The Nostalgia Diaries

Saving Grace

Aisha could tell she wasn't wearing a bra. She loved how her mother's hair fell at her back and she didn't wear makeup except a lip-gloss. "Mom, can we talk?"

Cathay was happy Aisha wanted to discuss with her but with Hadeza, their discussion was different. "Sure, are you pregnant?"

"No, I'm not" Aisha cried. She thought her mother looked younger. She never saw her Ma Kesem never dress like a young girl like Cathay did. She quickly hid the letter in her pocket and looked at her mother and asked "Mom, why didn't Hadeza follow her dream?"

Cathay stared at Aisha. She wondered what took Aisha to Hadeza's piano. She thought Aisha was asking why Hadeza became a cop instead of a pilot or an engineer "Your sister has acrophobia. She is scared of heights"

"I know what acrophobia means" Aisha said feeling quite embarrassed "Why didn't Hadeza become a concert pianist? What happened?" She wanted to know the truth so badly it showed in her voice.

Cathay cleared her throat "It's complicated"

"Tell me, mom. What really happened?"

Aisha said mildly as she tried not to sound desperate.

"It's complicated"

"That is what people say when they don't want to say the truth" Aisha said angrily then stood on her feet and covered the piano with the sheet. She didn't know why she was curious to know the truth, maybe it was because of Chioma or maybe her mother was hiding something from her and she was going to find out no matter what.

The next day, Hadeza was assigned as an escort for a local prison convoy which was transferring prisoners from the state prison to the state security maximum prison downtown. Her newly assigned partner Leon drove like a grandma. She was pissed because her grandma drove faster than he did. Her grandma drove a monster truck and she often went to monster truck shows with her grandma when she was a kid. She wished she was the one behind the steering wheel instead of Leon, that way they wouldn't be behind the two black police SUV's following the prison convoy.

"Come and join me" Hadeza said politely as she brought out chocolate covered doughnut from a brown packet. She saved the doughnut to eat for this trip. Aisha had given it to her earlier before they both left the house in the morning.

"Thanks. I don't eat junk" Leon said proudly. He had a thin moustache which made him look more like a proud person.

Hadeza was offended. She took her first bite from her doughnut forcefully and began to chew it in a dramatic way "You don't eat junk food. Why?"

Leon grinned "It simple" His face brightened up as he said and continued "You are what you eat. You eat healthy, you look healthy. You eat shit, you look like shit" He concluded.

"Well, this isn't shit. This is the bomb"

Hadeza said proudly and took another bite from the doughnut. She took a long sip from her drink and burped then said aloud "This is a pretty f@*$*$g good milkshake, I don't know if it's worth five box but it's motherf@$#*&g good"

"Why do you curse a lot? Why are you so obsessed with the F-word, Hadeza?" Leon asked Hadeza.

Hadeza slowly turned her head like a robot and stared at Leon. She smiled and shrugged at the same time. It wasn't her fault she used the F-word when she was happy or angry. "My mom cursed so much when I a kid, I began to think my name was f@$k. So don't blame me"

Leon tapped the steering wheel and chuckled. "I'm not saying your mother was wrong for cursing at you when you were a kid, but I understand"

Hadeza wondered if Leon was being sarcastic. Aisha was once said something like this to her and now she was beginning to think if she was annoying when she was little.