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"Ruth, have you gotten the list I pasted on the fridge?"
I stared at the tomatoes on the girl's head. Shaking my head, I turned away from her and her consistent plead to patronize her. I know if I buy that tomatoes home for my mum, she would have my head for dinner.
"Yes mum, I am at the market with Zoe." I replied, clutching my phone closer to my ear and scooting myself and Zoe away from a weird guy and his gang.
Zoe kept on glaring at them daringly. This girl won't put me in trouble.
"Ok then, I'll leave you guys to concentrate. I gave you money to the market o, don't let them dash you rotten goods and collect your money. Don't buy goods that will make you see the other side of me. I trust your judgement though." She warned me.
I could literally see her expression right now. She isn't in any way comfortable about this new arrangement, but she's being trying her best to make it up to me so bad.
Personally, I'd have preferred her buying me a whole bucket of coldstone ice-cream to make up for her non existent mistakes. They think sending me out alone to the market to buy things for the house, cooking and doing house chores without supervision or allowing me to go over to my friends place is the freedom I want?
Very funny.
"Yes ma." I replied when I didn't know how to answer her. Quickly, I ended the call before she could say anything. I tucked the phone in my jean's front pocket and kept on walking, pulling a sulking Zoe along.
"Wait, is it not Pepper you want to buy?" Zoe asked, pulling me to a stop.
"Yes Zoe, the list is with you na." I wiped sweat off my forehead, frustrated at her for making us stop. The sun is hot enough to boil water for Eba. Can't she persevere? I almost threw myself on the floor, my eyes prickling with tears.
This place is suffocating enough.
Nigeria is suffocating enough.
"So it's pepper we want to buy abi? All these stalls we've been passing nko? Are you looking for a special type of pepper?" She asked, panting and staring at me like she was about to pass out at any moment.
Despite me feeling tired and stressed, I burst out laughing at the expression on her face.
Pulling her along again, I replied, "Drama queen, you know your mum na. I need to buy something good, all those peppers are not good. Let's just go a little bit further, I know we will see good ones."
♪♪♪♪♪
I closed the door slowly and quietly behind me as I sneaked out through the back door.
"Hello."
"Ruth? Atlast, you picked up your phone, thank God." His voice came out as a whisper. "I try your number everyday, hoping you'd pick up the call."
My heart warmed at his last statement.
"My mum seized my phone, she gave it back last week." I explained.
"You didn't tell me about that." He accused.
"You didn't ask me." I blurted out without thinking.
"Really? Well, that's by the way. How are you though?" He sounded angry at first but quickly changed the topic. I could feel an underlying tinge of irritation in his voice.
"I am fine. I am sorry I snapped at you, I was just tired."
"It's okay." He quickly replied.
"I need to get back inside now and finish what I was doing before you called." I said looking behind me and through the kitchen windows if any one had come into the kitchen.
"Will you be able to come online tonight?" He sounded sad as if he wanted us to keep on talking. God knows that I only wished I could stay and just talk, but I know deep down that the freedom my mum is 'letting' me have, has restricted access to that.
"I don't have data, my sub expired earlier today."
"What network are you using? I can subcribe for you."
A hot blush crept its way on my face.
"You don't have to bother."
"Iinsist."
Blushing terribly, I replied "Airtel." Then quickly ended the call as I heard Zion yelling God knows what.
I quickly rubbed my hands over my face as if to clean the blush and stupid smile off my face. Opening the door, I sneaked in and closed the door quietly behind me.
As if on cue, Zion danced into the kitchen.
🎶 Gbe body to the music, you don't have to know the lyrics just listen to the music yeyeye ... 🎶
My poor ears.
I turned away from the zinc as as I was rinsing the bowls, plates and utensils I used in cooking. I grabbed a knife from its stand and approached him quietly, not that he would have noticed me either way as he had his eyes closed as his body twisted like an earthworm that you poured salt on, all in the name of dancing.
I took the earpiece in the middle and used the knife to cut it into two. I quickly backed up and returned the knife to its stand.
He kept quiet then opened his eyes as he reached for his phone in his pocket. That was when he noticed the earpiece. Immediately, his eye snapped to my direction.
I kept my arms folded over my breast as I stared back at him defiantly.
"Why did you—? Scratch that, do you know how much this earpiece cost me?" He screamed at me, tears brimming his eyes.
"You better keep your voice down or I would pick up the knife again and cut you vocal chords into two." I warned, eyeing him.
Zoe walked into the kitchen with her earpiece plugged in her ears too. She kept on muttering the lyrics of the song as she opened the fridge, probably searching for her watermelon juice.
I turned my eyes away from her then I faced Zion again. "Is she not a human being? Must you scream the lyrics of the song as if you are in a studio? If only you knew how horrible your voice sounded."
"There are other ways to shut me up." He replied, his voice sounding eerily calm as tears started streaming down his cheeks.
Immediately, I felt bad for my action but I wouldn't show that.
"You have ear pods, stop acting." I rolled my eyes as I turned my back.
"Zion?" Zoe called as she removed the earpiece from her ears. "Why are you crying?"
He just stood there throwing death glares at me as the tears kept on rolling down his cheeks.
Zoe, confused as hell, turned to me and called my name. "Ruth?"
I turned around to face her.
"What?"
"Why is Zion crying?" Her lips were already quivering, she was almost close to tears.
I rolled my eyes at their twins drama.
"He was shouting, so I cut his earpiece into two." I told her.
"You did what?" she screamed in shock.
"I cut his earpiece into two." I replied, shrugging.
"Do you know how much that earpiece cost us?"
"How much is it?" I said getting, worried.
"Thirty fucking dollars." Zion screamed, throwing his slippers at me. I quickly dodge it.
When did he remove his slippers?
"What's your problem Ruth? Are you crazy?" Zoe yelled.
I stared back at them, mouth hung open, eyes wide open in shock at my siblings.
"You guys bought that earpiece for thirty dollars, are you kidding me?" I was beyond shocked right now.
"You will pay for this, I promise you." Zion threatened as he barged out. "Sometimes I wonder if you have a brain at all." Zoe said.
"You better watch your tongue." My voice sounded shaky, couldn't recognize it.
"So help you God Ruth, Zion's threat aren't empty and you know that." She threw back at me as she also walked out too.
I am in a big pot of soup, the lord is my Shepard in this house now.
I picked up the ruined earpiece from the floor, looking at it again. I wondered what was special about it.
"Thirty dollars? Dummies!" I hissed, throwing it into the bin.
I packed all the soups in disposable containers and put them in the freezer.
I packed up all the utensils I washed, dried my hands. As I was about to walk out, my eyes went back to earpiece in the bin.
I cringed inwardly.
"I will order him another one." I concluded, walking out, clicking on the Jumia app on my phone as I searched for the brand of the earpiece.
Twenty thousand Naira plus delivery, still affordable.
I received a notification of Three thousand Naira airtime.
My Zeke.
***
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