Girl Next Door

CHAPTER 11

Yawning and stretching, Tifa rolled and lay on her back. Sweat beaded her forehead. She just woke up from a nap which she had taken the moment she got back from school.

She had not bothered to do her assignments as the next day was a Saturday and she was going to have it done by then.

Rubbing her eyes, she darted them to the wall clock and the time read 08:42pm. She had slept for a really long time.

“Mom isn't home yet. So, I'd just fix dinner” She made a mental note as she pulled the duvet off her body and reached out to the other side of her bed where her headphones lay.

She grabbed it, switched it on, fixed it over her head and laid back on the bed. Before she knew it, she was nodding to the music that was playing, staring into nothingness.

Her stomach grumbled: a sign that she was terribly hungry.

“I'd just make dinner when I want to” She frowned at her stomach, but let out a chuckle when she realized that it hadn't seen her facial expression.

Tifa turned and lay on her left side as there was a change in the music that was playing from her headphones. Her eyes came in contact with her Teddy which lay at one corner of the room.

Yeah, she was seventeen and had a teddy but didn't give two shits. There were people older than her who still had and cherished teddies.

She blinked back the tears which were beginning to form as she stared endlessly at the Teddy which she had named June. She had gotten June on her tenth birthday as a birthday present from her Dad, Rainer.

Truth be told, she missed Rainer a lot but there was nothing she could do about it. The divorce had successfully pushed through and there was no going back.

Rainer was always there for her more than her Mom. Her Mom was more career and work focused and chased the bag at every opportunity she got, hence had less or no time for her.

As for her Dad, Rainer, he had work too, but always made out time to spend with her. He bought her gifts every now and then and showered her with lots of love, hugs and money too.

Reminiscing on those times she spent with her Dad, she didn't know if it was because he was a chronic cheat, he decided to feel less guilty by being a super Dad.

As she wiped a stubborn tear that had refused to stay put in her tear fountain, she wasn't sure of what she felt for her Dad anymore. She wasn't sure if hate, bitterness and rage replaced the love she once felt for him.

She wasn't the one who was cheated on, but she felt hurt regardless. She didn't understand how her Dad could be a goody-two shoes and a jerk at the same time.

Tired of thinking, she decided to distract herself using her laptop. Lifting herself off her queen sized bed, the next minute saw her at her study table.

Pulling the seat backwards, she lowered herself into it and pulled her laptop to herself. Opening it, she pressed the power button, booting the gadget to life.

Not exactly sure of what to do as she typed in her password, she decided to play a game.

She whipped her head to the door when she heard it creak. Fear from nowhere engulfed her and goosebumps settled all over her skin.

Before she had taken her nap, she made sure she had locked all the doors, so there was no way there could be an intruder. Or was this a burglary invasion?

Her heart which had jumped into her mouth settled back into her chest when she realized that it was only her Mom.

"Damn! Mom! You scared me!" She called out, her visage, a mixture of annoyance and relief.

"I did?" Her Mom asked as she walked in, closing the door behind her.

"Yes you did" Tifa replied, focused on her game as she tried to attack one of her assailants. That momentary pause when the door had creaked had made her lose some points.

"Well, I've been yelling your name for ages so you could come downstairs and have dinner, but it's obvious you didn't hear me, since you had this on," Doyinsola said, reaching out and pulling Tifa's headphones off the latter's head.

"And you know, the way you multitask amazes me. How can you be playing a game and still have music playing?" Doyinsola continued.

"But a song was still playing. You could have simply pressed pause rather than take it off" Tifa replied to her Mother's first statement, getting the headphones from her Mom and pressing the pause button.

She didn't bother answering her Mother's second statement which was obviously a question.

"Whatever" Doyinsola said, not wanting to prolong the conversation but something in her itched and she continued.

"But you know having this gadget over your head all day can seriously affect your tympanum," She added.

"Yeah, right?" Tifa rolled her eyes, not minding if Doyinsola saw or not.

She was tired of her Mom complaining of having her headphones on. That became a daily conversation and it bored the hell out of Tifa. She wondered why her Mom always walked in whenever she had her headphones on and not when the reverse was the case.

"Been hearing that a million times, yet my tympanum is as good as new".

"Anyways, what's available for dinner?" Tifa changed the topic.

"Please?" She quickly added to tone down the awkward aura that had clouded the room.

Down deep, her conscience reminded her that she had slightly sounded disrespectful, but she discarded the thought immediately as it came as she wasn't ready to offer an apology.

She hadn't lashed out at her mother and her Mom hadn't flipped her lid either, so everything was just fine, except for the air which had slightly shifted.

"Fried chicken and waffles".

Tifa mouthed an "oh!"

"You coming down or nah?" Doyinsola asked.

"Gimme a mo. I'll be down in a jiffy. Let me take a shower first" Tifa replied, reaching out and pausing her game which had been abandoned the whole time.

