THE CALL.
977 Words
Ada woke to her mother’s voice.
“Your father wants you downstairs.”
She opened one eye.
“Tell him I’m dead.”
Her mother laughed from the doorway.
“You’ve been home for one day.”
“Exactly. Let me rest.”
“You’re already late.”
Ada sat up.
“For what?”
“Breakfast.”
“That is not an emergency.”
“In this house, your father thinks everything is an emergency.”
Ada smiled.
“Now you’re talking.”
Her mother shook her head and left.
Ada reached for her phone.
Three missed calls.
Obinna.
She frowned.
Then she saw the message.
Call me when you’re awake.
Ada stared at it.
Obinna didn’t usually sound serious.
She called.
He answered on the second ring.
“Finally.”
“Good morning to you too.”
“Where are you?”
“Home.”
“Good.”
A pause.
Then—
“Did your father tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
Obinna went quiet.
Ada sat straighter.
“Obinna?”
“Nothing.”
“You’re terrible at nothing.”
He laughed.
“Just be careful today.”
“Why?”
“Your father.”
Ada rolled her eyes.
“He hasn’t even started.”
“That means he definitely has.”
She smiled.
“I’ll survive.”
“I know.”
The call ended.
Ada stared at the phone.
Then she heard her father’s voice from downstairs.
“Ada!”
She sighed.
“See?”
She got out of bed.
⸻
Breakfast was already underway.
Adam was arguing with the twins over a piece of toast.
“That is mine.”
“You left it.”
“I went to get tea.”
“Then the toast found a new owner.”
Ada laughed as she entered.
Adam looked up.
“Look who’s alive.”
“Unfortunately.”
He pulled out a chair.
“Sit.”
Ada sat.
Her father looked at her.
“Sleep well?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
Her mother placed food in front of her.
Ada looked at it.
“Mummy, this is too much.”
“Eat.”
“I’m not hungry.”
Adam immediately spoke.
“Don’t say that around Mummy.”
Their mother pointed at him.
“Exactly.”
Everyone laughed.
For a moment, Ada forgot about Obinna’s strange call.
Then her father reached for his coffee.
“I need you in my study after breakfast.”
The laughter disappeared.
Ada looked at him.
“Why?”
“We need to discuss something.”
“About?”
He took a sip.
“Your future.”
Adam glanced at her.
Ada noticed.
Her father continued eating as though he hadn’t just dropped a stone into the middle of breakfast.
Ada looked at Adam.
He shrugged.
She narrowed her eyes.
He mouthed, Don’t look at me.
She didn’t believe him.
⸻
Twenty minutes later, Ada knocked on the study door.
“Come in.”
Her father was standing beside his desk.
A brown folder lay closed in front of him.
Ada noticed it immediately.
“What’s that?”
“Sit.”
She sat.
He remained standing.
“I received a call last night.”
“From who?”
“Someone I’ve been waiting to hear from.”
Ada smiled.
“You’re being mysterious.”
“I’m trying not to get ahead of myself.”
That made her curious.
“Daddy?”
He finally sat.
“The programme we discussed some months ago…”
Ada’s smile faded.
“What programme?”
“Germany.”
Silence.
She stared at him.
“Germany?”
“Yes.”
Her heart jumped.
“You’re serious?”
“I wouldn’t bring it up if I wasn’t.”
She leaned forward.
“What happened?”
“I’m waiting for one final confirmation.”
“From Germany?”
“Yes.”
Ada looked at the folder.
“Is that my application?”
“Part of it.”
“Part?”
He nodded.
“There’s something else.”
Before he could continue, his phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
His expression changed.
He answered.
“Hello?”
Ada watched him.
His face slowly relaxed.
Then he smiled.
“Excellent.”
He stood.
“Thank you. I appreciate it.”
He ended the call.
Ada was already on her feet.
“What did they say?”
Her father looked at her.
“It’s approved.”
She froze.
“What?”
“The programme is legitimate. The placement is confirmed.”
Ada covered her mouth.
“Daddy…”
“You wanted Germany.”
She laughed.
“I still want Germany.”
“I know.”
She rushed around the desk and hugged him.
For once, he didn’t tell her to calm down.
He hugged her back.
Then he said quietly—
“There is one condition.”
Ada pulled away.
Her smile disappeared.
“What condition?”
He looked at the folder.
“You have three weeks to prove you’re ready.”
⸻
That evening, Ada sat on her bed with the Germany documents spread around her.
She read every page twice.
Then her eyes stopped on the city.
Munich.
She smiled.
Germany.
A dream.
But not hers alone.
She reached for her old bracelet.
Amara had given it to her years ago.
Two girls sitting beneath a mango tree, making ridiculous promises about the future.
One day, we’ll leave.
Together.
Ada smiled sadly.
Her phone vibrated.
Unknown number.
She stared at it.
Then answered.
“Hello?”
No response.
“Hello?”
A girl’s voice finally came through.
Quiet.
Careful.
“Ada?”
Ada’s entire body went still.
She knew that voice.
She hadn’t heard it in years.
“Amara?”
The line went dead.
Ada stared at the phone.
Then it rang again.
This time, the screen displayed a name.
Amara Nwosu.
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