IN MY HEAD

CHAPTER SEVEN- NUMB

CHAPTER SEVEN
_NUMB_

                            ***
  I climbed into the passenger seat of my father's Range Rover, I mouthed a good afternoon to him. I knew the ride home would be awkward since we hadn't said a word since we left school.  The only sound that filled the car was the music playing from the car's radio.

"Riele, do you want ice-cream?". If only he knew my disliking towards ice-cream, he wouldn't have asked me that question. Yes, I disliked Ice-cream. It may sound absurd but I do not enjoy ice-cream. At times I wonder what joy people derive from taking ice-cream. It don't like the weird sugary taste it leaves on a person's tongue.

"I don't take ice-cream". I informed him while looking outside the window enjoying the beautiful scenery of Maitaima.

"Oh,so what do you want me to get for you?". He asked me.

"Yoghurt". I accepted his offer. I know I should have said no but I was already craving for Yoghurt. I couldn't say no especially when it was offered to me on a platter of gold. I enjoyed Yoghurt, it had this sweet and sour taste at the same time. I could gulp down a gallon of yoghurt without getting tired of it.

"Alright". He answered me. I watched my father drive in carefully to the driveway of the supermarket.

"Do you want to get the yoghurt with me?". I didn't understand his sudden need for getting into a ' father-daughter time'.

"No, I'm fine here". I told him. He shrugged and wound down the car windows, turned off the car and stepped out. I felt bit of regret for not leaving the car with my father. I hated seating in a car alone but I certainly did not want to have an awkward moment at the supermarket either. I huffed and looked through the window. I saw a figure dressed in my school uniform, I looked closely and saw a familiar female figure making her way to a guy dressed in a red polo shirt and faded black jean trousers. It was Lilian or someone I'd seen before. I had to be sure so I  watched closely as she handed a small black nylon  to him and the man gave her some bounty amount of naira notes in return. I wondered what she gave him that he had to give her a lot of cash in return. I strained my eyes to catch a glimpse of her face again and I confirmed without a flicker of doubt that it was Lilian. I remembered her from earlier today, she had asked Jason for her money for some stuff she gave to him. Could she be selling hard drugs? No, I dismissed the thought as soon as it came maybe I was just overthinking, stuff could mean anything right?

    The sound of the car door opening pulled me away from my thoughts. My father handed over the white cellophane bag to me. I opened it and found a pack of my favorite flavor of yoghurt. It was the plain flavored yoghurt. I quickly opened it as my father drove out of the parking lot. I loved the refreshing coolness it gave me as I gulped it down. I checked the company name and I saw, 'Hollandia' boldly written on the pack of the yoghurt. I smiled and told myself that it would be my favorite yoghurt company here in Nigeria. I stole a quick glance at my father and smiled offering a 'thank you'. Perhaps he was becoming a changed man. Atleast he'd tried stirring up random conversations with me and he was trying to warm up to me. If only he could do the same to my mother maybe, just maybe we would all be one big happy family.

My father slowed down as we reached the gate of the supermarket, he wound down his side of the car window and I wondered what was happening.

"Lilian, Lilian!". My father called. I wondered which Lilian he was calling. If she was the one I'd met in school earlier or another one.

"Mr Adewunmi, I didn't know I would see you sooner than expected". She said with so much excitement in her voice, she looked closer and she saw me_ "Jason's friend! So Mr Adewunmi is your father,Wow that's nice". I stared at her wondering how she knew my father.