STRANGE LOVE

A New Chapter

She woke up on her bed, yawned and stretched. Chika a Nigerian girl with parents who hail from different ethnic backgrounds in Nigeria just lost her dad.

It's been two weeks since she lost him. Everyone said she was strong but she knew deep down that she didn't want her mom to break down again, she was like a strength to her mom and siblings.

She moved close to the window and stared at the fresh grave not far away, she sighed and drops of tears flowed down her face. "I don't want mom to cry again, I don't want to look weak for the sake of mom and my siblings ". She said in her bleeding heart.

Chika. Her mom called her faintly. She wiped her eyes quickly and responded.

Her mom was staring at the picture on the wall, it was her late dad's picture. Mom please stop. she pleaded. You are the only one we have left, please don't cry again I beg of you. It hurts just deeply hurt, why does he have to leave us so early? her mom asked and broke down into tears. Mom please. Chika pleaded while fighting back her tears and hugging her mother.

She wondered how her sweet sixteen will be like. She once read the book titled Sweet Sixteen and wished that her father would surprise her but now where is he? He was six feet under the ground. Now her sweet sixteen dreams have been shattered, she knew definitely that it was going to be a sour sixteen.

Mom, I'll go out to get something. She told her mom. Please be good, okay? she added. She wore her dress which seem to be obviously very loose on her. She had become a shadow of herself. Is it this same dress that has always hugged onto her body like it was going to rip apart that has become so loose to the extent of falling? she questioned in her frail heart.

She sighed, picked up the grocery bag and left. She walked on the road absentmindedly, thinking about all the sweet memories she had with her Father, he was such a sweet soul. She missed being his handbag whenever he goes out, she missed how she played with the hairs on his legs and how she always tried to braid his hair, she missed those playful moments of how she and her father play pranks on her mom and how they were inseparable chefs in the kitchen.

She continues walking without even remembering where she was heading to until someone drags her off. What are you thinking of? Girl you're not fit enough to come outside, your losing your mind. Her friend Ana drags her while half yelling.

What happened? Chika questioned back. So you don't know ? Ana asked in disdain. Chika shook her head. You almost got hit by a car, how come you didn't realize? Anna continued. Let's go back home.

I need to get something, Chika replied. I'll follow you. Ana said and they went together.

Chika had once told her younger sister while they played dress up in childhood that she will like to get married to an Asian man. She was only familiar with Chinese and didn't even know Korea existed but as time went on, she came to know about Korea after she watched a video of a popular boy band named BTS on her classmate phone. She once had a dream of her unknown lover although she didn't get to see his face clearly but she woke up excited like never before.

Chika started picking interest in Kdramas and Kpop. She can't forget how she got to like Kpop, the song Dynamite by BTS attracted her and since then even when washing clothes, she would pick up one the mp3 her father brought home and connect her phone via Bluetooth to play her favourite Kpop songs whole washing singing along with her melodious voice. As a pretty petite girl, she was embedded with multi-talents. She could sing, write stories or motivational books, teach,act, draw and even composed songs in her leisure time.

She detested dating her high school classmates and no guy dared to ask her out they all said she was strange. While others were experiencing high school love experience, she preserved herself for her fantasy love life now she's faced hard reality of life. She lost her first true love, her dad. She wished she could just rewind the time, she wished she could save him and bring him out of that six feet. If she had been told that this would happen to her, she would have rebuked it a thousand times but now it hurts like crazy.

She cannot forget how she started having interest in Kdramas. It started after she watched Playful Kiss and realized that Kdrama wasn't a bad idea. Although, she loved them, she wasn't obsessed like others would.

She got home, sighed and quietly went to meet her mom who was already fast asleep. The flashes of the whole incident came rushing like running tap, it hurts! it hurts!!.....her brain kept screaming.

She has to skip school for 2 weeks because she had not fully recovered. Classmates messaged and everyone thinks she's strange like someone who had just lost her dad should feel very miserable. Of course she is, she is tough on the outside for the sake of her remaining family and empty on the inside as she wet her bed at night silently without waking the whole house with sobs.

***Later at noon***

Chika took out her diary, she wrote in it "dear diary, my world feel empty and incomplete. I don't know what will become of me later on". She closed it and went close to the window again staring at the fresh grave. The compound seem to be very empty and the house lost it's glow and colour. She returned back to her seat and stared at the food before her. Truth be told that she lost her appetite, she lost herself. The food wasn't prepared by her or her mother it was prepared by her mother's friend who has always been supportive.

She got outside again, standing in the middle of the compound, she talked to the air, hummed some sad tunes and listened to the silent air. China's dream has always been about finally making it and sharing the bundle of joy with her complete family although everything happened but little did she know that life has beautiful surprises for her.

She went back inside after some time of standing outside staring at the grave. She remembered she had a story she was working on and also had it in mind to compose a song she picked up her ongoing story to start an entry but her head seemed blank as no words were coming. She struggled for a while but after all effort seemed like they were useless, she dropped the book and picked up the song book instead.

She drafted out a title "MISSING YOU". Lyrics flowed from her hearts just like how the pain stung as hell. If she couldn't express herself through tears then she can through words. She continued writing and soon the good memories flowed in her head, her thought and sat like a great king on her mind. Finally, she stopped writing a little drop of tears dropped from her left eye and she quickly wiped it off before her mother will see her.

Sister Chika. Her younger sister called out softly. Yes? she responded. Everywhere is so empty and boring can we just play a game with little brother also? she asked. Chika let out a deep sigh and said "okay then". Her sister got excited and went to call their younger brother to join them in the game.