African beauty

Chapter 16 - Stay Woke

I went to my house and sat on my seat, crying. "Good bloody fucking job Erica. You've made both the Connor brothers fall in love with you. Why didn't you just listen to Genie? Fuck mate" I said to myself. I looked at myself in the mirror of my guest toilet. I was disgusted at myself. I needed to cleanse myself somehow. "What have you become?" I Said to myself. I carried some scissors and ran it through my long, 4c hair. I cut a lot of inches off, and I kept on cutting it off as I saw my kinks fall off. All my hard work that I put into my hair. Gone. It was all on the ground, apart from a measly 3 inches that was left on my head. I took a big needle and pierced my cartilages on both sides, and put earrings in both holes. The good, nice Erica was gone. "I can find my mothers killer on my own. I don't need Oliver or Alex. I can do this on my own" I said, smiling to myself. I went to my fathers safe and took out £500 from it. I went to a liquor store. The man wanted to see ID and I told him to suck his own dick. He allowed me to get some and I got myself the most expensive vodka I could get my hands on. I also bought myself some flavoured cigarettes and an expensive lighter. After that I went to the best tattoo shop and got a skull with its head fractured in between both of my breasts. You could say my cleavage. I also got a nose piercing. As I paid the tattoo man, I felt this sense of independence for the first time. I was not behind my parents, nor was I behind Oliver or Alex. It was just me. Me in all my feminism and independence. I was walking out and I lit a cigarette. Inhaling the cigarette smoke was not foreign to me, because I had been spending a lot of time with Oliver, who, though was not a chain smoker like my father, smoked quite a lot. I inhaled it like a pro and was walking down the street and got in the front seat of a cab. The cab driver  was a black man that looked and smelt exquisite. "You lost blood?" He said, looking back at me. "Did I tell you I was?" I Said, inhaling and exhaling my cigarette. "Na man. You just look like you're looking for someone...." he said, putting his hand on my thigh. I slapped him immediately. "I'm not a slag, and you don't have any money. Drive me to that street on the sign there. Don't provoke me. I can rip your balls off". He did not say a word after that. It astonished me that what you said and your change in tone could greatly affect the way people viewed and treated you. He drove me to my street. "I'm Korede, by the way. Sorry for the way I treated you. You just look so..." and I interrupted him. "Slutty. Names Erica. I'm Yoruba too". "I'm sorry. You don't even need to pay me. That's my gift to you" He said, in his strong British accent. "I wasn't going to pay you. Don't treat a girl like a slag just because you think she looks like one. Good day." I Said as I puffed my cigarette and went out of the car, slamming it and walking away. Fucking pricks. So just because a girl had piercings and a tattoo you would  automatically assume that she was looking for a shag? Fuck mate. I would've spat in his face, but I was raised with a sense of human decency.

I got into my house and met my father lying on the chair, reading a newspaper. "What the fuck?" I said in utter shock, puffing my cigarette. "Erica! WHAT DID YOU DO TO YOURSELF!" He said, in more shock. "I just gave myself a haircut and a few piercings. I'm going to be 18 next year. Relax" I Said, rolling my eyes and puffing my cigarette. "You smoke now? You SMOKE NOW?" He said, shouting. "No. Stop shouting daddy. Why are you not behind bars?" I Said, looking at him from top to bottom, giving him the cut eye again. "I got bailed out temporarily until further notice by an Oyinbo woman. Don't know who she is but she helped me and you other Oyinbo boyfriend out. I cannot leave the house though" he said, with a surprisingly calm tone. "Did you catch her name?" I Said, puffing my cigarette again. "No I did not. Throw that thing away! It's not good for your health" he said, concerned. "Don't tell me what to do, murderer" I said, with the most sinister smirk on my face. I did not listen to another word he said. I used that excuse to discard his advice and shake it off. I did not enjoy or appreciate his constant judgement of my life choices and actions.

I went upstairs and met a bouquet of red and white roses and a note with some chocolate next to it. I was trembling, trembling so hard that you could virtually hear my joints clapping together in accordance. I slowly walked towards the note and picked it up. "I'm sorry Erica. I love you. Please call me. Oliver" said the note. I ripped the note in half and threw it on the floor. It would take a lot more than roses, some chocolate and sweet words to get me to forgive him. We only started talking properly for a week! I could cut him off with utter confidence. Maybe. But I had to admit that it did make me smile just a little bit. The box of chocolates looked and smelt luxurious. Typical Oliver. I tasted one of the chocolates from the box, and utter luxury exploded in my mouth. I did not want to finish them all, because I was still furious at Oliver. I closed the box and went into my shower and had a nice one. I came out and put on my clothes, and smoked out the cigarette pack I bought.

