20 - winter break

Amina

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Finals week had come and gone just like that. I was relieved to be done with my first semester at ULA and I was so ready to go home. I was also very nervous to return home for the first time since leaving for school. My parents were known to be a bit judgey, and I had certainly put on a couple of pounds since starting. Curse the freshman 15, and the free fries I get from the diner were no help either. Don't even make me get into how the stress of school has messed with my skin.

Maybe I shouldn't go home.

"Ami you ready?" Isaiah's voice calls from outside my bedroom door.

I sigh, too late to back out now. I grab my duffle bag before making my way into the living room where I found Isaiah snacking on a bag of chips and lounging on our couch.

"I'm ready I guess."

"Why don't you sound more excited?" He asks stuffing his mouth with potato chips, "I thought you missed home?"

I shake my head, taking a seat on the other couch, "Not really. I just missed family Thanksgiving. You know how my parents are on any regular day."

He chuckles, "That's true. But hey it's only a week. And we'll be back here for New Year's." He takes my duffel bag from me, "Now let's get going, you know how grumpy Caleb gets if you make him wait."

I roll my eyes, "Caleb's always grumpy." He nods in agreement before making his way out of the apartment. I followed behind him before locking the door behind me. When we reach the parking lot Caleb steps out to help load up the car.

"Hey Ami." Noah greets me with a smirk as I join him in the back seat. He lived in the same area as the twins so he often just hitched a ride with them during the holidays.

"Hello Noah." I greet back with a smile.

"I didn't get to compliment you on your dance moves the other night."

"You guys were dancing together?" Isaiah asks in surprise.

"Nope." He replied before letting out a stifled laugh. Caleb raises an eyebrow through the rearview mirror at me, suggesting I start explaining. I remained quiet as I silently glared at Noah. He continues, seemingly oblivious to my glares. "You guys didn't see the show she put on? And then getting dragged off the table by Dominic?"

"The table?" Caleb asks with wide eyes.

"Dominic was at the party?" Isaiah also asks at the same time.

I hit Noah as he burst into a fit of laughter, "Noah shut up! Guys, it was nothing. Nothing even happened."

"Were you dancing on the table?" Isaiah asks in surprise.

"I'm surprised you guys didn't hear about it before now. She was the talk of the party. Not to mention the best dancer." Noah says eyeing me as he smirks. I hit him again making him laugh annoyingly.

"Ami you have to be careful with alcohol. You can't let yourself get that fucked up." Isaiah scolds.

I roll my eyes, "Says the guy who was making out with Kendra."

Isaiah stills and Caleb's eyes widen, "Kendra? As in Ami's roommate? You made out with Kendra?"

"It was the heat of the moment! We both swore to never speak about it again."

"Nice!" Noah comments, reaching his hand out for a high five before Isaiah pushes his arm away.

"This does not leave this car. You understand?" He says eyeing each of us.

I shrug, leaning back against my seat and staring at the window. I was already annoyed at the three of them and our 6-hour journey had just started.

Tensions had died down after the beginning of the journey and we spent the remaining time singing songs and bickering over who gets to control the aux cord.

"So Caleb. Where were you the whole time of the party? We know why Isaiah didn't see me, but where were you?" I ask bringing up the topic again 3 hours into the drive.

He shrugs, "I was lots of places."

"But yet I never saw you that night."

He shrugs again, not bothering to give me a response.

Because Noah lived closer to them than I did, I was the first to be dropped off. Out of respect, the twins had to follow me inside to greet my parents before they could make their way home. I took a deep sigh before knocking on the door of my childhood home.

My younger brother David is the one to greet us at the door. "Hey Ami, long time no see." He says with a smile before hugging me.

I chuckle, "It's only been a few months. You missed me?"

"Nope, they let me have your room." He says with a wide smile.

"What!" I exclaim before running up the stairs, leaving my cousins and brother to talk. I enter my former bedroom, now completely rearranged in a way only a 16-year-old boy would like. Posters hung on the wall of Marvel heroes and trap rappers, making me want to scream.

"What did you do to my room!" I exclaim in agony as he appears behind me.

"You thought it would stay on standby for you forever? You don't live here anymore!" My brother counters.

"What is all this commotion?" My mother's thick Nigerian accent laced with annoyance as she emerges from her bedroom. She smiles as she sets her eyes on me. "Amina it's good to have you home." She embraces me in a hug before scanning me over with her eyes. "You've gained weight." She says in a disappointed tone. Making me want to throw myself down the set of stairs behind me. David chuckles before re-entering my bedroom, shutting the door behind him.

"Good afternoon Aunty." Caleb and Isaiah greet as they emerge up the stairwell.

My mother smiles widely. "You boys are so big now! How is basketball going?"

"Good. We just won our season opener game." Caleb says proudly.

"Good. I hope Amina isn't giving you guys too much trouble out there. I know she can be a handful." My mother replies.

Isaiah chuckles giving me a pointed look, "No, not at all."

"Mom, why has David moved into my room? Where am I supposed to sleep?" I ask my mother.

"Is it not you who decided to move out and go far away? We set up a room for you in the garage."

My eyes widened, "The garage?"

Isaiah and Caleb exchange looks before mutually deciding to make their leave, "We have to get home now. But it was good seeing you, Aunty. Bye Amina." Caleb says as he pulls out his car keys.

"Before you both go!" My mother scurries to her room before returning with a large bag of clothes. "Take this to your mother for me. Drive safe." She says with a smile as she hands them the bag.

