Chapter 263: Pen and paper

We spent a little while at Cynthia's house with aunty Paula before fake dad decided that we should go. That was the thirtieth day of December, Newyear was very close at hand and I couldn't wait to spend the new year with my Cynthia. Throughout that day even while I was with Cynthia at their house, my mind had always run in that direction, "what will I get for her?" This was my main thought, the upcoming new year was almost like Valentine's Day to me, as it had almost all the attributes of lobe in my heart.

Mom did not go to work that morning, read on best known to her, she and fake day remained in the sitting room while I go to my room to waste some time with sleep. I felt so tired and my eyes were heavy, I felt like I never had a good night's sleep.

"Mom, I think I will need a nap."

"Won't you like to eat before that?"

" No mom, I had snacks at Cynthia's" while we were at Cynthia's place, her mom prepared pancake for us and we had it with milk, so I was filled at the moment, sleep was the next thing in my mind, I got up and dragged my feet to the room and three myself to the bed without even thinking of undressing, I literally slept with my shoes.

You see, normally, when I feel like I was going to have a long day, what I do is to cut the day shorter with sleep, it works for me, by the time I will wake, several hours have passed.

That day, I woke up to the sweet smell of vegetable soup, mom had prepared a delicious Afang soup, a delicacy known specially to the riverine states, Akwa-Ibom, and Cross-River state. Mom often told me that the soup is not complete without periwinkle, and poor me, I never liked seafood they make me sick, so, mom never put them in her soup, mom also never cook with wish, I also don't like it, I am glad she understood that.

The aroma came to me like a dream, I perceived the sweet smell of the room while I was sleeping till I woke up the reality of it, I jumped feeling very ravenous, I could eat the house, so I rush up, and checked the time, it was already past twelve, I had slept past my presumed tome, lots of hours had gone pas while I slept. So, I got up and quickly had my routine exercise which came up too late, usually, I will do it in the morning, but it is better late than never. I rushed it up, then went my way to the shower before I finally came outside. Fake dad was still around, he sat at the dining table with mom still serving him.

"Hmm... I came right on time."

"Hahaha, you sure find, come and sit let me fix you something, look at your eyes, you look hungry." Mom said. My mom has the weirdest ways of knowing things, what is the relationship with the eyes and to stomach that will make more know that I was very famished just by looking at my eyes? 

That day ran so fast, it was almost like hours ran in seconds, before we could know, ut was 8 pm, and fake dad had already gone, we all got to retire to the bed, both mom and I shot the whole doors and windows stopping the harmattan breeze from disrupting our sleep. I laid my head on the pillow, as my thoughts drift to the sweet and memorable time I had with Cynthia, I thought for a while, about how I'll actually make this upcoming Newyear worth remembering, I took a mouthful of air, as I allowed my Ideas to run wild, I thought about What I would do to make Cynthia always remember that day, as long as she lives.

  I then stood up From my bed before I head towards the window, my eyes darted, towards the tall trees, the small shrubs, and the evidence of rodents,  the landscape has always been where I always land my eyes upon.

  I then looked beyond the horizon, that's when I noticed that there was something called a swimming pool "Swimming pool..." why didn't I think about it before, she said she will like to learn how to swim, that's going to be a great idea, I'll take her to the pool and coach her swimming next tomorrow, why didn't I think about it all these while?

  I came to a moment of enlightenment, where I came to realized that I have not taken her on any romantic date, so I need to think of how to make this day sweet and romantic.

  I then Went back to sleep, I tried to sleep, but I can't, because the lingering thought of Cynthia, was already making my heart swell with so many emotions, and the fact that I already had a long sleep during the day made it even worse, I then thought of a poem, how about I write a poem for her? then when we are done with the date, I'll hand her the well-written poem.

  I then took a paper and a pen, before I allowed my emotions to do the work.

  Your eyes had always been brighter than the sun.

 They glimmer with a sense of hope, that removed all thoughts That would burn.

   Your skin, has always been soft as silk, which makes my heartbeat to the rhythm of your tune.

  Your voice Leaves me with hope, That makes me mute.

  I continued writing the poem, till I lost track of time, I had to check the time on my phone, only to notice that it was already ten pm, but in the end, I decided to sleep, because I have to get some rest so I'll be able to wake up as early as possible, so I'll be able to prepare how to make this date memorable.

