That Incident

TWENTY

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𝘐'𝘓𝘓 𝘉𝘌 𝘞𝘐𝘛𝘏 𝘠𝘖𝘜

Davie had come back from S.A. The preparation for Alisha's party was getting really serious. We had gone for cake tasting like though it was Alisha's wedding we were planning. It was Alisha's sweet sixteen and her mother and father wanted it to be memorable for her. Alisha was still sad about her father but she did pretty good at hiding her emotions. Her mother drove us to a cake shop in Lekki to get samples for Alisha's birthday cake. It turned out that cake shop owners were into catering too.

Tons of samples to try and Alisha was pretty excited because of that. Tried tons of cakes with different flavours and we decided that the red velvet cake with chocolate ganache filling hit different. Tried the samosas, the jollof rice and some other small chops.

Alisha disagreed with the fact that they were not going to cook the jollof rice.

"It tastes nothing like Aubree's mum's rice." She kept telling her mum.

I couldn't help but smile. If only my mother knew how much her cooking was really good. How much people praised her cooking. She will probably be cooking food then buying the take aways almost every time.

"I'm not sure I want to go for this party, Triton." I told him one afternoon while we were sat in the shade of the old tree. The bougainvillea tree acted as a perfect shade from the very scorching sun. The sun that looked like it traveled all the way from the Sahara desert. The sun that caused perspiration in every corners.

We sat listening to Triton's playlist which he called The Relatable while we licked ice cream that we bought from a moving ice cream van that had a nursery rhyme tune blaring out loudly to attract customers. London Bridge Is Falling Down tune.

Mine was mint chocolate flavoured while his was strawberry. I thought only girls loved strawberry flavoring. I always felt strawberries were little girlish.

"But you seemed really excited when we talked about it especially when you told me that Alisha's brother was coming to the party too." He said as the shuffled playlist started all over again to Conan Gray's People Watching.

Was it so obvious? I thought to myself.

"I don't know. I just don't feel right about it. I'm just so scared of meeting people. A lot of people would be coming for the party. People I know and equally strangers. I'm so scared."

I felt his hand slowly reach for mine. Squeezing affectionately. A reassuring smile on his face.

"I'm with you. I'll be with you."

For like a second, we lost in each other's eyes. Maybe trying to unravel each other's mysteries. Maybe lost in thoughts of how we became close.

I withdrew my hands timidly. He cleared his throat.

"I mean Alisha and I would be with you." He said reaching out for his phone and avoiding eye contacts with me.

"How's your mum?" I asked after a short silence of Triton skipping songs on Spotify and finally playing a song I didn't know the name of but I nodded away regardless. It had to be part of indie pop.

"She's fine. Finally trying to get her mind off my dad by baking and painting. Painting is her new hobby. She's getting a painting class from a young man who I feel is getting too close to her in the name of painting. You should come around sometime. To eat her pastries or maybe a sip and paint. We could paint together."

Was he asking me on a date? You are thinking too much, Aubree.

"How about you and your mum? Have you spoken to your dad?" He asked.

My dad. I was going to act like he ceased being my dad since the day he got married to another woman but it couldn't change the fact he was my dad. He was my father.

"Haven't spoken to my dad for quite a while. My mum is fine. She's more cheerful than ever. Less alcohol and she's trying so hard to stop the take aways."

"Your mother cooks the best jollof rice. I can't forget the rice I had at your house. Simply delicious." He said interrupting and shutting his eyes close as if to imagine eating the rice again.

I smiled.

"Speaking of my mum, she wants me to call my grandpa and thank him for the gift he got me which I completely forgot about." I was really indecisive about calling him. His voice always sent shivers to my body.

"You are nervous about talking to him, I suppose."

I heaved. That was the truth. I was nervous about the old man.

"Yes, I guess."

"Well, you don't have to. Just take a deep breath and call him."

Deep breath? Does that even work?

"Well, the deep breath doesn't work for me though people say it's kind of therapeutic." He added laughing. His laughter was quite contagious. I found myself laughing even though I didn't really get the reason we were laughing this hard.

"Just call him. Maybe you two might have a grandpa and granddaughter bonding time."

Yeah. Maybe. I thought as I licked my ice cream before it got all soupy.