ℝ𝕖𝕤𝕠𝕝𝕦𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤 ✔︎

1°

Uzo

I didn't know why I felt so happy. Not that the moon had any special features or anything was different from our usual way of celebrating a crossover. I just felt this way was the best way of crossing over.....we were complete and papa didn't seem to be in any conflict with Edozie. Infact, he allowed Edozie to stay with us this year and I hoped next year would bring us even closer.

I prayed within myself that brother Edozie wouldn't do anything this year to annoy papa to the extent of disowning him.....again. I stared at the sky dotted with a thousand twinkling stars, each winking us goodluck and the crescent moon completed it, like a smiling lip of an anonymous face.

"Let's have the countdown." mama broke into my thought. I inhaled and joined in.

"5.......4.......3.......2...........1!!!"
"Happy new year!" We chanted and everyone's reply was "Same to you."

I could hear knock out sounds at a distance and see fireworks. The one I loved most was the one that spelt 'happy new year everyone'

"Come in." mama said dragging our attention from the wondrous fireworks. "I wish to throw one someday." Eyinna said smiling in his usual cheeky way. Eyinna was my four year old younger brother that mama had twelve years after me. We all knew it wasn't planned for but Papa adviced against abortion saying that 'God giveth children. They are gifts from him'.

"Don't worry you would." I smiled back taking his hand as we went in.

Papa was seated on his favourite couch wearing his glasses squinting into his bible. We all sat down. I looked up at Edozie to see if he would sit down. I wondered if his sprouting beards had anything to do with him changing.

He so much looked like Papa from a photo of him when he was younger. But papa burnt that picture along with many others because he was keeping a full afro in them and he said it's sinful to keep memories of your past sinful nature.

Edozie sank into a chair but didn't relax on it, it seemed like he would leap up any moment and walk out. Papa began his sermon, he said so much about letting the devil get inside you, about the destructive path that leads to death, about change, about righteousness, about new year resolutions and he told us to get a paper, write down our new year resolutions and give it to him.

All along, his eyes were glued to Edozie whose eyes were glued to the flower vase at the end of the room. By the time Papa finished, Eyinna was sleeping. He was the only one allowed to sleep during prayers. Adaku was leaning, her scarf almost covering her eyes. I couldn't guess if she was sleeping or not but Edozie didn't blink an eye.

I even watched him during prayers. His eyes never shifted from the vase like he was reading something in it, like he was seeing something we couldn't. I tapped Adaku and she pulled the scarf away exposing red eyes which showed that she had been sleeping all along. Papa left with mama who was carrying Eyinna leaving me, Adaku and Edozie in the living room.

"Brother Edozie good morning." Adaku yawned. He nodded.

"What is the time?" Adaku asked me.

"Past two......we can still go to bed..." I said.

"Abeg let me go and complete my sleep." she stretched and stood up. I followed her in. My room was right next to Adaku's.

I stayed awake thinking about my what my new year resolution would be, what I wrote and submitted to Papa was definitely not my New Years resolution, it was just something he would expect of me. I also began thinking about brother Edozie's resolution. Maybe it would fill a book.

I could almost picture the younger version him chasing me with a dead lizard and laughing. But now he no longer chased anyone, he no longer laughed. Maybe he wouldn't feel it if a dead lizard should fall on him.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Papa came into my room when I was arranging it."Papa good morning." I greeted. He just nodded. Like father like son. Papa had been distraught after loosing his job. He no longer smiled like he did before. He started going to church more often and became an elder in the church. He started a business few months ago and it was going well for him. Assisted by mama who was a nurse, they both handled the family expenses.

"I hope you haven't forgotten that you will be resuming on the 4th. So you and Adaku should go with your mother to the market today so you can get new sandals. And let me warn you, if you spoil it, you'll walk barefooted for a term in school before I get you another one." He said

"Papa thank you." I said. "Where is Adaku?"

"I think she's in the kitchen." I responded

"Tell her all I just told you. I'm going to the church for a meeting." he said and walked out immediately.

I followed Papa outside and was on my way to the kitchen to help Adaku when I sighted Edozie. "Uzo! Go to my room and get my clothes I need you to help me wash them." he said and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" I asked out of curiosity.

"None of your business but in case Papa asks of me, tell him I went to see our pastor's son." he said and walked out.

I would not have given into his bullying if not for the fact that one of the new year resolutions I added to my list the previous night was to respect my elder siblings, Adaku and Edozie.

I got into Edozie's room, it seemed like a hidden portion of the house. It was neat except for the bed which showed that someone had laid on it. The last time I was in this room it was scattered, that was when mama scolded Edozie to clean up his room.

I walked to the mirror and just stood there staring at my reflection. Light skinned, unlike my siblings. My mum was also light in complexion while my dad was dark in complexion alongside my siblings.

I saw the clothes at a corner. I packed them and went out to the backyard to soak them. I separated his white shirts from the rest and as I picked a plain black trouser, somethings fell down.

A pack of cigarette and a condom. I picked it and stared at it in dismay. What would Edozie be doing with these things.

Of course I know what he does with them but WTH

"Jesus! What are you doing with a cigarette?" Adaku shouted coming out with a bowl of dirty water. She quickly poured it in the gutter and rushed to me.

"I saw it among brother Edozie's clothes." I said.

"If Papa sees this, he will literally kill Edozie! So this is the reason he has been behaving like an alien..." Adaku said. Like I don't know.

"Let's just pretend we didn't see this." I said putting it inside the pocket of the trouser as Adaku clapped her hands dramatically as she stared at the trousers in utter dismay.

"Oh yeah, Papa said we should go with mama to the market today." I said to Adaku relaying papa's message to her.

Adaku nodded, hummed and went inside while I soaked brother Edozie's white shirts in a bucket of hypo- water.

"January 1st 2020." I sighed.

Chapter one is out 💃
Tighten your seat belt as I take you through this drama filled journey😋. Enjoy!
Qhupid out🐾

Word Count: 1276