C H A P T E R  N I N E
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For the first time in her life, Normani wouldn't be home for summer.

She'd instead spend the next three months working two jobs in the lonely city of New York.

Normani had always been an intuitive person and although her parents treated her like she was a princess and didn't want her to worry about anything, it didn't stop her from over-concerning herself with the tuition her parents had to pay at the end of that semester. It was out of her own accord that she decided to work over the summer to help her parents with the tuition expenses.

The first job she had secured were a couple of babysitting afternoons per week for Onewa. Her second job was at Monica's School of Dance as a receptionist during the evenings that she didn't have a class. She was set to work on the first Wednesday of summer.

She had spent the weekend with her best friend and they'd gone bowling at the alley that was a couple of blocks away from their apartment building. Their night out had been fun and easy - Anika had lost to Normani at bowling like she usually did and after an hour of cursing at the fact that Normani never lost, they'd gone gotten pizza and slushies and gossiped the night away at their favourite hang out spot until it was past midnight.

Anika had spoken more about the girl that she was texting and revealed that she'd be meeting up with her in a few weeks. She still wouldn't give her best friend a name, but Normani was very happy for her. She hadn't seen her friend this happy in a long time and she hoped that whatever she had going on with this mystery girl would work out.

Anika left on Monday morning and Normani spent the afternoon babysitting Onewa's daughter, Ekhana, who was slowly becoming her favourite toddler. She had brought her laptop with her and downloaded a few children-favourites - some of the Barbie movies were included, as well as Frozen, Tangled and Moana. She'd also brought some candy with her and they'd spent the entire afternoon watching movies and depleting the storage on Normani's phone with the obscene amount of selfies they took together.

She was back home by 16:00, with just enough time to make dinner and change from her day outfit. Keith was coming over and she had planned something special for him.

By 17:00 the dinner she had made had cooled down and she'd had a quick shower and change. She was now dressed in a pair of boyfriend jeans and a loose button up, with her hair tied up in a ponytail. She wore out her own her in recent times and although she missed the length and variety that came with weaves, she believed her own hair needed to breath a little.

Keith arrived five minutes after 17:00 with a bottle of wine and his dazzling smile and after their formalities (which included Normani wrapping her legs around his waist and showering his face with an obscene amount of kisses,) she led her boyfriend to the living room.

He poured the wine into glasses for them, while she went to go and get the food.

"I had this especially made for you," Normani said as she lowered the large covered container. "I hope you like it," she said and stood to her full height with her hands behind her back, rocking on her heels anxiously.

"Mani, you know I love anything that you do for me, ehn."

He lifted he lid and for a moment everything stopped. He laid the lid to the side and examined the contents, without a word.

"So...?" Normani asked insecurely, rocking on her heels once more.

"You made this for me?" he asked, looking up at her with an awestruck look.

Normani nodded, "I just wanted to do something nice for you, because you're my boyfriend and I lo- like you a lot," she said, still unsure as to what Keith was thinking.

"How did you know mixed-veg Jollof rice is my most favourite dish?"

"I took a wild guess," Normani said with a small smile.

"Come here," he said and patted his thigh. Normani walked over to his side of the couch and giggled when he lowered her onto his thigh himself in one swift motion. He kissed her then, a sweet, light kiss that was different to their usual passionate ones. The change of pace made Normani feel nice inside.

"You are so incredible, Awelewa, Ododo Mi, Olokan Mi" he murmured against her.

Keith always made her feel warm whenever he called her his 'Awelewa Mi' and him using other Yoruban terms she had never heard before made her feel like she had glitter inside of her.

"What do all those mean?" she asked.

"You already know that Awelewa mi means 'my exceedingly beautiful woman,' yes?"

Normani nodded.

"Ododo mi means 'my flower,'" he mumured against her lips before placing another sweet kiss against them.

"Olokan mi, means 'the owner of my heart,'" he whispered it against her now, like it was the most precious secret in the world.

Normani cupped his cheek and kissed him in the kind of way that filled her bones with equal parts water and fire. She loved him. She loved him so much and she had been meaning to say it since the night of her dance recital but had held it back because she felt that it wasn't the right time. Or maybe it was her fear speaking on her behalf, but she couldn't say it. Even now when he was making everything within her come to life.

"I should make you Nigerian food more often," she murmured in between kisses. Keith grinned against her, placing his hand on her thigh and rubbing small circles against it, even though she wore thick jeans. The action was comforting.

"Yes you should. You are the definition of perfect, Mani. I'm so blessed to have met you, I thank God every day."

"But I've caused you to sin since the moment you've met me,"

Keith laughed then, a full blown laughter that rattled through his strong chest and Normani appreciated that she could make him laugh. Anika had told her that she was painfully unfunny.

