exactly been around each other enough to know them.That was probably the most interesting part.Realizing that someone can be familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.You're my cousin. I know of you. I know certain things about you.But spending actual time together lets you discover the little things.How someone behaves when they're comfortable.What makes them laugh.What they talk about when there is no hurry.How competitive they are when there's a chessboard involved.How many quotes they can somehow squeeze into one conversation.And suddenly, you understand them a little differently.Then, just like that, you're gone. Gone to your house oh😂And that's the strange part.You don't realize you're enjoying a moment this much until the moment is over.The house goes back to normal.Nobody is asking what movie we're watching.Nobody is challenging me to another game.Nobody is telling me another Lagos story.Nobody is dropping another motivational quote into an otherwise normal conversation.And I'm sitting there thinking,"Wow. I actually miss this guy."Not in some dramatic, “my world has ended because my cousin went home” kind of way.Oh Please.😂But genuinely, I miss the presence.I miss the noise.I miss having somebody around to randomly talk to, laugh with, cook with, play with, and occasionally compete against and lose to.And I think that's what makes these kinds of moments special.Sometimes, you don't need years of constant closeness to feel connected to someone.Maybe, you just need a little time.A few meals.A few conversations.A long walk.A stupid joke.A game of chess you will never let yourself forget losing.And suddenly, someone who was just somewhere over there becomes someone whose absence you notice when they leave.I think that's beautiful.Because life is full of people we love who don't get to stay close all the time.They live in other cities.They build their own lives.They meet new people.They have their own stories, their own relationships, their own routines.And sometimes, we get lucky enough for those separate lives to overlap for a little while.This was one of those times.And I'm glad I didn't spend it wondering when it would end.I let myself enjoy having my cousin around.And now that he's gone, I can finally admit:It was actually really nice. Even if he did beat me at chess.And even if he insists on having a quote for every single situation.Actually... Especially that.😂💕Somehow, I think I'd miss that too.

Other insights from Ema's Seal

Contributor Points

Points-to-Coupons

Referral Earning