KELENNA

Out Loud

I immediately flipped my head towards him and found him smirking.

"Did I say that out loud??"

"Yes you did. Old habits die hard, no?"

"You don't-"

"Kel who is Gozie?"

"Heh. A crazy dude."

"Crazy? I like crazy. That's all you have to say?"

"Yes, for now."

"I see..."

"See what? You wey dey blind."

"I blind shey? I no blame you Kel."

"How you wan take blame me kwanu? I do you anything? Shift for road abeg, no cook yet oo. I carry food come back."

"Really? Food don plenty for here oh."

"My madam carry fried rice come shop say make I carry the remaining go house."

"Ehhh! That your auntie like you o."

"Wetin that one come mean?"

"Wetin e suppose mean before?"

"You don start naw Jide."

"I no start anything, I just dey continue from where you stop."

"Ana akogheri. (Talking rubbish)"

"Muwa na akogheri kwa ya Kelenna? Odimma. (I'm the one talking rubbish right Kelenna? Good)"

I saw that he was about to move and I ran away, laughing.

"Ozugo Jideka, ozugo biko. (It's okay Jideka, it's okay)"

He sent an empty tomato tin skidding across the floor as I ran. I stepped on it without even looking and my foot shot forward.

"Oops-"

I barely had time to throw my arms out before I went down.

Jideka was already laughing as he caught up to me, wearing that smug expression. I didn't even know what he was planning to do.

But he stepped straight into the little puddle I'd made when I filled the cup. His foot slipped...

"Jide-"

He came down right on top of me!

Few seconds passed and he didn't even make any move to roll over or get up.

I raised my arms to slightly push him aside...

"Leave me alone Kelenna."

"Okay... Someone wants to behave like a child now..."

He pinched me

"Ha, a naughty one at that..." Hehe, Jideka sef.

He raised his head "Aren't you naughty as well?"

"Who's naughty? Come here joor...!" I pulled him back and hugged him.

"Kel..."

His voice sounded smaller against my shoulder. "It's okay. It's okay... stop Kel-ing me..." I patted his back. "It will be fine, you hear me? It's going to be alright."

"But we still have to talk..."

I just chuckled softly "We would...later, soon...but not now, whatever it is I already have a hunch and I don't even care anymore. What's the worst that could happen?"

"I know...but stop acting like you're strong."

"Am I not?" I laughed

"It's not funny Kel."

"It is..." I muttered. Jeez, Jide is so weak. I'm really worried.

"But you can't even beat me."

"You want me to beat you now?"

"Shut up your mouth, later now you start crying." He scoffed.

A very rubbish human being, even when he doesn't have strength. Who does he say cries? I mentally rolled my eyes.

"Close your mouth Jide, I don't want to hear your voice again."

He did and we just stayed like that for awhile, his phone started ringing soon, but he didn't move. It rang twice and stopped. Then mine rang once from the room minutes later as well. I ignored it.

I felt Jide's breath getting steady and tapped him

"I'm awake..."

"No you're not. Have you eaten today?"

"No."

"What? Why Jide??"

"I was...busy..."

"What nonsense were you busy doing that you didn't eat? No wonder you're this weak. Have you even been eating properly before?"

"It's nothing, I just had a lot of things to buy and put together here."

"But I didn't ask you to, hm?"

"Some things were not in order, I don't know if you're too lazy or you get overworked during the day and come back tired, so I had to get busy. At least I won't be freeloading in your house."

"My house? Nawa for you oh. No be you carry me come here?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Jide I'm just lazy indeed...and broke. So next time don't do anything okay? Just sleep."

"Yes sir..."

"Get up, let's go eat."

"No... one more minute please?" He didn't even try to get up properly, just shifted slightly against me.

"And at least I've eaten biscuits today. It's not like my stomach is completely empty."

"What stupid biscuits? Get up now Jideka."

He reluctantly did and I helped him while at it.

"Here have this... I beat you at your promise today." I said and brought out a lollipop from my pocket once we were on our feet.

I'm glad I bought another one on my way back after I finished Jide's own.

