Shin-nae Nae

§§Chapter 9§§

•×•×• The Next 4 Weeks •×•×•
Mom was more relaxed now and around more and I was a little bit safer than I was before. I still hadn't found a way to apologize to Sampson and since WAEC was over I wasn't sure when I would ever get to see him again. I was down but periodically I would site Ope around me and that would make me feel a lot safer. Father on the other hand had left during my exams. He said he was busy but I knew it was that he didn't know what to do when it came to me. He saw parenting as a serious migraine and he didn't know how to deal with it. Mom was pissed "You better pray that I don't find you because if I do what will resurface will be your dead body. And yes it's a threat. Don't forget to tell your lawyer"
I wasn't mad at Dad per say and like I said earlier I didn't want two parents who wouldn't be there when needed. If it was just one parent who do justice to that then I was good with that.
Anyways today made it 2 months since I met Mom and I wanted to celebrate so I made some Korean Savoury Noodles and Peppered Chicken. (Yeah I checked the net cos it turns out Mom doesn't really like sea food so I had to find an alternative I could make with the ingredients I could find here in Calabar) I wasn't one to cook much cos I hated criticism and it hadn't crossed Mom's mind yet to make me cook. But when I saw her walk in with S.P.O 1 Quinn by her side reeling out her daily schedule, Those done and those yet to be done blah blah blah blah blah (with me mocking her with a puppet hand in my mind 👌).......  I knew I had to do it.

"Mom" She turned "Welcome" she smiled sweetly. "Thank you Sweetie." She said as she rounded up with Quinn and headed to the dining room to meet me. When her eyes settled on the foods on the table she smiled. And her smile made it worth it. "You cook?" I smiled "Rarely. I'm afraid of criticism." She smiled as she sat down "Criticism is for those doing something, making progress not for mediocres. So don't fear it use it as fuel to do more" I nodded taking in all she had just said "Anyway let's eat." She urged me as we sat. One of her men approached her to safetaste the dish. She glanced at him and said "Yu You I trust my daughter." Just then Quinn walked in "We can't take any risks Major you're life is far too important to risk because of sentiments." Then she glanced at me "I hope you understand" I nodded then she sighed as he safetasted the food and gave her the go-ahead. She opened up her dish as we prayed then I said "Mom I got you chop sticks" She smiled in gratitude as  I took up my fork and we began eating. After a while she paused and drank some strawberry milk (her favourite and usual)  "I hope you and Sampson have made up" I stopped too as I drink some Hollandia yogurt "No... He still dey angry. My guy no wan hear Wetin I wan talk. If we jam for road him go cross. Like Momsi aswear that guy dey avoid like say I get chicken pox" Mom looked at me weirdly and then resumed eating "I hope you understand why I made sure Sampson was a part of your life. It was for your protection." I nodded as we finished our meal and went upstairs to freshen up. Actually Mom was done with her meal before me so she went ahead with S.P.O 1 to attend to some pressing matters. When I was done I gathered the dishes and washed them. As I climbed up the stairs I paused as I  remembered Mom's words "So Mom honestly how's the food" "It's amazing. Not too sweet. Not too sour. Not too savoury and not too bland. It's the perfect mix. Keep cooking like this and you'll end up a five-star chef. I also suggest you start some cooking videos too" Her sincerity made me believe in my cooking strength. I smiled and resumed climbing up the stairs.

When I had freshened up I headed to Mom's room to see her and ensure she was sleeping but as usual she wasn't but luckily she was rounding up her online meetings so it didn't take long till we were cuddling."Aren't you a bit too old for this??" I laughed "Maybe but it's our secret so noone will get to know" She laughed then she went sad and said "I'm sorry" "For what??" "For not being there while you were growing up" I looked at her sad eyes "It's fine. Really I understand that besides Im pretty sure if you didn't keep things this way life for me in Korea would have been miserable." She nodded "It's not just that though. I'm sorry........ for making you feel like I. Like I didn't have the integrity to keep to my words" I sprung up. How did she know?? She stood too and grabbed her strawberry milk and a straw on her dressing table as she sat there and sipped it slowly.