"Bye Auntie! Good luck Ami." Isaiah chuckles as they both make their way down the stairs.

I sigh, "I'm not sleeping in the garage."

"Then you can sleep on the couch."

"Mom!"

"What Amina?" She asks in an annoyed tone.

I shake my head in defeat before making my way back downstairs. My mother retreats into her bedroom and I notice David make his way down the stairs behind me. He goes to grab my bags from the foyer before I can making me frown.

"What are you doing?" I ask tiredly.

"I wasn't really going to make you sleep in the garage. You can have the room while you're here. I'll take the couch."

I let out a small smile before pinching his cheek, making him swat me away. "Thank you."

After getting settled in and putting my things away in my old bedroom, I made my way down to the kitchen for a snack. It was apparent that my dad and brother Sean were out of the house, leaving me with mom and David.

"Ami help me prepare dinner." My mother says the second she notices me enter the kitchen. Great, I've landed in a trap. I sigh before washing my hands as she hands me the knife to begin cutting vegetables. "So how is university? I hope your grades are good this semester?" She asks as she carefully seasons her pot of stew.

"Yes, I've actually been offered an internship."

Her brow raises curiously, "Oh really? What company?"

"Acme corporation."

She nods in approval but doesn't voice it as she focuses on the cooking in front of her. My mother wasn't one for acknowledgement and I never expected it from her. All she ever focused on were the areas she could criticize. What needs to be fixed.

"Well, you'll need to find some new workwear. I'm sure none of your old ones fit because of the weight gain. You really should've been more careful." She says changing the subject.

Ah yes, there it is, critique.

I sigh just nodding in response as we continue to cook. An hour or so into cooking the front door opens and in enters my brother Sean with my father following behind him. They both struggled to carry the large Christmas tree through the doorway before positioning it in the family foyer.

"Dad!" I exclaim happily as I hug him.

"How's my darling doing." My father smiles happily as he embraces me. He looks me over after we depart from our hug and he raises a brow. "You gained weight? What happened?" He asks making me roll my eyes internally.

"She works at a diner now." My mother adds as she yells from the kitchen, making my father chuckle and making me groan.

"Hey Ami." My brother's deep voice booms from behind me.

"Hey Sean." I smile as I hug him.

Sean was 18, about to graduate high school, and was born only two years after me. Then David followed two years after him. The three of us were somewhat close given our short age gaps.

"Why did you pick such a big tree?" My mother groans as she enters the foyer.

"Dad wanted it to be bigger than uncles." Sean chuckles as he heads into the kitchen. My mother frowns at my father who just shrugs his shoulders with a sly smile on his face. My uncle and father had a small sibling rivalry where they competed with each other in every way. For the most part, it was friendly but other times it was out of control. Their rivalry is the reason why the twins and I are so close in age.

"How's university been?" My father asks as he takes a seat in the kitchen.

"It's been good. I've been awarded an internship and I start in January."

He smiles, pleased by my news. "That's what I like to hear. You boys need to take notes from your sister!" He calls into the hall.

My dad was much more gentle and affectionate than my mother. My mother ruled with an iron fist and expected perfection always. My father on the other hand was someone I could go to for comfort, but not always someone I could confide in. He at times could also be a controlling perfectionist. Regardless I loved them both and knew they cared about me deeply and ultimately wanted the best for me, they just go about it wrong most of the time.

"Amina keep cutting. Do you want us to starve tonight?" My mother urges.

I sigh, continuing my cutting quickly.

When dinner was finally ready we took our places around the table to eat. "Dinner looks delicious." My father comments as he cuts into his chicken. We were having jollof rice with chicken and plantains, a common meal in Nigerian households.

"Let's hope it tastes delicious. I let Amina handle the seasoning." My mother replies.

"I think it tastes great." David says, tearing into the chicken drumstick with his hands.

I chuckle, "Thank you, David."

"With all the years I've spent training her to cook I would hope so. Can't get a husband if you can't cook."

My father raises a brow, "I wouldn't say that's necessarily true."

My mother laughs, "Would you have married me if I couldn't cook? Then you would sit here starving every day because you also can't cook."

He laughs as well, "That is true. In that case, Ami would just need to marry someone who can cook if she couldn't."

"Why are we talking about getting married at the dinner table?" I chuckle nervously.

"Oh, Ami you're 21, the same age I was when I met your father and got married. I'm sure now that you've gone to school you have plenty of suitors?" My mother asks.

My eyes widen slightly, remembering my current situation and the previous one. "Um, yeah sure."

Thankfully that conversation was put to rest and we continued with dinner, discussing normal things instead of my love life. After the kitchen was cleaned up by my brothers I went up to my room to get ready for bed.

There was a small knock on the door before my mother entered. "Hey mom." I said as I looked through my luggage for a t-shirt.

"You didn't give a straight answer at dinner today."

She says taking a seat on the bed. I raise a brow in confusion. "What're you talking about?"

"When I asked about possible suitors. 'Yeah sure' isn't much of an answer. Who is he?"

My eyes widen, "There's no one, really mom."

"I hope he's studying something useful. Engineering, business, medicine, or law. Don't bring around any performing art majors."

"Mom."

She chuckles, "Okay fine. But when you want to talk about it you come to me first."

"If I have anything to talk about I will." I assure her.

"Goodnight Amina."

"Goodnight Mom."

———

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- AuggiePooh_