"Roses are dead, violets are dying; outside I'm smiling but inside I'm crying"
"Conceal, don't feel, put on a show
Make one wrong move and everyone will know"_ Queen Elsa
Amanda Aderinsola Akinde has had a very normal life for as long as she can re...
Principal Eunice knocks on her brother's duplex front door for the third time . After what seems like decades of waiting and listening to the silence of the house she hears a creak then turning of keys. She stands up straight and flashes a magazine smile as John opens the door. His face falls as he groans saying a four letter word- that shouldn't be said around kids- under his breath.
"Good morning Eunice" he says grudgingly going back into the house leaving her to come in by her self and close the door.
He grabs his half empty bottle of lacasera as he lays idly on the couch focusing on his football match. They remain quiet as Eunice sweeps glances around the dark house, at the television and at her brother. After some uncomfortable moments of silence
"I'm not going to ask you why you're here, you've asked me and I've said no" he says while looking at the TV
"And that's why I'm here to plead with you to reconsider" she says scooting closer to the edge of the chair
"Get someone else"
"We've tried, none is in the school's budget this year, they are either demanding too high or not serious" she swallows as she remembers coach Stella she had fired out of annoyance. Maybe she should have kept up with her nonsense for the mean time
"Then skip swimming this year"
"I have senior students counting on this" John stands up and walks over to the kitchen to put his microwave off. Eunice marches into the kitchen after him
"I have a new senior student, she's a swimmer with lots of potential, I see that already but she doesn't know the school doesn't have a coach yet"
He rolls his eyes as he opens the drawers to check for mittens. He brings out a pair of red mittens and sticks his hands into the microwave to bring out his plastic plate of chips
"I want to do this for her"
"It's a her? Let her go into medicine or law or one of those things people do when swimming is taken away from them"
Eunice notices the bitterness in his voice as she regards the ex-professional Olympics swimmer in front of her
"You were different, you had so many other things to do, the mother of this student called me yesterday to tell me how excited her daughter was to see the pool and how she can't wait to finally start competing, that's basically the only thing the girl is wired for, it's her ride or die"
She looks straight at the back of the man she is talking to, waiting desperately for a reply. For a while she doesn't get any, he keeps splattering ketchup violently on his plate of chips while Eunice waits silently. Finally he pauses and places his arms on the kitchen counter looking out at the fence through the window. His words come out rather quiet
"But you know I can't swim again, that's behind me now"
"But I don't know anyone more informed about swimming, you still keep up with Olympics, you are involved with these big coaches and it's not always been like that, it was a setback but we have moved on, it's time for you to move on too".
Eunice walks over to her brother and taps him gently on the back while rubbing it gently. She places her cheek on his shoulder to say goodbye as she gives him a side hug
"I'll be waiting for your call bro. Do it for that girl, for me, do it for you too. I love you"
She picks her clutch purse from the centre table as she exits the house. She sighs as she looks at her reflection in the passenger mirror. She reapplies her lipgloss and zooms out of Trinity Gardens Estate. A job well done today
AMANDA'S POV (Amanda Aderinsola Akinde)
Friday evenings have always been my best time of the week. Funny enough I saw the principal's car drive down the road earlier today, maybe she lives in the estate too hmm. My phone buzzes in my pockets, I thought I muted group chats or who could be spamming me with messages this evening
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Holy pepper! I gave Nancy my phone number I totally forgot. I also forgot to mention that I hate group chats, at least only Eddy has texted me from there not random classmates I'm not planning to get to know. I'll just save both of their numbers
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Now group chats is something I particularly detest.
"Well, added to my list of muted groups then" I think to myself.
A particular display picture catches my eye and somehow I know it is toke even though the mirror selfie doesn't show her face, her perfect face. She even stored herself as queen toks oga oh. God when will I be a queen.
My first week in Sheffield was okay if I must say. I got sorted into green sports house which Eddy and some other girl named after a sports channel are the captains. Oh yes Espn is her name, that cute half tomboy. Toks and the senior prefect boy Erling are for red house, I heard they always won inter house sports. I've still not found out the senior prefect girl though, she's probably very low-key
Something catches my eye on my desk, sticking out of my Physics textbook. I pull out a flashcard stuck between pages of the book then read out loud
"Study session in physics lab, every Friday 3pm ~Edmond"
I left school immediately after closing on Friday that's probably why I didn't know we had study sessions. How nice of Eddy though but does he know I have issues with studying, did the Principal also tell him that I'm a dimwit?
******* Sorry for the short chap guys 😫 vote and comment please 😘❤️
