With You, For You

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"Chioma, you've been so lost in thought. What happened?" I smiled at my mother before shaking my head.

We were back to Abuja, back home. Mom had welcomed us with piping hot okra soup which I was grateful for. I missed her cooking.

"It's nothing. I'm good." I ignored Buchi's stare and put the swallow in my mouth. .

"I'm your mom. If anything or anyone is bothering you, tell me. I'll sort it out." I nodded. Of course she would sort it out. But it was strange telling her about a boy, a boy she hadn't heard of who had kissed her daughter. And no one could say she wouldn't tell daddy.

"It's fine, ma."

"My children." She laughed. "I've missed you." I smiled at her.

"So... mummy. Who was that man in your video? Dad?" Buchi asked and I recalled her dancing video. It had to be dad, considering how the other man was holding her.

"No." No? "He's a friend. My friend. He visited. It's not my fault he likes dancing with me. Plus that song was just it."

"Uh..okay. You belly dance very well," I commented. "You'll teach me. And your new waist beads are pretty."

"Your dad got them for me." She smiled, her face red. Buchi finished his food first and left after pecking mummy. It was only the two of us remaining.

"You can talk to me now." I almost swallowed my fish without chewing. "What happened? Is it a boy?" How she could be on point with her guesses would never cease to amaze me. I nodded, refusing to meet her eyes. "What happened?"

"We met someone at Hughton. He said he was our god-father. He's my classmate's dad and he called me your name. His wife is aunt Emerald's twin. That's what he told me."

"Is his son's name Chimaobim by any chance?" Chimaobim? I had no idea. Maybe it was Kenneth's native name.

"Kenneth. Kenneth Chukwurah."

"I knew it. Kendrick." Her ran her hand across her face. "You've met him. Lovely. Lovely? "Does he give you a sense of familiarity? In any way? His son I mean." Mom had already gotten to the part that was bothering me. If I didn't know myself, I could have sworn we had kissed before.

"He kissed me, mummy." It was difficult to say but I said it. "And it felt familiar. That's all."

"Your first kiss?" I raised two fingers. "Second kiss."

"Eben was the first." My face was very hot. I saw her crack a smile. "What?"

"When did Ebenezer's own happen?"

"His birthday. That August." She laughed.

"How were they. Your kisses?"

"Weird. Sweet but weird. I mean, I felt very weird. I wanted more but...I don't even know what more is." I wanted to tell her that Ebenezer had touched me already but held my tongue. "Kenneth's lips felt familiar, like we had done it before. I also wanted more."

"God, my baby is growing up." She smiled. "Time to educate you more is drawing near." Educate me on what? Sex? She'd given me the talk before.

"Matters between men and women. Forget that for now. Apart from the kiss, nothing else was familiar?" I nodded.

"Had we met before?" Mom was silent for a long time. Enough for me to lick my soup. "Mummy?"

"Yeah. A few years ago. He came back here for one term of schooling." Wait seriously? Why couldn't I remember? "Don't stress it. You'll recall at your own time." She spoke like she knew why I could not remember.