Little Lucy - S02 E11

2 years ago

Little Lucy - S02 E11

Read Story: SEASON 2 EPISODE 11

I woke up to some strange noises around my room. It sounded as if someone was shifting a chair towards me.

I raised my head up, reaching out for the bedside lamp when out of nowhere in the darkness, someone held my hand, stopping me instantly.

I panicked and nearly screamed but another free hand covered my mouth.

” Shhhh, quiet lil sis. It’s me.”

That voice! That voice belongs to no one else but Charlotte!

I was fully awake now. I turned to see her seated on a chair set before my bed.

It was dark but I saw her clearly as if it was light enough.

” What are you doing here?!” My voice sounded grave and furious.

Charlotte leaned back in her seat, watching me closely. ” Lucy, I want to talk to you.”

” What’s the time,” I fumbled for my phone. ” You’re not supposed to be here!”

” It’s past midnight,” she replied. ” I must talk to you now. It can’t wait till morning.”

I finally found my phone and turn it on. She was right, it was past midnight but that wasn’t cutting any ice with me. What’s she doing here at this unholy hour?

” I don’t want you in my room, Chole. Don’t you ever understand the word ” PRIVACY”?”

” That’s not why I’m here, Lucy.”

” Well, I’m not listening to anything you have to say,” I said, dropping my phone. ” Now leave before I do something dramatic.”

I intended to shout if she tries to be strong willed and she was. She was the most strong willest person I’ve ever met.

” Lucy,” her voice was pretty low and persuasive. ” I’m here to help you. If you’d just lend me your ears for a bit I’m sure we can figure a way out for you.”

I stared at her, my temper rising, my blood boiling but I decided it’d be wise to let her speak. If she says anything stupid, I’ll kick her out.

” Okay, okay,” I shifted away from her. ” what is it you want to talk about?”

Charlotte brushed a strand of her dreadlocks away from her eyes, allowing me to look at her eyes while she was talking

” I want us to talk about what happened yesterday; before mom and dad arrived home.”

I waited, silent and watchful.

Charlotte began. ” When I first discovered Collette was into girls, I was devastated and heartbroken. She changed in her attitude towards everything. She also pushed me away, destroying a bonding sisterly relationship we were supposed to share as siblings. Our parents didn’t notice the new changes in Collette. I guess maybe their marriage was getting messy and they probably had better things to worry about than us.”

Charlotte paused. She stared at her hands and I could just outline the creases on her face.

” This may sound ridiculous to you, lil sis but for as long as I can remember, I’ve always been afraid of Collette,” she sighed. ” I don’t know why it is so. I’m the eldest daughter and yet I get nervous whenever I’m an inch closer to her. Collette is like our dad: reserved, quiet and ill tempered. You can never predict her mood. When she gets angry, she throws tantrums. Someone always gets hurt in between those moments of her anger. I really wished I could sit her down and have a one on one conversation with her but I was afraid of her. I grew up to fear my sister Soo much it killed the sisterly relationship we were supposed to uphold. I never got the chance to talk to Collette because of the divorce. I woke up one raining morning, packing up to leave with my dad. I saw our mother driving away with Collette at the passenger seat. I never got the chance to even say goodbye.”

Charlotte began rubbing her legs. ” Ever since the divorce, I tried to do things to make me forget about my broken family. I made lots of friends, mostly male friends, I listened to Juice wurld, I tried to be more extroverted and I began hating everything my twin sister, Collette ever did which included being gay. With time, I became confident and an outspoken person due to my exposure to the lively life of a mixed school. There were nights while I lay up in bed, wished I could have gone back in time, swallowed my fears and have a real talk with my sister. I may be a creep to you lil sis, I may be too wild and crazy with cars but when it comes to Collette, I cowered back into my shell.”

Charlotte tossed her hair back, showing me her throat.

” I made a mistake once, Lucy and that was being a coward when I should’ve been braved enough to talk with Collette the way I’m talking to you now. We’re twins but we’re Soo different from each other. I’m not making that same mistake again,” she leaned forward, her eyes alive and bright in the dark. ” That’s why I want you to change, Lucy.”

I wanted to say something but she interrupted me.

” Don’t say anything, Lucy. Just listen to what I have to say. I understand privacy, I understand s£xuallity but what I don’t understand is why you’re Soo stubborn to realize that this isn’t QA anymore. This is Lagos! In this part of the world, gay practices is a crime and carries a fourteen years sentence. Are you surprised? I’ll bet you haven’t heard that from anyone but that’s exactly what’s going to happen to you once you’re found out. Imagine what our mother would think of you. Imagine what you’d feel about yourself. Collette knew this that’s why she’s very careful back home. As for you Lucy, you have no limits. You have no self control and that’s terrible. I can’t bear to see you locked away. I don’t know anything about your relationship with Collette but if I’m to have a lucky guess, I’m certain Collette wouldn’t want you to end up making the same mistakes she’s made. After all these years, I finally got to understand why she pushed everyone away. She was trying to hide her secret from me. She doesn’t want me in on the bad things she’s done. Lucy, this….this thing with you is….is bigger than you. Lucy, you’re far too young to get into this sh!t! Lucy, I love you just as I’ve always loved Collette. I’m not saying go get yourself a boyfriend or anything but if that’s going to make you change then goddamnit go get a boyfriend. I once lost a sister, Lucy…I’m not ready to lose another.”

