Dysfunctional - Episode 23

 

Bosco's POV

I finally wore a white polo shirt after being forced. Well I had no choice, the nays had it. I was never a simple top guy or a native dress kind of guy. I've always felt comfortable in my suits and shirt.
 While we were stucked in a traffic jam, i turned on the radio to rhythm fm and a song was played. Sommy obviously loved it from her squeak.
 "I love this song"
"This wack song?"
"What do you know? You're an old man"
"I really don't get these new artiste lately" "The song is nice" she replied . "If it's not Mich eal Bolton or Phil Collins, it garbage" i assumed and she shoved her shoulder against mine and I turned over to her shaking my head. I saw her turn over to Joseph who had a earpiece in his ears.
 "So have you ever been to the beach?" She asked and he removed it with a confused look on his face. He probably didn't hear the question. Sommy repeated it again.
"Yes" he answered, "Your brother here is scared of the beach"
"That's a lie" i lied pinching her on the lap. "I hope you're not like him"
"No" he replied almost plugging the earpiece back on. "How was it like?" She asked

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

. She didn't want him to feel left out. 
"What you're doing with the earpiece is like trying to say we're boring and we don't have anything reasonable to say"
"I'm sorry"
"Are we that boring?" She asked, "I was just trying to give you two your privacy"
"Please! I don't need privacy with an oldman who doesn't know shit about good music" she snapped and I heard him laugh out.
"Luther Vandross"
"I'm not disputing the fact that they are good, I'm asking you to appreciate the young blood"
"How was the adventure?" "It was a joint effort by the department to just have fun when school was in session"
"Sounds fun?"
"It was, until..." I noticed his pause. I was curious I wanted to know what happened that ruined the fun. 
"What?" Sommy asked, I guess I wasn't the only curious one. "Nothing" he answered and I heard Sommy scoffed. She knelt on my chair pushing her body to the back seat.
 "What are you doing?" Joseph and I asked in unison. 
"You think you can just put me in suspense and just go scot free?" She asked. Suddenly I heard Joseph laughing. I turned back to see her tickling him. She was relentless.
"It's okay, I'll tell you. My girlfriend broke up with me for a friend"
"Ouch" Sommy said, "What a bitch"
"She said I'm too quiet and not interesting" "She can't be totally wrong about that, don't let her comments weigh you down. She was obviously cheating on you because of the s*x wasn't that good" she blurted out. 
"You're not helping matters" I said and she laughed.
"That's cause I'm not trying to. That should be a wake up call for the next relationship"
"That was my last relationship and I don't think I'm ready to start another" "When I broke up with my ex, I felt as though I wouldn't start another relationship but the truth is life goes on. Your b*tchy ex has moved on, you have to move on too"
"I haven't seen the right one. Every girl wants the guy with the six packs and all"
"Trust me when I say love can be blind sometimes, some girls will fall in love with you even with one tooth, a crazy tinted hair, whether you're lame or you can't have s*x at all." She emphasized and I turned to her shooting my eye lasers at her.
 "You just have to open your eyes to every possibilities of meeting the one" she explained climbing back to the front seat.
 The car in front of me presses forward so did I. Sommy dashed her head on the dashboard then she turned towards me placing her palm on her head.
"That was intentional" she blamed and I shook my head. I thought she had taken her seat. Beside I didn't even pay attention to her after the car in front of me moved.
 "It wasn't intentional,in my defense, I thought you had already taken your seat" 
"I'm sure there's blood gushing out already." "Don't be dramatic, there's nothing" I said trying to look at her forehead.  

Sommy's POV
Rhythm fm set the toll for our journey by playing my favourite song Bamilo by Tolani. "Please make it loud I love this song" I pleaded and he did even if it annoyed him. "I really don't get what you love about it," "It's nice" 
"If it's not Micheal Bolton or Phil Collins, It's garbage" he replied and I shoved my shoulder against his. I felt like we were in a music video and I was playing his love interest. 
Joseph sat quietly behind. He had a earpiece plugged into his ears. Psychologically, when someone does that, it only means he's a loner trying to escape from reality. He probably does that everytime. I needed to engage him in discussion.
"So have you ever been to the beach?" I asked and he removed the earpiece with a confused look on his face. He probably didn't hear the question. So I repeated it again.
"Yes" he answered, "Your brother here is scared of the beach"
"That's a lie" he lied pinching me on the lap. "I hope you're not like him"
"No" he replied almost plugging the earpiece back on. I made him understand the social meaning and implication behind plugging earpiece on during conversation then I requested for him to recall an experience in a beach and he did. 
It was a sad memory though. His girlfriend ended up breaking with him and he was obviously scared about dating girls.
"You just have to open your eyes to every possibilities of meeting the one" I advised climbing back to the front seat.
 Suddenly, my head hit the dashboard then i turned towards Bosco placing my palm on her head.
"That was intentional" i snapped and he shook his head. "It wasn't intentional,in my defense, I thought you had already taken your seat." 
My forehead suddenly began to hurt, I felt like there was a big injury there.
"I'm sure there's blood gushing out already." "Don't be dramatic, there's nothing" he answered now looking at me. 
The car got quiet afterwards till we got to the beach. "I'm sorry" I heard him apologize after the car stopped. "It was never intentional and I don't want was us going to the beach this way. You're obviously angry with me"
"Why would I be angry with you?"
"Couples fight I better get out" Joseph said walking out then i saw him lean on the car.
"I think your brother just made his first joke" I chipped in and he looked over to where he was. 
"You're angry" he paused and I folded mymhands. "I wasn't paying attention to you, and it was careless. I've never been careless and I didn't mean to hurt you"
"It's okay..I'll put a ice over it later, let's go and have the time of our lives" I requested getting out of the car.

