A smile crept onto her face, as she opened her eyes.
Saturday, she thought.
The word itself felt like a warm hug - a promise of lazy mornings and afternoons spent doing absolutely nothing I didn't want to do.
She stretched her arms and yawned, savoring the blissful freedom from school. Her gaze drifted from the off-white walls to the light azure curtains, their folds softly glowing in the morning sunlight.
She could spend the morning simply staring at the ceiling, enjoying the freedom, instead of sitting in a crowded classroom, longing for the final bell to ring.
She swung her legs over the side of the bed and padded to the bathroom. The sudden brightness made her squint, but she couldn't help smiling at the sleepy-eyed, tousled-haired version of herself staring back from the mirror.
"Good morning, Momma," she said as she walked into the dining area.
Her mother smiled. "Good morning, Nina."
Her twin brothers, Femi and Folu, looked up from the toy cars they were racing across the couch. Their faces lit up in unison.
"Good morning, sis!" they chimed, their voices perfectly alike.
Smiling, Nina ruffled their hair as she headed for the table.
"Momma, has Dada come out yet?"
Her mother raised an eyebrow, a teasing glint in her eyes.
"Do you think everyone is as lazy as you? He's been up for hours."
Nina rolled her eyes.
"Momma, I'm not lazy. I'm just... conserving energy for my exams."
"Oh, so you've been conserving this energy since forever?" her mother teased.
"Girl, you're naturally lazy!"
Nina laughed.
"Mommaaa..."
She sat down and served herself breakfast.
"He even asked about you this morning," her mother said. "I told him your exams start on Monday."
"Thanks, Momma."
"I'm taking the boys to get their hair cut before we visit Mami. She's been unwell for a few days. Eat when you're done, wash the plates."
"Okay, Momma," Nina replied around a mouthful of bread. "What are you making for lunch?"
Her mother gave her a knowing look.
"Something quick. And don't think cooking lunch is an excuse not to read your books."
Nina was in the kitchen when Femi and Folu came bounding in.
"Sis, sis, bye-bye!" they chimed in unison.
Nina dropped the sponge and wiped her hands on her gown, a wide grin spreading across her face. She scooped up the twins, one after the other, and swung them high into the air, their giggles filling the kitchen.
"We're ready now," Momma said, adjusting her handbag as she walked into the kitchen. The boys wriggled free and ran to her.
"Alright, Momma," Nina said. "Say hi to Mami for me, please. I'll come and visit her too, maybe on Monday after school."
She put on a mock-serious expression.
"But make sure she knows she needs to be strong before I get there. I just can't handle seeing her all weak and stuff!"
Momma laughed softly.
"Don't worry. I'll tell her to bulk up before you get there," she teased.
Just then, her phone rang. She rummaged through her handbag and answered it.
"Hello," she said into the phone.
With the call still on, she turned to Nina.
"Don't forget to read your books hard, okay?"
Then she walked away, the boys trailing behind her as they waved goodbye to Nina once again.
"You boys, bring me something nice, you hear?" Nina called after them as she continued washing the plates.
After preparing lunch, Nina headed to her room. She undressed, took a shower, then washed the gown she'd taken off.
It took her almost fifteen minutes to tame her long, thick, tightly coiled hair. To Nina, it felt like an eternity. She wasn't exactly the girly type, and tasks like this always felt like a chore.
If she was being honest, the thought of cutting it all off didn't bother her. In fact, she would have welcomed the simplicity.
A sigh escaped her as she finally finished. The struggle had been as much in her mind as it was in her hands.
She slipped into a comfortable outfit - a soft pastel pink shirt with delicate embroidery around the neckline and light grey joggers with a subtle flare at the bottom. Wrapping a matching light grey scarf around her head, she adjusted it in front of the mirror.
The reflection staring back at her belonged to a typical eighteen-year-old girl of average height and medium build. She had a medium-dark complexion that made her stand out among some of her fairer-skinned relatives.
Her features were gentle rather than striking. She had a medium-sized mouth with wide teeth and a nose her brother, Praise, never missed an opportunity to tease her about. Despite that, she knew she resembled Dada in many ways. Only her almond-shaped eyes seemed entirely her own.
She smiled at her reflection, a laugh escaping her lips.
"That's me, Nina - a crazy girl," she whispered.
She headed to the bathroom to pick up the gown she'd washed earlier, balancing it in one hand while carrying her Chemistry notebook, jotter, and pen in the other. As she stepped outside, she made her way toward the farmhouse, just a few steps from their living quarters.
