Dysfunctional - Episode 20

 

Sommy's POV

Bosco dropped the book on the table then took his seat. "Looks like you're packing up already" "Yeah... We're making dinner today. I promised mom that I'll join her for dinner but I have some minutes to spare"
"I found Joseph" He blurted out in joy. The news took me by surprise . I felt like I was watching a soap opera and things were begininig to fall into place.
 "Oh my God that's good news, how did it happen?" I asked and he smiled. "Peter my private investigator" "I know he's your private investigator. What did he do?"
 "He did it" he replied.
 I was dazed for a second. What sort of reply was that? He was probably too excited. "I guess we're left with Mary and James" i explained and he nodded. "I have faith that I'll find them soon" he answered. I could see hope in his eyes. 
"How's he? Joseph"
"He's fine, he's at home with his guardian. Madam Jane" "How is he like?"
"Quiet" he replied and I blinked my eyes. "Seriously? Nothing more, just quiet"
"He doesn't speak much. I don't know if he's just pretending, I'm trying to study him"
"Have you even spoken to him?"
"I have, we spoke about school.

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. he went to a polytechnic, he studied Mechanical engineering. He did has just his OND certificate. I'm trying to get him a good job."
"Apart from that what else have you two done?"
"Nothing"
"Are you f*cking kidding me?" "What are we supposed to do?" "You're supposed to bond"
"I haven't had the time yet"
"You'll create time for it" "But" "But nothing." I argued. 
"Do you want to bore him to death?"
"I don't.. I don't want to do  this alone." "Do it  with Isabel"
"She doesn't like him, her sister said he looks like a charity case." He answered and i scoffed. I just met the b*tch today and I can actu ally picture her saying it. 
"Can you do this with me?" He asked, "No,no, no,no" I answered as firmly as possible, "I can't" "Why?" "I don't want any girlfriend drama, I've been through a lot already. " 
"What do you mean?" He asked and I shrugged unable to tell him what had happened earlier in the day. 
"Do you remember what happened after you got me those clothes and you had an altercation with your girlfriend"
"It wasn't an altercation parsé"
"Well this is your burden to bear, your cross to carry"
 "Pleeeeassse" he slurred and I rolled my eyes at how convincing his plea were.  "Besides I need a psychologist to help me check him out too. He's way too quiet."
"I... I " I stammered, "Okay fine but you'll have to cancel all your saturday plans and I'll cancel mine"
"Thanks" 
"So where would we go to?" He asked and I shook my head at how clueless he was. "I'll think of something before Saturday" I answered and he smiled.
 "Thanks. You're a life saver" he answered with a wide smile on his face.