"But you know you could have done that the moment you woke up from your nap " Doyinsola headed for the door.

"You knew I was sleeping?" Tifa asked, taken aback.

"Yes, I did. I checked up on you the moment I got back home".

"Speaking of when you got home, around what time did you arrive home?"

"A few minutes past eight".

"Surprising" Tifa shrugged.

"Alright then. I'd just take my shower now. I'd be downstairs soon".

"You can stay there for as long as you want. It's your tummy worms would pester, not mine".

"Omo aliagidi" She muttered in her Yoruba accent, before walking out of Tifa's room.

Tifa who had heard her Mom loud and clear let out a short laugh. Her Mom had just thrown a little Yoruba insult at her and she knew what that meant. It meant 'stubborn child' but Tifa was the least bothered by the insult. Her Mom was fond of doing that and she had gotten used to it.

Closing her laptop, she dashed into the bathroom and showered quickly. The next five minutes saw her downstairs at the dining.

"And our princess finally came down after ten minutes" Doyinsola clapped lightly as she chewed on her waffles.

Pushing a chair backwards and settling in it, Tifa laughed at her mother's sarcasm.

"At least, I proved you wrong" Tifa grabbed a fork.

"Whatever you say, Tifa" Doyinsola wiped the edge of her mouth with a napkin.

"You know what, Mom?" Tifa began, mouthful.

"Table manner number two: Don't talk while eating. Seems like you're slowly forgetting your table manners" Doyinsola cut in.

"Well…" Tifa began, scratching her nape.

Rule number one was: Pray before eating and she had flouted that and was about to flout the second.

"Can you at least let me say this?" She continued.

"Go on, little lady. I'm all ears" Doyinsola dropped an empty tumbler on the table as she had finished gulping its contents.

"I'm no little lady" Tifa faked a frown.

"Old woman then" Doyinsola said, a short laugh following afterwards.

"I'm not having any of those titles attached to my personality" Tifa's feigned a much deeper frown.

"Alright, alright" Doyinsola laughed.

"What title befits your status?"

"Miss".

"Go on, Miss. Better?"

"Better".

"Well, it's been ages since we last had dinner like this" Tifa said, eyes not leaving her food.

There was silence for a while before her Mother decided to speak up.

"Ages, you say?" Doyinsola asked, eyes staring fixedly at Tifa.

"Yes, ages. And another thing that's surprising is the time you got home today. I actually had plans to make dinner myself but was surprised to see that you were home already and had even fixed dinner" Tifa shrugged.

"Well…" Doyinsola trailed off.

"You know I'm trying my very best, Tifa. I am. My work isn't allowing me to…" She was saying but Tifa cut her short.

"That's the same thing I keep hearing over and over again. When is it gonna change?"

"Tifa, I expect that you of all people should understand that I'm working my butt off so we could keep on living in this house; so I'd be able to foot our bills. I expect you to understand!" Doyinsola let out an exasperated sigh.

"Well, well, I totally understand. But you can still create time, you know. Besides, I've suggested time and again that you bring your work home so I could help you out with it. Doing it together could be fun, you know"

"Tifa, I appreciate your help but it doesn't just work that way. You know what? I'll make it up to you, pinky promise".

"Same line I heard last two weeks. Nothing ever changes. Use another line, Mom" Tifa said, looking away.

"Tifaaa!" Doyinsola called out, wearing puppy dog eyes.

"Keyshia honey" She called again, reaching out across the table to touch Tifa's hands.

Keyshia was Tifa's Yoruba name which she had christened her.

"I'll make it up to you, I promise" She caressed Tifa's hand.

"Well, I hope so," Tifa said, wiping her mouth with a napkin.

"So, tell me, how has Regis High School been so far? It's been three weeks since you resumed but I still have little knowledge about the school. I don't even know how you've been faring".

"Definitely not today, Mom. Tomorrow is Saturday so it'll be better tomorrow" Tifa replied

"You know, sometimes I wonder if it was really necessary for us to have moved"

"Don't give me that, Tifa. Of course it was and you know it!" The tone of Doyinsola's voice had changed. It was a few inches away from high.

"Well, I don't think so," Tifa said, voice low.

"The issue could have been settled amicably" She wanted to continue but restrained herself.

"I'm really sorry Tifa, but we can't turn back the hand of the clock now. We're here in Manhattan and we're here to stay" Doyinsola said with an air of finality.

"Can we at least talk about your school now?"

"I'm really sorry, Mom, but that will be tomorrow. I need to get some sleep. Besides, I'm done here" Tifa pushed her chair backwards and grabbed her plates.

"So soon?"

"Well, yeah" Tifa shrugged.

She was out of the kitchen in no time after washing her dishes.

"Goodnight, Mom," She said as she ascended the stairs.

"Goodnight baby" She heard her Mom say.