CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

'You've got to stop staring at that phone, MK'

Elena was putting the last plantain in the red bowl into the frying pan and on the left side of the kitchen cabinet was another bowl with fried plantain in it. McKenna was sitting on top of Elena's deep freezer by the window and at Elena's behest; she stretched out her hand and opened the kitchen window to let in some air.

McKenna looked at her phone again and hissed in frustration.

'If you don't stop looking at the damn phone, I am going to fry it next, extra crispy' Elena threatened through her clenched teeth.

'He called me and I wasn't there. That jackass Tony made him believe we had sexual intercourse' McKenna's face twisted like she was about to cry but it was just a really bad frown.

'Honey, you are twenty years old. Please stop calling sex sexual intercourse because it is creepy and so 1958. Secondly, if Jason wanted to talk to you, he could have called again and again until you pick up and tell him, you did not have sex with Tony'

Elena removed the last plantain from the frying pan and turned off the gas cooker. She took one plate from the upper cupboard and dropped it on top of the table in the kitchen. Elena took the big rubber spoon, opened the pot on the gas cooker and dished out rice.

'Why is there one plate on the table, Elena?' McKenna asked and stood up from the deep freezer.

'Oh...I thought thinking about Jason was enough to fill your hungry stomach or isn't love supposed to make everything better? Moreover, young lady you are not a guest here and therefore capable of dishing food for yourself' Elena scooped up a spoon of rice and shoved it into her mouth, taunting McKenna.

'You are a mean lady, Elena and I am going to miss you dearly' McKenna said nodding her head.

Elena smiled and opened the upper cupboard. She took another plate and dished out rice for McKenna and even gave her the biggest fish. She took both plates to the dining table while McKenna tagged along behind.

McKenna sat on the dining table and smile brightly.

'Ladies and gentlemen, that is how you get your best friend to serve you like a princess' McKenna said in a funny voice.

McKenna laughed for a while. Even Elena smiled as it dawned on her that McKenna just played her. McKenna's eye darted to the centre of the sitting room where three big bags were and the smile disappeared from her face.

'I can't believe I am going to Canada tomorrow' McKenna said with trepidation.

Her palm suddenly became sweaty and her chest raised and fell in a rhythm. McKenna had never left Nigeria; actually she has only been to two states since she left her hometown. She wasn't the traveling type and not because she didn't want to but because she had no money to travel. McKenna tried to steady her breath by inhaling and exhaling in thirty seconds interval. The last thing she wanted to do was have a panic attack when her best friend just made her a going away dinner.

'Jessica told me you are the mastermind behind the Yagazie construction branch of the Elixir Yagazie group of companies getting the contract to build the first skyscraper in Nigeria. How did you get Mr. Elvis to award that contract to our company?' Elena asked.

Elena wanted to take McKenna's mind off the impending travel to Canada tomorrow. The girl was family to her. She was the sister she never had but wanted. Growing up with four brothers who doted on her but also made life unpleasant for their only sister and an overprotective father who limited her movement and interaction with the world, a lawyer mother that smelled a lie from a distance, Elena was lonely and she needed more than anything a sister.

When they met first met each other ten years ago, they were just children from worlds apart; one a daughter of a politician and another, a bastard daughter with no last name and a mean grandmother. McKenna had saved her from a bully, when she wandered off alone without the protection of her brothers.

Elena came to McKenna's hometown with her family for a visit to her maternal ailing grandmother. It was Elena's third time in her mother's village and hence was a soft city brat.

When she wandered off to the river without the permission of her parents or her older brothers, she was approached by two teenage boys that wanted her brand new headset her father got her from London. She was barely thirteen and she was frightened out of her mind.

One of the bullies had a pen knife that he waved carelessly. Elena took a step back but refused to hand over her headset. The bully with a knife came at her and she closed her eyes and waited for him to strike her.

A second, two seconds, three seconds and Elena opened her eyes to meet the most bizarre girl she will ever meet. She was rolling on the ground with the bully that had a knife and she eventually subdued him.

It was an odd situation because the bully was thrice her size even Elena was bigger than her.

'Omasirichukwu, won't you mind your business?' the other bully asked the girl.

The girl looked at him and growled like an animal. She punched the bully she was on top of before letting him go.

'Omasirichukwu the bastard, where is your father? And your mother is dead' the bullies taunted the girl spitefully.

'How about you come closer to my fist and find out!' the girl yelled at them and they ran.

She picked up her discarded bucket and walked away. Elena followed behind her.

'I am Elena and you must be Omasirichukwu'

'Don't call me that name' she said without looking back

'But I have to call you something' Elena replied

It was when Elena saw the blood dripping from her abdomen and she grabbed her hand.

'Wait stop. You are bleeding' Elena was concerned

The girl brushed off Elena's hand and kept walking.

'And whose fault is it that I am bleeding? You can't just wander to a lonely path with your nice rich headset and pretty clothes and expect not to be attack by the two figureheads of our lovely village' the girl was angry but she did not slow down.

Elena tailed quietly behind her, she wanted to help but she didn't know how to.

'Stop following me, Elena' the girl yelled

'Not until I am sure that you won't bleed to death'

The girl stopped abruptly and turned to face Elena. She pulled up the shirt she was wearing to show a tiny cut on her abdomen that was dripping blood.

'It is just a scratch. Now, go away' the girl yelled and kept walking.

Elena was impressed. The little girl was brave and strong. Elena smiled and stopped in her tracks. She contemplated whether to stop following the girl and sneak back home without getting into trouble or put to good use her mama's talks about kindness and owning up to mistakes.

'Alright McKenna…you are super girl but you are bleeding' Elena told the girl

She stopped and turned again to face Elena with an inquisitive look. Elena finally got her attention.

'What's a McKenna?' the girl asked.