I placed two different shades of purple dresses on my bed. One was flared with laces in front of flowers, and the other was skimpy. Mum had gotten both for me during her last shopping spree, with silver glass heels.
It's been a week since we wrote our last paper. The last few days were filled with Ss3 representatives choosing the theme for our graduation ceremony. The ladies were to wear purple, and the guys were to wear red tuxes. Materials were distributed to teachers to buy so they could be coordinated, and invitations were passed to guardians and important figures.
Knock, knock.
I turned to the door to see my mother poking her head in. "You aren't dressed. Good."
I was confused as my mother stepped into the room. She walked up to me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "My baby's no longer a baby."
"I was no longer a baby for a while, Mum." She waved her hands at that.
"Wear something light and come downstairs; your makeup artist is here."
"You got me one?" I asked in disbelief.
"The best of the best," she responded proudly. "My baby's got to be the fairest of them all. I mean, I'm your mother; you've got to live up to my status."
"But—" I stopped, feeling a bit sad. "I won't get any best student titles like my friends. I wasn't good at the start."
Mother gave me a reassuring smile as she spun me to face my desk mirror. I looked at my mum standing behind me before focusing on my image.
"I'm proud of you, Nsikan, with or without your grades. Yes, I want the best for you, but not at the cost of anything. You've tried your best, and that's all that matters." Mother reassured me softly. "All you've got to do is leave the rest while believing in yourself. Okay?"
I exhaled deeply and nodded, "Yes, Mum."
My mother patted my shoulder and turned to my bed. "Which of these are you putting on?"
"Not sure." I was still in a dilemma. "Which do you think is better?"
"How about the flare? It's classier." I smiled; my mother knows best. I kept the flare aside, knowing I'd be going downstairs first for my makeup.
Mum and I eventually left my room and strolled down the stairs. Sitting on one of the couches in the living room, I was occupied by several unknown people. Stepping further, I could tell it was the makeup artist mother hired a few months ago for her 'made you look' challenge.
"You've spent a fortune again," I said to my mother, remembering how much she'd spent the last time she'd used the makeup artist service.
"The best of the best for my girl." However, I wanted to groan out loud because I'd remembered the amount she'd spent just for a TikTok challenge. Though I knew my mother spent a fortune on my graduation makeup, I still wanted to look good. This was my graduation ceremony. Though it was shared with other students in my set, I still wanted to be the main character.
I sat on the stool provided and raised my face with the support of the makeup artist's hands under my chin. She began cleaning my face with a face wipe, and at the same time, a knock came from the door. One of the maids rushed to check who the person behind the door was and opened it wide to reveal the gateman standing firmly on the ground. Mother motioned for him to come in, and he did.
"Madam, two people dey look for you outside." He explained, pointing at the door as if the person were present.
"And who are they?" Mother asked as she picked up her phone to make a video with me in it. She probably wanted to save every step of my makeup session while posting it on the internet to congratulate me.
"Dem no talk who dem be o," the gateman answered in broken English. "But dem talk say e dey important."
"Are they harmless?" Mother asked, not ready to move out to check who was at the gate.
"Those people no get strength, madam. No worry, I dey." He assured her.
"Bring them in," Mother waved a dismissive hand, and the gateman raced out of the room. She went back to her video while I kept my face up as the makeup artist kept patting my face with products I couldn't name.
My phone rang, and I picked it up. "Hey, girl."
"What's up, Stella?" It was placed on a loudspeaker because I couldn't place the phone against my ear.
"Good, good. Tell me you've had your bath," Stella rushed.
"I'm doing my makeup now," I said to her, and at the same time, my mother gave me a thumbs up.
"I'm going to a makeup studio now," Stella informed me. "There's this makeup artist my cousin is hooking me up with, Debby. Her sister goes to our school. You know Danielle, right?"
Who wouldn't? That was what I wanted to say. "My cousin says her sister is the best of the best."
I slowly looked at the makeup artist doing my makeup, and she didn't look happy.
"Okay, Stella. We'll meet in school." I quickly ended the call before Stella's words annoyed my makeup artist even more.
"Don't worry," the makeup artist mumbled. "Your makeup will be the best amongst all your peers."
Before I could respond, two old people moved into the living room. They took everyone's attention as they moved further into the room. Mother seemed to be the most shocked, as she forgot about the video she was making earlier.
