Keziah's Will

Keziah's P.O.V

"Don't ever call me again. Although I gave birth to you, I will never be the mother you want to be. Take this money and never show your face on earth again." My mother's words rang through my ears, occupying my headspace rent-free as I reminisced on the words she spurted out without blinking.

I heaved a deep sigh as a shuttle bus dropped me at the entrance of my new school hostel. Girls and boys fleeted down the bus and shoved me as they ran to the hostel; their feet thudded down the pavement as they dragged their bags carefree. I guess the taste of freedom was more important than the damage their carelessness would inflict on their bags.

I dropped my suitcase on the floor momentarily as if the motion would ease the weight of my pain off my shoulders.

It was supposed to be the best summer ever, and I had worked full-time shifts while going to school to save enough money for my overseas trip. I spent all my hard-earned money working part-time at Vanya Foods to find someone who ignored me like I was dust.

Now, I have ended up broke, sad... and lonely. I bit my lips to stop the tears from falling, and I etched a signature smile that I wore so people around me wouldn't know I was sad.

I picked up my suitcase again. Moping about my horrible summer would not make it better.

The crowd had dispersed, and I felt like an ant left in a field by its comrade, even though I didn't recognize most people who boarded the bus. Yet, their endless chatter had calmed me down during the bus ride to school.

As I approached my school hostel, I dragged my wheeled suitcase on the floor without looking at it; I kept my eyes straight to avoid the side eyes thrown at me due to the loud noises my suitcase was making.

Still, It feels so good to be back. Okay, I just have to breathe, and everything will be alright.

I walked to the front desk receptionist, who chewed gum loudly and punched the keys on her computer. She wore a bright orange shirt that read, "I am so happy to serve students!" Yeah, right. I am pretty sure she doesn't mean that. Whatever, I will just mind my business and do what I must do.

"Hello, my name is Keziah Adeyemi, and I would like to collect the key to my dorm room." I smiled as sweetly as possible while fiddling with my luggage handle.

"Hello, sweetie!" I did not fail to notice the automatic and robotic fake smile she plastered on her face like a half-done tattoo that sat ungraciously and would not leave. How could I miss that? She had probably been welcoming students all day.

"So Dandelion has called earlier to double-check that you got into your room safely." The sweet smile I managed to give the receptionist faded as soon as I heard that name.

Why did she call me after everything that had happened? I glanced to the left and right to ensure no one was listening to our conversation.

"Okay, can I get the key to my room?" I managed a stiff smile to hide my discomfort. "Sure! Have a wonderful semester!"

I grabbed the key from the receptionist and tilted my head toward my room when I heard a familiar dark giggle.

"Adeyemi, I could not believe it when I heard you were back. I hope you did not enjoy wherever you went." I rolled my eyes as I turned to face my sworn nemesis.

"Melanie, I thought you would have outgrown this childish attitude by now. Really, you look pathetic."

"Oh, honey, childish is my middle name." Melanie flipped her hair while talking, fixing a cheeky pout on her face. I just wanted to slap that look off her face, but as usual, I added it to the things I would eventually find the courage to do someday.

"It fits me so nicely. By the way, you look so pale. You could have called me, you know. I could have reserved some of the breadcrumbs that I wanted to give my dog to you." she continued in that annoying high-pitched voice that she only used with me.

"Now you listen-"

"Girl, relax. I heard it runs in your family, but you should take a chill pill." The moment Melanie knew about my family upbringing and the numerous half-truths I had told last summer, she had always rubbed it in my face

But she's crossed the line this time. I raised my hand to slap the spoilt brat.

"Attention everyone, please move your luggage into your room. There is too much traffic in the reception." A voice boomed from the speaker attached to the walls of the reception.

You know what? I don't need this fight right now. She is not worth it anyway.

"Wait a minute, do you think you can actually slap me? what are you trying to do?" Stella questioned with a look of shock on her face. I bet she didn't anticipate my reaction; I didn't either. The events during the...holiday caused that. I wanted to fight someone and trample them on the ground.

Stella had walked right into my nest of my seething anger that cocooned around my heart. Even if I did not win the fight, I wanted to vent and rave to anything or anyone.

I am confident she wouldn't try that again with that million-dollar shocked look on her face.

My fingers shook as I wagged my fingers at Stella, "You shouldn't speak to me like that, Stella, or-"

She moved closer to me and closed the gap between us, "Or what? Keziah? What would you do?"

Nothing. I knew that, and she knew that as well. No matter how much I huffed and puffed, mood, my anger would only boil over. Getting into a fight with the daughter of the richest man in school would only create a recipe for disaster.

I hated the fact that Stella was standing in front of me. I wanted to whisk out a magic wand and wave her to a faraway land so she could never bother me again.

Still, I wanted to damn the consequences and borrow audacity. I wanted to pull down her hair and beat her up; I bet I could also throw in a slam down as well. Instead, I silently practiced all the martial arts in my head and glared at her.

"Now, girls, let's stop this, please. I have a lot of people to attend to." The receptionist from earlier intervened. I shot her a grateful smile before I placed my hands on my luggage to drag them to my room. I walked as fast to the elevator as I could before Stella could catch up with me. I was happy to discover that there was no one in the elevator. Ugh! I hate crowded spaces.

I walked into my very comfortable room- or the too-classy mini-apartment I was very grateful to acquire, thanks to my grandparents... the other half untruth I had told everyone.

When I remembered how I had acquired the apartment, shame travelled from my belly and settled like a thick fog of phlegm at my throat, but I did not have the energy to be shameful. Instead, I focused on how to plan my day and rest for tomorrow.

Okay, shower and straight off to bed. I could add dinner, too, but that would take a long time. I could fix a quick meal. Or not!

