6.

Burnt out and exhausted, Teenyma finally gave up chasing me and returned to her floor, gently pressing her back against her front door and sliding down to sit on the ground. Realizing this, I climbed back up the stairwell I was initially using as my escape route then peered from a corner to find Teenyma just sitting there. Understanding that our little moment of silliness was now over, I stepped out fully from the corner then went to go sit beside her. We were both quiet for a little while, just watching the rain and the night sky overlooking the balcony, savoring the view, the sounds, and the feel of cold wind blowing across our faces. Then, already expecting it, Teenyma leaned in closer and rested her head on top of my shoulder. And after a little while, I rested my cheek against the top of her head.

"You know," she started to say softly after a couple seconds had passed. "I really was starting to get worried when you didn't show up at the time you specified. “There was a small flash of lightning. And a distant rumple of thunder. "I know it's silly but I felt so alone. Like a repeat of what happened when we were kids."

"I know you must have been worried." I explained. "And I'm sorry for making you feel that way. It was just that the power went out at school so we had to stay an additional 2 hours after the generators had been fixed."

"That sucked." She said.

"Yeah, it did. “I replied. "But I'm really sorry I didn't reach out to you afterwards. I just had a lot going through my mind at the time and..."

She placed a shushing hand on top of my lips. "I understand. And Apology accepted." she said, retreating her hand from my lips and smiling. "But next time, you tell me when you are going to be running late okay? I don't like to think that something bad might have happened to you."

"Definitely. “I replied, "I will let you know first thing whenever I am going to be running late, or unable to make it for something in the future."

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"That's good." she said. "But you better not also make it a habit all right?" she added, pinching my arm a little.

"Yeah, okay, all right." I laughed. "I promise."

"You promise what?" She lifted her head up from my shoulder and asked while still pinching my arm.

"I promise not to make it a habit of running late." I said, still laughing and smiling. "Now can you please let go of my arm? It is kind of starting to hurt."

Teenyma stopped pinching me then leaned back in to continue resting her head on my shoulder. I, in turn, resumed resting the side of my head on hers. Moments past and we were still seated outside in front of her apartment. Then out of nowhere, she ambushed me with a question I was not at all ready for.

"So." she said, "What did you have for lunch today?"

My eyes widened as my stomach suddenly dropped. I still hadn't eaten anything. Not even breakfast. I had been swallowing medication all day on an empty stomach. Teenyma was going to kill me.

"So," she repeated. "Tell me. What did you have for lunch?"

My eyes quickly darted around in search of the umbrella. I found it sitting beside her opposite from me. Then, with an awkward smile, I ask, "Can I please see that real quick? I think I may have just seen a cockroach and I would like to kill it before it gets into the apartment. “I lied, sweating profusely and hoping that Teenyma hands me the umbrella so I can throw it before admitting that I hadn't eaten all day, despite her practically ordering me to have done so.

Teenyma suddenly lifted her head up from my shoulder again and turned to face me, a dark shadow suddenly falling across the top part of her face as she glared at me. "You still haven't eaten, have you?" she asked, her voice dropping to a sinister level.

I briefly consider booking it before she got hold of the umbrella, but a slight tug on the inside of my elbow revealed that Teenyma had locked her arm in mine. I wasn't going anywhere.

Flashing a nervous smile as that was the only thing I could do, I mentally and physically prepared myself as Teenyma's hand slowly and inevitably reached for the umbrella sitting beside her. But instead of scolding me on the dangers of starvation and skipping meals, she simply drew in a deep breath, exhaled, then allowed the darkness to fade from her face and wrapped me in a tight hug.

I was genuinely surprised at her reaction. As kids, Teenyma had never brushed past an opportunity to slap my hand whenever I tried to pick something up that wasn't mine, or yell at me whenever I need something stupid like forget to eat food. Being the youngest sibling in my mother's family, she had always pride herself in the various roles She fulfilled within my life. Sometimes she was the cool, fun, level-headed modern aunt who in reality, was only like a year older than me. Other times, she was the selfless, caring, strict, ever loving mother figure who at the end of the day, was still just a teenager. But sometimes, I completely tend to forget she was also just Teenyma. My family. The only person that stuck by me even after the whole world had discarded me.

Snapping out of my momentary shock, I hugged her back. "Thank you for not smacking me with the umbrella." I said.

"Whenever I hit you it's to show I love you dummy." she replied. "Now. Let's go put some food in your belly."