Chapter Three

Lilian

Wednesday, September 28.

7:45am.

I wore a simple dress, it was white with black polka dots, black sandals and a white head warmer, I dragged my box out, it was not very heavy since I did not park many clothes.

I did not wear any make up, normally I would do make up but, It just does not feel right again, nothing feels right again.

I'm not going to school till my mom comes back and till then I'll be staying at my aunts place.

I gave our house workers a leave, since I'm in charge, I locked my room door and all the windows in the house.

Picked my phone before locking the door, then I moved downstairs.

Aunt Betty was already making breakfast, so I just dropped my box near the couch and I helped set the table.

I'm happy those relatives have gone, they ate and used all the provisions and groceries we had.

But I'm glad they have crawled back to the fuckin' hole they crawled out from.

"Good morning Lilian." My aunt greeted, she turned to face me before smiling.

"Morning Auntie." I replied, I'm not really excited about staying at her house, I really don't like her kids they are trouble, and very mischievous.

But I really want to take a break from school and staying alone In the house will make me lonely and I still haven't gotten over my father's death.

I can't tell my aunt to stay here with me, she has been here since Sunday and she has her own kids.

"I'll call my driver to come pick us." She said, I could only see her back view, an apron tied around her neck and waist,she was wearing a simple dress that made her look a bit younger than her age.

I'm surprised that she remembered to use an apron, I'm always forgetting and sometimes I end up staining my clothes and yelling at everyone.

You can say I'm rude, I'm also very spoilt and I really don't have friends, in school and in the neighborhood... It's only been family.

So imagine loosing one of the only friends you have in the world... I miss my Mike.

"No need for that... We can just take an uber." I replied, sure I will never suggest we take BRT or we take public busses.

Public busses In Lagos is something else, the sight of dirty, smelly people sitting beside you, most of them just returned from the market and the scent alone can make you puke.

Anyways my mom stopped  from taking public transports because it's not very hygienic and I'm exposed to different smells, like dumps, smoke and to top it up there is no air conditioner.

People from different places and to a different destination, rubbing their dirty body on you... Well don't think I'm overreacting, it's something I really don't like.

"No, it's nothing... I'm not comfortable with other people driving me." Aunt Betty said.

Lame excuse!

I walked into the kitchen to see what she was preparing. Although I was already guessing it was plantain and egg, because the aroma kept tickling my nostrils.

"Okay then." I replied, she scooped the last round of fried plantains away from the fry pan and I helped her carry it to the dinning table after pouring it into a bowl, not really caring to drain the oil.

I'm really hungry and since yesterday's cereal I have not eaten anything.

She picked her phone and I assumed she wanted to call her driver, I walked back to the kitchen painted cream, opened the refrigerator to pick another tin milk.

I want to drink tea so I fetched water into the kettle and placed it on the gas cooker.

"Yes please be here before nine." Aunty Betty uttered as I stood patiently waiting for the water to boil, the water ain't plenty so It won't take long.

I poured the beverage into a cup and added sugar, poured in milk, making sure I kept some in case she wants to drink too.

Aunty Betty dropped the phone, we both settled down to have breakfast.

"So how is school work?" Aunt Betty asked, I looked up holding a plantain with my bare hands.

"Emm... Fine." I replied, I really don't like to talk about school, my life in school is a mess.

I'm one of those girls that doesn't have a friend to call my own, others hate me because I'm rude.

See I don't have an attitude problem, just a personality that most don't like.

Or do I have an attitude problem?

"So don't you miss your friends and none of them even called." Aunty Betty said, immediately I chocked on the plantain before coughing.

This is why I hate talking while eating, when eating I prefer total silence and a fresh and pleasant view.

"Well they called... But I ignored their calls." yeah I lied!

I lie very often, I'm very smart and cunning, I trick my teachers in school and bunk classes.

Now I'm lying to my own aunty, but I seriously can't tell her that I don't have friends.

"You should call them back." My aunt said looking worried and I just nodded giving my food all the attention.

No one called, no one cared.

"And yes, why don't you want to talk to Stace, she's worried sick!" Aunty Betty uttered, I raised my head and stared at her in disbelief, I was already getting angry.

"Please Aunty Betty, I don't want to talk about it or anything, I prefer to eat my breakfast in peace, don't let me loose the little appetite I have!" I replied rudely, I was expecting her to frown or scold me like my mom.

But she just gave me that worried expression "It is well, I'll just tell her that you don't want to talk to anyone." She said facing her food.

Damn it!

That came out the wrong way, I loose my temper easily... I have this stupid heart that is made of stone, and now I'll just get worse now that my dad is gone.

"I'm sorry I was rude." I apologized, even though apologizing was hard for me.

People say I'm arrogant and proud, well I'm sorry but I'm just this girl that is having too much problems at once.

That moment when I'm trying to read for an exam, seniors start disturbing, my mom and Dad start fighting and different bad rumours about me start spreading, it's just too much to handle.

I end up nagging and I get this crazy mood swings.

After Breakfast I washed the plates, I hardly do chores, yeah I'm very spoilt.

All I do is cook and clean my room the rest is for the maids to handle.

"The driver is here." Aunty Betty said after peeping through the window, the gate man opened the gate and the driver drove in.

I stared at the driver through the kitchen window, he walked towards the main door and immediately Aunt Betty let him in, he greeted her and they exchanged pleasantries.

She's nice to her workers.

I thought before walking into the sitting room since I was done with the dishes, I got water all over my dress, so I carefully dabbed it with my hands.

"Good morning." I greeted the driver trying to be respectful.

That's the first time I'm greeting a driver or helper.

