Mmesoma's Dilemma - Episode 1

 

"Mmesoma! Come here now or are you now deaf?"

I groaned as I lay in bed, I was so close to falling asleep but my mother just had to call me. Only God knew what she wanted. Last I checked, we were having visitors and she had warned us to stay in our rooms, something I was doing happily.

Now, I had to figure out where she was since she could be anywhere in the house. I went to the most likely place she would be in - the kitchen - and she was not there, but my younger brother, Dozie was, he was rinsing some glasses.

"Dozie where is mummy?" I asked him.

"She is in the parlour with daddy and the visitors", he said and had left the kitchen when his words registered.

"The visitors are still here?!" I shrieked to an empty kitchen.

I groaned, wondering what to do, I was too scruffy to meet the visitors.  My hair was still on rollers, I was wearing my stay-at-home outfit: shorts and a worn out Tee shirt and worst of all I was not wearing a bra . I could not go to the parlour like this; at least I ought to wear a bra.

My mother though.

"Ezinne, go and call your sister, does she not know she is keeping us waiting?" she screamed to my younger sister, who immediately began running to my room.

I left the kitchen immediately and we met at my room door, she shrieked when I tapped her.

"Biko shut up! Who are the visitors and wait for me to change, I am not going there like this", I said.

"They are some old family friends like that, mummy introduced them as the Chibueze's. Sha dress fast before mummy kills the both of us, or I would go and tell her you are coming", she said, stepping inside and closing the door.

I put on a maxi gown and used a shawl to cover my hair while ignoring my grumbling sister

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/mmesoma-s-dilemma

. She was just being dramatic, if she left without me, my mother might yell at me but I would yell at Ezinne, it was one of the cool perks of being the older sister.

We quickly walked to the parlour in silence while I racked my brain for any Chibueze's, the only one I could remember was a classmate in Primary 6 and that was not his surname.

"I hope they are not nosy parents who have rude children, like the Rotimi's, instead let them be like the Shittu's, who were really nice people", I thought to myself as I remembered Lanre, the Shittu's older son, he was the kind of Yoruba demon you would willingly let break your heart.

"I pray they are not annoying people o", Ezinne muttered as we stepped into the parlour, we exchanged a knowing smile.

My parents were laughing in the parlour with the guests, their hostessing skills were topnotch, while I only related well with those who were nice to me, Ezinne, who was 16, had zero patience for others, Dozie, who was 13, simply did not care while Dubem, the 5 years old baby of the house got along with everyone, he was too adorable for words.

"Thank God o, they have finally decided to grace us with their wonderful presence", my mother said when we got there. I stifled the urge to roll my eyes but Ezinne groaned beside me and I knew that groan came with an eye roll, but mummy had not noticed, so all was well.

"Mummy we are sorry, it was my fault, not hers", I immediately said to save the situation. There were 5 visitors in the room, 3 of them had their backs to me while I faced the 2 who were the parents.

"I am sure that the both of you were busy gossiping upstairs", she continued and Ezinne murmured something, this time though mummy heard and she furrowed her brows, though she chose to ignore it because there were visitors to impress but I knew that the argument they would have this evening was something to look forward to.

I concentrated on the parents, raking my brain for a memory of them but there was nothing coming up. I looked at Ezinne for help but she had abandoned me.

Left alone, I put on my perfect smile, the one I gave visitors and strangers, I stood by the kitchen door, not putting myself in the limelight and ready to bolt if necessary.

"Good afternoon sir, Good afternoon ma", I greeted the smiling parents.

"Mmesoma has grown o! It is so good to see you my daughter!" the man said and I smiled and nodded.

"Chai! You are almost done with the University now ba?" the woman asked.

"Yes ma, I am in my Final Year", I said.

"So what course are you studying and what are your plans for the future? I hope you are still a virgin?"

I struggled not to roll my eyes at her weird questions, she was definitely one of those nosy people who had a questionnaire in their head.

"I am studying International Relations and Diplomacy", I answered only the first question. She could die with her other questions, rubbish.

My mother, being the sensitive hostess she is, spoke up.

"Tobe, ahan won't you greet your friend again?", she asked and all 4 parents laughed.

I wanted Tobenna to greet me too, I wanted to see who my childhood friend was.

One of them stood up and faced me, it happened really fast, one of the throw pillows even fell down as he stood up, but that singular action sucked the air out of my lungs and placed my world in slow motion.