Seventeen: Miriam

                                    

                                          
I was in the sitting room when Jide walked in. He looked a little tired from work but I didn't say anything. I avoided him like a plague since the day we had sex.
                          
It was few days ago, I didn't tell Jamilah about it and she didn't ask why I was missing from the room either. It was better that way.
                          
He walked all the way to the stairs as I pretended not to see him. After few minutes I turned to direction I saw him walk to and he was at the bottom of the stairs, looking at me. He hadn't moved from there. I gave him a puzzled look. Why had he been standing there?
                          
"I thought you wouldn't look at me forever."
                          
I didn't reply.
                          
"You just can't avoid me. This house is too small and the occupants are too few for it."
                          
Why was I still looking at him?
                          
There was a little smile on his face and he moved closer to me and sat on the couch. I shifted to the far end.
                          
"We need to talk."
                          
I looked at him. What exactly did we have to talk about?
                          
"Say something Miriam."
                          
I tore my eyes away from him instead and focused on the television. He let out a tired breath.
                          
"You can't pretend that you don't know me. We even had sex. Even if it was because you wanted to get me to talk about something."
                          
My eyes went back to him as I stared at him with mixed expressions. Why did he even bring that up? I immediately forgot that I didn't want to talk to him.
                          
"That is not what happened Jide. I had been asking you about it but it had nothing to do with that morning. One thing just led to another and well, we... it happened. I thought you didn't regret it."
                          
"I didn't."
                          
"Well, I'm off your case now and I give up on trying to know what is wrong with you. I just hope I don't see you drinking again."
                          
I was honestly tired of asking especially after he believed that I was trying to get him to talk by having sex with him but I didn't want him to get drunk because of me. He was hurting himself and I didn't want to feel guilty about it.
                          
"Why do you care so much about my drinking?"
                          
"Why do you care so much about me staying alive?", I replied when I couldn't give him any answer.
                          
"It's my job Miriam and I have mentioned this before."
                          
I folded my hands across my chest and stared ahead. I didn't want to start a conversation that would lead to us fighting.
                          
"You said we have to talk. What is it?", I tried changing the topic.
                          
He brushed his hair backwards with his hand suddenly remembering he had asked that we talk.
                          
"Right. I was going to ask about the phone I gave you."
                          
That was it?
                          
"It got lost while I was running. Why?"
                          
He pulled out something from his pocket and dropped it on my lap. I looked at it and then at him. How did he manage to find it?