[STORY] LIVING WITH MY GRANDMA (Episode 07)

Episode 07.

Darlington walked in and sat at the edge of the bed. He uttered no word. Silence stood between us for minutes. If not that I was caught in the act, I’d have asked about grandma’s whereabouts but I was so ashamed of myself that I couldn’t utter anything.

“Zee, has it gotten to this extent? What exactly were you watching?” He finally broke the awkward silence.

“The movies I took from your phone,” I replied.

Silence.

He didn’t say anything for almost two minutes. Rather, he stared disappointed.
“Which of them?” came another query from Darlington.
I stood, and as if I was going to answer him, I stalked off angrily.

Answering those queries would irritate me more and make me feel worthless and dirty.
“Zee.” He called from my room. I was already halfway to the kitchen. I didn’t respond to Darlington. He called again, and this time, louder. He stood at the door.

“What is it?” I turned with the speed of light. The look on my face was something else. I was so pissed off. But I couldn’t tell why my mood suddenly became more violent. I didn’t know what came over me. Darlington was startled. I haven’t reacted in such a manner before. He was baffled. Dude was short of words. He didn’t say anything further.

I walked into the kitchen to prepare dinner before grandma finally arrives. She would yell at me if peradventure she comes back—and only to realize I hadn’t started.
I was to prepare vegetable soup that evening. I chopped the leaves absent-mindedly. I was still boiling in anger. I had thought Darlington would come inside the kitchen to yell at me but he didn’t stress it, he stayed back in my room after seeing my unusual reaction. All the while I was in the kitchen, I didn’t hear his voice.

I was almost done preparing the soup when grandma came in with pineapples. It was obvious he had harvested them from the farm, about two of them. I walked to her, welcomed her and collected them from her, and headed back to the kitchen.

Not long after grandma went inside her room, she invited me to her room. With the way and manner, grandma called my attention, I knew she was up for query. My heart throbbed. I was frightened. What could be the reason she’s calling me this way? When she asked that I sit down, my skin almost left my body.

Could it be she has found out about Meska and I? Or could it be she knew what went down with Darlington and I and chose to keep mute all this while? No, it can’t be. I pondered, as several thoughts rushed through my head.
It has been grandma’s way of counseling or perhaps rebuking me, anytime I do anything wrong.
When she coughed and cleared her throat, she began:

“Ziora.”.
“Mama,” I answered. My heart pounded faster.
“Do you really want to further your studies? Have you considered learning a skill?” This was the thrilling question grandma asked in Igbo language. I heaved a big sigh of relief on realizing it wasn’t any of my thoughts.

“Yes, grandma. I want to further my studies.”
“Um, okay. That’s fine.”
“Yes.”
“Don’t you think learning a skill before school would be a better option for you?” she added to my discomfort.

I was just wondering where all of those sudden suggestions came from. She hadn’t asked me these sorts of questions before. So, why now?

“Grandma, I have already bought Jamb form,” I lied, just so she could know her opinions came late.

“Well, it’s Janet…. You know Janet?”
“Yes. The fashion designer along the road?”
“Yes. She was the one who thought it wise you get a skill before school.”

It was then I knew where the whole question was coming from. When I left her room and back to the kitchen, I contemplated it. My mom wouldn’t even want to hear such from me.
Living with my grandma was never her choice for me. If only she had all it take to take me along with my sibling, she would have done it right from the start. My mom never wanted me to grow up in the village. She was so against it and she had her reasons. It was my father who insisted I stay back and take care of his mother.

It was 6:45 pm. The sun had disappeared into the thin air. Twinkle stars dotted the sky. Dinner was finally ready, I served grandma in her room before returning reluctantly to my room.

Darlington lay on his belly, his eyes glued to his phone. He didn’t even notice me. He chose not to look up. And no words left his mouth as I sat quietly at the edge of the bed. I went through my phone gallery—admiring some of my favorite pictures.
That was the least I could do with my low battery phone. Then, Meska’s picture popped up; his matriculation picture, particularly. My head got filled with the good and lovely memories we shared. I badly wished he could call and tell me he was fine. Or perhaps tell me exactly what was wrong with him. I missed his thick voice and his hairy body. I missed everything about my guy.

“Are you not done with the food?” Darlington finally broke the awkward silence.
“Your food is in the kitchen,” I replied without looking him in the face. I continued with my phone.
“So, I should go get it myself?”
“No, don’t go. Stay there and wait for me to serve you, too.” I didn’t say this to his hearing. It was my mere thought. Instead, I replied: “Maybe.”

He simply gazed at me and sighed slowly. I knew I was badly getting at his nerves. I couldn’t tell exactly while I was so mad at him. He was the same person I was chatting with earlier in the day. I guess I emotionally blackmailed him, so he wouldn’t have the gut to query me for the act he caught me at.

