2

"Babes, wake up, it's morning o." Chidera said to me as she tapped on me.

"Mummy naaa, today is Saturday o." I murmured nonsensically. Chidera hissed and slapped me hard on the butt, I began to laugh and she looked at me annoyed, I loved messing with her, same went for her.

"C'mon wake up from there lazy bone." She said still frowning. "For your information, today is Monday, we're on lockdown because the federal government of Nigeria doesn't want to hand us Biafra, and Anambra state, the future capital of the new country resisted and declared a mondayly lockdown till our requests are met.

"Oooooooh." I tossed round and round." "Mummy naaaaaaaa." I waved my hand like I was in sleep walking mode.

"Ewu!, c'mon wake up from my couch jare, so you were not hearing all I was saying?, anyways?, the Biafran agitators need to get word to Xi Jiping of China and Vladimir Vladimorovich Putin of Russia." She looked at me, frowned that I paid her no attention and she pushed me frantically and I rose up slowly. "Oooooh na," I added.

"Seriously Ngozika, this play is not giving o abeg."

"Oya no vex, wetin dey pop?, wetin dey chill?, wetin dey play?."

"Uhmm, wetin dey shele?, wake up abeg, let's clean up, my parents are on their way back and we need to keep this joint in order." She said looking concerned and clearly making to arrange stuff.

In as much as I was lazy, this wasn't my house so I gats work, that was an unwritten rule for everyone. I stood up and began to help out, dude, the house was massive. "Omoh, this your house big o, e wide."

"That's why I'm happy you're here so you can help out."

"So na me you dey use as slave abi?." I said with a smile.

"Abeg do dey work joor, na the only reason why I hate living here sef." She said, hissed, scratched an itchy part of her head aggressively, then slowly scratched against it again with her index finger and continued sweeping, an hour later we were done and got to doing the dishes, soon we were done and she sat down to her phone while I sat in front of the television switching through varieties of channels. Almost like clock work, her phone rang and she took one look at it. "Mummy is calling for you." She picked it and immediately my mom demanded I come home immediately without even asking to speak with me. "But ma she's right..." She hung up. "Here..."

"Well girl, I guess I'm going home early." I said giving her a tap on her laps and rose up. "Make I go baff." I said and smiled turning to her, "Are you coming?." She smiled and followed me immediately. "I swear my body is scratching me o." She said, she loved bathing with me and always found a reason to do so, in her bathroom I had my personal sponge and other bathing items, so did she in my house too, in my bathroom rather. We simultaneously had sleepovers at each other's place week by week, this week, it was a late one but no bothered, it was her turn.

Soon we were done bathing and after a few minutes we were finally ready, she excorted me out. "I wonder why mummy is calling you like this and by this time, this is unlike her abi?." Chidera said.

"Abi, it's unlike her, I hope all is well sha." I said, as we left the gate of her compound, we were on the road and a boy came to approach Chidera.

"Excuse me fine girl, please where can I get fuel abeg?." She stopped looking at him all dreamingly and stuff but I gently pushed her and jolted her back to reality.

"Abeg my bro, it's down there, that road." I answered for her and pointed down the right path and the boy... Cute boy, was soon on his way. We continued walking but Chidera was now surprisingly quiet. "That boy is lucky."

"Who?, what?." She asked in confusion.

"The boy that's gonna be our new boyfriend." I said nodging her by the shoulder and laughed.

"Who?, that boy?, nooooo, the boy no fine sef." I smiled and gave a small nod.

"Akiko, I know you, you like him and he'll soon be your boyfriend because you're never afraid to make the first move, that's why I love you."

"Nkoyeli, dey play my fan, ezigbo nkoyeli k' nakoyeli, ezigbo rubbish, abeg we don reach joor, hope say una cook food." She said diverting the question.

"I pray soooo." I replied turning the door handle so we could head inside, as we entered we were caught by surprise when dad came out from nowhere and lifted us both in the air and rolled us around on his shoulders, he dropped us on mom who was also still laughing, and we were soon all laughing... for no reason in particular.

"Mr. Ibezie, what's the occasion?." Chidera asked Dad, he didn't reply but put on some music and began to dance. She turned to mom and asked. "Mrs. Ibezie, what's the occasion?."

"That's mommy to you, don't be too modest, this is your home too, anyways, I don't know sef." She said and sat upright waiting for her husband to get his cool back, she kept on laughing on his cool dance "skills."

Soon dad got his cool and sat down wiping off the sweat on his face, he danced hard, I sat down for this, Chidera sat next to mom, the way she sat so close to mom if someone were to enter, they would think she was mom's actual daughter and I was the cute family friend, Dad soon dropped the EP.

"After having worked for Sir. Vic's Wood Kreation in Asaba for good fifteen years, I decided that instead of wasting time sitting on the couch in the village, definitely doing nothing cos farming is not much in my perspective, I should go to the city to pursue a career with the knowledges I've racked up over the years." I didn't understand all he said but all I cared was that we were on our way to the big city, Onitsha. I ran to dad laughing and jumping on him, I hugged him tight, I kissed him head and neck, I was so happy, I looked at mom and Chidera, they weren't happy, they looked at one another and my mom shook her head, Chidera followed suit. Dad saw too and tried to reason with them as I sat on his laps.

