Way Too Big✔️

31. Way too big; [ who knows what the future for us could hold?]

31.// Way too big: [who knows what the future for us could hold?]

We stared at each other for 60 seconds. Yes, I was counting. Before mom finally broke the silence.

"Where have you been?" She questioned.

"At the hospital," I answered truthfully.
In this case, there's no use trying to evade giving a direct answer.
Both ways, I'm doomed.

"Don't you dare lie to me, Naomi!"
I flinched at mom's tone.

"I-i was..." I began to stutter.
"Where's your phone?" She asked.

My phone?
My phone?
My phone?
I shoved my hands into the pocket of my pajamas to find them empty.
If my heart was beating at a fast pace before, now it's speeding up at an alarming rate.
Where the hell is my phone?

"This is all part of her plan, it's all fun and jokes to Naomi." It was Eric.
He stood at the doorway, looking at me with such bitterness in his eyes.

"Where is your phone?" Mom asked again, moving closer to me.
"I-i don't know where it is."My voice was shaky.

"You don't know where your phone is or you deliberately turned it off just to spite us?" Eric was stirring trouble.

Like a possessed enraged person, Elizabeth threw the flower vase on the table to the wall, eliciting a loud crashing sound that startled us all.

When she looked at me, my heart dropped to my feet. Her eyes were bloodshot. If mom and Eric saw red in anger, then Elizabeth saw a darker shade of red.

"I begged you..." Elizabeth paced, hands pulling her hair in anguish.
"I practically begged you. That competition was my whole life. I worked hard for it. Sleepless nights. I did not rest. Morning lessons and evening lessons. I did not stop for nothing." She stopped pacing and began walking towards me.

Not that I was surprised when Elizabeth shoved me, causing me to stagger backward. "You promised Naomi. You fucking promised. We worked together that night for this competition. You promised me, Naomi. How could you? Why?"

She did not stop crying hysterically.
If anything, the crying got worse.

"Answer the damn question!" Eric yelled.
"I know you did this to spite us." Eric wasn't done, "cause you're a wicked heartless person."

Elizabeth's voice quivered as she spoke, "I honestly can't believe I thought you wanted to help me. Why did I trust you? You've never for once supported me when it comes to academics. Instead, you incessantly told me that I read too much and I need to get a life." She paused, as though she suddenly remembered something.

She shoved me again. Mom just stood and watched.
"That competition was my life. I didn't even get the chance to participate and it's all your fault. I was going to win. I'd have been nationally and internationally recognized. I'd have been in newspapers. On billboards. In magazines. Everywhere. The minister of education would know me. I'd have met the president and Vice President. I was promised a book tour. A full scholarship into any university. Do you think that's a joke? We're rich but that one million naira would have been mine. The money I made by myself. I'd have been famous. I'd-"
She got choked by the words. She angrily wiped her tears, "I'd have been the happiest lad alive."

She ran her hand across her face in frustration before speaking again, "If you want to remain a failure all your life, don't you dare drag me down with you." She deadpanned and stormed out. Slamming the door.

I swallowed the lump that seemed to be forming in my throat every few seconds. Hot tears stung my eyes and I struggled in vain to keep them from falling.

I failed Elizabeth. We all know I don't care about Eric but I failed Elizabeth.
And she'll never forgive me for this.
Maybe I should have just left the hospital immediately after she was taken to the intensive care unit.

"I'm going to ask you one last time Naomi. Where were you?" Mom was hell-bent on getting the truth out of me.

The truth she's going to classify as a lie, eventually.

I raised my hands in mock surrender, "I was at the hospital. There was an accident and Naomi was severely injured. I couldn't leave her to die. I took her to the hospital. Naomi-"

"Have you gone mad? Which Naomi?" Mom inquired.

"She's lying, mom. Don't listen to a thing she says. She's just trying to confuse you." He turned to me, "you're a bloody liar and I'd never believed a thing you say. I'll never ever forgive you for ruining my life."

Eric walked up to me and, with force, pulled his ID card that was hanging on my neck.

A sharp pain shot through my neck as my hands flew up to massage the spot.
In anger and retaliation, I slapped Eric. Twice, simultaneously, on both cheeks.

His scream must have woken up the entire estate.
Almost immediately, mom's hands came flying towards me. I was slapped thrice. I couldn't stand there and get beaten like a slave.
So I ran, pushing Eric out of the way in the process.
Up to my room and slammed the door.
I turned the lock twice and collapsed on the bed.

Staring at the ceiling, Elizabeth's words replayed in my head.
I felt sick with guilt. My neck hurt like hell. The tears did not stop falling.

A few days back, I was here with Elizabeth in my room, preparing for this competition.
Calling out words for her to spell.
She never for once missed one.
She only corrected my pronunciation of the words. I had promised her.
I had shattered her dreams, her chances for the future.

Even the Naomi I saved was in a not-so-good condition.
Was this all for nothing?

When Elizabeth and I were preparing for this competition, who knew this was how it'd turn out?

When Naomi had promised to invite me for her child's naming ceremony, who knew this was how it'd turn out?

Really, who knows what the future for us could hold?

Without a doubt undoubtedly, mine is doomed.