~Jade's POV~
On days like this, I wish I had a more normal family. Don't get me wrong. I love my family. I love them so much but then, peoole say things like 'We don't know the value of what we have until we lose them or something like We are not grateful for the things we have because we see people that seems to have more things than we do.
That's the phase I am right now, sitting at Hana's dinning table watching her parents eat together like they do every other day. Damn! I can count the number of time my whole family eats together on my two hands in a whole year. It was our cultural day in school, a day when all students dress in their traditional attire reflecting their cultures. We have Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, ibiobio, Igbira, Edo and then Hana, our Korean. I had slept over at her place because her make up artist will be the one to do my makeup. I wi
~Jade's POV~On days like this, I wish I had a more normal family. Don't get me wrong. I love my family. I love them so much but then, peoole say things like 'We don't know the value of what we have until we lose them or something like We are not grateful for the things we have because we see people that seems to have more things than we do.That's the phase I am right now, sitting at Hana's dinning table watching her parents eat together like they do every other day. Damn! I can count the number of time my whole family eats together on my two hands in a whole year. It was our cultural day in school, a day when all students dress in their traditional attire reflecting their cultures. We have Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, ibiobio, Igbira, Edo and then Hana, our Korean. I had slept over at her place because her make up artist will be the one to do my makeup. I wi
~Jade's POV~'Baby, how're you?'I stared mouth wide open at Zee, wondering what she's doing in my school. Today is the day we vacate school and our PTA. Mom is supposed to be here, not Zee. And besides, when I left home this morning, Zee was still in School. She was putting on a podka dot short Bubu that I've never seen on her before and I know I'm so stealing the gown. That what younger sisters are for anyways, stealing their elder sister's clothes.'What are you doing here?''What can't I do here?' she shrugged 'I'm here for your PTA''So Zee, you're here as my guardian. Mad oo. Who's guarding who?'I came to the hall where the meeting was holding and I was on my way out when I stumbled upon Zee.'Wo, baby. I don't hav
~Jade's POV~It's been two weeks since we vacated, two weeks of trying to convince that what Zee said is wrong. Two weeks filled with the thoughts of someone I'll rather not think about. I was sitting in front of the wall mirror in my room, trying on different earrings when Zee entered the room. She did a double take when she saw me. She flopped down on my bed so she could stare at my reflection in the mirror.'You look good, I didn't know you know how to do makeup like this.''I picked up a thing or two from you.' I smiled'By the way, Are you not going to Hana's house?'I nodded, it was on the 26th of December and that's the day Hana and her family celebrate Christmas.'You are taking extra measure to look this good and you're going to Hana's place?' She asked, then she added, as an afterthought 'Is your crush there by any chance?'I rolled eyes and turn
~Jade~I felt like I just walked into a script.I felt like I'm drowning.I felt like I'm standing at the edge of cliff.I stared at the woman, digesting what she just said. Her icy cold tone sounded familiar, sounded like an older Zee's voice. I looked at Zee, she was looking at the woman as if she has grown two heads. I looked at Mom, she looked pale and she staggered at the woman's word and she gripped a chair's handle to support herself.'What daughter?'Mom asked again and she moved closer to the woman.'You're delusional' She continued. 'Get out.'The stranger stared back at mom, eyes unwavering.'Am I?' She turned away from mom again to stare at Zee who has now moved to the center of the sitting room.'You look so much like me.' She continued, her voice cr
~Jade~Zee's room was locked when I got home. That's absurd because Zee rarely lock her door. Maybe she went out. I thought as I made to leave her room, then I heard a sob from her room. I knocked louder.'Zee, are you inside?'No answer'Zee! Zee!! Zee!!!'I was only answered by silence. I turned to see Saheed entering his room. I followed him inside.'What's wrong with Zee?'I asked him immediately we were inside his room. He heaved a sigh and sat on his bed.'Our parents told her the truth'I staggered a little.'What truth?'My voice shook as I asked.'The strange woman that came was right. She's Zee's mother'I staggered and stumbl
~Jade~Happy new year except that there's nothing happy about the new year. Things have gone downhill since Zee attempted to commit suicide. It was really a narrow escape. She healed quickly and was discharged just two days after. Mom was discharged too. Our home fell into a rhythm of silence I never thought could happen to us. I wished Grandma was here, she would know what to do, how to resolve all these. She seemed to me, someone that would resolve anything and everything with just a snap of her fingers but sadly, she wasn't here anymore and we have to fight our way through this, ourselves. Dad called a meeting just last night to talk about the things that were happening. What was supposed to calm the situation ruined it even more.'Zainab, you're our child, our first daughter, nothing is ever going to change that. You fed on your mother's bre
