" Steph leave me" I groaned frustratedly. She was pulling the blanket covering my body.

" Please Wura I promise not to take much of your time" She pleaded but I wasn't convinced and will probably never be convinced, I have been in bed since morning, I didn't even eat breakfast and it's way past lunch time and she didn't even notice something was wrong with me.

I don't understand whether she is been insensitive or she has just being ignoring my attitude since yesterday night.

" Steph, beg me all day. My answer will be a blatant No" I said with my words clipped. Her eyebrows pulled closer and her lips tightened in sheer annoyance.

" Suit yourself" She hissed and stood up brusquely. I also hissed after her and turned to stare at the wall my bunk bed was leaning on.

I don't understand why I feel so sad and have a sour mood, it's not usually like this. Last year I was quite happy, we cooked, ate and visited my mother's grave and at evening I curled up into my Father's embrace till I fell asleep but I probably feel this way because my home's warmth and comfort isn't here and my closest friend in Fortress isn't sensitive enough to my feelings.

Hannah, my best friend who travelled abroad for her University education, I don't even think she remembers me anymore, I have sent her a good morning message on WhatsApp since a month ago and she hasn't replied. We just view each other statuses now.

Only grandma has called me today, she told me to keep being strong and talk to Jesus about all my struggles and pain which I did earlier this morning and I was relieved for a while. Although Steph dampened my mood, I know I'm not supposed to act on a little thing like that but I just can't help it. I give her emotional support when she needs it, she should have noticed I didn't eat breakfast and lunch and I expected she should have asked why instead the first thing she did was to beg me to follow her around and knowing Steph, we will meet and greet a lot of people .

My Dad is on a church assignment so he hasn't called me and I also don't want to disturb him. I stood up from the bed and walked towards my wardrobe, standing in front of the wardrobe I picked up the frame of my pregnant mother and dusted imaginary dirt from it.

I miss her so much, I miss her sweet voice and assurances ( every Nigerian mother always have ways of assuring their children).

Honestly I think I had a perfect family  despite Mum's frequent sicknesses, our family was lovely. We aren't rich but I can said we are middle class citizens. My Dad is a full time Pastor and He pastors a chruch. He does some other businesses, Mum was a lawyer and as the only child I was very satisfied with my life. All my family's love and care was focused on me including my extended family.

Despite the fact that my Mum wasn't feeling too strong that day, she asked for permission and gave no room for the doctors and nurses in charge of her to persuade her from leaving the hospital to prepare for my 15th year birthday, I can recall the smile that lit up my Mum's oval, so symmetrical and light skinned face as she registered the look of surprise on my face as I entered the sitting room littered and decorated with ribbons and balloons. She was even more happier than I was that day but that was the last birthday she even had to celebrate with me.

I chuckled as I remembered when my Mum stuffed her face with cake. It was a secret between us that she ate a lot of cake and even took part of my ice cream that day.

I took out the Journal she also got me as a present on my last birthday with her and went through all that I wrote in there to God like she told me to.My eyes turned a flowing river as I skim through the letter I wrote to God on her first death anniversary, a part of me then didn't understand why God didn't save her like he said he would in his words.

For the first few months after Mum died, Daddy was always talking to me about God's will for us in times of pain and grief, that I shouldn't blame God and all that, though it didn't make sense to my ears then but I always nodded attentively like I was actually digesting his words but rather it was usually a turmoil in my mind.

I don't feel that way anymore, I recited a verse of the bible I have taken to heart and it has helped me in the dark times

2nd Corinthians 12 vs 9

9But He said to me, My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and [b]show themselves most effective in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may [c]pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me!

After wiping my tears, I wasn't still feeling hungry so I went straight to my bed to sleep.

For the next two days, Steph and I wasn't still talking, I tried talking to her but she didn't acknowledge me and so I relented. Two wrongs don't make a right.

" Wura" I heard Tife's voice call, I turned around to see Tife striding towards me.

" Hey, Good morning" I said with a smile as he got to where I was.

" Good morning Wuraoluwa" He replied callling my name purposefully

" How are your preparations for exams" He asked,

Exams were around the corner, if not very very close.

" I have been reading all my materials and I also got some past questions" I answered

" I told Stephanie to share some past questions with you, they are past questions from last year" He said, he probably gave her when we were already not in talking terms because that's the only thing that can explain why Steph didn't share the past questions from last year with me.

Those past questions are very scarce and even the people that have it are very stingy with it.

" Stephanie and I aren't talking. I guess we are fighting" I said and he laughed, one thing I have noticed about Tife is that he laughs and smiles a lot.

"Oh my goodness" I said between laughter

" I remember she was complaining about you on Wednesday" Tife said after laughing and I hissed.

" It's that serious" Tife said and laughed again. 

