Chapter 16: Chapter 16

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" ma'am give us the stock fish for #500  abeg"

" how much you think I buy am? Oya collect am  #800" she asks disappointedly

We decided to play the nigerian style  of pretending to walk away when she calls us back

" oya collect am  #750"

" no nah..mummy...we saw one woman that was going to sell the same fish for #500 we just wanted to patronize you today"  suzy says

" my pikin una try...okay mek I give you #600?"

"I go give you #550 " I say as i stretch out the #1000 note to the seller...she packages it for me then collects the money before giving me a change of #450...we thank her before leaving

" after this what else? "Suzy asked tiredly...we've been walking to and fro bargaining prices here and there and thankfully mum did a good work teaching us how to bargain as out of the #10,000k she had given us we were able to save #4000 back

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"After this we buy ground nut oil and then we are done " I say as suzy murmured

" am cooking the rice while you cook the soup " suzy says dropping the items from the market on the kitchen counter

" and since when did you get to choose before me ?" I asked taking a bottle of water from the fridge

" okay...then you choose " she replied tiredly from market hustles

" we're not choosing okay...we'd just do everything together "

"Says who?"

"Says me...." I retort " look suzy let's do this together that way we'd finish on time " I say softly this time

"You're aware I can't cook egusi soup baa?"she asked

"Uh..uh"

"And you are know this is a family food right? "She asked pointing at the egusi items

"So???"

"This is a food which is serious and i wouldn't want us....lemme rephrase that....I wouldn't want myself to practice with this food okay "

"Suzy I understand but you're not going to cook you are just going to watch me and learn as you are assisting right? Besides lemme be your big sis today for real " I say and she smiles at me

" the best intelligent statement I ever heard "

"I'm glad it worked for a dunce "I say smirking as she rolls her eyes

" takes one to know one " she says smirking triumphantly as I glare at her before we both chuckled

"Let's get started !!"

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We were stirring the egusi mixed with palm oil when suzy's phone rang....i glance at the caller id to see 'asswipe' as I chuckled

"You actually saved some one's name as asswipe??? "

"Trust me...he's really one"

"And it's a guy ?"

"Yeah."she shrugged "our nerdy class prefect who absolutely sucks at flirting...."

"Duh...he's a nerd what do you expect? "

"I know right but mrs Sonia wouldn't just see that...and she has to put both of us together to act Shakespeare Othello and desdemona...rubbish"

"Really?!!"

"Am serious...I hate that play and worse still my partner isn't helping besides he's been calling me since we began mid term on friday so we could start practicing our role "

"Gurl that's why I don't like being stuck with nerds "I confess roaring into laughter as I tried imagining myself in suzy's shoes

" for crying out loud....it's mid term" suzy wailed into the phone...I didn't even realize that she had already picked up the call

" babe you can ask him to come over and maybe chill " I teased

" he'd probably come with his books" she said making me roar again with laughter

"Shhh shh shh...." suzy said beckoning on me to be quiet

"....sorry it's my sister.....she's watching a movie.....Derek i don't think I....okay on friday? .....where....okay then....yeah....thanks for cutting me some slacks....bye " she said as she hung up turning to me

" is that Derek ikechukwu? ...the popular handsome nerd who's also part of the football team" I ask in disbelief as she sighed

"Yeah yeah" she replied dryly as I slapped her arms handing her the stocks to pour inside the stirred egusi

"Ouch!!!!"

"Girl when do you want to have your high school fun huh....Derek is totally not bad " I said more seriously as I stirred the soup

"At least he isn't my type"

"Of course but you never know....don't just say that okay"

"I think I learned alot from you today" she replied

"It's called cooking perks "I say and she cringed

"What's that"

"Never mind" I say rolling my eyes

"Don't you ever get tired of that..."

" of what? " I ask pretending to be oblivious

"...of...."she demonstrates as I chuckled

"Eye rolling"

"Whatever...."

"At least it's easier than...." I stop suddenly remembering the least person to cross my mind

Chris

" hey suzy!" I call

"Yeah" she answers

"Didn't we both resume school the same day?" I ask

" yeah...why do you ask? " she said tasting for salt and pepper and finally contented with the taste she nods and hands me the spoon to taste myself

" why do I so much dislike...."

