Chapter II
II
Mo cradled the phone. Golden Boy was no longer on the line, but she didn’t want the softness she felt to dissipate so quickly.
He bought phone card after phone card so that they could speak once a day.
And then when they ran out of credit, they would resort to sending emails to one another.
She missed his presence, but she loved going to her MSN inbox and seeing his name in her otherwise junk-cluttered account.
Her brother walked into the room, and she quickly replaced the phone handset.
Tolu stuck out his tongue, pointed a finger into his mouth and made a retching noise, startling Sango. Mo hissed, “What exactly do these girls find attractive about you?”
“I’m a debonair guy.”
“You’re a shameless playboy.”
He shrugged. “At least they are realists.”
“Meaning?”
“The dude has been in the UK for two months; you think he doesn’t have a babe there?”
“This might be hard for your brain to comprehend, but there are guys who are satisfied with the one chick. One, uno, un, èyàkan.”
“I wouldn’t have thought you were this na?ve.”
She smiled at him. Golden Boy said what he meant, and he did what he said. He was one of the most transparent people she had ever met. If her brother was waiting for her comeback, he would continue to wait.
Tolu sat on the floor, leant back against the couch and began to roll himself a spliff.
She watched him light it and bring it to his mouth.
She grabbed the spliff from him, took a hit and handed it back.
Just then Ebun walked into the east living room.
She was in her uniform, blazer and tie included. She began to unravel her tie.
“How were your exams?”
She shrugged. “They were all right.”
Mo watched her cousin as she went to sit beside Tolu. Was there an abruptness in her response? An edge of something? Ebun collected the joint from Tolu’s hand and sucked in the substance. Mo walked over and snatched it from her.
“What?”
“When did this one start?”
“What do you care?”
“Excuse me? I care. Ebun, I don’t want you smoking this stuff.”
“Hypocrite much?” her brother said, but she ignored him.
“So, your boyfriend travels and suddenly you want to play big cousin again.” Ebun’s words were filled with so much vitriol, Mo took a step back. “We haven’t had a proper conversation in months. You have no idea what is going on in my life!”
She stormed out of the room. Mo looked at Tolu, and Tolu shrugged.
“It’s probably her period or something.”
Mo narrowed her eyes and took a drag from the spliff.
Golden Boy wouldn’t approve, but she only indulged every now and then.
But maybe Ebun was right—she had been preoccupied with Golden Boy recently.
Maybe, just maybe, she’d overlooked her.
She handed the weed back to her brother and went in search of her cousin.
—
Ebun was lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling. “Go away.”
“Make me.” Mo sat on the desk and Sango settled down beside her. “What’s doing you?”
“What’s doing me? What’s doing you? All you care about is man. You’re no different from my mum.”
That stung. Mo might not disapprove of Aunty Kemi being a serial dater, but she definitely did not consider them two peas in a pod.
For one, Aunty Kemi didn’t believe in love, or so she claimed.
And for another, her aunt used foundation that was two shades lighter than her natural skin tone, and always applied a fake beauty spot just below her eye.
Mo, on the other hand, was happy with her ebony skin and natural hair.
But now wasn’t the time to belabour the point.
Her normally composed cousin was clearly upset.
“Are you going to fight me, or are you going to tell me what’s really upsetting you?”
Ebun sighed and then sat up slowly. “Mum wants me to go and ask my dad for money for university.”
“Ooof!”
“Yea. I told her I’d rather eat rocks. Why does she always do this?
Why can’t she ask for the money? I barely know him!
Or better yet, why can’t she earn the money herself?
If she spent a quarter of the time selling her jewellery that she spends chasing man, she would probably be a millionaire by now. ”
“Do you want me to talk to her?”
Ebun glared at her, torn between still being angry at where she now ranked in Monife’s list of priorities and wanting her older cousin’s help.
“Would you?” she finally said.