"Good morning my dear." He replied before dragging my box outside, it was not a big box so I kept wondering why he was dragging it.

Normally I would complain about that, but Aunty Betty will get fed up of my rude behavior.

I'm really trying must best to be nice, because when I'm angry and I loose my temper, wrong words come out.

"Don't forget to close the kitchen window." Aunty Betty said as she locked the other windows, I turned to do what she said and after that I moved out of the house.

Coming out of the house felt different, the last time I came out was Sunday when Aunty Betty and I drove to the hospital, since we got news that he was shot.

And to my surprise, I woke up to find myself on an hospital bed- I passed out when I heard the news of my father's death.

Shit!

Why did I think of it?

It still hurts and it's as if there is a missing half of my heart.

And when I woke up my stupid mom was not there.

I hissed and walked into the car, I sat beside Aunt Betty In the passenger seat, the driver started the car before reversing and driving out.

I glanced one more time at our house painted peach and cream, also admiring out beautiful garden and black and white pavements.

And finally I turned on my phone to see more that fifty missed calls from Mom and three missed calls from an unknown number.

Maybe I should talk to mom?

And which bitch owns the unknown number?

I ignored the calls for now then I logged into Whatsapp, my phone hanged in the middle of messages trooping in.

Why so many messages?

Stupid phone!

I thought looking frustrated, I hate it when my phone is hanging, it happens most times when I switch on my data.

'Bolanle get boyfriend.'🎶

The radio came blaring out Zlatan's song Bolanle.

It was not helping matters but Aunty Betty was busy enjoying the beat of the song.

The day was bright and very sunny so the titled window and air conditioner helped but I don't know why the driver turned on the fuckin' radio.

After minutes of hanging, my phone started working... I was glad because I felt like slamming the stupid phone on the floor.

Group chats, I just read because that's what I do... I don't chat with my friends on group chats infact I don't chat with most of them, I stalk a lot and I just read the group chats.

I spend my data on facebook and instagram, I don't post pictures of chat, I just join groups and see posts. I'm an introvert.

Whatsapp messages from my mom, telling me to take care of myself and I should please stop ignoring her calls.

Really not my fault, my phone was on total silence since Sunday.

Then the unknown number messaged me again.

Hi Lilian

You weren't in school yesterday and the day before, hope all is well.

Anyways if you are Ill get well soon.

So I was about to block the number when I decided to figure out who the person was and unfortunately the person left a picture of roses as his or her profile picture.

But one thing is sure the person Is a class mate, but who?

I hardly talk to my classmates and most of them don't like me at all.

And the person did not say his or her name, probably the person thinks I have his or her contact.

Weird.

"Mummy has come back, mummy!" My aunt's children ran out when they saw their mom.

They all hugged their mom tight and the youngest one, Jeffrey kept holding on to his moms leg, tugging on her dress.

"My baby." She said carrying her three year old son and throwing him in the air.

Aunty Betty is blessed with twins daughter, Jade and Jane then a sweet son Jeffrey.

Did I just say sweet.

Well they are good looking kids but they are mischievous and they can make your life a living hell.

"Is this not Liliyar?" Jane asked, she was slightly taller than Jade also skinnier than Jane.

Her accent was funny and she asked like she was meeting me for the first time.

We celebrated all Christmas together, and they visit some times, and they usually succeeded in making my life a living hell.

"It's aunty Lilian, Li-li-an." I said making my name stand out as I gave her a fake grin, before rolling my eyes.

"I'm pretty sure it's Liliyor." Jade argued as the two toddlers faced each other, sometimes I think they are above ten because the way they act and talk sometimes they can be dramatic.

They always want to take selfies, dress up, do make up and all those girly stuff that is above their age.

Did I mention that they know how to hiss and roll those eyes of theirs, they are intimidating and they make you feel as if you are mates or they are older.

As for Jeffrey, he doesn't like my face and he is always spoiling my alarm, tearing my note books to make paper airplanes and writing rubbish on my room wall.

I don't joke with my notes and I don't like pencils and colour writings on my wall so I end up beating him, I don't care if he is a baby and because of that he depises of me.

Right now he is hiding from me holding on too his mom, but I don't care I just ignored he and his sisters who were still debating on whether it is liliyar or liliyor.

Whatever I have no problem with them as long as I always lock my room, keep my phone safe, mind my business and avoid them and any discussions, because we ain't mates.

But I'm thinking this girls act like they are ten years old, five years old and they are asking me questions like 'Can't you go out?, don't you have a boyfwiend.'

Jade can't even pronounce the letter 'r'

'can't you borrow me your phone, I just wanna use em to snap cool pitchurs.' Jane, she's always scrolling through the little messages on my phone, watching videos that may not be for her age... And she can operate your phone and scatter the whole settings.

One time she changed my phone language to Igbo, it took me time to set it back and one time she sent useless messages on my class group chat, messages like.

'hoo likes iced creams ?' when everyone was busy talking about school work, they all blasted me with insults that I'm dumb and then I flogged her and Jade.

I know you are asking?, why did I flog Jade too.

Well when I ask "Who touched my phone and who sent this messages?

She could not even spell some words right. Like it's so not Iced creams.

' it's Jane'

'no it's jade. '

'wait I am Jade'

'No you are Jane'

'Well then Jade did it.'

'No Jane did it.'

That's what they did to me when I did not know who is who? It became too confusing and I did not know who was talking or who did it...

It was so frustrating so I lost my temper and punished the both of them.

Later the both started fighting and then I found out that it was Jane.

So till Saturday morning, I'll be stuck with this annoying kids.

I can't hope for anything good and fun, because I know it's going to be a hell in heaven.