"Where were you?" Augusta Onyeka asks me as I enter the house totally drenched from the rain.

"Out." I answer.

"Don't give me that answer. I'm your mother."

I raise my brows with a mocking smile on my face. "Really?"

"I'm tried of this. Whatever this thing is. You have done enough already. Just stop it. You have punished everyone enough. Your father is never home-"

"Oh mother," Bitterness dripping from the last word. "That has nothing to do with me. It's totally your fault you can't keep your man. Nobody else's fault."

She slaps me. I smile at her. "Now we are done can you move out of my way? I really need to get to my room."

She stares at me in shock of my attitude. "You are an ungrateful, wicked and stupid girl!"

"Aww!" I fake excitement. "Thanks mother. I learnt from the best." Saying that I make my way passed her through the stairs. I don't make it to my room before I hear a crash on the floor. I know she broke something and I'm just praying it wasn't the figurine they bought from Thailand last summer. I had taken a liking to that poor thing. But knowing my mother, it was already half way across the room.

I bang my door shut when I reach my room, locking it behind me. My back pressed against my door sliding down to the floor- I cried.

I saw you today. Outside my window, throwing stones at it like you normally did. It was raining and at that moment it felt real. Like we were back in time and everything that happened the last few months was the illusion.

I ran out withouts a second thought. Going to you. Looking for you. But you weren't there. At that moment I realized that maybe, just maybe you were never here.

⚜

The next morning was blissful. Kamsi was the person who came to wake me up and I followed her few minutes later after I brushed my teeth and washed my face. No matter how much my aunt thought she loved me, I didn't want to give her second thoughts when she saw me in all my Godzilla glory.

"Uncle Good morning." Uncle Acho was the first person I saw as I opened the door as he was coming down the stairs.

"My daughter how are you?" He smiled at me. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes uncle."

He nodded. "Oya come and join your sisters. I'm sure they are in the kitchen."

Walking behind him I tried to not think about a lot of things but I failed badly. My sisters. He called them my sisters. He called me his daughter.

"Mummy Sister Chrisè is here o." I raised my head as Bobo's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

I saw Kamsi smile at me and gesture for me to come to the kitchen. I wasn't a shy person I liked to think. I was just socially awkward. I never was a person who was very okay with strangers.

"Chrisè how was your night?" I hear my auntie's voice before I see her. She was sitting in a chair in the kitchen with a tray on her laps as she sliced some onions.

"It was fine."

She smiles at me. "Chinelo!"

"Yes mummy!"

"Show Chrisè what to do o. Nwa m, you were our guest yesterday but from today you are not anymore. Your sisters will show you your morning work."

"Yes." I refrain myself from any honorifics since I was still confused on how to address her.

"Yes what?" A sly smile on her face knowing what I was trying to avoid .

"Yes... Nene." I didn't look her in the eye feeling very uncomfortable at the moment especially with the look her children were giving me.

"Very good."

Chinelo tapped me on the shoulder and gestured for me to follow her. I did.

We reached out side and it was then I noticed the dog cage. I wasn't afraid of dogs but I didn't like them either. I just felt that my life wouldn't be any better if I had one in my life. And unluckily for me I now automatically had three.

"You will be sweeping outside here and mopping the corridor. Don't go near the dog cages, they are not so nice to strangers." Strangers. I know she meant no harm but it didn't make me feel better anyway because she was right. I was just a stranger.

Noticing my silence she coughed regaining my attention. "Thank you. I'll start now. Please where can I get a broom?"

"The kitchen." She says like it's the most obvious answer as she walked back inside the house. Although I never expected any of us to be best friends, I didn't like it with the way she was towards me. She didn't want me here it was obvious. And I wish I could blame her.

"Chinelo!" My mouth moved faster than my head and by the way she looked at me like it was the first time I've called her name or even struck a conversation with her, I wasn't the only one that thought that. And it was. It was the first time I've called her name which was strange since I've met her more than four times.

