My Sisters Keeper

21

I made it home late in the evening. Lungelo decided to drive me home since he's the one who held me up. We got home and parked in front of the gate. I saw my mum standing by the door looking at the car clearly monitoring what was happening. And she wasnt even pretending to be doing anything else.

"Your mum is hectic." Lungelo said looking out the window at her. Good thing the windows are tinted.
"Tell me about it. I should go before she comes here." I opened the door and got out. Lungelo got out and opened the boot for me to get my bag. There was a pink laptop bag in there as well. I took out my bag and tried not to think too much about this pink laptop bag. What if he has a girlfriend, or even worse a wife?

I was about to close the boot when he took out the pink laptop bag and gave it to me.

"What's that?"
"A laptop for Bontle. You said you needed to buy her one."
"Yeah, I need to buy her one."
"Well now you don't have to. She can use that one." He said closing the boot.
"You bought my daughter a laptop? Why?"
"No, I did not buy it, the only thing I bought was the bag, the laptop is old, I haven't used it in a while. I figured she could put it to good use. Anyways I'll call you." He kissed me on my forehead and drove off before I could even say anything.

He left me there standing like I just missed the school bus. I looked at his car as he drive away. I went in and my mother was standing by the door with her arms crossed across her chest.

"Uyajola?" I wanted to laugh but I decided to keep it in.
"Cha ma, I'm not dating. Lungelo is a friend." She shook her head and walked into the house. I followed her and sat down on the couch while she went to the kitchen.

I opened the laptop bag and took out the laptop. He lied. This is not an old laptop, its brand new. It still has the bubble wrap around it, even the charger looks like it's never been used. I cant accept this. It's too big a gift. I was about to put it back in the bag and put it away before Bontle sees it, and speak of the devil and she will appear. She screamed soon as she saw the laptop on the table. Her screams were so loud mum even came in from the kitchen.

"What the heck is going on?" She asked with flour all over her hands and apron.
"Ma bought me a laptop." Bontle screamed as she sat down on the carpet with the laptop on the coffee table.
"Actually I didnt buy it. Its Lungelo's old one, he figured you could use it." I said trying not to look at my mum's judgemental face.
"A friend huh." She said before walking back to the kitchen. Bontle got up from the floor and sat next to me on the couch.

"Mum this is not an old laptop." She whispered.
"I know. And that's why we cant accept it." I saw her face fall. "Look I know you want a laptop and I promise I'll buy one for you but I cant accept this one."
"Why?"
"Because its brand new, and I cant pay him back for it. This is an expensive laptop."
"Has it ever occurred to you that maybe all he is trying to do is make things easier for you."
"Huh?"
"Not every man is going to be like my dad. Besides it would be rude to return a gift. Tell stepdaddy I said thanks." She said picking up the laptop and rushing to her room. I texted Lungelo and he called back.

"You lied."
"You wouldn't have accepted it if I'd told you the truth."
"Well I wasn't planning on it but Bontle seems to have other ideas." He laughs.
"Smart girl that one."
"More like stressful. Let me help my mum with supper. I'll call you later." I hung up and went to the kitchen to help my mum.

I dont know why I came in here, I should have just gone to the bedroom or stayed in the lounge and watched TV cause the stares I'm getting from this woman are just weirdly crazy.

"Mum please stop looking at me like that."
"Like what? A liar?" Mothers and their drama.
"Ma I'm not lying, Lungelo and I are just friends."
"Just make sure you go to the clinic uyo preventer." Yho Jesu. I decided to just leave her there and go sit with Bontle cause now I feel like a teenager who just got caught with a boy.