I am not sure getting picked up by my family will ever end

I get up every morning at 6:00 am to work, but this 6 am was different. It meant home. I lay there for some minutes, saying my prayers then rose to brush my teeth. I was going to pick my anti-blue-light lenses, but I remembered I hadn't slept in my house. It all came to me now. The last-minute call from my brother to go to his house and pick up his “work documents” and upon arriving there, meeting him seated at the door in person.

Source

“I thought you were at Port Harcourt!” I exclaimed running into his arms.

“I was, but I came around to come get you since you have refused to come back in peace.” He gave me a wry look. I pushed past him and inserted the key into the lock,

“You people should stop doing this, I'm not a kid anymore. Besides, I was going to come in the morning.” the door gave way and we both walked in, he flipped the light switch but there was no difference. The power company was at it again.

“Well, I'm here now. Do you have your bags packed? We're leaving early.”

I muttered “Leave me alone”, still upset that he had traveled down to get me himself as he did two years ago. I forgave them then because I was a ‘fresher’ but now? I threw my handbag on the bed and then sat beside it to sulk, several minutes later, I dozed off.

It was in this half-seated position I woke up. I went over to my brother's workspace to get his lenses, but they were not in the cabinet attached to the long, rectangular table he sat at every morning. I dropped into his swivel chair, picked up my phone, and attempted to type a few words when he walked out of his room.

“You're not done writing? We need to leave soon.”

I was wondering where he was running to or what he was rushing to do. I checked my time to see if I was the one who had seen it wrongly, it was barely 6:20 am.

“This is just past 6 o” I echoed the thoughts in my head. He checked his phone as if to make sure then nodded and retreated into his room.

Two hours later, I rose from the swivel chair having completed my writing for the morning then headed over to knock at my brother's door. A muffled “come in” ushered me into his always-littered room. I kicked a water sachet as I walked in, hopping onto his bed.

“What are we having for breakfast?” He called from under his duvet. I dragged it from his face.

“What breakfast? We're leaving for Port Harcourt now.”

“Without your bags?” He opened one eye to look at me, I lifted my shoulders. “Prepare something light, we'll leave when you're back from getting your bags”.

I'm not one to blow my horn but I'm quite the smart lady, so when he kept bringing up excuses, I was led to think there was a game going on. However, I couldn't place my hand on it. We were soon on our way, since he didn't come with any luggage, he held my carry-on for me and ordered a bolt ride, but not to the park.

“Where are we going?”

“I have to pick something from the family house,” he said, referring to my brother-in-law's family house. My brows furrowed in question, but I said nothing, I just followed quietly to see if everything would end as I was thinking or if there was a plan B.

It had been a long time since I visited my brother-in-law’s family house, so I was busy taking in the new developments and didn't realize three people were staring at me with grins on their faces.

When I looked up and saw my brother-in-law, sister, and older brother's faces, I thought the sun's reflection was playing with my eyes. When I rubbed my eyes, they burst into uncontrollable laughter.

“What are you doing here!?” I joined in the laughter hugging every one of them except for my brother whom I had hugged the day before.

“We came for a couple of things, and you're one of them.”

“But why will you guys come for me? I'm not a kid!”

My brother-in-law let out a deep-throated laughter.

“We just wanted to surprise you since we came into town momentarily. You know we wouldn't do such a thing anymore.”

“It's good you added anymore,” I said, causing us to burst into another round of laughter.

As we stuffed ourselves into my brother-in-law’s Toyota Corolla, I took in deep breaths, barely able to contain my excitement that I was finally on my way home with my family.