Smile for me

* CHAPTER NINE *

UCHE'S POV

   "Why are you holding the 𝒌𝒆𝒌𝒆 like that ? Are you scared?"

Dede's grip on the tricycle was pretty strong, she didn't look terrified but she was tensed for sure. She looked at me as she pushed two strands of her loosed braids behind her ear

   "I'm not scared I'm just tensed"  yeah I thought so too I said to myself

MI moved closer to her and held her hands softly, I smiled a little at her

   "Don't be scared 𝒏𝒂𝒉, nothing is going to happen to you and besides this is one of the safest vehicles in the country"  she looked at me with wide eyes

   "This is one of the safest? It's sides are literally opened and one slight wrong movement and I'm flying out straight on the road!"

    "Are you always this negative Dede?" I was laughing at her now, she slapped me softly on my laps- I think it was supposed to hurt me

   "So you're telling me you've never had an accident with a tricycle before Uche?"

I looked at her and I wanted to just pretend I didn't hear the question but she was looking at me so intensely it was scary

   "Well Uche, the cat's got your tongue?"

   I sighed deeply

   "Well one time I had this little accident, it wasn't even the rider's fault or the 𝒌𝒆𝒌𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒇, the road was really bad so I guess you can blame the government for that one"

She nodded her head at and me and faced the front of the tricycle.

   "Where are we even going? You haven't told me yet"

   "I was about to now, what is every Igbo person's favorite food or snack?"

    "It has to be 𝒂𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒂 right ? I know that's my favorite!"   She was smiling so brightly and clapping her hands like a small child

  "Yes and 𝒐𝒌𝒑𝒂 you forgot that"

    "Is that where we're going? Please tell me we're going to get some because it's been a long time since I had that"

    "Why? Your mom never made it there for you?"

   She chuckled softly

   "She was always busy with her work and I was busy with mine too, so we never really had time to make meals or stuffs like that"

Her facial expressions changed slightly, she didn't seem sad, she looked like she remembered something she didn't want to

    "You worked too?"  She raised her left eyebrow and looked at me

    "Yeah why? I worked in an ice cream store close to my house. Nothing as serious as the stuff you do"  She laughed a little, I smiled at her

   "Yeah you're right, I do not think you can do the stuff I do"

    "What? Just cause you helped me with 𝒏𝒏𝒆 𝒏𝒏𝒆'𝒔 rose garden does not mean that I can't do the stuffs you do". She nudged at me a little again

   "Say 𝒏𝒏𝒆 𝒏𝒏𝒆 again please" I couldn't help myself everything she said in Igbo was funny. She rolled her eyes at me.

   "𝒘𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒏 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒐𝒈𝒂 𝒊 𝒏𝒐 𝒇𝒊𝒕 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒐𝒂𝒅 𝒏𝒐 𝒕𝒐𝒐 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕" (we've arrived sir, I cannot go in again because the road is bad)