Regrets||✓✓

16.2

Gold threw me a Sweet Sixteen party.

Okay, that's a lie. Ma didn't let me. She was still angry about the lesbian bombshell I had dropped on her and still refused to talk to me.

"I think she's starting to hate you, Naija," liberty told me one day when we were doing our homework. "She says the devil has taken over your soul." I froze, tears welling up in my eyes. But I blinked them back. "Has the devil taken over your soul, Naija?"

I looked at my sweet innocent nine year old sister and smiled. "No, Libby, he hasn't. He won't."

She smiled back and continued with her homework.

She says the devil has taken over your soul. What kind of mother says something like that about her own child? Oh yeah, the kind that was envious that her daughter was having more fun at her age than she ever did. Ma was jealous of me. Jealous of my beauty, obviously. And although it hurt that she was neglecting me, I could do without her. Some people were born without mothers, anyway.

On my birthday, Liberty was the first to greet me. She came bouncing on my bed and pinched my nipples until I woke up. Our bad habit was sleeping naked. "Naija wake up! It's your birthday! Wake uuuuuup!" I grudgingly opened my eyes and stuck my tongue out at her. Her excited face made me smile. "Haaaappppyyyyy biiiirrrtttthhhhdaaaayyyy Naaaaiiiijjjaaaaa!!!!!"

"Liberty, people from the next three blocks can hear you! From the next town over, even." She gave a full grin and I grinned back. She hugged me tight and I sighed in relief. It was good to have a sister.

I had my bath quick and brushed my hair, then went downstairs for breakfast. Dad was already at the table. "Look at the birthday girl! Look at my beautiful baby girl!" Dad got out of his seat and gave me a hug. "It's a good day to be sixteen, isn't it. Don't you think so, Zoeysha." Ma hated her name but Dad loved to call her that anyway. She came out of the kitchen holding a birthday cake with the candles 1 and 6 and sixteen other candles around the big ones.

"Your aunt baked you a cake. You go and thank her later, Naija. Baby, do you have the camera?" Dad said he did. He held the camera in his left hand and swiped icing with his right, that earned a Stern look from Ma.

"Go ahead, Naija, make a wish!" Liberty cooed. Then out of nowhere, my best friend ran in and shouted, " WAIT I WANT TO CATCH THIS MOMENT! GOOD MORNING NAIJA'S MOM AND DAD!" I couldn't help but laugh. They greeted her with warm smiles and she and Libby shared a fist bump. Then she held up her phone and started recording.

I closed my eyes and thought really hard. I already had parents who loved me(ma was being stubborn), a beautiful little sister, a wonderful best friend, a roof over my head and a steady social life. What could I wish for again?

I opened my eyes and with a huff and a puff, I blew all the candles. Gold and Libby started squealing. "Happy birthday!" They shouted in unison, and they each took turns hugging me.

"Damn, I missed it already?" We all turned to the kitchen doorway where my favourite cousin leaned against with his hands folded across his chest. He smiled cockily. I smiled shyly back. He bounced off the wall and gave me a kiss on my forehead. "Happy birthday, beautiful." It warmed my Insides to know so many people cared about me. Maybe I should try being a bit more grateful to them by not being bad.

Who am I kidding?

The rest of the day went on as usual.

People I didn't know, but knew Tremaine and Gold wished me a happy birthday. They even gave me cards and gifts. For just that day, I was the star of the school. It felt good, being noticed by everyone. And after school, Tremaine took me to the mall amd bought me a new phone. I couldn't stop screaming.