NEIGHBOUR

They had just moved into the estate. The Ademola’s had tired of the constant issues they faced in their former house. From a broken pipe to a leaking spot on the roof, it got frustrating. Simbira was thrilled. She had never lived in an estate before. Being a very jovial and bubbly person, she was excited at the prospect of meeting new people and making new friends. She couldn’t keep still as her father drove in through the estate gates. At age 10, she was small for her age and had to stretch a little to see clearly out the window. She didn’t want to miss any detail of the wide expanse of area covered with houses, cars and gardens. Her smile grew even wider and she stretched a little more.

‘Can you stop moving?! You are disturbing me.’

Simbira turned to see her 12-year-old brother, Micah, who sat in between her and the rest of their luggage that couldn’t fit into the boot, scowling at her.

 ‘Sorry’, she said distractedly, still smiling. Trying to remain as still possible, so as not to disturb Micah, she swiftly turned back to her thrilling task of looking out the window in a bid not miss any more detail.

‘Mummy, I hope we have a garden of our own?’, Simbira eagerly asked her mother who was seated in the passenger seat.

‘Simbi, we’ll see for ourselves when we get there’.

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Simbira’s excitement was a little dampened when she realized that their house in the estate was located at the back meaning there was only one neighbouring house, the one opposite theirs. The other houses were a bit far off. However, she quickly disregarded that thought as she saw the wide expanse of fresh soil that was now theirs. Granted there’ll be quite some work to do but Simbira could not wait to start. She stood staring as her mind drifted off to a land of her own, hers and the flowers that is.

‘Simbi! Simbira! Where are you? Come and help your dad unload the boot’. She heard her mum call and was immediately knocked out of her reverie.

‘I’m coming mummy but dad doesn’t exactly need my help. He is big and strong’, Simbira said as she neared the car, putting distance between herself and the garden, emphasizing with gestures how big and strong her father was.

‘Smart girl’, her father said with a chuckle. ‘Just carry that black bag over there’, he said pointing to a black bag containing some of the plastic-made kitchen utensils he had earlier brought out from the boot.

‘It’s heavy, dad’, she said whiningly as she made a show of lifting the bag.

‘You know it’s not, you're just lazy’, Micah said laughing as he lifted one of the heavier boxes for emphasis.

‘Show off’, Simbira muttered.

‘Simbi, you’ve still not carried that bag? Ah, you need to do more work around the house to get rid of this laziness’, her mother said returning to carry another luggage into the house.

‘No need mummy, I’m already carrying it. I’m very agile! I was just joking’, she smiled sweetly then hastily carried the bag inside. She stuck her tongue out at her brother as she passed him on his way out, he reciprocated the action and chuckled.

                                                                                     ***

They had settled, it took a while, but they did eventually. Simbira came out onto the front porch, stretched then rested on the railing. It was late afternoon. Soon mummy would be calling for her to come and assist in the kitchen. She sighed then looked around her at the beautiful rose bush about their house. She was proud of her handwork. She turned to look towards her neighbour's house and couldn’t help but appreciate the beautiful lilies and daffodils planted around the house, mostly towards the side till it disappeared. Staring at the house, her eyes caught movement from the window. She stretched a little. It looked like a woman but she wasn’t sure. Since moving in, she had only glimpsed an aged woman, the sort that reminded her of her grandmother whom everyone referred to as granny. At least all the kids. That was once. She wondered, dismally, when she’d get to meet her neighbour.

Simbira was about to turn and head into her house when she saw a young woman step out of the house. She estimated her age to be about 20. She can’t be much older than that, she thought. The lady hadn’t seen her yet. She had her back turned to where Simbira was like she was talking to somebody inside. Simbira guessed it was the aged woman whom she assumed was her mother but she wasn’t sure as she didn’t know anything about her neighbours. She was going to do something about that.

With an excited, heartwarming smile, Simbira walked the short distance to the house.

‘Good day ma, my name is Simbira Adeola. My family and I just moved into the estate. We live just opposite you, over there’, she said, pointing towards her house for emphasis.

The young lady who had just stepped fully out of her door looked Simbira over with an interested gleam in her eyes. She had a book in her hand. So she was going to read, huh? Not any more, Simbira thought silently, still wearing a smile.

‘Oh really? Nice to meet you. How are you and your family enjoying the estate? I hope it hasn’t been too boring’, the young lady asked with an indulgent smile. She moved to sit on one of the two rocking chairs on the porch, the book unopened on her lap. ‘Sit with me, let’s have a chat’. Simbira took the only other seat.

‘It’s been boring around here. Oh, forgive me, my name is Sofia, with an F. I know not the usual. Simbira. Such a lovely name. Do you know what it means?’, Sofia continued, going a mile a minute.

With a peal of low laughter, Simbira responded, ‘It means African Princess’. She liked the lady already. A lot.

‘Aunty Sofia, can I call you Sofia?’, she asked with all the innocence of a 10-year old.

‘Yes, of course. You can even call me Sofi, all my friends do’.

‘Oh, okay. Then you can call me Simbi, all my friends do’, She mimicked chipperly. ‘So I am your friend now, Sofia?’, Simbira asked, testing the name on her lips. She bounced a little as she could no longer contain the excitement mingled with joy at the fact that her new neighbour was a very nice, very pretty young lady. Not exactly her age but what did it matter? She thought as she stared at her new friend. Even if Sofia didn’t answer her question in the affirmative, she’d already taken her as her friend.

‘Yes, dear. Would you like anything? I have some biscuits and Hollandia yoghurt’.

‘No thank you. I had eaten before coming out. I was tired of staying indoors. My elder brother, Micah likes to look for my trouble a lot. There was this one time…’.

Simbira sat there chatting and laughing animatedly with Sofia till late in the evening. She looked to the sky and saw that the sun was setting. First surprise, then fear, of what her mother would do to her, were the emotions that coursed through her when she realized that she had stayed at Sofia’s long enough and her mother had not called out for her. Her mother’s silent anger was worse than her voiced.

‘I have to go now Sofia. It was nice meeting you. You should come over to our house sometime’, she said as she rose to start the short journey to her house.

‘Sure. I’ll come by sometime. Bye Simbi’, Sofia said with a smile of someone who’s night had just been made.

                                                                                     ***

Despite her parents’ worried scolding, Simbira stayed joyous. As her father said the grace over their evening meal, Simbira was overjoyed because she had just made her first friend in the estate. And they had bonded instantly!