Sprigs from Ice

Part One// 10. Pruned

I left Astrid staring up at my ceiling, going on and on about the cousins she would be seeing in Kumasi during the break and how she almost wished our exams had continued for another week. There was a funeral in her hometown and her parents were dragging her to it against her wish. It would've been better to spend the three-week break at David's, but he wouldn't be in the country. And also, Adam lived in David's house.

I, on the other hand, had an open suitcase on the bed and was going through my wardrobe to find clothing better suited to London's too cool climate this time of the year. I neatly folded a light pink halter neck sweater into the case when she got to the part about how absolutely tiring the five-hour drive to Kumasi would be.

"You can just decide not to sleep the entire night so you can sleep during the drive." I suggested. "That way, you miss most of it."

A soft breeze ruffled the grey curtains of the window, and I peeked out at the sleepy street on a Saturday morning. Most of my neighbours had left their homes for weddings and funerals, or to lock themselves up in their offices like my parents had.

At the thought of my parents, my stomach roiled uncomfortably. This evening, we would discuss my choices for university and the courses I wanted to study. I was tempted to simply leave the house and return until late in the night, but that wouldn't work out well in my favour.

"Too late for that." Astrid's voice sounded from the phone's speaker, sounding smaller than it did in-person. "I have already curated a Spotify playlist that will make the whole trip semi-tolerable, so I'm sorted in that regard."

"I don't know why you complain about Kumasi all the time. That place is going to be your future home for the next four years." A black skirt I had never worn and never would was thrown aside for a pair of blue jeans. Astrid chuckled while I folded them into the suitcase. "Just embrace it."

"Pity Legon doesn't offer courses in chemical engineering. I'd have loved to remain in Accra. Where are you headed for med school, anyway? Have you bought any application forms yet?"

I winced and thanked God she couldn't see my expression. "No, not yet. But why did you only buy a form for Tech? You should still apply for Legon, or UCC, or UHAS."

"Yeah, no." She scoffed. "My sights are set on chemical engineering. I'm definitely going to land it. Unfortunately, Tech is the only place in this country I can study it. I really don't understand the appeal of studying in your hometown. I spent my childhood in Kumasi. Do I have to go back there?"

Astrid often spoke with conviction but somehow always managed to contradict herself later on. "I'm not sure how you want me to answer that." I said drily as I walked back to the vanity to pick up the phone.

Her thick afro was a black halo around her round face now that she had removed her braids. "It was a rhetorical question." She flicked her hand, which was completely covered by the sleeve of an oversized grey sweater. Something on the screen made her frown, and she rolled her eyes with a signature groan. "I have to go. Adam still can't take no for an answer and it's about time I bit his head off for it. Let me know your flight details and in case I'm unable to reach you until you leave, remember to send me lots of pictures."

"I'm not going on a vacation, Astri-"

"Bye!"

A loud silence took over the room. I sighed and finished packing, dreading the arrival of my parents with each passing minute. I remembered Kevin's advice from the last time we'd spoken; You can't let them control your choices. It had taken him nearly half his life to be able stand up to them. I wasn't as outspoken or as willful as my brother.

I wondered how long it would take me to break out of their influence before they lived their unrealized dreams through me.

I'd spent the rest of the day in silence, drawing up a study plan for the weekend. I finished reviewing a chapter on the skeletal system in an hour, and finished off forty essay questions in the next. It had been a relief to cross-check all my answers in the textbook and found they were all correct, and I'd let that relief see me through a tough trig calculus session that left me with a slight headache. I didn't know how Astrid could do it so effortlessly, and I was thankful I would be seeing a lot less calculus in med school, hopefully.