Teka Legacy by Osah Dee

Author:Osah, Dee
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kodgeti Publishing
Published: 2023-09-08T00:00:00+00:00

25

Phoebe slumped on her sofa. “That’s not what I said, Mom. You’re not listening.”

“It doesn’t matter what you say,” Mom said. “What are you thinking?”

Phoebe smothered her face with a cushion. When Mom had announced the trip to Houston a week earlier than usual, Phoebe knew she was in trouble. Her parents’ yearly traditions included spending Thanksgiving or Christmas with Aunt Bel and Uncle Harry, as both families alternated the two holidays between Houston and Pittsburgh. This year, Thanksgiving was at Aunt Bel’s, and Mom had arrived in Houston last Friday, almost two weeks before Thanksgiving Thursday.

“Even if I went on the date,” Phoebe said, “there’s no law against dating a student’s brother.”

She felt breathless just saying the words. But Abe wasn’t the point. Mom had come a week earlier to have enough time to needle Phoebe about Zef, and since Dad couldn’t take off work, it was just two of them alone in her apartment until Dad arrived next Monday.

Mom stroked wisps of gray hair from her face. “You’re supposed to counsel him, not date his older brother.”

Phoebe crossed her legs on the coffee table. Why didn’t she ever learn? Why did she get it in her head to tell Mom anything? Being truthful with Mom usually ended up in arguments.

“What if I like him?” Phoebe blurted. No, she couldn’t allow her heart to jump on that train. But these past days, she was forced to admit to herself that if she had met Abe months ago—maybe even a few weeks before Zef’s confession—she wouldn’t be so against the thought of going on a date with Abe.

Mom placed her hands over her ears like she heard blasphemy. “Why are you trying to sabotage yourself? You already have Zephaniah who’s in love with you. Where did this other boy suddenly come from?”

Phoebe got up from the couch. The woman standing in front of her wasn’t “Mom.” This was Deaconess Randall, the no-nonsense woman of God. Since Mom came into town, she hadn’t stopped talking about Zef and his recently-ordained title as her ‘kingdom spouse.’

“What’s going on in that mind of yours?” Mom asked.

Phoebe walked to the kitchen, picked up the food tray on the island counter and stuffed her mouth with thin slices of ham, cheese and crackers.

“For once, can we please not talk about me marrying Zef right now?” Every time she hung out at Abe’s house, her phone calls with Zef became more awkward. How could she explain to Zef why she had to help Abe? Zef would never understand, so she didn’t tell him where she was or what she was doing. She hadn’t talked to Zef for real since his last visit to Houston. Most likely, when next Zef visited, she would tell him about Abe, and why he had nothing to worry about. No need to tell him about the date because the date would never happen. The interview would go well and Abe would get his wish, and then she could gracefully bow out of their lives knowing she at least made something right in the world.

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