After my session with him, I rushed over to the house where I saw about three cars parked in the compound. I recognized Susan's car. My belly churned so much that I felt like going back. I never got the memo that they were going to be invited to dinner too. Mom definitely tricked me. 
Bob's car was there too. I walked into Jerom and Bob arguing over football in the sitting room. 
"We go finish una this season, you never see anything" I heard Jerom say. 
"For where?"
"No worry, I go buy packs of hankerchief down so that every game like this, you go dey  use am wipe your tears"
"Make I hear word"
"Men and football" I rolled my eyes walking towards Jerom. He's the only I like partially even though I tend to snap at him most times. I've always viewed him as unlucky for getting married to Susan.
"Chisom" he called out then stretched his hands at me from the chair he sat on. "How far?" He asked and I chuckled taking his hands in mine.
"I'm good" I replied not even paying attention to the square head alien beside him. "And the kids?"
"They're at home with the nanny"
"Where are the rest?"
"They're in the kitchen" he answered. "Babe I'm digging this your new look oh" he chipped in . "I bet I'm now prettier than Susan" 
"Do you want me to die before my time?" He laughed nervously, "Mehn you're slaying oh" he added and I laughed. 
"Thanks" I replied then turned to go into the kitchen. 
"Can't you even greet?" I heard Bob ask, I turned back at him then scoffed. 
I saw Jerom pinch him. "If you greet me, your head go round?" I asked then walked away. I think I heard Jerom tell him that he could have ignored me.
I walked into the kitchen where I met mom, Susan and Chiamanda.
 "Mummy good evening Ma" 
"Good evening to you sweetie. Ogini, what happened to your hair?"
"I decided that I needed a change in style"
"You're still wearing old clothes so what are you changing?" Susan asked and I rolled my eyes.
"You haven't seen all my clothes"
"Isn't this what you wore to the reading of uncle's will?" She asked and I looked at the cloth once again. I didn't even realize it.
 "As usual, you came late" she added and I turned over to mom who gave me a look to keep quiet. I felt defeated.
Chiamanda was focused on slicing a vegetable leaf. She didn't even pay attention to us. "What are we cooking?" I asked, "If you had come earlier, you would have known"
"Susan can we have one peaceful family meal for today? Please in the name of God" she asked and i turned over to her. 
Our eyes met and she looked away then resumed slicing the leaves.
"Hello Amanda" I greeted, 
"Hello " she replied quietly. "What should I help out with?" Susan asked, the same question i had on my mind but in her own case, it was funny she asked so i laughed. 
"What can you even do?" I asked with a gentle scoff and my eyes met with mom's glare.
"Look at this broom oh, I think the question you should be asking is what can't I do?" She asked slowly shaking her body seductively.
I didn't understand the point she was trying to make from the gesture.
"If you meant s*x... I know you've been s*xually active since SS 2, I'm sure Jerom only had Bsc in bed but you madam had a doctorate degree. So if it's the question of what can't you do in bed, baby I believe you but when it comes to cooking, madam just sit down there and look pretty" I retorted.
 I think I saw Amanda chuckle.
"I have two daughters and I actually cook for them"
"Golden morn and noodles"
"I..." She stammered. "Do you even know the difference between kettle and pot" "Oh shut it, I actually cook" "Why do you have a male cook at home?"
"Cause my husband isn't gay, I don't want any woman taking him away" "You know the point I'm trying to create; don't try to deviate from it"
"So what if she can't cook, or if she can only make noodles. The one ingredients a woman should possess is the ability to satisfy her husband's s*xual needs and she has that"
"Urgh!" Amanda and I said together. We've never liked having discussions on s*x with her .
 "Mom don't talk about s*x" Amanda cautioned. "We're all women"
"Older women don't talk about s*x" I answered picking up an already sliced onion then I chewed on it.
"Cause we don't have s*x?" She asked, "Mom you're still saying s*x"
"You dad and I still had s*x a week before he died"
I closed my ears and I noticed the grimace on Amanda's face. "Too much information, I think I'll have nightmares today" I chipped in and mom laughed. Susan already grew quiet and I wondered why.
"Mommy don't mind Chisom when she said I had sex since secondary school, it's a lie oh"
I rolled my eyes. I just couldn't believe she would worry herself over that. "But you lost your virginity in SS3"
"That's a lie"
"First term, remember Oloche? From Benue state?" I asked and she covered my mouth. 
I heard a laugh escape from Amanda's lip. "Where did it happen again oh" I thought, of course I remembered, I was only trying to be dramatic. They had s*x in his parent's house while they were away. 
"You were not a saint either. Sommy wasn't a virgin either" she reported and mom laughed. Of course she knew.
"Take your hands off my mouth, I feel like I've just tasted Jerom on my lip" I snapped and she glared at me. 
"Sommy you can wash the meat and steam it, Susan would do the dishes"
"Okay Ma" she answered obediently. 
"I miss family dinner" Mom confessed with a sigh.
"Since Dad died, this is the first" she added and they all nodded. I noticed the atmospheric mood changed into a sad one.
"Uncle would always prepare his chicken recipe" Susan said and Chiamanda laughed.
 "There was this time he made really salty chicken soup last year" Amanda recalled and  they all agreed. 
I felt lost, I had no idea what they were talking about. The last time I had family dinner was 2007 before I left home. 
"Remember the dinner night that mercy showed up for ?" Susan asked, "The day all the men decided to play cook" Chiamanda added and they all laughed except me. 
I had no freaking idea what was funny about the event. I thought of dad and how much I've missed out of everyone's life. How much  he made me miss out of everyone's life. Out of every family moments, memories I could have cherished.
I noticed Chiamanda look at me. Then she cleared her throat. All eyes fell on me.
"Don't stop because of me" I begged and Susan smiled about to dive into another topic when I heard Chiamanda say, "What was your favorite dinner moment?"
"The last time I checked, I grew up outside this home." "Before you left?"
"Crashed and burnt...i don't remember, I burnt every memory" I answered and Susan hissed.
"Who forgets memories?"
"You guys should go about and discuss your fun times...I'd rather steam this meat in peace"
Shortly after, mom and Susan left the kitchen, Amanda and I were left alone. I could hear their voices and laughter from the sitting room.
"It was on the fourth of September, on our sixth year birthday. Dad made his Chicken recipe and threw in a surprise party for us. We all happy. Remember when you came crying to dad because you broke your teeth while sinking your teeth in the meat? You've always been a cry baby"
Amanda laughed out then rolled her eyes. "Cut me the slack i was hurt and the day didn't end well for me because I didn't get to eat the meat but you willingly eat it all"
"And when mom asked me why I ate it, I said" "Mummy we're twins if I eat it, it will go into her belly" she answered and we laughed about it.
I was shocked she remembered.
"You've always been silly"
"What happened to us?" I asked, our eyes met and she looked away. "I heard about your boyfriend, I'm sorry about it" he apologized and Susan walked in.
We didn't say a word to each other afterwards.
Dinner would have been perfect if Bob didn't pushed my button. The point of focus that evening was about dad. 
They all brought up stories about the last four years and thereabouts, but I had no contributions. 
"All this talk about the dead is putting me off dinner" I confessed, I'd rather have dinner in the kitchen. 
"Chisom" mom called out, "Mom it's okay" I answered taking my Eba and vegetable soup into the kitchen.
 While eating, I heard Bob laugh.

