Journey to the new me

Chapter 19------- Crossroad

I had expected a two-week suspension to be a time of reflection, but instead, it was a time of frustration and stir-craziness. As I rummaged through my wardrobe, I realize that deciding on what to wear is very difficult. Finally, I settled on a grey hoodie, black jeans, and white sneakers. The jean was a bit "crazy" but not "crazy" enough for my mum to go crazy on me...hehehe

In my head, I imagined myself in an all-black outfit, a bad-ass boss lady who had it all together. But, I knew better than to let my imagination run wild. My mother would never approve of such a dark and mysterious look, and she might even accuse me of all sorts of things - like being a cultist, a witch, or even a member of the Illuminati! I quickly pushed those thoughts away and focused on finding an outfit that was just the right amount of "crazy" for my mother.

I grabbed my white cross bag, spritzed on my body spray as if I were battling an army of mosquitoes, and ran a brush through my already wild hair, refusing to untangle the nest that I had made on my head.
As I stumbled down to the dining room, I was greeted by the mouth-watering smell of breakfast. White rice with veggie sauce and turkey filled the air, and I couldn't wait to dig in.

As I dished my food with my stomach rumbling in anticipation, I was interrupted by my dad's voice.

'Is that the new trend now?' He asked with a raised eyebrow, still focused on the turkey laps. I looked at myself maybe he was talking about my clothes.

'I guess we are all flies here'. That was when realization dawned on me. I dropped my cutleries and immediately went on my knees. I could feel the eyes of my family members burning into me, and I knew I had messed up.

"I-I'm sorry," I stammered, feeling like a child who had been caught with her head in a chocolate box. 'Good morning dad and mum, good morning family'. My mother shook her head and I could see that there is more to come.

'Is that why you poured the whole content of the spray on your body?' my mum asked, wrinkling her nose.
I didn't know what to say. I was trying to find the right words to explain myself. 'I just wanted to smell nice and...'

My mother was not having any of it. 'You didn't need the whole spray to smell nice'.

I just remained silent.

As I ate, I could feel the tension in the air, like a dark cloud hovering over the table. My mother kept giving me dirty looks, but I did my best to ignore them. Kofi, oblivious to the situation, kept shoveling food into his mouth, completely unaware of the storm brewing around him. Efua looked at me with a mixture of pity and annoyance, clearly frustrated with my carelessness. But all I could think about was how delicious the food was, and how much I wanted to devour every last bite.

After making sure there was no single grain of rice in the plate again, I washed my plate, trying to act as normal as possible, but I could feel my hands trembling with nervousness. I just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. I headed for the car, dreading the awkward silence that awaited me. I took a deep breath and opened the door, taking my seat in the back. As I closed the door, I felt like I had just sealed my fate. It was going to be a long, uncomfortable ride.

* * * * * * *

We got to the boutique after dropping off Kofi and Efua at school and I just made myself invisible and out of my mother's sight for the rest of the day. I was not ready for any drama.

As I sat in the corner, I noticed a familiar figure walking through the door. She looked distressed and shaken, and her eyes darted around the store. As she approached my mother, I could hear the urgency in her voice. I could tell something was wrong, but I couldn't imagine what it was. My heart started racing as I watched the scene unfold before me.

My mother's face was etched with concern as she ushered the woman into her office. I couldn't help but follow them, careful to keep out of sight. I had to know what was going on. I hovered near the door, straining to hear what they were saying.

As they entered the office and closed the door behind them, I panicked. How was I going to find out what was going on? In a moment of desperation, I pressed my ear against the door, hoping to catch even a whisper of their conversation. Suddenly, I heard footsteps approaching, and I knew I'd been caught eavesdropping. My heart sank as the door swung open, revealing my mother's angry expression. I knew I was in big trouble.

I stood there, frozen in place, as Angel's mother approached me. The look on her face told me that what she was about to say was going to be devastating. I could feel my pulse pounding in my ears, and I was shaking with fear. I had a horrible feeling that something terrible had happened to Angel, but I didn't know what it was. I felt like I was trapped in a nightmare, unable to move or speak. I could barely breathe as I waited for her to speak.

For what felt like an eternity, we just stood there, staring at each other, not saying a word. I could barely breathe as I waited for her to speak again. Finally, she broke the silence. "I'm so sorry, Bukky," she said, her voice cracking with emotion. "Angel passed away last week, and I just wanted to let you know in person."

Her words hit me like a sledgehammer. My mind was racing, and I felt like I was going to collapse. I couldn't believe that my best friend was gone.

As the news sunk in, I started to feel dizzy and lightheaded. I could feel myself starting to lose my balance, and I thought I might pass out. Just as I felt like I was about to fall, a pair of arms caught me. I looked up to see my mother's face, full of concern. "Bukky, are you okay?" she asked, her voice full of worry. I couldn't find the words to respond, and everything started to go black.