The Ghost Between

chapter 2

Chisom

     The cab driver talked about his wife who just gave birth, honestly, I wish he'd stop talking. He's disturbing my ear, only if he knew how much I hated the fact that I was going to stay with my brother.
     My friend Stella said I should be happy.
  "It's Canada!" She had yelled, telling me how lucky I was to be going abroad. I don't remember telling anyone I wanted to go abroad. My dad just had to die, my boyfriend, Ikenna served me breakfast a few days after my Dad died, and the brother I never knew said I'm coming to stay with him. Not only that, I had finished my WAEC, written my UTME, and gotten admission to study Law at Delta State University Abraka. My life was going well until it wasn't.
     My brother said I'd be repeating a senior year, that I'd be repeating senior secondary three, in another school. For reasons best known to him, I hate my life, and I hate that I'm here, it's not like I've ever fancied America, who that one help?
       "We are here," the cab driver said, I looked through the window, the environment was calm, the place looked beautiful, and the houses were much. It was nice and new, but I don't care, I don't want to stay here.
    I carried my luggage, and that's when my so-called brother came out. He was tall, his skin darker than mine, he had a beard and he looked huge, like a basketball player.
    "Chisom" he called my name smiling, he gave me an unwanted tight hug, as he paid the cab man.
   "I'm happy you are here"
He said, using the American accent I'm sure his forcing himself to.
  "Brother, I no wan to stay here," I said in pidgin, telling him I didn't want to stay here.
     "Chisom, here you speak proper English," he said. I rolled my eyes, proper English my foot.
      I looked up to see his wife and her daughter waving at me. They were both blonde, the daughter was slim, wearing jean trousers, and a white crop top. The mother wore jeans too but with a black baggie shirt. They look alike.
       "Let's go inside" Chike, My brother said.
    "Let me help you," the daughter said, she looks like all these girls that if they touch small, they'd start crying. I don't like how she's smiling too much, they look like Albinos in my eyes.
       "Don't worry" I said, rudely.
"Chisom" Chike called, I didn't look at him, as I entered inside.
        The house was fine, painted white, and the sitting room looked comfortable. My brother was enjoying himself with his oyibo (White) wife and her daughter while my late father suffered to get what he wanted.
     "Anna will show you to your room," my brother said.
     "Who's Anna ?" I asked.
"Me," the smiling girl said. I looked at her, giving her a side eye as I turned to look at my brother.
   "I hope I'm not sharing a room with her"
     "Chisom" he called.
"Brother mba kwa ooh," I said, already pissed. (Brother no ooh) I can't get my own space.
        "I didn't mean to chip in, but please speak English," his wife said.
     I didn't acknowledge she spoke, I only glared at my brother who glared back. "Anna please take her to you guy's room. She'd eventually behave" he said, holding his wife's hand, they Left.
      "Let's go," Anna said, I reluctantly followed her to our room. It was spacious, and pink in color ( I hate pink). It had two beds, and pictures of her and probably her friends were on the wall.  I saw more than one picture of her and one particular girl. I didn't realize when I took one picture and stared at it. The girl had black hair, with brown eyes, she was beautiful. She looked innocent and harmless.
     "That's my late best friend, Vanessa," Anna said, I immediately dropped the picture back.
    "I'm sorry for your loss," I said.
"It's okay, she died two years ago. You recently lost your Dad, I'm sorry about that." She said.
    I sat on one of the beds, as she sat beside me.
    "I'm sorry for your loss, my stepdad cried so much when he heard the news."
      I don't believe her, if he cared so much he could have come for the burial.
    "Hmm, probably faking it"
"I don't think..."
  "How's the high school?" I asked, changing the topic.
      "Cantor High is a school, don't worry you'd experience it yourself"
She said.
      "No problem" I replied.
"get some rest, later today, I'd take you to my favorite restaurant just across the street," she said excitedly.
    "No wahala," I said about to lie down.
   "What did you say?" She asked.
Oh
  "I said no problem" I laid down on the bed, and soon enough I was asleep.
         
        When I woke up I was scared, looking around I realized I wasn't in my bedroom in Asaba, I was far from home, and we were I was comfortable. I couldn't breathe, I wanted to scream, but I couldn't. I don't want to be here.
     Someone had put on the lights, I had to close my eyes, and that's when I caught my breath.
  "Are you okay?" I heard Anna ask. I opened my eyes to see she was sitting beside me.
   "Yes," I said, sitting up.
"Let's go to the restaurant, I'm sure you'd want some fries they're good." She said smiling at me, I nodded.
      
