"Babe, let's go shopping after work." Sophia started with a small smile on her lips as soon as she got to Angela's desk.
"What for?" Angela raised her head as she questioned. She was taking a short nap as she had nothing else to do for the day.
"My Auntie is at it again. She has invited me to a party and I want you to come with me as my date", Sophia wrinkled her nose
"Come with me"
Standing to her full height, Angela soothed her pan trousers with her palm and led the way to the restroom with Sophia following behind.
Shutting the door, she entered one of the rooms to ease herself, while her friend busied herself, checking all the stalls for prying ears.
"Can't you just ditch this one as well?", Angela murmured as she exited the stall and proceeded to wash her hands.
"I have a strong feeling that my Auntie will cut all my favorite outfits with that shrill voice of hers. But that won't happen because I'm going and you, baby girl is my date". Sophia wore the puppy look on her face and added, "Besides, my Aunt wants me to meet someone at the party. I don't know who it is, but I have a strong feeling that it's someone I'm looking forward to seeing".
Sophia's Auntie is known for her hot tempered personality. She does not take no for an answer and makes Sophia attend ceremonies, all in the name of finding a husband for her.
Although, she is related to Sophia by marriage. She is married to Sophia's uncle, she loves Sophia like her own child and Sophia loves her in return.
Angela wore her saddest look and whispered, in high hopes of her friend, falling for her acting.
"Eversince Jake left me at a party, I don't want to go to parties anymore. What if I get a-"
"Nice acting skills you got there but it's not working on me. You were totally okay at your birthday party", Sophia commented as she gave her friend thumbs up.
Angela rolled her eyes, washed her hands again and dried it clean. "We are going to just a store and picking only one dress each. No crazy shopping, okay?"
Sophia laughed as she spoke,
"Everyone knows how you could end up buying the whole store when you plan to buy only one dress"
Angela rolled her eyes playfully, kissed Sophia's right cheek and ran out of the restroom.
…
In the evening, the two women found their way into a department store as they browsed through, looking for the perfect gown to turn heads around.
The two women loved to look stunning, especially when they attended occasions together. Even though they had different skin colors, they managed to look like twins, with the way they behaved and related with one another.
Angela is a very shy woman but she is a totally different person around Sophia. She's jovial, more comfortable and can do anything around her friend.
Angela loves shopping and Sophia trusts her judgment, when it comes to fashion. She is wearing the twenty third gown and Angela couldn't stop her comments.
"Not this one. It looks shabby on you"
"Never"
"If only the material were in stripes"
"Perhaps the red would do. Not yellow"
The tailors did no justice to the materials. With a gown looking like what astronauts wore to the moon, another looked like something an apprentice created. Yet, the price tags on the clothes could make a mad man become saner again or make a healthy baby be diagnosed with an In-born error.
The tags were unreasonably high for the gowns. Not that the two friends minded, they had loads of money to spend on clothing but they like to purchase things that are worth the price attached to them.
Not satisfied with the gowns, she moved closer to her friend's ears and whispered, "Girl, this store's got nothing. Let's leave"
Sophia walked into the changing room like a mannequin and wore her clothes back on.
The store attendant was baffled when Sophia came out in her own clothes and not one of the store's own.
Sophia addressed her simply, "Sorry to say this but, not of your gowns caught our eye. Sorry"
The two women burst into fits of laughter as they walked out of the store and marched to their favorite store.
They should have gone there at first, instead of checking a new store, a colleague at work introduced.
It took them only an hour to pick a dress each.
"You look so damn beautiful. With this shape of yours, don't be too shocked if you get yourself a date as well", Sophia battered her eyelashes as she opined.
"Not. Happening", Angela hissed before turning towards the mirror to assess herself.
She smiled as she saw her friend come closer and rested her arms on her shoulders.
"Babe, you look dope. If I were a guy, I would rip-"
"Jesus. Sophie? Thank God you are a girl"
Angela muttered as she walked into the changing room to try a few dresses that caught her eyes as well.
And just like every other time, they went shopping, Sophia watched her friend twirl and spin and whirl as she wore more new dresses.
Four hours later, the friends walked out of the store with Sophia looking like someone who just came out of a funeral and Angela noisily blabbing about some press reports she came across. Fashion trends fascinates her, shopping makes her feel excited.
They hailed a cab and had dinner together before returning back to work to pick their cars and go home.
Angela warmed some leftover pizza in the fridge and hugged her stuffed bear as she saw the latest episode of her favorite show.
Her constant 'oohs' and 'aahs' were cut short by the vibration of her phone.
She murmured a few cuss words, paused her show and raised the phone to her ear after swiping to answer, without checking the caller ID.