"My love, what's up?, what's going?, are you not happy for me?."

"It's not like I am not happy for you, but I find life easier in the village, we have been in the city for a good number of years dear, let's spend our last days in the village." Dad raised an eyebrow towards her.

"Nkiruka, I am fifty three and quarter years old, you're thirty nine and half years old, there are so many opportunities in the big city, this is Onitsha we're talking about, second most industrious city in the country after Lagos and closely next is underrated Kano, in Onitsha you'll make big money and the most important, our child is uneducated at the age of fifteen, it's a crime, right there, she'll go to school, please Nkiruka, think of money, think of your daughter, abeg, abeg, abeg think of a better future." Dad begged.

"What if none of us wants to move." Mom asked.

"I want to move o." I chipped in with joy.

"C'mon shut up your mouth!." Mom ordered and Dad smiled. "Don't you ever talk back when I'm talking to your father." She turned to Chidera. "Nne please take your sister outside and please talk some sense into her because she is clearly seriously losing it." She said to Chidera who nodded and dragged me outside as I made to speak.

"Onyemaechi..."

"Look Ngozi, do you really want to go?."

"Of course I do, I wanna learn, I want new opportunities, look, this is a once in a life time opportunity."

"What about me?, what about our friendship?, Our relationship..."

"Whooooaaaa there girlfriend, you're getting a little bit ahead of your self right there, what the fuck is this zesty ass shit you're trying to do?." I asked and she laughed, she took my hands and drew me closer.

"Ngozi, I really don't want you to go..."

"Chidera please try to understand..."

"No you try to understand, I know you never really cared about me, I know I'm probably a pest in your life..., I'll do anything you want just please don't go." She was already shedding hot tears and I made to wipe them off but she wouldn't let go.

"Chidera stop!, enough with this madness!, your attitude makes no sense right now, what's wrong with you?, you can't just simply be happy for a friend?, you go to school, I don't, your father got all these riches, your mom basically sleeps in Barbados and Ibiza every other weekend, my parents farm for a living, you're better than me in all ramifications of life right now but you won't allow me better myself, look Chidera, right now, you're acting like an obsessed psycho, look this girl, you're either with me or against, nothing in between and you know more than anyone else that I hate my opposition."

She stared at me, tears streaming down her eyes, she looked at me murderously, if looks could kill, I'd be dead. "One nil, you have played me this counter attack okwia?, no pressure, you choose Onitsha over our friendship?, a totally unknown place?, you'll see who will win at the end, what you should know Ngozichukwuka, Chukwudera doesn't lose." I smiled, I thought she was joking but when I realized she wasn't, I shook my head, she wasn't joking, when she's calling one's full name or her full name, or worst when she's rhyming, something she hardly ever does, she definitely means business.

"I know you're very stubborn, I won't argue with you but later than sooner, when you realize how important this opportunity is for my family, you'll finally acknowledge that you were wrong and we'll love again, what I really love about your bitch ass is that you always later realize how wrong you were and you then render apology." I looked at her, held her hand. "I'll wait for you..." She eyed me up, aggressively let go of her self, hissed loudly and walked away, I slowly shook my head after her.

I got inside to behold my father sitting close to my mother, he was pleading, his hands across her neck, mom was shaking with anger. "Ngozi." She called out to me. "You want to follow your father and leave me here abi?."

"Mom, that's not the issue, please..." I tried to speak but mom objected.

"No Ngozichukwuka, I'm not annoyed, please I don't want to be a wedge holding this family back, you both want that big city life?, please be my guest, I wish y'all success but I only ask, do not forget me in your success o, your mother."

"Ah mommy, I would never!, I acknowledge you as my tribal chief..."

"C'mon zuzulu mechipugi onu ebaaa, you and who is wrestling here?." She smiled, sadly though, She turned to dad and gave him a hearty french kiss which he responded to, I scoffed and they quickly readjusted. "Onyemaechi, you have my permission, but please do not forget me o." Dad looked at her, fingers intertwined, he seemed to be looking into her soul, he nodded and smiled.

"But honey, if I may ask, what are going to be doing in the village?."

"Don't worry di'm oma, I'm simply going to be enjoying the village life you know I have always loved to."

Dad looked at her and frowned a bit, "Ok o, nne, don't worry, I'll come get you when I succeed, I'll make it, not just for me and my legacy but for us my sugar biscuits."

"Don't o, biko, don't come and disturb my village peace." She hissed. Dad turned to me.

"Ngozika, please go and prepare, we leave at first light tomorrow Tuesday, let me go and see maazi Onwa, let me see if I can sell him some coco yams and things I have harvested from the farm the other day." He said as he walked out.

"Ok sir." I said going to my room with joy, I turned back looked at mom and saw she was kinda happy. Why?, I asked my self.

"Bia this man, hope you don't sell my land portion o." Dad turned and smiled.

"Yes my queen, I won't." Mom hissed like Chidera had a few moments ago and he laughed, I quickly exited the living room hoping and praying Chidera will see reasons with me, she was after all, the love of my life...

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