Naya and Vince

27

SIBLING DRAMAS

I stood at the door to Constance's room and watched her solve her Rubik's cube. When Vincent went to put lunch in the microwave, I decided to stalk the house looking for Constance. Her focus fascinated me. In the midst of all the tea set and dolls, she chose to play with a Rubik's cube.

I suddenly had that feeling like someone was watching me and I turned to find Vincent behind me. His eyes widened at first before he set an angered look on his face. He gripped my wrist and forcefully pulled me downstairs.

"WHY DID YOU GO UPSTAIRS?"

I tried to pull my hand from his grip, shocked by his outburst. "I was looking for her." Vincent wouldn't let go.

"You don't go snooping around someone's home okay? You don't have the permission to do that!"

"I wasn't snooping-"

Vincent continued nevertheless, interrupting me and hardening his grip. "Never go upstairs. You are not allowed to. It's bad enough that you are in the house, don't go looking everywhere."

I was offended by his choice of words. Bad enough that I was in the house? What did he mean by that! "I have heard you okay! Stop the insults abeg," I snapped. I foresaw an argument happening soon.

"Are you two fighting?" I heard Constance ask. She was descending the staircase with her unsolved Rubik's cube.

Vincent looked at her and gave a smile that anyone with half a brain would know was fake. "Lunch is warm. Are you hungry?"

Constance looked between us, hesitating a bit. She eventually descended the last stairs. "Yes I am."

She walked ahead of us to the dining table. I sensed something off about her. I expected her to come to me showing of her Rubik's cube. But Constance walked on, once again concentrated on her cube.

"Is she okay?" I had to ask Vincent. He was still gripping my wrist like he was trying to do me a favour.

"She should be."

Should?

Vincent walked to the dining table pulling me along.

"Can you just leave me?" I said pointing my free hand to my gripped wrist. He looked at it and back at me.

"No."

"No?" I saw a hint of a smirk on his dark face.

Please don't tell me you're trying to flirt, I panicked. It was definitely going to be cringe worthy. As if he heard my thought, he dropped my hand with a frown before continuing to the table.

I needed to figure the boy out.

I laughed at my resolution. I couldn't even figure myself out.

"Deji, I want to go to Aunt Damilola's place," Constance said playing with her fried rice.

I paused my spoonful of glorious goodness in front of my open mouth. "I thought you didn't want to go?"

"Nobody to pays attention to me here."

I saw a pained and hurt look flash through Vincent's brown eyes.

"After lunch alright?" He mumbled.

"When is mummy coming back? She doesn't call anymore."

Vincent got stiff when Constance said that. I watched him take deep breaths.

"Now I think of it," Constance started slowly looking at Vincent in the eyes. "How can mummy travel for so long? I can barely remember what she looks like. It's like she has been gone for five years-"

"Shut up! She's been gone for just three years. Two fucking years. Now shut up and eat!"

Both I and Constance flinched. The way Vincent made his statement confirmed my tiniest suspicion. His mother was. . .gone. To the world beyond.

I muttered an inaudible 'shit' as I wondered how he could hide such a thing from his sister. The girl was hoping to see her mother one day. Constance would most definitely hate Vincent for hiding such crucial piece of information from her. She was supposed to know. But Constance was intelligent. I think she knew, she didn't just have the evidence and didn't want to believe it either.

I watched as Constance's lips trembled and tears rimmed her eyes getting prepared to pour. "I didn't mean to upset you. I'm sorry." Her voice quivered. The tears was already pouring. "I don't like it when you yell at me especially when I talk about mom. I just miss her. Is that a bad thing?"

I felt my chest tighten. It was so painful watching Constance talk like this. What would become of her if she found out the woman she was so eager to see soon, her mother was dead? Vincent and his father and relatives too definitely made a wrong decision on this one.

Vincent's eyes were closed when Constance was talking. He most definitely felt bad for yelling at her. When he opened his eyes, I knew for sure that he was holding back tears too.

On instinct, I stood up from my seat and went over to Constance. Once I bent to her level and opened my arm, she fell upon me sobbing. "I didn't want to upset Deji. Tell him to stop yelling at me all the time," she cried on me. Her body rattled with each sob.

I looked over to Vincent and he bowed his head. "Vincent, are you not going to apologize?"
He blinked about a million times to hold back his own tears, then took deep breaths again and walked over to us.

"Constance," he called squatting behind Constance and opposite me. I couldn't help but look at his face when he spoke. "I'm really sorry. I'm sorry for yelling at you." When Constance didn't turn, he added. "Come on. You can hit me if-if that would make you better."

She turned and stared at him for a while. She punched his shoulder and embraced him.

"I'm so sorry baby girl. I really am," Vincent said rubbing her back. "And I'm going to make it up to you by taking you to the gym with me next week. Your punch felt like spaghetti."

Constance pulled away from the hug and flicked his nose. "What do you expect when spaghetti is like my everyday meal?" She huffed making me and Vincent laugh.

"Let's eat plantain chips and watch funny animal clips," Constance suggested bouncing on her feet "Please. Pretty please. Please with Ewedu soup filled with plenty goat meat," she added batting her thick lashes at Vincent.

Vincent laughed. It sounded real this time and it sounded so good to my ears. "Anything for you, Ade mi."

As we watched hilarious clips on the huge flat screen TV in the sitting room, I watched the siblings laugh at the clips. Vincent looked so different as he laughed with his sister. I was glad they were genuinely happy but I had to wonder. Why did they always send Constance away? Why was his father never around? It wasn't much of a surprise though but more importantly, what did Vincent do when he was alone in this big construction he called a home?

He noticed me staring and smiled at me. Had he ever done that before? because the smile totally took me off guard.

Thank you, he mouthed. I nodded in response.

But I needed to talk to him. He had to stop lying to Constance. But it wouldn't be today. I didn't want to ruin the positive vibes.

I scooped a handful of my plantain chips and turned my attention back to the huge flat screen TV.

Not today.

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Byee.