I had just put the phone away when it rang again, it was dad who called the next time. Another thing about my parents was that instead of them to do something together, they preferred to do it separately, especially when they were in fight mode. This caused a lot of repetition and general annoyance. After repeating the same thing to him about Laide being fine and we were both alright, I finally put my phone down and tried to get some sleep. I growled in frustration when it rang again. But this time, a glance at the caller ID made me switch it off.
The next morning, I stirred awake and rolled over in bed. With a wide yawn, I stumbled to my feet and went into the bathroom. I splashed some water on my face and brushed my teeth before I went to check on Laide. I found her awake so I called her to the living room for morning prayers, it was something our parents had taught us when we were much younger. We were Christians and had practically grown up in the church.
"So, what are your plans for the weekend?" I asked as we sat down to a breakfast of boiled yam and fried eggs later in the morning. I boiled the yam while she fried the eggs.
"Nothing special, I’ve just got a truckload of homework to do." She shrugged.
"Alright, when you're through you can come with me today to see mom and dad. They're worried about you, you know."
I watched her expression carefully as I said this. I didn't miss the way her eyebrows furrowed together and the slight roll of her eyes, as if she had already dismissed the whole idea.
"Laide, how many times have we talked about this?" I sighed.
“More times than I can count,” she said.
"You're going home and that's final," I stated firmly.
"But I want to stay with you." Laide crossed her arms and leaned back into the chair.
I sighed and set my cutlery down on the plate.
"Listen, your school is farther from my house than our parents’ house. You’re always welcome here but I don’t want this to get in the way of your academics. Besides, I have spoken to them and I am sure home will be peaceful… at least for this week."
"I'm only going because of you." She frowned.
“It's a good thing you know me well enough to understand that there is no point arguing.”
Her bottom lip jutted out sulkily but she didn’t argue any further.
Laide went back to our parents’ house. I gave her enough pocket money to last for at least two weeks. I had just gotten myself a cold glass of water after walking about in the hot afternoon sun when the doorbell rang. My bare feet padded silently against the tiled floor as I went to check who it was. I glanced through the peephole and hissed.
"Eni, please open the door!" It was Akin.
I contemplated for a moment before I opened the door reluctantly.
"What?" I asked as I leaned against the doorpost to prevent him from coming in. I couldn’t let him think that he was welcome in my home anymore.
"You weren't answering any of my calls then later your phone was switched off. I was worried and I didn't know if you had gotten home safely," Akin said in rush.
Hm, he truly seemed worried. Too bad he was a cheat.
"Well, as you can see, I'm fine, thank you. Goodbye." I moved to slam the door but he put his foot against it and held it in place.
"Eni,” he said desperately. “Please let me explain what happened. It's not what you think. Well, not exactly what you think."
"Tell that to someone who cares." I kicked his foot out of the way, slammed the door in his face and locked it while I ignored his pleas. He had to leave if he didn't want to draw the attention of the neighbours.
On Sunday, I came back from church to find a parcel at my front door. I slowly picked it up and glanced around. The postman must have delivered it. I was yet to install a mailbox, so I was used to his method of delivery.
I walked in and set the parcel down on the coffee table before I changed out of my outfit into something more comfortable to lounge in. I opened the package to find a white envelope and a brochure. My heart suddenly skipped a beat.
Could it be...?
I opened the envelope and read the letter. Halfway through, I screamed and jumped up and down on my already battered sofa.
I got the job. Oh my days, I actually got it!
I collapsed onto the sofa with a crazy grin, giddy with excitement. But then, my euphoria slowly faded. Akin had said that we would celebrate together when I got the job offer. I was so insecure when I applied and even after the interview but he supported me all the way and reassured me that there was no doubt I would get the job.
I sighed and let my gaze wander to the ceiling where I noticed a large water stain. Hm, that had to be fixed soon. I hated to admit it but I wished that I could share the good news with him.
