Chapter Fifteen

I heard the cars drive in while I was sprawled on my bed, lost in thoughts as usual.  The benign breeze brushing across my face, I tucked my hair behind my ears as I sat up on my bed, debating within myself whether or not I should step out of the room to meet with my menacing parents or wait for them to come to me. I didn't have to ponder on that for much longer as I soon heard a tap on the door. 

"Come in" I said quickly adjusting things that were in place already, out of habit. The door opened to reveal my mum. 

"Good evening mummy" I greeted 

"Evening Lola, your dad is calling for you" I nodded quickly

She could have just sent Martha to call me, why did she have to come herself?

Those were my thoughts before my mum interjected 

"Now Lola" She reminded and I responded by getting up abruptly. I followed her in tow as she walked down the stairs. 

My father sat cross legged holding a newspaper in front of him. The fact that he was still in his work clothes gave me a cause for apprehension. He was always quick to go in and freshen up after the day's work, whatever was keeping him from doing that had to be important. Summarily, it meant he was pissed. 

I visibly gulped earning an intense stare from my mum who seemed clueless, as I was too. 

I greeted my Dad quickly genuflecting to show my respect and he only hummed in response. I was about to sit when he said... 

"Keep standing" 

Fada lurd! 

"Would you mind telling your mother here, what you have done?" He asked still peering in the newspaper. I was clueless and I stood still in confusion, the silence in the room was deafening and I was getting more apprehensive

"Didn't you hear me?" He asked tilting his head and dropping the newspaper on the stool beside him. Sitting up and looking straight at me with his palms clasped together, pointed at me in an angular pattern. I gulped again

"Dad... I don't... I don't understand" I stuttered

"You don't huh?" He said raising an eyebrow, I would've been fascinated by how well he did it but my current state of mind hadn't let me. 

"Felicia" He called my clueless mother who turned to him with a blank stare

"Your daughter here was audacious enough to resign from the job I had worked hard to give her on a platter of gold" He said icily 

My mom's face morphed from shock to anger in the twinkle of an eye. 

"Lola what have you done?" She asked rhetorically with a wide eyed glare 

"Is there something wrong with you?!" She half yelled getting up from her seat and taking menacing steps towards me but Dad stopped her with his words

"You're going back there tomorrow to get reassigned" He said with an air of finality but I wasn't ready to back down. Not this time, not ever again. I had had enough of being pushed around and doing everything to please them. Not anymore! 

"No sir" I said not batting an eyelid

My mum turned to me with stunned eyes, she couldn't believe my guts. 

My dad looked shocked but he quickly switched to a blank expression

"You said what?!" 

"I said no, I'm not going to keep working there. I don't enjoy working in the accounting department of a large company, even with their fat salaries and benefits. I want to be a designer, that's what I enjoy doing. I love sketching designs, I love looking good and making other people look good too, that's what I want to do and I won't let anyone stop me" I yelled almost in tears before I received a slap from my furious mother

"Titilola! How dare you talk to your father like that?! Have you lost your mind?" She yelled on top of her voice

I bit back a sob as the tears I was trying to hold in came pouring out. Dad was stunned and couldn't afford to hide his expression anymore. I watched as his eyes were filled with anger,ready to pour out on anything and anyone in fact. The next thing he would do at such points would be drastic. 

"Get out" He said coldly

Mum and I turned swiftly to him, still in confusion

"DID YOU NOT HEAR ME?!" I flinched as he bellowed at me.

"Pack your things and get out of my house"he concluded fiercely. 

I wasn't sure I heard right, I wanted to pinch myself to be sure it was just a bad dream. 

My mum's pleading proved otherwise

"Benson please don't do this, she's still your daughter" She held on to his arm as she pleaded 

"If I hear one more word from you, I will slap you silly" He threatened

And she kept mute immediately, sobbing right afterwards

"And you" He turned swiftly to my trembling self 

"What are you still waiting for?! I don't want to see you in this vicinity within the next ten minutes. Otherwise I wouldn't be held responsible for whatever is to happen next"   He said coldly with an underlying threat

I quickly ran up the stairs, packing anything I could grab hold of into my suitcase, from clothes to bags, shoes inclusive. I checked the bag I had carried earlier, I swiftly shoved my hand intoit and got out some money and my ATM card. I quickly shoved them back in place with my phone inside, grabbing my car keys. I walked down the stairs gloomily 

Mom was still sobbing when I walked up to her and before I could say anything, she hugged me, and shoved some money into my bag. I had never seen her like that.

Dad's voice thundered from the balcony 

"You had better drop those car keys, you cease to be my daughter until you're back to your senses" 

I shuddered as his voice echoed in the huge living room. I looked up at him, wiping my tears and dropping the car keys on the centre table. 

I'll be fine

God will help me

I kept telling myself as I took one last look at the balcony, he wasn't in sight, he had walked off into his bedroom not showing any sort of compassion. 

I turned to look at my mum, she sat there looking at anything but me. 

I rolled my suitcase out the door without blinking. 

I was soon out of the compound, walking down the tarred road, in the estate, with my box trailing behind me. 

I walked up to the main entrance, the security guards gave inquisitive stares as they watched me walk past them in my distraught state. 

They knew me quite well especially after my sisters wedding. 

Who wouldn't know the bride's sister? 

