A PERFECT LIFE

Saturday was chilly. It didn't pour and the air was dry. It seemed like the harmattan had finally remembered it was its season. I made sure to apply enough cream to my body and to my lips. I didn't want to end up looking like a wannabe ghost.

I was saddened on this day too. I said my final goodbye to Richard the day before. He was travelling today and I was really pained.

I exhaled as I checked time on the button phone Richard got for me. He said he registered a new sim for me for my bank account and so that I could also keep in touch with my friends to be.

10:24

Was Vincent bailing on today's class? I wondered. I swore under my breath to kill him if he did. I hadn't given any of them my number so there was no way for them to contact me.

I remembered saving Chijioke's number on my phone so I decided to call him. I wasn't too eager to go for the tutor session but I was glad for an opportunity to leave my depressing room. I never expected Richard's travel to make me so sad.

"Hello?" Chijioke answered with a yawn.

"Are you still sleeping?" I asked bemused.

"Well I'm awake and answering your call," He said dryly. "Who are you by the way?"

"Nairobi."

"Naya-Bear. You finally called. This is worth a celebration," He cooed.

"Bird brain," I said in an opposite tone. "I called you because of Vincent-"

"Unhuh-"

"Shut up and let me finish," I warned with playfulness. Whenever I spoke to Chijioke, it was like his personality seeped into me. It was something I couldn't explain but I without doubt loved it. It made me loosen a bit and transformed my scowls to smiles. "His driver has not arrived to take me for the tutorial."

"So let me guess-"

"Guess what?"

"This is a coy to steal my boy's number-"

"Hell no!-"

"And this is the part where I'm supposed to give you his number?"

I facepalmed wondering how this boy actually became friends with me. "I just-"

"Naya bear," he called like an amused adult. "You have to try harder."

"I don't need nobody's number!"

"Double negative," he chuckled stupidly. I could imagine the joker grin on his luckily pretty face and the delighted twinkle in his coffee brown eyes. He most definitely was enjoying this.

I sighed. "Chijioke Abel just be a gentleman and call your friend to come and pick me up."

"But I'm always a gentle man."

"Chijioke, I'm burning under this stupid sun!" I grated out.

"Oh sorry babe." There wasn't the slightest hint of apology on his tone. If anything, he was smiling. "I'll call him and get back to you."

I heard the beep from the other end signifying that he had cut the call. I pulled my small phone from my ear and smiled.

Damn you Chijioke!

I was not supposed to smile.

A black Benz pulled up in front of me not so long after. I peeped in to see Vincent's driver. He wound down the window and I greeted him. He smiled and ushered me into the front passenger seat. My phone vibrated and Mr. Joker flashed on my phone screen.

"Chijioke the driver has arrived," I told him to avoid his stupidly enjoyable small talks.

"OK. Be nice o and good luck."

I watched objects fly past us. In a jiffy we were in Vincent's estate and in the house. I made sure to check if there were any dogs were in sight and luckily there weren't. After the driver parked the car in the car port, I alighted with my backpack. I saw Constance run out of the house, her white flay gown dancing in the wind.

"Nairobi!" She screeched hugging me. "I've really missed you." She was bouncing around me.

"Um," I followed her every step with a small smile. "I missed you too. How are you?"

"I'm fine." She stopped being restive and intertwined our fingers. "I made a new painting. You need to see it," She said pulling me with all her strength towards the house.

Once again I admired the beauty of Vincent's home like I hadn't done it before. I sat one of the couches and Constance presented a paper splattered with shades of grey, yellow and black.. "I don't-"

"There's always light at the end of the tunnel," She explained sitting beside me. "That's what it's supposed to say."

My mouth formed an 'oh'. It was when she explained that I actually saw the tunnel and light. "So it's a tunnel." I managed to smile kindly at her. Her big brown eyes smiled back at me. "It's inspiring. But you need to work on your shading-"

"Would you teach me?" She asked with hopeful eyes.

