Just One Jezebel(L) | ONC 2024

|01|

5 months later.

My phone pinged with an incoming message.

It was my coworker.

Barb: The party is in two.

Me: I'll be there. Thanks.

"Mister Ekim, I'd really appreciate it if you did away with your phone till the end of session," the four-eyed therapist said.

"Well, I wouldn't appreciate it."

"Do away with the sass, Nike. She's not me." Maay rolled her eyes.

"Please, both of you, let's be formal," the curly wigged therapist said with a hand demonstration, leaning into her seat when she realized she had gotten our attention.

"Yeah let's," Maay said after a beat of silence, flipping her rainbow wig over her shoulder when she got an exasperated look from the therapist.

I shook my head at her while studying her attire again.

Her attires could always be exchanged for the latest model of a bullet proof car. And that was something since she only wore a blue, fire-patched pant, a purple- stereo robe, mansion- high heels and a shoe shaped bag.

"So as we were discussing before we were interrupted. Miss Maay, you complained that your brother holds a lot of secrets from you. If I may ask, what do you perceive as a secret?"

"A secret-" Maay started with her signature bubble voice, "-is hiding your trauma in the name of investigative journalism when you actually have a sister."

"Maay!"

"God dammit Nike!"

"Please, the both of you should remain calm," the therapist said in a voice capable of winning an Oscar. Despite her reassuring words and pleading eyes, Maay's words kept ringing in my head. It wasn't the first time we'd argued during the session. Hell! It wasn't even the first time we were arguing in our lifetime. But something about her words struck close to home. It always did.

That, and coupled with the fact that she never supported my career, made me get up from the swivelling chair, and proceed towards the door.

"The funny thing," I said, turning to face Maay. "-is that you didn't need to set up all this to insult me. You could have just done so over breakfast and I wouldn't mind ignoring you. But now I actually blame myself for trying to show up."

I walked out and banged the door.

"Mister Ekin?" I heard the therapist call but I didn't reply. Instead the stomp in my steps increased till I was at the edge of the hallway, where I looked back to see if anyone was following me and I was glad they weren't.

Moments later, when I'd gotten out into Orgun's city air, I made my way to the bus stop because I didn't bring a car.

What I noticed however was that this part of Orgun would have been a rural town if not the tall enterprise building and the wide highway— cause the trees were much and the silence was another thing.

It gave me enough time to get lost in my thoughts and what used to be.

It didn't take long for a bus to stop bye and gently I got in with my backpack in hand, ignoring the passengers who stared at me weirdly for wearing a suit jacket on a blue jean in a business renowned area.