'Being foreign to ourselves, gets us to spend days waiting for the evening, in order to learn about ourselves and to have a taste of enjoyment.'
"I can't believe you guys didn't think about calling me," I share a look with Savannah and we both turn to the side, sealing our lips tight.
I turn to look at my mother as she paces in the living room worriedly.
I turn to look at Sav, she looks fine and cool in pretending that our mom is not here and I try to imitate the same vibe as her but it's killing me.
when we were walking home a few hours ago. We teamed up on playing hard to deal with our mom because of what she did to us.
Her phone rings pulling our attention to it and she purses her lips before answering it.
"Hello," she stops pacing and poses her right arm to her waist while the other holds the phone to her ear.
"No, he is not here yet. Am starting to get a bad feeling about this Barney."
She starts pacing again as she listens to what our father is telling her on the other end of the line.
She stops moving again. "No, how can I be okay? It's all my fault." She breaks down and cries. At this point, I can't keep being sad at her because she looks vulnerable and so sad.
Savannah beats me to it to get to our mom. She reaches her before me and she takes our mother in a hug. I kneel beside them, rubbing my hand at the back of our mother. And somewhere on the ground comes a voice and I realize it's our father who is still on the call.
"Dad?" I reach for the phone that Mom threw on the floor and pull it on my ear.
"Lily Samantha, is that you?" I nod my head.
"Yes, when are you getting here dad?"
"Am on my way. Tell me when was the last time, you heard from your brother?" I try to think about that and suddenly I remember.
"Dad, I think I know. He bypassed me when we were waiting for Mom and when he realized she was not there. He offered me to come home with his friend, I don't know anything about that friend so I refused. I guess he is with that guy maybe at his house." I finish the sentence at the same time when the front door opens and Yarrow comes in.
Mom rushes to her feet and walks quickly to Yarrow to hug him. "Dad, I gotta go But Yarrow is here." I hang up the phone and I get on my feet too. Mom pulls away from him and starts slapping him.
"Where were you? How do you leave without notifying us? Do you have an idea of how worried we were, Yarrow Simmons do you remember that we are living in a foreign country? We don't even speak the same language with the people here? How can you be that irresponsible?"
We all stand there looking at Mom as she lets her frustration out.
Yarrow turns to look at me and we rock eyes together for seconds. We pull away when there is a sound of a door opening.
Our father enters and he walks to our mother and takes her in his arms, passing me and Savannah a nod which we return to him.
"Ivy, are you alright? You had me worried?"
We three share a look of mischief among ourselves.
The love between our parents, it's something we don't get ever since we were old enough to realize it.
Mom pulls away wiping her tears away and looks at us.
"Am Sorry Guys. I know it is my fault and taking it out on you. It's not beneficial for any of you but next time I promise I won't forget and seriously I don't know how it slipped away from my mind."
Dad pulls her again in his arms as she keeps apologizing to us.
Time goes by as we stand there watching Dad calm down our mother.
"You guys go to bed. I will order food for you. Am taking your mom out for some fresh air," We nod our heads. He pulls her away from his chest holds her by keeping his arm on her shoulder and leads her out.
Savannah stands up and walks upstairs to her room. I stay behind with Yarrow still contemplating on what took place right here and the whole day.
"What was that?" I narrow my eyes at Yarrow shrugging my shoulders because I too, don't know what was that.
Our mom is never emotional like that, yes she can be too much at everything but not to the extent of crying as if the world was ending on her.
"I don't know Yarrow, me and Sav got here and teamed up on ignoring our mother because she forgot to pick us up and when we got here she was not feeling well and then she realized she didn't pick us up and she started apologizing while we ignored her. Time went by and you didn't show up so she started panicking and blamed herself if something was to happen to you. Anyway, where were you?"
"Gosh, I told you, Sam,"
I go and sit at the head of the couch he is sitting on. "Gosh Sam, What? Where were you?" He rolls his eyes. "I told you I had a different ride home. It's a guy we are in the same class, who is from India."
"So?"
He narrows his eyes annoyedly. "So we realized that my mom was not coming and we decided to be hanging at his place and when we got there I called mom like a million times and she would not pick up so I rushed here."
I sigh unbelievably. "I can't believe your dumb ass knows where it lives."
He stands up and pushes me back on the couch.
"Am not you Sam? I know better."
I stay back groaning as I watch him walk upstairs too.
I pull myself up and walk to my room. I do my night routine and the homework we got from school.
By the time I am done with everything, our parents come back with dinner.
We walk downstairs to the dining room and take our seats.
Savannah volunteers to serve our plates.
