Life of Jiji

[01]

Life Of Jiji

All Rights Reserved

2020 Tena Ifiemi

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"ЯΞЏΛ! JłJł!" ł HΞΛЯÐ mom shout as I struggled to pull my box out of my room. Today is going to be my first day at Mel. Which is apparently what the students of Meliora Academy call their school.

I'm a bit nervous that soon, I'm going to be one of those students. Would I make friends? Do I even want friends? Would people even want to be friends with me? Forcing the ugly thoughts to the back of my head, I stop at top of the stairs and wonder how I'm going to get my heavy box downstairs. Segun, our driver usually does it but he's on a few weeks break for his mother's burial.

"Dafe, please help your daughter bring her luggage downstairs. We're running out of time." After mom said this was when I noticed her presence at the base of the stairs and the sound at my back made me realize that my dad was indeed behind me. My heart beat faster as I hurriedly stepped out of the way. Did I ever say I don't have a good relationship with my siblings? My relationship with my dad is much worse.

"Good morning daddy." I greeted.

He was dressed casually in a loose-fitting tee and Nike shorts while my mom was fully dressed in a green pantsuit which looked really good on her. Mom was the one dropping us off at school why Dad was staying at home which should explain the choice of clothes.

"Jiji greet in Urhobo! I've told you this a lot of times." My mom said.

"I'm sorry, Omamo urhioke." I greet again, bowing my head just a bit in cultural respect.

"Good morning Ejiro." He simply said before picking up my box and taking it down the stairs.

I followed behind him, giving enough distance between us and when I got to where my mom stood, I greeted her; in English though because although mom forces me to greet my dad and our relatives in Urhobo, she doesn't really mind which language I chose to greet her with.

Breakfast is rice and stew. We normally would have had something lighter, like cereal or tea and sandwiches but since we're travelling mom decided it would be best if we eat rice so we wouldn't get hungry quickly. I personally agreed with her, I don't know when next we'll be able to eat again and I don't want to starve till then. After breakfast mom logged into Skype on her iPad so that we could talk to TJ before we start going to the airport.

"Hello family!" TJ's voice came accompanied by his tired looking face and I realized that with the time difference between Nigeria and Canada; where he's attending college we probably just disturbed his sleep.

"I can see that you guys have no regard for my beauty sleep" He said causing my mom to laugh and say 'shut up jare'. Reya asked 'Which beauty?' to which TJ widened his sleep deprived eyes, feigning hurt. Knowing that we had disturbed his sleep was making me feel guilty and my sensitive self wanted to end the call and let him rest.

"Hello TJ!" I called out , moving closer to the screen."

"Hello Baby of the house." He greeted back and I blushed. I personally think I'm a bit to old to be called 'Baby of the house' even though I'm the lastborn. "How are you Jiji?" He asked.

"I'm fine. You? You look stre-" I was about to comment about how stressed he looked before Reya pulled the iPad out of my hands.

What they talked about, neither me, my mom or dad knew because she left the living room. By the time she came back, mom had been tapping her heeled foot on the floor, annoyed, as she had taken a lot of time. Dad had already put all our luggage in the trunk so after a peck goodbye from my mom, he went back into the house and we started our journey to Port Harcourt Airport.