Darlington left my room without uttering a word. He headed straight to the Kitchen and dished out soup. Semo was already there, wrapped in white nylon. I overhead his footsteps as he threaded towards the dining room. I had no appetite for food that night. I didn’t even prepare my semo. I was a junk addict. I preferred eating junk foods, and I had them stored in my room.

It was prolly because of the kind of meal I prepared for grandma since the days I started living with her. Most of the meal then was what the doctor recommended. I didn’t have the strength to prepare mine. You might say I was lazy. Well, I didn’t like making meals. So, I either managed hers or feed on junk. Junks were mainly my breakfast and dinner.

About fifteen minutes later, Nepa restored light. At last, I got to plug in my phone. Excitedly, I reached for the wall socket and plugged in my phone. When I checked through the door, Darlington was done eating, he was trying to switch on the Television.
I lay patiently on my bed waiting for my phone to charge to an extent before I could start using it again. And that was the last thing I remembered before I dozed off.

In my dream that night, I saw myself with Meska. I visited him on campus. He looked pale and worn out. He had lost noticeable weight too. Meska was so elated to see me again. When I asked what happened to him all the while he didn’t connect with me, he said it was a long story. He promised to share it with me later. He said he had missed me.

He was all over me like he was going to eat me up. And before I could say jack, he plugged his lips, stopping me from saying anything further. He grabbed my ass and that startled me. My eyes opened and I was astonished to see Darlington lying on me and doing exactly what I had thought was a dream with Meska.

His touch unnerved me but I couldn’t scream because I was being kissed passionately. There was still light. The blue bulb in my room was illuminated. He signaled me to keep mute. I couldn’t resist and kissed his lips fully. He kissed me back. I didn’t know what I was thinking in my mind. I had said to myself that I wasn’t going to indulge in this act with Darlington again. But I couldn’t help it this time.

I was kissing with my tongue in his mouth and exploring his mouth, his saliva was tasty and we kissed for almost ten minutes. It was wild and awesome.
I tasted every inch of his mouth. His hand gradually slid down to my back, grabbing my ass. They were soft and tender. Darlington and I breathed heavily with our lips plugged into each other.

“When did you enter and for how long have we been doing this?” I paused and asked.

Darlington didn’t say anything. Instead, he covered my mouth with his lips. His right hand pressed my ass while the other hand rested on my boobs. He was getting hard as I could feel his stuff struggling between his leg. He moaned inaudibly and adjusted vehemently.

“Zee.” I overhead grandma from her room, followed by the creaking of the door. I jumped off the bed in a flash and came back to my senses. Darlington reached the door and hid behind it, with the thought that grandma was heading to my room. I peeked at the clock on the wall, it was 12:28 am.
Why is grandma calling me at this time of the night? I wiped myself with a towel and went straight to her room.

Grandma’s room was filled with dusk when I paced in. I carefully searched for the switch control on the wall and switched it on. She lay there on her back. When I asked why she called, grandma complained of chest pain. She asked me to get her some water. I went to the kitchen and returned quickly with a cup of water.

When she sipped the water, she asked about Darlington. I lied. I told her he was sleeping in one of the rooms upstairs. I stayed back with grandma in her room for a while before returning to my room.

Darlington was still there, but I wasn’t in the mood for any of those illicit acts anymore. Knowing grandma was sick, kinda annihilated the lust in me. I beckoned on him to leave my room. His countenance changed. He wasn’t happy. He stared at me lustfully but eventually walked out sheepishly.
When he left, I bolted the door and slump tiredly on the bed.
My head ached badly. I checked my phone and realized it was almost recharged completely, 98℅. I unplugged it.

WhatsApp was the first app I clicked on. I swiped left to view status, I noticed a contact I saved with an emoji had a status. No other contact except Meska’s was saved with two heart emojis. I hastily clicked to see what my guy posted after months. And it read: “If you can see this, please, pray for me.”

I had goosebumps. I started typing, my hands were shaking as I typed. “Meska, what happened? Where have you been? Please, talk to me.” My messages ticked one, I denoting he wasn’t online.
“Please call me. We need to talk. I have missed you.” I added a teary emoji. It still ticked one. I dialed his contact but got notified I had no airtime on my phone.

Damn! I borrowed from the network provider. When finally I called after I received the airtime, sadly, Meska’s line didn’t go through. I called again and again, yet the same response. Angrily, I threw my phone on my bed. I yelled in frustration.

That night, I was restless. Sleep was far from my eyes. My mind wandered about with thoughts saying this and that. What exactly is going on with my guy?

To be continued…

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