Chapter 7- ị na-asụ Igbo?

After the whole get together incident I refused to talk to Nenye because I was angry with her. Even when we went to church I didn't say a word to her. CJ noticed it but as expected Nenye didn't, maybe she did but she acted like she didn't show me that what I was doing was stupid.

"What's wrong? Are both of you fighting or something?" He asked during praise and worship. The voice of the chorister singing filled the church, he had to shout so that I could hear him.

I just shook my head and said, "No."

It's not like I was lying, Nenye and I weren't really fighting. I mean you can't fight someone when the person does not even acknowledge that both of you are fighting. If I actually fought her then that will just be me attacking her, making me look like the bad person.

After praise and worship, it was time for testimonies. I was sitting beside CJ while Nenye sat somewhere in front of us. I could see her hair tie from where I was. Her head looked like it was facing down. I could only guess that she was on her phone.

"Typical," I thought and shook my head again.

I brought out my phone to check the time, it felt like we had been here way more than two hours.

9:09 am, it read.

51 minutes to go. I looked up to see someone walk up to where Nenye was and sit beside her. A girl in a long yellow dress. I'd never seen those two talking before, what could they have been talking about?

The girl whispered something to her ear and she turned around briefly. At first, I thought she was looking at me but then I turned to see if anyone recognizable was behind.

I scanned the crowd briefly. Different faces crossing my line of view. Then it landed on two familiar faces, people that I never in a million years would have expected to be here in this particular church. I mean what were the odds?

Chidindu sat at the back seat with Vicky beside him. She had on a pair of shades. Which if you asked me about it I'd say that it was very odd. I never would have thought Vicky to be part of those people who wore shades indoors. Nenye always criticized anyone she caught in the act and called it tacky.

Their parents were somewhere in front of them. Vicky's mother whom I was even more surprised to see was sitting with her new husband. Both of them were wearing matching Ankara.

They looked like a happy couple. Vicky's mother was practically glowing beside him. Her smile was content like she had everything she'd always wanted in him.

I had never met Vicky's father, but whenever Vicky mentioned him, it was always when she was giving examples of men who were and I quote "scum". This word was used very often by both her and Nenye. Mostly on Vicky's father, because of how he left her and her mother. 

Like one day he was there and the next he was gone without a trace. It was only after months that her mother tracked him down and found out he had started a new life in Italy with another woman.

I looked away before they could catch me staring at them. Looking back at Nenye who was still talking to the girl in the yellow dress, I wondered what those two were still talking about.

After the Church service, we had to wait in the church's parking lot for my father. He was a Deacon in the church and all the Deacons were supposed to be having a meeting with the resident pastor.

I could see mom talking to the head of the women's fellowship a few cars in front of ours. CJ was sitting at the driver's seat with the car key in his hand and Nenye was outside, leaning on the car with her arms folded.

The girl with the yellow dress appeared from nowhere and started addressing her.

"Have you spoken with Vicky?" She asked.

"No I haven't, where is she?" Nenye asked as she stood up from the car.

"I just finished talking to her, she said that she was coming here," The girl said and looked around for Vicky.

I spotted Vicky coming with Chidindu right behind her. She still had her shades on. They came closer and I could see her face better. She didn't have any makeup on and she looked tired like she didn't sleep well last night.

"I'm so glad you came," Nenye said and hugged her briefly.

"I'm not, if not for my mother, I wouldn't have come at all."

Chidindu scoffed at that and she glared at him. She ignored him and continued.

"My head hurts like as if I got hit by a truck," She said while rubbing her head.

"I'm not surprised, you drank a lot yesterday," The girl in the yellow dress said.

So the girl had been in that get together with both them.

"It was not my fault, it's that stupid game, that you guys suggested we play," Vicky complained.

"Never have I ever? Who would have known that you had done almost everything they listed," The girl laughed.

CJ came out of the car to join their conversation. He stood beside Chidindu and said.

"What are you guys talking about?"

Vicky looked at him and removed her shades.

"Jeez, Vicky your eyes," He exclaimed.

"Don't tell me I look horrible, I will not forgive you if you do," She warned.

He smirked and said, "Okay, I won't, I'll just lie and say you look fucking ugly."

Wait, what? Is that a compliment or an insult.

Nenye smacked him and said, "We're still in church."

Vicky smiled at him and put the shades back on.

"Let's go to the church canteen," The girl in yellow suggested.

"Do I have to follow you," Chidindu asked.

