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BN Prose – Book Excerpt: The Cover by Adanna Elechi
As soon as Noni got to his wing, his discussion with Dr Julie flashed in his mind, making him go from giddy and designer-struck to depressed. He hated the mood swings and how he didn’t always have control over them. It was one of the things that annoyed him the most about his predicament. He had to talk to his family right now. He picked the intercom and called his parents’ and sisters’ rooms, asking them to meet him in his wing. A few minutes later, the family was gathered in his living room.
“This one you called us here like this, are we safe? Give us something to drink or we will bring out that girl you have been hiding in here,” the twins joked.
Olaedo cut in before he could reply. “Wait o, Chinonye. You have had a girl in this house all this while and you’ve been making me stress myself asking you to marry?”
“Ola m, is it possible for him to have a girl here and you don’t know? Won’t she eat? Stop acting like it’s not you again na,” Fab chided Olaedo.
“A girl can actually stay here for three years and we wouldn’t know. When I told you to build a smaller house so we can keep an eye on our children, you refused and built the White House in Nigeria,” Olaedo shot back.
“Oya get ready, we are all moving to a three bedroom flat next week so we can always see each other,” Fab replied just as quickly.
The rest of the family were cracking jokes and laughing, but Noni was on a hot seat. He had to laugh, too, but he was tense. He quickly pulled himself together and asked everyone to sit down.
“Daddy. Mummy. Kaine. Kadibia.” He looked at each person as he called them. “What I’m about to tell you will change our lives, but I need to get it off my chest.”
Olaedo saw the look on her son’s face and immediately turned pale. She looked like someone who was waiting for the result of an HIV test after having unprotected sex with seventeen men. She began to sweat under the air conditioner. The pause felt like an eternity and she wanted to jump inside his mouth and drag out the words. Somebody was about to have a heart attack and the boy was pausing like Ebuka on Big Brother Naija eviction night.
“There is no easy way to say this, but I have to. It is killing me slowly and believe me, if I had another option, I would take it and start my life afresh on a clean slate, but it’s already too late and I have to get it over with now.”
Chief Fab was calm as a cucumber, while Olaedo was sweating like a Christmas goat on menopause. She was having hot flashes, just like the ones she had that made her run to her pastor screaming that her enemies had finally put her on spiritual fire.
“Son, you know you can always tell us what the problem is. There is nothing that cannot be handled. I am even glad you have decided to talk about whatever it is now so we can deal with it before the election draws near and our enemies use it against us,” Chief Fab said in a flat tone. It was obvious where his interests lay at the moment.
Noni took a deep breath and announced…
Adanna Elechi is a writer, blogger and information enthusiast. Her double-pronged flair for humour whilst educating her readers earned her a spot as a featured writer at BellaNaija. The Cover is her debut novel.
The Cover is sold for 2000 Naira and can be purchased from any of the following: @bookpeddlerng bookpeddler.ng 08095925561 (Lagos/nationwide delivery).
@buybooksinportharcourt 0903000062 (Port Harcourt/ Nationwide delivery). @duchessmami (Abuja). @thegiftshopng 35 Abakaliki Road GRA, Enugu.
OkadaBooks. You can also send a DM to @adee_elechi.
