WHEN LOVE MET SCIENCE {COMING 2024}

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER

HEY.

He glanced eagerly at the message he had sent to the number Tito had given him.

He couldn't see her profile picture but he was sure she didn't give him the wrong number.

He checked his phone for the sixteenth time. No message.

Her Whatsapp status showed that she had been online minutes ago and because her read recipient had been turned off, he couldn’t know if she had seen his message or if she was simply ignoring him.

He had a sour taste towards those people who turned off their read receipts. He just wanted to know if his message had been received or not.

“What is wrong with you? How could you forget our anniversary?” His mother's voice broke gf his thoughts.

Tonight was one of the nights when his parents would argue and argue. This time, his father had committed the most grievous sin. He forgot that today was their anniversary.

“I am sorry. I had so much on my mind at work,” He heard his father say.

“Don’t give me that excuse. I am also working.”

He tried to blur out the sounds and began typing again as he settled behind his study desk.  It’s Benjy.

Fortunately for him, her status flashed with Tito is typing...

His phone buzzed.

Benjy. I would have told you how happy I was to see your message but that would be a lie.

He almost jumped up in excitement. She finally replied.  

As he was about to type in a reply, he heard the sound of someone walking in the hallway. His heart skipped a beat. His father wouldn’t be in a good mood after that argument with his mom.

 He tossed his phone underneath his physics textbook and leaned forward, hoping he looked like a child engrossed with reading.

 His door creaked open to reveal his mother.

Benjy let out a sigh of relief as he saw his mother’s face. “Ma. It’s you.”

“Yes, it’s me.” His mother grinned at him and closed the door. “You thought it was your father eh?”

He nodded, relaxing in his seat.

His mother ran a hand over his head. “I just came to check up on you. You haven’t had your dinner yet and it’s almost nine. Are you okay?”

"I was reading." He gestured to his sprawled books on the desk.

"My dear, you don’t have to overwork yourself."

"Ma, you know that's not true. This competition is very important."

His mother shook her head. "Competition is not the right approach to life. Read what can be read and let things happen naturally. If you win, you win. If you lose, I'll still love you."

He snorted. Too bad his father doesn't feel the same way. "Don’t let Dad hear you say that."

"Your father." His mother's countenance fell. "You know, he loves you right?"

He looked at his mother. "Ma, does he?"

"He does. I am telling you, he does. I remember the first time we had you, Grandma said he wouldn’t let anyone touch you."

He chuckled at the memory. When he was young, his father had been very sweet. He would play football with him and they joked as father and son should. But as soon as he entered secondary school, everything changed. His father became so conscious of his grades in a way that made him more of a manager than a father.