"No, you're free to go wherever you want to. Just don't go far from here or anywhere I can't find you," She said and hooked her elbow with Nenye's. The four of them left for the canteen. Leaving me alone in the car.

Chidindu who was still standing outside looked around as if looking for where to go. He was just like me, we both did not have anybody to talk to in this church. I decided to invite him to join me and wait in the car. There's no harm in being nice.

"You can wait here with me if you want," I said.

He stood still at first as if contemplating staying with me or leaving. He chose to stay and went ahead to lean on the Sienna's open car door. I moved from where I was inside to come out and sit by the edge of the car seat so that my legs were outside.

We both stayed in silence as we watched the people around us go about doing whatever they were doing.

"So what's your deal?" He asked.

"My deal? What deal?" I asked confused.

"Like what exactly is your thing, you're not like Vicky and your sister but you're always around them, why exactly is that?"

What was this boy talking about?

"Just because I have people who act a certain way, does not mean I have to, I'm not even into all those things that Vicky and Nenye do." 

He turned to face me, his hands were resting on the top of the car door. He stood in front of me, his body was blocking my view. I moved inside because I felt weird sitting so close to where he was.

"What are you doing? Do you know how this looks like?" I asked, pointing out our position.

"What? Are you afraid of a little church gossip about you?" He asked.

"No, I'm not, I'd just prefer people gossiping about the things that I've actually done to the ones that I haven't."

He scoffed.

This boy though. I could smell his perfume from how close he was. It was faint but it was still there. It smelt like flowers, like a woman's perfume.

"You smell like a girl," I pointed out.

He lifted his shirt and sniffed it.

"It's Vicky's mother's perfume, she tried to spray some on me this morning, I stopped her though but it seems like some of it got on me."

"Isn't she also your mom? You don't have to call her that."

He smiled and said.

"I already have a mum, I don't need another one," His tone said otherwise from his current facial expression.

I suddenly remembered the framed picture. The one that had his mother in it. I could only guess that he missed his real mother. I wanted to ask him what happened to his mom but I just wasn't sure if asking was crossing boundaries. I mean he barely knew me.

"If you want to ask about my mum, don't, she's out of the picture," He said.

"Oh... I'm sorry."

"No she's not dead, she's just not in Nigeria," He explained.

"Oh," I said in realization.

"Do you still talk to her," I asked.

He gave me a look like I told you not to ask.

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to," I said.

He sighed and stepped back to his position by the car door.

"I used to but not for some time now."

I moved back to the edge of the seat.

"I'm sorry," I said again.

"I told you she wasn't dead."

"Yes, but you still miss her, don't you?" I asked.

He didn't say anything. I guess he didn't feel like answering. I tapped the chair idly for some seconds before I asked again.

"Do you have any other siblings?"

He shook his head and said, "Thank God for that. At least I'm the only casualty from the war that was my parent's broken marriage."

Wow.

I could see mom coming, and dad behind her but someone stopped him and started talking to him. CJ and Nenye were nowhere to be found.

Mom's sharp eyes spotted both of us. She was probably wondering who Chidindu was. Thank God he had the sense to move away from how we were before.

"Who is your friend?" She said as she got to the car.

Chidindu greeted her and I said, "His name is Chidindu, Vicky's new brother."

"Chidindu ị na-asụ Igbo? (Do you speak Igbo)," She asked.

I internally cringed. Why did she have to ask him of all people?

"A na m asu obere obere ( I speak a little)," He said slowly.

My eyebrows shot to the roof. Did this Yankee boy just speak Igbo.

My mom smiled and said, "That's good, continue learning."

She went around to sit at the passenger seat and I whispered to him.

"You speak Igbo?" I asked in wonder.

"Yup, I'm self-taught," he smiled smugly.

"Zaram where are your siblings," Mom asked as she got into the car.

"They went to the canteen together."

"They're coming back, I can see them from here," Chidindu said.

I couldn't see them from where I was seated but when they got close I spotted them. The girl in yellow was no longer with them.

They came closer and Vicky greeted my mom. Nenye and CJ got into the car.

"Vicky where is your mother?" Mom asked.

"She's somewhere around here... I really don't know ma," She finished.

Dad finished talking to the person that had stopped him and came to join us. He entered the driver's seat and started the car.

"I'll call you later," Nenye said to Vicky and closed the door.

I looked back to see Chidindu standing with his hands in his pockets. He was still looking at our car that was driving away.

Vicky said something to him and both of them walked away leaving where we had left them.