Lucky Girl by Irene Muchemi-Ndiritu

Author:Irene Muchemi-Ndiritu [Muchemi-Ndiritu, Irene]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2023-05-02T00:00:00+00:00

Part Three

Chapter Eleven

The fortnight that followed my graduation should have been full of joy at what I had accomplished. Instead, I was in turmoil over Mother’s revelation about my sister. And I quietly grieved the sad end of my relationship with Alex. Leticia had received an official offer from her editors at the arty Josephina magazine as well as a popular entertainment magazine and she was weighing the pros and cons of being a big fish in a small pond or a small fish in a big one. Either way her future was cemented. My excitement about our new apartment should have been at a high, yet no matter how much I tried to muster joy, it felt distant. After two weeks of spinning in circles, I had to make a decision. Mother had controlled everything in my life, from the time I woke up in the morning to when I learned about major events, like my father’s suicide and his other family. I needed to take charge now. So I packed a suitcase.

Leticia lay on the living room couch watching her favorite series, Soul Food.

“I’m taking a trip home, Ticia,” I said, coming in for a farewell hug.

“Wait, what? Did someone die?” she asked, sitting upright.

“No. I need to find out more about my sister.”

“Well, of course you do. But jumping on a plane out of nowhere? Are you sure?” Leticia pressed.

“I have to do this,” I said. “It’s important to me.”

“And Angie? How is she agreeing to a vacation five months into your job and with massive layoffs? She must be short-staffed.”

“I just told her it was a family emergency and I need a week. This is something I have to do.”

“Just be careful, okay? You’re digging up family skeletons that have been buried for a long time.”

After twenty-four hours of travel, I arrived at Mother’s house in the early morning. When Princess opened the gate, the taxi driver was hauling my bags out of the trunk. Princess hadn’t changed. When she saw me, she started screeching at the top of her voice.

“How can this be? What are you doing here? What a surprise!”

I followed Princess into the house dragging my black suitcase behind me. I had packed light. It was going to be a short stay, I’d told myself. I was here with a mission.

When I walked through the front door, Kokoi, who was having her breakfast, heard my voice and came toward me, wrapping me warmly in her arms. We were still hugging when Mother entered the room in her old blue bathrobe. She’d worn it since I was in primary school. Mother never threw anything out. Her wet hair was wrapped in a towel. Tanei followed Mother in, dressed in her pajamas.

“What on earth is going on?” Mother exclaimed.

She opened her arms to me, but I knew her embrace wasn’t approval of my presence.

“I just saw you two weeks ago. Why aren’t you at work?”

“I asked for a week,” I said.

“So what holiday is this—unannounced?” she asked.

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