جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 10

I broke up with Mark on a Tuesday.And by Monday, I wanted his brother.I know how that sounds. Trash.Shameless. But listen first before you judge me.Mark didn't cheat. He didn't beat me. He was a good guy. For eight months, he was perfect. He said "I love you" every night before he slept."I love you, Sandra," he would say on the phone."I love you too," I would say back. But my chest was empty. I was saying it because it was time to say it, not because I felt it.So on Tuesday, I ended it."So that's it?" Mark asked. His voice was too calm. Like he already knew."That's it," I said. "We want different things "Okay."Just okay. No begging. No drama. He hung up.I should have felt free. Instead, I felt like a thief. Like I had stolen eight months from a good man.My best friend Chioma came to my house in Diobu that evening with suya and malt."You did the right thing," she said, chewing. "If you don't love am, you don't love am.""I know," I said. "But why does doing the right thing

By Wednesday, Joshua and I were talking every day.Not boyfriend-girlfriend. Just... every day.He would send me a picture: "Today's special - native soup."I would send: My own fried rice that looked like white rice that had an accident.We never mentioned Mark. It was our silent rule. Don't say his name.But Mark was still in Port Harcourt. Still viewing my WhatsApp status. Still existing.Thursday morning, he texted.Mark: Are you okay?Are you okay? After you ended everything with "okay" like we were returning a borrowed pen, you are asking if I'm okay?Me: I'm fineMark: Okay.That was it. I felt guilty for breathing.That evening, Joshua called. Voice call.He called to ask how to make zobo, but we stayed 43 minutes talking about everything - best soups, PH boys, his mother who wanted him to be a doctor.It felt easy. Too easy. Like we had known each other before."Sandra," he said, voice low. "Can I be honest?"My heart stopped."Yes.""I like talking to you. I know it's too so

Joshua said "Just as Joshua" but there is nothing just about Joshua.He said he would come with keke on Saturday. He came with a small car. Toyota Corolla, clean, vanilla air freshener.White shirt. Black jeans. Arms bigger than I thought in his chef coat.He looked at me and forgot how to breathe for two seconds."You look... wow," he said.I wore yellow. My friend said yellow brings luck. I needed luck."Thank you," I said, trying not to blush.We went to a small restaurant on Peter Odili Road. Quiet. Corner table. He knew the owner.same because I wanted to look like I knew food."So," he said, "Sandra who can boil water.""So, Joshua who burns tea."We laughed. The Mark tension from Genesis yesterday was still in my chest, but with Joshua, it felt far away."Why did you and Mark break up?" he asked finally. "If you don't mind."I took a deep breath. "Because we stopped being us. He was always tired. I was always complaining. We loved each other but we were not happy. I ended it. H

Joshua's mother asked to see me.Not friendly. In a "come and explain yourself before I curse you" way.Joshua told me Tuesday: "Mama wants us to come Wednesday evening. She said she wants to see the girl making her two sons quarrel."Quarrel. I never wanted quarrel. I wanted love."I am scared," I told him."Don't be. My mother shouts, but her heart is soft. And I will be there. I won't leave you."Wednesday, I wore the most decent dress I have. Long skirt, covered top, no lipstick. I looked like a Sunday school teacher going to see Jesus.Their family house in GRA - big compound, mango tree, big parlor.Mark was not there. Thank God.His mother sat in center. Big woman, fair, wrapper, glasses. Woman who does not tolerate nonsense."Sit down," she said.We sat. Joshua held my hand under table.Tight."So you are Sandra," she looked from head to toe, like scanning my spirit. "You dated Mark.""Yes, ma.""Now you date Joshua.""Yes, ma."Clock ticking loud. My heart ticking louder."Do

The pregnancy test on my kitchen counter was not mine.It was Faith's. And it had two pink lines.I found it inside Mark's jacket when I went to return his family house key. The key he gave me 4 months ago when he said, "You are my wife to be."Mark was standing in front of me, sweating, even though the AC was on."Sandra, please don't tell Joshua. Please."I held up the test. My hand was shaking, but my voice was stone."Faith is pregnant?""Two weeks," he whispered. "She just told me yesterday. My mother said we must do introduction this Saturday. If we don't, Faith's brothers will come to our house."| laughed. I actually laughed. Because three weeks ago, this same Mark was kneeling in front of my own family house begging me to come back."So you called me to hide it from your brother?""No. I called you because you are the only person who will understand. Sandra, I don't love Faith. I was just using her to forget you. Now she is pregnant and my mother says I must marry her or she