I had taken a nap and I woke up the next day. I woke up and took a speedy shower, while washing my close to non existent head of hair. I wore a plunging neckline that showcased my skull tattoo perfectly. I wore shorts with it and normal sneakers. I took my bag and made a mad dash to the door so my father would not see my tattoo, but he beat me to it. "Erica, what is on your chest? A tattoo? Wow you have really diverted from God" he said very judgementally. "Oh fuck you." I said, as I pushed him out of my way. I could hear him calling my name, but I was too focused on finding Emily in school today to care. I branched at a near grocery shop and got another cigarette pack and a knife to threaten Emily. Of course I was not going to kill her. I just needed something to shake her a bit. I bought that and went straight to school.

When I got to school, I lighted a cigarette and started smoking it as I got into school premises to provoke the teachers and draw attention to myself. "Smoking is not allowed on school grounds" Said a teacher right behind me. I just turned to the teacher and pulled out my middle finger nice and high. The teacher was about to go after me when somebody stopped her. It was Alex. "Erica, what the fuck? Who did this to you?" He said, confused. I puffed my cigarette and blew it in his face. "That's MISS Olufemi to you" I said, pushing him away. "You....smoke now? Oliver taught you this shit innit?" He said, getting angry. "Nobody teaches me anything" I Said as I walked away, continuing to inhale and exhale my cigarette. As I was walking I found Emily. I put out my cigarette and put it in a basket and ran after her. When I saw her I just carried her up from where she was and took her to the basement. She was very light so it was more than easy.We got to the basement and I tossed her across the room and brought out the knife I was holding. I locked the door behind me. "TELL ME WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT MY MOTHER AND GENIE! TELL ME! TELL ME!" I said, raising my voice without screaming. "Erica, I don't know what you're talking about!" She said, looking oblivious. "TELL ME OR ILL KILL YOU IN COLD BLOOD!" I Said, starting to scream. "Okay okay. Erica I did not kill your mother or Genie. The....the voice made me do it." She said with confidence. "The voice? What voice?" I Said, curious. "The voice. I can't say anything more or I will be killed. Something bad will probably happen to me now that I told you" She said, trembling. "So telling me means that something bad will happen to you?" I Said. "Yes". "But you SHOT OLIVER AND SAID YOU WOULD KILL ME LIKE YOU KILLED MY MOTHER AND GENIE!" I said, angry. "The voice sent me to kill Oliver because he was delaying in killing you. I made it look like it was you because I knew that Oliver would block the bullet. Unfortunately for the voice, his arm got shot instead" she said, sounding annoyed. I did not say anything more, and I just left her there to continue with my classes.

When school was over, I just kept on pondering as I walked home. What was this voice? And since Oliver told me about the voice, would he die too? That was all I was thinking about as I walked home. When I got home, my father was sleeping on the couch, and there were multiple cans of beer on the floor. Is this man ever ashamed? Either way, I cleaned up after him and went upstairs to take a nap by myself when I was disturbed by an anonymous phone call. When I answered it, it was Alex. "Erica. Please come to Glory hospital. Its urgent" he said, sounding perplexed. I immediately rushed downstairs and took a cab to Glory hospital.

When I got there, Alex had already told the receptionist to usher me to the ward they were in. When I got in there, Alex tried to block me out. "No no Erica, no no. Wrong time wrong time" He said, trying to push me out. "But you called me blood. You also told the receptionist to let me through" I said, losing it a little. "I did none of those!" He said. I was not trying to play his games. I pushed him aside and saw Oliver on the bed, with his eyes slightly open. I walked in and put my hand on his shoulder. "Oh my God Oliver, are you okay???" I Said, hyperventilating. Oliver looked up at me. "Who are you?" He said, dead serious. I thought he was joking and just laughed it off. "It's Erica, Olly. You'll be alright I promise. I promise okay? I'll be right here. Alex what happened to him?" I Said, turning to Alex. "Car accident. Don't know how it happened. Very bizarre. Oliver is an excellent driver" he said, holding back tears. "I don't know an Erica" Said Oliver, looking up at me. "What's he saying? Alex what's he saying??" I said, looking at Alex. "He lost his memory and the doctors don't know when he'll get it back. He remembers me though" he said calmly. I bursted into tears as Alex came towards me and grabbed my waist. "No! No! Oh Olly!" I Said, crying. "Come on, I'll drive you home" He said, taking me away from Oliver. I was crying all the way into Alex's car.

As we were driving to my house, I got a message from the same anonymous number that I thought Alex called me off of. "Enjoy my handiwork? Now Oliver can't help you. He can't even Remember you" Said the message. I hyperventilated as I showed Alex. "This is the number I thought you called me off of" I said, handing the phone to him. "Erica. I don't even have another number" he said, completely scared, and so was I.