dedicated to Eddy622 because today is her birthday💕 happy birthday💕

033| The Closed Book Is Easy To Read

~K O M I S O L A~

I regretted putting my SIM cards into the phone. One, because as if Mother knew, she called me instantly and told me I'd have to start attending therapy from today onward. I had already missed three sessions.

And two, because all the old contacts came back, they were few but very significant. Mother, Davies, my cousins and church members. People who I became estranged from.

Three, because Hanniel had inputted his number into my phone when he saw it on my table in class. I still didn't understand why.

I was in the process of setting up my phone when Davies opened the door to my room without knocking. He was fixing his wristwatch. I dropped my phone beside me, wondering why he couldn't knock. Well, he was never one to knock.

"Learn to knock." I gritted out and glared at him.

He ignored me and looked up, eyes raking down my body in a shameless way. As if dismissing himself of his immoral thoughts, he shook his head and said with a smirk, "I'm going out to meet some of my guys. So, take care. Hm?"

How Davies still had friends while I was bullied was something I could never decipher. Granted, I never had friends but my situation got worst after the video leaked. But Davies? He continued to live his life. Even when he went to Canada, some people thought he ran away but he was actually going on with his life. In a normal way.

Anyway, he steered clear of my path since he returned and I couldn't ask for anything more. I was no longer a child. The child he would sexually, physically, emotionally and mentally abuse. I wasn't different now but we both knew there were new invisible boundaries created.

"Bye, Komi." He smiled and waved at me before leaving.

Komi... I hated that nickname with passion.

I'd rather go for Grey eyes, the nickname Hanniel revealed he always called me. It was very weird, I thought. But what was even weirder was the fact that he already had a nickname for me.

"Susannah," I called out to the maid that was passing by my room. Unfortunately, Davies didn't close the door. "Please bring something to drink for me."

"Okay, ma'am." Susannah bowed her head slightly in respect and walked away. Very soon, she was back with a carton chocolate drink. I thanked her and stared at the drink, examining it till I saw what I was looking food.

The upper left corner, in white, small font, InFoodCo was written and my mind traveled back to the day I called Hanniel to the natatorium.

How did people not know who he was?

His mother had even come to school before. She didn't come out of her car, but seriously. Anyone should've known. Even the Principal. Did the Principal not know?

No way he didn't know.

Only you know why you're getting so worked up.

I dropped the chocolate drink on the table beside my bed and stood up to look for something to wear in my closet. I had mixed feelings about this therapy thing. I felt obliged to Mother for a reason I didn't know why, but at the same time, also to myself. Maybe my grey lining could be changed.

It wasn't exactly positive... what I felt. But I wanted a change. A turnaround, not so subtle but significant in a way that made me compare it to breathing in fresh air.

I settled for a black body con, black flair skirt and a black coat. I wore a pair of black knee length pop socks and settled for black boots.

I picked up my phone and my chocolate drink and left the mansion, to find the driver already waiting for me. I guess Mother already told him of my therapy session.

"Why were you waiting for me?" I asked as soon as I got into the jeep, just to confirm.

"Ma'am told me of your therapy session. I'll be driving you there everyday from 5:00 p.m to 6:00 p.m," the driver said.

Mother was serious. Good for her.

The drive had started and dusk had started to set. I wondered what the therapy session would be like. Opening up about my feelings, fear and secrets was something I'd never done before. It seemed really strange, further away from my reality to do such.

I was a quiet person, blank and my mind was like an abyss. Void of any feelings or thoughts. I only cried and I honestly couldn't control it as much as I wanted to.

The music blasting from the radio stopped my thoughts. I looked up at the driver who was bobbing his head, humming along to the lyrics and tapping on the steering wheel occasionally since there was a traffic jam.

"Turn it off," I told him. I checked the time on my phone to see 4:30 p.m across my screen.

"Ma?"

I knew he heard me.

He did.

Even my eyes communicated the message to him.

Cunt...

"Turn the music off," I repeated, waiting for him to do so. Instead, he lowered to the minimum volume and my fingers clawed into my palms.

Since when did this rubbish start?

"Are you deaf? Turn the damn music off." I repeated, again. He did. The driver did and I could see reluctancy controlling every nerve and movement of his. "You're growing wings?"

