Monday,February24, 2014
To Do List:
- Talk to Chidi
The next morning Dad told us Brother Emeka had called to say Chidi was unwell and wouldn’t be coming by to pick us up.
“I’m sure he has a tummy ache from all the cakes he ate yesterday,” Sarfoa told Dad.
I didn’t think so but I kept my thoughts to myself.
“You went out to eat?”
“No we went to a wedding reception. We pretended to be invited.” She then told him everything about how we had crashed the wedding reception.
“Gyikua?” Dad asked.
“It was just a little harmless fun,” I said, “we didn’t expect to be allowed in and there was more food than they knew what to do with.”
“It’s true, Daddy. There was just a lot of food, they had everything. And it was serve yourself. The food didn’t even finish. And they gave me a gun to shoot bubbles when the wedding people were coming. We had so much fun.”
I could see Daddy didn’t know what to think and was trying to decide whether or not to scold me.
“How’s Grandma?” I asked quickly.
He sighed. “Her BP is up again. She stopped taking her medicine because someone gave her some herbs to try to cure it. I hope this time when she gets better she learns to just take her drugs.”
Dad probably decided that our gatecrashing the wedding wasn’t all that important because he didn’t mention it again.
I dialled Chidi’s number immediately I got to school, but his phone was still off. I left him a message asking him to call me. I took my seat as usual in the front pew. I waved to Pastor Josh after assembly.
School was same as always. I didn’t go out of my way to avoid any of the people I usually avoided.
At lunch I sat at my table and was eating when Afua Gyamfua came up to me.
“So I heard you were giving that Nigerian boy some mouth-to-mouth at the wedding reception yesterday.”
“What’s it to you?”
“Nhyiraa said she saw you there. Maame Serwaa is Nhyiraa’s cousin.”
“So?”
“You’re not Asante royalty.”
“Like I said before, What’s it to you?”
“Nhyiraa said I should tell you that he’s just using you. The boys told him you were a loose girl.”
“Since when did Nhyiraa start caring about me? And since when did she need an okyeame? For that matter, since when did you become her borboy?”
“You know, there used to be moments when I thought that nothing happened between you and Paapa but now I know for sure that everything they said about you was true. If you can kiss a Nigerian at such a public place, you can do anything. She says you’ve probably slept with him too.”
“You know what Afua? I really don’t care what you or anyone else thinks. Now please leave so I can finish my lunch in peace.”
She looked at me in surprise but she left. The truth was I was more surprised than she was. Until the words had come out of my mouth, I hadn’t even known I didn’t care anymore what anyone thought I had or hadn’t done. I finished my lunch and left the cafeteria. I could feel their eyes on me as I left, but I didn’t hurry out of the cafeteria like I’d have done some months ago.
Dad sent me a text to pick a taxi and get Sarfoa and come home. Sarfoa was her usual bubbly self. Someone else had had a birthday party in her class and they’d given her a goody bag filled with sweets and hair ribbons.
She offered me a sweet and I took a Golden Tree chocolate bar.
“I’ll leave some for Chidi. For when he gets better.”
“He’d like that,” I said.
“Gyikua, is Chidi your boyfriend?”
I nearly swallowed the piece of chocolate. “What would make you think that?”
“I saw you two kissing.”
I looked up. The taxi driver was not paying any attention to us.
All I could think was I thought she had been asleep. Did she see me throw myself at him? Did she see him run away?
“After you finished dancing, you kissed.”
I sighed in relief. If she knew it would only be a matter of time before Dad found out and this was one thing I wanted to keep private.
“I like Chidi. I don’t mind if he’s your boyfriend.”
“I like Chidi too, but he’s not my boyfriend.” Not yet anyway. Then what was he to me? Just a guy I’d almost slept with?
“Can you keep the kiss a secret?”
I saw her eyes light up. There was nothing Sarfoa liked more than to feel she knew something no one else did.
The excitement was soon replaced by confusion.
“Mummy said I was not to keep secrets from her.”
“But Mummy is not here and this is just to be our secret. Me and you, okay?”
“Okay. Me, you and Chidi. I won’t even tell Daddy.”
I could only hope.
“Gyikua?”
“Yeah?”
“What did it feel like?”
“What did what feel like?”
She rolled her eyes. “Kissing him.”
I gasped. “You’re only seven. You’re not supposed to ask things like that.”
She giggled. “But when I do have a boyfriend, I hope he’s like Chidi.”
I shook my head and thought, you and me both.
I paid the taxi driver when we got home and was surprised to see Dad’s car parked in front of the house. I’d thought he wasn’t home.
“Daddy, we’re home,” Sarfoa called running into the living room.
The door to Dad’s study opened and I saw Brother Emeka, he was wiping tears off his face with a tissue. Dad stepped out and shut the door. Sarfoa rushed past me to hug him. When I got closer to them Dad drew me in for a hug as well.
“I’m a bit busy right now. I have a guest in there. I’ll need you girls to be quiet and to stay upstairs for a bit okay?”
“Okay.” The request in itself wasn’t unusual. Sometimes Dad held counselling sessions for church members in his study. But I couldn’t help feeling something was wrong.
“I’ll just go and see if Chidi is feeling better.”
Dad put his hand on my shoulder. “Now is not a good time.”
“Is something wrong?”
“We’ll talk later,” Dad promised.
I grabbed a packet of cream crackers, a box of Minute Maid and two glasses and followed Sarfoa upstairs.
I changed and tried to call Chidi but his phone was still off. I left a voice message asking him to call me and said I hoped he got well soon. We stayed upstairs until we heard the front door shut.
Sarfoa immediately ran downstairs and turned on the TV. I went to our bedroom window and watched as Dad walked Brother Emeka out. His hand was on his shoulder and when they got to the gate, he gave him a hug.
I followed Dad into his study when he came back into the house.
“Dad, what’s wrong? Why was Brother Emeka crying?”
“How did you know it was him in there?”
“I saw him when you opened the door.”
Dad rubbed his face. “You know I can’t discuss what happened in here with you.”
“But is Chidi okay? Why won’t you let me go and see him?”
“Chidi’s not well right now. His dad took him to the hospital this morning. Let him rest a bit.”
“Why what’s wrong?”
“He has a cold. They ran some tests. The results are not in yet. Maybe the day after tomorrow you can go and visit. Okay?”
I nodded and turned in the direction of the kitchen to start getting supper ready.
“And Gyikua, when you see Chidi again, please don’t mention that you saw his dad crying okay?”
Another secret. I nodded.