Christian - Episode 5

 

After dance practice ended for the day, I texted on my phone as Rose asked me to meet up after school with the other members of my crew, but I told her I had other plans as I kept my phone and watched Christian talk with Jade who was his closest friend in school, the other guys were gathered too as they talked probably about football which they usually played together.
 I liked the fact that despite Jade's father being a renowned commissioner, he didn't care about his friends social status.
 What did that even matter anyway, one was just lucky to be born with or without a silver spoon.

Christian walked out as I waited for him outside, he looked surprised to see me but then made to go thinking I was waiting for Tunde....but I wasn't
"Can I come with you?" I asked
He turned to look at me "What?"
"I mean can we go home together....in the bus?"
He stared at me like he was tired of me
"your not waiting for Tunde?" he asked
"He's not coming" I said
He sighed exasperated "you know I have to wait for my sister"
"I don't mind, I ll wait" I wanted to see her again anyway, I came down the stairs as we began to walk out of the school together...
"Why does she close this late?" I asked
He glanced at me" she has lessons, preparing for her Junior WAEC" he replied
"Oh" I said, we walked the rest of the way in silence, and even at the bus stop, it was silent.
 I wondered what was wrong with me, why I wanted to walk with him today...
"You really good now, in dancing" I said
He chuckled "Nothing compared to you..you probably the best"
"I love to dance..I grew up dancing" I said with  pride and a smile, that had been the only escape I had then away from my parents, he looked at me like he wanted to say something but then his sister came then
"Hey guys" she looked excited to see us both, and as we waited for the bus, she turned to look at me
"Are you his girlfriend? "she asked
"No.." he said
"What no..." We said simultaneously as  we looked at each other above her head before he turned away and I did too...
******
It was just like I had seen it before, only now, I was in their midst, I could smell smoke and something else, he lived here? 
People looked at me funny or maybe it was just my imagination, I looked at Christian and saw him watching me.. I had insisted on coming with them to know where he lived and had nagged him about it until his sister begged him to just let me come, he had given me a look like he knew why I was coming but he was wrong ...I just wanted to know where he was coming from, I wanted to know him...

We got to the house which was not painted or fenced, the surroundings were nothing to dream of either and as he knocked on the door, I rubbed my arms from invisible mosquitoes as he psst...
"You know you can still go back, I ll walk you" he said and I looked at him before his sister smiled and pushed open the door after it was opened from the inside, he went in after her and I followed suit..the inside of the house was neat.....but empty...
His mother, a young looking woman who looked frail, looked at me weirdly
"This is Sade, my classmate" he told her
"Goodafternoon mama.." I greeted in the native dialect and genuflected
"Oh, welcome my dear, come sit down, don't mind the house, we are managing" she said gayly, she sounded so happy,  they both had gone in  but I went to sit on the pressed cushion and still looked around in awe, his mother went into the kitchen and got me water
"Thank you mama.." I said and drank it while she smiled at me
"Have you eaten?" she asked "of course you must be hungry" She said but she looked like she hadn't eaten herself
"No I'm fine mama, thank you" I said.
She sat on the settee opposite me and stared at me awkwardly so I wondered again why I was  there
"I didn't know Segun had good friends, he always brings these hoodlums home" I laughed
"He has good friends in school" I said to make him like a good person, I'm sure she must be aware of his fights and several principal visits
"I've told him its good to make decent friends, they help you to live better" she said proudly,  and no matter what she said then I knew she was proud of her son, I was too, as he came out now, dressed in a casual T-shirt and jean, he saw me and his mother and glared
"She's so pretty, you should bring her back again" his mother said
He chuckled dryly "She won't com.."
"I will, I will come back..I will bring you stuff the next time am coming" I assured her and she smiled happily again as Christian virtually pulled me out of the cushion telling his mother we had to go... 
Immediately we got outside he couldn't wait to shout on me
"What in hell are you doing, coming to my house, charming my mom"
"Christian, why do you bask in pushing people away, why are you pushing me away?" I asked
"Because I don't trust you, what are you doing here, trying to get a snapshot of my life?, well there it is, you happy now?" 
He walked away and I followed after a while, we stood at the junction waiting for a bus
"Don't you want to know where I stay?" I asked to make peace
"No, what does it matter?" he said plainly
I looked at him "you won't gain a thing by pushing me away, I want us to be friends "
"I don't want your friendship" he said quickly
"Why?"
"Because you pity me and I'm your charity case"
"That's what you think, you think I have nothing better to do than be here uh?"
He breathed out and said calmly "You being a pest right now Sade and I don't need you to help me or my family, we fine....there's the bus"
I stared at him "Fine.." I said, then got on the bus, but as it moved, he stood there watching it leave.