"What?" Her snarky answer wasn't a surprise to me.

"Do you have a problem with me?"

My question was a surprise to the both of us once again. She stared at me like I've grown another head. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know. That's why I'm asking you?"

She closed her eyes as if she was trying to compose herself. And when she opened it and spoke, I knew that was exactly what she was trying to do.  "Do I have a problem with you? Obviously Miss Americana. I don't care if everyone is running up and down for you because of your dad is high and mighty. I don't care if you lived in a farm your whole life. Or in the US for that matter. What I care about is my family. We aren't billionaires or Dangotes. No we are a family seven, feeding on the salary of a small scale business man and a retail trader. And now you are here and mummy doesn't want to even consider our already bad finance state. I don't hate you per say. I just don't want you here. I taught I was good at hiding it but looks like I'm not. You've never had a conversation with any of us except the one time you helped Kamsi last year. Your bitchy sister thinks she's Arianna Grande. And your mother-" She paused when she felt she had overstepped her boundaries. "I'm so-"

"First Lady wannabe?" I help her complete her statement.

"God yes!!" She cried in frustration. "Wait what?" Surprise reflected in her face after she realized what I said.

On a norm I was going to ignore her or give her a snarky comment that's going to be the best comeback in the history of comebacks. But I didn't. Maybe it was because she was right. Maybe it was because I didn't understand and wished I did. Maybe it was because at that moment when she talked I knew why she did it. She was looking out for her mom and her family.

"You're right. I'm a snob, my sister is a stuck ass bitch and my family is crazy. I know. I really didn't wish to make you uncomfortable in your own house. I'm really sorry. I promise that I won't be a burden. My dad will pay for my everything I promise. I just want to live Chinelo. I didn't ask for my dad to be rich or for my family to be how it is but that's what I got. I just want to live and even that looks to hard to ask for." I noticed how emotional I'm getting so I just ended that topic. "I'm just sorry. That's really all I can say."

"You won't go back." She showed the first sign of life since I stared talking.

I thought about it before I spoke but I already knew the answer. "I won't. I can't."

She then looked at me for a moment before she sighed. "It's time for breakfast. You can come and clean here after that." And she walked away.

I didn't know where that left us but I hoped it was a start. For the first time in a long time I made an attempt to be liked by someone. And I was going to succeed.

⚜

"We are going to grandma's house today." My Aunty announced after the morning devotion. It was my sixth day in the house and still counting. Hopefully.

I hardly saw everyone for the last few days because they were going to school. It was their exam period and they were always very busy. Chinelo wasn't around because she went for lectures. I learnt that the university she attended was not to far from the house. She was just in her first year and she was studying Mass Communication. We haven't had any clash since that day but we always avoided each other.

On the other hand Kamsi was an angel. According to her mom, I would be coming to their school the next term which was next year so she got all her notes photocopied for me since we would be in the same class. We became close especially since I didn't have an option. She was the nicest girl I have ever met. She was also taller and prettier than all her sisters. In the few days I stayed with the Ezukwo's, I learnt a lot about them.

Chinelo was the strictest. She had the motherly aura around her. She could handle her siblings very well and they all respected her. She was also a book worm as she was always with a novel whenever I saw her. That alone made me know we would be good friends.

Kamsi was the peacemaker. She was very chatty and didn't like it when she was told to cook. She also loved watching soap operas. A lot.

Oluebube was the trouble maker. She was eleven years old and she was very smart. She also like pulling pranks on Bobo and pretending she didn't know about it.

I learnt Bobo wasn't his real name. It was Chinedu. He was the most restless five year old I had ever encountered. He also loved his sister Chisa so much who followed him every where.

I found out that Uncle Acho owned a water factory and left by seven thirty every morning and returned by past nine every night. Nene had a shop which she sold some provisions in retail. She took me there twice and I hated it both times. It wasn't far from their house and she usually walked down. I meet the Mama Mattress Kamsi told me about the first day and I noticed it was because she sold mattresses and bedroom items that gave her that nickname.

