It was at Nneka's 16th birthday party that she met Mike. It was a Christmas holiday to remember.
Sneaking off to the mall on weekends to catch their favorite movies and play video games at Rufus & Bee.
The pair became a couple few months after and...
The door at the back of the house opens slowly. I sit up sharp as a rod immediately. Oh no! There's someone here to kill me. God I'm too young to die please. Footsteps echo from around the back and they seem to be getting closer. What do I do? Should I grab a frying pan or heat some oil. I ponder to myself. No, there's no time for that. I'll grab the frying pan. I'm about to quietly sprint to the kitchen when my phone rings...
I've been daydreaming. Boy was that intense. It's Mike calling. I swipe and place the phone to my ear.
"Hey Nneka, I'm on your street what number is your house." No. 7 I reply breathy.
"Cool I'll be there in like one minute." He says "Okay" my throat feels dry and stuffed like I almost threw my heart up but it got stuck in my throat.
The moment Mike knocks on the gate. I remind myself to be calm and level headed. He's just a 17 year old human. It's no big deal.
It's like 90 degrees out here. The heat waves from the sun smack me like a fireball from Fantastic four's Johnny Storm. I open the gate and Mike is just standing there. Hands in pockets looking like he's impervious to the heat radiating from the iron gate.
He smiles at me and moves forward to hug me but then stops and squeezes my shoulder instead. I'm really confused by the gesture.
"Come in" Mike steps in and I shut the gate close behind him and bolt the gate. The hormonal part of my brain keeps popping up with dumb ideas like 'jump on him and cling to him like a parasitic vine'. I tell my brain to shut up. And keep a decent distance
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'Why are you asking me to shut up I didn't say anything Mike asks confused. My eyes widen. "I'm sorry I didn't realise that I said that out loud. I was talking to myself."
"That's interesting" Mike says with a raised brow. " So why were you telling yourself to shut up".
My heart starts to beat faster. I can't tell him what I was thinking. It's awkward. He looks at me square in the face waiting for my response. I can't handle a staring contest so I do the next best thing, I deflect.
"Would you like some water or coke or sprite?" I ask with a sweet smile and puppy dog eyes.
"Not until you tell me what you were thinking."
"Mike the sun is really hot can we go in first? "
" Oh yes, lets". He replies "Thank you " the sun beats down on our backs and I immediately wonder how Mike came over in this scorching sun and what vehicle he used to get here.
I slide open the glass door and we sit in the small parlour. He looks around taking in the colors of the walls, the furniture, and the bowl of coloured sand on the mini center table.
"Like what you see? " I ask with a raised brow and a side pout. Mike winks back and says "yes I do like this view you just need to move two sofas closer and the view would be perfect" he jokes.
"What?!" "No, why do you say things like that?" I reply feeling heat in my cheeks as I try to look less embarrassed by his statement.
This meet up was a perfect idea. "I know now what your face looks like when I text you how pretty I think you are. "
I cover my face with a throw and scream a muffled " Oh God make it stop!" Mike laughs" I'm done for real this time you can take the throw pillow of your face. "
I slowly take the throw pillow off my face and the way he's watching me puts fear in my bones.
" Do you always look at people this intense I ask him?" "Not particularly, but I was looking at the baby picture behind you. That's Ada carrying you right?" I turn around so fast I almost get whiplash. He was looking at the picture on the wall behind me. He thinks Ada is my mum.
"Actually, that's my mum? " "Woah! Your mum? I knew I took interest in the right family. She's really h h uhim uhim he coughs. I mean she's beautiful." "Was that a real cough? I ask? " " It could be." I face palm myself. "Really Mike?"
He dusts off some invisible dust on his sofa and says "I didn't think it was appropriate to call your mum hot. "
"I smile well my mum still looks almost this slim after having five children she is trying."
"She doesn't eat so much now. She works a little too much for her own good. This is one of the few weekends she hasn't gone to the office. I think that's because she just had a major breakthrough with a project. I haven't talked to her about work in a while."
Mike listens to me attentively. "Well it clearly looks good on her. " " What about your dad what does he do? "
I pull my legs off the floor and lie down across the sofa so my legs dangle off the side. Mike's eyes following the movement. Feeling self conscious I straighten out imaginary creases in my pants and cross my arms on my chest.
"My dad is mostly into shipping things. He doesn't tell me a lot about his job but I know it's mostly involved with shipping companies." "What about your parents Mike?" My dad lives in Dubai. He isn't with our family anymore. He just left I can't really talk about why, but my mum is a doctor she's a dentist at Reddington Hospital."
"I know that hospital isn't it on the Island? Why don't you guys live closer?" The 'Power's back on' siren rings suddenly and I get off the sofa. "There is light let's watch some TV?" I ask.
"That's a good idea," he says getting up I open the door that leads to the main parlour and move to turn on the TV. "There is some groundnut in the fridge and we have apples too which would you prefer? "Apples please" he says with a wink. "I like to stay healthy and keep my breath smelling sweet." He says wiggling his eyebrows. "Why would I need to know how fresh your breath smells." I say my heart rate beginning to climb.
I've never kissed a boy before. Could this be it? I'm not sure I want my first kiss like this what if he tries something funny that makes me uncomfortable. I weigh all these options in my head and decide I'm over thinking it. My first kiss won't be under the Eiffel Tower.
"What's on your mind?" He asks "Just young female stuff" I reply with a shrug.
The TV comes on and Super Sports comes on. I go to the kitchen and fetch an apple from the fridge. I take my time rinsing it with water and salt. It allows me to think. The water is so cold it feels so refreshing that I rinse my face too. I wipe my face on my blouse and make my way back to the parlour. "Hey here are your apples, Mr Sweet breath". "Thank you". "That doesn't sound as nice as I thought it would." I say with a light chuckle.
"I know what you meant so we're good." He says reaching over and holding the side of my face with his palm. I look up tentatively, scared that he might lean in and kiss me.
He moves closer to me leans in to me and bends so his forehead is almost touching mine and "says our house in Surulere is rent free that's why we stay there." he leans even closer looks at my lips and back to my eyes and says" oh and my breath is always fresh." And takes the plate from my hands and sits down on the sofa.
I stand there dazed for like a second and then in a bid not to continue to stand there looking like a fool I calm my racing heart and sit down next to him on the sofa, giving him enough space. Boy, can he mess with a girl's mind.
Author's Note:
Happy Easter everyone. I have a test tomorrow and I should be reading but my writers block finally cleared.
Please vote if you like this chapter and comment. I love to hear your feed back. Enjoy the last day of your Easter Break you guys I love you. XX Amaka
