CHAPTER FOUR: RESUMPTION (2)
"So, what is the name of your hostel?" Francis asked as he dished his homemade jollof rice from the big cooler Mum brought from home. He served his share into a plate so he could eat from it.
"Benevolence Hostel!" I answered as I sat inside the car and looked at my brother dishing his share. "Dish mine also," I said to him.
"Didn't you eat at home?" Francis asked, not bothering to look at me as he selected a big piece of meat from another cooler.
"It doesn't mean," I said to him, almost screaming, as Mum went to get bottled water from the third cooler filled with ice blocks, drinks and bottled water.
"I am so thin," Francis said, exaggerating too much.
Yeah, he has lost some weight, but that doesn't mean he is so thin. At least, he looks healthy.
"You are as healthy as a newborn baby," I said to him.
"Floral, you know you are so good at pulling my legs, and please don't try it with me now. I am so hungry that I can't listen to you," he said as he closed the boot and sat beside me in the car to eat.
"You are so wicked; you can't even serve your little sister," I said to him, looking at him with my mean face.
"Floral, I am so hungry that I don't have time. Enough with me being so rude to you," my brother said as he put a spoon in his mouth.
"Didn't you eat in school?" I asked him. "You told me that you were always being served good food in school," I said, remembering every word he would tell me anytime he came back from school.
"It was a lie. Not every time are we served enough to eat," Francis said as he ate his meat.
"Jeez! Francis!" I said as I looked away from him and got down from the car to get a Coke.
"Bring one for me!" he said to me.
Oh man!
"Go get it yourself; I can't, because I am thirsty," I said to him and closed the boot before going to sit in the car.
"You are being rude!" Francis said to me, annoyed as if he should be.
"I am not, I just felt thirsty," I said as I drank from the plastic bottle of Coke.
"If you are rude in this school, you will get punished," Francis said as he got down to get his own drink.
"Boys are not girls, and the other way round," I said to him, remembering when he always told me the punishment given when one was rude to their seniors.
"You will know then," he said as he closed the boot.
"Mum, Francis said I will be beaten by my seniors in the school because of some unreasonable reasons," I said to Mum, who had just finished making a call.
"If they try it, call me. I will make sure they get suspended," Mum said to me, and this made Francis almost choke on his Coke.
"Mum, Floral is just being unreasonable with what she said. I said that if she is rude, the seniors will either beat or punish her," Francis said.
"Flower, just make sure you aren't rude. This is Nigeria; you don't talk to your seniors anyhow because you will get yourself in trouble. Even the teachers won't support you," Dad said, listening to our conversation.
"Tell her!" Francis smiled at what Dad said.
"Francis, you have to lead your sister the right way to avoid her being punished," Dad said to him, and again, Francis looked at me with a cold face.
Jeez… Francis.
"Francis, you are so mean."
"Dad, you spoil this girl too much. I can't believe she is my sister," Francis said, looking at me with a cold face.
"Francis, stop looking at me like that! You will make me cry," I said to him, because I know fully well my brother doesn't look at me like that.
"Then stop being so spoilt and rude," he said and got down from the car. "Dad, did you bring my phone?" Francis asked as he put his plate inside the basket in the boot.
"Yeah, get it from your mum," Dad said.
Mum gave him his phone, and instead of him sitting beside me, he walked to his hostel route.
He seemed upset.
"He just left," I said to Dad, and Dad nodded, smiling.
"He will be back," he said.
I got down from the car and ran after Francis.
When I got hold of him, I hugged him from behind.
He stopped and looked at me, then smiled.
"I am sorry for being rude, Franc," I said, calling him by the nickname I formed anytime I offended my brother.
"It is okay," he said and touched my head.
"Hey dude!" I heard one of his friends call him.
I looked up to see David and Matthew coming towards us.
"Hey, remember her?" Francis asked, pointing at me as he asked his friends.
"Yes of course, she is that cute sister of yours that we always talk about," Matthew said and stopped in front of us.
"Am I seeing double? Isn't she wearing the house-wear for girls' hostel?" David asked, looking at me.
"Yeah, she is part of the second batch resuming today," my brother answered his friend's obvious question.
"She is truly going to have a boyfriend with that face," Matthew said, looking at me with a smile.
"She knows the family she is from," Francis smiled, knowing fully well that having a boyfriend had to be a secret from my over-secure parents.
"Hey cutie, how are you?" Matthew asked, stretching his hand towards me for a handshake.
I believe I am beautiful since I get many compliments from people. I have these rare ocean-blue eyeballs, and I am a fair girl with dimples and a cute smile.
I am 4'9 for my age, and I guess that is too short. Lol!
My brother is 6'2, and he is almost the same height as Dad.
He is also fair, cute, and also has dimples, with this baby hair and grey eyeballs.
Anytime we are together, we always get attention.
"I am fine," I answered Matthew.