  I dozed off to bed, feeling so many emotions, the ones I have never felt for anyone before. But when I slept, I found myself yet again in this city, a very vast beautiful city, but no one was there, the city seemed to be empty. I stood in the middle of this strange town wondering what I was doing there, I then decided to take a walk, maybe I will find someone to ask questions, but I walled miles and found no one, no one except for the empty gigantic buildings which seemed to house emptiness and quietness, the boulevard of that city was in great tranquility. But as I began to advance deeper, I saw an old lady who bent towards a little stream washing something that Almost looked like locust beans.

"Good day ma." I greeted her but she gave me no audience, I tried to get her attention but she seemed dumb, I call on her again, 

"Mama, Old one. It is you that I great." But she still never shook. All this while she kept her face buried in whatever ut was that she was washing. But when I got pissed and then decided to leave, that was when I noticed the scales on her body, when I got this revelation, fear gripped me, it was Incubata, I turned quickly to run, but it was too late, she made herself appear in my front crying and laughing at the same time.

"Hahahah, so you are that son of King Goldrich, A king soon to be dethroned, so it was you his bastard son that drove me out of my sex paradise, today you shall smell the stench on my anus." So she said. She was a very ugly creature, her ugliness had no comparison, describing her is so uneasy, as she appeared shapeless and grotesque. She held me by the shoulder and said that I must kiss her, she brought out her tongue which looked like that of a serpent, her teeth were so dirty and colored, her mouth hollow like one profound tunnel that have not been scooped for ages. She really was the definition of horror, she took my hand and forced it on what seemed to be her breast, something as flat as tile flapping around like a dead liver. 

"You will fuck me today you crazy son of Goldrich." So she said, but I managed to escape her grip after a long struggle, now I was free from her grip, but still, my legs could not carry me to run, I kept falling each time I made effort to run. But just before she got to me, I heard Dad's voice saying:

"Son, it is time, forget about that ugly old hag, and focus on your Initiation, that is the only real thing, this is just a dream, so wake up." When he said this, I saw the old Incubata crying and making that ugly look of her pains. She was really not happy with Dad's intervention, Dad's bounce kept echoing on and one "wake up, wake up, wake up."  So I hear till I woke up and for a fact, it was a mare dream. But he said it was time, I think the time for the initiation, no, he can't mean it, it also coils probably be a dram as well. So I thought.

I woke up the next morning, I had to squint my eyes, so I'll be able to adjust to the light of the dimly lit room, I had to check the time, on my phone, only to find out That it was only four am, that's when I have been waking up recently, my body was already used to the This particular time, that I will always wake up with one dream or the other, to the extent that I'll either wake up before four am or four am on the dot.

  I took steady strides, outside the room, before I head towards the sitting room, I started planning how to Make the setting beautiful, it wasn't even that day, the new year is on the first of January, and this is only thirty first of December, when got there I realized that my Mum was even there, already sitting, watching her favorite Nollywood movies, I took a deep breath, trying hard to calm down, but I can't, because whenever my eyes land on my mother, I always want to be close with her, that raw urge to express my love for her, it's always there.

  "Oh Damian... you are awake already, come here I'll like to ask you something," she said, I begrudgingly went close to her, before I then sat down close to her, I looked at her intently, waiting for her to tell me what she has in mind.

  " What is it, mum?" I said tiredly.

  " Did you know tomorrow it's Newyear?" She asked, making me nod my head Almost immediately, but I was sought of perplexed why she had asked that question.

  "And?" I asked.

  "And it seems like, you don't even have me in your plans, all you do is think of Cynthia, do I have to be jealous of her? Is she going to steal your love from me? Look at you, oh, you think I don't know about the relationship you have with her?" She Said, while she nudged my shoulder, it made me chuckle a bit, with the way she had said it, and the humor she had also attached to it.

"Mom! What are you talking about? No one can take your place in my heart. I assured her again, little did I know that I will soon be leaving her. 

" and nothing is going on between Cynthia and me, if there is any ship between us, then it is a friendship. Common mom, where are you even getting all of these ideas from? Really mom, Cynthia, and I are just friends, and that's all, nothing more." I added.