"Sorry," I muttered when I got to the kitchen but I don't think she heard, and that was my fault. I didn't everyone present to hear me apologizing but I knew I really had to. I didn't need to be told that my aunt was just looking out for me."Aunt," I stopped her from walking over to the dining room after wiping her hair with a towel.
"Yes baby," She turned to me and I inhaled deeply before speaking.
"Sorry I said the things I said earlier," I didn't mutter this time.
"Aww," She smiled."It's fine. Help Nick get the plates and glasses." She pinched my cheeks lightly before going to sit next to Uche's dad at the dining table.
I stood in the kitchen and watched Nick prepare the dishes with a long face. He came to me with drinking glasses and shoved them in my hands.
I would keep the glasses back in the sink and walk away on a normal day, but not today. I took the glasses to the dining table and set them where they should be.
"The food smells wonderful," Uche's dad spoke for the first time since I returned home. He had packed up his laptop when I came back with the glasses.
"I hope you say the same when you taste it," My aunt smiled.
After an awfully quiet dinner, I stood with Uche in the kitchen, talking and laughing till Nick came by to keep his dish in the sink. He hissed and walked out of the kitchen. Heading towards the kitchen, my aunt called him back, distracting herself from her conversation with Uche's dad.
"Nick, can you do the dishes before you go to bed? I need the sink clear tomorrow morning when I make breakfast, or will you make breakfast tomorrow?"
"Why can't Julie do it? She's not busy." Nick groaned.
"You know very well she can't cook Nick," my aunt announced, and sunk my head in utter shame. She really had to say that in front of everyone?
"I mean the dishes, Mum. Let Ger do it, I helped you with dinner earlier but she's done nothing since she got back."
My aunt thought Nick's point was fair. I passed two forks I had washed over to Uche and he rinsed them before wiping them dry; he was helping with the dishes.
"Uchenna, Ka anyị naa," His dad called him in their native language.
"What is he saying?" I asked Uche.
"He says we should head home." Uche hurried up with the dishes, then he wiped his hands and left the towel on the counter.
I stood and watched him pick up his school bag where he left it, and for a moment, I thought he'd leave without saying goodbye but he came back to where I stood and kissed me on the cheek.
"Good night," He whispered and I smiled.
"Goodnight," I waved as he left with his dad, then it was just my aunt and me again.
She turned to me, "You done with the dishes?"
"Yeah, we finished before he left." I replied and went to pick up my bag, but it was heavy as fuck."He forgot the textbooks," I murmured but my aunt heard me.
"What textbooks?"
"The ones he took out of the library for us to study with. It couldn't fit in his bag so he put it in mine." I replied to her again after I managed to lift the bag on my shoulder.
"You two are studying together?" She seemed interested.
"Yeah," I just said and went up the stairs one step at a time because of the heavy bag, but I could feel my aunt's eyes as they watched me go to my room.
****
I woke up in the middle of the night to go pee. On my way back from the bathroom, I looked out my window and saw light in Uche's room.
It wasn't bright light, but it wasn't dim either. It was his table lamp. I stood there and forced my sleepy eyes open so I could see what he was doing.
He was reading. He was reading? I couldn't believe it. Who would want to be awake this late...to read? I immediately went for my phone and checked the time. It was 2:34 am.
Still marveled to see him just seated there, his whole attention on the book in front of him. I could almost be jealous of whatever book it was he was reading because he was giving my attention to it.
I got tired of just standing there so I decided to text him. I unlocked my phone but changed my mind after; I shouldn't disturb him.
So there I sat, on my bed, no longer sleepy and with nothing to do. Well, there was a lot to do; I mean, there was social media, I could scroll on there till my eyes started to hurt and till it was morning; there were also online novels I could read...but I didn't want to do any of those things.
My mind kept going to Uche. I felt like talking to him. Maybe I should video call him. I picked up my phone again, unlocked it, and opened my chat app, but then I stopped myself. I shouldn't disturb him, I reminded myself.
I saw an unread text from him and wondered when he sent it, and why I hadn't replied to it yet. I checked the time and saw that he sent his last message by 1:58 am. Not so long ago.
Uche: Hey babe
Shit
U ain't online(11:44 pm)
I can't sleep. (00:30 am)
Wish u were awake. I hate it when I can't sleep, got me thinking about shit I don't wanna think about.
(Message Deleted)000:39 am
I threw out all my anxiety pills after u got mad that I shared them with Nick, but I wish I didn't, could really use 'em now. (00:50 am)
I feel like shit again Julie. (01:20 am)
Still can't sleep. (01:29 am)
Nick's online but I can't even message him, he's just gonna say stupid shit
I'm gonna try reading, maybe my eyes will get tired and I could sleep.
(01:58 am)
My eyes stared at my phone's screen for a while but I didn't even know where to begin to reply from. I went to the window again and he was still reading. I knew surely now that I shouldn't reply to his message, hence I'd distract him without being sure I could help him sleep.