"Where are you?"
Angela's heart rate fastened as she heard his voice. She stopped chewing at once and sat stiff.
"Where the fuck are you? Open the door!"
His authoritative words coupled with the loud banging from her front door did the trick. She ran towards the entrance barefooted and opened the door to come face to face with the last person she thought would ever be at her front door.
"Jake", she said softly.
Jake did not come for a booty call, like she had suspected earlier. He had so much to drink at some bar and came to her house, smelling and looking like a complete mess. He's drunk."Don't stand there like some moron. Help me in", he slurred.How did she miss that? She should have spotted his drunken state over the phone. It would at least prevent her the headache of having to spend the night with a drunk man, under the same roof.As she watched him struggle to balance himself but failed at every attempt, she wondered if she could hurriedly close the door on his face and lock the door. Would she succeed?Or she could throw some hate speech at him and watch him leave in denial. And she had every right to make him feel hurt. This guy meant the whole world to her, before he broke her heart a million times. She loved him with all her might but he saw her as a tool and got rid of her, when he found the tool unneeded."Very well. You can stay mute as long as I will be here", overenunciatin
"You have been sour all day. What is it?", Omar asked Fyodor with a smile warming his features.Fyodor groaned as he harshly pulled his tie loose, he had a rough day, to top it all, he got a call from his father."My father has invited me to some party, now of all times. There's no time to socialize, the company is preparing for its annual inspection! God forbid those heartless prosecutors find a problem with our services". The other men laughed as they watched Fyodor lament like an overgrown baby."What party?", Omar asked grinning.He had a feeling he knew the exact party Fyodor was talking about."The Duncans. Do you know the most annoying part? My whole family would be attending. Including Ivan. I would definitely be grizzled before the end of the day!"The other two gave each other a knowing look and made sport of Fyodor. Omar covered the short distance to his fridge and threw a bottle of beer for his friends."We are invited too", They said in uniform.Fyodor exhaled in relief
Fyodor disgruntled as the blaring sound of his bedside alarm filled his ears. He had set his alarm to wake him up in time to catch his flight at exactly 6am.He had a meeting to attend at 9am and could not afford to be late.Just like every other Friday, the trio had partied away and left for their respective homes in the wee hours.He rolled to the other end of the bed and wore his slippers before noisily walking to the bathroom to get ready.He looked back at his image in the mirror. He needed more sleep. He looked like a ghost, with red puffy eyes and dark circles underneath them.He snorted as he lined the bristle of his toothbrush with toothpaste and raised his head up to fill his mouth with the brush."Jesus christ!"His mother laughed at her son's shocked expression as she stood behind him and made more scary faces."Mother, you scared me!""Sorry scaredy baby", she laughed again.Fyodor smiled and began to brush his teeth. He was whiling away time he didn't have. After washin
"You seem disturbed. Is it about your brother?" Mrs Babanin has been stealing glances at her son, as he chopped the vegetables they needed for an omelet.He did not seem to be in a good mood at all. They always had small talks whenever they worked together."It's nothing we can't handle", he muttered as he let out his frustration on the vegetables.His brother made trouble wherever he went. He felt the urge to knock off a tooth or perhaps teeth? Or he could leave his face battered or break a leg? He really needed to vent his anger on him. Or something.And the so-called brother was nowhere to be found."Things would have been better if I were the one with the child. At least I would be giving you a little brother", She tried to lighten up his mood."Or sister" The thought of his 55 years old mother with a baby bump exhilarated him. He couldn't help it when he burst into fits of laughter, his mother followed suit.Once they had calmed down, Fyodor honestly said, "It would not hurt to
The room was lit. That was one way to describe the vicinity adequately. It was a large hall with a huge chandelier placed at the very center and four smaller ones at the four corners of the room. The clatter of glasses against another is heard as people conversed cheerfully.Every man and woman present are dressed like royalty. With the women most especially, they took special care to even the tiniest features they possessed.Most of them have their hair permed to perfection, others left it unruly in a fashionable manner.They all wore expensive shiny dresses and the men in decent tailored suit.Angela sat by her friend and listened to her account her last meeting in the Editor in chief's office. They are currently seated side by side on a round table with other occupants."And he said in a gruff voice, 'Miss Sophie, you mustn't need an Editor all the time. You are a reporter, you must have your way with words'", Sophia laughed at her own words with Angela following suit."And I have
