Late Eighteen

12| Chapter twelve

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"Ruth, have you gotten the list I pasted on the fridge?"

I stared at the tomatoes on the girl's head. Shaking my head, I turned away from her and her consistent plead to patronize her. I know if I buy that tomatoes home for my mum, she would have my head for dinner.

"Yes mum, I am at the market with Zoe." I replied, clutching my phone closer to my ear and scooting myself and Zoe away from a weird guy and his gang.

Zoe kept on glaring at them daringly. This girl won't put me in trouble.

"Ok then, I'll leave you guys to concentrate. I gave you money to the market o, don't let them dash you rotten goods and collect your money. Don't buy goods that will make you see the other side of me. I trust your judgement though." She warned me.

I could literally see her expression right now. She isn't in any way comfortable about this new arrangement, but she's being trying her best to make it up to me so bad.

Personally, I'd have preferred her buying me a whole bucket of coldstone ice-cream to make up for her non existent mistakes. They think sending me out alone to the market to buy things for the house, cooking and doing house chores without supervision or allowing me to go over to my friends place is the freedom I want?

Very funny.

"Yes ma." I replied when I didn't know how to answer her. Quickly, I ended the call before she could say anything. I tucked the phone in my jean's front pocket and kept on walking, pulling a sulking Zoe along.

"Wait, is it not Pepper you want to buy?" Zoe asked, pulling me to a stop.

"Yes Zoe, the list is with you na." I wiped sweat off my forehead, frustrated at her for making us stop. The sun is hot enough to boil water for Eba. Can't she persevere? I almost threw myself on the floor, my eyes prickling with tears.

This place is suffocating enough.

Nigeria is suffocating enough.

"So it's pepper we want to buy abi? All these stalls we've been passing nko? Are you looking for a special type of pepper?" She asked, panting and staring at me like she was about to pass out at any moment.

Despite me feeling tired and stressed, I burst out laughing at the expression on her face.

Pulling her along again, I replied, "Drama queen, you know your mum na. I need to buy something good, all those peppers are not good. Let's just go a little bit further, I know we will see good ones."

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I closed the door slowly and quietly behind me as I sneaked out through the back door.

"Hello."

"Ruth? Atlast, you picked up your phone, thank God." His voice came out as a whisper. "I try your number everyday, hoping you'd pick up the call."

My heart warmed at his last statement.

"My mum seized my phone, she gave it back last week." I explained.

"You didn't tell me about that." He accused.

"You didn't ask me." I blurted out without thinking.