روايات بقلم Sandra j

Joshua did not answer me.•l 5G' 69He looked at the 3 million envelope in his hand - his 1-year savings for ovens. Then he looked at Chief's phone showing 15 million.Then he looked at me. Sandra. Young sexy girl in bum shorts and a crop top.And he made his choice.He walked to Chief Williams."Sir, do the transfer."Silence. My heart stopped."Joshua?" I whispered.He could not look at me."Chief, transfer the 15 million. I will follow Amara to Lagos. I am tired of a small studio."Amara screamed and hugged him. "I knewyou would choose me! Daddy, transfer now!"Chief pressed his phone. Ding.15,000,000 Naira credited to Joshua.Just like that, Joshua now had 18 million- his own 3M savings + Chief's 15M.I lost him."Joshua, you sold us for money?" I cried.He finally looked at me, eyes red."Sandra, listen. If I give Mark my 3M for a fake pregnancy, my life is finished. If I stay with you, Chief will finish my business. But now - with Chief's 15M - I can save everyone. Listen we

The 3 million Joshua had was not for Mark.It was his life savings. Money he saved for 1 year to buy industrial ovens, to make his small studio a real restaurant. His whole life inside an envelope.Mark was on the phone crying for that same 3 million."Joshua, Faith's family said if I don't bring3 million for introduction tomorrow — for bride price list, cows, wrappers - they will go to our church on Sunday and announce that I impregnated their daughter and ran away. My mother will be disgraced. The pastor will suspend me. My name will finish in Port Harcourt. Please help me."3 Million. Not 500k. Real money. Family shame money.While Mark was crying, a message entered my phone.Faith.How did I get Faith's number? I got it that day at Joshua's family house. When Mark first introduced her as "my new peace." Joshua's mother forced us to exchange numbers. She said, "You people are now sisters, collect each other's numbers." | saved it as "Faith - Hair Seller." I never called her since

"Open the gate for your Amara na!"Amara's voice was still on my phone. Loud.Sweet. Like she owned him.Joshua was frozen. He did not move.I moved.I was wearing a short bum shorts and a sexy white crop top - I was cooking, my hair packed in a messy bun, no makeup, but my body was still giving. I am a young sexy girl, Port Harcourt hot babe. I don't wear wrapper in the kitchen.I wiped my hands and walked to the gate myself. I opened it.Outside was a black car. And standing beside it was Amara.Red bodycon gown, bone straight down to her waist, heels that could kill, designer bag. She smelled like expensive perfume that could buy my whole studio.She looked at me from head to toe - my bare legs, my crop top, my messy bun - and her smile disappeared."You are not Joshua," she said."I am Sandra," I said. "His girlfriend."Her eyes widened. Then she laughed. A small, wicked laugh."Oh. So you are Sandra. The girl who left the senior brother for the junior brother. I have heard about

The pregnancy test on my kitchen counter was not mine.It was Faith's. And it had two pink lines.I found it inside Mark's jacket when I went to return his family house key. The key he gave me 4 months ago when he said, "You are my wife to be."Mark was standing in front of me, sweating, even though the AC was on."Sandra, please don't tell Joshua. Please."I held up the test. My hand was shaking, but my voice was stone."Faith is pregnant?""Two weeks," he whispered. "She just told me yesterday. My mother said we must do introduction this Saturday. If we don't, Faith's brothers will come to our house."| laughed. I actually laughed. Because three weeks ago, this same Mark was kneeling in front of my own family house begging me to come back."So you called me to hide it from your brother?""No. I called you because you are the only person who will understand. Sandra, I don't love Faith. I was just using her to forget you. Now she is pregnant and my mother says I must marry her or she

Three months later. Mark has a new girlfriend. Her name is Faith. She sells hair in Rumuola. He posted her last week with the caption "My peace." | liked it. Genuinely. I commented "Beautiful." He liked my comment. People stopped talking about me and Joshua. As Joshua said, PH people found new gist. Now they talk about a girl who married two husbands in one week. PH never sleeps. Joshua and I are still private, but not hiding. We go out. We hold hands. We don't post too much, but we don't run when we see people. His mother tasted my food last month. Egusi and pounded yam. She chewed, looked at me, chewed again. "You tried," she said. "Small salt too much, but you tried. Come next week, I will teach you” "I will teach you" from a Nigerian mother means "You are now my daughter." I cried in the kitchen that day. Mark and Joshua now talk. Not every day. But they talk. Last Sunday, they watched football together in their family house. Joshua told me Mark asked, "How is Sandra?"

Joshua's mother asked to see me.Not friendly. In a "come and explain yourself before I curse you" way.Joshua told me Tuesday: "Mama wants us to come Wednesday evening. She said she wants to see the girl making her two sons quarrel."Quarrel. I never wanted quarrel. I wanted love."I am scared," I told him."Don't be. My mother shouts, but her heart is soft. And I will be there. I won't leave you."Wednesday, I wore the most decent dress I have. Long skirt, covered top, no lipstick. I looked like a Sunday school teacher going to see Jesus.Their family house in GRA - big compound, mango tree, big parlor.Mark was not there. Thank God.His mother sat in center. Big woman, fair, wrapper, glasses. Woman who does not tolerate nonsense."Sit down," she said.We sat. Joshua held my hand under table.Tight."So you are Sandra," she looked from head to toe, like scanning my spirit. "You dated Mark.""Yes, ma.""Now you date Joshua.""Yes, ma."Clock ticking loud. My heart ticking louder."Do