My mother has always been an extra woman.
She's known for doing too much.
Which is why her arrival with my siblings did not phase me at all. She had on a massive puffer jacket that made her look like a darkskin donut and a beanie crowned her frizzled wig. My siblings just tried to keep up with her, both struggling with the trolleys. I was embarrassed, obviously. She was getting a lot of stares with the amount of trolleys she had with her, but she kept beaming. I tried to act like I was still waiting for someone till she got closer to me but she just couldn't keep quiet could she.
"MUSOLA! ADEMUSOLA!"
I cringed at how loud she was. We're in public mom! I kept quiet and waved, not wanting to draw attention to myself.
She did not get the message. Because the moment I waved, her smile dropped and the insults followed.
"Iru ọmọde yii? Dahun jọ! (Which kind of child is this? Answer!)" she stopped and I could see the fear in my sister's eyes as she almost bumped into her.
Nervously I looked up and said "Yes mom". The man beside me chuckled as she raised her eyebrow. "Ma" I corrected myself.
"Ah my baby!" She dropped her handbag in my sister's tired arms and squeezed me. "I've missed you o! See how you're glowing!"
I blushed awkwardly and hugged her back. I did miss her. No matter how much I hate to admit it. Weirdly I'd missed her usual banter, her shouting at me in our mother tongue, even ordering me around. It's odd living somewhere else with no one telling you what to do and I still haven't gotten used to it.
I deeply inhaled the sweet scent of her jacket. She smelt like home. I almost cried at the nostalgia hitting me as I squeezed her. The warm earthy scent of our garden. The scent of perfume and our kitchen, sweetly combined. The strong scent of her laundry detergent and the heat of the sun giving it a roasted flower smell.
A tear escaped my eye and my mother hissed as when I sniffed.
"I washed this jacket with my best soap and you're crying on it. Ẹjọ fi mi lẹ (please leave me alone). Get off me!" She smiled at me after her harsh joke.
My younger sister snorted behind her and I sent her a scowl before directing a smile towards my mother.
Wait o...
"Taye?" I asked. My sister looked at me like she was disgusted and she hissed.
"Before nkọ? It is me. Live and in the flesh. When you were crying you did not remember I existed shebi?" Her stance exuded a large amount of sass. I looked at her well. This girl has grown sha. Her body has changed. Drastically. Last year she was as skinny as a broomstick. And now...this girl is literally an hourglass. What the hell? How in God's name did that happen? We're a family of late bloomers but this change is unbelievable.
Are those...are those boobs?
When we were younger people would always say she was the spitting image of me. She had my looks and my attitude. But now...
She definitely still has my attitude...that's about all that's left.
I'm almost jealous. Almost.
Apart from the fact that she still had a handful of pimples sprinkled across her face, she was flawless. When did my sister become utter perfection? I don't even know who I'm looking at anymore.
"What happened to your mouth, Sola?" She laughed at me. I shut it immediately and she hugged me. "I can see you've missed me". When I didn't respond she poked my rib and a mangled giggle escaped my mouth.
YOU ARE READING
DELUSIONAL
General Fiction"I really don't know what to say to her anymore. She's so stubborn. She won't talk, she won't even sit down on the couch. She stands for thirty minutes and leaves without a word. I want to help her, I really do. But she acts like she's alone when I'...