           As she said, it was across the street. We entered and she ordered fries for the both of us, I was hungry so I ate it without care.
     "It's good right?" She asked smiling.
"I can't tell, I'm too hungry to notice," I said.
    "It's okay, Chike has this restaurant where he goes to buy Nigerian foods, I'm sure you'd join him"
      "Obviously," I said
"I'm coming, I want to go to the bathroom," she said I nodded as she left.
    I was eating the fries, and looking around when I saw him. This guy is sure the most handsome American I've seen so far. He had black hair, with beautiful blue eyes. He wore a plain black shirt and black trousers, he was muscled, I could tell. Our eyes met, and I refused to look away. How can I not admire God's creation? He looked away and ordered coffee, he looked at me one more time, realizing I was still staring, and he looked away. And walked out of the restaurant. I battled with myself if I should go after him or not until Anna came back and started talking, I nearly forgot.The cab driver talked about his wife who just gave birth, honestly, I wish he'd stop talking. He's disturbing my ear, only if he knew how much I hated the fact that I was going to stay with my brother.
     My friend Stella said I should be happy.
  "It's Canada!" She had yelled, telling me how lucky I was to be going abroad. I don't remember telling anyone I wanted to go abroad. My dad just had to die, my boyfriend, Ikenna, served me breakfast a few days after my Dad died, and the brother I never knew said I'm coming to stay with him. Not only that, I had finished my WAEC, written my UTME, and gotten admission to study Law at Delta State University Abraka. My life was going well until it wasn't.
     My brother said I'd be repeating a senior year, that I'd be repeating senior secondary three, in another school. For reasons best known to him, I hate my life, and I hate that I'm here, it's not like I've ever fancied America, who that one help?
       "We are here," the cab driver said. I looked through the window, the environment was calm, the place looked beautiful, and there were many houses. It was nice and new, but I don't care, I don't want to stay here.
    I carried my luggage, and that's when my so-called brother came out. He was tall, his skin darker than mine, he had a beard and he looked huge, like a basketball player.
    "Chisom" he called my name smiling, he gave me an unwanted tight hug, as he paid the cab man.
   "I'm happy you are here"
He said, using the American accent I'm sure he's forcing himself to.
  "Brother, I no wan to stay here," I said in pidgin, telling him I didn't want to stay here.
     "Chisom, here you speak proper English," he said. I rolled my eyes, proper English my foot.
      I looked up to see his wife and her daughter waving at me. They were both blonde, the daughter was slim, wearing jean trousers, and a white crop top. The mother wore jeans too but with a black baggy shirt. They look alike.
       "Let's go inside" Chike, My brother said.
    "Let me help you," the daughter said. She looks like all these girls that if they touch small things, they'd start crying. I don't like how she's smiling too much, they look like Albinos in my eyes.
       "Don't worry" I said, rudely.
"Chisom" Chike called, I didn't look at him, as I entered inside.
        The house was fine, painted white, and the sitting room looked comfortable. My brother was enjoying himself with his oyibo (White) wife and her daughter while my late father suffered to get what he wanted.
     "Anna will show you to your room," my brother said.
     "Who's Anna ?" I asked.
"Me," the smiling girl said. I looked at her, giving her a side eye as I turned to look at my brother.
   "I hope I'm not sharing a room with her"
     "Chisom" he called.
"Brother mba kwa ooh," I said, already pissed. (Brother no ooh) I can't get my own space.
        "I didn't mean to chip in, but please speak English," his wife said.
     I didn't acknowledge she spoke, I only glared at my brother who glared back. "Anna, please take her to you guy's  room. She'd eventually behave" he said, holding his wife's hand, they Left.
      "Let's go," Anna said. I reluctantly followed her to our room. It was spacious, and pink in color ( I hate pink). It had two beds, and pictures of her and probably her friends were on the wall.  I saw more than one picture of her and one particular girl. I didn't realize when I took one picture and stared at it. The girl had black hair, with brown eyes, she was beautiful. She looked innocent and harmless.
     "That's my late best friend, Vanessa," Anna said, I immediately dropped the picture back.
    "I'm sorry for your loss," I said.
"It's okay, she died two years ago. You recently lost your Dad, I'm sorry about that." She said,
    I sat on one of the beds, as she sat beside me.
    "I'm sorry for your loss, my stepdad cried so much when he heard the news."
      I don't believe her, if he cared so much he could have come for the burial.
    "Hmm, probably faking it"
"I don't think..."
  "How's the high school?" I asked, changing the topic.
      "Cantor High is a school, don't worry you'd experience it yourself"
She said,
      "No problem," I replied.
"get some rest, later today, I'd take you to my favorite restaurant just across the street," she said excitedly.
    "No wahala," I said as I  lay down.
   "What did you say?" She asked.
Oh
  "I said no problem" I laid down on the bed, and soon enough I was asleep.
         
        When I woke up I was scared, looking around I realized I wasn't in my bedroom in Asaba, I was far from home, and we were comfortable. I couldn't breathe, I wanted to scream, but I couldn't. I don't want to be here.
     Someone had put on the lights, I had to close my eyes, and that's when I caught my breath.
  "Are you okay?" I heard Anna ask. I opened my eyes to see she was sitting beside me.
   "Yes," I said, sitting up.
"Let's go to the restaurant, I'm sure you'd want some fries, they're good." She said smiling at me, I nodded.
      
           As she said, it was across the street. We entered and she ordered fries for the both of us. I was hungry so I ate it without care.
     "It's good right?" She asked, smiling.
"I can't tell, I'm too hungry to notice," I said.
    "It's okay, Chike has this restaurant where he goes to buy Nigerian foods, I'm sure you'd join him"
      "Obviously," I said
"I'm coming, I want to go to the bathroom," she said I nodded as she left.
    I was eating the fries, and looking around when I saw him. This guy is surely the most handsome American I've seen so far. He had black hair, with beautiful blue eyes. He wore a plain black shirt and black trousers, he was muscled, I could tell. Our eyes met, and I refused to look away. How can I not admire God's creation? He looked away and ordered coffee, he looked at me one more time, realizing I was still staring, and he looked away. And walked out of the restaurant. I battled with myself if I should go after him or not until Anna came back and started talking, I nearly forgot.