She hung the gown on the line before heading toward the farmhouse to get some reading done. Then she noticed her school uniform still hanging there, speckled with dust.
Nina rolled her eyes.
Dada would definitely have something to say about her careless handling of her school things.
"Ah, well," she muttered, taking the uniform back to her room and tossing it onto the bed.
Back in the parlor, Nina settled onto the couch with her Chemistry notebook, determined to study. Instead, her mind drifted to a poem. After a few moments of composing lines in her head, she finally opened her notebook, but the words blurred together after only a few minutes.
Feeling restless, she glanced at the clock.
1:47 p.m.
Her stomach growled, reminding her that Momma and the boys still weren't back.
The quiet of the afternoon slowly settled over her, and before she knew it, she had drifted off to sleep.
"I'm giving it to her!" Femi declared.
"No, I am!" Folu shot back.
"Okay, fine! We'll both give it to her then. Agreed?" Femi said.
"Yes, you boys can give it to her together," Momma said as she walked into the kitchen.
Nina, who had been dozing on the couch, stirred at the sound of their voices. Her eyes fluttered open, and a smile spread across her face.
She sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
"What's all the commotion about?" she asked. "Is it the stuff I asked you to bring?"
Femi and Folu exchanged mischievous grins.
She got to her feet just as Momma emerged from the kitchen carrying plates to the dining table.
"Welcome back, Momma!" Nina said, hurrying over. "When did you get back? How's Mami?"
"How's the home?" Momma asked. "Have you read your books?" she added, arranging the plates on the table.
Nina glanced at the couch. Her books had slipped onto the rug, while her pen still rested on the cushion.
She remembered she hadn't done much reading before falling asleep. Still, she answered, "Yes. I was reading when sleep took over. Look, my books are there."
She pointed toward the couch.
"Good. I thought you'd have eaten without waiting for us," Momma said.
"No, Momma. I could wait. I wasn't that hungry." Nina smiled. "How's Mami? Did you tell her my message?"
"Yes. I told her you're coming to see her on Monday," Momma replied as she served the food.
"We're coming!" Folu exclaimed.
Nina turned to the boys.
"So, what's that you're bringing for me?" she asked, her curiosity growing.
"Something nice," Femi replied.
As Femi approached, Nina helped him onto the dining chair and gently took the package from him. Folu climbed onto the chair beside him, and they all sat down to eat. Nina looked from one face to another, searching for a clue, but no one gave anything away.
Her curiosity finally got the better of her. She tore open the package and found a chocolate bar and a slice of banana cake inside.
"Oh, I love Mami!" she exclaimed, her eyes lighting up.
"Mami or the cake?" Momma asked with a smile.
"Ahn! Which cake, Momma?" Nina laughed. "You know Mami is my favorite, cake or no cake."
They all laughed.
After the meal, Momma took the boys inside to freshen them up before putting them to bed. Nina cleared the table and washed the plates in the kitchen.
She returned to the parlor with her books. Instead of reading, she savored the chocolate and banana cake Mami had sent.
Mami was Dada's stepmother, but to Nina, she was simply her grandmother. She had a way of making everyone around her feel loved, and sending little treats like this was just one of the many ways she showed it.
Nina opened her Chemistry book once again, but her thoughts drifted. She couldn't understand why Dada was so strict about her schoolwork when she had never enjoyed the traditional classroom setting. She much preferred novels and learning on her own.
Later, as they sat in the parlor, Nina turned to her father.
"Dada, I want to visit Mami on Monday after school."
"Isn't that the day your exams start?" he asked.
"Yes, Dada."
"Have you prepared well enough?"
"I've been reading, Dada."
"Good. Finish your exams first, then you can visit Mami. She's doing much better now."
Nina nodded, hiding her disappointment.
She knew her father had high expectations of her.
As the evening drew to a close, Femi and Folu had already fallen asleep. Only Nina, Momma, and Dada remained in the parlor.
Just as Nina was about to head to bed, Dada's phone rang.
The phone lay on the cushion where Nina was sitting. Dada had left it there after moving to another chair while watching the news. She picked it up and handed it to him.
"Goodnight, Dada," she said.
"Goodnight, dear. Sleep tight," Momma called after her.
"Goodnight. Sleep well. Love you," Dada replied.
He barely looked up, his attention fixed on the phone.
It wasn't until Nina had gone to her room that the call ended.
Almost immediately, the phone rang again.
This time, Dada answered and s
witched it to speaker.
"Good evening, sir. Is this Nina's father?" a voice asked.
Surprised, Dada frowned at the screen. It wasn't a number he recognized.
He looked at Momma, silently asking, Who could this be?