I felt my cheeks as the tears slipped. "Mom I am sincerely sorry-" "That is why........ I think it's high time I return to Korea" "Mom please no-" "You know what hurts is that if Agent Bassey's comlink wasn't left on mistakenly I wouldn't have found out" "Mom I'm so so sorry-" "But I need to know - were you planning on telling me at all??" "I didn't mean them Mom" "Ofcourse you did dear. You just didn't plan on me overhearing what you said and sure I really didn't understand it since you spoke in a weird language but thanks to the direct translation software on my comlink I was able to understand everything you said." I resat on her bed "Mom I'm so so sorry. I said such horrible things in anger" She looked down at her milk as she stirred it with her straw using two fingers as she shook her head in negation "That's not important. What's important here is that now I know what exactly is on your mind. And for me that is more than enough" She gulped down her milk and climbed on her bed. As she attempted to sleep then she said "I'll be traveling to Abuja tomorrow morning. The President and I have some matters we need to discuss. Once that is done I will return to Calabar to tidy up some things and after that....... in a couple of days...... I'll leave." I cried the more "Mom please hear me out. I'm sorry" "When I leave I'm not sure I'll come back anytime soon. I hope you'll understand." I just cried the more "And as for your schooling. Whether its in Korea or Nigeria. It isn't that important as far as it's what you want. When I settle down in Korea I will have a chat with Helen about that. For now you breathe and go about your daily schedules" Mom turned off the lights and covered up herself as she slept. I just sat there at the edge of the bed weeping.

✓✓✓ Sampson's POV
I sat at the villa thinking about nothing in particular. I was just feeling down and having Opeyemi staring intently at me while drinking her wine didn't help it. I began tracing the rim of my glass hoping she'll break the eye contact but no she's weird. "Okay......What exactly do you want to hear??" She let down her glass "Doesn't your anger deflate??" I chuckled "Ope" "No dey Ope me you sabi wetin i dey talk about. Why you no wan forgive am??" "Omo Ope leave that thing abeck. You sabi wetin i don suffer for that girl hand? Aswear if she fall sick she go call me. If she loss for road na me she go call. If she and Helen get quarrel na me she go call narrate everything. Sometimes eh she go even come my house for no reason oh. Next time na my bed she dey lie down ontop. Then now after all that eh because say I support her own Momsi babe just dey para like tap. Like guy you sure say she dey alright like that girl you sure say she no dey high?? A mean what wrong did I do?? It's not like her Mom is in the wrong and I'm defending her. Like guy that woman is too good to a fault. Aswear. Babe no wan hear word she just dey para like leaking tap. Mtchew" She sighed "I get that what she said was totally uncalled for but still you just gotta forgive her. A mean the Major has already exchanged our duties like you requested. So there's no how you guys would ever clash again especially with our WAEC exams just concluded. So Guy abeck.....just...just  deflate your anger. Abeck" I squinted my eyes at her "Annnnddd what are you to gain from all this??" She went sad "I've had my fair share of quarrels and fights in this life I really don't need an extra one. Plus you guys are have been very good to me. The least thing I can do now for you guys is to help repair your breaking relationship" I looked at her sadly and ignored the latter part of what she said "Ope what goes on in that house isn't right to you and you know it. Since you're given the liberty to leave why don't you??" "I don't have where to go." "My parents and sister are never around. If you trust me you can stay with me" She stared at me "You're trying to distract me with your kindness so that I wouldn't pressure you into forgiving Shin-nae Nae Abi??." I smiled "No wam. It's fine. I'll give you some time to think and then readjust..... and..... thank you for your offer." I nodded and we continued drinking then she stopped and said "This is embarrassing but can I move in tomorrow??" I laughed "Ofcourse" Then she smirked mischievously "But please do inform Karma. I don't want to stuck in the middle of a...... lover's quarrel" Her voice was like Benny I'm Brothers when he was teasing Cardo. I just looked at anything but her "You know we're not lovers" She still smiled and after rolling my eyes I ended up smiling too.