"I'm sorry, ma'am," he apologized. He wasn't sorry. I just knew it. He knew how much I hated listening to music, especially gospel music and that's exactly what was playing.

~

We arrived at the large white building, with its name in green block letters. The driver, after I alighted from the car, followed and after wondering why he was following me I remembered Mum had probably given him all the instructions.

We walked into the reception, to see a young, fair skinned lady, probably in her twenties with artificial hair on and corporate dressing rose up from her seat, smiling at us. "Hello, how may I help you?"

Her gaze was directed at me and on cue, I felt my nose breath out air through my nose mask. Right, I was wearing a nose mask.

"Good evening. There's an appointment with Dr Vanessa by 5:00 p.m."

"Really? Okay, let me check." She turned to the computer on her desk and began to scroll down with a monitor until her eyes lit up in realization. "Ah, Komisola Adedire, yes. I need to call her."

She picked up the landline next to her and after pressing some buttons, she began conversing with someone. "Someone is here to see you, by the name Komisola Adedire. The person has scheduled an appointment by 5:00 p.m. Okay, I'll inform her."

"You can go in, Miss Komi." The receptionist told me after dropping the landline. I glanced down at her name tag and saw the name 'Gladys' printed on it.

I removed my nose mask for a second and said to her, sternly, "Don't call me Komi."

A look of confusion tainted her smile and was immediately replaced by an impulsive apologetic look, "Oh, I'm sorry." She said. "Take the elevator to the fifth floor, take a right and the second door is the office. Thank you."

I gave her a curt nod and put on my nose mask. Maybe I was the one who imagined it, but that receptionist, Gladys, gave me a suspicious look after saying my name.

The driver led me to the elevator and after that, we took the instructions by the receptionist, Gladys and we arrived at a white door. The driver opened it for me and I walked in. He was more of my chaperone today than a driver.

A woman with beige shining skin, hair attachments and a pair of recommended glasses looked up and smiled at me. She was probably in her thirties or forties judging by her appearance. Dressed in a corporate wear, a white long sleeved shirt and a pair of black trousers.

I took my seat and stared at the golden plate that read VANESSA CARVALHO. The last name was weird to me and looked like a Chinese name.

"Hi, Komisola." The woman smiled at me and I just stared at her. "Do you like music?"

"No," I answered instantly.

"Why?"

Did I need to answer that?

"I don't like it. That's enough explanation." I told her, my voice as guarded as it could be.

"Okay," she nodded in acceptance. "What's your favorite color?"

"Is this supposed to be a question and answer session?" I raised a brow at her.

"It isn't therapy if it's not helping you. Therapy has to do with little things being discovered in gradual stages. And that must be a benefit for you."

"Call me Vanessa." She said, still smiling at me.

"There's nothing to be discovered about me, Dr. Vanessa." I breathed deeply, already feeling a tad bit annoyed.

"Pay attention to your surroundings first," Dr. Vanessa acted like she didn't hear what I said and folded her arms. I looked around and examined the room. It was painted in white and surprisingly peaceful to look at. There were tons of abstract paintings.

I liked it.

But I didn't get what she was saying.

"You're someone who doesn't pay attention to little things. You're hardly aware of your surroundings. As closed as you are, there are really easy things to read about you."

When I didn't say anything, Vanessa smiled at me and relaxed with folded arms. Still smiling–an action she seemed to enjoy which absolutely creeped me out, she said, "as I asked, what's your favorite color?"

~c h a p t e r b r e a k~

Back in Australia, his life was strange, the least to say. Sure he was popular in his school, everyone knew Hanniel Cardin. But he probably imagined those weird stares he received and mocking looks for being a Nigerian.

He had to deal with that. He had to put up a tough face and act like he didn't care about shit. Like that wasn't enough. Family problems were brought to the table, an unwanted serving in the menu.

The first time he'd seen his father walk through the door reeking of alcohol, he didn't know what to do. For the first time, he saw his father in a different light. That night his Mum frantically ran after his father and a lot of aggressive yelling could be heard that night.

It was sad, really. Behind the golden boy with a golden personality was a broken boy with a broken personality.

~
Joshua Bassett's Crisis :)
word count: 1731

happy ARMYversary to armys😮‍💨💕