Copyright of Amara Ibeachum
No part of this work should be copied without the permission of the author.
Chapter 6
I woke up almost freezing to death by the cold breeze which seeped into my bedroom through the window. The windows were faulty and I hadn’t had the chance to get someone to work on them. But today was different, my boss finally gave me the leave I deserved after so many months of working, and now I had a whole week to do whatever I wanted, which meant staying indoors and watching TV while I stuff my face with potato chips.
I had no friends to go clubbing with and the only guy I ever loved lied to me. I was alone.
Besides, Kyle stopped sending me flowers over a month ago. He probably was over me now and maybe with someone else. I hadn’t heard from Victoria either. I wonder if Kyle told her what happened.
I got out of bed and walked over to the window with the upper part of my bed sheet draped over me and the lower part sweeping the floor.
There was no sunlight and the atmosphere was dreary. Everyone who walked by had either a coat, frock, or jacket on. I grabbed the window by the handle and managed to close it with a folded piece that I stuck in between the window frame.
I set out to the kitchen after a successful mission of window closing. I turned my coffee maker on, poured in the seeds, and waited for it to brew. I wasn’t good at making my coffee and wished I had the one from the cafe instead.
I poured out the coffee and started the toaster then went to the fridge to get peanut butter.
“I’m out of peanut butter,” my disappointed self said, staring into the fridge.
“Ughhh! How could I forget to buy peanut butter? Of all the things to forget, shy peanut–” My wailing was cut short when I heard the doorbell.
I paused in disbelief trying to figure out why someone would ring the doorbell. I wanted to be convinced I had imagined it but I was proved wrong when I opened the door.
“Victoria?” I stared at her, yet to believe she was standing in front of me. With her was my nephew, Charlie, whom she carried in a stroller.
“Um, can I…come in?” her eyes narrowed inside.
“Sure. Come on in,” I said and closed the door after her.
She left the stroller on the sofa and made sure Charlie was comfortable.
“I heard you yelling from outside. From the looks of things, I’m guessing you’re out of peanut butter. How’s work–”
“Why are you here, Victoria? You’re not the type to pop up and visit people, especially not me,” I demanded.
Victoria sighed. “Kyle told me everything. And I came to try and make things right.”
“How do you want to make things right? You from the very beginning how I felt about Kyle, he was the only guy I was really into and the closest thing I had to a friend. But you just couldn’t stand me being happy and tried to ruin it. And Kyle, oh my god! Kyle used to say he’d never want to be involved with you. We’d make fun of you till we had nothing horrible left to say about you. Kyle was my person and you still took him away. Why, Victoria?”
Victoria started to sob. Tears rolled down her cheeks like a kid. This was the first time in my life I witnessed my sister cry.
“I’m sorry, okay. I was stupid and..and jealous of you..of Kyle. I…I wanted what you guys had. The bond. I never had it with anyone…not with you. So, I tried to ruin it. I’m so sorry, Jane.”
Seeing Victoria cry made me reevaluate my actions for the past month. The incident between Victoria and Kyle happened almost a decade ago. I shouldn’t be hurting over something that happened while I was a teenager.
I looked over a weeping Victoria’s shoulder and saw Charlie crying.
A lot has happened since we were teenagers, hasn’t it?
I moved closer to her, enclosing her in my arms. “It’s alright, Victoria. Well, I’m sorry too. I’m sorry for not being there when you needed me,” I tried to comfort her.
Victoria sniffed. “I think I made Charlie cry too,” she laughed, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.
I laughed too as I watched her tend to the baby.
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