Love Really Is Strange – Episode 1
By Lydia Jonathan
Hey! Liz here,or u can just call me Lizzy or Elizabeth, my mom does,although its a mouthful hence d nickname but my bestfriend calls me liz or izz,hold on I’m i saying this out loud? Point is I’m Liz nd I’m well, different, mom says I’m special but who are we kidding….
Mom’s a single mom nd I’m d only child nd you do not wanna ask your single working class mom who strives to put food on d table nd single handedly training a child abt your father cuz sometimes all I get are blank stares nd a lecture of how she pushed me out of her womb nd have been training me all my life nd sometimes she just says he left nd then there’s occasional tears nd cuz I hate seeing my mom cry,I drooped it,turns out he was a drunkard who got hit by a car(nd died on d spot)when he dumped my mom nd I when I was 2 mnths old,crude right? Yea I know.
So I’m d weird girl who talks to herself cuz honestly who best to give genuine advice than yourself right?
Miracle: hey Liz! You’re not dead yet?
Liz: there’s always tomorrow you know……
That’s Miracle,my best friend, my mom says d big guy up there(God)just looked down at her nd said,one weird person is not enough in your life,you need two nd so she got my bestfrnd nd we like to think we’re special, others just think we’re crazy nd sometimes I think they got a point.
Miracle: so? Where are we having it? My offer still stands u know
Me: and have your giants stare at me like I need a hug(all d time)nd like my craziness is rubbing off on u? No thank u
Miracle: suit yourself….
You might me wondering, giants?
Well my bestfrnd got 3 huge brothers nd she’s d last born(more like unexpected born). Her parents got her in their old age nd sad she’s a miracle child(hence her name)cuz they’ve always wanted a girl nd then she came along,athough late,nd cuz of that she’s treated like a queen by both her parents nd brothers nd d treatment kinda rubbed up on me cuz we’re always together nd they’re really protective especially cuz i lost my dad at such young age,bt I don’t really mind,so there’s that.
Miracle: but you do know my house is ginourmous nd we only get to celebrate once
Me: no way are we celebrating in your house
Our birthday’s in two weeks,yea, you heard correctly,we share same birthday, its just adds up to the long list of weirds in our lives.
Miracle: how about a club,we can do it in a club or a restaurant or something, get it decorated nd stuff,what’d u think?
Liz? Lizzy? Liiizzzzzzz Earth to Liz!!
Me: sorry,just thinking bout my mom’s reaction when we tell her we’re going to d club to celebrate our birthday
Miracle: but its worth a shot
Me: you’re right, we can do this,just gotta ask,can’t hurt to try right?
Miracle: right…
Helen: ABSOLUTELY NOT!!
Me: but mom….
Helen: I said NO nd that’s final
Me: I’m so angriated right now…..
Helen: angri…what?
Miracle: i don’t think thats a real word izz
Me: I know,but I’m just so mad right now(scowls)
Miracle: Mrs Stevens, it necessarily doesnt have to be a club
Me: yea mom,and we’re not kids anymore, we’re turning 18 nd between the both of us thats like almost 36
Miracle: ‘nods’ in agreement
Helen: OK fine,what’s d other option
Miracle/me: sowewe’relikethinkingweshouldgetaresturantandgetitdecoratedandthen…….
Helen: whoa whoa,slow down,one at a time
Me:how about we get a restaurant nd talk to d manager abt decorations nd then get a cake nd invite few frnds (cute smile)
Helen: raises a brow
Me: come on mom,we’ll soon go off to uni,let’s at least get one grown up party without getting bone crushing hugs from Mimi’s gigantic brothers nd a twisted version of d happy birthday song by her parents, nd u not always being there for my birthday……..
Helen: I’m sorry honey, you know its not my fault I had to be at work
Me: I know mom….its fine…..
Helen: alright fine,if u guys can put d whole thing together on your own….
Me/miracle: (gigling) annnnddddddd??
Helen: u can have it
Me/miracle: yeesssssssss, thank u mom/thanks Mrs Stevens
Helen: quick question, will there be boys?
Miracle/me: (stares at each other) shrugs, what boys…….
Helen: hmmmmmm
Miracle: don’t worry Mrs stevens ,my mom gave me a dozen condoms when we had d talk,so we’re good
Helen: (eyes almost dropping from their sockets),What?
Me: not that we’re gonna use it or anything,right Mimi
Miracle: right!
Me: thanks mom,we got a party to plan,gotta go
Helen: its in two wks
Miracle: exactly never too late to prepare, bye Mrs stevens
Helen: be careful
Me: when are we not always?
