Paper Hearts | ✓

✍Chapter Twenty-two✍

Twenty-two | Hard feelings

I can endure my own despair,
but not another's hope
—William Walsh

~•~

Nifemi peeked out the blinds when she heard the gate squeak open and smiled when she saw Kemi bundle in with the kids.

Pushing herself off the comfortable sofa, Nifemi dragged her feet lazily to open the door. Tobi had been excited about going to the Oakland amusement park for a week now so Nifemi practically begged Kemi to help her out. It was a Saturday and school resumption was on Monday, the holiday spirit wasn't going to last forever as usual.

Nifemi would have taken the kids herself but she decided that it was best to allow Kemi babysit to lift up her spirits a little. Nifemi sighed when she remembered how sullen the younger woman had looked this morning. She made a mental note to talk to Kemi about it.

"Mummy look! A teddy!" Tobi squealed when he burst through the door bouncing around energetically. Nifemi squeezed her face trying to decipher which animal it was that son holding in his little hands.

"Is this a goat?"

"No! It's a sheep, a teddy sheep," Tobi corrected with his arms akimbo making the toy to dangle lifelessly at his side. Nifemi backed away with her hands in mock surrender.

"I was thinking that it was a monster. Y'know those ones that hide under your bed and eat you when you sleep," Kike said flopping into a sofa. She adjusted and dragged a side stool to place her legs on top.

Kemi came into the sitting room with numerous shopping bags and dumped them on the miniature dinning table. "The man at the booth said it was—and I quote— priceless," she said putting the word priceless in air quotes.

"I love it," Tobi hugged the white stuffed animal with little horns on it's round head. "I'm going to name you sheepy!"

"Why don't you name it goatie," Kike mumbled and laughed at her own joke. Kemi laughed too and Nifemi gave her a subtle glance and noticed that her eyes weren't as bright as they were a month ago.

Poor girl, she thought

"Tobi had a little goat, little goat, little goat. Tobi had a little goat who looked a lot like him!" Kikelomo sang merrily to infuriate her baby brother.

"That doesn't make sense!" He yelled pouting at his sister.

"It does to me," Nifemi laughed ignoring Tobi's puppy eyes.

"I can't believe it's the new year!" Kike yelled jumping up from the chair and doing a little dance.

"You look ridiculous," Tobi said scrunching his little nose. When the kids squabbling became unbearable, Nifemi gave them the task of off loading the shopping bags and putting the items where they should be.

"So what's up with you, nugget?" Nifemi asked Kemi whose eyes were fixed on the TV.

"Nothing new, same old same old." Kemi whirled her hands around in a bored gesture.

"Hope the kids didn't give you much trouble?"

"Ya think?! They sucked my pocket dry when they decided to try all the rides to see which one they loved the most." Kemi shook her head and glared at her friend when she burst into laughter.

"I'm sorry," Nifemi wiped her eyes. "You actually fell for that trick? Come on you are smarter than that."

Kemi ignored her. "As I was saying..." she continued. "When they finally picked the bumper cars, they went in for a second round."