Writers 
Chapter 4
The next morning, I woke up feeling surprisingly refreshed.
I headed downstairs, still getting used to the strange silence of the house. Back home, Mum's nagging voice would have already pulled me out of bed by now.
I smiled a little at the thought.
Then I heard Noami's voice.
I slowed down.
She was talking to Uncle Nathaniel.
"I don't think he likes me that much," she said quietly. "I mean, your brother and his wife are cool with me..."
I tiptoed farther into the living room and stopped behind one of the pillars.
From where I stood, I could see her by the gas cooker, her back turned toward me as she stirred something in a pot. Uncle Nathaniel stood by the sink, rinsing a few plates.
"Who? Christopher?"
"Hmm."
Uncle Nathaniel turned toward her.
"There's no way Christopher doesn't like you."
He paused, seeming to think about it.
"Christopher is... well, the more time you spend with him, the more you'll realize it's probably all in your head."
He dried his hands on a kitchen towel.
"Hope so," Noami murmured.
Uncle Nathaniel stared at her for a moment before a small, teasing smile appeared on his face.
"Or maybe..." he said slowly, walking closer to her. "He's just fascinated by you. Who wouldn't be? Have you seen yourself?"
Noami laughed softly.
"Nathaniel..."
He leaned closer, clearly trying to tease her.
"Not here. Your nephew could come downstairs any second."
Before she could say anything else, he gave her a quick kiss.
I immediately looked away.
My face felt hot.
I didn't know why I suddenly felt like I had walked into a room I wasn't supposed to be in. I knew they were together. They were married. There was nothing strange about them showing affection.
Still, watching them made me feel incredibly awkward.
And somehow, my mind went straight back to what Noami had said.
She thought I didn't like her?
I swallowed.
That wasn't exactly true.
I just didn't know what I was supposed to think about her.
I quietly stepped backward and went toward the stairs. Then I deliberately made my footsteps louder, pretending I had only just come downstairs.
By the time I entered the kitchen, Uncle Nathaniel was sitting at the dining table while Noami was calmly dishing food from the pot as though nothing had happened.
"Good morning, Uncle. Aunty Noami."
My voice came out slightly awkward.
Uncle Nathaniel cleared his throat.
"Morning."
Noami turned to me.
Her cheeks were still slightly flushed, and there was a faint sheen of sweat on her forehead from standing over the stove.
"Morning, Christopher," she said with a small smile. "You can just call me Noami. Or Nam."
I blinked.
"Oh."
I looked between her and Uncle Nathaniel, suddenly unsure of what to say.
Uncle Nathaniel was staring down at his empty plate. Then he looked up at me, an amused smile playing on his lips.
"This is Nigeria, mama. Teenagers here address their elders as Ma, Sir, Aunty or Uncle. Not like those white kids."
He almost chuckled.
Noami rolled her eyes slightly.
"Oh. I guess I'll have to get used to it, then."
She glanced at me before turning back to the food.
"Come and sit."
I nodded and walked toward the dining table.
The smell of rice, stew and fried plantain immediately filled the room.
I sat down.
For a while, we ate quietly.
Uncle Nathaniel was the first to finish. After checking the time on his phone, he stood up, grabbed his things and left for work.
That left Noami and me alone.
I helped her with the dishes.
She washed while I rinsed them, and for a while, neither of us said anything.
The silence wasn't exactly uncomfortable.
But it wasn't completely comfortable either.
I found myself glancing at her when she wasn't looking.
She was wearing a simple tank top with a pair of shorts, her hair tucked away in a bonnet. Nothing fancy.
Still, she somehow managed to look put together.
I quickly looked away when she turned.
"Uhm..."
I heard the hesitation in her voice.
I looked at her.
"It's just me and you now," she said.
"Yeah."
My answer came out awkwardly.
She gave me a small smile.
"You know, you don't have to be so tense around me."
"I'm not tense."
She raised an eyebrow.
"You sure?"
I looked down at the plate in my hands.
"Yeah."
She laughed quietly.
"Okay, then."
She rinsed another plate before placing it on the side.
"You could come downstairs later, though. I could give you some lectures on microbiology."
I looked at her.
"Lectures?"
She nodded.
"Yes. Since you're waiting for admission anyway, you might as well start learning something."
I smiled despite myself.
"Are you sure you're qualified to teach me?"
She gasped dramatically.
"Excuse me?"
I laughed.
"I didn't say anything."
"You definitely said something."
She pointed the wet sponge at me, trying not to laugh.
For the first time that morning, the awkwardness between us seemed to disappear.
And somehow, I found myself wondering what it would really be like spending more time around her.
