I should have known that Anne would have never let me get away with it that easily, but the sad reality is that l do not know her that well. Maybe my father had a reason for keeping her away from his family and as it seems, that feeling was mutual.
"you will not walk away from me when l am talking to you little girl, l do not care if you carry my DNA in your veins but when l talk l expect you to listen, do you understand me?" she asks, her face closer to my own that l had expected and her garlic breath fanning my face
"yes ma'am" in situations like these, l have always had to play the inferior to avoid further conflict. I am more than a thousand miles from home in the house of a woman who can very well be a stranger, l wouldn't want to upset her at the start of my holiday when l am still in dire need of her services
"now let us go downstairs and enjoy our dinner. I haven't seen you in forever and l just want us to enjoy our time without any problems, do you understand me?" she asks and l shake my head and follow her down the stairs. I feel relieved when l find that everyone has left but the deafening silence startles me
"l don't usually cook so l brought us some pizza. The last time l spoke to your father he told me that you like pineapple and avocado on your pizza, l hope your taste buds haven't changed"
"what is your take on pineapple on pizza?"
"it's not something that l would ever ask for myself but it is not the worst thing to be put on pizza"
"and what is the worst thing?"
"eggs" as she says the word 'egg' she scrunches up her face and l cannot help but laugh and she joins me reducing her stress marks and wrinkles. For the first time since l have known her, she seems carefree and at ease, a look that does not come by easily to her
"l would have loved to agree with you on that but l love breakfast pizza" My love for pizza knows no boundaries. As long as it looks like a pizza and has flavour then l am all for it even if it means eating pizza in the morning. My mom used to hate that about me.
I didn't subscribe to the many roles that she carved out for me since before her insemination. I am everything she despises and vice versa
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Billy" Anne says throwing her arms around me as soon as she enters the house confusing me further because l have already witnessed this happen, but does that mean that it only happened in my head, l look around the room and l can see that everyone is still in the same position as they were before Anne set foot in the house
"Thank you so much for picking up my niece from the airport as well as babysitting her for me" Anne says to us all and this time l try to rationalise it in my head. Not trying to cause a scene as the one my imagination seems to have already played out
"You are alright with that right?" Jesse asks
"what do you mean?"
"with your aunt paying me to babysit you and all. I would have thrown a fit about it" she says prompting the other to laugh as well but l can't help but question if she knows what just happened. Had she been in my head to see what l had done the first time the scenario played out
"l am still new to the neighbourhood and it would have hurt my feelings to be left in the house alone by myself. And hey, l met you three didn't l? l have people l can call friends"
"alright. Well Anne it is late now and we have to leave. See you when l see you" Jesse says and the other two follow with Maya stopping by my side and giving me a hug
"l will call you tomorrow" she says whispering in my ear, leaving behind a perplexed Anne
"l see you and Maya hit it off. I knew that she would be the one you would get along the most with" Anne says and l nod agreeing with her
"let me go change and then we can catch up" she says walking up the stairs to her room
Sitting back on the couch, l close my eyes to relax but with that comes a pounding headache and a sharp pain in my chest. I immediately open my eyes to find myself in the same living room but only this time, l am surrounded by different furniture and the eyes of an unfamiliar woman staring into into my own
'what have you done Nandipha, l told you to stay away from that boy and now look what has happened' the woman says and l look around to see if there is someone else in the room with me but l find that it is just us two
Who is Nandipha and what has she done to illicit such a reaction from the woman in front of me.
'Mom, l didn't do anything.' Before l can further analyse the situation l am in, my mouth starts to move on its own accord, responding to the mystery woman as if l have insight on the situation
'and how do you explain his mother coming over and threatening my job. You know how much we need the extra income. So l will tell you this once and l want you to understand, break things off with him. Today!'
'that is so not fair' l protest at the news of staying away from the mystery boy
'well so is life. If you don't end things, l will be forced to involve your father' the woman says and before anything else can happen, l am shaken awake and in front of me stands a confused Anne
"are you okay sweetheart? l should have been more considerate, of course you would be tired after such a long flight. Go to your room and rest, we will catch up tomorrow" she says guiding me up the stairs into the guest bedroom that is temporarily mine