Yobanna

I guessed right that she was at the library and then I had found her, sleeping softly, earpiece tucked in, I removed them gently and listened to the music coming from her phone, I was surprised this time it was actually Tiwa Savage song.

See who was finally cheating on Wizkid,I chuckled.

She looked peaceful, sleeping like a little child. I couldn't decide whether I liked her natural face better or her made up face. They both looked pretty.

And then the scene at the party came flashing by and I forced the thoughts of her dancing like that out of my mind.

I sat, watching her intently.  Wondering what her expression would be if she saw me watching her the way I was doing. Was it even normal to look at someone this much.

And then she actually made small noises and then her eye lids fluttered open and she was looking at me, her face awash with embarrassment and somehow I felt she had remembered the kiss scenario.

"Sleeping beauty finally grace the peasant with her sight"I teased and she chuckled.

There was something about Selena,she wasn't much of a talker.

"I didn't sleep that much,how long have you been here?"She asked

" Just long enough to see you snoring"

Her eyes grew large as saucers and I laughed, really hard.

"You don't mean that,do you?"

"I was just teasing you"

She hissed under her breath, muttering what looked like,this boy sef.

"I see you are finally listening to other artists right now, don't you think Wizkid will feel bad?"

She eyed me and my sass.

"I actually listen to other singers, you are just being annoying because you can't sing"

I held my chest in feign anger.

"You really do know how to hurt people's feelings"

She eyed me and turned away and I knew it was going to get pretty awkward.

"Do you remember, the kiss?" My voice had dropped several octaves.

I watched her expression, how she swallowed nervously.

"I think..I remember" She finally said.

"I like you Selena"

She turned around swiftly at me as though she was just too shocked to hear those words coming from me.

"I don't even know what to classify this as but maybe love is a way too stronger word but I really do like you"

She didn't say anything,just looked at me that way that meant she understood.

I didn't want to push my luck too much but I leaned in and claimed her lips,she didn't protest and I knew it,that she felt same way too.

**
Day 3 and this girl was yet to show up.

Her lines weren't reachable, she wasn't online, nothing.

Just me thinking about the kiss and wondering if maybe,maybe I was the cause of her disappearence, heck,I didn't even know what to think.

"What's wrong?" Precious nudged me

I looked up to meet their gazes, some song by Rema playing a little loudly drowning the voices of other students.

I didn't know what to say with Ken,Precious and Dozie looking at me like that.

"I'm fine" I said and sighed, continued forcing myself to eat the spaghetti on the plate.

Dozie took a head swipe around the building and they all exchanged this weird look.

"What?!,why are you guys looking at me like that?"

"It's that your babe that's getting you worked up shey?"Ken was the first to speak.

" It's..."

" There's no need denying,all you've been doing is sulk like a child for days now"Precious looked at me and I couldn't explain the expression on his face.

"It's just.." I trialed and then paused, what exactly was I going to tell them?

I ignored them and continued eating.

"She'll definitely come to school na,you don't have to continue acting miserable"Ken said again and I actually fired a glare at him. Glaring at someone like Ken was useless,he was going to go ahead and stare back at you. Annoying.

I continued eating my food. I was already getting fed up with sitting with them sef.

"Do you want me to perhaps find where she lives?" Precious asked

"I'm good"

Dozie just sat there giving me this weird look and I felt something snapping in me like a thin tread.

Okay,that's it,I'm definitely leaving this table.

I pushed my seat backwards and left.

***

Day 4

I was so ready to look for Selena somewhere, anywhere.

I went to school earlier,the school was real quiet save for the few chattering here and there and the none stop chattering of birds and some throaty laughter coming from the Ss1 block.

So I had walked into my class,my bag over me and then I had seen a figure curled up on her seat, actually the seat before mine and I recognized her.

It was actually her and her head was actually bent on the locker.

She looked frail and ill.

"Selena" I called softly.

She wasn't even moving yet until I touched her and then she stood up,in shock and fright too.

"Hey" The over exaggerated greeting came but I could see through the facade. She looked different,like different and it didn't settle well with them.

"You haven't been in school in the past three days,are you ill?" I say down close to her and I watched her flitch away softly and calmly.

"I'm fine,I was actually a little ill" she said really too softly

Another lie.