Both visitors looked unkempt and very frail. Mother's phone fell to the ground, and I feared for the screen.
"Mum? Dad?"
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Mom had asked everyone to leave the living room, including me. So I was out with the makeup artist as she continued with my makeup.
Mum? Dad?
It couldn't be. Those people in there were my grandparents? But how? When I thought the drama would be over, more things came rushing in.
I wanted to know what was going on and what my mother was saying to them. If those people were really my grandparents, then life wasn't fair to them. They looked like they'd not eaten in months, and their skin was so dry that it felt like they'd not seen the light of day.
"I need to use the toilet," I announced to the makeup artist and her assistants. Of course, that was a lie, but my curiosity wouldn't let me rest. The makeup artist suspended the colouring process on my face and gave me room to get back into the house. I decided to use the back door so my mother wouldn't see me come in. I moved to the doorway leading to the dining room and stopped there. Mother's voice was loud enough to be heard from this distance.
"...and what did you do? Chase me out every month I tried to reconcile for the past years. Why are you here?" That was indeed the question I needed answers to.
"We are sorry," Grandma said to Mother. "I know I poured you rice water the last time you visited, but it wasn't fully my action."
I was confused by her words, just as my mother was judging from her expression.
"Not your action?!" Mother yelled, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I'm your daughter for crying out loud. Why would you treat me in such a manner?"
Grandma and Grandpa stared at each other and shook their heads sorrowfully. I felt pity for them and wanted to cry. But they'd hurt my mother so much.
"It was Mama Peter, the head of the CWO. She told me to never welcome a shameful person," my mother said bitterly. "We are deeply sorry."
"Why now?" Mother questioned. "Why now after so many years? I wanted you both to be there during Nsikan's birth. I wanted you to guide me, Mother, to put me through everything. I wanted Nsikan to have a father figure," she said, looking at Grandpa, "someone that would feel the void of a father. Why?"
Both of my grandparents couldn't answer that question as they buried their heads in the ground.
"Why the change of heart?" Mother continued, sitting on the couch while feeling exhausted. "Why are you here? You must have your reasons."
Mother's gaze wasn't leaving her parents. Grandma decides to speak. "Joy came home a few days ago and spoke about you getting married soon. We wanted to be there for you."
Grandma's response made my mum laugh hard. laughter with no emotion whatsoever. "So I'm no longer a shame because I'm bringing a man home? Oh, your prodigal daughter has finally found a man she can call a husband, and that seems to have saved your faces, right?"
"No my—"
"Get out!" I flinched at how loud my mother's voice was; the same with my grandparents. "Out!"
"Please, my daughter." I wanted to cry.
"What is it?" Mother questioned them harshly. "You can chase me out of your roof, but I can't do the same to you? Out!"
I quickly rushed to the living room, surprising all three. My grandparents stared at me with regret.
"You've grown so much," Grandma cried.
Mother scoffed, placing her hands on her waist. "Why's everyone coming in at this time to claim someone they showed no interest in when I needed them the most? First, that bastard of a man wants to claim the father's title, and now you both want to act like good grandparents? It will never happen!"
Grandma collapsed on the floor, weeping. "We came for you, Melanie. We are sorry. I want to right my wrong; we both do. We are sorry for putting the church and the fellowship before you. We want you to give us a second chance."
"You kept visiting us every month because that's what you wanted. Your last visit, you'd dropped your address because you wanted us to visit, isn't it?" Grandpa took over.
"I dropped my address out of courtesy." Mother wiped angry tears away from her cheeks. "I never expected you both to be here."
"Melanie," Grandma crawled forward, and Mother stepped back, away from them. "I'm on my knees."
My chest tightened as Grandpa knelt as well and crawled forward. Mother, who couldn't watch their display, looked sideways with dry tears staining her face.
"Mummy, please," I equally knelt.
"What are you doing?" mother asked in pure anger. "Will you get up?"
I shook my head in disapproval. I'd prayed for my grandparents to come and apologise and for us to be a big family again. Though I knew my mother was hurting, I knew she'd hurt more if her parents left the house with no settlement whatsoever. I didn't get to know my grandparents since I was born, but I was allowed to start a life with them in the picture.
"I know you're hurting, mum. What they did wasn't right, but they are here now."
"You don't understand," Mother spat out.