I stared at her. There was this pain at the bottom of my heart that welled up inside me. It was my conscience and guilt.

” B-But but…what if…what if I can’t change?”

Charlotte passed a tongue over her dried tongue and stood up. She crossed her legs and studied my face, her hands covering her mouth in a thinking posture.

” Then there’s only one way out for you. I can’t think of any other solution.”

” What solution?”

Her eyeslids lowered and became glassy. ” I’d have to convince our mother to switch your school next term.”

I felt as if a bomb hit me. I stood up fully. ” WHAT?!”

She looked up to meet my surprise gaze. ” Why, that’s the only way out for you, Lucy. With you out of QA, it’d be easier to keep an eye on you. There are hundreds of great mixed schools right here in Lagos. You’d fit just about right in any of them.”

I gaped at her, unable to say a word. I imagined my life out of QA. I’d never see Collette again. But it wasn’t just because of Collette. I was after a lot of other stuffs. I had an ambition to become the council president, I also want to break the school’s cut off mark record.

QA changed me in countless ways unimaginable. I can’t imagine myself trying to cope in a new school. If there was one thing I hated more than anything, was switching schools. Once I’ve adapted to a new school, it becomes really difficult for me to accept another school.

” That’s not fair, Chole!” I said, my voice shaking.

” Why isn’t it fair?”

” I love QA!” I said. ” I know you think switching schools is the best for me but I’ve grown to accept QA as the school I want to graduate from. I have set goals I want to achieve, Chole. If I leave, I’d never achieve those goals. Besides, I hate switching schools. Ask mom, she knows that too. It took me a hell of a time to accept QA. I can’t just give that up.”

” Lucy, this is for your own good.”

” I can’t switch school’s now, Chole!” I was strong to my words. ” I won’t leave QA.”

” Not until I tell mom the school is filled with lesbians,” Chole said. ” I don’t suppose she’ll let you return for second term.”

” Hey, point of correction, not every girl in that school are lesbo’s.”

” I never said you’re wrong,” Chole smiled. ” But our mother might exaggerate. You know how we women are like; we love exaggerating things.”

Somewhere along the line, I knew she was up to something. She was hinting at a particular thing.

” What do you want, Chole?” I asked. ” You’ve been preparing the ground to drop something, aren’t you?”

Chole took a deep breath and let it out. ” Absolutely. I want us to make a deal, lil sis.”

I knew it. I knew it was going to get to this. I said nothing.

” I’m going to give you this month to find a way to fix your problems. I know it’s going to be tough. Change isn’t done in a day. It takes time and probably years to get out of this state you’re in. Unlike Collette who’s deeply rooted in the sins of women, you’re still a newbie so it’s not yet late. I’ll leave you to discover something for yourself. I’ll be watching you. If I see any signs of improvement, I’ll know. If I don’t, I’ll still know. I’m not going to be with you all the time but my eyes are on you. So let’s make a deal, lil sis. If you get a ten over ten possiblity of changing and fixing your problem, I won’t tell mom to switch school’s for you. If you only get worse and stubborn, I’ll have no other choice but to convince her to switch school’s.”

” You can’t do that?”

” Oh yes I can,” Chole regarded me closely. ” You don’t think I’ve been wasting my time with your mom. Ever since she moved in to live with my dad, we’ve become really close. She listens to me same way she listens to you.”

It was at that moment, I knew I was trapped. Unless I’m able to prove to Charlotte that I have a possibility of changing, I’m kissing QA goodbye.

Charlotte stood up and stretched her back. ” It’s been nice talking to you, lil sis. I ain’t gonna rush you. Take your time. I want you to think about your life. Give me a genuine reason not to make mom switched school’s and I’ll be glad to accept it. Still I want a genuine Change in you. It’s not gonna be easy but let’s see how far you get.”

She stared at me, waiting for me to say something but I said nothing. I only stared at her, unaware my hands were opening and closing.

She nodded. ” Goodnight, lil sis. I’ll take that long period of silence as a yes to our deal.”

And she walked out of the room, closing the door as if it were made of egg shells.

I didn’t sleep again till it was morning. I Was up, pacing my room, thinking and thinking and thinking and thinking until I thought I was going nuts.

When I couldn’t take it anymore, I took off my clothes and stood under the shower for over forty minutes. It made thinking easier for me.

As the warm water ran through my skin, I recalled Charlotte’s words the other day and earlier this Morning:

•••I don’t know how deeply you’re rooted into this gay sh!t But you really need to fix it—you really do….you’ve got to understand the nature of things between a man and a woman. Women were created to be loved and cared by men. No woman can take the s£xual responsibility of a man away from him. It’s not proper. I don’t know what your problem is but you really need to fix it. Because this thing is eating deep into you real quickly than you imagine. A time will come when it’d be too late to change and when that time comes, there’s nothing you nor anyone else can do about it•••

I ran my sponge under my boobs and washed it. The warm water from the shower trickled over my back as I slowly sat on the tiled floor and stared into space.