"Chris???" She finishes as I looked up at her quite shocked...she pushes my hands gently up for me to have a taste which I did by putting a little quantity on my palms before putting it into my mouth

" woah!!! Just perfect " I exclaim and she nods in agreement

" so over to the next one " i say bringing down the soup from the fire and mistakenly putting off the fire

" why did you put it off ?"suzy asked eyeing me

" Didn't know when I did that....sorry put it back on duh " I said as she hiss before turning the gas on and setting a clean pot on fire

" so you were saying....."

"Yeah...how did you manage to get friends easily...cause you know the first day you came some girls really fanned over you...unlike me who teachers annoyed the daylights out of and mean people tried ruining my mood...I just thought everyone was so thoughtless...."

"Awwn c'mon girl...first of all...my friends weren't people I just met that day but they were people I had met during entrance exams...secondly..." she paused pouring a sizable amount of ground nut oil and onions and then the tomatoes....leaving the pot open and leaning on the wall as we waited for it to simmer

" wash the rice now "I ordered as she huffed bringing out some cups of rice to wash with warm water

" ......secondly,  I don't have much real friends unlike you who have shola, bubbie, kemi,and chris around...."

"Rephrase that...kemi and chris aren't my friends..."

"Yes they are but you just don't want to accept it cause you've concluded from day one that everyone in Melviks High was totally thoughtless..."

I tried digesting what she just said...seeing kemi beside me when i passed out and even chris even though he shot me a ball...at least he cared...but did I????

" I know what you're thinking....but lemme advice you to try and take gentle steps in Melviks High and you know go with the flow....okay " she said throwing a small smile my way.

I glanced at her gratefully....Didn't ever think i had a sister who could talk sense like this

Use this opportunity now you can because if she switch mood ehn my subconscious said as I smiled

" about Derek what did he want? "

"Oh...that...he said he wanted both of us to go for a house party on friday..."

"And did you agree?" I asked earning a look of are-you-serious-right-now

" Yeah i did...I mean...he wanted to also take a break from his studies and he told his parents he was going to come over to my house to practice the Shakespeare play....so they let him....although he plans going for a house party with me"

"Sounds like fun huh...honey?"I asked wriggling my brows as I smirk

"And what was I saying about the nerd?"

"Friday would tell alot"

"Did he tell you venue and time?"

"He said he will text me on my whatsapp"

" okay...then....I guess we have to wait for friday"

"We or me???"

"You...ma'am" I say as we both laughed

We talk about random things and finally I bring up the topic of Andrew asking me out....I expected suzy to squeal but instead she hissed and then I told her about chris's statement and she nodded in approval typical of her and I told her about my confusion whether I should go with Andrew or not

" christy...first of all....Andrew is in a complicated relationship with tracy and Helen and I'm not sure you would want to add to the number of people with confused relationship goals.........secondly......Chris isn't wrong and that's one of the reasons you probably dislike him cause he's been honest with you....and besides everyone loves honesty except....you are being awfully thoughtless..." she paused and i couldn't help stare dumb struck at her

" and if you  feel like being Andrew's Val  and date for just a day isn't wrong then you're free to enjoy it your way after all not everyone gets the chance to have a moment with their crush....so dear sis....it's up to you " she said humming as she continued cooking the rice

"Wow....Susanne i really was the one who learnt from you....thanks little sis" I say hugging her a hug that felt like decades since I did that

"Wow....something smells nice in here" a voice say interrupting

" mum...when did you get back " I say giving mum a hug

"Dad...good evening"I suzy said giving dad a bear hug and i doing the same as dad hands suzy his briefcase

"This is the first time since ages that i heard you girls talk decently without picking up on yourselves...." mum said with a wide smile

"They are growing up...." dad said giving me and suzy a hug

" it's called...the perks of cooking" suzy says and both dad and mum ask simultaneously

"What's that???"

Then we all burst out laughing as suzy burries herself into dad's stomach cause yup...dad is wayyyyy tooo tall