"Yes, I don't. But every month, you tried to reconcile with them. You left your address during your last visit, hoping one day they'd come to you." I said softly to my mother. "Today is that day."
Mother shook her head stubbornly, but I wouldn't blame her. "It's easier said than done."
"I understand if you don't want to see us again." Grandpa slowly got up. "But we are deeply sorry."
I watched as he stretched his hand to help his wife up.
"Where are you both going?" We all looked at my mother, but her gaze was focused on her parents. "You both are just going to give up on trying to earn my forgiveness? Just like that?"
"Melanie—"
"I can forgive, but I can't forget," she said to her mother, cutting her sentence short in the process. "I can't forget now, at least."
I got up, patiently waiting for my mother to continue, but she didn't. "We understand. We'll try to earn your full forgiveness every day."
"Congratulations on your future wedding anniversary, my daughter. Joy said it's coming up in a few months." Grandpa said to mother: "Wishing you a very happy life."
My grandparents turned, heading for the door. "You don't have to go today," my mother said stiffly as she looked everywhere but at her parents. "Nsikan's graduation ceremony is today, and you're welcome to tag along." There was a small pause. "If you want."
"We didn't bring any decent clothes with us," Grandma mentioned in regret. "Congratulations on your graduation, Nsikan."
It felt like she was talking to a stranger and not her granddaughter. "Thank you, ma."
"Don't worry about your outfit," my mother answered, then cleared her throat so she wouldn't sound too caring. I smiled at that. "We'll go shopping while Nsikan completes her makeup. We don't have to go with her to school; we'll meet her there."
My grandparents looked at each other, and my mother added stiffly, "That's if you want."
"That will be...good," Grandpa nervously responded. Mother sighed, unsure of what she was doing. She didn't want to go all out considering what her parents did to her, but she couldn't help it.
Mother turned to me. "What are you doing here?"
"I..." I cleared my throat while trying to brainstorm for a good enough excuse. But when I couldn't figure anyone out, I turned to my grandparents with a wide smile. "Nice to meet you, grandma; nice to meet you, grandpa."
I raced out of the living room before Mother mounted on me with a series of harsh words. I got to the front of the house as quickly as possible, and the makeup artist didn't look happy that I'd kept her waiting. I didn't care; my mother was surely paying her more than enough. Wasting a little of her time because of family crises wouldn't hurt.
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I had lots of missed calls when I was finally dressed for my graduation ceremony. The makeup artist took a few shots of her creative work on my face so she could post it on her social media handle. I wouldn't lie; I looked so good. She was good. I wore the flared purple gown with flowering laces and then silver glass heels. I took a few mirror selfies and sent them to my mother because she was out with my grandparents to get them decent outfits. The saying was true. The rejected stone became the chief cornerstone.
My phone rang for the umpteenth time as I reached for my silver handbag to complete my outfit. "Yello."
"Please don't say yello; it's annoying." Stella groaned over the phone. "Why are you late? Everyone's here except for you. The ceremony has started."
"It's not like I'm going to get any awards," I said to her.
"Never say never," Stella said over the phone, and I paused to think.
"I never said never." I heard another groan from her.
"Just get over here." And with that, she hung up. I took my large brown spec and wore it before waltzing out of my room.
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I was welcomed by the loud DJ sounds coming from the sports complex. The ceremony was to be held at the football field, and the afterparty was to be held in the auditorium.
Once the car came to a halt, I got down and started my journey to my destination. Most of the junior students who came for the ceremony congratulated me on my way. My friends sighted me first and waved for me to come over. While running to them, I almost tripped. Thank God I didn't. They'd kept a space for me beside Damian, and I moved to sit on it.
"What kept you?" Damian asked worriedly. "I called, I texted..."
"My grandparents showed up."
"Your what?!" Stella, Chuks, and Thompson were questioned in shock.
"Don't worry," I reassured them. "It went down fine."
"You look very beautiful, by the way," Damian said, looking at me softly.
"Not as beautiful as me," Stella pointed at her face. I had to admit, her make-up was so good. She was putting on a skimpy, lap-length dark puppy dress. It's almost like my second option. The boys had their red tuxes on but in different shades and designs. Their inners were black, and they all looked mature for their age. Not just us, every Ss3 student looked mature for their age because of how classy they were dressed and how beautiful their make-up was.