Immediately we walked over to a section of the beach, a man walked up to Bosco and I raising some pictures. 
"Are you here to take pictures, we take the best beach concept pre-wedding pictures" he explained and I turned to Bosco laughing. 
"Honey did you hear that? They take the best pre-wedding pictures" I added and he scoffed.
"We're not a couple" I said to the guy who seemed shocked. 
"Are you sure?"
"We're colleagues at work" I lied then walked away with him laughing then I shoved my body against Joseph uncontrollably and he laughed too.
"This isn't funny"
"It is, come on let's take selfies" I suggested bringing out my phone taking a snap with Joseph. He seemed so ready to take it. 
He seemed like a picture person. "Look at this fine boy" I commented then took another.
"Your turn Bosco"
"Wrong person" he answered and I shook my head. I refused to take no for an answer. He kept on covering his face in every picture I took. 
"You're impossible!"
"I don't like pictures" "So you're not going to take pictures ever?" "In the future" he answered and I felt like punching his teeth off.
"You keep on say in the future. Dude you're thirty five and close to the grave. Thirty five isn't twenty...it's close to forty"
"Nice way to publicize my age"
"One picture please?" I begged with a baby-like look. No man in the world can deny such look but he did. 
"No" he answered and I crossed my arm over Joseph's arm, "I'd rather enjoy the beach with my sugar boy" I said leaving with him. 
"You two are supposed to have a good time"
"Actually you're the one that's supposed to have a good time"
"I don't want to come in between"
"There was nothing there...my purpose is for everyone to get out of their shell. If he wants to remain in it, fine!" I answered and we both turned back at him. He was slowly following us.

Joseph and I sat on the beach sand. "You're not a stress relief therapist are you?" Joseph asked and I chuckled. "I'm a therapist"
"But not a stress therapist, does it even exist" he asked and I laughed. "I just don't want people to see him as vulnerable enough to get a therapist.... you know Nigerians and their mentality, once they know you're in therapy, they can guess all sorts"
"In order words you're protecting him"
I gave it a thought then laughed about it. "What can I say, I'm bat woman without a cape" I answered and he chuckled.
 "I guess you guys brought me out to study me" "No you're wrong, we want you to have fun. Have you noticed you have a very boring brother?"
"I don't give him the chance to talk to me"
Suddenly I noticed a girl staring at us.  "Why don't you give him the chance?" "Because I just... I never grew up with him. I'm used to the idea that my siblings are scattered and that I'll probably never see them"
"What effect did growing up alone have on you?"
"You meant growing up with a drunk for a mother, it was terrible. I had to clean up after her. I had to put up with her and her friends"
 "Her friends?" I asked then scoffed. He definitely had ladies trying to woo him to bed. "They wanted to have s*x with you right?" I asked and he bowed his head. 
"Don't you dare sink back into your she'll or else I'll tickle the hell out of you"
"Yes they did, I cursed the fact I grew up to be..." He stalled, "Handsome" I complete and he gave a faint chuckle. "They said I took it from Dad" he added smiling. 
"They said I took his calmness too" "It's a good thing you all took something from your father"
"Brother Mark, James and Mary didn't" he added and I grew interested.
"You've seen them?"
"I saw Senior Mary twice when Mom was alive after that.. but Senior Mark stopped by a lot" he paused. 
I still saw the girl looking at us, tracing the look, I found out she wasn't staring at me, but rather at Joseph. She looked away after our eyes met. 
"I wonder where Senior is" he looked around so did I. He called his elder ones 'senior'.
I saw him at the bar stand where the girl was seated then I rolled my eyes. "This whole trip was for the two of you to open up. I want him to"
"You two look good together" he commented then we saw Bosco walking towards us with a tray containing three glasses of milk shake. "I brought peace offering" he said sitting  close to Joseph. 
"I don't want milk shake offering, I prefer you let me take selfie with you" I complained taking one of the glasses. " I don't want" Joseph answered.
" Seriously?" Bosco asked, "I'm sorry" he apologized. "You don't have to apologized, I'll drink it on your behalf" I added and he laughed. I noticed the girl stare again.
"Joseph" I called out with a grin, "What?" He asked and I gave him a look. "You should be scared, that's her mischievous look"
"That girl at ten o'clock" I said to him and his eyes scattered in search of the girl.
"What about her?"
"What do you think about her?" "She's pretty, really pretty and definitely out of my league"
"She has been staring at you" "That's a lie, she can't"
"Let's find out then" I said rising up. "What are you doing?" Bosco asked and I walked over to where she sat. 
"Hey dear" I said to her and she chuckled. "So...I see you're here alone"
"Yes...

Read " The Picnic " by the same author ( Essien Eno )

. it's my birthday and I came here cause I was having a bad day at home" "Define bad day?" I asked, "Sorry if I'm intruding" I added and she waved her hands.
"It's okay, I have the most amazing parents but they can be annoying. I lied, I came with my best friend but he left with a girl. I didn't want to ruin his parole"
"I'm sorry about that." "It's okay, I'm used to having horrible birthdays"
"I couldn't help but notice you staring at us." "I'm sorry about that... You look cute together"
"I look good with anyone. It's one of my many charms. We're not together, Joseph and I"
"Seriously?" She asked turning over to him. "I noticed you were staring at him specifically"
"I..it's ..it's .." she stammered and I laughed. "It's okay, we're girls, it's totally normal" "He's really hot"
"I know it's a family charm" I said now turning over to Bosco. "Do you like him?"
"I don't know, I just.. want to know him better."
"Sweet, call me your fairy godmother cause you're getting your wish"
"What are you doing?" She asked, "I'm granting you your wish. Happy birthday pretty" i answered and she covered her face. 
"No way" she muttered and I walked towards Joseph.