Song For This Chapter: I drink wine by Adele👆🏻(The music video has accurate imagery that captures the feel of this chapter, down to the last second)

Graduation party.

Munachi Odumba.

Feel something.

Do something.

Be something.

"Munachi Odumba." I didn't want to hear my name but I had to stand up once I did.

I knew they were all looking at me, the anxiety told me so.

My palms had no reason to be sweaty but they were, even rubbing down the wrinkles on my gown did nothing to help.

Thankfully my armpits were super dry and with every step I took, I felt the stares double until I was very certain everyone in the auditorium was staring at me.

And I meant everyone.

Once I climbed the podium and the microphone was carefully placed in my right hand, I cleared my throat and watched the huge crowd in front of me.

My mother smiled at me and I returned a weak smile at her and noticed my dad's sympathetic gaze...

I still don't understand why everyone stares at me like this.

Do I really look like I have the word suicide written on my forehead?

I stared at Arthur and he smiled at me, I'd made the right choice in letting him go.

Things were almost back to normal, he was almost back to normal. I felt my chest tighten as my lips tugged up on their own accord as I smiled back at him. He was wearing a black suit and had a blue bow tie around his neck, his hair was braided and they fell down across his face, the stumble that'd been growing on the top of his lips had now settled into a light moustache and underneath his lower lip there was now a stumble growing out.

Arthur seemed like the type to never have a full face of hair but his face card was insane so he didn't need a beard to makeup for anything. None of his friends needed one, even Dominique who should have normally had a full beard due to bear-like build he had did not keep any facial hair.

In fact the only person who had a moustache and a beard in that friend group was Kenneth and Nonso, I shifted my gaze to Silvana with her parents she grinned at me and I smiled too, then I stared at the only boy with more than three piercings on his face in this entire auditorium sitting besides Jasmine, I stared at her brother and he smirked then winked...

I rolled my eyes and almost laughed.

Jasmine giggled and in the quiet air, her joyful sounds echoed.

I could feel happiness.

I wasn't depressed.

"...Depression doesn't auto stop you from feeling happy.."

Immediately his voice played in my head our eyes met because he was always looking at me, watching me like I was an hour glass and he was waiting for the last sand to drop.

Everyone immediately disappeared, his mother who cried at seeing me again for the first time in over five years, his sister Favor who'd squealed like a fire alarm and pulled me into a tight hug, the twins who'd caused a massive ruckus when they walked into the auditorium-the twins were now socialists no longer simple influencers but night life professionals who rubbed shoulders with Nigerian Celebrities and everyone in Emerald Academy lobbied around to take selfies with revered alumni, two people who shared shocking resemblance to Rooney Edwin and I wondered if that was why he too did not keep a beard, because if he did too he could pass of as the third twin and finally, his older brother Henry who was polite with his brief hug, a quiet man who stared as deeply as Rooney did...

Everyone but him disappeared.

And slowly he did too, until I could see past memories of us flooding in.

Me dancing in his room, him shirtless on his bed.

My shoulder on his shirtless body with tears dropping from my eyes.

Him yelling at my mom, she looks confused, then angry, then sad.. And ever since that day, she 'tried' to change. She's still trying but that Mother-Daughter bond can't ever exist between us.

Favor demanding she gives me a makeover, Darrel ending up drawing my eyebrows for me.

Favor finding out and screaming her head off at him.

Rooney's lips on mine with his hands round my tiny waist as he moved our clothed bodies between each other.

Everything just flooded in...

I didn't want to see them again. I just want to forget everything.

Forget he was my savior.

So I looked away from his expressionless face, Elizzy was bound to be close to him somehow.

I searched for her and returned her eyeing with a Numb face.

Now, time to get this speech over and done.

I just want to go back to my dorm and clean off this makeup Silvana did for me.

I wasn't born to be this beautiful.

•

"Six years ago, I joined Emerald Academy... I was new, you were new.. We all were new. But, two terms later and everyone had someone.

Except me. Was I bullied? I don't like to see it like that, no one dunked on me or took my things or made me submit my PC every term but was I accepted? I don't want to understand the definition of accepted... But I was in an ironic way by a group of people who were the epitome of rejecting. My first friend was Silvana Obidinm and before me, she had a reputation of being a talkative prim smarty pants kid who was a teacher's pet who held her test and exam papers close to her face tilted away from whoever her seatmate was, she was known for rejecting people during exams. " I paused to look up from my script and stared at the crowd, smiled at my father staring at me.

Grinned when Mrs Edwin winked at me.

And I realized that I couldn't follow the script anymore, what I now felt shouldn't have been channeled into a formal speech.

It should have been spoken out, straight from the heart and that's what I was going to do now.

