𝑬𝒑𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝑻𝒐 𝒀𝑯𝑾𝑯

𝑿𝑽𝑰

It was another hot afternoon, a tiresome day at most and yet he found himself standing by the side of the road. With his hands reaching for his handkerchief to wipe away his sweat, his squinted eyes scanned through the throng of people trying to catch the sight of a familiar face. Two days have passed yielding fruitless results.

He'd spent the whole day making calls, loading airtime then repeating the whole cycle again. Each time his phone rang his heart rate increased hoping it's a confirmation from one of his relatives that they've seen her. Ikenna rarely sought out to the one above but at that moment as he was beaten down by not only tiredness or stress but also fear he prayed to God that this problem would pass them by.

Just then his phone rang.

"Hello?" Ikenna didn't bother to check the caller ID as he answered.

"Ike where have you been!? You've skipped more than three classes in a week, and...and we had a test the day you left. It was unplanned, you're not picking up my calls. Lecturers have been marking you absent, not to mention the amount of lab work you're missing out on. The guys are worried about you too... I'm worried about you. "

Ikenna's hold on his phone tightened. He wanted to snap, vent out a bit of his anger on her. She doesn't understand the situation he's in. He's needed in school and at home, somehow it's difficult to pick which side is going to be worth it.

"Say Something!" Teemah sounded so frustrated.

"What should I say hm?" He inhaled a deep breath, "I had a family emergency that needed my attention. Things...I...Do you know how hard it is for me? Can you for one second stop berating me about everything? You're not my mother or even my girlfriend, just stop it." His anger made him speak harshly towards her. "It's just a few classes which I can make up for."

Teemah was silent. His words stung her because she knows how honest she was in her care for him. But he never saw her, never looked at her as more than a friend. Ikenna either had his head buried in books and the company of his small circle or was spacing out in the middle of class thinking of his life.

"How can we understand when you never tell us anything? We're your friends, it's only your best interest we have at heart. Just say something, talk to me. Talk to us. What's really going on? I don't think you'd put things on the line when we have just a year and a few months to graduate." Teemah was adamant, a girl who didn't let her emotions carry her away all the time.

An incoming call came from his dad which made him alert. "Look I have to go."

"Seriously? This is your excuse?"

He was conflicted. "I...I'll see you in school next week. Please just try to understand. Please. Send me your notes later."

Ikenna didn't wait for a reply before hanging up. He slid the green button to receive the incoming call.