The trio reclaimed their seat and sat watching intently as the host, Mr Duncan took his place at the stage and stood in front of the podium.Mr Duncan cleared his throat and tested the microphone by making funny sounds that made the guest laugh.Angela returned to her seat-now vacant from whosoever was seated on it earlier-and gave her friend an affirming smile that she was fine.Sophia was puzzled earlier, she was worried about her friend's whereabouts and was about to call her phone. She gave her friend's fingers a small squeeze and gave her full attention to the host.Mr Duncan cleared his throat again and addressed his guests."Good evening everyone. I want to start by appreciating every ambitious man and woman seated here, who left their busy schedules to assemble in my humble abode. I am highly honored".He made a deep bow and continued. "Also, I want to thank the main reason we are gathered here. The Investor, who generously provided funds to make this party a reality. Thank yo
"Thank you Aunt Meredith, you are the best!" Sophia went in search of her dearest Aunt after exchanging contact with James.If not for her sweet Aunty she would probably be at home doing unproductive things and lose the chance to be reunited with her teacher."See reasons why you should always attend parties, you never know who you might meet", Aunt Meredith winked.Aunt Meredith never had children, not that she couldn't but she never saw the need to. She believes that there are more than enough children in the world that need parents and a family. She is busy taking care of orphans. She runs an orphanage and also renders caregiving services for free. She loves to take care of children and sees Sophia as her own true firstborn child.Sophia is an orphan who left Nigeria at age four and grew up with her uncle as her only guardian. At the time Meredith was courting her husband, Sophia was twelve. She rarely talked to anyone and was very cold to Meredith.In all honesty, Sophia thought
"He wouldn't even answer his phone", Hilda panicked as she re-dialed Joseph's phone. Words could do no justice to explain the emotions she felt. She couldn't even sleep last night as she took so many turns and was restless.The party she thought would be to her advantage turned out to leave a bitter taste in her mouth. She was hoping that her son would come closer to her if he got selected among the other business men and women who the Investor would pick.She got her RSVP directly from Mr Duncan himself. He told her of the party himself and even persuaded her son to come as well as a rich Investor looking for brilliant ideas to support with his money would be in attendance.She never thought that the rich investor would turn out to be James. She should have not attended or even told Joseph to attend. She had brought this upon them.She paced the room desperately hoping to hear her son's cold voice on the other end. "Let the boy be," Mr Benjamin muttered calmly as he watched her. H
Her feet felt heavy with every step she took afar, her heart was drumming wildly within her ribcage and it felt like she was nauseous. As she ran, all she thought of was Joseph, he'd definitely misunderstood. Fate was cruel. Too cruel. Things were only just beginning to look bright only for this to happen. Angela didn't even care when her legs stopped moving or when her butt cheeks found comfort on the floor. She cried as the turnout of events replayed in her head, mocking her. When Joshua had noticed her unenthusiasm in whatever he had to say, he had proceeded to physical contact and just before she could have acted on his inappropriate manner of touching her, he had forced their lips to merge and enforced a rhythm. Angela regretted her decisions, she shouldn't have acknowledged his message when he'd sent it and even if she had, she ought to have picked a cafe that was packed with customers, not to reserve the most remote seats just so they do not get distracted easily with the da
The next morning, they took a bath together again. Even though Joseph's eyes twinkled with interest he didn't do anything out of question. He still respected the distance between them but he was insanely aware of her naked body throughout. After the bath, he made breakfast while Angela watched.Angela was happy. She was so happy that she couldn't control it when a tear slid down her face because she thought she wouldn't see a day when Joseph would be capable of taking care of his daily needs, talkless of another. Even though she had promised Joshua brunch, she ate a lot. After breakfast, they cleaned the dishes together and that was when she saw it again. That undeniable gaze that said it all. She had noticed it when they were taking a bath and how it didn't disappear when they broke their fast. Joseph would secretly watch her and shyly take his eyes somewhere else when she caught him.She held his hand in hers and smiled before she whispered with all alacrity, “I'm all yours. Foreve
Like a cycle, days turned into weeks and weeks to months but Joseph still didn't get better. He still said close to nothing to Angela. He'd rather spend his time in his study. He had turned lean with time, as he barely ate. He barely associates with anything or anyone apart from his study. Angela has had enough. She didn't care what Joseph thought anymore or what her next actions would incite. Because he was slowly losing it. He needed help. And so, that fateful morning, after preparing a hot soup with easily digestible contents, she marched straight to his study and tried to force her way in but the door was locked. With no other plan but to scream, shout, cry or even use force if she had to, Angela marched towards the familiar corridor. Her next destination was his room, still no Joseph. She forcefully pushed the slide-in door that led to his bathroom and there he sat. Joseph sat like a fetus in its mother's womb as he wept. Like a child.Her eyes lost all the fire and she somewha