Read " Palm lines 2 " by the same author ( Essien Eno )

. I turned to him then pretended as though I- didn't see him.
"Someone doesn't have anything to contribute"
"Listening is much better"
"If someone hadn't pissed her father off, maybe you would have had a story to tell" "Shut up Booby" I snapped and he laughed again. "You think calling me funny names would affect me?" He scoffed. "You're an idiot you know?" He asked and I closed my eyes, trying to control my anger.
 "You could have studied medicine" "Have you ever heard of passion?"
"Yes I have, it's something a stupid person like you would use in defending stupidity"
My anger was building up already. I wanted to slap him that moment but I thought of Amanda and how angry she would be. 
I didn't want to ruin what had already began. For the first time in years, I finally talked to my own twin sister. I felt like Christmas came early.
"Well it's something a no-brainer like you would understand" I snapped and he laughed, more like a cackle. 
"Thank God you didn't study the course anyway; at least now I get to keep the hospital" he whispered then turned back to see if anuone was close by. I've always known the idiot was a sneaky bastard. I've never trusted him.
"You're an idiot you know why? You never really appreciated what you had. You were ungrateful to your own father" "I wasn't ungrateful"
"You were that's why he never like you, that's why he preferred Amanda to you, that was why he left you letters instead of properties" he snapped and I raised the plate up, pouring the soup on his face.
 He screamed in pain and everyone rushed in to see him stretching his hands. 
"My eyes" 
"What happened?" Mom asked, "What did you do?" Amanda gave me a piercing look then rushed to his rescue.
I walked out angrily. I knew Amanda would  never forgive me for this. I swore never to attend any family gathering again.