NAIJA TEENS

Chapter Five

" So Baby noooooauw, take me into your loving arms,kiss me into the night of a thousand staaars. Oh darling,place you head on my beating heart. Am thinking out loud,maybe we found love by where we are"
Someone banged repeatedly on my bathroom d tooor.
"Who is that one?" I shouted. The shower was making it hard to hear a thing.
"Stop shouting!". It was Chris. " You are singing like someone with a terrible cough."
"Get out of my room!. Asshole." I screamed.
"Dickhead" he returned.
I returned to the song I was singing and increased my voice knowingly to annoy him.
    When I finished taking my bath,I stepped out of the bathroom and cleaned my body with a white fluffy towel. I hopped to my bed side and picked my phone that buzzed with notifications.
2578 messages from 29 chats on WhatsApp mostly from my group chat.
22 new messages and 48 tweets from Twitter
3 messages and 44 notifications from Facebook.
I sank into my bed and began to reply most of them. I ignored the messages from some people who couldn't understand that I didn't want to chat with them.
On WhatsApp James posted a picture of him and his "girlfriend" on his status. I scoffed when I saw his caption.
   Girls wey dey form form. I dey sight una oo. Enjoy life to the fullest with babes like Berrypie. If you like cry,e no concern me. Thank God say you no dey among my contacts. I for don block you since.
  So he took his time to write this thing. I replied his post, 
Me: 🤦 See how you are doing
    And moved to text Bunmi who was online.
  Me: Hi baby girl. Good morning hope you slept well?.
  Bunmi💖❣️: Hey good morning. I didn't sleep well last night. I couldn't stop thinking about what James told me.
I sighed. I would have loved to show her his post but I didn't. She'd just die.
Me: Don't think about it at all. I don't know why you're so scared about what people say about you.
Bunmi 💖❣️: Am not like you. You don't give a shit but I do. You are ready to fight back but am scared.
Me: 🤦 Bunmi don't say that. Am here for you. Nobody can hurt you and go Scot free. Except I don't know.
Bunmi 💖❣️: what did you tell James yesterday?
  Me: The usual thing now. We'll talk later. Are you coming to my house today?.
  Bunmi 💖❣️: Yes, Am closing by six in the evening.
Me:  ok, have a nice day and Don't let anyone tell you nonsense. Today's theme is 'pepper them down'
Bunmi 💖❣️:🤣😂 yes oo. Pepper them down!

I chuckled and dropped my phone on my bed. My mum called my name and I quickly dressed up in a black off the shoulder gown and went to the sitting room.
Chris and Sochi were already dressed in their school uniforms. They were having bread, hot chocolate and fried eggs for breakfast. James who was a great sleeper was surely in his room travelling around Antarctica.
My mum was in the kitchen preparing Jollof rice and chicken and Dad was supposedly preparing for work.
"Mummy good morning". I greeted
"How are you?. Hope you slept well?" She asked from where she was washing the rice.
"Am fine and I slept well" I replied going to the dining table to pick a slice of bread from Chris' plate.
"Did you pray this morning?. I noticed that you started praying when you were about to write your exams". She noted chuckling.
Jesus. I didn't pray this morning oo. I stopped in front of Chris who gave me a suspicious look as he shifted his plate closer to him.
"Ehmm.. I prayed yesterday night." Stupid answer tho.
  But that was the only thing I could come up with.
My mom shook her head and washed the rice into the pot. "Na you Sabi. It's only when you need something that you pray. At least you are still better than James who doesn't pray at all."
I didn't say anything in reply. I wasn't ready to argue with Mum.
  I went to the walk in fridge and took out the loaf of bread the students of the house remained and took four slices.
"Where are you going to?" Chris asked me when I took out a mug from the cupboard and set it on the table.
  I scooped chocolate and milk into the cup ignoring Sochi's annoyance over me taking a lot of spoons while Mum gave her just three.
I only took seven spoons oo.
"What concerns you David the psalmist?."
"Hey am not David oo. Am just an oppressed Nigerian teenager who was forced to read Psalm one to one hundred and fifty chapters. And am already in chapter 49".
Sochi fell off her chair and I heaved in laughter. My Mum sighed and called his name three times before saying he'll not kill her.
"You guys don't believe me?" He said faking surprise and hurt.
Before any of us could reply,Dad came in to the dining room and we all kept shut.
Sochi broke the silence by jumping off her seat. Dad smiled and picked her up.
   "Daddy,Zou's birthday was yesterday" Sochi chirped.
"Really?. I would have loved to watch it with you. But it's too late. Isn't it?"
She nodded sadly and sat on Dad's lap.
"Daddy good morning sir." I and Chris greeted.He nodded and waited for his food to be placed on the table.
Chris became fidgety and hurriedly ate his food. He wanted to run away from my Dad's questions.
"Ehem Rose." I looked up at him. I didn't have to fear because I didn't do anything.
  "Sir"
  "Mr Richard of Richie Cyber cafe needs a typist and I recommended you to him. So he said you should come today"
I smiled. Finally he got a job for me. I know how long I've been begging Mr Richard to employ me. He would always say that there was no vacant space for me to fill in.
"Yeh, thank God. Daddy do you know how long I've been begging him?"
  He smiled. "You know then he didn't have any space for you. So you shouldn't blame him."
I nodded and took a bite out of my bread.
"Chika so we will not be seeing you again?. Thank God oo."
"She'll be coming back by seven thirty in the evening."
I laughed happily and went to the kitchen.
"Mummy,I got a job in Mr Richard's cyber cafe." I hugged her from behind.
"Wow, that's very good". She twisted to kiss my cheeks. "So you'll not be at home again. I'll miss you"
"I'll be back before eight in the evening." I said
"Rose, Come and have your allowance." My Dad called from the dining room.
When I got there Chris and Sochi had left. My dad gave me Three thousand naira for my weekly allowance before going to the kitchen to kiss my Mum goodbye.
When I was done with eating and washing of breakfast plates,I went upstairs to James' room. He was sleeping as usual.
I shook my head and went to tap him awake. He didn't budge. I slapped him on his legs before he lazily groaned and rolled towards the end of the bed.
"What is it na?,am not having any lectures today. Why are you disturbing me?"
I hissed at him. "Stand up jhoor. Your mates are already busy doing something reasonable with their life and you are heres sleeping like a log"
He hissed and sat up rubbing his arms. His face was so sleepy looking and he was grumbling. "What is it?" He asked.
"I wanted to tell you that I got a new job at Mr Richard's cyber cafe."
  He laughed with Sarcasm before glaring at me. "Is that why you woke me up from my trip to Greenland?"
I frowned "so you are not happy for me?"
"Abeg I won sleep oo. No disturb me"
I kicked his legs and jumped on him. He growled and pushed me off him. I giggled and tickled him.
"Are you crazy?!"He sat up quickly and I fell off the bed laughing. "Did they send you?"
His door opened and my Mum stood there hands on her hips.
"You both have started again abi?. James, stand up from there and dress up. Go to Mommy Buchi's shop and buy Cotton wool for me and don't waste time oo."
"What about Chika?"
Mum gave him a Stern look which sent him into the bathroom."
She faced me. "Now get up and go to work. See how you are doing like the boss on your first day of work"
I stood up and went into my room to grab my black Fendi bag,my phone and sandals before leaving for work.