Helen: u broke ur leg trying to climb a tree u shouldn’t even be climbing
Me: that was one time
Helen: it was three times
Miracle: don’t worry Mrs stevens,I’ll keep her safe
Helen: oh God.
______
Music blasting nd dancing on d dancefloor….
Me: we really did
Miracle: we really did it,I’m so proud of us
Me: now what?
Miracle: now we mingle
Me: mingle? We barely know anyone here,where’d all this people come from
Miracle: about that,my bros helped out cuz,let’s face it,between d two of us this party will be dead,we really need to make frnds
Me: whatever…..but I think I’m just gonna sit here for a while(grabs a sit)
Miracle: awww thats so cute,u think we did all this just for u to come and sit…….there’s a cute guy,(grabs her nd pushes her)now go mingle,I Dnt want u to die a virgin,cuz that’d just be sad
Me: (scowls at her) but goes anyway
Stranger: hi birthday girl!
Me: u know me?
Stranger: nah,u face is on there (points to the poster with my face nd Mimi’s). Name’s Daniel (extends his hand)
Me: I’m Lizzy (shakes his hand),so having fun?
Daniel: yea,so d other girl your frnd?
Me: yea…she’s my bestfrnd
Daniel: u think u can get her to talk to me?
Of course he wants her,which guy wouldn’t, Miracle is d very definition of beauty,brown eyes,lashes so long you’d think there fake but there not,oval shaped face,light skinned,natural long hair,nd leg’s so slim nd slender will make models a run for their money,nd now she’s in a bum short that shows her slender legs nd a dress top with hair in a bum nd light make up nd snickers,making all d guys drool,nd then there’s me although I got what guys always look at when meeting a girl b**bs nd bum that are way to big for my age,smooth chocolate skin,a round face,nd thick as guys do call it. Although Mimi always says I got asset,but i never really cared cuz I don’t see it,but she made sure I looked good in a skinny high waist jean showing my curve nd a cropped top, light make up cuz she rebuked me from going to my party looking like a nun,so she made up nd we wore matching snickers, with hair also in a bum.
Me: ummm sure,would u excuse me for a moment(I said leaving him alone)
This party blows I said to my self cuz I see Mimi having d time of her life dancing, with guys round her like she’s d fricking queen of d dancefloor. Well at least one of us is having fun I said turning nd bumping onto something I think is human but then again I fell,so I’m not really sure
Me: owwww,that hurt
I’m sorry a deep smooth voice says with hand extended to pull me up…… Its fine i said getting on my feet to meet d most mesmerizing eyes I’ve ever seen,before me stood a tall,handsome doesn’t seem to cut it,cuz he looks like a god,a fricking handsome god.
Its fine really I said dusting d invisible dust from my jean,its just d floor nd i have a thing cuz im always saying hi to it with my butt i said, he smiles nd says ‘you’re funny’,i return his smile,
I’m Evans he says extending his hands,Lizzy i said shaking his hands. So happy birthday he said with a smile i replied thanks framing his smile, so? U know Miracle I asked him,yea he said,Michael (Mimi’s older brother)invited me,immediately my face fell nd he noticed bt she’s like a sis to me I’m more interested in d girl next to her he pointed at d poster above us,nd my smile found its way back to my face,so u wanna dance he grinned? Yea sure i replied nd got pulled to d dance floor…… After two glasses of beer nd d walls start spinning, I realised I’m not a heavy drinker,cuz now i keep laughing at random things with my bestfrnd who is doing just d same.
Mimi? I think i see your parents coming,i slurred, we are so drunk mimi said laughing cuz I see them too,nd we started laughing, but then they came closer nd I could see their faces Mrs adebayo’s thin face was covered in tears nd her husband’s was just straight, was going on dad Mimi asked seeing them,there has been an accident Liz..
Is she alright I heard my myself say,more like whisper,but I guess they heard cuz Mrs adebayo started crying again.
Plz tell me she’s fine nd she’s room resting it off I pushed,I’m so sorry Lizzy, Mr Adebayo continued,they said she had lost a lot of blood nd she died in d operating room,I’m so sorry sweety,Mrs Adebayo added midst tears, no no no,no way,I saw her this morning, she made me breakfast nd we ate nd laughed nd she kept complaining about an annoying colleague nd I told her to hang in there, she can’t be dead,nd just like that my head started spinning outta control not cuz of d beer,but for d fear of there been a little bit of truth in way they’re saying.
