Come down stairs and eat. Breakfast is ready",mum shouts and I run down the stairs.
"Good morning everyone",I greet everyone present in the dinning room.
The dinning room is brightly lit by the daylight sun and the sound of 8am special can be heard from the sitting room. I sit beside Kameel on my favorite chair which allows me admire the dazzling lighter from the low hanging chandelier and my drawing on the opposite wall behind Bobby our eldest brother and my cousin sister McKayla. While my dad sit at the head of the table and my mum just at the other end of the table, by the right.
"An interview will be held next two weeks for the post of Chief Marketing Officer
CMO
and Chief Technology Officer
CTO
. True and McKayla will anchor the interview which Kameel and Bobby will attend a very important meeting. If they end the meeting early, then they will join you both in interviewing",my dad says and my siblings nod.
"But dad I ought to go for an exhibit-"
"You will interview them and I don't want to repeat myself",He orders sternly, his dark eyes, beard and freckles making an angry expression.
"But dad I have been anticipating this exhibition for months and you approved of me going there-"
"True!", He hit the table and everyone jerks.
"Mum", I call out and she look away.
"Bobby! Kameel!! McKayla!!!", I beg and they are all silent as they ate their pap and akara.
"If you are not there during the interview, no one should blame me for what happens next", Dad says and I roll my eyes.
"And because of you, I will come to the office just to see if you are present or not and if you aren't present. I won't say anything till that happens", He sits and I look at everyone in the dinning room.
I feel betrayed again,they allow dad intentionally let me miss another exhibition.
"Thank you all for the breakfast. It is definitely one to remember", I say and stand up.
"No one should leave the room until they are done eating",Dad order and I walk away.
"True, are you deaf? Your father said you should sit and eat your breakfast", Mum finally speaks up.
Atleast we know whose side she is on.
I halt and walk back to sit down but I didn't eat. I just look at everyone's mouth as it moved.
*****************************************
"Where are you off to?",Mum asks as I approach the entrance door.
"Anywhere away from home",I say and my mum hold my hand and I turn to look at her.
I wonder how she could love a man like dad, authoritative, burnt and bald. Though given his white beard, bulky frame and been a 6 footer, dad must have been handsome and quite the catch back in his days.
Dad would have had any woman of his choice. But no, it had to be an arranged marriage between two powerful families, in a strategic effort to boost business growth and political power.
Godspower and Oguike family and members of the Sapphire Group of Company, one of the top 10 business empire in the state, both have been generational business partners and bestfriends seeking to strengthen the bond and respective business empire,my dad and mum were introduced at a very tender age: organized playtime, courting, picnics and holiday trips by both families from childhood up until adulthood. It is natural that mum and dad would fall in love and further build a family with 3 children.
"Your dad means well-", mum says trying to console me.
"Are you seriously kidding me? I haven't attended an exhibition in forever because of dad and you say he means well. He knows how I love drawing and painting but he has never encouraged me. Dad doesn't mean well", I say and she smiles.
"You are just like your dad-"
"Mum please don't start. I really want to go out and buy something", I insist.
"Go with the driver. I think segun is free-"
"Mum-"
"No, I won't let you go out alone. I don't want history repeating itself. We are not discussing this", mum says, having a serious face,so different from her bland and slightly melancholy look.
Beautiful,oval face, slanted eyes, a pointed nose and a dimple on the left side of the cheek. Fair, tall, average body size with curves like a sinister in her mid 20s having a serious look did nothing to reduce her radiance, it just told you she wouldn't falter. I am the smaller version of mum.
I nod in defeat, hoping Segun one of the six drivers in my family's employ and also my personal driver was around the vicinity, so I don't have to go with another driver.
"I will take her wherever she is going to", Kameel say behind mum, approaching me slowly with his tall lanky frame.
Black off-white Jean trousers with white stripes on the right leg, red gold earring on his left ear with a red stone, matching his Versace shirt and puma shoes
The fashion guy in the family.
And supposedly my best friend and partner in crime in the house. Smiling slightly with a resigned look on his face, his black afro and goatee and iced- out white necklace seem to catch the morning sun. He looks just like mum, pretty smile, deep eyes, with a pointed nose and dimple on the left cheek just like mum.
"I rather the driver take me-"
"Are you angry with me because of the breakfast incident?",he ask.
"I am angry with all of you."not giving him the thrill of feeling special," Bobby, McKayla, mum and you", I say and he walks to me and hug me.
"I am sorry but you won't have said a word. We would have done it the way we usually do it",he whispers into my ears and I look away.
He has a point.
"Fine, I am sorry", I apologize and pull away from me and smile.
"No p. Shall we?",he asks and I nod.
"Bye ma",I and Kameel say in unison and leave the house.
*****************************************
"Do you have charcoal now?", I ask the young man who turn his back at me.
"Yes. Do you want the compressed, vine or pencil charcoal?",he asks and I realize I have never seen him in this store before, not as a customer or as a sales boy.
"All three",I say and walk away from the counter and went to search if there is anything I can buy.
"Take",he hands me the charcoal and I collect it from his hand.
I collect a sketch book from the shelf, trying to hasten my shopping,not wanting to keep Kameel waiting any longer than necessary in the car, as he stayed to answer 'an important work call',as he call it. Set to pay and leave and walking towards him,I look up for a moment to the new face behind the counter but his eyes were already on me, trailing my every move.
He is tall and well built and dark skinned. He had this innocent smile that made me smile and he strikes me as a player and that made me draw back a little and automatically a huge wall was built even higher.
He is wearing a grey Dicken hoodie, Philip Plein joggers and Mike snickers. He has an earring on his right ear lobe. His hair very coily like he had just relaxed his hair. I also notice he has brown eyes and he had long lashes. To sum it all up, he has an amazing fashion sense and he is handsome but his eyes holds secret.
"Is everything okay?", I ask feeling uneasy with his gaze and smirk. He stands still behind the counter not saying a word, still staring and smiling, clearly lost in thought.
"Hey!", I snap my finger and he jerks and he comes back to reality.
"You are staring, what's wrong?",I ask again, he shrugs and he shakes his head now avoiding eye contact.
"Are you dumb?", I ask, though careful not to offend him and he shake his head as he smiles.
"Do you also love art?", I ask using both words and hand gestures trying for a conversation to make up for my questions earlier.
"If I say yes, will you give me your phone number",he says seductively.
"So I will take that as a no- wait, so you do talk?",I ask as I furrowed my eyebrow in confusion and a little pissed he made me make hand gestures.
"Sure. Why won't I?",he chuckle scanning and taking record of what I bought.
"Why is Janet not at work today?",I ask changing the subject.
"I am filling for her",he says.
"No wonder", I say and set to leave but he holds me back.
"Can I start over?",he asks shyly and I smile.
"Yeah sure",I say.
"I am H-"
"True, are you done shopping?", Kameel ask from behind me and I nod and we both leave the shop.
As we leave,I can feel that boy looking at me and it made me feel uncomfortable.
