The Fire Within

Unsure Decision

I stomped out of the building, coming here was a waste of precious time, I got the job alright, but the way he acted towards me was uncalled-for.

I took a taxi back to our apartment, Ii don't want an unnecessary meeting with the likes of red lips, the house was quiet when I stepped in, guess Dozie heeded my warnings.

I made a sandwich for myself since that's the only food I can make with the little we have left, We will go hungry by next week at the rate our food is dawdling.

Bills left unpaid are leaving a dent on our table and the thought of them raises my blood pressure, which isn't good for the family, we already have a sick sibling, no need to add to the already massive burden on our shoulders.

“Brother, we're back”, Kamara said in her sing-song voice, I smiled despite my earlier worry, she's an empath and I don't want her picking up on my mood.

“I lotala?” Did I ask in our given tongue, which means, are you back? “Eeh, alotalam”, she answered back meaning, yes am back.

Kamsi murmured a greeting in a coded way (that's the mumbling way), I'm afraid he might be one of those people that have an imaginary pet or friend who plays mind games on its victim, but Goxie jokes that Kamara might have taken all the cheerful and easy-going nature the womb, leaving him with the silent mumbling nature.

Where Kamara is a ray of sunshine, he's the silent lightning that does more harm than the noisy thunder, “what's for lunch?”Kamara asked the moment she walked into the kitchen.

“The same sandwich,” I replied, her hopeful face turned sour.

“We've been eating that for a week straight, I can't take more of that”, she left in anger.

I felt bad about that, for Kamara to complain means she's tired of the food we've been eating.

This is one of the reasons I need a job badly, “what if the one you got today?” a voice whispered, I shook off that line of thought, I don't want anything to do with the job, the pay might be good, but it isn't worth the ego of the owner.

Kamsi made a sandwich, took a seat opposite me and dug into our almost two weeks straight diet, “where is Kamara?”

He shrugged, “dunno, maybe she's somewhere sulking”, he whispered, since I've known him, I haven't heard him shout, the tune of words he uses when angry is the same he makes use of if happy.

He made gas work of his lunch and stood up to leave, “right before I forget, we asked to pay the sum of $300 each for an excursion trip to Paris, it's part of our scheme of work”, he turned to walk out.

“When is it due?” I ask.

“Next week”, he said before walking out.

You might think my siblings aren't that concerned about the state we're in now, the fact is, I make sure I keep them ignorant of what we're passing through, no need to deprive them of the teenager's age I don't get a chance to fully live.

For Kamara not to have told me before she left must have meant she was intending to tell me over lunch, but since she didn't eat lunch with me, she must have probably forgotten, which is always the case with her, when she's angry, she tends to forget things.

Where on God's earth am I going to get 600 dollars from?, the last money in my account is $5 nothing more, how am I going to get the money before its payment is due next week? I'm currently jobless and friendless(it's not that am not an extrovert, I am, but I don't have spare time to spend with friends) at the same time, the timing couldn't have been so perfect.

“Bin, why is your face like that of a woman who lost the love of her life to her best friend? “, Dozy joked, I smiled sadly, “seriously Bin, why's your face like this?” he looked closely at me, “didn't the job interview go well?”

I shook my head, “I got the job”, I forced a smile.

“I can sense the but after the sentence.” He gave me a knowing look.

I sighed, “The boss is one shitty egomaniac!” looked surprised at my outburst, I've never for once, raised my voice in speech, not even when Kamara was acting like a pain in the arse, I take it all in good grace.

“How so?”

I can tell he's intrigued, leave it to my brother to think everything is a joke even my never seen outburst, I narrated the whole incident to him(the interview part only).

“That's one shitty interview bro, but tell me…” looking around to make sure no one was around, he leaned in closer as if whispering the secret of the universe, I won't lie that I wasn't intrigued, knows what he wants to say.

“DO YOU MEAN TO TELL ME YOU WERE INTERVIEWED BY THE SOUGHT AFTER CEO?” He boomed, so much for the secret of the universe, my eardrums hurt like hell.

“Dozie what in God's name did you just do?” I rubbed my painful ears, glaring at him.

“Sorry Bin, I couldn't help myself”, he looked sorry, but the tune of his voice indicates a smile, one he's trying so hard to hide.

“What should I do now?”

He shrugged, “the balls in your court”, he stood up, “play it or leave it, your choice”, he walked to his room.

I sighed, in this family, it's only Kamara that seems to sense my mood, but she's probably sulking somewhere waiting for an apology of a sort and the only thing that might make her happy is the trip to Paris, as far as I could remember, Paris has been her dream place and to deny her that opportunity is like sticking a nail to my side.

I won't stoop so low as to work for him, I vowed.

*

*

“ Good Morning, please follow me”, I looked confused at the woman who seemed to materialize out of thin air, she must have sensed my confusion, “Mr Meka asked me to show you the way to his office should you arrive before him.”