"You this boy... you're funny. But here's yours, I didn't forget it." He brought out the one he got for me and gave it to me.

"Thank you."

"You too."

He made to open his own and I stopped him.

"No no no. We're eating first."

He glared at me.

"We. Must. Eat. First."

"Fine!" He begrudgingly kept it back and stared at me.

"Kel."

"Hm?"

"You're smiling."

"So?"

"Nothing."

"Then stop staring."

I turned away, still smiling. "Let's go joor, you'll like the food and I have lots of gists!" I took his hand and dragged him out of the kitchen.

.

.

.

Over the next few days, it's just been moments with Jideka at home after running the shop by myself all day. And this time around I mandated his resting and thankfully he obliged without trying to be stubborn. He even went down with a fever sef.

Aunt Victoria hadn't really been around lately-said she was busy with the wedding preparations and had been feeling tired. She mostly came in during the afternoons, picked up a thing or two, dropped either food or money for me, then left almost as quickly as she'd arrived after guiding me through a few things.

I haven't also seen Gozie around since then as well, so my days were mostly serene and well...I miss my people.

The machine hummed beneath my hands, steady and almost hypnotic...almost. The quietness I've gotten used to during mid-afternoons here at Senator Suites was present again and this is going to be the fourth set of street wears I was working on unsupervised.

I was even surprised at how fast I was learning on own. Online classes and YouTube videos helped as well.

I got thirsty, pulled a drink from the fridge and drank about half of it before setting it on the table.

I wasn't thirsty anymore, so I left it there and went back behind the machine.

The low hum of the air-conditioner and the distant background noise from the TV in the showroom filled the rest of the shop.

"Slow down." A familiar voice came through.

I lifted my head.

Aunt Victoria, who apparently had just arrived, stood before me, looking as dazzling as she'd always made sure to be recently.

"Who's that girl?"

"Kelenna please don't start." She huffed a laugh.

"Ohh, of course I won't start anything." I raised my hands up and shook my head.

Aunt Victoria moved behind my right shoulder, folded her arms, and examined the piece I'd just sewn.

"Why are you rushing?"

"I'm not rushing."

"You are."

Well, I wanted to make sure I finished this set today and get back to that silly boy at home.

"I'm... just sewing."

"Those two things are not mutually exclusive."

I looked down at the fabric. The seam looked fine to me.

Well...um... mostly fine. I cleared my throat.

Mrs. Victoria reached down and turned the fabric slightly, exposing the line I'd just stitched.

"Look at this."

I leaned closer. "The stitches?"

"The curve."

"Oh." Oops!

"Exactly. You followed the line too quickly and the fabric pulled slightly here." She tapped the edge with her finger.

"Don't fight the machine. Guide the fabric. Let the machine do the work while you control the direction."

I nodded. "Okay ma."

"And don't keep staring at the needle."

I looked at her. "Why?"

Needle wey look like say e go pierce my finger if I loose guard.

"Because you're going to sew with your eyes instead of your hands." I blinked.

Ahhh, my eyes?

I covered my eyes with my palm anyway. That made absolutely no sense to me! Oh, my poor eyes.

"Stop misbehaving this boy."

"How do I sew without looking at where I' m sewing then?"

"You look at the seam allowance and the marking ahead of the needle. Not directly at the needle itself."

"Ohh." Should I pretend I'm going to adhere to this?

She pointed to the fabric again. "Start from there."

I lowered the presser foot, positioned the fabric and rested my fingers lightly on either side.

"Not so much pressure Kelenna."

I relaxed my fingers.

"Good. Now go."

The machine came alive again, this time, I went slower. The fabric moved swiftly beneath the needle, my hands guiding it around the gentle curve I'd marked earlier.

"Now that's better."

I smiled. "Did you just praise me?"

"Don't get excited."

"Too late."

"Don't be silly and keep sewing."

I chuckled and concentrated again. Months ago, I had looked at these machines like they were instruments designed specifically to expose my incompetence. Now, I was beginning to understand what my hands were supposed to be doing.

Not perfectly, of course. But it's a good progress.