THIRTY PLUS Ep 12

Story by O'nezer 

Episode 12

My overthinking mind had wandered around in split seconds on the reason for my father's shout.

"My friend, my friend" Emma's mother said at the sight of my mother. I was so pissed that I didn't know when I hissed. The way daddy shouted like it was some emergency, only to see it's something as ordinary as someone visiting and to make matters worse, it was Emma's mother.

"Where is Emma?" My mother asked.

"I left him to park the car well, he will join us shortly." Emma's mother said.

"Good afternoon ma" Jude greeted, but he was ignored. I could see how unhappy he looked. I was standing at the dining watching  the drama going on.

Emma walked in, dressed in a round - necked polo on blue Jean and white sneakers. Without saying much, you will know that he just got back to Nigeria.

He extended his hands to shake my father, but my father ignored him. He was surprised seeing that Emma had lost the courtesy of greeting elders well.

Jude was gradually feeling uncomfortable and I didn't know how to save the moment so it doesn't end dramatic. 

"Hi" 

"Hello" I said back. My cold response to his greeting should be enough for him to know that I'm not interested in having anything to do with them.

"Go and help me check what's on fire" my mother said.

"I will like to take my leave now sirs and mas, thanks so much" Jude said trying to fake a smile.

"Hold on a minute, let me see you off" I quickly replied. 

As Jude was about to walk out of the door, he mistakenly stepped on Emma's shoe. Jude apologised but Emma didn't have it at all.

"Are you blind?" 

"But I just apologised. I am sorry okay." Jude said calmly.

"The shoe that I got for 100 dollars, you know how much that is? 

"It's okay, that's enough." Emma's mum intervened. 

Jude left on a bad note. Although I apologised  to him and he insisted that it's fine, but deep down, I knew it was not fine.

Food was served after mom and her friend finished their unending conversation. Emma on the other hand was focused on his iPad, while  my father watched  the news.

"The table is set" I called on everyone and they moved to the dining.

"Bless this food O Lord, for Christ sake" my father prayed as we all chorused "Amen".

At the first spoon of food Emma tasted, he started complaining about the food.

"What sort of wack meal is this?" He said.  My mother's face was lit up. I could see that she was angry, but didn't know what to say because she was too surprised to talk. His mother hit him with her elbow to caution him. 

I hoped that this incidence would make my mother see reasons why Emma would never be an option. She can't use me to strengthen the relationship with her friend by marrying me off to that spoilt child.

We all ate that afternoon except Emma who requested for fried plantain and juice alone.

Emma and his mother left and it was then reality dawned on my mother that she was almost making the wrong decisions for me.

"The boy is very rude. I thought he would be better by now" my father said as he showed his displeasure over Emma's attitude. 

"I didn't know it has gone this bad. He is over 30 already and I thought he should be old enough to..." my mother didn't finish the statement before I interrupted her.

"To what mummy? It is not by age, maturity is not  by age and thank God you've seen it yourself" I added. 

A bigger part of me was excited that finally my mother will stop pressuring me. 

"And please, when you get to work on Monday, help us apologise to that young man that came" my daddy said as he went into his room.

I tried communicating with Jude online, but he left all my messages unattended to. I knew he was still mad because of what happened. I concluded that I would see him on Monday and we would sort things out...

The next day was a sunday and we were set for church. Since church wasn't too far from home, we left the house some minutes past 8. Service starts at 9am, so we knew we could still make it to church before then.

My dad isn't involved in any church role, but mum as I early said was the everywhere kind of person. On getting to church, we saw people gathered outside, but we didn't understand what was going on.

"Please, what's happening?" My mother asked as she alighted from the car.

19 DAYS TO GO FOR SISTER DABIRA PART 2