Short Story – Discovering Amobi (6)

Their gaze meets, he blinks, rubs his eyes to make sure he isn’t being deceived by Jaiyeola’s presence. He wonders what he is doing in his house. They aren’t foes but are like parallel lines that won’t meet. Amobi does not stop staring at Jaiyeola, his smile meanders his emotion, then he glares at the loose wall clock. He sees Ifeoma walking into the restroom through the corridor. They glance at each other. She looks away. When she walks out of the restroom, she doesn’t talk to him and returns into her room. 

Amobi can tell Jaiyeola is irritated by how his sister sniffs when dragging her feet on the ground. He stifles his frustration, extends his hand, offering him a seat. Jaiyeola refuses but stands still at the door, Amobi’s brow creases. His leg is hurting as he sits down on the sofa, watching Jaiyeola.

“Do you think I came to sit,” Jaiyeola says, his eyes balls roll. His constant smirk betrays him.

Amobi makes a face. “I don’t know. Why did you come then?” he asks, moves his gaze away, then, to the dining table. The bird is on the table, again, flapping its wing. It is wearing a creepy smirk, its eyes are brightly coloured. He can tell it is the same bird from its colour but not from its eyes. He had never seen it with those weird eyeballs that blink intermittently.

“What are you looking at?” Jaiyeola asks, hitting Amobi’s hand. He walks closer to the sofa, sits on the arm, allowing Amobi to breathe his maleness.

Short Story – Discovering Amobi (5)

The door swings by itself. Amobi moves his body away from Jaiyeola, pressing it against the other side of the sofa. Jaiyeola moves closer, leans close to him. “What?” Amobi tries to respond, pauses and stammers. “uhh…uhhmm…I am looking at nothing.”

He stops looking at the bird, feels a soft peck on his cheek plastering spittle, it tickles him. He turns at Jaiyeola. 

The door swings again, and the atmosphere bears an eerie aura. The sitting room is getting darker. Amobi could hear Ifeoma’s voice as she squeals in her bedroom. Quivering, he looks around and sees the room empty.
Jaiyeola had gotten to the door, shut it, leaving Amobi alone in the living room.

The chandelier comes on while the other electrical appliances stay off. Soon, there is a power outage, the living room becomes darker. Fear creeps in, goosebumps breaks on his skin when he feels a noisy breeze saunters the room unevenly. The light comes on again, all the appliances begin to work. The light goes off. He squints.

He gasps, the light comes on the third time. The chandelier falls off from its grip, shatters on the ground. Its piece litters all over the floor. He jumps up and down, vibrating. The television did not load like it always did before it starts a channel. In the television, he sees Jaiyeola on a channel, strolling home. The room is dark except for the television’s light which illuminates it. He sighs, tries to scream his sister’s name but stops when Jaiyeola’s image fades on the television’s screen, then the bird appears, staring at him as it would kill. His mother taps him.