Starting Anew | Completed✔️

STARTING ANEW (26)

Dieko

I descend the stairs looking for my mum, she's not in her room so where can she be?.

I stop Ayo who's about to ascend the stairs. "Please have you seen my mum?."

"Yeah, she's doing something in the backyard." He points towards the kitchen door.

"Oh okay, thanks."

I walk to the kitchen door quickly and swing it open, my mum is standing on the concrete floor doing something on her phone.

"Mummy, what are you doing here?." I sit on the pavement in front of her.

"I came to receive fresh air, they say the evening breeze helps to cool your body."

"Okayyyy." I draw out, "How was work?."

"This one you're asking me all these questions, hope all is well?."

Ahan.

"Mummy, I just asked how work was?."

"When have you ever asked me how work was?, Shebi you're always in your room with Feyi and that your phone."

"Ahan mummy, that's not true naw."

"So you're saying I'm lying?."

This woman likes putting words into someone's mouth, when did she hear me say that one?.

"That's not what I meant o."

"That one is your business, don't sha forget that I still have my cane upstairs in my room, I can still beat you. Don't think because you're now sixteen that you've outgrown the age of beating."

"Mummy, I know." I nod my head vigorously before she'll goan bring out cane.

"Why did you come here?, What do you want?."

"I actually came to ask you something." I look down playing with my fingers in my lap.

"What?."

I bring out the envelope from my jeans pocket and give her, she opens it and I watch as her eyes run over the paper.

I have hope. Hope that she'll just overlook the fact that it's in Abuja and let me go

"So how do you guys know what to pack for the trip?." She looks up.

"They said they'll give us the list when we pay."

"It's for eleven days, school nko?, Who will help you copy your notes?."

"It falls mainly during our mid term break, and the other days is just during the week after resumption so we won't miss much." I explain.

"Okay." She nods in understanding.

Her eyebrows furrow as she reaches the ending of the paper. "Diekolola, did you know that this conference is taking place in Abuja?."

I nod because my mouth is unable to open.

"And you came and gave me this paper, you know I won't let you go, why did you come and ask me?."

"Mummy please, the fact that it is in Abuja doesn't mean anything." I plead.

"So lopolo sha? (Do you have a brain?), Is it not the same Abuja that we left to come here?, Abi have you forgotten what happened?."

"I haven't mummy, but see most of my mates are going, there's nothing wrong in going to Abuja, it's not like I'll see daddy or anything."

She leaves where she's standing and walks about, her eyes on the floor like she's looking for something, I think she finally finds what she's looking for because she bends down and picks up a...fat stick????.