"We are going to start with the overall best male student in Ss3," the principal began. I wanted to believe she'd done the welcoming ceremony of giving honours to whom honours were given since Stella called to tell me the ceremony had started.
"The best male student goes to..." There was a dramatic pause as she looked at the envelope, though everyone at our school knew the person going home with that award. "Damian Godspower!"
A resounding round of applause echoed as both students and parents clapped their hands while waiting for the said student to get up to go take his award. I could see a woman standing up and clapping louder, and I realised it was Damian's mother. Damian got up, but not before squeezing my palm softly.
He walked up to the stage to receive his award while the camera took a few shots of Damian and the principal. The DJ let out a common pop song, so the crowd would sing along as Damian moved back to his seat.
Once Damian sat back down, I took the award from him and traced it with my finger. It read Best Male Student in Ss3.
"How to be you," I said to him, copying Muller's words.
"And the best female students go to..." The principal called everyone who had won a certain title. Damian seemed to be the person to have received the most awards, not just in Ss3 science but in general. He took almost all the awards on the subjects we were offering. Thompson received three awards, Muller received two, Chuks received four, Omolara received three, Stella received two, and I received none. I was sad that I was the odd one, but I tried not to show it by being happy for my friends.
"And now for a new award, the school body decided to give out because of the sudden growth of a certain student." The principal began. Since Damian had received eight awards in total, I decided to help him hold some.
"For the best-improved student in Ss3," the principal continued, as I balanced Damian's award on my lap. "We've got the person of Nsikan from the Ss3 science class."
My eyes widened, and my hands covered my mouth as I heard my name being called by the principal.
"Is Nsikan not here?" The principal called out. Damian took his awards that were on my lap, and my friends forced me to get up. Another resounding clap came from everyone present as I made my way to the podium. I took hold of the award meant for me while turning to the cameraman, who took several pictures of me and the principal.
"That's my daughter!" I heard someone say it from the crowd. I traced the voice only to see my mother and grandparents approaching the tents made for invitees to sit under.
I moved over to my friends and sat down as all of them hailed me for bagging an award. They didn't make me feel less for receiving less than them, and it shows how I chose quality over quantity.
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The ceremony came to an end, and every student was taking pictures with their parents while the DJ moved his things to the auditorium for the afterparty. I quickly ran to my mother, just as my other friends moved to their parents.
"I got the award," I said proudly, showing my mother and grandparents. My grandparents were looking much better than earlier, with their expensive designer outfits.
My mother took my award and read the content. "Most improved, uh."
"We've got Damian to thank." I smiled with my brows up.
"Where is this Damian?" Mother asked, and I traced all over with my eyes in search of him.
"Who's Damian?" Grandma asked.
Mother sighed. "He's her friend."
"Is he just a friend?" Grandma questioned me, and I felt awkward. "You know kids these days, they can do—"
"Mother," Mum sounded fed up. "Nsikan is my daughter; let me train her in my own way."
Grandma sighed and nodded. "I'm sorry I overstepped my boundaries."
"You didn't," Mum sounded forced. "It's an instinct to look out for someone you love. Can you both wait here for a second? We'll be back soon with the camera, man."
Grandfather placed his hands on Grandmother's shoulder before nodding. Mum and I turned and moved in search of the various cameramen present at the event.
I searched for a cameraman, and I spotted Damian handing his award to his mother. She looked so much better. Brighter.
"Damian!" I yelled, forcing my mother to flinch.
"What is it?" my mother scolded.
"That's Damian," I said, pointing at the boy who was already looking our way.
"Oh," my mother acknowledged with a nod. "He's like the son I never wanted."
I knew it!
Mother and I made our way to Damian and his Mum. Both women made pleasantries as Damian and I stood, trying not to stare at each other for too long.
"I wanted to thank the boy who has been tutoring my daughter." Mother said sincerely. "This is the first award she has ever won in her life."
"Mum!" I wanted the ground to swallow me. Damian and his mother let out small laughs, making it even more embarrassing.
"Nsikan was a great help to my son too," Damian's mother said softly.
"I heard what happened," my mother said, her voice filled with pity.
"But it's over now. His trial is in two weeks. We hope justice takes its course." My mum and Damian's mother kept talking nonstop. Mother eventually remembered we'd left my grandparents behind and quickly said farewell to Damian and his mother as we moved to search for the cameraman.
