Romance in Kitalo City Book 1
Nella isn't looking for love. She's had a taste of it and is convinced it's not as glamorous as the world portrays it to be. She's pretty sure romance isn't for her, until she meets a charming basketball player who seem...
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I wiped my hands on a cloth to attend to the knock on the door. I wasn't expecting anyone so soon, but my friends and Nella had a habit of dropping by unannounced, so I figured it would be either or. I smiled when I saw Nella on the other side of the open doorway, her dimples somehow magnetically pulling me to place kisses on her cheeks as she giggled, saying, "Boy, haven't you learned from kissing me in public hallways? Let me in."
"It smells delicious in here, Sani." Nella's eyes closed in delight as she hoisted herself on a barstool on the other side of the counter I was working from.
"Thanks, baby. I'm making dinner for my parents. They'll be here in a few hours. I figured I'd keep it traditional since it's them."
"Oh, nice. Need any help before I leave you to be with your family?"
"Sure, you can chop up these vegetables." I pushed a big container and a chopping board towards her. In it was a huge tomato, an onion and a bouquet of bright green vegetables fresh from a green grocer in town, waiting to be cut and chopped.
"Are you sure it doesn't actually stink in here?" I asked, referring to the dried catfish I currently had simmering in a gravy of onions, garlic, tomatoes and spices.
"It smells delicious, Sani. Relax." she giggled. "Is this dinner a big deal?"
I nodded. "It will be my dad's first time coming over here. For some reason, I have this boyish desire to hear him say he's proud of what I've done with my basketball career."
"That's understandable. Aww, look at you!" she said, affection visible in her eyes.
"Stop." I chuckled, leaning over the counter to kiss her on the forehead. "That's not the only reason I'm nervous about today, though."
"What's up?" Nella asked, concern briefly making an appearance on her face.
"It's my brother's birthday." I confessed. "He would have been twenty-one today."
Nella stopped what she was doing to take my hands into hers. She didn't say anything for a long stretch of time, just searching my eyes.
"I'm fine." I lied through a tight throat as I pulled my hands away to get back to the dough I was about to kneed for dumplings.
"What happened to him, Sani?"
"He had heart issues when he was born. The doctors did a lot to keep his heart beating during the first few years of his life, but then he got really sick and needed a transplant. They found a donor and did the surgery. It was successful, but his body rejected the donor heart. So..." I swallowed the lump in my throat and looked up at the ceiling, trying to keep my composure.
"I'm so sorry, Sani." Nella said with tears in her eyes.
I shrugged and shook my head. "It's okay. It was a long time ago."
