*Third pov*
The loud bang on the iron door woke Sola up, startled. Clara must have arrived. She thought. Clara was a very impulsive young lady and she did things without considering the consequences.
Sola remembered how heartbroken Clara had been when a boyfriend of hers, Gideon, who she hadn't even been faithful to, had decided to break off their relationship.
Sola had had to put up with Clara's abnormally rude behavior just because she had been dumped by her boyfriend. But eventually Clara had overcame the dark times of her life and Sola didn't want Clara making the same mistakes over and over again.
She got up and quickly and straightened the bed before leaving the room. She got to the parlour to meet Clara sitting wide-legged on the sofa, counting the cash in her hands with ridiculous seriousness.
Sola smiled at her, finding her situation funny as usual. Her friend always managed to look and act funny without even trying.
"Always counting cash ha!" Sola exclaimed. At hearing her voice, Clara raised her dark head up at her.
"Babe, howfar?" she asked smiling expectantly at Sola.Clara was a dark beauty. Her big eyeballs giving her the sultry look that always attracted men and even women to her. She was a yoruba/delta born, her father being from the delta part while her mother osun.
Clara was a twenty-three year old business manager and face model. She was almost a year older than herself, Sola.They worked together, in a classy food restaurant along festac road, Clara started working as the manager of the restaurant immediately after she finished her youth service in kaduna the last year, due to her parents connection with the chairman of the business.
Thanks to Clara, Sola was able to earn a position as the assistant supervisor of the place. But Clara was still sola's boss, and she would forever be indebted and grateful to her friend for all the support she had received from her. Clara was sola's heavens sent.
"See, I'm tired like mad. I've been sleeping all evening, what time is it by the way?" Sola replied glancing at the clock by the wall. 7:30pm, it read.
"So you've been sleeping like a cow since eh? Anyway, I just got back from that Julius birthday party... And look how much I made!" Clara was practically squealing with joy.
Sola moved to sit down beside Clara as she looked at her mockingly.
"Clara you and money, y'all are five and six" Sola said chuckling.
"You know that. it's not today. Abeg, hope that snobby woman paid you sha" she was referring to Mrs obi.
"Yes she did, Clara. she always pays me. And stop calling her snobby" Sola retorted smiling at Clara.
"Thank God. Babe, make we chop sharwarma this night. I'm certainly in the mood for enjoyment."
Sola shook her head in refusal at the suggestion. She hated sharwarma a lot. And not because she wasn't used to eating it, Sola just found the food irritating most times. She cringed, remembering how she had vomited at work, the first day she tasted the food.
"No o, abeg. I'm not eating. You eat, I'll just buy something else"
"Sola, stop acting like a village girl please. I'm begging." Clara was scowling at Sola in distaste.
"But shebi you ate at your party nau, why do need to eat another bloody shawarma?!" Sola exclaimed, trying to understand her crazy friend and her insane love for that horrible food.
"So you expect that to be enough for me abi? Something must be wrong with you, Aunty Sola." Clara replied with a dead panned face.
"So... How about Amala and Ewedu soup?..."
Sola stared at her for a moment and then she burst into laughter at the funny look on her friend's face.
"You look funny when you're vexed. Anyway, let's head out?"
"Yeah, oh and how much did Mrs obi pay you?"
"I didn't check, hold on let me go and bring it." Sola replied as she quickly dashed into her room and brought out the envelope and her phone from her bag, she went back to Clara and sat beside her.
"She even gave me food. It's in the fridge." Sola said.
"Okay. You better eat it soon, before it gets spoilt in there. You know the Gen won't sustain it."
"Yeah. I'll take it to work tomorrow."
Sola opened the envelope and proceeded to count the money. She counted fifteen thousand naira, her normal pay was ten thousand. She was shocked.
"Wooow, that woman is really nice. Five thousand extra. She try o" Clara commented, clearly happy about it.
Sola was still too shocked to mutter any words, she quickly opened her phone to see she had two missed calls and two text messages. From Mrs obi. Oh...
She opened the message.
From Mrs obi: 3:48pm : I hope you have gotten home? Take care.
From Mrs obi: 4:15pm : thank you for your good job. See you next week.
Sola felt the emotions well up uncontrollably inside her, She blinked several to stop the tears of gratitude rush out. she took a deep breath and smiled, silently thanking and praying for the kind, thoughtful woman.
She quickly clicked on her phone to call Mrs Obi.
"Hi, Sola. I trust you got home safe?" Mr Obi's stern, but cheerful voice piped from the other side on the phone.
"Um... Yes.. Yes, Ma. I just counted the cash you paid me... Thank you so much, Ma. I never expected—"
"No, darling. Don't mention. I'm happy to do it. You deserve it. I'm loving my compound actually.. You really work magic!"
Sola smiled shyly and almost laughed as she saw Clara roll her eyes in annoyance.
Sola spoke to Mrs Obi for some minutes before hanging up with a promise to be punctual the next weekend.
"What is wrong with this one?" Clara said to Sola bursting into laughter. Sola didn't realize that the tears had escaped and was slipping down her cheeks.
