I could feel her stare. She’d been staring since I entered the house. With composure, I sat on one end of the three-sitter sofa in the massive sitting room. She kept on staring. Her eyes didn’t move, it was very discomforting. No, so disturbing. I could feel my walls of self-possession crumbling down.
Arinze’s mum came into the room.
“Ahah, David, iwee si k’ibia. Welcome o” she said mixing Igbo with English as she dried her hands on a hand towel she held. She seemed to have been busy in the kitchen but I gave no damn about that fact. “Arinze is busy upstairs, he’ll soon be down. Nnoo o.”
“No problem ma” I replied trying to be as sangfroid as possible. “thank you”.
Arinze’s mum left.
She was still looking at me. All those while she’d been staring. Bikonu, what was all this. I knew she wanted me to touch her, but I will do no such thing. She started coming closer. I shifted slowly but she wouldn’t stop. In my mind, I knew it was time to apply what I’d been practicing in case of times like this; ‘The Jackie-Chan-escape’. Glancing at the door I was ready to make my move. The whole situation seemed to amuse her. She was tempting enough but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
Her gaze shifted to the approaching footsteps from the stairs outside the room. Just then Arinze rushed in. Scooping her up, he whirled her around while planting spontaneous pecks on her. He loosed his footing and brushed her body on mine. I flinched.
“Bia David, don’t tell me you’re still afraid of dogs.” That was Arinze “This is Sasha by the way, we got her last week”
I am not afraid of dogs, I just don’t like touching them. I’m not ashamed. Everyone is entitled to what he/she likes. And I don’t like touching dogs. But I love dogs
