With Love, Dieko

Two

Finally, we landed. The seven-hour flight had me exhausted. Murtala Muhammed Airport was as chaotic as I remembered-people everywhere, the sound of trolleys screeching, and the faint aroma of suya and jollof rice lingering in the air. Mom came to pick me up at the airport. I curtsied, bending my knees the way I was taught. She looked me up and down and immediately started her usual rant.

"Your father and I shouldn't have let you go. Look at you-what did Alice feed you? You've gotten so big." She wasn't wrong. I was definitely bigger than when I left Nigeria.

"Mummy, let's go. People are starting to stare."

Mom is slim, dark, and tall, while I'm the opposite-chubby and fair-skinned. The only things we share are height and, of course, beauty. She caught my glance.

"You trying to shut me up? Let's go. You'll answer my questions at home."

So dramatic.

We got in the car, and she sped off.

The drive home reminded me of why I missed and didn't miss Lagos. The streets were alive with honking danfos, bright headlights, and street vendors weaving between cars with trays of roasted corn and plantain balanced effortlessly on their heads. The air smelled of a strange mix of diesel, fried food, and sea breeze. It was a city that never really slept, and despite the noise and chaos, it had its charm.

After about an hour, we pulled into the driveway just before nine. I was tired and starving.

My siblings, Bolaoluwatito and Tolanitoluwa, rushed toward me, grinning like they hadn't seen me in years-even though it was just a few months. They each grabbed me, yelling excitedly, but I couldn't catch half of what they were saying.

Tola and I are twins. She was supposed to come with me to Germany, but she hates the cold. She prefers Nigeria-she's got her friends, her boyfriend, and a life she loves. Meanwhile, I haven't even had my first real kiss. The only one I got was a total accident-some random boy just pecked me and ran.

Intimacy isn't my thing. I get suffocated when people I don't know well try to hug me. I wasn't even sure how I'd react if I did have a real kiss. Would it be magical, like in the movies? Or just plain awkward?

"Let your sister breathe. Go eat first; you can catch up later," Mom ordered.

They obeyed immediately-nobody wants to feel the wrath of an African mother.

"Risi, bring Dieko's food," Mom called.

"I made your favorite," she said, "rice and stew."

"Mummy, you're the best."

I told myself I wasn't going to talk to anyone tonight, but food is the way to my heart. No idea why I'm even mad at them.

"Risi, now, do you want my child to die of hunger?" Mom yelled loudly.

Her phone rang. Risi came running with a plate and a drink tray. I took the food and muttered thanks. My sisters had already eaten, waiting upstairs for me.

I dug in immediately.

"Alice, How are you doing? What did you feed my daughter at your place?" She stopped and laughed. "She's eating now... I'll pass your greetings... Your brother's not home, he travelled... Thank you, thank you, you're a good child... When will you get married?" She paused and laughed again. Alice must've said something witty again. "Good night. I'll tell him."

Mom laughed between the words as she spoke on the phone.

"Meet us in the room," Tola whispered. They both went upstairs.

Mom turned to me.

"Make sure you call Alice later, she's expecting your call."

I nodded.

I ate as fast as I could, desperate for the gossip from home-only my sisters and Bolu had the real, unfiltered stories. I had no idea where they got their news from.

When I finished, I stood up, leaving my plate where it was. I just came home-surely nobody would expect me to clean up right away.

Wrong.

Mom gave me that look-the one that said "don't test me."

"Thanks for the meal," I said, forcing a polite smile, then carried my plate to the kitchen.

I dropped it in the sink and hurried back to the room to find Tola and Bolu already deep in conversation.

Bolu's sharp for an eight-year-old. Not surprising-we're all brilliant; it runs in the blood.

"So, that's how Mummy Tife slapped Aunty Shade. I was shocked. It looked like something from a movie. Then Aunty Shade started shouting and spilling secrets about Tife. Did you know that Tife's younger sister is actually her daughter?" Bolu said.

"Jesus... could the plot twist be any crazier?" Tola said, amused and surprised.

I knew Tife and her mother. Her mother was one of those stereotypical female evangelists who judged everyone's clothes and behavior without checking her own daughter.

"The craziest part? Mummy Tife is marrying Pastor Kunle's father in two weeks."

Pastor Kunle is the church pastor for the estate's elite-super rich. But his father? That man's wealth is on another level.

"So she'll be attending your school now."

"God forbid. I can't stand her. She's always on my nerves."

"Like it or not, I heard her mum telling Mom," Bolu replied sassily.

I laughed and climbed onto the bed where they were sitting, hugging my sisters. I really missed them.

"Just say you missed us. You'll just be acting tough when you're actually soft-hearted," Tola teased.

I'm definitely soft-hearted with my siblings. But other people? No way.

We all laughed.

"Excuse me, I need to make a call," I said.

"Who are you calling?" Bolu asked, all curious.

"Busybody, mind your business," I shot back.

I pulled out my phone, dialed Alice's number, and showed the screen to Bolu.

"It's Auntie Alice!" she screamed, nearly drowning me out with her excitement.

Alice talked to all three of us for a while.

After we hung up, my sisters were already sleepy, so I started texting Cameron, a Blasian guy I met in Germany. He went to my school, and honestly? He was everything I wanted in a guy-fun, handsome, funny, neat, and smart. We clicked in a way I hadn't with anyone else. I thought we had time, so I didn't push for anything more. Plus, he looked like he was way beyond my league.

It's one of those regrets I didn't realize I had until now. We never even kissed. The idea of someone's tongue in my mouth made me cringe, so it wasn't exactly a loss. Still, Cameron made me feel something I couldn't quite put into words.

I ended up sleeping around three that morning.