Feel things and say it.

"I was... I wasn't normal. I was Numb." I saw the guilt on a few person's faces once the word left my lips.

But I really wasn't here to guilt trip anyone.

I was just finally taking that deep breath in that felt so relieving, like I could finally be me again and not frozen behind a heavy ache.

"A twelve year old wondering why she.. Why she didn't deserve love." I avoided my mother's eyes and stared at Rooney who sat up.

He looked shocked, like my actions had finally evoked an emotion out of him.

It felt like I'd both taken that deep breath for both of us.

"But along the line, my friend helped me. My former worst public enemy, the boy I hated in primary school, the boy who always dragged my position with me. Making me fall in second behind him. Can you imagine?" It wasn't a joke but they laughed and Rooney rolled his eyes.

Then smiled.

"Wait? Rooney and Munachi went to the same primary school?" A girl seated at the center of the auditorium asked her friends loudly and the murmuring from them doubled.

It reminded me of how people spread rumors so easily in this school, people who didn't even know you, who never cared enough to know you just believed whatever nonsense a classmate says and it spreads.

Maybe if Elizzy knew back then that I didn't meet Rooney in the cafeteria when he'd slammed into me, maybe she would not have been so mean in the hotel.

Maybe if Chiamaka knew we've always known each other right from primary school, maybe she would not have treated me so terribly like I'd stolen something from her.

But there's no point in thinking about the maybe's, because it changes nothing.

"He was a bit of a disturbance, telling me he googled stuffs and I was depressed. Boy, shut up." They laughed again and I felt... Different.

Jasmine's laughter was the most prolonged one after Arthur's.

I liked hearing Arthur laugh, I loved him being happy. Being carefree and at peace.

George kept staring at Rooney though. A very intense gaze that only I noticed.

Rooney's middle finger was lowkey raised up and aimed at me. It made me smile.

"But he helped. The person at the top of the rejecting food chain, unaccepting and cold, warmly accepted me. No one could really understand it, why he'd associate with me knowing the type of reputation they'd given me but everyone forgets that Rooney simply didn't care.

It was not an aesthetic where you pretend to be aloof and mysterious, he genuinely and excuse my French did not give a shit. " Another round of laughter began and Arthur raised his hand up and exclaimed "Preach Sister!" before guffawing like a mad man.

Oh God Arthur.

Thank you.

A door opened during all the noise and someone we all thought wasn't coming due to her conflicting schedule stepped into the auditorium, wearing a strawberry decorated white gown with a red hat on her head, Arthur's mother stepped into the auditorium.

It was a beautiful moment as I silently watched while waiting for the laughter to die down, watch her scan the Hall for her son, smile when she spotted him, gave an excited wave to Rooney's mother and dramatically tiptoed over to wrap her hands around his face.

He turned in confusion as his mother unclasped her palms and I watched the most beautiful moment happen. His laughter became louder, it was like his happiness changed to joy, contentment to ecstasy, there was an empty seat besides him and she moved into it. Before finally staring at the auditorium to see what was making everyone laugh so much.

Before staring at me with glittering eyes.

The laughter died down seconds after. I watched Rooney's mother as she was saying something to him I couldn't hear but she had a wide smile on her face.

I could see the love for me in her eyes, even if I was no longer with her son. She still cared deeply about me.

So I continued my speech. "His mother helped and for a long time... She was... She was... I'm sorry, but she was the mother figure I needed. It was like she knew how much maternal love I've been deprived of and she wanted to give me every drop she had. "

Mother forgive me.

"Then came my best friends, Jasmine, Silvana and Williams. Williams was the new kid in 9th grade, but Jasmine always made it seem like they'd been best friends straight out of their mothers wombs. Then his friends. "

Kenelum, where are you?

Found you. His father was besides him, a very short man with a red cap boldly sitting on his bald head.

He must've gotten his looks from his mother because no way!

I giggled before continuing,

"But this one tall... Tall, tall.. Tall. Idiot!" I exclaimed the last word and Kenelum shouted out.

"Your father!"

And my daddy really turned to look for him.

So there I was laughing my head out while I was supposed to be giving a serious speech.

And I loved it.

"This idiot, hated me. Only God knew why, I... I was nice." I picked up from where I left and the students in here laughed the roof off with me.

"But he turned out to be... A good friend with time. Then there's the food in here and I'm, I'm a really proud foodie! So no one should wonder why the thin broomstick from 7th grade now looks like this.. Looks like me, I'd twerk but no! My dad will disown me. "

Deep breath in.

"And the education in here, the strenuous preps, the educational school trips, the materials available, the opportunities, everything, the serene environments... The food. " My mother laughed, she loved eating too. It must be the only thing we have in common.

