Thirty seven

        Marcel was seated at our old seat on the next combo day when I walked into the class. I stopped at the door and stared at him, ready to push him off if I had to but Abike placed her hand on my shoulder and gestured to her seat while she took the spot beside him. 

He tensed as she sat and I avoided looking at them for the rest of the class. 

A junior student stepped into our English class and whispered something to the teacher. 

"Amanda Okorie. You are needed at the principal's office". Madam Osita said and waited for me to leave before resuming the lesson. 

I walked through the deserted class block to the principal's office where her office assistant just smiled and pointed towards the door. 

"Amanda. Do you know this man?" Ms. Flora pointed to the man who was seated across from her and had his back to me. 

I nodded as he turned to look at me. 

"Yes, Ms. Flora. He's my.... We live together".

"Right". He eyes narrowed behind her spectacles. 

"Well, he's here to take you home, some family emergency".

I turned to look at Kunle who already had his eyes on me. 

"Uncle. Any problem?" I inquired. 

"Your mother is sick, Amanda. She needs you". The tone of his voice made me chill. My mom didn't just have a fever. 

"I tried to get in contact with your mother but I can't reach her. Mrs. Dapo confirmed everything he said so if you trust Mr. Wurade then I'll let you go with him".

I nodded again. 

"I trust him".

"Okay, get your things and bring your Exit card for me to sign you out".

"I'll wait at the car". Kunle announced and left the office with me. 

I was about to bombard him with questions but his son was outside the office, waiting. 

"Marcel. I didn't think they'd let me see you". Kunle admitted and Marcel shrugged. 

"School prefect benefits. Is there a problem?" He looked from his dad to me. 

Kunle cleared his throat. 

"Nneka is sick and requested to see Amanda. It's nothing serious". He tried to assure him when he saw the worry that crossed Marcel's face but we all knew he was lying; it was serious.

"Okay. Give her my well wishes". His dad nodded. 

"Meet me in the car". Kunle told me and walked off. 

I took the opposite direction that led back to the class block but Marcel stopped me. 

"Amanda".

It was the first thing he was saying to me in over a month. 

"I'm sorry". 

If I hadn't been so worried about my mom, I'd have laughed in his face. 

"I was a coward, I should have cut Chris off, I'm sorry that I didn't know how. We've been friends from Js1, I didn't know how to stop being his friend. 

I'm sorry if it seemed like I was taking his side, I didn't know how to face you but I should have stood up for you sooner, I should have been your friend too".

I knew Marcel enough to know when he was being sincere and I had no doubts that he was at that moment but I didn't know how to have that conversation at the moment and Kunle was waiting for me so I walked away without uttering a word. I returned to class, packed my books and related the situation to Abike before going to have my Exit card signed. 

        Kunle entered the car as he saw me approaching and rode out of the school compound without saying anything but I couldn't wait through the ride, I needed the whole story right then. 

"Uncle Kunle". He sighed like he had been praying against it. 

"I'm sorry, Amanda". The apologies were rolling in today but didn't soothe me in any way. 

"What's going on?"

"Your mom has cancer". He kept his eyes straight ahead. 

"What?"

"I'm sorry you are only just finding out, we didn't want to worry you".

"Worry me... How long have you known?"

"A year". I scoffed. 

"An entire year and no one bothered to tell me".

"We were hoping it wouldn't come to this".

"Come to what?"

He sighed and wiped sweat off his forehead. 

"She needs a bone marrow transplant. It's leukemia".

"Blood cancer". I breathed and he nodded. 

"You are a match". I turned to him with a frown. 

"How do you know that?"

I had never seen the man uncomfortable and it was a bit satisfying to know he was jittery because of me. 

"The doctor told us she'd be needing a transplant towards the end of last year and we began searching for donors. Nneka didn't want to ask something like that of you, she said she already owes you too much but when you fell and came to the hospital for a test, I had a sample of your blood sent to LUTH to see if it matched. The results got back two weeks ago. I only just convinced your mom to let you do this for her".

I turned to look out the window. I was angry, I had never been more angry and I was trying my best not to take it out on Kunle. For a while I had started to think she was happy, that she was okay but she was battling with cancer. I felt deceived and scared. 

"She's going to be fine". Kunle's voice filtered in through my rage and I nodded stiffly. 

He quietly rode us home and asked me to pack a bag, my mom had been admitted at LUTH where she was receiving chemotherapy and we were flying out the next day to meet her. 

The airport was huge, I had never been near one before but I didn't have it in me to savor the moment. 

There weren't a lot of people around and we had to wait only a couple minutes before boarding the plane that looked fifty times bigger than what flew over my roof sometimes. 

Sitting on that plane for a little over an hour I felt like I was lacking behind, so much was going on and I couldn't keep up. From selling oranges in the park to having bone marrow transplants, it was just something I never foresaw, something I wasn't prepared for but I don't think anyone truly prepares for the worse case scenario because if we did then it wouldn't be as bad.

        Riding a cab through the streets of Lagos was a bit disappointing, even the city I grew up in now felt unfamiliar. The cab dropped us off at the front of a hotel called Serena and Kunle took our bags in, walking past the receptionist to the elevators. My head grew heavier the higher we ascended and I made a mental note to never ride the elevator again. 

I followed Kunle out of the box like a sheep until he stopped and knocked on a door. I heard the door open but Kunle's back blocked my view of it until he picked up our bags and walked in and there she was, my fragile mother, her face cloaked with guilt. 

I wanted to be mad at her for a lot of reasons, even the ones she had no control over but the thought of living a life without her scared me into her unsuspecting arms. I hugged her in a way I never thought I would because I needed her to know that I was doing it for me, I needed her to be okay, for me.