I’m so sorry izz,Mimi says nd pulls me for a hug, I wanna see her,right now i wanna see her,she can’t die,she’s all I got,she can’t just leave, plz take me to her……
I know sweety but u have to take it easy…..plz don’t tell me to take it easy cuz I don’t think I can right now, its fine we’ll take u,as we entered d hospital white walls with d smell of drugs of various kinds in d air,I prayed silently telling myself she’s fine nd she’ll wake nd we’ll laugh at how she’s a doctor in d hospital receiving treatment instead of giving it out,nd that God should plz keep her alive for me.
There in d hospital bed lay my mom’s lifeless corpse, bruises all over her once smooth skin,nd I saw myself gasping for air,cuz d walls seems like they’re closing in on me……..breath Elizabeth breath I hear a faint voice telling me,nd that’s all I remembered…….
Beep beep……I hear machines beeping,I tried opening my eyes,but my eyelids felt heavy,but finally I squinted nd saw a faint figure nd noices ‘saying she’s gonna be fine’,
Are u alright Izz? My bestfrnd asked, yea I think so,what happened my head is pounding, d last thing I remembered is our party,y are we in d hospital, i asked holding my head in my hands, easy there sweety,d doctor said u have to take it easy,Mrs adebayo says, i’m fine,I just wanna go home,mom will be so worried I replied………oh sweety Mrs adebayo says nd burst into tears, what’s going on,I asked getting on my feet,its nothing u need to relax,everything will be fine…..
A week later…….
Helen Stevens was a good woman,a good doctor,nd a very kindhearted individual I hear d pastor say,as I’m surrounded by d Adebayos family, with Mimi by my right hand side holding me, she put herself before others she pastor went on nd that was pretty much all I heard until Mimi tapped me asking if I wanna say something, I looked up nd saw everyone staring at me…….I’m sorry I can’t do this I said nd ran out of d church followed by Mimi.
Are u okay Liz? Yea I just need some air u know,wanna come back inside? Yea,I’ll be there in a sec……Mimi nodded nd went back in.
Later my mom’s casket was buried 6 ft under,nd relatives I didnbknow I had started trooping in sharing their condolences, i just nodded nd went on my way.
Later that evening in Mimi’s room, Mimi? Yea? Is it bad that i havent cried since my mom’s death i asked, i feel like if i cry then it’s real nd that shes no longer here with me,nd it kinda hurts cuz i wanna so believe this is all such a bad dream nd ill wake up nd see her scolding me for something i probably did, its gonna be alrright izz, she pulled me in a hug stroking my back. Her mom walked in with a box in her hand nd handed it over to me,this is for u sweety,d hospital passed it down with her belongings but since u weren’t stable,they said to give it to u,I thanked her nd took d box from her,she noded nd walked out,after giving me a hug,turns out d family really like hugs,cuz I’ve gotten over a hundred hugs since my mom’s death.
What’s in it Mimi asked? I don’t know, look there’s a note she says nd handed it over to me,thanks I replied, nd saw its from my mom,I’ll he outside of u need aanything she said nd stepped out,thank Mimi i replied, anything she said nd with that vanished.
Hi honey,
So,I’m bringing this gift,cuz I’m not really d best mom right? Missing her daughter’s birthday for work,I’m so sorry sweety,so this time I’ll bring d gift over I might not stay for long cuz I need to go back to work but at least I’ll get to see your face…..
Happy birthday honey, I love u so much,nd i can’t believe how grown up you are now. You are nd will always be my little girl don’t u forget that.
Love mom.
Nd with that d flood of tears came rolling down my face nd I broke down screaming nd sobbing nd Mimi came in embracing me,telling me to let it all out,nd so i did…….
The next day,i got a call from d bank saying my mom has an account with my name on it with my ‘uni funds’ in it nd that I have to come confirm it. I cried again after d call,cuz she thought about me all her life when I’ve been nothing but trouble to her.
D rest of d weeks nd months went in a blur nd suddenly it’s time to go back to school with my bestie cuz even though I haven’t really gotten over it,I’ve learned to live with it cuz d Adeboye’s didn’t let me go back to my home only just to go pick my things, cuz they said I’m like their daughter,nd they can’t leave me on my own,nd since d house being d only thing my dad left for us before leaving,I had to leave it be.
Do u have everything?
Mimi/me: yes mom/yes Mrs adebayo
Mrs Adebayo: if u need anything,just call nd we’ll be there in no time
Mimi: yea yea mom,we got everything, we’ll be fine she said nd hugged her mom
Mrs Adebayo pulled me in a hug too nd we went on out way to uni nd d rest of our lives.
As we got in to d uni of Lag. gates, i gasped nd frozebon d spot,Mimi noticed nd asked what’s wrong,she traced where my eyes were fixed at nd you’re not gonna believe who I saw there.
…to be continued
To be posted on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
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