Life Of Jiji

All Rights Reserved

©2020Tena Ifiemi

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БЯΞΛКŦΛSТ ШΛS ΛMΛZłЛG. Until mom said we were not leaving for Port-Harcourt till it was evening because apparently, that was the only flight we could get.

I didn't believe it.

Mom was scheming again, that I know because she soon said;

"Oh that's true Girls? Have you met my friends kids yet? I heard some of them are here in the hotel and they're around your age. I think there's enough time to make new friends."

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It was almost two and mom had gone out, leaving me and Reya at Lady D's suite. Reya was really awkward and has still not said a word the whole day. Immediately we got there, she sank into the nearest bean bag and shut everyone out. She didn't even use her phone.

As if by reflex, I found myself scanning the room for Tobe but he wasn't here. Rachel waved me over and I went to sit beside her. As I walked over, I passed an open door and saw Dianne sitting on a bed. Her eyes shot up and met mine and I immediately looked away, moving quickly.

Is it wrong to say that she creeps me out? Scares me actually.

"Hey boo, whats up?" Rachel hollered and patted the space beside her on the couch.

"I'm okay, I guess." I said, playing with my phone. I could tell she wanted to start a conversation but I wont have anything to say and knowing me, Ill just end up making things awkward.

"So You go to that Meliora school ba?" She asked and I nodded.

Rachel smiled. "You people have fine fine boys ehn."

I laughed at that. Mostly in a bid to add to the conversation than for humour sake.

I sipped on my Chi Exotic. "What about Damian Briggs?" She said and I almost choked. But sis wasn't stopping, "I seriously want to meet that boy, I swear. How does he not live in Lagos?" She groaned.

"I mean, who actually lives in a place that's not Lagos?" She rambled on and I sucked in my lips. "Oops, sorry."

"Its alright." I started to say but Rachel had already continued.

"But seriously, have you seen this guy's Instagram? He's like a freaking model! Port Harcourt girls are so lucky!"

"I was getting more amused by the second."

"Umm Rachel you're in Year 12 right?" I asked, finally looking at her. She nodded. "And you know that Damian is in Year 11?"

Rachel sighed, rolling her eyes.

"He's older than me. Besides, its not like I want to marry him so..."

"Oh, okay." I said, concentrating on rubbing the fingerprints off my phone screen forcing myself not to shake my head.

"Do you mind?"

I looked up to see Dianne towering over us from my sitting position. She was holding two cans of Star Radler and wearing an amused smile. Was she listening on our convo?

"So?" She asked again and Rachel took the drink from her hand.

She looked at me and I started to shake my head, declining the offer. Dianne rolled her eyes and placed a hand on her waist, resting her weight on one leg.

"It's just like 0.7%. It won't kill you." She said and put the can in my hand before walking back to her seat on an armchair which I now realized, was directly opposite us.

"It's actually really nice." Rachel said and I turned to her sharply. I was lost in space for a while and I guess I was a bit startled. "You should try it."

I nodded, but I still didn't open it. I was about to make an attempt on starting conversation when my phone's ringtone went off sharply.

Not bothering to look at who was calling, I picked up the call and placed it to my ear immediately. My ringtone had made the chattering die down a bit and some had turned to source out the noise.

Remind me to put my phone on vibrate next time I'm out.

"Hello, I was expecting to see your face and not pitch darkness. Are you naked? Wait, if you were you wouldn't bother picking up in the first place now would you? Jiji? You there?"

I ended the call immediately I realized what was happening and stared at my phone in horror. Rachel's eyes followed mine and immediately it landed on the same screen I was staring at, her eyes almost immediately came to rest on me, her eyes wide as saucers.

My phone started ringing again.

Damian Briggs.

I was in a dilemma of whether to actually answer or not, Rachel's still staring by the way.

Pssstt.

I looked up, it was Dianne. She tilted her head in the direction of her room. The same one I saw her in when I came in and the same one I first talked to Damian in. When I didn't move at first, she moved both hands in a shooing motion, looking rather impatient.

I got up swiftly, Star Radler and Phone in hand. When I got there though, I realized that the phone had already stopped ringing.

I flopped down on Dianne's bed, a waft of lavender serenading me as I lay down, feet still on the ground. Few seconds later, I was calling Damian. My fingers moving on their own instructions.

He didn't answer.

I closed my eyes again but immediately I did so, my phone started vibrating beside me on the bed.

Damian Briggs. I picked up.

Damian?

"You break my heart princess."

I coughed.

"Were you ignoring me?" Damian asked and I blushed. Don't ask me why because I swear, I have no idea.

"No."

"But you left me on read." He whined. "And you've not been online since."

"You're such a baby Damian." I said after a long pause.

"Your baby."

That cracked me up.

Why are you laughing? Damian asked after a few seconds of just listening to me laugh.

"You said you're my?"

"Baby."

I giggled, but I didn't drag it for so long this time. We both stayed silent for a while and I feared he could hear me breathe.

"Do you always flirt like this?" I asked him.

Another pause.

"Only with you princess."

The longest pause.

"Damian..."

"Ejiro!" Dianne burst into the room. I turned, clutching my chest. She scared me.

"What?" I whispered, aware of Damian still on one side of the phone.