" She is tactless" I complained

" I never knew you had a side to yourself like this" He said

" What did she say about me" I asked

" She said you are annoying and I think she was jealous that you were talking and laughing with a dark skinned girl like that with long braids" He said and I laughed. That should be Bisola, one of our coursemates and we are both friends with Bisola infact I got to know Bisola through Stephanie.

" That's her business ooo I tried talking to her yesterday and she ignored me so maybe when she is tired of ignoring me.." I said

" Girls and silly fights, most guys will argue and even fight and afterwards trash out the matter but you girls will still be waiting for who to apologize first" Tife said with a smile.

" I'm giving her time to reflect on her actions and it's not a silly fight. Stop feminizing our fights! We may settle our quarrels differently than you guys but that doesn't mean you should call our fights silly." I snapped lightly

" I'm so sorry, I take back my statement" Tife said and raised his hands in defeat.

" I'm sorry about that, I just hate when people say that" I apologized

" You shouldn't be sorry about voicing out your opinions, I have learnt a lesson from you today and I promise never to say something like that again" He said and I smiled.

" I also learnt that Wura is not as gentle as she looks" He said and I nodded my head in disagreement

" Wura is gentle, I'm gentle" I said vehemently and he chuckled.

" One way to my sister's heart is through a large size of chocolate devotion so are you in for ice cream" Tife said and I squealed in excitement

" So you and Stephanie will settle your fight over ice cream or do you want anything else" He asked, I tilted my head in thought and said

" A dripping chocolate cake" Although I said it jokingly, the look on his face told me he considered it so I immediately told him not to worry and that it was a joke.

" Are we going to a cafeteria now" I asked

" No, we will just wait for our order so let me call Stephanie" He said as punched some numbers on his phone.

" Where did you order it from" I asked

" Cold stone. There's one of their stores close to our school so it wouldn't take long for our order to reach here" He said still staring at his phone. We talked about some things untill Stephanie arrived.

Of course there was silence when she arrived. She faced Tife immediately after staring at my face for a minute without saying anything, Tife was looking between us.

" Tife, why did you call me" She asked

" Sit down" He said to her, she stared at him before looking around to see where to sit. We were presently in one of the school's lounge so the chairs were mostly sofa, Tife was sitting on one and I was also sitting on one. She tried sitting on the sofa Tife was seated on but he pushed her off.

" What's wrong with you" She said angrily.

" Sit beside Wura, I'm saving this seat for someone" Tife said

" Who" She asked, a notification popped on Tife's phone and he stood up immediately.

" Wura, our ice cream has arrived" Tife said beckoning to me to follow him so I stood to follow him.

" Where are you guys going" Steph asked after us. She followed us till we got to the where the delivery man was and back into the lounge.

I took out my ice cream and pushed the nylon towards Tife but there was only two ice creams in the nylon. I was enjoying the drama so I smiled in delight when I tasted my ice cream. I looked towards her and gestured to her to taste the ice cream, she eyed me in response.

I smiled

" Tife but you don't take ice cream" She said with a pout. That explains why he ordered only two.

" I will only give you on one condition" Tife said

" What?" She asked

" You will settle your fight with Wura" He replied

" She is supposed to beg me first" Steph said

" So childish" I murmured

" Wura, what did you say. Say it out let me hear" Stephanie said

" Your actions are childish" I said and I could see a swirl of anger in her eyes

" Calm down both of you, oya take and let me excuse both of you" Tife said as he stretched the nylon towards Steph.

" Good luck" He said as he left but we didn't even acknowledge his words because we were busy exchanging words.

After a while we calmed down and started taking our ice cream.

" Annoying human being" Stephanie said

" You too" I responded and we laughed

" I'm sorry for everything, I thought about it and I think I was the cause of our quarrel even though you had hand in it" Stephanie said smiling.

" You wish" I said smiling

" Why were you so cranky that day" She asked

" My Mum's birthday" I said not looking up from my ice cream. She kept quiet for a while before talking

" I'm sorry. I don't even have an excuse" She said quietly

" Eat your ice cream, it's melting" I said, she took a small scoop into her mouth

" You didn't know I was feeling down because of my Mum's Birthday so you don't need to be sorry" I said

" Nevertheless I should have noticed something was wrong with you. You didn't eat breakfast and lunch so I thought you were fasting like that day" Steph said

" It's okay. Birthdays are days to celebrate not mourn. My Mum actually told us not to put her death date in mind but instead we should eat, enjoy and visit her grave side on her birthdays" I said with a sad smile

" Come here" Steph said as she gestured to me to hug her

" I'm so sorry" She said as she patted my head.

After we finished our ice cream we left for our hostel only to discover that I had a package and when I opened it, it was a dripping chocolate cake.

Tife

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