~Jade~School resumes today. I saw Uthman immediately I got down from the car. Without thinking much of it, I called out his name and waved. He turned back and he smiled in his cocky way and started walking towards me. We were halfway to each other when someone else called his name. I did not need to turn to look at the person to know that it was Michelle but Uthman did and he walked to where she stood with the rest of her friends. Do I need to pretend that this did not bother me and just walk away? Yeah. I did just that.'Hey love, you're looking so hot today.'I rolled my eyes at Akin who was leaning against the wall at the corridor of our class.'I always look hot'I replied and watched his mouth drop open. I laughed.'what's
~Jade~'Don't be so nervous, I'm pretty sure you're going to win'Today was the d day and I was feeling nervous. My hands shook as I tried to comb my hair. Zee stood up from my bed, collected the brush from me and started combing my hair.'But why are so nervous? It's not like this is your first competition.''But it's the main one, Zee, what if I don't win? I've never imagined my future without winning this oratory contest and how will I even raise my head in school if I don't win.'Michelle will never allow me to rest.'Just calm down baby, you'll be fine.'I turned from the mirror to look at her.'I just have this premonition that things won't go the way I want them to.''Don't think in the negative baby, you're already a winner.''Amiin'I replied nerv
We say goodbye, we hold on to these memories that never die. ~Jade~There were tables o
~Jade~I was walking with my back, all the while waving at Isreal when I bumped into someone. The drink the person was holding feel on the ground and it spilled on our bodies. I instinctively bent down to pick the cup and the keys that fell with it.'I'm sorry. I wasn't looking at where I was going.'I stood up and handed the key to him. His hands brushed against mine and it lingered there for a moment. I met his eyes, about to tell him off and I froze.He winked at me, smiled and gave me a mock salute before walking off.I had an instant flashback and I instinctively moved back.I did not know how long I stood there. I was too immobile to do anything. It was only when two girls bumped into me that I regained my composure and started to walk back
Last Days at Lakeview High ~Uthman~We finished our exams today. Like we were really done with exams. No more secondary school's exams.We trudged out of the hall together because the external invigilator had insisted that we should all submit our scripts together.I shielded my eyes from the sun with my hand immediately I stepped out of the hall. It was closing time for the school and we could hear the loud chatters of students as we walked from the hall to the main building.'Now, I'm really done with secondary school. It's almost unbelievable.'One of my mates whom I couldn't place his voice said and almost immediately
~Jade~He motioned for me to wait a little. Then, he disappeared to a room and reappeared with a slippers. He dropped them in front of me.'You should change into this.'I stared at the big slippers before wearing them. They were big, way too big, that my feet got lost in them self.'Is this your dad's?'I blurted out without thinking. He smiled.'Nah, it's my grandfather's.'I made to hit him and he ducked.'Mama, why are you this violent?''I'm not violent and besides, why are you slippers this big? Your feet are too big.'I said, staring at his feet.'They're not. It's your feet that are too small. Too tiny. Even Mo
~Jade~Mogbe. Moku. Modaran.Won ti padà kó èsúrú wá.What the...?What was I even thinking?You were not thinking anything. You were just too eager to pick his call that you forgot you were literally wearing nothing.Aah. My God! How will I face him now? How will I even act around him?But wait oo, what of he did not see anything?Then I laid down on my bed and pretented I was on a video call while my front camera was on.Everything was in full display.He saw everything. 
~Uthman~And once again, our house became lively like it once was.It became loud like it was once was. It was impossible for it not to be loud considering my sister's chatter every now and then. The girl keeps talking. Over the last two weeks, she had filed me up with every single details of what I missed when they were not in the house.'And do you know the most important thing you missed?'She asked me one evening. We were both in the varender. I was reading my chemistry textbook because our Neco already started and I had Chemistry in two days time.The Almighty Chemistry.'What's that?'I asked her, not looking up from th
Last Days at Lakeview High ~Jade~It's been 5 days.5 days since Zee's mom died.She had handled everything strongly. Attending the funeral, sorting out her wears with her other relative. She said she saw it coming. How many cancer patients actually survive it?I was still lowkey mad at Uthman even though he had been nothing but sweet and caring the past days.But he still doesn't know what he did wrong? Just imagine oo!It was all rainbow and sunshine until I walked into Michelle. It was a Saturday and we were attending a t
~Uthman~I swallowed at our close proximity. I shouldn't have hugged her.So, you should have just stood there and watched her nearly have a panic attack?I patted her back, smelling her shampoo, her long hair tickled my ears as I started to move back.Jade grabbed my shirt, stopping me from moving away.I stopped.I looked down at where she grabbed my shirt before looking up at her again. Her eyes were still glassy. Glassy from crying.Now, it looks like the sexy kinda glassy.O beere? What are you thinking about?'Jadeshola, we should......'
~Uthman~When the driver drove in, I saw our extended families coming out of the main house.My first reaction was panic because seeing them like that reminded me of when mom died.I calmed down immediately afterwards, believing nothing tragic had happened. I got down on from the car and took them in, one by one. They were mostly from my dad's family and then mom's too. They must have just finished one of the numerous meetings.They've done so many meetings and it has yielded no positive result. They might as well end the marriage. Completely.Are you really sure about that? Can