Forty five
Birthday party
Next day at school.
Lucy doesn't seem happy even when her favourite subject, Economics, was being taught.
The Economics teacher rounds off his class and leaves them after dropping an assignment for them to do.
Kris: Orange, What is it?
Lucy: You know only Dad is allowed to call me that.
Kris: So, what's up?
Lucy: It's nothing
Becca: Babe, we have been friends since we were born and you lie to our face what we already know?
You aren't happy, what's wrong?
Lucy: Can you imagine that my parents decided to allow Uncle Thomas live with us?
Becca: You don't ever like that man
Lucy: I don't. He gives me shivers!
Kris: Hmm, what's wrong with that?
He's just gonna live with you guys for a while.
Besides, if you are going to go to college soon, you won't live with them.
Lucy: But whenever I come home for holidays, I will meet him at home!
Becca: Don't be paranoid.
You can leave the house whenever you feel uncomfortable around him or lock yourself in the room.
How hard can it be?
Kris: Yeah.
He had a little girl, right?
Lucy: Yes, my only cousin.
Kris: Well, be friends with her and forget the creepy and shivers giving guy
Lucy: Alright, I will try.
Kris: (Touches her cheek tenderly) Good girl.
Becca: This term is our last term in highschool, we haven't discussed about the college we will attend.
Lucy: Definitely Royal college.
We've been attending Royal all our lives
Kris: Yeah and that's more than enough for me, let's change school
Becca: Then we should go to St Louis??
Kris: There are plenty of colleges
Becca: Yeah but only Royal and St Louis are the best.
Kris: New York is wide. UpperWest is not the only place in NYC
Lucy: We can even go to Los Angeles.
Becca: Royal high and that's it
(The bell rings for Lunch break)
Lucy: I'm starving, I didn't eat this morning.
Come meet me at the VIP's lounge. (Leaves)
Kris: I'm off to use the facilities. (Leaves)
Becca: (Putting her books in her bag, Brown approaches her)
Brown: Hi, B
Becca: Hey, Brown
Brown: I would like if you also call me B
Becca: (Chuckles) It doesn't work that way.
Brown: (Smirks)
How about we grab a cup of coffee or something today?
After school?
Becca: Uh, I don't really think…
Brown: We can talk about Nigeria
Becca: Alright then.
Text me the address and time.
Brown: I will text.
Becca: Bye (leaves and Louis enters)
Louis: You better don't get close to her, she's mine.
Brown: (Smirks) Don't be scared lover boy.
Just a friendly meeting, nothing else.
Louis: It better don't pass that way
Brown: It won't. (Leaves)
Louis: I hate his guts!
At the Cafeteria,
VIP Lounge
Kris: You seem to like the Nigerian guy
Becca: What makes you think so?
Kris: I saw you guys discussing.
Becca: I thought you went to the facilities.
Kris: Yeah, I was done
And I forgot my jacket which you would have noticed if you weren't all lovey
Becca: I don't love him. I just want to know more about Nigeria, that's all
Lucy: Uh huh!
Becca: (Changes the topic) How's your Dad and siblings? (Referring to Kris)
Kris: The girls are good.
Mr Adams is throwing a party on Thursday, it's his birthday.
Lucy: Why didn't you tell us?
Becca: If I hadn't ask, we wouldn't have known about it
Kris: Your parents know.
Besides, I'm not attending and I don't care
Lucy: Well, we care and we are going.
Becca: It's uncle and we must go
Kris: (To himself) They don't know the snake that much.
(To them) Yeah yeah, you can go if you wanna.
The girls are expecting you.
Lucy: And you are going too
Kris: No, and you can't make me
Becca: How about this?
(Makes puppy eyes) Please, pleaseee
Kris: We are not performing, he invited some female singers.
Lucy: (Puppy eyes) Pleaseeeeee
Kris: Your eyes are cute when you do those.
Alright! Alright!
I will go
Lucy and Becca: Yehh!!
Kris: Whatever.
Becca: What are we gonna wear?
Lucy: We are not special guests, so just wear whatever you wanna wear.
Kris: Alright by me
Becca: Okay
Hours later.
7:00pm
At an expensive coffee shop.
Becca can be seen with Brown discussing.
Becca: So, this is like a date or what?
Brown: (Sips his coffee) Just a friendly meeting.
Becca: O….kay….
Brown: You said your dad was a Nigerian, right?
Becca: Yes, he was born there.
He also went there sometimes for business
Brown: Business?
Becca: He was a foreign policy diplomat.
You know, maintaining the communication between two countries.
Brown: How wonderful!
So how did he get to know your Mom?
Becca: Dad came to pursue his master's in NYC and that's how he met mom.
They got married and had us.
Although Dad usually travelled to other countries because of his work, he mostly visited Nigeria and stayed longer there.
I guess because he was born there and spent some of his childhood there, he was made to represent America there.
Brown: So you didn't spend much time with your father?
Becca: No.
But the times he comes home he makes sure to cover all those months he spends away.
Brown: He seemed to be a loving Dad
Becca: And a loving husband
Brown: Yeah, he sure was.
Becca: Excuse me?
Brown: He was a loving father, he ought to be a loving husband too
Becca: Yes he was.
Brown: Your dad, after dying, left a will?
Becca: No, he wasn't able to, he didn't think he would die early.
Brown: But his properties are intact?
Becca: Yes.
Why are you asking all these?
Brown: Um… Diplomatic relations and communications, they usually just take everything from the man when he's dead.
Becca: No, they don't do that.
I guess you don't know much about international relations.
His properties are safe and secure with us.
Brown: Nice.
And you're right, I don't know much about those things.
Becca: It's noticeable.
So… Nigeria, Dad once told me that she was named by a woman?
Brown: Ah yes, I almost forgot, you are hungry about Nigeria.
Well, she was named by a woman and that woman was called Flora Shaw.
She was the wife of the governor general, Lord lugard who was sent to Nigeria to colonize her…..
Fadeout