"I can. . .try." I didn't know if I could teach. I didn't learn to paint or sketch. It just came to me and just watching the people who knew how to do it helped me improve.

I stared at Constance's piece again.There's always light at the end of the tunnel. If my bitter life could be related to a dark tunnel, would there be a light for me in the future? soon? Tomorrow?

"It's something mom used to say," Constance interrupted as if she heard my question. "She has a quote printable of it too. I believe it."

"Did you speak with her recently?"

Constance sighed sadly and shook her head. "Nope. Deji says soon."

I spoke more with Constance after she told me that Vincent was freshening up. She was intelligent and I liked it. Like minds attract. She spoke intelligently for an eight year old.

"Nairobi." It was actually the first time I've heard him actually call my name.

"Hey."

"I'll be in my room." Constance said and stood up from my side. "I'm not going over to aunt Damilola's place today so you can teach me when you're done with blockhead Deji." She shrieked and ran off giggling when Vincent tried to grab her.

"We should start." I shook my head in utter disappointment. He couldn't even apologise for the lateness. I told myself not to make a fuss.

"I'm sorry the driver was late. I forgot to tell him to pick you before heading to the gym," He apologised as we settled down in the room. It had a desk now so we didn't have to use the bed like last time. When Vincent mentioned gym, I was forced to study his lanky frame.

Gym? I wanted to ask but decided to bite back my words. Vincent didn't look a bit like a gym person.

"I was thinking you weren't going to apologize," I told him with all sincerity bringing out my books from my bag.

"Are you going to accept my apology or what?" So we were back to square one. Acting cold to each other like we have been sworn enemies by our creator.

"Physics or chemistry?" I asked ignoring his question.

"Physics please."

I forced myself not to chuckle. I was not supposed to especially now that I was supposed to face life alone.

No. Not alone.

I was going to make friends. But how? It wasn't so easy for me.

I was already missing Richard. I could feel the tears itching to pour out but I did all my best to push it back. I couldn't show Vincent how weak I was again.

I was sketching and designing abstract nonsense on an empty sketchpad I found in the room, while Vincent solved a physics exercise I had set for him. As my wrist worked like it had a mind of its own, I was vaguely aware of a pair of eyes staring at me.

"What?"

He flipped his note close and sat straighter. "I'm probably not supposed to pry or you're going to angrily walk out but sadly I can't hold the curiosity back, especially because of the depressing stuff you're filling my sister's sketchpad with." His brows were furrowed as he stared into the sketch book. I glanced again at what I thought was abstract. It was a bad calligraphy of the sadness within me and a few images of broken and pierced pained hearts. I quickly closed the sketch pad and flung it across the room.

Vincent shifted his gaze from the pad to my face. I could have gasped at the emotion on his face. He looked concerned.

"I'm willing to listen if you want to talk," he said slowly. And like an afterthought, he added, "I might understand."

I unintentionally scoffed. "You can't understand. You probably have a perfect life. You're rich, you have loving parents and a sweet sister. You have friends. You're surrounding by people that love you."

And even if one decides to leave to the far north, you would never ever feel alone in this big world, I wanted to add.

"Probably," I heard Vincent say in a steely voice gazing icily at his book with clenched fists. "Keyword, probably." This time he look at me but looked away immediately. Despite that, I couldn't miss the torrent of emotions swaying in his beautiful brown eyes. It was my turn to be concerned. I didn't let my nurturing personality surface before pushing her down. I was going to answer questions if I wanted to know and I didn't want to give out any. Yet.

"A-are you. . .done?" I asked after the silence in the room threatened to deafen me.

"Yea." He pushed his note to me and looked away.

I was afraid Vincent would still bring up the matter or worse last week's matter. But he brought up nothing and I was particularly glad for that.

Nobody was supposed to know anything about me. Nothing at all apart from my name. I had broken that promise to myself once, I wasn't planning to break it again.