ERICA'S TRAVEL: The Strangers land

Chapter Five: The man above the law

As soon as the class was over. Oma searched for Erica but there was no trace of her 

" Where has she gone to?" she wondered 

It's already time for her to go home and once she leaves, Erica will have to find somewhere else to sleep till next week since it's Friday.

" Maybe it's for the best" she assured herself again in happiness, she quickly left after Lilian had joined her downstairs. 

" You must be lava?" A feminine voice said reaching out her hand to the young man standing across the table with her friends.

The young man stood there looking at the beautiful damsel offering to shake his hand for no reason. He was lost in her beauty as his friends who were behind continue to make weird and funny faces at each other.

" That's the name on the object" Erica said again exposing her palm for him to see what was inside of it " You dropped it" she said again getting lava back to reality.

" Oh, thank you; the name was branded on it by my mother" he said smiling nervously and reaching out to collect his pen.

He collected it from her, before he could open his mouth to say another word, Erica left him and headed another way. 

"Oh shit, you are drooling, you are so much falling for her" one of his friends teased him.

" Shut up" he said picking up his bag

" Go for her, she is beautiful and you are handsome... Perfect match" another teased and the rest laughed heavily.

" Stop imagining guys, she is obviously older than me and I don't know her; I am not even interested in her" he defended himself moving away

" You are twenty-one and she is obviously twenty-four I guess; she is a perfect match for you and beside older ladies are the best" another teased and lava glared at them for some seconds before heading to his car as they followed him quietly. 

Erica had watched them from the stairs without them noticing her presence, she had followed them from behind ever since they left the science lab. She had taken the pen from his pocket when everyone were forcing themselves out of the doorway. She had used it as a manner of approach to take a close look at his face.

She left the school premises when she had seen them leave.

* * * 

Oma kept on rolling from one side of the bed to the other side of the bed 

" Why do I think of her? I just knew her for like a day and half. why do I even care about her whereabouts?" She questioned herself. 

Still lost in her own thoughts, her phone beeped, she quickly checked her message, she smiled when they were from her boyfriend Mk 

" Hi sweetie" Mk messaged 

"Hi" she messaged back to him "how are you" 

" Am good and I miss you" 

(Sending a blushing emoji) " ...but we met yesterday" she messaged 

" Yea and I still miss you, I wish I am there with you" he messaged back also sending a longing for someone emoji 

"Do you want me to come over your place? " She asked 

"I would love to but it's 5pm or won't your mum worry?" He curiously asked 

(Sending an emoji with its mouth open) " I almost forgot my mum would be back anytime... Sorry, "

" It's okay, next time then" he messaged back 

"Okay" she messaged back sending a love emoji too 

(Sent a love emoji back to her) "got to go" he messaged 

" Bye" Oma messaged

"Bye" he returned. 

Oma blushed excitedly, they have been dating for the past 6months and one week now. 

Turning backward to lay with her back, she was startled by a feminine figure standing naked close to the window 

" What the hell!" She screamed getting up in shock 

"How do I take my bath here?" Erica asked unmoved by the fact she had scared Oma to the bone 

"What? H... how long have you been standing there? How the hell did you find my address, why are you naked?" She questioned begging for an explanation with her eye shut.

She quickly got up and grabbed her towel throwing it at her 

" Cover yourself for fuck's sake" she added 

" Am good with sight, hearing and capturing things quickly" she answered placing the towel on her body as she doesn't know how to cover up herself with it. 

Oma glared at her blankly seeming speechless that moment 

" As in wonder woman?" She questioned her not expecting a reply 

" Who is that? a friend of yours?" Erica questioned leaving Oma more confused. 

" The bathroom is that way and what do you mean by how do you take your bath? Is this one of your jokes? " She questioned her. 

Erica didn't respond to her as she headed for the bathroom. When she got there, she stood there not knowing what to do. 

" There is no water here" Erica said after spending ten minutes inside the bathroom doing nothing. 

When she raised her head after few minutes, she saw Oma standing at the door and starring at her blankly as if she was going to say something but just don't know the right words to use. 

" I haven't used this before" Erica explained without been asked. 

