Chapter 21: Chapter 21

About a minute pass, Carl's eyes and I lock. I didn't think anything out of it until he gaze lowers to my lips. He stares at it for a while before he looks back at my eyes. No, I'm not ready to kiss him. To want to kiss him. To want him to kiss me. If I should allow him to kiss me, he might think that I have an affection for him. I really do an affection for him though, but it's as a friend, not as in being in a relationship. I cannot.

Fortunately, Carl leans back to his seat, and releases my hand. Thank goodness he reads my mind well and for the first time, I don't have a problem with it.

I open the door and get out. I bend to peer at him through the window space.

"Thanks for today though." I force a smile.

He manages to smile a ghostly smile back at me. "No need to mention."

He faces ahead and start the engine, while I straighten up and head to the pedestrian. I watch as he drives off before I approach my house. Thought of calling Shade comes to me, but I don't know if she will be around. I know Dad and Mom won't have arrived home by now, so I pluck the spare key into the lock after rooting it from my purse. Opening the door, I head for my room after it behind me.

Turning on the light for vision, I scream in fear from what I saw. Hastily, I pick my phone and take the picture of the fretful image, and run out of the room as at the same time, I dial Shade's contact. She doesn't pick the call, so I get out of the house and lock it. I pass by the fountain, cross over the street and head for her house.

Getting there, I land a heavy knock at the door. My heart speeds so fastly that I feel nauseated sensation runs through my blood. Tears covers my vision, turning it blurry. I clean my face when I hear the door open.

Shade appears behind the half-opened door. "Hey."

"Shade." I say back. My voice quivering a bit, failing myself from talking healthily as I intended to sound. Shade steps down the steps, and I reverse my steps as well. She examines me from arm's length.

"You have been crying."

"I assume it's that obvious." I force a sadden smile.

"It is." She's bewildered. She looks over my head to the other side of the street. "What was Lydia doing over there, minutes ago? When I saw her from the window, she was staring back at me, somehow dangerously. I had to cover the windows, thought it was just my imaginations."

Surprisingly, I listen to Shade's part of the changed Lydia. If Shade saw her here, that could mean she did that filthy thing to my room. But the way Shade said it seems like it happened not so long ago, and by then, I should have been around. My head hurts thinking about this stuffs, and trying to wrap them up to my understanding.

"Maybe it was just your imaginations." I tell Shade. She doesn't buy it, but nods still. If any of this fantasy myths is to hurt anybody, the person should be me because I was the one who was trying to find out things I shouldn't be. I don't want to include Shade.

"So, what causes you to cry?"

"Can we go in first? I'll explain later." My tone sounds pleading and desperate to get a warm air. The air here is so odd from the estate's. So different in density, and freshness.

"Okay, here it is. I told you I'm from Nigeria, right?"

"Yeah."

"Cool. My grandma is here on vacation, and she's very cultured. So, when we enter, you've got to, like respect her as the Yoruba's tribe does to elder people. Don't worry, I'll help you out. By Yoruba tribe, I mean she's going to speak the language mostly, but more directed to me. I will translate them to you." Shade explains.

I've always been a kind to be fascinated with languages and learning about cultural tribes, so it shouldn't be hard to endure her Grandmother.

"Okay." I agree.

Shade lets the door open for me to enter before her, and as soon as I did, I find comfortablity instantly by rubbing my hands against my arms. With the heater turned on, I am able to gain easiness quickly.

"She's in the dining room."

Shade leads the way past their living area, the room well furnished with stylish materials to the dining room.

"Grandma, this is Rayne, a friend of mine from school." Shade introduces me.

There's a bowl of sandwiches in front of the table, being eaten by her grandma. She raises her head and smile on acknowledging me. Lines of aging appears evidently on her features, but in a somewhat way as well, she looks young still.

"Hi, ma'am." I greet her.

"Rayne, such a beautiful name. Come here darling." She beckons me, directing her hand as a gesture for me to sit next to her.

"You should, like half-kneel before her as a respect." Shade whispers to me as I approach her grandma. I glare at her, but she looks serious. I soften my gaze.

"Okay." Awkwardly, I reply.

As I stand in front of her, she pushes the plate towards me, while I bend to kneel lightly.

"Grandma, Rayne koni pe nibi ti afima nlo. Oko fe wa bami soro kan to nfe amojuto ni." Shade says in a foreign tone, known to be Yoruba language if I'm not wrong.

"Odabe nigbayen. Sha gbiyanju lati she lalejo." Her grandma respond. In the meantime, I dart my eyes from her grandma to her, completely feeling out of place, but at the same time, enticed by the fact that for the first time, I'd hear people talk in front of me without me understanding any part.

"I've heard you grandma. Ma she lalejo." Shade says and turn to me. "Let's go to the living room, Rayne."

I'm beside Shade once again, walking to the living room when her Grandma calls. "Folashade, emi ti losun o."

"Folashade, I've gone to sleep." Shade translate her grandmother's word to me. I nod in realization. How easy what she's said is yet I don't understand. Language...

"Okay, I should still be up." She says and her grandma carry the plate with her and disappear behind the kitchen's door.

"What did you guys talk about earlier?" I ask out of the curiosity that's taken the better-most of me. I am elated for an unknown reason, my earlier troubling thought has been dissipated.

"I told her that you won't be here for a long time. That you only came here to tell me something that needs attention." Shade explains to me as she heads for the living room. I follow beside her. Interesting, isn't it? Says the word from her base of my brain.

"And she replied that; it's fine, but I should make sure to entertain you, like make you feel at home, something like that." Shade takes a seat on a two-seater couch, the space she leaves for me, I occupy. I turn my body to face her so that one of my legs is placed on the couch and my hands help in keeping it in place since its slipping off because of the leather material of which its made.

"And what's with the Folashade thing." I know I pronounced it the wrong way, not as correctly as Shade had.

"My full name." She state simply and adds. "It means to use wealth to cover myself in terms of royalty crown. It a very good name though." She beams at me.

"Does that mean that you are from a royal family?"

"Of course not. It's—Yoruba is different in a way that you won't understand unless I break it down for you. Can we just go back to why you came here?" She pulls me back to the dreadful memory that I thought I've escaped.

"I saw this in my room." I root for the picture on my phone and when I see it, I pass it to Shade to see. As expected, she's shocked from the image as well; raw blood of a shark, who's dead figure is placed on my pillow, used to write the bold word 'Drain' on the wall, sidewall to the bed.

"Do you have any idea who might do this?"

Yeah! I have a suspicion of this deed to come from Lydia, which was recently confirmed when Shade said she saw Lydia. The befuddling part of the story is now why Lydia had done this; was it because she wanted me to leave Nicklaus alone, whom I haven't even seen since like forever, nor talk to. He is a ghost that I still have a reminiscence for.

"No." I lie. "But can I stay here for the night?"

"Sure." Shade says and hands me back my phone. "I think it's Lydia. I saw her. What could she be possibly doing here if not to haunt you?"

I feel my eyes pop out of my socket for a moment. She shouldn't even think of retaliating.

"It can't be her. Don't even worry about that?" I wave off the matter. My phone vibrates, followed by a ring.