****
I decided to leave Christian alone and focus on my boyfriend, he obviously didn't want me around him but as Rose talked about the drama and made theaterics, I drew on my note, my mind was clearly not there, she finally sighed
"You not listening to me are you, did you and Tunde quarel again?" she asked, I looked at her
"you always fish for gist when there's none"
"What"
"No we did not quarrel, I'm just thinking about something"
"What about?"
"About the percentage of poverty in the world and how I'm going to help" I said
She chuckled arms crossed"your weird"
"I am?"
"Is this about Christian?" I looked up
"Uh?"
"I've seen you guys talking a lot, plus you were gazing at him during football practice..

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/christian

. and not your boyfriend" she added, I was?
"You like him don't you?"
"No".
She smiled and sat back on her desk, why did she have to know me so much?
"Its just a crush" I said to console myself but I knew it was more than that as I stood up and walked away to my locker, it was there I had an idea, why don't I pay them a surprise visit, I didn't have to go with him anymore right, I now know where he stayed...I opened my locker and smiled smugly to myself like I just won a lottery.
****
I bought a lot of fruits for the mother then bought three lunch packs of rice from Mr Biggs, she was so happy to see me again and more about the gift items..I got talking with her and discovered she lost her job after she was diagnosed of HIV which her late husband had unknowingly transmitted to her, she was currently on medications but it got her sick a lot, and most of their family had abandoned them because of the countless hospital bills and worse when they had learned of the cause of her husband's death. They  had been more interested in embezzling the little money he had left leaving his wife and kids to fend for themselves, she said this in tears and I felt it was unfair and unjustly for that to happen to anyone but guess it really did happen...
Christian walked in with his sister then and looking at his mother knew what she had been talking about..he also looked very shocked to see me but Rachael came in and hugged me tight, and was more excited about the plate of rice I handed to her...Christian just stared at me
"Your back" his mother said
"Yes mama" Rachel said
 "Please change and come join me at the backyard, lemme pack the clothes, they should be dried by now" the mother said and that was how they both left us....
"There's no getting rid of you is there?" he said, I smiled
"Nope, I got food for you too" I said holding it out to him
He stared at me skeptically" How did you get past those hoodlums? "he asked arms crossed
I agree I had been scared I might get attacked but I had a bigger mission ahead, he sat with me and sighed then took the plate of rice and ate silently while I stared at him
"I'm glad your not shouting at me, I just want to do good for once in my life"
"And we are your Charity case" he said but then mo*ned "this tastes nice"
"I can cook better than that" I said without thinking but then bit my lip nervously
"Sure you can cook for me and I ll compare" he said
Was he serious "you could come over on Sunday, my parents are usually not around "I said too excitedly,  I didn't believe I was inviting a guy over to my house, he was silent as he finished the rice"Okay "he said and I smiled inwardly again
"Thank you" he said as we walked to the junction "My family had not smiled this much in a long time" he said
I touched his arm 
"Glad I could help" I said as he laced my fingers in his and I found it was warm and perfectly fit, the bus came and left as we stood there waiting for the next one....
"See you at school.." I said when I finally decided to stop a bus
"Yeah, see you on sunday.." he said as I got on the bus.

****
Yaaaaaaarrh, finally melting his heart, but what is Tunde going to say about this?

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