Chapter 36: Chapter 36

Joanna's POV

"Wake up!" I heard someone yell close to my ear, so loud that it destroyed my peaceful slumber.

I groaned and turned to see who had the guts to wake me up on that fine morning but my vision was still blurry. I rubbed my eyes and blinked, to get accustomed to the brightness.

I tried focusing my eyesight on the culprit when I felt ice-cold water being dumped on me.

"Holy shit!" I clamored, while water droplets ran down my body.

"Happy birthday sister!" Elvis said with a grin before he ran out of my room at top speed.

"That big bag of shit, I'm so gonna kill him," I muttered under my breath and headed for the stairs as I attempted to squeeze the wetness off my soaked shirt.

It's kind of a tradition over here in Nigeria to pour water on the celebrant on their birthday, though that only happens if you have immature people around you.

I stopped in my tracks as another bucket of water was poured on me, drenching me for the second time that morning.

"Happy birthday bitch!" Dora yelled, and stuck out her tongue at me.

See? Immature people everywhere.

"Happy Birthday!" Mom and Dad screamed the moment they spotted me. I giggled in happiness and hugged them.

"Jeez, why are you wet!" Mom screeched and began disentangling herself from the embrace but Dad and I didn't let her.

"So you're now legal," Elvis announced a mischievous look in his eyes as he knew I couldn't take revenge for the water he dumped on me hence it was my birthday.

"Yeah, that's true, you are of a legal age before me, that's not supposed to happen!" Dora whined.

"Uh-huh, yeah yeah, uh-huh, yeah yeah, it's my birthday, it's my birthday," I sang while I pounced around shaking my booty in their faces.

"Okay stop, that's gross, can I just unsee, that?" Elvis quizzed gagging.

"Cut it out, children." Dad laughed.

"We are gonna celebrate later in the night with a bottle of champagne, I can't believe my baby is eighteen, very soon she will get married!" He continued looking sad, which made us break out in laughing fits.

"Bye children see you later," Mom voiced out as she appeared in a new shirt and kissed our cheeks. I was left wondering how and when she sneaked off to her room to change.

"Have fun baby," She whispered in my ear before she walked out.

"See you later Mom." I smiled and waved at her retreating figure.

"Now, birthday girl, what would you like to eat this morning?" Dad questioned as he opened the fridge.

"Indomie and fried egg." I beamed my teeth shining through my wide smile.

"Your love for egg is weird." Dad scoffed and strolled to the kitchen with me closely behind him.

"It's your day so have your way." He shook his head at me, "Wait that rhymed.

I rolled my eyes and chuckled at his goofiness as I helped him grab some eggs from the top cupboard.

After he was done making me a nice plate of indomie with a fried egg placed on the top, I thanked him and quietly devoured my food while he wished me a happy birthday again before heading to work.

When I was done eating, I rinsed off the dirty dishes and trudged back to the living room where I asked Dora to follow me.

Together we then climbed the stairs to my room and lay face down on my bed. I heaved out a contented sigh as a result of my slightly bloated stomach due to the sumptuous meal I just had.

"What," Dora spoke and laughed afterward as she caught sight of my slumped figure.

"I'm so full," I moaned, at this, she laughed harder.

"Have you checked your phone?" She inquired after she had calmed down from her hysterics. "Facebook is going crazy."

This made me stretch out my hand lazily and unplugged my phone from where it was charging before NEPA took light, unlocking it.

20 missed calls.

I swallowed immediately after I saw the number of notifications on my screen. "Dora, can you find a place to hide me?"

"How many missed calls?" She snorted in a query.

"Twenty freaking missed calls." I groaned, "Oh wait seven missed calls from Frank, shit!"

"Babe hide me please, I can't die on my eighteenth birthday, I have eighty more years ahead of me, I can't just die now, please hide me!" I exclaimed and shook her shoulder like a crazed maniac, to which she laughed and pointed beside me.

"What?" I asked hysterically while I freaking out.

"Your phone is ringing." She scoffed, again pointing beside me.

I glanced by my side and observed my phone was indeed ringing. I gulped when I saw who was calling.

"Hy," I said sweetly.

"Don't hy me, girl!" She yelled sarcastically, "Where have you been and why didn't you pick my calls?"

"I just checked my phone now and saw I had twenty missed calls."

"Yeah! And I called you five times! Five fvcking times!" She screamed. I shifted my phone a little away from my ear to prevent it from malfunctioning.

"I know baby, I'm so sorry, I really am," I apologized in a bid to calm her down.

In case you still don't know who I was talking to on the phone, well, It was Tenda.

"Anway, Happy Birthday baby girl!" She squealed, making me move my phone farther away from my ear.

"Thank you, baby." I whispered with a smile and said my goodbyes as I saw Frank was calling, "I gotta go, Frank's calling."

"Okay dear, I'm coming in a few hours to pick you up, greet the goat for me." She laughed.

"I will, bye," I blurted before I hung up and answered Frank's call.

"Hey hun," I greeted, grinning.

"Happy birthday girlfriend, you know I love you," His deep voice told to which I blushed, the same time Dora gasped, reminding me she was still in the room as I had totally forgotten about her presence.

"Thank you so much, sweetie."

"Did I hear correctly?" She polled in a hum, or should I say aimed to because her voice was louder than mine.

I nodded in response to her question and this ensued a very loud squeal from her.

"That's Dora right?" Frank implored with a chuckle.

"Definitely, who else." I rolled my eyes, she stuck her tongue out at me.

"I have a surprise for you on WhatsApp go check it out, and, before you kill me, I'm not around today, so would see you tomorrow," He declared in one breath, fear evident in his voice.

"I traveled to Mom's place to get something, I'm sorry," He ended.

"Why!" I whined, as my mood suddenly took a downturn.

"Please baby, I feel bad too, have fun, for me," He uttered in a low tone that made me sigh after as I could hear the pleading in his voice.

"Alright dearie, but you would have to make it up to me tomorrow," I commanded.

"Trust me baby, would make it up to you, reaaall good." He rumbled his voice a shade deeper causing the hairs on my skin to stand on end.

"Gross!" Dora gagged beside me.

"I can't wait, see you tomorrow then," I let out in a smile.

"Love yah sweetie, talk to you later."

"Love you too hunnie."

After the call had ended I decided to call Harmony back.

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday happy birthday, happy birthday to you, happy birthday bestie!" He piped immediately he picked up.

I chuckled, "Thank you bestfriend."

"Happy birthday foodie!" I heard Tony yell in the background.

"Thank you, Tony!" I howled back.

"I'm seeing you guys later right?"

"You bet!" They said in unison.

"Later then," I voiced out to which they responded before the call ended.

"Blake wants to talk to you," Dora enunciated, handing me the phone.

"Hey, Blake!" I grinned.

"Happy birthday sis, can't believe you've grown this much, eighteen right?" He doubted.

"Yeah," I laughed, "Thank you."

"You're welcome baby, bye."

"Bye," I responded and handed the phone back to Dora.

I scrolled through my phone and saw posts from different people, even the ones from school whom I didn't expect.

I replied well to the real ones, especially the ones from friends, the rest I simply replied with a short thanks.

The instant I was done responding to all of them, I decided to lay my head down for a while, but before I knew it I was off like a light.

Freshy❤