All Road Led to Abuja

Weeks later, my mom and I hit the road, we embarked on the journey to Abuja. It was quite an adventure, as usual, I was the topic of the day, and many of the passengers just sat there and stare at me like they haven't seen a cute kid before. Many of them even gossiped about me to my face. Well, we arrived in Abuja pretty late, we were lucky, if not mom's old school friend aunt Paulina, who aided us to our new apartment. We embarked on the journey on Friday morning, the journey was not an easy one, poor me, I never liked the long journey, I felt sick all through the bus, and I kept vomiting even though my mom tried all she could to make him feel better. Aunt Paulina and mom had been best of friends since college. Aunty Paulina was the gossip who made it apparent to my mother that Mr Matthew was going to marry another lady.

Aunty Paulina had always thought that I was Mr Matthew's son even though her best friend who happened to be my mom had always insisted on the opposite. The truth came to manifestation when she finally saw the child in question, me, Damian.

 "Na! He looks nothing like that big-headed Matthew." 

So aunty Paulina said. 

"The father... He must be a white man, is he German or Spanish? Baby girl you have changed o, you no longer tell me things, since you and that big-headed mark broke up." 

She added making this inquisitive look. 

"No! No o, He is just a regular man." 

"A regular man? Do you mean like a Nigerian? Hmm... So then, explain the gold hair and the blue eyes or did you....."

 Aunty Paulina asked looking even more inquisitive.

 "Wait... Don't tell me you allowed him to tint his hair and fix the contact lens. Haba Juliet! How could you allow him to do such?"  

She asked, now looking very serious but my mom aired no word to her, she only bled out a little smile. 

"No now, my friend you don't have to allow him like that, this is how they all start o hmm." 

She added. 

"Who starts?"

 My mom asked, now my mom looks even more inquisitive herself.

 "All these gays you see around of cause, next thing Now it will be earrings, that is how they go around with multiple rings. 

"God forbid! My son is not gay biko." 

Mom said defensively. 

"I never said he is o. See my hand oo, hmm..."

Aunty Paulina quickly defended herself. 

"He can't be, ok? my son can't be gay, this is his real hair and eye colour, this is how he came out of me, no modification."

 Mom quickly intercepted her.

 "Hmm... And you said his father is a regular. Like this." 

Said aunty Paulina.

 "Please my friend, I had a very hectic journey, and I don't have the strength for your long talk, let's meet tomorrow, we will discuss more as we arrange my things, hope you will assist me, right?" 

So mom said. Aunty Paulina had a reputation back in the school as a talkative, many of her friends call her "Radio Without Battery". She could talk for hours nonstop, and she had always been my mother's best friend, they often go out together and aunty Paulina had always been mom's spokesperson whenever they go out.

"Sure, tomorrow is Saturday, both I and my daughter will be here  by morning."

 So said aunty Paulina.

 "Aha! How's she? Your daughter, Cynthia is her name, right? I'll love to meet her, and My Damie will need a friend"

Mom said. My mom had always had my back, I don't know what I'll do without her, and this is why I will always take her side

"Sure, you will see her tomorrow, and once again, welcome to Abuja. See you tomorrow my long-lost friend. Hahaha."

So said aunt Pauline and she left.

The next day, just about 10 AM, my mom and I were already fixing up our things before we had the doorbell ring I was actually happy to be in Abuja, "Abuja boy," so my mom will say whenever she caught me smiling to myself, my mom... What a woman she is, I coukd have sworn that she hears my thoughts too, but that will be if I didn't know better.

 "Was it there? You want to break the door?" 

My mom asked.

 "Do you have any other friends here in Abuja? Please open the door, and stop acting like you don't know the only person that could possibly knock on your door." 

Aunty Paulina said from behind the door.

"Haha haha. You this crazy friend of mine, please come inside, the door is not locked." 

So said my mom. Aunty Paulina came in and a beautiful young girl followed, she was carrying a pan of freshly baked cake. I perceived the sweet fresh smell of the cake, it was just baked and hot, and the aroma of the cake was transported all over our house by the heat it contained.

"I only assisted, she did it all, plus it was her Idea." 

Aunty Paulina said making her hands like an usher ushering someone of a high statue to the stage. The young girl's name was Cynthia, she was aunty Paulina's daughter, yeah, the same Cynthia that mom was asking Aunty Paulina about. Cynthia was a beauty to behold, she and I should be of the same age range. She had got these beautiful round eyes and long black hair. Cynthia was a tall and slim girl with a perfect model body. She bled out a shy smile as her mother gave the gesture, she blushed and brought her eyes down. 

"Wow! That's so cute... Thank you, I love you. Damian, now, help her with the cake... Cake lover, I'm sure you are happy now." 

Mom said. For a fact, I love cake a lot, for quite a long time I couldn't understand my obsession for cakes until I met with Dad, that was when I knew that it was a family trait, every member of his Kinsmen has this lust over cakes.

Well, I did as my mom commanded. I went to Cynthia to aid her to the fridge where she will keep the cake. Both Cynthia and I walked to a place where a long refrigerator stood gallantly, I carefully positioned the cake on top of the fridge as she sluggishly followed him. Really, Cynthia is very cute, her beauty is divine, and the way she bled out shy smiles through her gracious lips as we walked got me intrigued.

"Wow. She took nothing from you at all, this one is a good girl, just see how calm she is." 

Mom said looking at Cynthia who seemed shy at the moment. 

"Wait... I don't understand... Is she more beautiful than I was? Have you forgotten so soon?" 

Aunty Paulina asked. 

