Celeste

As I walk through the door, the familiar smell of Uncle Kunle’s DIY pancakes fills the air. He’s at it again, whipping up his secret recipe in the tiny kitchen. “Well done, sir,” I say, shutting the door behind me with a thud.

Uncle Kunle glances up, wiping his hands on a kitchen towel. “Welcome, my dear.” He sets the towel down, his full attention on me now. Great.

“I had a lesson with the new teacher,” I mumble, collapsing onto the living room sofa. “Not that I had much of a choice.” My eyes roll instinctively as I sink deeper into the cushions.

Uncle Kunle’s apartment is tiny—more like a cramped corner of a town than a proper home. The old wooden furniture creaks whenever someone moves, and the paint on the walls is a few decades past needing a refresh. But it’s what we’ve got, and I’ve never been one to complain.

“Well,” he says, tilting his head at me, “can you be more detailed?”

I drag myself off the sofa, trudging over to him with a frown that’s probably way too dramatic for the occasion. “You should focus on English for now,” he continues, ignoring my grumpy theatrics. “I spoke with your mum a while ago. She gave the go-ahead for your extra lessons with Mr. Dominic. Don’t let a subject hold you back, Celeste.”

I feel a burning sensation rising in my chest as his words sink in. It's not just the new teacher; it’s everything—the unfamiliar, the unfair, the unknown. Without another word, I spin on my heel and storm into my room, slamming the door shut behind me. My breath comes out shaky, and I realize my whole body is trembling. What’s wrong with me? It’s like I’m catching a fever over this teacher... and my life.

I slump against the door, staring at the ceiling as questions swirl in my mind. Why does my mum care so much about these lessons? What’s Uncle Kunle not telling me about Mr. Dominic? And why, despite everything, do I feel like I’m missing something big—something life-changing—that’s about to slip through my fingers?

Someone needs to tell me the truth about my life. Or maybe, just maybe, I’m not ready to hear it.