~3~ Mr Seye

"YOU'RE LUCKY to have been able to survive that fall young lady" the first time I heard those words from the doctor was the first time that I actually started believing that life was in no way fair.

Nobody wanted me, my parents sure as hell didn't and now even death didn't. I was truly unwanted.

Infact I was still wondering how I managed to survive the fall from my room window. Though I had a lot of broken bones and almost all my ribs were broken, I was still sadly very much alive. Was this some kind of sick joke or what?!

"Are you not going to say anything?!" My mother viciously growled out.

My silence continued, aggrievating her the more.

"See doctor I have a very important meeting to get to, so I will be leaving now" my mother getting feed up with me turned to the doctor and said.

"Is anyone coming in your place to stay with her in the hospital?" the doctor professionally asked adjusting her glasses a little.

"No. My husband is on a business trip out of the country, so he isn't around. And even if he was I'm sure he wouldn't bother to waste his time staying in the hospital with this insolent child, better yet he would have flogged the devil out of her" my mother huffed out with irritation in her tone.

Shock immediately masked the doctors face at her words. I couldn't blame her my mother wasn't really acting like someone whose daughter almost committed suicide. Once again that was Mrs Okafor for you forever the uncaring mother. I know I should have gotten used to it by now but I just can't stop myself from expecting something/anything from her. I thought this time around she might actually care enough that I almost killed myself. What a joke.

.................

"Ma?"

"Ma?!"

I was brought out from the memory I was recalling by my drivers voice.

"Sorry?" I responded while blinking a little.

"We've reached the house" He said gesturing to the big mansion in front of us.

"Oh right, thank you, Mr seye" I muttered, opened the car door and came down. I guess I spaced out for too long.

As I was about to close the door Mr Seye spoke.

"Oga and Madam said I should inform you that they would be coming home late today, and that you should eat dinner by yourself" He reported to me with a little smile. He was a really nice man, he always had a smile on his face making him look much younger than he actually was.

"Nothing new there" I mumbled.

"Ehn?"

"It's nothing, thank you Mr Seye have a good day"

"And you to Ma" I planted a fake smile on my face and closed the door.

I walked up to the front door and typed in the lock code to enter. The house as usual was as quiet as ever. For the past seventeen years of my life this was how it had always been when I came back from school. They said being an only child would mean you will get the undivided attention from your parents but apparently mine was very different, the only thing I got from being an only child was loneliness. No one to gist or play with, no one to bicker with, it was extremely lonely. At least I know that if I had siblings I probably wouldn't have minded as much if my parents actually cared about me or not.

I began to climb the long tiring staircase to my room which was at the very top. Yay lucky me.

Finally reaching the room I placed my bag on the floor and then starting removing my school uniform. It was quiet uncomfortable, if I do say so myself.

As I removed my blazer my eyes instantly made its way to my hands. Red angry marks/lines that were already healing could be spotted. The more I looked at them the more bad memories kept rushing through my head.

........

'I can't have a daughter that is fat like this o, Rica you better go on a diet immediately. Infact don't bother I will just tell the cook to cut down your food'

...........

'Can you believe, her uniform is not even seizing her again. You will just be eating anyhow like a pig'

.........

'Pig'

'Fat'

'Ugly'

I have gotten very much familiar with those words by now. They were permanently stored in my brain. But I knew I had to move past that, one way or another.

Remember you're not the same person as before Rica. Not the same.

Time skip.....

"Miss are you sure your parents would approve of me driving you to the shopping mall this late" Mr Seye asked, he looked beyond nervous.

"I honestly don't think they would care" I muttered.

"Sorry Ma you say?"

"Nothing. Just wait for like ten minutes I would be out as soon as I finish" I gave him my ever famous fake smile and got out of the car before he could protest further.

That was five minutes ago. I was presently at ShopRite in Jabi lake Mall shopping for toiletries for myself. When Mr Seye said my parents wouldn't be soo happy that I came out this late, I was actually tempted to laugh at that instance, but I held it back. The poor man didn't know the type of relationship I had with my parents, infact no one did. They could care less even if I went out in the middle of the night to a night club sef.

I've been looking for the roll that they kept tissue for sometime now and I just can't seem to find it.

"Oh there it is" I muttered to myself finally location the roll where different brands of tissues were kept.

As I reached out my hand to pick one and keep in my shopping basket a hand also reached to pick the same item I wanted.

"Sorry, please go ahead" I said already prepared to pick another one.

"Rica?" As I heard my name I turned.

Surprised I spoke "Dili?" A big grin abruptly broke out on his face, he seemed excited to see me for some reason.

"What a coincidence" I narrowed my eyes at him. This was too much of a coincidence.

"What are you doing here?" I squinted my eyes further.

"It's a general mall Rica, is there a reason that I can't be here?" he chuckled amused by my sudden question. I blushed embarrassed that I was jumping into unnecessary conclusion. Thank the Lord that my skin my dark, making it hard for him to know I was ferociously blushing.

"Right, sorry" I mumbled.

"You apologize way too much Rica" he gave me a look I couldn't quite figure out.

"Anyways" he started talking again once he noticed that I wasn't going to say anything anytime soon "This is actually perfect timing sef"

I stared at him confused not seeing were he was going with this.

"You left me hanging in the library" I still looked at him not getting what he was saying.

"Don't you remember? this afternoon? when I asked you to be my friend in the library, but just gave me a quick apology and ran out of there as of something was pursing you" he looked... would I use the word... Sad for some unknown reason. Or was I seeing clearly.

"Oh that" I said as realization dawn on me. I remember I actually did that, I didn't know how to respond to his question, so I did the only thing I could do and ran out of there before you could even utter the word 'Jack'.

"Yes that" he mimicked me.

"So now I want an answer, can we be frien....."

"See ehn please just leave me alone" I cut him short.

"What?" He blinked a little, the smile that was once on his face was replaced with a confused frown.

"I said leave me alone" I said aloud not only surprising Dili but also myself.

"I never thought I would see the day you would speak this loud" I only glared at the tall boy and continued speaking.

"I don't know if this is some sort of prank or if you were even forced to do this"

This was not the first time that something like this had happened to me. The first time it happened I was so gullible that I fell for it almost immediately, not having any friends would do that to you.

"No na haba, that's not I.."

"But please just leave me alone na, pretend like I don't exist, you've done that pretty well from the past three years that I've known you, it shouldn't be too hard"

"Rica you're not listening to..."

Once again I cut him short of his words.

"My life isn't the greatest, I don't want you adding to my wahala, please" I said reverting back to my low voice.

(A/N: wahala is a Nigerian slang for *troubles*)

I stretched my hand, carried a random pack of tissue and left immediately. Not once looking back.