People calling each other strange names depending on their vocation or maybe their children's name was another that caught my attention. Like how Nene was called Mama Bobo. Maybe it was because of Bobo was the most notorious or because he was the only boy. Whatever reason it was, it didn't make the name any less attractive than it was.

My auntie's friends around her shop could be described in one word. Terrible. They were always talking about someone or something. Anybody that passed the shop was their newest victim. It pained me even more when they started talking about me even when I was just not more than four feet away from them. They didn't stop when I ignored them, they didn't stop when my auntie shouted at them and I was sure they didn't stop when I left telling my aunt I was going home.

The next few days I stayed at home trying my best to avoid the loneliness that was knocking loudly on my door. But when everyone was back it made me think that may be it was an illusion. To much things happening at the same time that loneliness becomes a strange thought. I took a tour around the house when nobody was around one day.I found out it was a five bedrooms with three rooms on the ground floor and two rooms on the first floor.

So after we finished praying and my aunt announces what was going to happen that day I didn't know what to think. I hadn't seen my grandmother in two years and I didn't know how to feel about it. She was my father's mother and not in the list of my top ten favorite people because they were not up to that. She wasn't in the list of my worst either so that was a good thing. I remembered her wrinkled face and her broken smile. She always refused to be called old always claiming we were older than her. And that name! She was always shouting my name in full no matter how much I protested about it.

Remembering that I wasn't so sure I wanted to see her but the look on her face told me that it wasn't a suggestion but a statement. At that moment I missed Aunty Chika. She would have known what to tell me at that point to make me feel better.

"Chrisè?" Someone called. It was Kamsi. "Are you okay?" It took me awhile to notice everyone was leaving the sitting room.

"Umm... I'm fine."

"No you're not. Is it because of what mummy said?"

I feel like lying to her but on a second thought I didn't as I nod my head in agreement. "I know right? Sometimes I don't feel like seeing grandma and just want to stay at home. She really can be intimidating."

I look at her in surprise. "Seriously?" She didn't look like she minded awhile ago.

"No." She dead panned. "But I can pretend to feel like that if it makes you feel better. Mum told me you don't like unfamiliar people and I understand grandma maybe one of them as strange as that seems. I can tell mum you don't want to go." She offered with sincerity in her voice.

"No thank you. It's not like I don't like grandma, I'm just a little overwhelmed." I gave her the best explanation I could think of. "But thank you."

She smiled at me making her beautiful catlike eyes to almost disappear. "We are sisters. You don't need to thank me. Family sticks together."

"Aunty Telemundo. You don start with this your mushy mushy talk." Chinelo appeared at the doorway looking at us. "After you people are through with your bestie goals come and take you food o."

"Jealousy jollof rice." Kamsi teased.

Rolling her eyes she gave a small laugh. "As if. Chrisè if I'm you I'll leave that girl before she infects you with her weirdness. People like us should keep our sanity when we can." I read too much meaning into everything that I knew. Growing up the way I did you would learn to do that. And that was why when she said the last statement I read a dozen things into it. People like us. She. I. In the same category. Maybe I was reading a lot into it. But I that moment I felt it was her way of saying something else.

I've accepted you. Family.

"True. I wouldn't want to start talking to myself when I'm bored or crying at the TV every time a guy and a girl stare at each other. Yuck!" I tease following Chinelo's lead as I call out Kamsi's habit.

"You guys can't team up against me!" She fake cried.

"High five Chrisè." Chinelo said raising her hands in the air for one as our palms collide. "I knew I would like you." She jokes laughing at her sisters despair.

At that moment I didn't care if I was over reading anything. I knew what I felt. Us laughing at each other's jokes. Kamsi throwing a pillow at me. I running away from them as they gang up. I felt like I belonged. Here. There. At that moment, I finally knew what it felt like to feel happy.

And free.