Tekena was late! The consequence of
having so much to do and so little time.
He’d been all over the place, from classes
to the office, home to freshen up and then
preparing to go out again. He’d promised
to pick GG and drop her off at her friends
party, hang around a while and then go
pick his mom at the shop. He had just
about three minutes left to leave the house
if he didn’t want to be late to his
girlfriend's house.
Grabbing his phone and keys to his Honda
crosstour, he ran out of the room
determined to make it on time to GG’s
place, knowing he would have to drive like
hell was at his heels. Patting his pants
pockets, he wanted to be sure he had his
wallet on him. He did. Rushing down the
stairs , he all but fell into his step sister
while going past the blind corner at the
bottom.
“oooowwww.” She groaned as she
staggered back for balance.
“I'm sorry. Are you okay?” he reached out
his arm to hold her arm and helped with
her balance.
“Yes.” She clipped. “Fine.”
“Okay.” He let her go immediately and
continued on his way when she spoke
again.
“Thankyou.”
He turned not sure she’d spoken to him. “
Talking to me?”
She rolled her eyes as if to say who else
would I be talking to? “Yes, thanks for
your help with Osas.”
Tekena was half shocked. This was more
than he’d expected from her. “No
problem.” He replied.
“You didn’t have to….You really didn’t
have to intervene but you did, thanks.”
She said and he could see she was making
a huge effort to seem grateful to him.
“Deifa,” He didn’t remember the last time
he’d called her name to her face. “I had to,
what kind of brother would that make
me?”
She shrugged looking anywhere else but at
him. “It's not like I’ve been a model sister
so I didn’t expect your help.”
He turned to face her forgetting that he
didn't have the time. “ Deifa, I’m always
here for you....I know you hate my family,
though I’m not exactly sure why. Probably
because you felt you shared your dad with
us or something but I have nothing against
you. I know it wasn’t easy having another
family budging into your life the way we
did but if you give me a chance, I could
show you that we aren’t the monsters you
think we are.”
She wasn't smiling but at least she wasn't
looking at him the way she usually did,
with annoyance and irritation.
She nodded, speaking up, “ I just wanted to
thank you anyway." Then she did
something she had never don before.
Her almond shaped eyes crinkled slightly
as she gave him a genuine smile that was
so unexpected, it made his insides do a
somersault. Gosh she was beautiful, he
struggled to steel his looks from showing
how his heart felt and asked instead,
“Okay.... is it possible we could also call a
truce of some sort?” He offered his hand in
a handshake. She looked at it seeming to
consider it for a moment before accepting
it.
“Truce.” She replied.
He smiled wishing he could bone going out
and spend sometime with her instead but
GG and his mother would have his head.
“Good, now I’ve got to run, will see you
later!”
**********