"And.. My friend, my tall, dark handsome, caring friend. My dancer, my gossip mate, my forgiving soul. According to you, you hated me 8th grade and I didn't care back then. So I guess we're equal. Arthur Dike, you're an amazing soul. You're compassionate, brilliant and I hope your mother knows she raised a wonderful boy. "

Arthur nodded with a smile and his mother dropped her arm over his head and unto his shoulder as she pulled him in.

Beautiful.

"Thank you. Thank you for being you. And thank you to all of you. Thank you for being students of Emerald Academy, where we just don't train the mind, we feed the heart... Thank you for being a home to all. " I ended my speech while staring at Mrs Ojukwu and she clapped.

She started the standing ovation that boomed through the auditorium.

I squeezed up the paper in my hand... Then walked back to my seat.

And waited for the next name to be called.

••

"You're an undergraduate now. I'm proud of you." My mother almost stuttered, we were among the last people still in the auditorium, my dad walked out minutes ago with the crowd with Rooney's mom and siblings and him, they were all heading to the cafeteria.

To eat.. We all were, I was until mother stopped me.

"Thank you."

Her beautiful eyes were watery with tears she was trying to hold back.

Her lips scrunched to one side and her button nose pulsed slowly.

"You know, you're a bit older than I was when I ruin-almost ruined my life and you did it, you're 18 and you've never been pregnant. "

I've also never had sex either, but she didn't know that.

" I just... I didn't know how to react when I found out I was pregnant at 16, your father and I.. We were so in love but we were also young and he was leaving the country so we wanted a wild night to remember, you have no idea how afraid I was when Rooney left the country because I thought you guys would recreate what your father and I did. I wanted to lock you up in my house with me that week but I knew you wouldn't understand. Luckily for us all, months past and you never announced any pregnancy.

I never wanted to get rid of you because I couldn't love you. I was just scared and he'd already left the country when I found out. I couldn't even contact him I didn't know he was going through the worst but still, I should not have turned into the woman I was as your mother.

I should have done better but so much happened all at once, you lost your grandparents but I lost my parents then the instant wealth struggle with people who didn't even know what my name was before and I endured so much trauma after wards even when your father returned and I was so bitter, so unhappy, so depressed it was all it was. It had nothing to do with you being unworthy of love. I wasn't able to love anyone especially you because I didn't even love myself. "

Very familiar.

Maybe I'm more of a sTain that I realized.

"I'm really sorry for everything. I know I've apologized countless times, I know you see the effort I've been making.

But, hearing your speech today. Your words hurt me, I knew Ms. Edwin was good to you, I just didn't understand just how much. I'm so ashamed of myself... I'm so sorry Valentia. I'm so sorry I never let you harness the power in you."

Valentia?

I pulled away from the hug I didn't know I was engulfed in and stared down at her.

I was now taller than her, taller than the woman I always looked up to.

Ironic.

"Valentia?"

She stared at me with her head tilted.

"Yes Valentia? Or you don't know you... Your. Oh, oh... It isn't on your birth certificate. Valentia is your middle name."

My mother astounded me.

I have a middle name?

"Why don't I know about it?" I asked her, now we were alone and my voice echoed.

"You don't know your own middle name?" She looked horrified.

"Your father never told you? No, I can't blame him. It's my fault, I could've sworn you knew, I just thought you didn't like being called Valentia because... Because my mom named you that. "

My grandma named me Valentia?

Woah.

Wow....

The woman who saved my life, named me Valentia and I didn't know about it?

I groaned and stared at my mother, in full disappointment.

Then regretted it when she sniffed. She was about to start crying.

"Munachi, you should understand that I'm really trying. I'm sorry."

"What does Valentia mean?"

"Power. She always believed you were born to be powerful, she believed you had all the power in the world stored in your little body and I believe her now. I'm so sorry that I failed you." She was crying now and the actress wasn't faking it.

I stared awkwardly at her and wondered what I was meant to do next.

How do I comfort a woman who never comforted me?

"You didn't fail her." We both looked up at the sound of his voice...

And I smiled.

𓆧𓆧𓆧𓆧𓆧𓆧𓆧𓆧

😙🧡Sup! Sup! Sup!

Happy New Year brhoes and hoess!
(🙆🏽Please don't kill me)

Guess who Munachi's looking at right now?

Guess correctly and I'll dedicate the last chapter of Numb to you.

(Yes, last chapter 😙😂 Of Part one

Part two is the adult version that we've all been waiting for.

No one's a teenager anymore, Munachi's 22...

Jasmine is 23🙆🏽

And they're all in universities, maybe home or maybe abroad.

But aren't you excited for part two already? 😙😙)

(●ε●)ゝᶜⁱᵃᵒ