And then I saw it,was that blood? On her uniform,was that a mark on her hand,a large ugly bruise that had formed on her hand,she noticed my stare and tried to fumble with it but I was quick,quick to drag her hand.

She was bleeding.

I looked back at her eyes and saw the vulnerability in them like she was trying hard not to break and fall.

I didn't say a word. I simply took her up and carried her to the clinic,she wincing in pain occasionally and me trying hard to keep my cool because I might actually flip like really bad.

Nurse Lizzy was not on duty,just another nurse and after assuring her I could actually treat a wound really fine,she handed me the cotton wool and spirit.

I took Selena's hand, starting from her wrist, taking sharp breathes as I tried hard to to panick,she was actually wincing and almost in tears. These bruises weren't normal,they weren't.

Her sleeves,I needed to roll them. But she was hesitant,close to  tears never the less.

"Give me your hands, please Selena" I begged and then she did.

I rolled up her sleeves and nearly held myself not to cry at the sight,at the sight of the bloody brusies and scars on her skin.

Who did this?Why?

I tried hard to not peek at her face,her grunts were low,grunts of someone in deep pain and it broke my heart.

And when I was done. We both stayed in silence.

"Who did this?"I asked her in the lowest voice I could muster, imagine missing someone so much and then having to see them in so much pain next.

"Why do you care?" She asked me softly and it was supposed to sting me but it didn't.

She always doubted me somehow and I didn't know what else I could do to change her mind.

"Because I like you,a lot" I told her plainly and watched her looked away.

She was just sitting on the clinic bed,close to the blue curtains and looking away from me,her braids with her natural hair now looking cute and soft and partly in pain.

"Am I really worth it? I'm not as rich as you are?I don't have money,I don't..."

I placed a finger across her lips,why was she so insecure?

"Where do you get these ideas from?" I asked her, someone was definitely feeding on her insecurities, someone was.

"I just wondering why?I just wonder why you have to like me, why?"

" Because you are human Selena,you are human first above everything and then in as much as I'd like to list a million reasons why I like you, I really just like you"

"Now Selena,who did this?"I asked her and watched as her fallen expression got worse,she looking at her fingers and thinking of several things,I allowed her take her time.

"My father is dead" Was the first thing she said and looked up at me,I controlled my emotions,I had to be strong for the rest of the story.

"My mum.." She paused and then swallowed "She's not dead but she's somewhere out there,she left. I stay with my step mum now,Kim,she's actually my step sister"

She paused again. Tears were already forming at her eyelids, threatening to spill. I let her,I let her continue

" My step mum,she..she beats me occasionally,batters me most times and three days ago,she battered me as usual"

She closed her eyes as though reliving the memory,she winced at it and opened her eyes immediately as though she had seen a ghost.

"I didn't prepare dinner on time,she recently came back and I had to wash clothes and so... " This time she broke down, I pulled her towards me, her sitting on my legs and me hugging her.

She was crying, shaking occasionally and whimpering in my hand and somehow it broke my heart and I found myself being angry, way too angry.

"I'll have her arrested, I'll make sure she pays" I whispered and the way she moved away from me, it was swift.

"No no no, you can't do that, she's Kim's mum, she's actually Kim's mum and Kim is nice, I don't have a mother to take care of me and I don't want Kim losing her mum"

"But she's actually maltreating you! "I partly yelled and she flinched. Wrong choice.

"It's my business Yobanna, don't interfere"She told me back,the tears had seized and I sat there expressionless watching her.

It seemed lots of minutes passed and then I took in two breaths

"Come here" I told her softly and she moved closer and held her closer inhaling her scent for what seemed like a long while.

"Do you want to move out probably?" I asked

She shook her head in negative.

What the hell does she want?

"If she touches you one more time like this Selena,I can't promise you I'll not interfere"I told her seriously and made her lean against me, totally pressing her light weight on me. I've missed her,so much.

***

I went home,met my mum sitting in the living room, watching the blank TV as though in a trance.

I was too exhausted to care,after the whole stuff about Selena telling me about her step mum, I was automatically in a bad mood.

The house was too quiet,too too quiet and sometimes I wondered of probably Matthew was in the house, probably things would have been different.

I was going to ignore her after muttering a low greeting to her.