"Something is wrong with Reya." She said and I stared at her imagining the worst.

"What do you mean?" I asked again, but this time it wasn't a whisper.

"Jiji? Is everything okay?" I heard and realized that Damian was still on the phone. I ended the call without a word and went into the sitting room, where I last saw my sister.

She was on the bean bag, clutching her chest and wheezing. I ran to her and noticed that she had tears streaming down her face. Before I could hold her, someone pulled my arm.

"Is she asthmatic? Where's her inhaler?" It was Tobe. The same Tobe that she cheated on Mitchel with.

My head was spinning. Its been years since Reya had an attack. Does she still even have an inhaler? Throwing Tobe's hand off of me, I made for the door, pushing everyone out of my way. It was when I tried to slide the card to open our room that I realized that I was shaking. I began to ransack Reya's things as soon as I got in.

Please God, let nothing bad happen. I prayed as I dialled my mom's number.

"Mommy." I cried.

"Ejiro? Nne? Ogini?" I must have sounded very worried because my mom hardly ever speaks Igbo or calls me by my full name.

"Its Reya. She's having an asthma attack. I cant find her inhaler."

"Oh my God. Jiji, baby, calm down. Look, I have an inhaler in my bag, okay? I'm in the elevator. I'm almost there, yeah?" She said trying to reassure me before ending the call. I ran back to Lady Ds suite.

"Move! She needs to breathe." I yelled at the crowd of people around her, shocking even myself.

What was even more shocking was that they actually dispersed. I noticed that Dianne, Tobe and Dunni still stayed but at least they kept their distance.

I sank beside Reya and held her hand in mine. Her eyes were open but she was not looking at me, she was staring at the ceiling, her tears never ending. I didn't realize I had also been holding in tears until Reya squeezed my hand and clutched her chest even tighter. Thankfully, that was when mom showed up. She came with two people behind her. I realized they were Dianne's parents after a while.

My mom knelt on the other side of Reya and put the inhaler into her open mouth.

"Reya darling. Swallow okay? Please, do it for me."

"Dare oya carry her, lets get to the hospital." Lady D told her husband immediately Reya calmed down. He obeyed and effortlessly lifted Reya over his shoulder. Mom's hand found mine and gripped it tight.

I let her.

The hospital wasn't so far and they attended to Reya immediately. I was beside her when she regained consciousness (she had blacked out in the car). She was on a drip and they had to give her something called a nebulizer. This time Mom didn't make us stay another day. We left for Port-Harcourt that same day after the doctor said Reya was okay enough to fly.

I had the longest conversation with Reya just after she woke up. Mom was outside running some errands at the moment. I had been watching her sleep and once she opened her eyes I couldn't say anything. I stared at my jeans until she spoke.

"You talked to Mitchel." was the first thing she said.

"What?" I asked, jerking my head up immediately surprised that she spoke and confused at what she was speaking of.

"You didn't have to tell him, y'know? I was wrong and I messed up and..."

She broke off biting her lip.

"I won't lie and say it was the drink... oh my God, do you know how stupid I feel? I don't even like the boy and Mitchel is everything to me. But I don't blame you, you're more of his friend than you're mine. I understand that you were just looking out for him and..." I stopped her immediately I noticed the tears standing in her eyes.

"Reya."

She stopped talking but she didn't stop crying.

Unable to stop myself, I grabbed her hand. I could feel her stiffen, she was probably shocked but that's okay; I was shocked too. I didn't talk to Mitchel. I told her. I don't even have his number yet.

And it was true I gave Mitchel my number but he hasn't contacted me since.

She probably didn't believe me because she withdrew her hand from mine.

"Like I said, I'm not blaming you for what will happen. Even if you didn't tell him, I'd have told him eventually so..."

"I said I didn't tell him anything. I don't have his number." I said, frustrated, one step away from yelling. "Is this why you had that attack? You were that worried?"

"Despite what happened, and what you think about me, I actually really like Mitchel. You shouldn't even be judging, you don't know what we've been through, I've known Mitchel for six years now even though we've only dated for two months; way longer than yours and his friendship and you barely even know me." She had sat up now, alarming me. The real Reya was resurfacing.

I counted to ten. I breathed in and out. I swallowed.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound judgmental."

She stared at me, like I had suddenly grown an extra nose. "What is wrong with you?"

"I don't understand."

She stared at me long and hard before laying back on the bed, staring straight at the ceiling. It was quiet for a long time and Reya remained in that position. At some point it started to scare me because it reminded me of how she was when she was having that attack at the hotel.

"You don't always have to run away from shit okay? When there's an argument, argue it the fuck out!
Some things are worth fighting for."

I frowned. How do I reply to that? What does she even mean? She didn't want me to apologize? But I didn't need to worry, Nurse Nelly decided to show up, all smiles as usual.

"Ejiro, oya leave your sister to rest. Let her sleep small so that we'll discharge her today. Except you guys want to spend the night here."

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Double update cause I can ✌🏼

Anyhoo... 'Tobe' is pronounced 'Tobay' just in case that was a problem. 😊

And if there's something you don't understand or that you'd like me to expatiate on, you can say something in the comments. ❤

Catch ya!

❤TenBen