Deborah

Episode 11

‘He likes you’ Sarah announced excitedly as they walked towards their stand, Deborah pretended not to hear…her mind was far away.

She thought about the other man, the way he ignored her completely made her feel worse about her situation, she wished he was the one that spoke to her, instead of his cousin but his sister was friendly and nicer than he was, that made her smile.

‘you no hear wetin I talk’? Sarah asked a bit pissed off…these days she found it hard to understand her friend…one minute she was happy, the next she was so withdrawn. She shrugged and gave up leaving Deborah behind.

Deborah sighed as she observed her friend’s action, if only she understood…if only she were to be in her shoes.

So many things went through her mind. Her sister was pregnant for the same man her mother was having an affair with, and she knew very well Eno was telling the truth.

She feared for her life….she had to help her sister before she did something stupid.

‘madam come o, your boyfriend don call’ Sarah called after her, whatever bothered her friend was going to wait, she loved her friend dearly and prayed everything worked out well for her.

One of her prayers was being answered….from the way the Andy guy appeared, he was definitely a rich guy and from the way he stared at Deborah, Sarah knew her woes would soon be over.

‘hello’ she took the phone reluctantly from her friend.

‘hi angel…how are you doing’? Andy smiled and ruffled his hair…he couldn’t believe he’d found her again…he’d seen her after so long. He knew she was the one…he just knew that.

‘ I’m fine thank you’ she replied….she wasn’t comfortable around guys like him.

He was a Casanova from his smooth talks and the aura around him, she wasn’t interested in whatever he had to offer….she only desired the other, and she felt ashamed.

‘can we sit out’?

Deborah paused and stared at her friend not knowing what to say in reply, she would be a horrible person to turn him down after his unrelenting generosity earlier.

‘Say yes now’ Sarah urged her on.

‘Yes?’ she answered slowly….her friend was an expert in this kind of thing but she wasn’t. ‘Okay….where should I pick you up’?

‘By the road’ she said without thinking and suddenly felt stupid as the words had already flew out of her mouth.

She felt worse when her friend burst out laughing….

‘You are very funny dear’ Andy chuckled….by the road? Was she a ghost or something?

‘Okay…stop laughing…by Abak road where you saw me today’ she smiled…the guy was a nice person and friendly too.
‘Okay by 4pm’

they made some more chit chat and later cut off the call.

‘What was that about? Babe you don fall my hand’ Sarah struggled to stop herself from laughing.

Deborah hissed and walked away from her friend.

‘Are you sure I’m doing the right thing’? she confided in Sarah.

‘Yes of course….if I were you, I would hold this guy tight…he loves you from the way he acted’ Sarah beamed with smiles.

‘Love ke? But he has seen me just twice’

‘Oh? So you guys have met before’ Sarah teased…knowing her friend was getting annoyed she stopped and quickly changed the subject.

‘So how is your mother and Eno’?

‘Fine…they are fine’ Deborah lied as her eyes widened in shock….Andy was generous. She held a wrap of a thousand naira notes which amounted to ten thousand Naira.

‘You see? I told you he likes you, just hear him out’.

‘ I hail thee o baddo’ Clara screamed as she hopped on the bed….her cousin was the worst player of all time…he was a smooth player. Just like a serpent watching its prey, he had moved slowly from the Uniuyo chic to the hawker girl.

‘You better calm down’ Andy said

‘I have fallen in love’ he told her as he grabbed her feet and she fell on the bed. He loved her so much, Clara was the younger sister he never had.

‘You fall in love’? she smirked…that was quite unbelievable as the sun rising in the west and setting at the east.

‘When the koko master falls in love, you have to believe it’ he winked…

Clara was silent for a while….if her assessment of Ani was right, then there was going to be trouble.

‘its not love, I can’t call it love and believe me it’s not lust either’ Andy began….

‘ I’m listening’ Clara raised her brows and watched him intently, she had never seen her cousin talk about a woman this way.

‘I swear I haven’t even thought about kissing her and its strange …all the women I have been with have never caught my attention like this.

There’s just something about this girl and am afraid…because I don’t understand my feelings anymore’

‘This is serious’ went Clara speaking in a low tone….Andy was in love but he didn’t understand it… she watched as his eyes glimmered with hope and respect for the girl he talked about.

Clara wasn’t surprised either, the girl in question, wasn’t hard to like.

Smiles came easily from her pink lips and she was beautiful, far more compared to Morganna. But Aniebiet hadn’t seen it that way, sometimes she wondered what attraction la!d between them both.

Morganna was just a wrong choice for her brother, but their mother was too blind by flamboyance to see that.

‘I hope she feels the same way’ she wished Andy good luck.

That scared him too, what if he didn’t impress her? She didn’t sound too thrilled when he’d called her earlier, he silently prayed in his heart.

‘see you later, Andy’ ‘I got picked by House of Moqums to model jewelry for their fashion fare here in Uyo, so I have to get ready, it’s the biggest fashion show that’s going to hold in the country even mother and Seline are coming’ went Clara
‘When is it holding?’ he asked
‘a week from now’

‘ I’m proud of you, go shine your light’ he blew her a peck with his fingers and she ran out of the room in giggles.

‘What’s the excitement about?’ Ani held his sister as she bumped into him. The girl was hyperactive.

‘Well, Andy asked the hawker girl out and she agreed to date him’ she purposely said this to her brother so as to be certain of her facts.

‘And why would he do that’? Ani asked as his face darkened…her golden eyes still haunted him, her fragile nature would not evade his memory.

He wished he could see her again but he’d made up his mind…Morganna was his bride…however his heart raced as the images of seeing her with Andy filled his brain.

‘Are you okay’? Clara asked innocently, her brother had also fallen for the same girl but she knew he could never have her, it was too late.