"I am sorry guys." Mom starts apologizing but I interrupt her because it's too much. It's not like we didn't even make it at home.
"Mom we know and it is no problem." She turns to share a look with my father, who smiles at her approvingly. She clears her throat before smiling again.
"Okay, I have something big to share with you guys,"
I am hungry but I am also excited to hear what our mom has to tell us. She looks happier about it and I wish she was sharing the news of us going back to America.
"I think, I might be pregnant."
"What?" We all ask at the same time. Me, Sav, and Yarrow.
"How?" Yarrow asks across from the table which got me rolling my eyes unbelievably.
'He can't be this stupid and oblivious at his age, can he?'
"Why do you think and not be knowing?" Savannah asks and it makes me also wonder about it.
"We think because she took the pregnancy test and we are still waiting for the results," Dad answers for her and Savannah forms her lips in an O shape. I know she is thinking the same thing as me.
Our mother looks really happy and I am starting to feel sorry for her because a lot of people take pregnancy tests and it comes out in positivity or negativity. I don't want to see her crushed by the news of negativity when she is already this happy.
"Lilac Savannah, I think of that because I took a different pregnancy test and it came out positive but we are waiting for the results of the hospital to be sure."
"Congratulations Mom," she smiles at Savannah. And I nod understandingly because that makes a little bit of sense at least.
"Let's keep the excitement at the minimum pace for now in case we get disappointed later."
"How can that be possible? If you know you know and if something is wrong. It's not because you won't be pregnant. It will be the low operations of this country." Yarrow says and in a long time, I am surprised that he still knows how to speak facts.
"Okay boy before we go there, where were you? That caused you to come home late?" Mom asks him and he turns to stare at me, I look at him too, asking him with my eyes, what is wrong?
"I got a ride offer from my new friend and we hung out for some time at his house before I came home I called you with his number but you didn't answer." Mom's look turns into that of guilt as she learns about the last part.
"Am sorry! I didn't know that was you,"
"And starting from tomorrow your mom won't be taking you to school anymore. I got you a driver to do that." Our father announces and we nod not like we are surprised. 'How can he let his precious wife take us to school now that she is pregnant.'
We continue eating and when it's done, I volunteer to wash the dishes before going to bed.
********************
The week goes by in a blur, I don't know how I am here.
It was not long ago, on Monday when I was talking with Leila. Telling her how I wanted to ask Kai if I could still work for him and now it's Saturday and here I am. Waiting for him in the same hotel restaurant where we took our lunch in the weeks I was working at the embassy.
Last night I got home and thought about it a million times. My mind was not anywhere else but on how to ask him.
Savannah came to my room and when she saw how unsettled I was. I told her about it.
Out of nowhere, I don't know how she got a hold of my phone and the next thing I knew she was calling him if I ever mentioned his name to her. I don't know that, all I know is that we fought for my phone till it got connected and I felt like fainting when she picked it up, almost answering it but for the mercy of God I was quick enough to get it away from her ear.
"Hey Kai,"
"Samantha, are you okay?"
"Yes, I am, everything is alright."
"Okay good."
I contemplate telling him goodnight hang up the phone and get under my comfy comforter to rest my tired body but my mouth and brain, Are not on the same page because as I am still thinking, my lips start moving on their own.
"Uhm, tomorrow I wanted to stop by the embassy to speak with you, do you think that maybe you can umm, spare me some of your time?"
Silence is what followed before the voice of someone clearing his throat came through from the other end of the call.
"Yes, tomorrow you can meet me in lunch break. At Radisson Blu Hotel."
I almost jumped but I held my happiness and excitement back before I freaked him out.
I turned to Savannah and raised a thumb at her with a big smile on my face.
"Thank you, sir, see you at lunch then. Goodnight."
"Sleep tight, Samantha."
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
We hung up and I jumped up with Savannah excited about being given a chance to ask. I always thought that if I was to ask for time, he would brush me off.
I keep looking at the time. He texted me in the morning and told me to be at the place at 2 pm, I was here at 1:30 pm to be punctual and to prevent him from getting here earlier than me.
I get busy with my phone and texting with Savannah. She keeps on blowing my phone with texts asking me how is it already when I have not seen the guy yet.
"Samantha?" I raise my head and look at Kai.
I put my phone down and then smile at him
"Oh sit," I say awkwardly, not knowing how to act now.
He unbuttons his suit jacket before taking a seat in front of me. "I don't think I am late. Am I?" I shake my head quickly.
"No, you are not. It's just me who came earlier in case I got lost." I say the last part as a joke and am glad when it makes him chuckle.
