"Knock, knock" She knocks at the door to Salah's apartment.
"Halloo," Salah says opening the door. "Oh, hi, Adanna and Andrew welcome to my castle" He smiles cockily
"More like a dungeon," Adanna says and pushes her way through into his apartment. "I'm starving," She says and goes to the kitchen and grabs the cake on the kitchen slab.
"Taking without asking is stealing Adanna" He yells
"Like you don't do the same in my house," She says with her mouth full of cake and her clutching a can of Fanta she just took from the fridge.
"That's different. Here is a castle and I'm the K.I.N.G, so you have to ask the K.I.N.G who is me for permission" He yells pointing at himself.
"Don't care, I'll be in your room that's if it's habitable for humans and I'll be using your laptop"
"Password to my laptop and Netflix is in my upper drawer to the left." He says with his hands on his head knowing he lost whatsoever battle he and my sister were having and I let out a chuckle at his facial expression.
"I apologize for what I said." He says and I sigh.
Salah has a habit of not saying sorry so instead of saying sorry he says I apologize. According to him saying sorry is not his style and it makes him feel weaker.
"Na don't worry about it" I waved it off. "It doesn't matter" I add.
"Bro it does, I was being an insensitive moron. I shouldn't have said that because at that time you were depressed."
"My dad isn't dead" I blurt out.
"You said what!?" He yells.
"I'm not going to apologize for interrupting whatever you two are having right now. I just want to tell you that I'm going off to meet Miranda and that Andrew is your problem now" Adanna interrupts.
"Since when did I become a problem?" I act offended
"You didn't know you were a problem?" She asks sarcastically as she always does. "Love to break it to you that you've been a problem since you were born."
"You try so hard to be nice." I roll my eyes
"Awn thank you 'Problem' I'm always nice." She smiles. "And Salah as I said your problem now."
"What? What if I have plans?" Salah asks ruffling his dark curly hair.
"Not my business," She says clutching her bag. "I can't leave my brother alone because of the state he's in. So, you have to take care of him." She says and leaves.
"Now your sister is gone, mind explaining the part of your dad not dying because I'm pretty sure I came with my dad that day to mourn the loss of your father," Salah says
"Adanna told me that she found out that he wasn't dead and that she found out about a year ago."
"Is that why she left last year without telling anyone?"
"Yes, she went out to clear her head apparently she couldn't live in the same house with a maniac."
"And who is the maniac this time because Adanna has called lots of people maniacs."
"It's my mum. She staged the death of my dad." I stop but he motions for me to go on. "He was supposed to die but somehow he's not dead."
"How? How is this possible? I mean it could be a scam, what if it's not really your dad."
"SHE SAW HIM, BRO, WHAT DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND? THE MAN I PLAYED SOCCER WITH, THE MAN I TALKED WITH AND THE SAME MAN WHO DROVE ME TO AUNT HILDA'S HOUSE WHO IS SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD IS ALIVE.YES, ALIVE, FOR THE PAST ELEVEN YEARS I THOUGHT HE WAS DEAD."I scream.
"You need to leave your house and when you're less angry you talk to your mom for the details, because if you talk to her in this state I doubt you'll be able to get anything from her," Salah says calmly.
"Can I stay here for now?" I ask
"The only one in the Briggs family that actually asks," He says referring to me. "But don't worry you can stay here as long as you want, I mean, you're my brother and I don't have a choice since your sister already sent me a message saying that I should make sure you stay here until you're not as angry as you are now."
"I'm not angry!" I protest
"Yeah, yeah let's keep it like that before you tear my apartment apart," He says as he walks out of the living room.
Days later Miranda called me and told me that the deal went well and that they are holding the launch party in three days' time and that was the day I planned to confront my mum on the issue of my dad being alive but I had to go to Miranda's party.
And if I talk to my mum before the day of the party, I might ruin it because I will be in a worse state.
So, I think of how to approach my mum on the matter since I've basically been ignoring her calls and the relatives' calls for the past four days.
"So I called her and she said it's cocktail-themed and I can't decide on what to wear and then I remembered you don't have any clothes at all because all your clothes are at your house," Salah says interrupting my thought.
"Maybe we could go shopping or something I don't know"
"Yeah, we could," He says. "Anyway, I'm off to work because I have a job in case you forgot"
"I'm so sorry" I apologize. Because of me, Salah hasn't gone to work in days because he is afraid something bad will happen to me when he's gone. Salah works in his dad's business firm.
"Yeah whatever, I'm gone" He leaves.
"Just kick the ball, Andrew, you can do it I know you can," My dad tells the four-year-old me.
"What if I can't?"
"You don't know till you try"
I kick the ball so hard that I fall on my butt and the ball goes straight to the net and my dad screams "GOAL" and carries me on his back and keeps chanting.
"You deserve a medal. I knew you could do it. You want a price?" He asks and I nod
The buzz from the table interrupts my flashback. I check who the caller is and find out it's an unknown number that's been calling.
"Helloo?" I answer the call
"Andrew I've been calling you for like two thousand hours now why aren't you picking up," The caller says, and I roll my eyes
"What a way to start a phone call Benjamin" I respond
"How did you know it was me?"
"Maybe because only you start a phone call like that"
"Anyway, how far," He asks me how I'm doing in the Nigerian pidgin language.
