WOUNDED

CHAPTER 16

I dedicate this chapter to and who have read every chapter from day one and always make sure to give me constructive criticism and praise where necessary. You both are amazing. 🤗

I hope you enjoy this chapter ❣️

KACELY
Song: Escape- Kehlani

The month of February is the heart of the dry season here in Cameroon, the sun is extremely harsh at this time. After a long day of extracurricular activities, I'm extremely exhausted and my head aches. We had marching practice from midday till 4pm in preparation for the Youth Day celebration tomorrow.

It's apparently a really big deal at RCC because we've been preparing since last week. Our DM - Madam Ndim is so strict about how orderly our hands should swing and how straight the lines should be. The principal has asked me to say hi to mom twice and it's so awkward.

Luckily enough for me, I get nose bleeds when I stay under the sun for long. Because of that, the nurse gave me a note permitting me not to march tomorrow and that makes me feel so relieved, I can't bear marching under the sun like that. However, I still have to be at the venue to participate in the other activities.

When I walk into the house, Afi barely notices my presence. She's so focused on the show she's watching -Garfield, of course it's Garfield. She's obsessed with that cartoon.
I open the pot on the stove and mom made something before leaving this morning. I smile just imagining how she cried while chopping the onions.

After heading upstairs, I change my out of uniform. My phone rings and when I check, it's Henry. We haven't talked in so long, more than two weeks.

"G, how far na?" Henry asks after picking the call.

"Get out! Where you keep your phone? For more than two weeks!" I yell.

"Ah ah, calm down na. That my S7 fuck up. I be get to sell am, but I don upgrade to S8" he brags. And I sigh. "How your new school?"

"Chale it's not easy. School is taking all my time. How's work?"

Henry stopped school two years ago out of his own volition. To him, there's no point getting degrees when a job isn't guaranteed. His parents strongly disagreed but Henry is the most stubborn person I know. He's an apprentice at a mechanic workshop and he always says people will always have cars and cars will always have problems, so he'll always have something to make money from. He dreams of becoming the biggest car dealer in Ghana by the time he's thirty, that's nine years from now.

"Work's fine... just slower than usual. But things will get back to normal soon enough. How's your mother?"

"She's OK." I reply

"You guys getting along now?"

"Better than before." I say heading out of my room and down the stairs. "she even cooked today" I laugh as I head for the kitchen.

"Hmm, Chale... your house is big oh" he says and I switch the camera's view to the back for him to see the house more clearly.

"Mom's company pays her well."

"Boy... you don hammer." He laughs and I join him. "Big house, better school... that's a lot. I'm happy for you man."

"Thanks G."

"Is that Henry?" Afi asks and I nod yes. She runs towards me and I hand her the phone before dishing some of the food mom made into a plate.

I take a sit at the dining table and taste the food. It's not terrible but it's not great either; it's too salty and she overcooked the carrot and green beans. I guess it's in situations like this that one considers the thought not the results.