PARALYZED: Us Against The World

- Twenty

I really enjoyed the day. It's being a long while since we had this much fun. I learnt a lot about mom's role as a nurse at the hospital.

Back at home, the boys were having their own bonding time. Tv and Playstation was what they spent their time on. Can guys ever change?

We came home late. I honestly didn't want the day to end. All the fun from earlier, men, why end now.

Simisola wouldn't be coming home till much later, she's working an extra hour. I honestly had a lot to share with her, too bad she isn't here.

While I sat in my room, busy with my diary, mom came in to check up on me.

She gentle made her way to me and the sat right next to me. She gives me a cuddle from behind, resting her chin on top of my head.

"Looks like you've started using the new shampoo I bought for you. So soon?" She could tell from fragrance of Aloe Vera coming from my hair.

"Of course. You know I'm no longer the only girl in the room anymore." I said hitting to Simisola.

" Ah, I keep forgetting. Simisola!" She says hitting her head.

She notices my diary. She touches it and pauses for a while

" It's been a while since I last saw that." She says after being quiet for a while.

" You know, your dad use to do this a lot." She says smiling.

I make a gentle facing her. She takes me by my hand.

" You really take after him. From the eyes to the book." We both laugh.

" Do you miss him?" I had to ask, you know.

" Yes. Every night, I still think about him." Her face turns to a sad one.

" You know Nimi, sometimes I ask myself what if he hadn't left? What if the accident hadn't happened? What if the happy ever after hadn't ended?" I could tell she till had that spark, the inner fire for him.

I honestly thought she had moved on you know, I use to think I was the only one still day dreaming about the impossible, guess like I'm not.

Okay now, I begin to think about something; I'm thinking about Mrs. Nike talks about how she met her other half Charlie and it makes me curious to know how mom and dad met.

" Mummy, can I ask you something? Hope you won't mind?" I ask nervously.

" Yeah, sure?" She says.

"How did you guys meet?" She touches my face and smiles, like she was blushing.

" I think it was at this health center."

" An health center?" Interesting.

" Yes!" I was expecting somewhere more romantic. I always get disappointed in these things.

" You know, back in the day, in our day, the country was going through this agitation period. Protest here and there, Nigeria can be messed up sometimes you know." She said.

" Oh? Interesting."

" Your dad was already a journalist then, he was I think amongst the reporters on the field, witnessing everything first hand and putting them in the paper the way they were."

" They was this protest, he was amongst the reporters doing their thing there. Things started off peacefully but then things eventually got out of had and then eventually messy. It was a hell of a combat between angry mobs and the police. Rubber bullets were shot to dispatch the angry protesters. Your dad was hit in the arm and then he was brought to the health car center I use to work then."

" Woah." I was surprised.

" Yes woah." Mom teasingly repeats me.

" He was brought in to the emergency ward where we discovered the bullet didn't really do much damage. But it did went into his flesh though and he also did sustain some other minor injuries on his face and leg."

" He got shot trying to save a civilian caught in between the hast." Mom says smiling.

" I was the ward nurse that was nursed his wound. He was honestly something else. Always trying to flatter me her and there." It sounds totally like dad.

" So that's how you both met?"

" Yes dear."

"So?" I still had much to ask. I need more juice.

" So what, Nimi?"

" How did you both fall for each other? When and how did it happen?" I asked curiously.

" Where are all this questions coming from?" She laughs.

" From my heart!" I tease her, we both laugh.

" Look, your father came back some weeks after to do a follow up checkup.
Or maybe so I thought."

" So you thought?" What does that even mean?

" He didn't really stop by for that. He came to see me. It was obvious, you know."

" I guess he fell first for me, I fell only later."

" Ah okay." I was filling all jiggly.

" Your dad was honestly crazy you know." She says shaking he head.

"In less than a month later, he got shot again." This right here was really funny to here.

"I asked him why he kept getting himself shot, it was like he was the favorite spot. You wanna know his reply?" She ask as though she was about revealing a big secret.

"Yes!" I began to fell anxious.

"Coz, the right bullet hasn't been shot by the right person yet." She whispers it into my ears.

I blush. He was definitely a romantic guy.

"What was your reply?"

"Next time, it was gonna be the grave."

"I wish I could take that back. It just like the preacher said our words predict the future, maybe I predicted his." Her mood changes to a saddened one.

I guess it's the end for tonight.

"Okay, Nimi, it's bed time!" Mom kiss me in the forehead. I move myself over to my pillow and covers half of my body with my blanket.

The pajamas I was wearing tonight was the one dad bought for me, just before his demise. The time he bought it, it was still much more bigger me, I've kinda eventually grown into it now just like he said.

"She'll grow into them." Still remember those lines.

Just before mom stepped out, she hands over this book to me. Dad wrote it for me, the first and only copy.

"It's a Dear Jody kinda thing your daddy wrote just for you."

By Dear Jody, she was referring to this movie starring Michael B Jordan, produced by Denzel Washington.

Just before mom stepped out I told u her to help me switch of the lights.

Simisola came home late as expected and men she was darn tired. It was predictable though.

A/N

{The day before yesterday 18/08/2022, was the birthday of an aunty of mine, I mean it was supposed to be, she passed away some months back. I guess no one's ever too young to journey to the after life.}