Esse ✔️

CHAPTER 14

I spent the entire night watching movies in Ebun's system. I watched Indian, Korean, Thailand and Americans movies. I feel so tired and glue to the bed, I don't want to wake up. I managed to open my eye, and to my greatest surprise parents were in the hostel, ready to take their kids home. I sighted Ebun with her mom, but quickly looked away when our eyes met.

"Mommy, I want to introduce you to someone," Ebun said to her mom. Abeg, Chineke, hope it's not me oh!

I pretended like I didn't hear her, and stood up to round up my things, but I could feel them drawing nearer. "Hey." Ebun nudged me when she got to my side. I quickly looked at her with a smile, pretending like I didn't feel her or know she was coming to me. "Mom meet Esse my new friend, and Esse meet my mom," she said, using her right hand to hug me close.

I smiled widely. "Good morning Ma," I said tad conscious.

He mom smiled warmly before replying, "Morning my dear. You're a fine girl oh."

I blushed at her statement. "Thank you so much Ma, but I'm not as beautiful as you Ma."

"Esse! There's a fine dark boy waiting for you outside oh!" Tammy shouted from the door.

I sighed out. "I'm sorry Ma, but my brother's around, and he doesn't like waiting Ma."

She smiled warmly before suggesting, "We could speak when you get home dear."

"Okay Ma, thank you."

Immediately Ebun left with her mom, I became confused on why it was Ethan that came to pick me. He hates my school, so why is he here? Why didn't mother send the driver?

I tried to look for Amarachi and Dammy, but they were nowhere to be found. I trolled my smaller box out of the hostel compound. Ethan was already looking around impatiently. I trolled my box to the car quickly. He didn't say anything, he put my box in the boot and got in as I did same. He started the car immediately and drove off.

The drive was completely awkward and quiet. Ethan and I didn't talk on a norm. But I have one question to ask him, I won't let yeye yeye not talk stop me. So I coughed and asked, "Err...why did you come to get me instead?"

He smiled at me happily, he's always happy. "I want to use the car, so I told mother I'd pick you up. Please don't tell her. She's pregnant, so she get angry easily."

My jaw dropped, and my eyes didn't agree to blink. "Mother? Pregnant? How didn't I know about that?"

He laughed at me and my question. "Do you ever know anything? You're in that house, but you're not."

I sighed but didn't answer him. He's right.

In no time at all, we got home. He dropped me at the gate, and drove off. Samson opened the gate for me, he wanted to assist me with my small box, but I didn't agree. It was only a box, why couldn't I carry it myself?

The house was strangely quiet and empty. It was quiet and empty on a norm, but it was kind of on the extreme side. There was no sign of my mother, or the house helps. I trolled my box to my room, and went on a 'my mother' search. I wanted to congratulate her.

I searched almost everywhere, but she was nowhere to be found. I decided to go to the kitchen to look for her, since I wasn't allowed to step in the kitchen, I was scared to search there at first. But since I couldn't find her, I thought it would be an excellent idea.

Immediately I got to the kitchen, I found my mother sobbing quietly on the kitchen floor. "Mother?" She started robbing her eyes, trying to dry them. "Mother, you're crying?"

She stood up and started dusting her dress as she said, "No...I wasn't."

I laughed humourlessly. "It's something you can't denial mother, I caught you red-handed."

She sighed as her shoulders fell. "Okay fine, I was crying. I couldn't help it, it's so hard."

"The pregnancy?" I asked dumbly.

She laughed humourlessly. "You won't understand dear. Where's Ethan?" She asked, trying to change the topic. I guessed.

I knew I couldn't sly my brother, so I kept the topic running. "Don't try to change the topic mother. Why? I'm no longer your little Esse, I've grown mother. I'm a grown girl now, my brain is a lot more developed."

She started laughing seriously, but stopped when she noticed I was dead serious. "It's your dad family. They're so tiring. They try in every possible way, to control this family. Or let me put it this way, they control this family." She paused to sigh before she continued. "I mean how would they tell me they want a boy, when the scan says it's a girl? Am I God? How do they expect me to change the gender of the child? They're really putting pressure on your dad and myself." She broke into tears again.

I sighed as I rested my head in my left palm. "Wow, so you know how it feels to be controlled, and you guys still control me," I murmured to myself, forgetting my mom had sharp ears.

"It's all their fault. Everything happening in this house, is their fault. They said they wanted a medicine and an engineering student. And they picked you and Ethan. Luckily for us Ethan likes engineering, but you didn't like medicine. That's where most of the problem started. Since you went to art, they forced your father to make you do law. Your dad and I wanted you all to choose course, but they wanted order wise, and your father said he can't disobey his parents. I'm sorry honey, sorry for everything we've made you pass through. It's a terrible feeling."

I smiled warmly at her, before placing my right hand on her shoulder. "What matters the most is your choice, not their choice. Your happiness, not their happiness. Not everyone can be pleased. Some have made up their mind that they don't want to, and since it's their mind set, there's nothing you can do. Just make sure you're happy, I'm sure if you talk to dad he'd understand."

She smiled warmly at me, without replying. But before I could say 'Jack Robinson' she pulled me in for a hug, a very tight hug. "I love you dear, thank you. You made my day."

I smiled happily as I hugged her back. "I love you too mother." That's when something struck my mind. So I quickly asked, "Mom, where did you learn your accent from."

She laughed as she released me from he bear hug. "I didn't learn it, I grew up in Britain. I was born there, but came with my family on a vacation here, that was when I met your father. And little things started, which led to this." As I was about to speak, she raised her hands to stop me. "Have you brushed?"

Gosh! I felt my blood drain from my face. "No I've not," I replied ashamed.

"I thought as much, please go and do so now. I thought I was going to die while talking to you." She laughed at me. I was embarrassed at first, but later joined her. I stood up, and went to my room. That was my first mother and daughter bonding time, and I love it.

I switched on my computer, before I grabbed my towel and started off-loading some things from my bag, so I'd be able to have my bath with my toiletries. But then, my computer buzz. I quickly turned to see the reason for the buzzing, and was jammed with 'ESSE LIP LOCK WITH JOSEPH'.

I froze.