Broken | ✓

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: LET'S PLAY PRETEND

                              Jide

"Will you be my boyfriend?" She replied.

My brows flew up in shock as the rest of my face contorted. An awkward silence embraced us, holding us still as we locked eyes.  I didn't know how long we stood there staring at each other but it was enough time for me to realize her eyes wore a really dark shade of black and her lips were cherry and full.

I didn't know how long we stood there staring at each other but it was enough time for me to want to paint her and it had been a long time since I ever felt the aching need to paint. The last time I painted was three years ago, in London. It was a painting of a mother and a child. The inspiration came from the mother and son I had seen down the streets. It caused a longing for my mother . It was also the first time I painted humans that weren't my mother. I painted my mother more after she died, it was my way of keeping her alive. "Art is eternal" they say.

Suddenly her face were pressed together like she was holding in a laughter. I was right because in few seconds she bursted into a roaring laughter. I should have been mad about her laughing because it made me look a little bit stupid but surprisingly I was intrigued by her laughter. At how carefree she was as she laughed and how the sound of her laughter was like music to my ears.
She noticed that I was still staring at her  so she stopped, afraid she had embarrassed me and my intense glare was birthed from a place of caution, oblivious it was a place of wonder.

"God, I'm so sorry sir" She apologized.

Her words brought me back to reality.

"Miss Alabi, why would you ask me that?" I folded my arms, regaining my composure that I had lost the minute we locked eyes.

" I was joking sir. I do need a boyfriend but definitely not you"

I frowned at the last statement.

"Not because you are not an amazing person but because you are too amazing for me" she hastily explained after noticing the frown on my face.

I smiled, a quick smile but she noticed because she released a sigh of relief.

"Why do you need a boyfriend Miss Alabi?" I asked curiously.

"It's not that I need a boyfriend. Need sounds desperate, I don't even want a boyfriend. Need is too big of a word..."

"You talk too much. Get to the point"

"Sorry sir. I just wanted to put it out there that I'm not a desperado"

"So what is it then?" I asked impatiently because she kept spiraling.

"Well, I just found out that my younger sister is getting married and it's kind of crazy actually because years ago she just came home and I was holding her in my arms and now she's engaged" She paused and smiled.

She definitely was still spiraling but her smile made me smile.

What is wrong with me? It must be all those stupid meds

"But that's not even the craziest part, the craziest part is that she had been engaged for over a month and my whole family knew even my elder sister in Canada except me and they've been struggling to pick a date for her introduction and didn't know how to tell me. Why you may ask. Because my family feel pity for me and also because my parents feel it's not really in the books of tradition for the younger sister to get married before the older one. It's the 21st century for God's sake"