"I wasn't talking about the beauty aspect, but the character, composure, and the talking aspect. And yes, even in the beauty aspect." 

Mom said.

"Hmm... I think you might be a little bit wrong there, but though, not all that wrong, the composure aspect she got from her Dad. The man is totally my Opposite, well I must say he is my better half, what I lack, he has. But she can talk, trust me, she can talk, don't mind her, she just met you people today, she is still trying to hide some things, just give her time, she will boot like a computer. Hahaha, she will boot to her normal self." 

Aunty Paula said. 

"But God! She is beautiful, yes, she is more beautiful than you." 

So said my mom.

 "Hmm. All the same, she got it from me. She still took a lot from me, can you not see my plump lips? That lips that got all the boys' eyes glued to me." 

Aunty Paula said feeling all fly.

At the other side of the sitting room were Cynthia and I, we were just there stealing looks from each other, waiting for who will air out the first word. Well, we just can't wait forever staring at each other like we were dumb or something, I just had to do something which I did but was only rudely interrupted by her.

"I am..."

 "Damie." 

I tried introducing myself, but Cynthia Mrs Know all quickly interrupted by helping out. Could you imagine? She had been quiet all through, but at the moment I chose to break the silence, she also chose to interrupt.

"It's Damien."

 I also quickly corrected, I really don't feel comfortable when strangers call me Damie, in fact... Only mom had that right, at least for the moment. 

"And what is the difference? Damie Damian, it's the same." 

She also said, she kept giving me this undefined look that kept getting me confused. Yeah, she was quite mysterious, why will she look me deep in the eyes in such a manner, it made me feel inferior. 

"Ok... How come you already know my name?" 

"I figured it out."

 She responded almost too quickly, giving a careless look. 

 "You fig... How's that even possible? Who figures people's names just like that? Are you a witch?"

 I asked, this time, I wore this curious look, as I noticed that mom and I had not fixed out any bad-spirit alter yet. 

"Your looks... Is it not obvious?"

She responded slowly.

"Obvious? I don't see how my look or anything will scream out my name that loud."

I asked, looking even more confused. I must confess that the girl Cynthia gave me trouble to understand especially on our first encounter, though I liked her from the first time I saw her, common, who won't like her, aside from my mom whom I am sure that no lady is as beautiful as, not even beneath the sea where there is a level of impossible beauty, Cynthia is the most beautiful.

"Ok, if that will make you feel better, my Mom told me. She told me about you this morning as we baked."

She said, she said it very freely.

"She somehow talks a lot. Yeah, she talks, your mom will soon get tired, hahaha, well I guess she is already used to her. And she thinks you a kinda handsome, now don't go feeling all fly"

 She bent to whisper as she bent to carry a dusting rag to dust the cushion. Hmm... I must confess that her comment boosted my ego and confidence, well, I know I'm a cute guy, and I don't like to brag, I know because people say it a lot... Now, to be sincere, I like to brag about it. Yes! I'm super handsome and I know it.

 "I think you are also beautiful."

 I also said to her. But the unusual Cynthia, instead of blushing as every normal girl would, she rather gave me a response that is totally alien to what I was expecting.

"Hey! I never gave room for flirting. Cynthia! yes, Cynthia is my name." 

She said, interrupting me yet, and again in a rude way. I also tried to continue my comment by saying;

"Ok... Cynthia." 

"Yeah, Cynthia! You never cared to ask, instead, you jumped into flirting. You boys ehn, you just can't change!" 

She interrupted me again. What kind of a girl is she? I hardly even got the chance to say a word, she just kept attacking me, and that began to weaken my confidence as a man.

 "But you never even gave me a chance to complete any simple sentence, not even one, you just kept attacking me."

So I said, now I spoke in a low tone like a kid expecting sympathy.

 "Hahaha! Really? Don't mind me joor, that's my character flaw." 

She said laughing. 

"Well, if you say so, then I won't mind you."

 I said, and they both burst into laughter.

"What are they giggling about? Don't tell me they are already friends."

Mom said looking all puzzled.

"How long is it supposed to take before people can become friends?" 

Aunty Paula asked with a smile.

"Hmm... It's just that... My Damian finds it difficult to make friends, it is quite amazing how easily they bond." 

My mom responded.

"Well let's say it is my Cynthia's handy work. It's one of the traits she got from me, you remembered how easy it was for me to snatch all your friends those days and make them our mutual friends?"

 Aunty Paula asked hilariously.

 "Yeah! Now I see, she isn't all that different from you after all." 

My mom added as she tried to move the TV stand to its position. 

"Aha! Paula, I'll like to enrol my boy in a good new school, and soon. You know the term is still young and fresh. And you know he will be writing WAEC this year. So I'll like him to start school fast so he won't miss out much, and I also will like him to be in a good school." 

My ever caring mom said.

"That one is not a problem joor. You can enrol him in Cynthia's school. It's the best school around here, her father is just like you, he never settles for anything lesser than the best, no wonder he made me his wife."

Aunty Paula said, she dressed her shirt as she spoke of her husband.

"And they often make their papers in that school, and Cynthia is also in SS3, you see, it's perfect."

She added

"Then they will be in the same class? Wow, I love that. I've been thinking of how he will cope again, he often finds it difficult to make friends. I'm even surprised how he bund too quickly with Cyndy."

My mom said.

"Hmm... I can see he inherited that serious and boring lifestyle of yours." 

Aunty Paula sarcastically said. 

"Common Rachy, am I that boring? You better rephrase that comment right now!"

Mom said in a bit funny manner as she threw something at her friend. 

"Yeah yeah. You are not." 

Said aunt Paula.

 "So tell me about the school and their fees."