The Ru Effect

Chapter one

"Are your things ready yet?" My sister's tired voice breaks the silence in my room as I zip my last luggage.

I glance at Tejiri who's sitted on my bed with her attention on her phone.

"Yup" I said excitedly as  I packed my cream into my skin care kit.
My sister laughs at some tiktok video she's watching.

Today is the day I'm leaving Nigeria behind to Canada for my university.
Honestly I feel like this is the best decision I've ever made.

According to my father he said his children deserve the best in anything.
After my graduation my parents sat me down and asked me where I wanted to school.

My initial idea was Milestone University in Abuja because my best friend, Mary was also going but I changed my mind last minute.

I wanted to get out of this house as far as I could. It felt too suffocating.
So I chose Crawford university in Canada.
My sister was not happy about it, she said she didn't want to babysit but she finally gave in after I begged her with all I had.

I wanted to study law but I knew that that course just wasn't for me.
So I chose to study literature.

I never had a career in mind and besides I do love literature, it's just a really beautiful subject so why not study it?

My sister and I  both have a older brother, Tom who's married to a beautiful isoko woman and has two kids.
A boy and a girl.
They stay in Abuja and visits us once in a while.

Once all my packing was done Tejiri helped me move the luggage to the living room.
Tejiri says "I'll go get my bags"

I nod and sit on our couch as she goes inside.
My sister is what you call a melanin beauty, dark skinned,tall and very beautiful.
I remember when we were in secondary school, everyone wanted to be my friend so they could try and get close to her.

I don't blame them though, my sister is gorgeous.
She's in her third year in studying law.

"Are you ready kobiruo?" My father's voice snaps me out of my thoughts as I turn to him.
"Yes Father,Tejiri went to go get her things"

My mother had travelled to Dubai for a wedding of one of our many cousins so she couldn't stay to watch me leave.

I'm not surprised because she also did thesame thing for Tejiri.
My mother just doesn't know how to express herself, most times she uses gifts as her love gesture.

Like yesterday before she travelled she left me a beautiful silver necklace, that had little diamonds on it.
My hand unconsciously reaches to the silver necklace on my neck and twirl with with my fingers.

My father walks towards the chair that I am sitted and sits on it since it is big enough for two people.
My father is a tall, fair skinned man. Which explains my fair skin unlike my sister and my older brother who's dark skin.
They both inherited it from Mum.

My father clears his throat "OgheneKobiruo" he calls me by my traditional name which means God thank you. "As you are going to the university I want you to take your education very seriously, do you hear me?"

I nod my head.

" I don't want you to get distracted by useless things, if you want anything always ask" I nod again as I inhale a sharp breathe.

I knew my father would not hug me or tell me he loved me because that's just how my parents worked.
That's how this family worked.
They were both very bad at expressing themselves so instead they used actions like gifts and giving of advice as a way of saying I love you.

After my Father's brief advise he tells me and my sister who finally came out of her room that he has a meeting to attend. He immediately left after giving me one last look like he was debating if he should just hug me or leave.

At the end he left.

Tejiri's attention barely left her phone as she went outside to call our personal driver to come help us with the luggages and put them in the car.

As our driver began to carry our luggages one by one, I looked around me at this place I call my home.
The tall walls that mostly had glasses on them instead of concrete walls.
The ceiling that had a massive chandelier dangling in the midde, the stairs that led up to different rooms, including mine.

The beautiful portraits put on our shelve at the far corner of the sitting room.
Me and my siblings baby pictures occupied most of the shelve, there were also marriage pictures of my parents from twenty eight years ago.

I am going to miss my home.

*****

The moment I stepped into Canada the air shifted.
My dad had brought us all here for a holiday once before Tom got married.

But that seems like a long time ago.
After me and Tejiri had gone through the checkpoint at the airport, we got into a car and were on our way to the apartment where we'll stay.

Tejiri was living in a one bedroom apartment before but my parents told her to get a two bedroom apartment since I was going to be living with her.

She didn't like the idea one bit.

The relationship me and Tejiri had were quite tense. We just weren't very close, infact the only person who brought us both together was Tom and if he just wasn't here, it always became an awkward silence between us.

I stare out the taxi window at the beautiful buildings and other cars that we were overtaking.

"It's beautiful isn't it?"
I look over at her as she packs her box braids into a messy bun. Her phone on her lap beeps continuously as she packs her hair.

I glance at her phone wondering why the hell her phone is beeping so much.

She glances at me as she picks her phone up "it's a group chat" she says as she types away.

I nod absentmindedly as I switch on my phone.
I got a few texts from my mother, Tom and Mary.

Mary:
Babe I'm so jealous of you!
So how is Canada?
Have you seen any fine white boy yet?!
Answer me now!!.

I couldn't stop myself from smiling as I replied. Mary was a girl who had an unearthly obsession with white boys.

Tom:
I'm sorry I couldn't see you off Koko
You better be good kiddo.

Tom was the only one who called me Koko.

Tom:
Don't get pregnant.

Tom:
Send me your account details.

Just like I said my family members sucked at expressing love and sending me money was Tom's way of supporting me.

Mum:
I hope you didn't get jet lag from the flight my dear.

Mum:
I also hope you've seen the gift I left for you.

Mum:
Call me when you get to your apartment.

I replied to all their texts before turning my phone off and in the silence all I could hear was the beeps from Tejiri's phone.