Nana that smells delicious’ she drawled and licked her lips.
‘If you like bite your tongue before the cake is ready, your chores are waiting for you.’
‘Urgh! Nana cut me some slack at least today would you?
‘Who’ll do them then?’
‘I’ll do them tomorrow, she answered pouting.’
‘It won’t be just chores alone now I think I’m going to smack those tiny buttocks of yours! Are you still looking at me?
Rain sauntered off, lickety-split, murmuring but turned back just in time to catch Nana smiling and shaking her head. She frowned back.
Some minutes later and they were both seated in front of a large, steamy cake on the dining table.
‘Nana, can we put candles on the cake? She said grinning.
‘No my princess, the cake is still too hot and it might melt the candles. But you can still make your wish.’ She said smiling.
‘Yikes! Rain shrieked in excitement. Then she closed her eyes and mouthed a few words.
They both took their forks and began devouring the cake.
‘Same wish every year, why don’t you make new wishes? Nana remarked slyly.
‘You read my lips again, It’s supposed to be a secret!’
‘Okay, fine. I’m sorry I couldn’t help it. But that’s not the problem. I think you should try to learn how to accept the fact that.. you may never get to meet him’ she finished, ignoring the stony look Rain threw at her.
‘Whatever.’ Rain retorted and with that, dismissed the topic.
A knock came from the door, breaking the silence in the room.
Rain got up, walked gently to the door and peeped through the tiny hole on the wooden door. Then she quietly retraced her footsteps and mouthed in an almost whisper ‘I’m not around’ to Nana. Waving her hands before a confused grandma.
The knock came again.
‘Come in’ answered grandma.
The door opened and a lanky boy about Rain’s age, strode in.
‘Good morning ma’ he greeted bowing.
‘Morning Michael, how are you?’
‘I’m fine ma.’
‘And your parents, how are they?’
‘They’re fine too, thanks ma. Ma please I’m here to see Rain.’
‘Rain?’
‘Ok Rain is still sleeping.’
‘Oh..okay ma, no problem.’
‘You have a message for her?’ she added
‘Yes ma, please when she wakes up help me remind her of our meeting later today by 12pm at the..
‘Yes ma, its for the clay modeling project Aunty Rahila gave to our group to make against Monday.
(Rain rolled her eyes).
‘Ok my child, I’ll give her your message as soon as she wakes up.’
‘Alright thank you ma.’
‘You’re welcome. Please come join me for breakfast.’ She added with a beguiling smile.
‘Oh no, thank you ma. I just had mine.’
‘Ok then, my regards to your mother ehn’
‘She’ll hear ma.’
‘Err.. ma, lest I forget, please wish her a happy birthday for me’
(Rains’ eyes popped open, then she smiled small).
‘Oh that’s nice of you. I’ll make sure she gets that’.
‘Thank you ma. Bye.’
‘Bye my dear.’
The door closed.
And this years award for the best graduating student, Bill Clifford’s College, goes to Rain Kumar!
Sounds of applause reverberated in the hall as a sylph-like figure walked majestically to the stage for her award. She was given a congratulatory handshake from the amiable white man before they both smiled into the camera. She lifted the award and the whole school cheered..
It was obvious she was loved by all but of course, they were a few group of girls who couldn’t disguise their contempt as they sneered at her maliciously.
Rain would have poked her tongue out at them, if only she cared.
Outside, lots of photographs and picnics were going on, and after taking lots of photos with friends, staffs and well wishers, she grew tired and her face hurt from too much smiling. She skimmed around the visiting garden for her grandma and sighted her sitting on a mat filled with coolers and waving at her. She excitedly began trudging towards her direction only to see Michael approaching her from the corner, she reluctantly slowed down.
‘Congratulations.’ He said warmly
‘Thanks. And congratulations to you too.’
‘Oh please, it’s just mere French.’ He waved.
‘Only a genius would say that. French is not an easy course you know.’ She explained.
‘Yeah, right’. So can I take a photo?’ he asked raising his hand to scratch a top of his hair.
‘Sure why not’.
A photographer was already standing by. And Rain started striking a pose.
‘Not with you, I mean the award’.
‘Whaat!’ she raised her eyebrows.
‘Hahahahaha, got you, I was only joking. C’mon, who wouldn’t die for a photo with the prettiest and smartest girl on campus?’
‘Flatter me’. She scoffed.
‘You know that’s true. Alright let’s take the photo already before your grandma bores a hole into my skull with her eyes.’
‘Oh, right.’ She posed and noticed how lightly he wrapped his left arm round her waist. She smiled.
Rain was seated in the study thoroughly engrossed in the book she was holding.
The study was her most favorite part of the house as she was obsessed with books. Mr Clinton must have loved books too as evident in his library which bore six, long shelves, stacked with diverse books. By the time Rain clocked ten, she had finished about a quarter of them. She’ll be sixteen in four months.
Her stomach growled reminding her she’s yet to have lunch. She checked the clock on the wall and realized it’s already past 7pm. Quite surprised, she simply adjusted her glasses and continued reading, ignoring the sting in the pit of her stomach.
The door creaked open making her flinch at the noise, before turning to see her grandma carrying a tray with a plate of food and a cup.
‘Nana, haven’t I told you times without number that I don’t like having my meals here?’.
‘And how many more times would I have to remind you to eat ehn? Later you’ll be complaining of ulcers and malaria as if I’m not feeding you well’.
‘Hahahahahaha, malaria is not caused by lack of food but by plasmodium from mosquitoe bites’. Rain guffawed.
‘Okay genius, whatever. My point is you stop skipping meals please I beg of you, even when you go to school, ensure you don’t forget this. Mr Clinton loved to read as well but he doesn’t miss a meal, and always said his brain needed food for energy’. Her lips curved into a small smile.
‘Oh really?’. Rain asked with popped eyes.
‘Yea’. She added in a smaller tone, her face falling down.
‘Nana, what’s wrong?’.
‘Wrong? Nothing is wrong’. She replied quickly.
Rain sensing grandma’s awkward reaction open her mouth to say something, but decided against it.
‘This came in earlier from a staff in your school, your former school’. Grandma said and handed an envelope to Rain.
Rain tore it open and unfolded its content
‘Oh my God. Oh my God! I can’t believe this. Yaayyyy! She screamed and raised up her hands jumping with glee.
Grandma just stood perplexed
‘Nana, look, I’ve been given a scholarship to study Medicine in the University of Lagos’. She said breathlessly.
....To be continued...............