2022

CHAPTER EIGHT - An Unexpected Visit (Holiday Special)

At this time, the phone I was using had an expanded battery because the same battery had been in the phone since I don't know 2017 or 2018.

I woke up on a Sunday at around 04, 20th March, 2022. Aunt Angela's birthday. So you know the thing, we just check our phone to check notifications and all and I open my Instagram to see if Selena texted or anything but no text.

The funny thing is, Selena was active, and that's something that doesn't happen because she doesn't have her own phone. "Why are you active at this time?" I texted and the thing is the message was read immediately as though she had already been on my chat, waiting for me to text.

2 minutes later, I checked and saw no response but just the word, "seen". My heart then began to race as I assumed the worst had happened. "Something's not right", I texted again and immediately, she saw the message again.

I let it slide and said, probably it's just bad network. "Yeah, yeah, bad network at 04" that rarely happens. So I stayed home as everyone else went to church and my father remained home too. I don't know if I mentioned this, I think I did. My room has a door that leads outside.

So as soon as Esther, Michael and my mother left for church, I immediately unlocked the door that leads outside and I sat there on my bed, doing my Math work. I clearly remember my father walking in to check on what I was doing and he saw me doing Math. He was awake earlier than usual.

Every time I heard the sound of the gate I always rushed out of my room to check who was at the gate to see if Selena arrived. At this point, I did not know that her parents found out and the thing is this is the second time her mother is finding out.

10:00 reached then 10:30 then 11:00 and I was like, this girl isn't coming. Michael and Esther even got back from church but my mother went to Aunty Mercy's place which was near the church. I remember my mother calling me to follow her there to help her carry some things and I did just that.

By the time I reached Aunty Mercy's place, my phone just went off, it blacked and when it turned on, it brought what I never liked seeing, "Android is starting, optimizing 1 out of 146". Now, I won't lie, my battery literally caused lots of errors on my phone and the thing about my phone is, it never loads. When it reaches 146, it just goes back to 0 and the only way is to hard reset it. I remember, I even told my mother about it when I got there and I showed her the problem.

So, I got back home and left the things I helped my mother carry in the kitchen and I plugged in my phone and waited to see if it'll boot. I was just playing games on my laptop as I waited. Oh and I did not come back with my mother, she remained at Aunty Mercy's place.

In our yard, cakes are sold in the main house. The only thing is, people would always come and knock at our door to come and ask for the cakes. They would literally skip the first two houses and come to ours. It was so irritating.

Now, I remember Michael was in the bedroom, spreading his bed. He saw two people walking towards our place as in, our door and he said, "I don't know why these people always come here to ask for the cakes" He took a closer look and after he saw the people clearly, he said, "Iye! Those are Selena's parents."

My eyes widened to the size of a golf ball and when Esther saw them, she ran away from the sitting room to her bedroom. My heart started racing, so fast that it could beat Usain Bolt.

Esther came into our bedroom looking like she had just seen a naked ghost. I said, "I think there here because of me". My father opened the door to them, not knowing who they were as he had never seen them before. I could hear what they said and the conversation below was between my father and Mr. K at the door. Now, the thing is, they didn't come with Selena. Thank God.

Dad: Good Afternoon

Mr. K: Good Afternoon, sorry to bother you, we're the Kundas.

I don't know what else they said at the door, but my father let them in. My father called Michael to continue cooking in the kitchen and I'm just glad he didn't call me to continue the cooking because I don't know what would happen if I were to bypass them.

Esther and I were in Esther's room which was just near the passage that leads to the sitting room so that we're able to hear everything that was being said, one thing I'm happy about is that my phone showed that optimizing thing because it saved me, you'll know why. Now the conversation below is what I heard.

Dad: Sorry, you found me when I was cooking.

Mr. K: Yes, we're sorry to have come unannounced, there's just an issue that has come up between one of our children and yours.

Dad: Mm hmm.

Mr. K: Uh, yes, so I found some messages......

It was at that moment, I knew I was dead. When I just heard that, I knew it was about Selena's conversation and mine. I went back to my room because I could not stand and hear another word.

I just did not want a situation where I would be called to the sitting room to sit with them. The good part is that they were going for a funeral so they couldn't have come with Selena. If they came with Selena, I wouldn't be typing this by now because, I would've been dead.

Let's move on, don't you think?