Oma didn't say a word as she quietly pointed out the processes to her. She was so annoyed to say anything because her words might be harsh and not comforting when spoken. She showed Erica were to lock and unlock the door after bathing. Then she silently left the bathroom as Erica made a weird face at her. 

Erica hesitated for a while before entering the bathtub after removing her necklace. She watches her leg draw close to each other forming a fish tail, her tail was dark blue with some dark patches on it which she had gotten from fights. She inhaled and exhaled after suppressing herself from the pain she had gotten in joining her legs together to form a tail. It felt nice and she really missed the cozy feelings it gave her. She stayed there meditating and thinking about what next step to take for almost 20minutes. 

When she finally come out of the bathroom after keeping herself dry with the towel and putting on her necklace, she saw that Oma had kept some clothes for her on the bed to put on, she dressed herself on the pink loose pajamas Oma had kept for her. 

"Are you just coming out? It's been fifteen minutes I left the room" she said 

"Why have you been out for fifteen minutes?" Erica curiously asked avoiding her questions 

" In case you have forgotten, My mother lives here too. She just came back and probably resting inside right now " she responded

"Oh Queen mother" Erica said sitting down on the bed 

Oma looking at her dumbfoundedly asked " So, what do you want to eat tonight?" 

" Anything else that is not sea food" she responded 

" so you are a vegetarian like me" Oma said smiling 

" What's vegetarian?" Erica asked leaving Oma dropping her mouth open 

" What? Are you being serious? is it even humanly possible that you don't know what that is; except you...."

She pauses to come closer to Erica 

" You can't remember anything right? even who you are, where you come from... this is the only reason for your weird behavior" she said in pity " I should have known" she said silently as Erica dazed at her

" You can ask me anything, I will help you recover your lost memory" she said assuming things herself without actually verifying from Erica. " A Vegetarian is someone who doesn't eat anything meat ...etc. " she responded 

"You are a vegetarian?" She asked to confirm again 

" That's what I just answered" Oma responded immediately.

She was surprised to see Erica smile genuinely. It was the first time Erica has smiled without been creepy. 

" You just smiled... that's beautiful, it suits you" she said in joy as if she had won a lottery 

Erica cleared her throat and quickly turning a serious face " Am hungry, hurry" she said. 

" Why isn't anything good playing?" Oma asked the tv on the wall of her room why changing from one channel to another. 

Erica was tempted to ask what was that but kept quiet to avoid further questions from Oma. She just sat there eating her fruit cereals quietly why observing her quietly. 

" He must really see himself as a god?" Oma said once she had stopped on one of the tv channels 

" Who is he?" Erica curiously asked while looking at the handsome man on tv speaking in front of the paparazzi. One could guess he is in his late 40s although no lady would bother about it looking at how handsome he was. 

" He is Mr. Hansel, Lava's dad and the president of the biggest fishing industry in the city" Oma responded getting Erica's attention that moment. 

" Tell me more about him" Erica said focusing her whole attention on the tv 

" You can g****e him on the internet" Oma said.

When she had starred at Erica, she saw how lost Erica was with her blank expression. 

" Oh, I forgot, you have amnesia; we are still going to discuss about you later" she said.

She brought out her phone and searched about Mr. Hansel's biograph. When she had found the information she needed, she showed it to Erica why explaining the details to her.

 Mr. Hansel inherited his father's fishery business after his father's death. He had run the business very well at a young age and he was really good in all aspect of it. He married his wife at a young age and divorced after two years of his marriage having with him only his son lava.

 He runs the business with a cold heart believing no one could surpass his intelligence, he had huge aquariums for sight-seeing and almost some of the small fish markets were under him. He has a lot of workers and rumors had it one time that one of his workers was involved in a murder of a business partner. The rumors remained rumors as every source of it was deleted and case closed. His son lava work alongside of him too for the past two years. Everyone believes he would also inherit his father's business too. 

Erica nodded her head after hearing some of these information about the great man as his brief story goes. Oma increased the volume of the tv to hear what the newscaster was saying on the news...

" It took everyone by surprise that Mr. Alonso Hansel is running for the mayor after the death of the late mayor five months ago. He is the only candidate running for the mayor as a lot of people praised and hailed him" the newscaster announced 

" He is really a greedy one for wealth" Oma said.