My Corona Roommate

✨Chapter Eight-The Chauffeur Blunder

  
    Emily's POV
 
  Three days had passed and Dad had already told the principal that I was leaving. Mr George Hamilton, my principal was really shocked at this sudden departure. The school year had barely begun and he tried his best to persuade my dad to let me stay.

  I didn't even know if I wanted to stay or not. I lost my best friend and my reputation but I wanted to stay for James.

  Deep down I knew that was not happening. My dad never went back on a decision. Once he has made the decision it was final.

  That was it. Goodbye America. Goodbye Minnesota.

It wasn't hard to arrange my trip. Dad always renewed our passport and I had obtained my visa. I wish my visa was denied but oh well.

  Grandma was really happy I was coming over. She had constantly begged my dad to bring us to Nigeria. She wanted to spend time with us.

  She could be very stubborn at times. She had come to America when I was ten when mom just disappeared but she stayed with us for only six months.

   Those months felt like years. Life was unbearable. She was an Igbo woman while my late paternal grandfather hailed from Eket, Calabar.

  Hardly was there any time when she wouldn't be on my neck. My paternal grandmother is friendly but she's a handful. She's overbearing.

  She would tell me stories of her youthful days and how she met my late grandfather. I always got bored while she talked and I would fall asleep.

  Also, she made my dad shun us from watching television. We were only allowed to watch cartoons for three hours then she would force us to read our books while she had the television to herself.

  Furthermore, she stopped ordering food and eating out. She said it was a waste of money. Now I see where my dad got his frugality from.

  She always cooked native dishes for us and I don't fancy native meals. My dad was also not allowed to cook.

  I hated all this but the worst of it all was when I was in the kitchen with her. She always made me join her to cook. I would feign sickness to get away from the kitchen.

  Cooking with her was a nightmare. Unlike my dad, she complained about everything- my stamina, the way I chopped onions, the way I held the knife, everything and anything.

  Now, I was going to stay three full months with her in a place I have never been before. My luck is great.

  It's been six years now. Maybe she has changed. I tried to cheer myself up.

  My flight was on Friday by six-forty five am. The day arrived quicker than I expected. All through the week, James and I had been getting along. He had told me how he felt and we reconciled.

  James went to school while I stayed home and watched films on Netflix. Each time he came home, I'll always ask him if anyone inquired about me but he would nod his head in negation. It made me feel that indeed, there was nothing here.

  I cleared my contacts besides Dad and James. I was going to start afresh so, I was getting rid of all the extra baggage in my life.

  I threw away our ( Lucy and I ) special box. We kept a lot of our pictures taken from sixth grade till now. We also had some objects we held dear in it. I kept it for both of us.

  The most painful thing for me to get rid of was our friendship code placard. I read the twenty codes and in tears, I cut it with scissors, one by one.

  We had written it in sixth grade and I never knew our friendship would end like this. I thought we would be best friends forever. I guess life changes your plans.