“Oh, I've always had a thing for grotesques but for work, it'll always be romance”, the writer chuckled to the camera as he adjusted his sitting position a few more times to look good for his audience.“What inspires your books then?”. Angela read out loud, totally uninterested. Joshua, the writer looked at nothing as he tried to form the right words or what he believes is right. “Love inspires my book”, he smiled to himself like he had just found something no one would ever find. “Love is real. Now, not the kind between siblings or relatives. The simple attraction you feel towards someone you don't even know too well”. He frowned as he continued, Angela almost thought he was already possessed by what made some writers write so well. “That wanton feeling is power. It's so powerful and beautiful and there's a lot to unravel, so yeah. That's why I always find myself writing about it”. He smiled finally, awarding himself marks for a test no one gave him. Angela nodded when she was su
Mr James Wilson was buried on Friday. A very sunny Friday. It was so sunny that Joseph wished that it was raining. They had set up a small gathering, rather too small for a man established as Mr James. But still, many came to pay their respects, some even flew in that morning just to pay their last respect to such a kindhearted man like Mr James. As the priest said the prayers and Mr James' coffin was leveled into the ground, Joseph only prayed to wake up from this dream. He still hadn't accepted the news. He still remembered the conversations he'd shared with his father prior to his surgery. The words he had shared with Angela up to the time he had patiently waited to be reunited with his father once again. Alive. Not dead. But Dr. Murphy's downcast look had ruined it all. Joseph had waited patiently all for nothing. Had believed Angela's words before the surgery, all for his father's death to drive him to the end of time. He had killed his father.No. Not the doctor, at least J
Accuracy. That was definitely Dr Murphy's best word. He was always accurate. He knew the human anatomy like the palm of his hand. As a career man, he was never wrong, and has never lost a single patient during his thirty six years of treating patients. Dr Murphy was literally known as an aldonis in the surgery room.As he scrubbed in and entered the operation room, he said a little prayer to God that he’s kept his nickname this long. Inside the OR, he shook his head vehemently like a boxer ready for battle and whispered “Let's do this” to himself after washing his hands and went in where a nurse came forward to help him wear his sterile gown.A nurse eyed his scrub cap knowingly and turned to share smiles between her colleagues. They all knew Professor Murphy to be present for only very important surgeries and whenever he wore the specific cap on his head, it meant real business. That means the patient on the table would survive no matter the cost. The patient's lucky, she concluded
Morning came, even though Joseph was sore, his whole muscles ached and he had barely even slept, he was glad that an hopeful day had come. A day, he was allowed to dream. That morning Joseph prayed. He hadn't prayed for a long time but he found himself kneeling on the floor as he prayed for a successful procedure.Omar and Fyodor, Angela and Sophia had spent the night at the hospital but Omar had to leave because he had a meeting that couldn't be postponed, he had to be there. But he promised to return as soon as he could.Joseph watched Angela quietly from his side view, he hadn't said anything to her after crying at the garage, now, they were no different from two strangers. Or that was what he thought. She was saying something to Sophia before Sophia left to take a phone call.He watched her as she rubbed her eyes sleepily and sank deeper to the seat, she raised her legs from the ground and folded them to cross one another. These past few days, he had been rough. Very rough with he
Joy. Ultimum joy. Not the kind you feel after bagging a million dollar deal or getting a scholarship but the kind you feel when a ray of sunshine graces your head and suffices your skin with vitamin D, the kind of happiness you feel when the calm breeze grazes the short hairs on your skin. That kind of joy that bubbles from within, that shows itself even when you have a straight face. And that was all the duo felt as they watched intently.Fits of laughter, though weak, rumbled from Mr James chest as he watched closely. Upon his request, his son had transformed his hospital room into a cinema room. The lights turned off, except the lights sourced from the machines attached to him, Mr James relaxed into his bed folded halfway to allow him see the screen comfortably. Joseph was surprised when his father told him where he'd kept all the video clips in his house. He had thought naturally, that clips as such would have been lost. His parents hadn't parted in good times and his mother clea
And there he sat. Like the dutiful son that he will always be. After the little episode at the garage, under the pretense of getting some air, Joseph returned to his only reason for both his unshed and shed tears of agony. Joseph adjusted the duvet that covered his father's body a few times. Afterwards, he'd stand and walk around a few times, he'd grit his teeth a few times, sometimes, torturing his poor nails as well. Only to look outside the window again, rake his hair frustratingly and then sit again. Joseph messed up the routine a few times, willing to do everything to while away time, he only wondered when his father would wake up again. He had to try again.He had to try to convince his father again. He just had to do something. His hands raked his hair again before a sob broke out. A second followed.“Son”, though hoarse, his father’s voice called out. Joseph jerked up immediately and covered the little distance between them.“Big man! Big man!!” His voice was hoarse too. May