OUT OF TOUCH

Chapter 2| Romeo

Chapter 2: Romeo

Tracy

"Ow." I grunted while rubbing on my forehead.

"This is obviously not an hotel." our intruder criticized us with a pointed look.

Still massaging my bruise, I exchange a look with Christopher who was making the same gesture and we both looked away with a sulk. For me, this was one of those times when being six feet under genuinely looked like a good idea.

Stepping down from the bed, Christopher adjusted his shirt and piped, "I thought you were headed out."

"I already did." Richard replied as he buried both his hands in his pockets. "I had to make it back in time for dinner which I came to let you both know is ready. There are six people living in this house in case you forgot and my dad comes home later in the night so he rarely eats with us. The rest of us, however are gourmands when it comes to food. So as custom serves, I suggest you dash to the kitchen before there's nothing left in the pot."

"You guys have a weird custom." I retorted, taking out my hairband from my wrist to hold my locks together.

Richard gave me a flat look like I just questioned his probity. "Tell that to the six year old me going to bed hungry."

"Whatever." Christopher cut in, "Let's just get going. I'm starving."

They were about to leave while I struggled to hold my locks in place so I called out to Christopher to wait for me.

"Sure. Need help?"

"Nah."

He offered me his hand when I was done so as to help me down the bed and I smiled sweetly at his thoughtful gentility. Then I leaned forward to take his hand when he swiped it away at the last minute, causing me to kiss the floor with my face.

Turning over with a huff, I watched Christopher and Richard laugh and fist bump each other for a win.

boys. Subbie snared in disgust. They think they're so smart.

And I totally agreed with my subconscious given the payback already cooking in my bruised head.

Down to the dinner, it felt like home. Richard had three older sisters with the oldest being a national youth service corp member and the rest still schooling at their various varsities. They were pretty loud and loquacious in nature but the aura they emitted was so cordial that the uneasiness I initially felt vanished within a second.

Prior to my love for keeping a low profile, my life was a razzmatazz to the media which wasn't something all too bad nor rosy. I was somewhat grateful for not having a load of attention on me at the table which made me feel like an average teenager again.

The dining area was in the same space as the kitchen and as Beatrice, the oldest amongst us, carefully dished out our portions from the cooking pot, we sat around the four cornered table right next to the island to eat.

True to Richard's words, the plantain porridge was not enough and the person left stranded was Anita whose name we fondly abridged to Ani. She was the immediate sister to Richard and apparently the cold weather got her under the weather, funny. She was the last to come down for dinner and because her siblings were literally gluttons whose eyes were bigger than their tummies, her share of the plantain mush was the bottom of the pot after it'd been scraped and gathered.

As hurtful as the situation was, I was envious of their lifestyle. I'd have loved to hunt for food at home like it was survival of the fittest but having just an older brother whose time and attention I barely got owing to him being a medical student, I became the lonely loner stuck with her sometimes overbearing mother.