"Well, yes, but you're still the greatest asset to me. I adore you so much my Baby Fine."

"Baby Fine? Ugh that's lame."

"But you like it, look, you're smiling."

Normani shook her head and shuffled off of his lap to sit next to him. He dished up for the both of them and proceeded to make little sounds of approval for each spoon of the rice that he took. Normani had been so scared he wouldn't like it, but she saw now that her fears were for naught.

By the time Keith was done, his plate had been polished off and he washed it down with the wine.

"That was incredible, Mani, thank you," he said to her and kissed her cheek.

"You're welcome," she said.

"You really did something amazing here, there's something that you should know about me: if I sit through an entire meal without speaking and only eat, it means the food is damned good,"

Normani was glad she was black, because the blood that rushed to her cheeks would've made her look like a tomato.

"Well, uh, I don't know what to say to that."

"You don't have to say anything. Is there any chance there's some dessert?"

"Anika made me some malva pudding before she left, it should still be in the fridge, I'll go get it for you."

"You're not having any?"

Normani shook her head in the negative, "I'm already full."

She came back into the living room in less than a minute with the malva pudding. Keith smiled at the sight and was about to say something until his phone rang. He fished his Samsung S8+ out of his pocket and answered the call.

"E n le, Papa, how are you?"

A few moments passed before Keith answered again, "I'm fine Papa, how is everyone?"

Keith smiled at whatever response his father had given him.

"Yes, I'm sure you got my email about my plan to visit home sometime in July - oh? You need me there sooner? When?" Keith's tone changed and a deep frown settled on his face. Normani tried not to jump to conclusions and decided for Keith to finish the call.

"Papa, this is a bit inconvenient for me... Bee ko, bee ko, that's not what I'm saying - okay, okay, o ye mi. It's fine. You will email me the details. O da abo Papa, send my love to Mama, Matilda and Joseph." Keith hung up the phone and sighed deeply.

"What's wrong?" Normani asked, moving closer to him on the couch to place a hand on his shoulder. He was tense and she knew then that he was upset. Whatever his father had told him had not made him happy.

"My father just called, he wants me to head back to Nigeria sooner than I had planned to oversee some things at the company headquarters there."

Keith began to rub at his temples, "I know we had planned to go out for our six month anniversary but I won't be here around that time."

"How soon do you have to head back to Nigeria?" Normani asked. She felt her stomach drop and she truly feared his answer. She had been looking forward to their anniversary celebration in July as well as getting to spend time with her boyfriend after long days at work.

"This Friday."

"Oh," was all she could manage to say and she hated herself for how disappointed she sounded.

"I know, baby, it sucks. I had so much planned for us. I am so sorry," he said, turning his body to face hers so he could stroke her cheek.

"It's okay..."

"I'll make it up to you, I promise," he said.

Normani nodded took the hand that had been rested on her cheek and kissed his fingers. "I'm going to miss you so much... it's going to be so lonely now that you're gone."

"You never did tell me why you aren't going home at all for the summer," Keith said.

Normani shrugged, "I need to work., I start on Monday."

"I know that, but why?"

"Uhm," Normani began and she shook her head, "I-"

"You know you can tell me anything, Awelewa mi," Keith said, extending one of his arms to pull her closer to him. She willingly sank into his embrace.

"I know, I just don't like talking about this kind of thing, there are just certain things I'm very proud about."

"But there's something obviously bothering you."

Normani sighed deeply and leaned against her boyfriend's chest.

"I'm working to help my parents with my tuition. I saw the final statement of the fees I owe and it was... a lot. I feel that as an adult I have to do what I can to help them. They're not the richest people around and it was already a strain to finances to have me out here and my grades aren't strong enough for a scholarship. I feel guilty and I want to help them out out of my own accord. They want me to come home and I do to, but I don't want to laze around all summer when I could help."

"I think you're an incredibly considerate person. Your mother and father are very fortunate to have a daughter like you," Keith said and placed a kiss on her brow. "There, you told me and nothing bad happened. Why were you hesitant to tell me that?"

"I don't like discussing my family business," Normani replied, "it's nothing personal. I just don't want to be unnecessarily judged."

"Well I'm glad you told me. I hope you know that I would never judge you for something like that."

Normani nodded, "can we talk about something else now?"

"Okay, what do you want me bring back from Nigeria for you?"

"I want those really big head wraps. They're so nice."

"Okay, anything else?"

"You, in one piece."

"Yes ma'am," he replied and kissed her softly.

×

Friday came around and Normani accompanied Keith to the airport (even though getting up at 05:00 on her day off was ghastly) and stayed glued to his side until the last possible minute.

