∞ What's the mystery? ∞
It was cloudy and thunder clapped as loud as ever with lighting not giving way and as blazing as ever.
But none of this caught Nnenna's attention as she hustled through the busy market of shagisha not surprisingly bustling marketers moving helter shelter in secure of their varieties of goods.
She increased her pace as she sighted the meat seller informally called elerun already packing up to leave for home.
She approached him and smiled gently hardly revealing her teeth.
Unlike normal days she would have to queue for her turn to get the meat but this time she stood eye to eye and face to face with the expression of that's right, right on time he was out of customers she was so happy that it was too obvious to hide.
Without further negotiations, she ordered for the meat to be butchered even if she knew her aunt would be mad but who cares? Yeah, she was excited for the whole scenario but there was more to it. She was expecting a new guest, actually the okonkwo's were.
The main picture of it all was that at last there was going to be a girl around in the house other than her naughty twin cousin brothers.
She hurried back home before a twinkle of an eye. Banging the entrance door almost slightly, she delivered the meat fully packaged to her aunt who hardly paid little attention to her but more attention with what she had cooking on the fire. The same cooking that couldn't stop the whole arena from the enticing aroma of Nsala soup.
Nnenna rushed back to her bed as she heard her phone ring to the adoring tone of "The Climb - Miley Cyrus" before she could even check the caller ID, she heard someone scream her name. She could recognise that voice.... It was her aunt! But this time addressed as "Ada" which means trouble was not far, it was the meat! "Ewo" she had screamed in her soul.
Almost immediately, a knock came at the door earning to Nnenna's aid. She ran to answer it instead of herding to her aunt's call.
As she opened the door it revealed two astonishing ladies giving a preview of her imaginations and dreams coming to reality which all started this morning by 7am when her aunt told her the great news. Ho! Everything she had imagined doing with a young lady like her, maybe the girl would tell her more about girlish stuffs.
"Good afternoon ma" Nnenna knelt down to show respect to the young girl's aunt one could mistake her to be her mother, no doubt! I mean you need to see their resemblance, it's obvi. Lol!
"Afternoon, my dear" she came in as the young girl too followed dragging her feet along "Where's your aunt? Doesn't she know that I'm here already?"
By now Nnenna was already bombarded with heavy bags on her head and hands but she managed to reply "I will call her now"
Aunt moji and the two new guest were now in the parlour; she and the young girl's aunt kept gisting these days current affairs not excluding the recession part.
The young girl sat quietly with her hands on her lap, she didn't seem to be interested in their conversation neither the movie that was playing through the plasma TV on the wall.
Somehow she wasn't comfortable as she kept squirming on the sofa. She was not the chubby type but was surprisingly sweating profusely as if just finishing a relay race being drenched in heat.
"Nne dear, " Aunt moji said immediately Nnenna walked into the sitting room after taking like an hour in the room arranging the visitor's bags in their respective room. She wasn't the hardworking type but somehow she wondered how happiness could make her do lots of things.
"Take our guest to the balcony to make her feel more welcome" she turned to face the young girl "what's your name, love?"
"Ch... Chel.. Chelsea ma" she stuttered
"OK, take Chelsea and make her feel welcome. You guys should try and have fun OK?"
The two girls headed out as Nne tried to keep her enthusiasm hidden as possible.
***
"I'm so happy I met a friend like you, really. Her mother didn't say much when she said she was looking for a suitable place where Chelsea could finish up her studies in secondary school but I noticed there was something wrong or more to it with her voice"
"It OK dear, i'm always glad to be of help. Besides these days my niece Nne has been disturbing me a lot with questions on ladies fashion style, I can't get enough"
"Ladies do grow into women if you give them time" they understood their selves as they burst into laughter.
***
There was a brief moment of silence before Nnenna managed to speak up. She was an extrovert but when it came to acquaintances she suddenly became the shy type. Still... Not for too long.
"So, hmm... Chelsea right?"
"I'm Nnenna, But you can still call me Nne for short or Ada too, my aunt calls me that" Nne giggled almost not realising the awkward silence.
"Chelsea as in arsenal... That's amazing. I'm a fan to Barcelona actually that's because they won in the last game against arsenal. So yeah, it changes...haha" she paused to stare once again at the slightly interested girl in front of her. Is she full of herself or what?
Nne frowned "Look, I don't get why I will keep making a fool out of myself to talk to you. If you are not interested then say it, I'm tired too you know"
There was a odd look on Chelsea's face as she somewhat got into reality suddenly "i'm sorry, what?"
Bewildered Nnenna managed to speak up in disbelief "Gosh, what?!"
"See i'm sorry but" she paused "Can I trust you?" There was confused look written all over Nne's face
"I know it doesn't make sense now but please"
Nne managed to nod her head like an agama lizard, so dumbfounded.
"I really need your help" Chelsea leaned in for a whisper in Nne's ear "My mom is going to be coming tomorrow. She is going to tell you lots and lots of things like monitor me and see to my movements. Worst of all, say unbelievable things about my behaviors but trust me, i'm not who she thinks I am. Please don't adhere to her instructions, please don't be like her, please" her eyes were teary now, filled with pity and worst of all hate.
Nne couldn't help but sympathize with her even if she couldn't understand a bit of the whole scenario which just unfolded itself.
-----
Nne couldn't sleep that night as she kept toiling on her bed for God knows how many times. She was weak and restless. So many questions came rushing into her mind as she tried to push them away but they kept crawling back.
Why was she so blunt at first? What could be wrong about her that her mom keeps getting the wrong idea about her? Why was she on with her trust? Was her thrill about Chelsea's arrival now becoming a mystery?
Nne wondered (as well as the readers, right? Lol)
Seconds turned to mintues and minutes to hours until she finally dosed off.
⑅⃝●♡⋆♡LOVE♡⋆♡●⑅◌
Q/A: What's it about this big deal handed on to Nne that Chelsea was so insecure about?
Any more words...???
Vocabulary ll
Ewo - an exclamation for emphasis
Elerun - Yoruba meaning of meeting seller
Gisting - to chat informally
Nsala - a name of a soup that is traditionally eaten by the eastern people in Nigeria