"I'm good, how about you? How is Nigeria?"
"Heard it's good, though I haven't been there in a long time"
"Why?" I ask surprised because Benjamin lives in Nigeria.
"I live in England now"
"Can't hear the accent" I chuckle. "What are you doing in England?"
"I play football there now"
"No jokes"
"I'm serious I play the real deal now I'm going to soon start making money like you Bro"
"Congrats, so are you there now?"
"Nah I'm in Canada. And on my way to meet you. Currently in an Uber to meet you."
"With no forewarning? You do know you're a pest, right?"
"Yes, but I'm your favourite pest, right? You should be happy I'm coming over. Girls beg for me to come over" He asks. He adds "Also I'm on my way to your house but forgot the way there mind picking me up?"
I ignore his first comment and say "Yes I do mind but unfortunately you are related to me and you are family, so I have to come to pick you up"
"That's one of the perks of being related to you I guess?" I can hear the laughter from his voice as he says this.
"So where can I meet you exactly?"
"Um…..."
"Please say a place where I can get food, like real food cause I'm starving" He interrupts
"Okay tell the Uber guy to drop you at Edna's" I laugh at Benjamin's reply. He has always been a lover of food and despite his gluttonous nature he still maintained his good figure.
"Please drop me off at Edna's" I hear him tell the driver
"He says we are almost there," He tells me. Thank you so much. You don't know how long it's been since I ate good food, all I've been eating are protein shakes and vegetables non-stop, plus all the workouts and practice I must-do thanks to the new coach. I'm so happy for this break" He exhales.
"And I'm silently here praying you won't finish the food left in my house since you're much of a foodie and you haven't had good food in a while, let's just hope the whole of Westmount doesn't go through a famine"
"Point of correction, your mother's house. Damn she will be so happy to see me"
"WHATEVER" I cut the call abruptly because now I remember that now I must go back to my house because of my cousin's arrival.
I go to Salah's room and pull on a black t-shirt, take my car keys left here by my sister and drove to Edna's.
When I get there Benjamin already ordered some food and had begun eating.
Benjamin looks just like me except he's the light-skinned version, just like my sister and is very much muscular now than the last time I saw him, seems that the coach's diet and workouts paid off. He is younger than me. He is eighteen years old. He is wearing a blue button-up shirt with black jeans. I can see his bags on the floor while he's carried over with the food.
I go over to the table he is at, sit and stare at him eating and say, "Not saying hello is a nice way to appreciate someone who wants to pick you up." "Not just someone but your cousin who wants to pick you up" I emphasize.
"Hello, Andrew. Now can I get back to food?" He stops eating and says
"Whatever," I say and take out my phone to text Miranda.
**Hey, sorry though you've told me like a thousand times congrats on the deal. I told you you'll make it** ME
**Thank you. But important things first how are you doing. I don't know what happened, but I heard you are not good at all. Wanted to come over but I had to be here in person** MIRANDA
**I think I'm getting a bit better now **ME
**Nice to hear. So, where you at? **MIRANDA
**At Edna's with my cousin Benjamin AKA the pest. You haven't met him though only Salah has, and he gets along with Benjamin very well and I think it's because they are both pests**ME
**Look forward to meeting him**MIRANDA
Benjamin signals that he's done with eating and I text Miranda that ill talk to her later.
"Texting your girlfriend?" Benjamin asks slyly
"None of your business and no she's just my friend"
"Ok if you say so," He says smiling
The waiter hands the bill to Benjamin and he says pointing at me "I'm not paying, he is"
"What? Why me? I didn't order anything."
"Just because I just started making money doesn't mean I'll pay, it's your responsibility as the older cousin"
"I'll pay," I tell the waiter who is looking at us confused and lost in our agreement
I drive Benjamin to my house.
The drive isn't quiet because he tells me about the current happenings in Nigeria.
I do miss Nigeria. I miss the culture, the food; though you can get it here in some African restaurants, it lacks the flavour Nigerian foods made in Nigeria have, in other words, I miss home.
I usually go there once a year but couldn't go last year.
As I drive to the house, I notice my sister's car is there, so it means she's back from running the hospital in my absence.
I open the door and walk to the living room and find my sister there watching TV and at the same time using her phone.
"Adanna your favourite cousin is here" Benjamin announces
"OH MY GOD Benjamin I missed you" She fist bumps him. Apparently, Benjamin concluded he's too old for hugs some years back and everyone except Salah and who else knows who hugs him.
"Yeah me too"
"How was your time in England?" My sister asks
"Was good if you minus the diets and workouts" He says
"Wait you knew he was in England? I just found out now" I complain
"Found out the second he flew in," My sister says
"Then why am I finding out now?" I ask
"Because you're not important" They both chorus.
My sister and Ben are like Ying and Yang because they go well together.
As I go to my room, I hear a voice.
"Where have you been young man?" My mom asks leaning on the door to my room.
"I'm not ready to talk to you mum"
"Stop with that attitude"
"I don't want to talk," I tell her
"Wasn't giving you a choice"
"You want to talk huh?" I ask but she just keeps giving me a worried but cold stare. I continue "Did you or did you not stage dad's death?"
"Are you out of your mind?" She slaps me.
"Just answer the question ma!!" I scream at her not minding that my sister or Benjamin could hear me.