Wednesday 1st June, 2016Daniel helped me out of the car when we arrived at the venue.The Maxwell Charity Foundation gala was bigger than I imagined. Maybe I thought so because I hadn’t attended one before. There was a red carpet leading into the building. The Press was there, reporters and cameramen covered nearly every angle of the event. Photographers and videographers milled about as they interviewed the elegant guests.I stiffened subconsciously and Daniel sensed the change because he turned to look at me.“Are you okay?”“Um, yeah. Just a bit nervous.”“Darling, you will turn heads, trust me.”“Hm, for more reasons than one.” I muttered under my breath.As we approached the building, the paparrazi turned their attention to Mr Jacobs and inevitably towards me. I froze at the onslaught of lights and winced. A warm hand gripped mine tightly and I felt reassurance in his grip. I blinked severally as my eyes adjusted to the lights and took a deep breath.“Mr Jacobs. There are rumour
Sunday 29th May, 2016Long after Lara had left, I was alone in my apartment that night when there was a knock at the door. I hesitated for a moment before I got up to check who it was.“Eniola, are you home?”I threw the door open at the sound of his voice and launched myself into his arms for a warm hug. He laughed and the sound sent vibrations through his body that I felt through the thin layers of my clothes.“Well, this is a nice welcome. I should travel more often.”I dragged him into the apartment and shut the door.“I thought you would be back earlier,” I gripped his hand in mine, unwilling to let go.“I’m sorry, the meeting took longer than I expected and the traffic was terrible. My mom and Simon send their greeting by the way.”“I hope they are fine?”“Yes, they are.”He leaned in and kissed my forehead then tilted my chin up to look at my face. He stared at me carefully and a frown caused his eyebrows to crease together.“Is something wrong?”“W-why would you say that?” I c
Saturday 28th May, 2016When a storm hits, it wrecks everything in its path.Pictures of Daniel and I flooded the internet the following day. They were taken during our date. I realized that the flashes I kept seeing that night were from a camera. Someone had followed us and taken those pictures.I stared in horror at the headlines on the blogs.“This sultry seductress has captured the heart of Legacy CEO, Daniel Jacobs.”There was a close up photo taken of us as we left the restaurant. It was dark but those who knew me could possibly identify me. A peek at my notifications confirmed my worst fear. Several messages had popped up on my phone from friends and family asking if the gossip blogs were true.It was one thing to take down a gossip forum that didn’t even have any pictures for evidence. However, it was an entirely different ordeal to shut down the gossip backed with pictures that were spreading like wild fire.Entertainment websites and social media pages all wanted to know one
Friday 27th May, 2016I was nose-deep into a new novel and snuggled up in my nightwear as I sipped from a mug of tea. No, I did not have a ‘hot date’ that evening. Daniel was away for a family meeting, his mother was in town and wanted to see her sons. Even though he had invited me, I was way too terrified to meet his family just yet.“But they would be ecstatic to meet you. I heard from Simon that you already met my mom at the hospital. A second meeting can’t be that hard,” he had said the previous day.I had done my best to postpone it so that I could gather my wits.My phone rang, it was Bassey. I hesitated before I picked up the call.“Hello Bassey,” I said.“Hi Eniola, I haven’t heard from you in a while.”“Sorry, I’ve just had a lot going on.”“Oh I understand.” He paused for a moment then continued. “Have you thought about what I said or shall I give you some more time?”I took a deep breath and bared my mind.“Bassey, honestly you’re an amazing guy.”“But…” He drawled.“But I
Wednesday 25th May, 2016I felt like I was floating on clouds. It was like God was smiling down at me and peace coursed through me at the decision I made to be with Daniel.No longer, did I feel guilty about loving him. In fact, everything felt right. Sometimes, it all felt too good to be true but I banished such thoughts from my mind.That morning, I prepared for work as I hummed a love song. I twirled around as I checked myself out in the mirror.Uh oh, was I putting in too much effort that day?I shook my head and shrugged off the idea. I deserved to look good. I grabbed my purse and stepped out of my apartment.“Ah!” I yelled when I ran straight into someone.I blinked severally to be sure my vision was correct.“Lizzie?” I muttered in confusion.“Hiiiii, it’s been ages!” Lizzie grabbed me and pulled me into a bear hug. Despite her petite frame she sure did have a lot of energy. Must be all the gym hours she used to put in.“Wow, yes. I heard you travelled.” I turned to lock my ap
I fiddled with my fingers for a moment before I looked up at Daniel. I wasn’t sure whether to ask the question that suddenly popped up in my mind or not.“Um, can I ask you something though?” I licked my bottom lip nervously.“Go ahead,” Daniel nodded encouragingly.“What did you think about me then, when you heard about it?”Daniel smiled softly as he looked at me. It was such a gentle look that nearly melted my nervousness away.“I thought you were cute to admit it.”“What, cute? That’s just disappointing.”“Let me finish.” He scolded. “I also thought you were bold to do something that seemed so out of character for you. I was a bit annoyed that the lady, Lizzie, I later learned her name, had taken you out and brought you back in such a vulnerable state.”My lips widened in a silly smile as I realized he had cared even back then.“Though you are my personal assistant, I realized I did not know much about you because you rarely spoke about your personal matters. A part of me wanted t