"Yes, mother ?" I stood my hands locked behind my back in front of the chair looking at her expectedly as she took a sip from her glass of whiskey and clanked it against the glass table.

" Did you meet our new guest ?" Her cold voice reverberated on the concrete walls , her eyes scanning my face. " No. I was a bit caught up with stuff , I'll go say hello right now."

funny how I see my mother as my boss.. like I was a slave and she was my owner.

" He's Canadian , your aunt brought him here this morning. Noah's been through tough times Blen, treat him well." she leans onto the table to grab her whiskey and I nod quietly walking backwards towards the staircase.

I climb up the stairs wondering how the hell this day ended up with a guy from Canada living with us , my mother suddenly being so fond of him, and my cousin already fanning her face for his hotness and manly charms and after all of this... I don't even know what this guy looks like

I take the turn leading to the guestroom hoping to see what I've heard from others.

*****************************

He was half naked , with his back turned to me, his shirt thrown across the bed and his hands moving folding his clothes and carefully unpacking his belongings. He was settling in,  which was good... I guess.

" You must be Noah ? Welcome to Ethiopia ." I say staring at his bare back hoping he would turn around so I can see his face.

No answer.

He just continued tucking his clothes into the closet like I never existed. I was really annoyed at his ignorance " you know to say a little hello wouldn't hurt ." I huff.

He abruptly turns around facing me  his eyes slightly widening at the sight of me.  He walks forward
" Thank you... if you'll excuse me."   Then pushes past me and heads out of the room leaving me standing there dumbfounded.

It was stupid of me to come here in the first place  , To hell with greetings ! Fuck Ethiopian culture and their stupid respect for guests and visitors.  I stomped out my hands clamped into fists , my nostrils flaring at his disrespectful- ness .

I bumped into someone as I was walking to the corridor and we both fell down on the carpet and I realized my hands were placed on skin as I tried to prevent myself from hitting the floor.  Our bodies were flush to each other ; his hands placed on my waist. we stared at each other in silence for mere moments and he finally spoke up " leaving already ?"

" You didn't give me a reason to stay."

" Yeah, I didn't make a good first time impression." He shows me the faintest of smiles. Some one clears their throat and my face reddens in embarrassment as the realization of our position hits me .

I pulled myself away from him trying to ignore the way his heart was beating seconds ago.

Meron stares at me wide eyed and I wink at her even though I was so shocked that she found us in that position.

I slide in my room, my back straighter than a broom stick and crash onto my bed screaming into my pillow.