Scars (Romola 2)

61: WAEC

The sound of Sunbo's cough rose louder and louder, until it was obvious that she was not suffering from any ailment. Romola turned away from the small darkened window and tried her best to ignore the sound. She opened her notes and tried to read. She thought of calling Hadassah and remembered that her tablet was lost property. Hadassah's number, as well as everything she used for her school, was stored on that phone. She settled for linking her fingers together and placing them across her stomach until she could no longer fight her tears.

Yetunde left her a scarred victim. Again. Was there no justice in this world? And Olumide? She'd only caught a brief glimpse of his face before she ran. He wore the same look as he had when Yetunde had revealed her true identity. The look he'd had before he became a raging lion.

Sunbo's cough increased. Chioma's eye strayed until they met hers. She understood what she needed to do but like most problems in her life, she would rather wait until the problem sorted itself. Sunbo was the problem but Chioma's look held the promises of threats that would not fail.

Romola unlinked her fingers and her arms fell to her sides as she sat up. She rose, and slipped her feet into her slippers before going to the door. She opened it as Sunbo cleared her throat, probably preparing for another bout of coughs.

"It's okay."

Sunbo beamed at her. "I told you I would stay here all night if I had to."

"You're not going to stay here."

"I don't understand. You are the same person that said I should not live with a stranger. Now, I want to live with you and you're kicking me away."

"Go home. What's wrong with the house?"

"What isn't wrong with it?"

"Is it Jide?" Romola shut the door behind her and stuck her left thumb into the pocket of shorts. She'd changed, after entering the house, into a baggy shirt and a knee-length pair of jean shorts. "Is he troubling you?"

"That one?" Sunbo pursed her lips. "I can handle him."

"Then if it isn't him, what is it?"

"Plenty things. Number one, I don't want to live in the same house as that woman."

"Which woman?"

"Your mother."

"Isn't she your mother also?"

"Ehn, but she gave birth to you first."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"You're behaving like expired ogi again."

Romola sat on one of the Ghana-must-go bags. Nothing had changed since she went into the house. The bumpy hard feeling of the bag under her butt must have been the end of one of Sunbo's shoes. Sunbo always had more shoes. She took all of Romola's old ones, plus the new ones she got from their relatives and whosoever was dumb enough to buy Sunbo more shoes.

"What is wrong with expired ogi?"

"Would you drink it?"

Romola rolled her eyes. Sunbo placed her hand to her mouth to cough again and Romola gave her a side-eye. She shut her mouth.

Romola shook her head. "I hope you don't have Covid?"

"Did you give me?"

"You're very rude."

"Let me stay with you."

"No." The first sting of a mosquito bite had Romola slapping the top of her left shoulder. "How can you stand these mosquitoes?"