P for Perfect

Chapter 21- Travis

Who's the new best friend– Alex

   Faith's voice sends alarms screaming into my head, but I cover it up with a laugh. The thing is, Faith has never willingly called me, only when she has literally no other option. But today, tonight she's calling me willingly, ready to spill.

"My parents are very...rigid, my dad is a renowned doctor, he's always wanted each of his kids to be doctors. My mum, well my mum is just a miniature version of my dad. She doesn't really have a personality of her own, she she's just molded by what her relatives and husband wants. So they both have always had very high expectations for all of us.

"I've lived my entire life trying to be that child you know, getting the best grades, all the badges, winning all my races. They want me to apply for scholarships even though they've got enough money to take care of my education. It's just all a means to fill up their pride and–" she breaks off and for a moment I'm scared she's crying but then she comes back on immediately.

"Are you okay?" I ask, ignoring her warning to not speak.

"I'm tired. I feel so choked up in here."

"That's why you smoke."

"I was also curious but yes, that's why."

"Has it helped?" She pauses.

"Yes."

"Did this help? Talking to me?"

"Yes."

"Which is a safer medium?"

"Talking to you, I get the point Travis–"

"You might be addicted to it, it's a really hard habit to get rid of."

"I'll stop it, it'll be easier for me to do it."

"And why's that?"

"Because I've got you, Travis the doctor."

"Shut up jare, when you get lung cancer your eye will clear."

"Please stop with your cancer sermons, at the rate you're going you'll have cancer."

"You'll obviously have it before me though."

"Bastard," she laughs aloud. And then she continues talking and talking and I'm just satisfied listening to her, and smiling like a fool.

••••

   "You look extremely happy today," Dad observes as he grabs his plate of toast bread.

"I am, guess what?" I test him, grabbing mine as well. We settle down on our dining table with our respective bags next to us.

"Your female friend called you and told you everything you've been dying to know about?"

"You cheated," my face falls.

"Not really, let's just say your voice is deeper than you think. I couldn't sleep well because of you."

"You look well rested if you ask me," I grunt.

"So tell me, any good come out of the conversation?"

"Heck yeah. She told me why she smokes and now I can actively prevent her from doing it," I grin in triumph. Dad's face grows thoughtful as he turns his Lipton tea. I study his constantly receding hairline, and the worry lines that seem to be doubling. Daddy should start resting abeg.

"You know your mum used to smoke," he finally says.

"Ehnnn!?" I choke on my tea, Faith's horrible statement about me having cancer first flashing through my head. See this Igbo girl o!

"She only quit when she got pregnant with you. She didn't smoke regularly though, only when we would argue or her mother annoyed her."

"So you lived with smoke," I clarify.

"I loved her. Your mother."

"Stop talking in past tense," I say coldly. He's getting too used to her absence.

"Travis, the truth is your mum isn't coming here, not in her life."

"Then we'll go to her," I say defiantly.

"You'll go, I promise." He stands up before I can argue with him and goes into the kitchen to finish his food, leaving me to stare at the little balls of Milo at the top of cup separate from one another.

••••

"Everybody Travis's girlfriend is Fai–" I quickly clasp my hand over Alex's mouth and push him back to his seat.

"Are you all right!?" I hiss at him.

"Chill jare, this is a public place, nobody cares about your babe," he dusts his shoulders as if I have stains on my hands.

"She's not my babe," I eye him.

"But you've been texting her non stop since we left school," he points at his phone.

"And so? You that is always calling Aramide every five five minutes," I retort.

"Exactly, because she's my babe."

"Abeg getat before you collect."

"Who wants to give me? You?" He laughs.

"I get muscle o, no dey try me."

"Abeg stop, pidgin no fit you at all," he laughs some more.

"You sef pidgin no fit you so rest," Umar reminds him, coming to stand between us.

"But seriously though, this new found friendship between you and Faith is fun to watch. Are you sure she's just your friend?" Umar asks tentatively. I raise my eyebrows at both of them.

"You guys are boring me right now. We're friends, in fact call us best friends if it will calm you down."

"That's even worse, best friends always upgrade my guy."

"Osas and Umar seem to have not," I spit back immediately.

"Ahan," Alex winces in behalf of Umar. I glance at him and catch his stone faced expression.

"Umar doesn't have any feelings for Osas so he doesn't need to feel bad. Right. Right?" I stop to look at him for confirmation. Umar doesn't look right at me as he replies.

"No feelings." He tensely moves ahead of us and Alex and I lock eyes.

Uh oh.