Sharp Tongue

Episode 21

Edidiong and Sheila walked into Chan Lang
Chinese restaurant.

They found an empty table and made their orders.

“I have been here once with my parents.”

“Really?”
“Yes. Their food is great.”
“Boma has been here with some of his
friends. He told me about this place.”
“Boma and food.”
“Don’t mind my brother.”
A waiter brought their meal and drinks.
“It smells so good.”
“Yes, it does.”

Sheila bowed her head and said a quick
prayer before digging into her meal. Edidiong
watched her and swallowed the food in her mouth and mumbled a prayer too. When was the last time she prayed before eating? Her parents would be ashamed of her if they found out that she had stopped praying before eating.

She had been taught that it was good to thank God for providing the food. It guaranteed abundant provision from God.

“This is delicious,” Sheila smiled at her.
Edidiong nodded and smiled back. She would like to bring some of her friends here. She might also bring her dates, the restaurant was a good place to dine and have fun.

When they were through
with their meal, they decided to freshen up in the restroom before leaving.

“I must come back here.”
“Don’t spend all your allowance on Chinese
food o!”

“Abi o… ” They bursted out laughing.

Zidani and her friends walked in.

They recognized Sheila the moment they saw her.

“Talk of the devil!”
“It is the big mouthed Adams girl.”
Sheila and Edidiong noticed them.
“Hello, remember me?” Zidani stepped
forward.

“Do you know them?”
Sheila nodded. The lazy spoilt rich girls are
back.

“How are you doing, Zidani, Cecilia and
Nkiruka?”

She stretched out a hand, but they ignored
it.

“Wonderful, you remember our names,”
Zidani hissed.

“Very smart,” Cecilia snarled.

She was in no mood to exchange words
with them.

Zidani and her friends were trouble
makers with a capital ‘T’, “I wish you ladies a lovely evening,” she took her cousin’s hand and pulled
her towards the doorway. Zidani and her
friends blocked their way.

“Not so fast.”
“What is the meaning of this?” Edidiong
demanded.

The young women were beginning to irritate her.

“Please shut up!” Nkiruka addressed her.
“Are you out of your mind? Do you realize
who you are talking to?” Edidiong lost her
temper.

Sheila patted her on the shoulder.
“Relax, I will handle them.”

Zidani and her friends started laughing.
“Who is your friend?”
“She has a big mouth too.”
“Come to think of it Zidani, she looks like
your former wedding planner, Dorcas.”

Zidani met Edidiong’s glare, “You are right.
She is the carbon copy of Dorcas.”

“What do you want Zidani?” Sheila crossed
her arms against her bossom.

“What do I want?” She looked at her friends
and they giggled.

“We heard that you had an accident a little
over a month ago.”

“Please accept our condolences,” Nkiru
made a comical face.

“We heard that you went loco for a while,”
Cecilia derided.

“She didn’t go crazy. She had amnesia,” she defended her cousin. What was wrong with Sheila?

Why was she allowing them to
insult and make fun of her? The Sheila she knew would have finished them off in a matter of minutes.

“Amnesia is a milder way of classifying a
lunatic,”
Zidani eyed her. Edidiong felt like smacking
her mouth.

That would keep her quiet for a
while.

Sheila felt her anger brewing. She took a
deep breath and exhaled slowly. She would
respond to them in love.

She has to respond in love.

She needed to respond in love. It doesn’t matter what they say or do, she would do the right thing.

That was the best thing to do. That was the only way no one would get hurt.

“Hope your wedding plans are moving on
smoothly, I wish you goodluck,” she pulled
her cousin’s hand and led her out of the
restroom.

Zidani and her friends watched them go.
“Whatever happened to that girl during the
accident, it definitely messed her up.”

“You are right.”
“The last time we saw her, she insulted us
without giving a hoot. But this time around,
she decided not to.”

“She masked her offence with a cordial
attitude.”

“Is she all right?”
Cecilia and Nkiru shook their heads.

“I thought so too. Talking about my
wedding plans, I think I need to call Dorcas, I prefer her to the quacks my mum shoved in my face.”

“I concur,” her friends choroused.