PengTing

No. 48

Chidera

"Don't be running off like that, do you hear?"

"Yes mama loud and clear." I nod

"Okay good, now go to your room." She orders me.

"You're sending me to my room?" I scrunch up my face. "I'm 20 years old!"

She eyes me down, making go mute and follow her order to go to my room. Chris and Barry laugh at me but then mama gives them the same look, causing them to go schtum.

Tony comes up to me panicked, and pulls me in for a hug. "You're okay, right? Do you want me to come with you?"

I pull away, giving him a smile. "I'm fine, I was just feeling overwhelmed. I've got Barry, so don't worry."

"If you say so." He sighs kissing my forehead and then let's me go.

"Where's mum? And Chad?" I ask them.

"They are in the car, waiting for Chris and I, they feel overwhelmed too, Chris offered to drive them around." Mama informs me.

I nod, catching Chris' eye and smiling my thanks. He nods, winking at me, causing me to roll my eyes.

Barry and I walk to my room in a comfortable silence. We stopped in front of the door and I begin to deeply inhale and exhale. Barry gives me one last encouraging pep talk and I open the door.

And there he was, standing patiently whilst looking at some pictures on the dresser. He hears the door opening and he quickly turns around.

"Hi." I barely squeak out.

"Hey." He replies.

"Um let's go sit over there." I point over to the couches.

We take seats opposite each other, Barry decides he wasn't going to sit with us, so instead sat away from us. The air once again tenses and becomes awkward, I play with my ear nervously.

"I'm sorry." He speaks up first.

I look up at him, relieved that he spoke first.

"It's okay."

"No, it's not okay." He objects. "I left you without warning, I left you in the hands of that man, I left selfishly with the intention of not coming back to help you, Mum and Chadley and for that I'm sorry."

"You weren't going to come back?" I question surprised.

"I was plan-"

I quickly cut him off.

"Do you know how long I waited everyday thinking you're coming back. I kept telling myself you were coming, I kept praying to God for you to come back and help us. I got myself to believe that you were coming back you just had sort things out first." I cried.

"That was what I was going to do." I cut him off again.

"But you wasn't going to do that were you? You were going leave us with him, knowing that we weren't strong enough to take him on our own. What if I never met Chris? We would still be there right now, enduring the pain he gives us, mum would have been killed right now, do you know how much I would beg mum to go to the hospital?" I was sobbing now, standing up yelling at him.

"I told him to beat on me instead, I couldn't take seeing mum unable to breathe. And Chadley was there the whole time watching, he-"

This time it was him cutting me off.

"How do you think I feel huh? I couldn't go a minute, a fucking minute without thinking of you guys. I felt so guilty, I still feel guilty for leaving you guys. I wanted to financially stable before coming back to get you guys but I struggled, everyone kept playing me, holding me back. I contemplated killing myself because I thought I deserved to die for leaving you, mum and Chadley, Nothing was working out for me anyway, so I had nothing to lose." He stops for second, choking on a sob he was refusing to let out. He had stood up as well.

"Chris and Mijo found me." He continues.

"They both talked me out of it, I know it was hard for them because I was not budging. They brought me here and they looked after me Mama J included until I was mentally stable. I found a picture of you all here and immediately knew it was you guys, they told me everything they knew and how you guy met and everything."

"I'm sorry you went through all that." I say wiping my fallen tears.

"I'm sorry it took so long for me to agree to see you guys again. I just didn't know what to say or do." He apologises.

"I understand." I say softly.

"Did dad do that to you?" I ask referring to his eye.

He nods. "It was what made me leave in the first place. Fortunately, I still have some sight in this eye, just blurry at times."

Next thing you know, is I had my arms wrapped around him, face in his chest, crying out whatever was left of me. Chai was taken by surprise and stumbled a bit, but relaxed and wrapped his arm around me, his face in my hair.

We stayed like that for a while crying in each other's arms. When we pulled away, I looked over at Barry who was wiping his tears, I chuckled at him.

"What? My eyes were just sweating a little bit." He says lamely, making Chai and I laugh.

Mijo joins us and takes a seat next to me. "I'm so glad that's settled."

"Me too." I nod with Chai agreeing.

"We can finally eat! Obviously when the moms get back." Barry rubs his belly.

"Of course you're thinking about food, Barry." I shake my head chuckling.

"Why do you call him Barry?" Chai asked watching us.

"Because that's his name." I shrug. "It kinda just stuck."

"Ohh." Chai nods.

"But only little one, no one else can call me that, I don't really like it." Barry adds.

"Time for food!" Chris bursts into the room announcing, causing the three of us to jump.

"Chris!"

"Yo man, what the fuck?"

"Shit man."

We all say simultaneously, Chris takes a look at all our scared faces and drops down crying in laughter. We sport a glare on our faces, waiting for Chris' laughter to die down.

"Man I got you guys good." He laughs standing up. "Without even trying."

"But seriously though, food is ready to be eaten." He says again.

Mijo wastes no time to get up and go downstairs, right after giving Chris a devilish glare, with Chai right behind.

"You good?" Chris asks, once they were out of earshot.

I smile and nod. "Very."

He wraps me in his arms and kisses my head, I melt into his touch as he lets the hug and kiss linger, before pulling away slowly. He takes a hold of my hand, entwining our fingers.

"Good. Now your boy is hungry." He says dragging me out of the room.

He stops, making eye contact. "I'm glad your good pengting."

~~~~~~
Sorry it's late and quite short.
Hope you enjoyed it.
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