She only began to feel the oppressive pull of loneliness on her Uber ride back home, with an aching realisation that she would be spending summer completely and utterly alone. Abuja was a full six hours ahead of New York, so the time difference made it difficult for Keith and Normani to communicate, but they did so regardless - finding time in between their crazy schedules for a quick Skype video call or a phone call.

On Thursday, six days since Keith had left, Normani was babysitting Ekhana and had just put her down for her afternoon nap when her phone rang. She smiled when she saw 'MOMMY' on the screen and answered the call on the second ring.

"Hi Mommy," she said.

"Hey Baby, how are you doing, how's it going that side?"

"I'm okay and it's a little lonely but work is coming along just fine. How's Dad?"

"He's okay, we're both okay. Baby, is there something you forgot to tell us?" her mother asked.

"Uhm, no? Not that I can think of. In regards to what?"

"I don't know if you're playing with me or something," her mother said with a light chuckle, "but did you get like a scholarship or something?"

"What? No," Normani said with a frown, "why are you asking me?"

"Well, your father went down to the bank to deposit the first ten percent of your outstanding tuition and when we had your account checked out - it was already paid for."

Normani frowned, "You mean that someone must've paid my tuition fees?"

"Yes, it seems to be the case, that's why I'm asking you if you got a scholarship that we didn't know about that paid out the amount we still owed."

"No Mama, I don't. I didn't get a scholarship..." she trailed off, her eyebrows furrowed in the middle of her brow.

"Mama, maybe it's one big mistake. I don't know where that money comes from."

"The money was deposited by a Mr K Ikande, do you know anyone with that name?"

Normani's heart nearly jumped out of her body through her throat and she choked on her own spit for a moment, "No Mama, I don't know anybody by that name. I have to... I have to go. Bye Mama."

                               X O

Normani didn't care that it was now midnight in Abuja when she dialled Keith's number later that evening. His phone rang a couple of times before Keith finally answered.

"Hi, Mani," she could hear the fatigue in his voice and for a moment, she felt bad for him.

"Hey."

"What's up?" he asked, seeming to catch onto Normani's short tone. She usually over-dramatised her greetings to him so he knew then that something must've been bothering her.

"Is there something you need to tell me?" she said and remained as elusive as ever.

"I miss you," he cooed.

"No, not that. Something else."

"Uhm?"

"Something to do with you depositing over fifteen thousand dollars into my student account."

"I was meaning to tell you that. It was meant to be a surprise. So Surprise baby," he said, his voice making a 180-degree from concerned to delighted.

"Why would you do that?" Normani asked.

"When you told me about your tuition issues, I took it upon myself to help out so that you and your parents wouldn't worry."

"Keith - you, a stranger, deposited a whole fifteen thousand dollars into my account, I- what am I supposed to tell my parents?"

"But I'm not a stranger Awelewa, I'm your boyfriend."

"Boyfriends don't do this sort of thing!" Normani said, her breaths came out in short frantic puffs. "Why would you do something so big without talking to me about it first?"

"Mani, I just wanted to help," Keith said with a softer tone.

"Did I ask for your help?"

"No, but I just wanted-"

"Where did you even get 15K from? That's not a small amount."

"Every year our company chooses a student that they can fund through to college... I used those funds."

"You took another student's tuition money? A student that needed it way more than me? Jesus Christ, what the hell?"

"Mani, no. Don't put it like that."

"What infuriates me the most is that you didn't even talk to me about it, you didn't even think to ask me how I would feel about this thing. You just went in and dumped this shit load of money into my account and I don't even know what my parents will say to that - I- I -" Normani was nearly hysterical with anger now, breathing frantically and with hot tears of rage flowing down her face.

"I didn't think it would be a problem... you had to work for the summer to help out your parents, but you were sad that you couldn't go home. You were worried for your fees. You work so hard Awelewa, I thought that if I helped out, your fees would be sorted and that you could go home."

"It's not your place to make those kind of decisions for me. This is my college tuition and my issue, an issue my parents and I were working out on. It was very intrusive of you to do that, especially since you didn't even tell me," Normani hated how tearful she got when she was angry, because now she sounded like she was sad and she wasn't. She was pissed, so pissed that she couldn't see out of the blur of the fury that rested on her tear ducts.

"Calm down, Mani, I just think that-"

"Calm down?!" Normani replied, the words came out harsh and rushed.

A mirthless chuckle followed and she hung up before Keith could say anything else.

glossary terms :

E n le - hello

Bee ko - no

O ye mi - I understand

O da abo - goodbye.

I got this off of the internet so I'm sorry if it may not be entirely accurate.

Also my babies had their first fight... i'm not okay. Urgh. 😴

If you liked this chapter then please don't forget to vote and leave me your thoughts in the comments. 💕