Imperfectly sculpted

It was finally morning!

I jumped out of my bed and walked out of my room sleepily to meet Alice, my dad's sister in the kitchen humming the lyrics of a song I didn't know. This happens every morning when I don't have school. Her playlist is filled with weird songs.

"Morning Alice" I singsonged.

"Morning young lady" She replied, smiling.

Alice is a jovial twenty seven year old lady who owns a cosmetic company that's doing really well.

That explains all the skincare and cosmetic products lying around in her room

Alice was by the cooker, frying eggs, meaning we were having yam and eggs for breakfast.

I went ahead to put water in the kettle for tea and put it on the cooker right beside alice When it was warm enough, I took it off the cooker, grabbed two mugs and put the Lipton tea bags in and added the warm water, milk and sugar in. We moved everything to the dinning room. Alice kept sighing throughout.

Did she find out what I did? Again??

"Alice, what's it again?, I didn't go clubbing, I swear it"

"So you did go clubbing, Mayokun, we've talked about this, if anything happens to you, your dad would have my neck, how many times do I have to tell you this?"

I should have shut my stupid big mouth. It's always putting me in trouble.

"I'm sorry okay?, the room was too depressing, I had nothing else to do" I replied.

"You could've come to me or studied"

"Alright, I'm sorry". I smiled my signature million dollar smile.

"You're going back to Nigeria"

That wiped the smile off my face immediately, tears filling my eyes immediately.

What?, why?

I looked at her with tears in my eyes and went on my knees immediately.

"Please Alice, I don't want to go back. I'll be good, I swear. I'll do the dishes till the end of my life, I'll study more, I'll never go clubbing in my life." I cried frantically

"It's an order from your father, not me baby."

"Please, persuade him, you have done it before and you can do it again. Come on Alice, he'll listen to you. I don't want to go back."

"Your visa is ready baby, he just informed me this morning. No matter how annoying you are, I still want you with me but it's an order from above, I'm sorry baby"

"B.. but I don't want to go, why is he trying so hard to control my life?"

"Why don't you want to go home, there's no place like home, you'll get to meet your friends, your siblings and your parents again after two years, don't you miss them?"

I avoided the question.

Because I had no answer to it.

I got up and wiped my tears with my palms.

"I'll go pack my bags."

"Eat first"

"I'll eat later."

She gave me a look that dared me to dare her but since this was my last day with her, I sit and eat. Each piece of yam, getting stuck in my throat, I couldn't swallow well.

"Your flight is by noon, get ready by eleven"

I pretended not to hear her while I ate and after a few bites, took my plate and cup to the kitchen, washed them and went straight to my room.

On getting to my room, I shut the door and rest against it and slumped immediately, I cried so much that my head was hurting. I started packing my clothes, shoes and everything that belonged to me. In all, I had two large bags and two boxes. I took my bath, got dressed and held my phone in my hands.

Why TF am I adamant on not going home? I miss my parents and siblings. I should want to go home. Right?

"Mayokun"

Fuck, I was hoping she'd change her mind.

Guess it's time already.

I started dragging my luggage to the car. She helped me with my remaining luggage, we got in and the journey began.

It was a thirty minute drive to the airport and I was hellbent on keeping my mouth shut. I wasn't going to speak to her, infact,I would be speaking to none of them.

We got down from the car and entered the airport, the cold air from the air conditioner was not much different from the cold outside, she asked me to sit in the waiting area, I did and she took the luggage somewhere with her, I didn't care about anything, I was headed to my the death anyway. After sometime, she came back and sat beside me.

"Baby, I can't disobey your dad, I'm not your legal guardian, they are and that's what they asked of me, I can't say no"

I laughed humorlessly.

"So that's why you're feeding me to the wolves"

"I don't understand what you're saying, who are the wolves?"

WTF am I talking about?

Who are the wolves?

It's like my brain, mind and mouth are not connected at times when I speak.

"You wouldn't understand anyways. It's fine. It's not your fault, it's my wretched fate."

She wanted to question me but I turned to hug her. I don't want to go down that memory lane, not today, not ever.

"Love you, A"

"Love you too, Mayokun, I'll miss you a lot"

"Me too"

"Be good okay?"

I nod.

She held my face with both hands and kissed my forehead.

I love her so much. I started to sob and she hugged me harder whispering sweet nothings into my ear while I sob harder.

A female monotone voice echoed throughout the airport announcing stuff and all I could pick from what she said was that it was time for my flight and..

Alice let go.... She actually let go.

I started walking towards the door. I looked back to see her waving, I kept waving too till she was out of sight. After a lot of formalities, we got on the plane and the pilot started yapping, I didn't listen to him or the hostesses anyways, my brain was thinking of "home".

Home with my parents.

Fuck.