He straightens himself in his seat making himself comfortable.
The waiter comes and takes our order and coming here a lot more with Kai, has made me familiar with their menu as same and it made it easier to order too
I look around not wanting to look at who is in front of me. Because apart from not wanting to be caught staring like he caught me a million times, I also feel nervous.
"This place never fades to amaze me of how beautiful it is."
"Yes it is, and I know a lot more beautiful places in this country that could make you fall in love with it." I narrow my eyes at him wondering about that.
Before I asked him about those places the waiter joined us without drinks.
The waiter leaves but suddenly an idea comes to my mind as I keep looking around.
"Do you speak the language of this country?" He turns to look at me.
"You mean Kinyarwanda?" I don't know if that is how it's called but it sounds familiar to what Leila pronounced for me the other day. when we met for the first time, so I just nodded.
"Yes,"
"I don't know much but I know a few little things to make a conversation in times of an emergency." I don't know why I thought he knew it well.
We keep talking about different things till our food arrives. And we start eating still talking.
He shares different stories about his childhood and I tell him a few of mine that relate to his but am not going to lie he was one hell of disciplined from what I heard.
"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" I finally feel the nerve kick right in, throwing all the smiles and chuckles out of the window. Leaving me to deal with reality that reminds me that I am not here for a date but a life-saving situation.
I gulp down nervously but I remind myself that no matter what I still have to take whatever I will be given like an adult and if he declines me then I will have to suck it up and throw myself into studying till I end my senior year.
"Kai, I wanted to ask you if you would allow me to come work for you again. Yes, I know school started but we go home at two, and I know I am inexperienced but I would love to keep helping and learning from you. But again it's alright if you don't want it because at the end of the day, it's your work and it represents you and not me."
"Did you talk to your father about this?" I shook my head because I didn't want to be crushed by his refusing me. After all, it would hurt as hell if it was him denying me but If it's Kai who refuses me, I can't complain because he is a stranger after all.
"I thought I would first learn from you about how you think about it before going to my father?" He nods his head.
"Come to work on Monday, if your dad allows it then." He says that and before I think about it well again, he is on his feet. Leaving cash on the table.
"See you on Monday Samantha." And with he walks away.
That was quick and weird as hell.
I take my phone and call Savannah, she picks it up.
"Hello Sam, how did it go?"
"He allowed,"
"Told you from the start that he will." I sigh.
"Yeah, he did,"
"Then why are you sounding like that? Is something wrong?"
"He said I ask my father first. Do you think he will let me work with the school on my back?
"We will find out later, how about you join me and my friends to get those things away from your mind."
"I think am going to pass on that and go home to rest." Savannah got new friends here from the first day we got to school and today she went out with them and so did Yarrow, he went to visit his new friend Omar. This leaves me to go home to my parents or my own because I don't even know if they are there or not because they have been living in their fantasy world, especially my mom since they confirmed she was pregnant for four weeks already.
"Okay keep wasting your teen days, I see you."
"Bye, Sav."
I hang up the phone and stand up from the table. I walk out of the hotel to the Uber I got for the day and go home.
I find Mom sitting in the living room reading a book, she is always been a fan of books and she passed that to Savannah but not me or Yarrow.
I walk to her and kiss her on the cheek.
"Hey, Mom,"
She closes the book and settles it down on her lap. "Hey sweet girl, where are you coming from?"
I lean on the couch she is sitting on. "I went to have lunch with a friend."
I let that sink in between us because I don't know how to call Kai to others for now.
"Where is Dad?"
She points outside in the backyard.
"Let me check on him, I have something to ask him. Do you want to watch a movie with me afterward?"
"Let me be making popcorn already and make it quick with your father." I smile as I watch her get up and we walk together, she walks in the kitchen while I keep walking to the backyard to my father.
'It's now or never,'
"Dad?" He is sitting at the comfy seats which looks at other houses of the estate we live in, with a laptop and a glass of scotch in front of him on the table.
He turns to look at me and nods at me.
I take steady steps to him and take a seat beside him. "Dad, I wanted to ask you something?" He nods his head at me to keep going on without turning to look at me.
I take a deep breath in before asking him.
"Dad, I talked to Mr Royal about my post and he allowed me to keep working at my post in the embassy after school but only if you approved. What do you think of it?" He stops looking at his laptop screen and I watch as his attention goes on me by the time I finish telling him that.
I hold his eyes with mine for a long time wondering what is going on there till he looks away sighing and pulling his eyeglasses away from his eyes.
He looks back at me and in the moment, I suddenly know what awaits my fate.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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