"Abeg, stand up let's go and flex jare, go and get dressed"
Sola listened and did as she was instructed. Maybe things in the nearest future wouldn't be bad at all.
Sola smiled and thought of her parents smiling down at her. God bless their soul, She thought. Before she went on and continued her activity.
................
*sola* (pov)I woke up with a jolt. My forehead was beaded with thick sweat that was trickling down my damp face. I rubbed the back of my palm over my forehead to ease the headache that was already forming because of the nightmare I just woke up from.I was a bit shocked. I usually had pleasant dreams of when my parents were still alive and when we were always happy, going to the market with my mother and coming back home to arrange and plan the type of pranks we would play on my father.But, tonight was different. I glanced at the clock on the opposite wall. 2:20AM it read.I cleaned my forehead again, with my arm. I hadn't had a nightmare in
'tonight I might fall in love,..Depending on how you hold me...I'm glad that I'm coming down..Don let no one come control me..Keep dancing and call it love..She fighting but falling slowly..If ever you are in doubt, remember what mama told me..Brown skin girl...Your skin just like pearls...The best thing in the world...I'll never trade you for anybody else...Brown skin gir–—'My singing was interrupted by the loud bang on the door. I was sure it was Clara. My troublesome best friend.I unplugged my headphones and left the kitchen where I'd been making dinner while listening to music to pass
The AC in the car was so chilling and refreshing that I had to fight my desire to sleep off.We were on our way to the big event that was being held in Eko hotel and suites, one of the best hotels in Lagos state, pretty much the whole country itself. I had been there just once, I was part of the ushering crew for a birthday party, but I'm so excited now that I was going not as a low, limited worker, but as one of the management of my restaurant.I loved my job, because it was like a miracle for me. Last year I finished my ND part time course in the college of Yabatech. I did part time because I needed to support myself to survive.I wish I could finish my HND but I had so many responsibilities, like working all week, and jumping on any available jobs during the weekends. So,
*sola*I stood stock still. Frozen. Shocked. I still couldn't believe someone had been here witnessing my embarrassing situation. My eyes and face were still burning hard but I was so shocked I didn't know how to react.His hand that was holding the little hand wash bottle was stretched to me. I stared at it. It was like I was frozen. Couldn't move. Then he spoke."Take it" that voice, a rich baritone that was clear as day and husky at the same time. I gulped and jumped in to action.I grabbed the bottle, turned back to the basin and started washing the hell out of my face.After about ten minutes, I started to feel my face cool down. I opened my eyes, they felt sore an
*Sola* I stared deeply at him. My eyes never wavering. My attention was fully on him. His hair looked fuller and he had those pretty scrubs on his perfect chin. We were both seated on the sand, the beach water playing with our feet and finger tips. We kept staring at each other like nothing else mattered, like no one else existed. Just the two of us."God! you're so beautiful" his voice echoed to me in a tight-lipped exclamation as he gazed at me in wonder, studying every little details of my face. He stroked my chin with the back of his fingers, his lips slightly ajar. I felt my eyelids unconsciously close at the feeling of his touch on my face. I wanted it to be this way. I wanted it to never stop."Alex," I sig
*sola* My head was swimming, I didn't know how to react as I stared at the man in front of me."Can we take a sit over there and talk?" he asked. Looking expectantly at me.Before I could form any reply to give him, Clara was in front of me. "Alex, did you come here to talk to me? Oh my gosh I'm so flattered, let's go take a sit" But Alex remained where he was, never taking his eyes off me as he replied Clara."I came to see Sola. Not you." His voice was firm, Like before. That voice alone could make a grown woman melt. Mr Ben came forward looking shocked and flustered at Alex. Every other staffs were also gathered around, Looking at him like he was some kind of trophy or diamond. It made me very conscious of myself."Mr.. Mr Williams. It's an honor to have you dine at our humble restaurant." said Mr Ben, shaking
*sola* I flipped the chicken lap over, checking thoroughly if it was fried enough. It was Saturday and I was supposed to go for an ushering job but the woman who ran the ushering agency had called me this morning to terminate my job because her ushers were already fully booked. I was sad because I had hoped to Make enough money to for the month and because Mrs obi who I worked for as a part-time cleaner wasn't in town for a while. But I had to look on the bright side, that would give me the opportunity to clean the whole house and do some laundry. I thought about Clara and how she had been giving me the cold shoulder throughout the week. She didn't come home last night and she still hadn't arrived all morning. I tried calling her line but it was switched off.This wasn't the first time Clara went off on
*Alex* I glanced at Sola as I spoke to my business associates from south Africa. I was talking with someone on the phone but my mind was on the terrified looking lady that was sitted beside me. Funny how she looked like a nervous virgin on her wedding night. I wanted to chuckle, but I didn't. I didn't want to embarrass her further."Yeah, okay. Thank you." I replied to the man on the phone and hastily cut the phone, dumping it carelessly into my pocket. "Alex, I need to tell...""Shhh... Don't worry about any issues, you're completely safe with me." I replied huskily."Well.. Um.. That's not.." I didn't let her finish as I pulled her into my Laps and locked her lips onto mine. I was so eager to touch her and make love to her, I couldn't reason with my brain that this might turn out to be a bad idea for me later.