•••I’m certain Collette wouldn’t want you to end up making the same mistakes she’s made….You have no self control and that’s terrible, lil sis•••

She was right! I have no self control.

•••….this thing with you is….is bigger than you. Lucy, you’re far too young to get into this sh!t•••

I’m I? I’m I really that young to be this involved?

•••I’m not saying go get yourself a boyfriend or anything but if that’s going to make you change then goddamnit go get a boyfriend. I once lost a sister, Lucy…I’m not ready to lose another•••

Why should she care?

•••I’m going to give you this month to find a way to fix your problems. I know it’s going to be tough. Change isn’t done in a day. It takes time and probably years to get out of the state you’re in. Unlike Collette who’s deeply rooted in the sins of women, you’re still a newbie so it’s not yet late. I’ll leave you to discover something for yourself••

But what can I do?

I stood up and let the shower washed the soap off my body.

I know I’m turning into some kind of uncontrollable animal but I can’t help it. What can I do?

••If you get a ten over ten possiblity of changing and fixing your problem, I won’t tell mom to switch school’s for you. If you only get worse and stubborn, I’ll have no other choice but to convince her to switch school’s•••

But seriously, did I really want to change?

Heading out of my bathroom with a large white towel wrapped around me, I sat up on my bed and began applying my body lotions.

I have to get out of here. I can’t think clearly in this atmosphere. Maybe a long walk will be good.

I settled for a pair of shorts and a vest. As I began dressing, I instantly thought of something. Why don’t I take the subway to the beach?

I gotta clear my head. The beach sounded just about the right place to go.

Charlotte was still locked in when I stepped out of my room.

It was ten minutes past eight when I arrived at the subway station. This was a newly erected station, which was recently opened a couple of months ago by the government.

By eight thirty, the train arrived and I followed a little bunch of crowds into it.

The train took less than ten minutes to get to the next stop which brought me out to the beach.

I inhaled that fresh sea breeze, tasting the saltiness it brought along with it. I love hanging out in the beach since I was a kid. I remembered my late dad always brought me here every weekend with mom.

The beach was deserted that early hours of the morning but the waves lapped into the sands soo slowly it got me in the mood to take off my shoes and walk on the sand.

Walking on the cold wet sands, with the waves lapping around my feet, I glance into the distant horizon, lost in my thoughts.

The sun came up and shone on me, giving me a stilloette background behind me.

•••Women were created to be loved and cared by men. No woman can take the s£xual responsibility of a man away from him. It’s not proper•••

Charlotte…can you just please get out from my head?

But her words strucked a nerve in me. I couldn’t get those words out of my head.

” You’re turning into a monster, Lucy,” I sighed, speaking my thoughts aloud. ” How did you turn into this?”

Some sea gulls circled the air above me as if to say I was being a nuisance.

I sat on the sand and brought out my phone. It was getting to nine o’clock. I’d texted Sylvia I was going to be at the mall to apologise.

I wasn’t going to the mall anymore. My next action surprised me. I logged in online on Facebook and blocked her.

I deleted her number and deleted the post I made a days ago. If I was going to save myself from switching schools, I certainly had to start somewhere.

I glanced up to the heavens and bite my lips hard. What next?

” What next?” I asked as if I was talking to God. ” Sylvia is out of my account. What next? If you really want me to change, give me a sign.”

I stared at the sky and the sky stared right back at me.

” I know I’m filthy but if I can truly change for the better, give me a sign, maybe a clue or an idea. I don’t know….anything so long as it gives me a headstart. That’s what Charlotte wanted, isn’t it? Collette would love that too, wouldn’t she?”

I thought about Collette. She’d want me to change as well, right? She’s been fighting over time to break out of the LILIES. Surely she’d want me to do better.

I took the twelve o’clock train back home. On my way, while sitting on the seats of the train, waited for my sign.

I’m almost home… where’s my sign?

I saw no sign when I got off the train. I still got no sign while on my way towards the estate.

The moment I crossed the gates into the estate, I took a deep breath and forgot about my little prayers for a sign.

Maybe God didn’t see me capable of changing so he wasn’t gonna give me the sign I requested for.

Walking past the beautiful houses and flowers, I plugged my earpiece in and got lost in the music drowning in my soul.

I didn’t know when someone cried in alarm. The next thing I heard was a loud voice rushing towards me.

” WATCH OUT‼️‼️‼️”

I turned around but it was already too late.

He bumped hard into me, crashing on top of me. I felt a heavy body compress against me as I landed on the rough ground.

From space, a brown flame coloured skateboard crashed on the ground, breaking into two.

I shook my head and glared at the boy lying on my body. He shook his head too and our eyes jammed.

He gazed at me and I gazed back not batting an eyelid, stunned at what I was seeing.

We remained like that and for the first time in my life, I felt my heart racing really fast. It was the same feeling I got the day Collette stole my first kiss.

Why….

W-What is this feeling?