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Parents were gone, and we the students were present with a few of the teachers. The music kept playing loudly, but neither of my gangs was dancing, just observing.
"So you want to dance?" Damian leaned in to ask.
"I can't dance," I said to him. I didn't want to make a fool of myself. His red jacket was now gone, leaving him with a black long-sleeve, which I knew cost a fortune.
"Who cares?" Damian shrugged. "You are dancing with me."
"Let's just dance in pairs to make it even," Stella suggested. "Me and Thompson, Muller and Lara, Chuks and..."
"You just want a dance with Thompson," Chuks said to her face, and Stella let out a shy smile. She was acting all mushy.
"I feel bad. Who are you going to dance with?" Stella cleared her throat. "Or should we rotate?"
"Are we hot dogs that you'll be rotating?" Muller disapproved immediately.
"I'll dance with..." Chuks scanned the hall before pointing at a far end. "Her."
"Elue?!" Stella and I yelled at the same time.
"Dude, I thought you were gay," Muller scoffed.
"I'm effeminate; look it up." Chuks waltzed his way out, leaving everyone in shock. Not because of the effeminate talk, but because he was about to have a dance with Elue.
"Aren't we supposed to hate her?" Stella whispered.
"We are finally leaving secondary school and slowly becoming adults. We shouldn't leave with grudges." Everyone stared at me like I was some different species.
"Who are you, and what have you done to my timid friend Nsikan?" I laughed at Stella's words. I noticed Chuks entering the dance floor with Elue and decided to do the same with Damian. Stella, Thompson, Muller, and Omolara joined us, and soon we were dancing our hearts out.
───※ ·❆· ※───
Damian decided to take me out to the sports complex for some fresh air. We sat on the trimmed football grass as we recalled everything we'd gone through during our last days of secondary school.
"You look beautiful," Damian voiced out sincerely. "I know I've said this, but it's the truth."
I had his jacket around me as it shielded me from the chilled breeze. "And you look more handsome than ever."
Damian gazed at me lovingly before looking ahead. "So what's next? What's your next chapter?"
"Try to get into Unilag," I said with a sigh. "I want to be close to my mum while studying nursing."
I saw Damian smile. "I'm planning on getting into Unilag; same with the guys."
I knew it would be easy for them to get in. I'm the one who had to spend extra hours reading so I could get a shot in.
"But when I meant next chapter, I didn't mean about school or your course of study," Damian spoke quietly and slowly met my gaze. "I meant about us."
I opened my mouth to speak, but Damian interrupted me. "I really like you, Nsikan. It's scary, even to me. I like the fact that you smile irrespective of the things going on around you, and you put your friends first. I haven't taken you on a proper date, and I want to do that in the future. I don't know if this relationship will last, but I don't want fear to stop me from experiencing life with you in it."
Damian's gaze didn't waver. He felt nervous yet was so sure of his decision. I felt my palms sweating despite the cold air. Was he about to pop the question, or was he going to ask us to go on another date so we could be sure? I prayed and hoped it was the former.
"What I'm trying to say is," Damian chuckled. It felt like he was even surprising himself. "Will you be my girlfriend?"
My eyes widened and my jaw dropped when he finally popped up the question I wanted to hear from him. He wanted me to be his girlfriend. He liked me enough to ask that question. He'd just made my day. I wanted to dance and jump so badly. I felt even more happy than when I received my award from the principal.
"Nsikan?"
"Huh?" I gave Damian a wide smile. He grinned at my reaction and shook his head.
"Come here," Damian pulled me closer with his left hand on my waist and his right hand resting against my cheek as he pressed his lips against mine. It was soft and felt right as his lips moved with his mind. It made me feel like my stomach was filled with butterflies as his other hand travelled up, so both would cup my cheeks softly.
I didn't reply with a yes, but my reaction showed that I wanted to date him. He was going to be my boyfriend. I wasn't sure what the future held for us, but I wanted the both of us to last for a really long time.
I tried not to divert into negative thoughts. I savoured this moment for the person my heart yearned for. Damian wasn't giving me a peck like he did in his room just to shut me up. This was a proper kiss...
...and it made me feel good.
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Here's a long chapter for y'all.
Damian finally popped the question and gave Nsikan a proper kiss 😘
The epilogue coming in soon 🤗