CHAPTER SEVEN
It's getting close to the end of term. Whoop-di-doop!' Mykelos sang as he danced round the kitchen table with his slice of toast dripping butter everywhere.
'Will you stop waving that everywhere?' Lorna snapped at him. She had spent the best part of the morning tidying up the flat as Kainene's parents were coming over for the day and she, Kainene had been shaking with part-nerves, part-excitement. 'Nen's parents are gonna be here any minute now and I just cleaned this kitchen so you better stop waving it or else!'
'Sorry, Miss Williamson. I shan't do it again Miss...Ow' Mykelos rubbed his smarting head as Lorna smiled satisfactorily at the wallop she had given him. 'Fine, I'll clean up now. Bloody hell, where's Matt when you need him to control his woman' He muttered to himself.
'I heard that, gay boy. Now clean!'
As the two of them bantered with each other, Kainene stared at herself in the mirror excitedly as she spoke with her mum on the phone. 'How far away are you?'
'Not too far my dear. Just going past that hall you know? We'll soon be there.' Her mum shrieked back excitedly.
Kainene cut the phone grinning to herself. She had not seen her parents in so long and she was literally vibrating with excitement. She had so much to tell them. And show them too, especially her newly straightened hair and her new practice test results. All firsts, as usual. Then she was going to introduce them to her new lovely friends, especially Lorna. Oh, and she was going to treat them to lunch at the Lebanese restaurant close to the Student Union Centre, Sands. She had been there once with Lorna and Viola and they served amazing falafels. She studied her outfit for the umpteenth time. Her grey blouse looked very fetching matched with her mustard coloured skirt. Her black coat that she had splurged on from Karen Millen, even though it was on sale, complimented everything perfectly. She slipped on black pumps and smiled to herself. Her flat bell trilled and she took in a deep breath before rushing out of her room to open the door. 'Mu...' her voice trailed off as she glared at Matt. 'Oh, it's you. Get in quickly, I'm waiting for my mum.'
'And a hello to you too, Nens. Yes, I had fun skiing with the guys. Didn't sprain any wrists or fingers. Oh golly, do you really think I look tanned? Shocking isn't it when the weather's so terrible.' He warbled in a falsetto to Kainene.
Kainene stared at him blankly, 'I see you have me mistaken for your girlfriend. Well let me remind you that she's considerable shorter than me, red hair, you know, white...oh and her name's Lorna. Now naff off. I'm waiting for my folks.' She shoved him roughly aside and looked out the door towards the staircase for any sign of her parents.
'Hmph,' Matt snorted as he walked towards the kitchen, 'When's shy Nens coming back? I miss her. And I detest this new one. Really horrible to me nowadays.'
'Get used to it, Matt! She's here to stay until she sees her parents, so better hope they're pulling into the parking lot downstairs.' She yelled back at him. As she made to close the door, she heard footsteps coming up the stairs and her mum's voice drifting upwards complaining to her dad, 'Can't imagine why they put her on the third floor. What if she was asthmatic? And no bloomin' lifts, Chike!'
'Mum!' Kainene shrieked and rushed to meet them at the last set of stairs, hugging and practically lifting up her 5'5 mother. 'Ohmigod, mum I've missed you so much!'
Her mum hugged her back just as tightly and started crying immediately. 'My darling baby, you look so different. Your hair! It's gorgeous. Oh my, you are now a lady.' She hugged her daughter once more.
Kainene's father rolled his eyes, although good-naturedly, 'Come now, Jennifer. Can't I give my daughter a cuddle too? You're not the only one who missed her you know?'
Kainene turned to her dad smiling as she hugged him, 'Hello, dad. I've missed you too don't worry.'
He gave his hearty chuckle and patted her back as they walked into Kainene's flat. 'Me, worried? Why should I be? Of course you've missed me, I never doubted that.'
Kainene half dragged them to the kitchen to meet Mykelos, Lorna and Matt who were sat with fixed smiles on their faces. The new girl whose name she forgot was nowhere to be found.
'These are my flat mates and darling friends, Mykelos, Matt and Lorna.' She introduced them. Each of them shook hands with her parents and gave the necessary greetings.
'Okay, you've seen my flat. Again. Gimme a second to get my purse and coat, and we're off for lunch.' She ran to her room, grabbed the said items and went back to the kitchen.
'Bye, you guys. Come on.' She grinned at the two older people and they waved bye to the younger three and left the flat.
'Well.' Mykelos grinned slyly, 'A bit pointless me cleaning up all that butter then....Owww!!!'
'So,' Kainene's mum asked as they dug into their food. 'You've talked about your school work, which is amazing as usual; your friends, who you clearly get along with...any boyfriends then?'
'MUM!' Kainene groaned as her dad shook his head at the same time.
'What?' Her mum sputtered, 'She's not a child anymore. At her age I'd had three boyfriends hadn't I? And was just meeting Chike...and now, we're married.'
'Well, this generation's different from yours, Mum. We don't meet the guys we're going to marry at eighteen. We do so at, I dunno, twenty eight?' Kainene replied.
'Over my dead body are you waiting till twenty eight to think of marriage!' Her father snorted and Kainene rolled her eyes. Yeah, yeah, she knew how her Nigerian side of the family felt about late marriages. They all believed that a 'woman' should be courted for two years from the age of twenty three, married at twenty five and popping out the baby, preferably a son, at twenty seven. Well that was not happening to her and she was adamant about that.
'Yeah, dad. I know. Anyway, Mum. To answer your question, no. There aren't any guys.'
'But why?' Her mum looked genuinely confused, 'It must be you then, because no one can resist you. You're gorgeous and I'm not being biased.'