MAYBE NEXT WEEK, MAYBE NEVER.

                          

“Am sorry” Zona heard her mum say. “am sorry to ever think it was wise that you travel to Nigeria for the summer, I mean that place is a mess, you couldn’t possibly survive a day there without jumping off the next available ledge and plunging head first” was this all a joke? She wondered, bemused; a concoction of some sort by her mother to mess with her head? For the entire of the last two months all her mum could talk about, to her, to the seemingly endless relatives who never seem to be anywhere else but in the two bedroom apartment she shared with her mum on wade street, to anybody at all who cared to listen, to anybody who could brave the gruesome litany she spewed, was, the need, no, the absolute need for her to visit Nigeria in the coming summer. It made her laugh at first, and then it irked her, now she is entirely furious; the woman never speaks of anything else. Something had to be done, she needed an out, and she needed something, She just didn’t know what it was until the postman belatedly delivered the “beats” headphones she had ordered when the whole visiting-Nigeria-will-improve-your-chances-at-getting-into-an-ivy-league-college business started. She knew her mom, she knew her entirely too well and she knew she was only just getting started on her mission and wasn’t going to stop anytime soon so she had to do the needed. Zona had a perfect GPA; she was going to be the valedictorian for the 2016/2017 graduating class of St. Jonathan’s High, she has been her mom’s only source of joy ever since her father walked out on them 15 years ago and never looked back. It had been hard, still is for her and her mom, but she has been an incredible daughter save for now.

She had weathered many a storm any other 17 year old wouldn’t even dare… She had a good head on her neck.

   “I wasn’t thinking clearly at the time” Obiageli continued “... I mean your entire life is here, I can’t make you leave them, your job at the hardware store, your friends, that boy that walks you home and stops somewhere near the bend and thinks I haven’t noticed, I possibly can’t make you leave them even if it is just for two weeks, am sorry my darling.” was she dreaming, is it possible she could actually be dreaming because if she were, it would be just crude.

“Echezonachukwu, you are the apple of my eyes, I don’t know what I would do without you, and I do not even want to imagine my world without you in it. You have been nothing but amazing to me that sometimes I ask God whatever did I do to deserve a daughter as you”.

   It was true, Obiageli loved her daughter so, and she would do anything to make her happy which was relatively a little, Zona wasn’t like any other teenager; she definitely wasn’t her best friend Ashley that runs away from home so often she should write a book on running away from home for dummies, the dichotomy of their friendship is quite something. No, she was a blessing, an all giving blessing to her mom, she was quite content with anything her mom provided, they had managed for so long that when Obiageli got a nicer job and tried to improve their standard of living, Zona didn’t know how to adjust to the new “luxury” she was presented with, it seemed a herculean task at the time but she was able to let herself enjoy a bit of ice cream and some wings every now and then. It was nice that rents were paid on time; it was even nicer that she could save up enough of her allowance to purchase the headphones that had come in handy in the week leading up to the last. 

  “Mom?” Zona removed the headphones that actually weren’t playing any music and slammed her laptop shut. She couldn’t bring herself to disrespect her mom by playing any music when she was talking to her, she hoped she would see the headphones and takes the hint that she didn’t want to talk, and so far that hasn’t worked a smidge... So much for wanting to rain the postman with kisses when her headphones arrived. Maybe her friends were right, maybe she was the fictious good witch cursed with a damningly good heart, or maybe she knew better than to disrespect the woman she loved with all her heart. 

                                        ...to be absolutely continued... 

foot note: This is my attempt at appreciating anyone that ever visits idoodle, comments, shares, and encourages the work. hopefully we will become a community soon and we can all share suggestions on character developments, yes, we can all doodle and scribble together hehe. the more, the merrier. God willing, we will be able to have something to look forward to after a hard day's job in a way of my story. like i said in my first post, I will absolutely do my best to make it worth ur while. Thank you. hope you enjoy it.

shout out: with no doubt, ogoo this one is for youuuuuuu!!!!!!!

Disclaimer: fiction fiction all the way, they are only alive in my brain and of course on idoodle.

Photo credit: the all knowing google/shutterstock.