Walk With Me

Chapter 3: So tonight?

"I'm sure she won't mind."

"I don't want that. I want to have someone around, but at the same time, I want to be alone..... I don't know if that makes sense."

As much as I wanted to help, I also recognize that we have to do it on her terms on her own pace. "Why are you looking at me like that." I heard and snapped out of my thoughts.

"What do you miss most about Ik?" I asked randomly and she looked like she wanted to break down into tears. "Forget I asked." I added immediately but she shook her head.

"It's fine. Since you won't stop bringing him up." She sighed and looked deep in thoughts for a minute.

"I can't say there's a particular thing I miss the most. And I know this is really absurd, but we argued a lot. I miss that." She said and I turned in surprise.

"I know it sounds weird but I just remembered that. He'd just..... randomly kiss me in the middle of an argument and then ask me to continue." She said and chuckled. I smiled because it seemed like something he could do.

"Did it work?" I found myself asking and I was pleasantly surprised by her laughter. It had a throaty sound to it.

"It worked the first few times. After that it just frustrated me more when he kissed me like that. But he'd just continue until I was pacified." She said. She sounded like she was lost in her thoughts somewhere far away.

"So, how many kisses to end your frustrations?" I asked and she paused and turned to me.

"Forget I asked that." I said quietly.

"Yeah."

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June 2018

Ik

I lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling for a while. Like, what are the chances that I would run into her randomly like that.

I've been beating myself up for the past few days for not getting her number. Not that I could've done much about it when she explicitly said no. So I'd called in sick and took a week off. Something I'd never done before.

And what was crazy was me taking time off without any guarantee of seeing her again. With just her first name and a horrible attempt at describing her features.

I almost said no when when Oma told me to take her to see a friend. And then I saw her and a group of girls enter an eatery across the road.

I smiled when I thought of the surreality of the whole thing. My ringtone interrupted my line of thoughts and I turned to see Oma's name on the screen.

"It's the way you left me and Sonwa today. What a loving brother you are." She said once I picked and it only occurred to me then that I was meant to take them back to their room.

"I was caught up with something." I said. "Did you guys find your way back?"

"Definitely not with your help." She said and I chuckled. Not this girl giving me attitude.

"Oya sorry na." When she still didn't say anything, I promised to take them out for dinner and only then did she agree. Sisters exist only to spend your money.

"Anyway, I have gist." She said suddenly and I sighed. The things I have to go through as an Eder brother to a spoilt human.

"I told you before Oma, I don't like gossip. Tell Sonwa or better still, call Uju and gossip with her. get off my phone biko."

I don't know why but I was closer to Oma. Maybe because Uju grew up a bit independent or because Oma was pampered to a fault. But I found it difficult to say no to her. And what did it result to? Her turning me into a gossip partner.