"Yobanna" She called me in a really soft voice, so soft that I found it piercing my heart.

I paused. Stood there watching the staircase ahead,30 steps at most, enough to burn calories

"I need a favor from you"She finally said when she saw I wasn't interested in turning around

That was new

"Since when did I start doing favours for you?mum"I added and then turned around. She looked older than the last time we actually talked.or rather the last time she guilt tripped me

"Yobanna, please"She whispered softly.

"What do you want?" I asked her. This conversation was getting me bored and tired.

"I want to see Matthew,I want to see him,I've not seen Mattew in the past few years, please let me see him,I need to talk to him"she was down on her knees.

Jesus Christ!

I rushed towards her and brought her up on her feet. I might not really like my mum and her actions that much but I couldn't,I wouldn't let her kneel.

"I can't actually grant you that, Matthew would flip" I told her but she was back to begging me and it was annoying, annoying that I was willing to do something for her.

So here I was driving my mom to his house, knowing fully well I was signing a death wish but still going ahead to do it.

The ride seemed longer,I didn't play the music on the car stereo,I was too tensed even though I  didn't show it. I was tensed cos I knew Mattew too well.

I parked in the driveway,my mum actually trailing behind me as I walked to Mattew flat which indicated it was his,from the loud music blasting from his room. Christ, some Juice Wurld song playing loudly and I was sure that the neighbors were cursing him.

I paused at the door, knowing he was not going through hear me knock,I dialled his number on my phone with my sweaty palm.

It rang and soon I could hear the shuffling of feet,he opened the door, didn't even wait to see my face and was back in his sitting room, shouting out some lyrics with his terrible voice.

"Juice Wurld gives me inspiration I swear"He was saying looking for another Juice Wurld song to blast. He was yet to notice my mum's presence.

"Yobanna you dey hear me sef?" He asked when he didn't hear any response and then he turned around.

Time stopped and so did my heart for a minute.

I watched him,his expression darkening as fast as it could,I've never seen him,so angry, different dangerous emotions passing through his face, directed on my mum in particular and then he glanced at me,the same venom that made me shudder for a while.

I knew what Mattew could do when he was angry. When he was just 10, Mattew had beaten a boy half death in anger because he had touched me,he was a ticking bomb when angry and this venom was too much.

"What the hell are you doing here Mrs Nnaemeka,kindly leave!"

He turned to me

" Yobanna I swear you don't know me" There was a sinster smirk

" Mattew please listen to me" That was my mum actually having the courage to come forward.

At that moment I realized how much resemblance they had,how much Mattew could pass as her brother,the way he towered over her effortlessly,the same color.

"I choose not to fucking listen,get the hell out of my house before I call the police"He drawled like an injured animal.

" Would you at least listen to me!" She yelled,she was frustrated,I could see from her stance she was trying hard not to break down.

"No,you listen,this is my fucking house,so my rules stand,you think I can forget,how you made my life worthless,you and your husband because I chose not to succumb to your plans for my life"

" I had no hand in all that,I didn't do that,I didn't want you to travel abroad to study medicine,I didn't do anything to that girl"

Mattew was too much in love with this girl and my dad,he had other plans for Mattew, some Arab money daughter was a perfect bride and somehow the girl had disappeared till today.

"And how does that make you different huh,tell me, don't you sleep around like a hoe, sorry,you fucking behave like them..."

Wham wham!

My mum,she had slapped him twice on his face,she was shaking but she tried to steady herself,I saw the rage in her eyes and the one in Matthew eyes were like raging storms and volcanoes threatening to erupt.

He rushed to cover the gap between himself and my mum,I was quick,was he going to hit her,I would never allow that. I stood right in her front, matching his gaze.

God,this anger oozing from him,I watched his balled fist,I knew I stood no chance in a fight against him,he was going to take down 10 of me without batting an eyelid. He was that dangerous

He didn't hit me,his balled fist in the air and then he moved away.

"Yobanna.." he paused "Get the fuck out of my house this moment,you and your mum,get out,I don't want to ever see your  face"

"Cos the next time time I see you,I won't hesitate to bruise your pretty face"He added,the threat not hidden.

And then I walked out with my mom,and I heard the doors bolted from the inside.

***

Guess who's life is messed up 😩💔
Mattew Sha,too much anger issues for one person