This is Me.

•14•

Read the important A/N at the end

Unknown POV

“Claire, go and brush your teeth for God's sake, you'll be late to school…and if you're late, I'm late, ugh!,” I groaned as I slipped my worn loafers on, telling my younger sister off as she smiled at me, two missing front teeth and all.

“But I've already brushed,” she said, smiling cheekily as she reached for a banana to eat along with the bowl of cocoa pops she had rushed to prepare.

“Oya bring your mouth,” I told her as I held her jaw softly, inhaling her breath.

Jesus.

“Claire, oya go and brush your teeth now!” I shouted as I scrunched up my nose in mock disgust.

“And before you take even a single bite out of those cocoa pops, make sure I've smelled your mouth again.”

“But I've already brushed,” she whined , dragging out the last word as she stomped her brand new Mary Jane's in frustration.

“Mama, Ebube is being a pig,” I shouted out to my grandmother as she slowly stepped into the dining room.

“No! I'm not a pig, leave me alone,” she screeched, covering her teeth as she ran away.

To the bathroom I hope.

“Enyi m, kwusi ikpo nwanne gi ezi,” mama said as she entered the dining room, wrinkled hands gripping her walking stick as if her life depended on it.

“Ntoor,” Claire tainted as she stuck her head out from the bathroom, blue foam dripping from her mouth and staining her uniform.

It was a funny look really, two shuku(pigtails), two missing teeth and blue foam on her uniform.

“Oluebube!” I shouted, “Go back into that bathroom now, finish brushing and clean that foam off your uniform, and do it before I finish eating this bread and egg.”

She quickly duck her big head back in, humming the tune to ‘butterbeans' cafe' intro.

"Ee eme, isi m na-ewute m,” my grandmother whisper shouted as she gripped her head with her free hand.

“Sorry mama,” I said as I hurriedly stood up, helping my grandmother as she wobbled over to the couch in the parlour.

She even seemed wobblier than usual.

“Mama, have you taken your medicine?” I asked from the kitchen as I quickly washed me and Claire's dishes.

“No oh my dear, they finished last week.”

“Jesus, Mama why didn't you tell me nau?”  I queried as I came out the kitchen, drying my hand on the curtain which stood between the parlour and the kitchen area.

She looked down, seemingly sad.

“You had to buy your school materials and I can manage without them for a few weeks my child,” she answered, placing her warm wrinkly hand on mine.

She smiled softly, looking at me, twinkle in her soft brown eyes comforting and soothing.

“My child, don't worry I'll be fine iyeh?” she said, chuckling as she leaned into the chair.

I wiped away the tears that had gathered at the corners of my eyes as I gripped my skirt tightly, “okay, mama.”

Claire ran into the parlour at thesame time daddy came– staggered out of the kitchen.

She bumped into him, spilling the water in his cup all over his white shirt. It ran down, gathering all over his pot belly.

“Stupid girl, if I slap yo–”