Last updated on December 8th, 2023 at 03:40 pm
Elizabeth was my paternal cousin, the sister I never had. They were just two—she and her brother. I had thought about it many times that if her sibling was a sister would we be this close? I think we would. She was really close to her brother, who was also like my brother, but our age difference was a lot, so there was not much we could discuss.
Her dad was my father’s younger brother, but he got married earlier than my dad, hence Elizabeth and her brother being older than me. She was about two years older than me, but it had never even occurred to me, well, except I needed something from her. Then I reminded her that she was my big sister. It never worked though.
Her brother worked in a bank in Abuja and only came home once in a while. He was very much like Elizabeth: kind-hearted, funny and welcoming, although he was way more reserved than her. Elizabeth was more outspoken, blame it on her being the last born. Speaking of this, being the only child, I once asked my mum why she never had other children and she told me to ask my dad.
When I asked my dad, he told me I was too young to understand it. When I got to know that I had two step-siblings, I felt part excitement and part betrayal. Excitement because I actually had siblings, but betrayal because they were not from my mum. My dad not only cheated, but he started another family. If he had not told me himself, I might have felt a lot of anger and probably avoided him. But he told me himself.
You would find my father slipping and spilling some details more than my mum. Almost like he did not want the divorce but he did not know what to do. It made me perplexed, if he did not want the divorce why did he cheat? Not once, twice, not even thrice! I asked him why and he said I would not understand. They had been trying to get divorced for the past year and they still had not sat me down to explain the whole situation. I guess I won’t understand.
At eighteen, they still maintained that they were protecting me because I was too young. I wondered when I’d be old. My phone rang and I knew it was Zabby. I preferred to call her Zabby since every other person called her Beth,Elizabeth or Lizzy.
“Angie, how are you?”
“I am fine ma, what’s the plan?”
“I am going to take my bath now, then prepare and take Uber to your side. Then we will go from there.”
“Okay ma, I have been lazing about since I woke up, let me also get prepared. See ya!”
“Muuaah!” Elizabeth replied with a kissing sound over the phone.
***
We were in the dress store and hadn’t really found any gowns, not because there were no nice gowns here, but because we had been talking since we got here. One would think we had not seen in ten years with the way we talked.
“Angie this gown is nice, what do you think?” Elizabeth asked.
“Wait, what colour do you have in mind?”
“Orange na.” I knew she was going to say orange.
“Whose favourite colour is orange? Orange of all colours.”
“Mee” She replied, raising her hand.
“Okay, okay, let’s do orange or white. We would split now, you get all the orange gowns you like and I get all the white gowns I like, deal?”
“Hmmm… Let me think about it. I know you want to scam me into wearing white.”
“Well, not if you pick a better gown. Bye.” I replied and went on my hunt.
***
Zabby and I were in the Uber back to her house. We eventually settled for a white gown for her convocation and an orange gown for her pre-convocation shoot; she could not deny that the white gown was way better than the orange gown she chose. I’d be staying with her until her convocation day so I could assist if needed.
“I can’t believe it’s your convocation already,” I said, facing her. We had been quiet for a bit after talking nonstop since we got into the car.
“Angela, it’s still surreal. Everything in this life is just a matter of time.”
“I tell you.”
“I am happy though. It feels like a burden has been lifted off my shoulders.”
“Where do you intend to serve?”
“I am still thinking about that.”
“What options do you have?”
“Well, Lagos, Abuja, Bayelsa…” I looked at her and rolled my eyes, she continued. “Yes, yes…Akwa Ibom too!”
“You are not ready. At all.” She started laughing.
“I can just decide to remain here though. I love Enugu and I know you will roll your eyes because you like throwing yourself far from everyone. I like being close to home.”
“Home it is then!”
“Right? Let me face this convocation first.”
“Okay, ma.”
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