I can just solve this problem by not talking to myself. I left my luggage in my bedroom. I imagined my grandmother saying... well... yelling, to be specific, "Keziah Adeyemi, always arrange your luggage no matter how tired you are." Not today, Grandma, not today.

I brought my candied lemon-scented shower gel from my box. I hurriedly discarded my clothing and headed straight to the shower. I directed my eyes to the shower head because I knew If I looked elsewhere, I would be compelled to take a bath- that bathtub seemed so comfortable. I was too lazy to set up my self-care routine in the tub. Shower It is!

I stayed in the shower for a few minutes longer than I would have. I inhaled the scent of the delicious candied lemon and herbal eucalyptus-scented shower gel. Damn! It smells so good.

I hurriedly dried off my body after the invigorating shower. I hung my towel on the command hook in my bathroom. I walked out of the bathroom and ran to my bed. I settled into the warmth of my soft bedsheet and allowed the whirls of sleep world to take me away.

"Run, Keziah. Run." I had the same nightmare over again.

Vroom! voosh! Voom! I raised my hand to turn off the annoying alarm. Damn! Where is this alarm? I slapped my hand around my bedside table to find my alarm clock. Vroom! Voosh! Voom! I jumped out of my bed to find the annoying culprit, but I didn't find it. I switched off the alarm settings on my phone. Then a call rang, fuelling my slowly developing headache. Brring! Brring!

"So you can not call to inform me that you have arrived safely?" The cold, curt voice whispered into the phone.

"Hello, grandma!" I bit my tongue as I held my phone in my ear. Wow! Not even a hello. It was not unusual, but I still had difficulty getting used to her coldness.

"Anyway, I sent food to your room. Make sure you eat well."

"Okay, ma," I replied even though I cringed with sadness- I wish she would relate with me openly. My past trip turned out to be a total disaster, and my grandmother should be my confidante in this case, but telling her about everything that happened would be like jumping from frying pan to fire. At least she cares If I have eaten.

"If you like, pass or fail this semester, I don't care. Left to me, I won't pay a dime for your college. So continue wasting your time over there," My grandma's harsh words sliced through my heart.

I wanted to remind her that I was in grade 13 and had not even started college yet, but it would not make any difference to her either.

"When you are ready to succeed, you will quit school and join me in my farming business," she continued and ranted on the phone for over two hours.

I set my phone on a table and muted my phone as I listened to her rants. I began to unpack my luggage while half listening to my grandmother to reply to her "Are you there?" remarks every five minutes into our conversation. Once, she noticed I wasn't listening to her and berated me.

After a while, she finally stopped talking.

"I love you, Iya Agba. " I said to ease the tension between us, but there was a pregnant pause on both ends of the line. It was also my method of reassuring her that I had heard her. Come on, grandma, just say the word.

"Bye-bye." My grandmother replied in a clipped tone. It did not cost her anything to reply to me with the L-word.

Ding-dong! The sound of the doorbell interrupted my thoughts.

"Room service!" a tiny feminine voice yelled. I forgot to wear my house sleepers and dashed to the front door.

"I am coming," I yelled back.

A petite woman who wore a customized sky blue collar jacket with black pants and black oxford shoes ushered in a food cart with mouthwatering dishes. The food cart had bite-sized fried bean cakes (Akara), zobo drink, strawberry vanilla pancakes and oven-baked garlic potatoes with poached eggs.

"Thank you so much."

The room service lady left the room after serving the meal. I took a long sip of the spicy, pineapple-flavoured Zobo drink, savouring the refreshing aftertaste it left in my mouth.

I picked up my phone and scrolled endlessly through my phone as I devoured my breakfast. Ding dong! The doorbell rang again. I casually strolled to the front door to check from the spyhole as I pondered If I was expecting anyone.

Girl, come and open the door - was the text I received from my best friend, Amani. I opened the door and fell to the ground immediately as Amani flung her brown backpack purse on the couch and jumped on me. We both fell to the hard floor immediately.

"OMG! Keziah! It's so good to see you. I have missed you soooooo much!" Amani yelled into my ears.

"Thank you very much, A-ma-ni. I am beside you, so you can stop yelling now," I yelled back into her ears.

"Hehehe"

I drew her into a warm hug. She leaned longer into the hug and held me tightly. She withdrew briefly and heaved a long sigh, then hugged me again. I guess I am not the only one that had a crazy holiday. Knowing Amani, I decided to let the matter rest and ask her later.

"I brought so many candies for you- There is this really delicious butterscotch candy that melts in your mouth as you chew on it. I reserved it, especially for you."

"Aww, thanks, bestie." Amani picked up the bag she had previously flung when she greeted me, and we both walked past my living room into the bedroom.

"Who's holding a party here?" she said as she observed the meals my grandmother had sent me. "Apparently, Grandma. Be my guest." I gestured to the mountain of food in front of me.

"Wow, she finally came around," Amani said, then immediately covered her mouth with her palm. "Sorry, that came out wrong."

"It's no problem. Besides, you are not a stranger to our issues." I rolled my eyes.

"I will eat later, but I have a lot to gist you." she plopped down on the plush beige sofa adjacent to my queen-sized bed.

"You won't even ask me about my trip."

"If the outcome was good, you would have told me about it," I wanted to berate Amani for her nonchalance towards the outcome of my terrible trip before I remembered that I had left out all the important details about the trip.

All she knew was crumbs about my journey and I was ready to take that secret to my grave. I also did not tell her about the beef I had with Stella earlier.

Amani inched closer to my chair and intertwined her hands with mine, "Plus, we have pressing matters. Do you know that Martin Phillips has implemented new academic laws? He said we need to get an 89% in mathematics before we are allowed to graduate."

"89%? Oh, Man! How am I going to get admitted to St Clark's University? I know I am still contemplating, but..." The tears welled up in my eyes.