"Ah sist, hope say wahala no dey?" One of them asked

I shook my head 

"I'm fine" I said in a whisper, my voice betrayed me

"Okay o" I knew he didn't believe me, I saw the skeptical look he gave me but I couldn't care less what anyone thought at the moment. 

Stepping out of the estate, it felt like my brain had suddenly started to reboot. I picked up my phone immediately, calling the only person that could come to my rescue. 

"Hello Lola" She said into the phone

"Tana I need your help" I said almost breaking into tears again

"What's wrong?Are you okay?" She said quickly, worry lacing her tone

"Just come to the estate and I'll explain everything" I said into the phone

"Okay okay, just calm down and give me twenty minutes, I'll be there" 

I sat on my suitcase on top of a pavement, waiting for her. She was probably at work, her house was farther away than the estimated time she had given me and her office was thirty minutes away. 

Soon, she arrived and stepped out of her vehicle, looking surprised on seeing me seated in such a state

"Lola what happened?" She said in a whisper

"Dad kicked me out" I shrugged, laughing humorlessly while shaking my distraught head

Her hands flew to her mouth as she gasped

"How could he?" She said asked rhetorically

"I don't want to think about it right now, let's just go, can I stay at your place for the meantime?" She frowned at my last statement  and I feared that she didn't want me at her place. 

"Lola you deserve a slap" She said irritatedly 

"I'm sorry, if you don't want me at your place, it's fine I'll ..."  I was saying before she interrupted

"What nonsense is spewing out of your mouth? You talk like I'm not your best friend, what kind of person would I be for not letting you stay at my house, did you even have to ask, isn't it your home too? Who helped me get a place, wasn't it you? I honestly feel like hitting you right now" She rambled angrily

I know right, she's so sweet

I raised my hands in surrender

"Fine, I'm sorry ma, can we go please"

"Mtcheww, I'm not helping you carry your luggage" She said walking to the vehicle still frowning. She opened the vehicle and I dropped my stuff in the boot, before getting into the front seat after which she drove off.

"I'm honestly finding it hard to process everything going on right now" She said after a few minutes of silence

"Same here sis, it's still so overwhelming"

  Candidly, the whole event was to capricious to take in. I heaved a sigh looking out the window searching with my eyes for nothing in particular. 

"You haven't told me the whole story Lola" She reminded, taking a look at the the side mirror as she was about taking a turn to the left.

"I resigned" I dropped the bombshell not knowing how she'd react

She was stupefied for a few seconds

"Okay okay, lemme complete the story, your dad found out and got really pissed and told you to get out of his house, not to come back until you're in your right senses, that is, getting the job back? Right?" She said in one breath and I chuckled

"Hmm almost but..." I went ahead to tell her the full story and she was shocked once again.

"You stood up to him? Who are you and what did you do to my best friend?!" She said wide eyed

"People change I guess" I shrugged

We soon arrived at her place, her luxurious apartment was one of my favorite places to be. It was a two bed room apartment that suited her taste perfectly. The white washed walls and black furniture gave a perfect contrast for the place. I inhaled the scent and I felt comfortable at once. 

Tana slumped on the sofa obviously exhausted, she picked up the remote to her LCD television and put on the TV. 

"Ha... No place like home" She said sighing. I gave her a look that said;'I'm here now, no more slothfulness from you' 

"Oooo" She complained.

"Lola have conscience na, I just got back after a very long and hectic day, I need to chill" 

"You'll chill alright, after you freshen up and feed my hungry stomach" I said sitting next to her, patting my stomach for emphasis

Now it was her turn to give me a look

"Are you a stranger? My friend enter that kitchen o, if not hunger will finish both of us" 

This girl is wicked 

"So you can't even treat me like a guest just for today?Chai! life no balance" I pouted

"Dey there na, there's soup in the freezer if you want eba, or you can boil rice and use the stew in the pot, I cooked it this morning, or if you want spaghetti, it's in the cupboard, choose what you want" She recounted

"Hmm I hear you" I mumbled heading into the kitchen

"Make enough for both of us o" She yelled after me

"I don't know who you are" I said eliciting a mock scream from her

"Lola no play rough play o, hunger wan finish me" 

Ignored her, putting water in the kettle and placing it on the gas cooker. I looked round her kitchen searching for the cassava flakes. I had placed the soup in the microwave to save time. 

"Tana o, where's the garri?" I yelled

"It's on top of my head" She mumbled walking into the kitchen

"It's like you want to stay hungry this night"  I said jokingly

"You're now threatening me? No wahala I no blame you"

"Where's the garri sef?!" She scratched her head after her rhetorical question

She mouthed an "O" as it dawned on her that she had run out of the said commodity. 

"Remind me to beat you up after I eat" I said half annoyed 

"Oya no vex, let's go and buy from across the street" 

"Oooo" I complained with a pout 

"Please na" She said stepping out of the kitchen to grab her purse.

We walked out soon after, after getting what we required. She suddenly decided to get suya(grilled peppered meat), I grumbled about her indecisiveness but she hushed me when she said that she was buying because of me

'It's not that I like it o, I'm just buying because of you'. Her words not mine, but in the end she ate it more than I did. The meat was delicious though, I had to admit. 

I spotted a familiar face at the next kiosk buying the popular bean roll called akara. I couldn't mistake that voice for anyone else and I pinched Tana to let her know my thoughts. 

"Oh Tunji, he lives around here na..." She said with a carefree shrug 

"And you didn't tell me?" I asked with furrowed eyebrows

"I honestly thought you knew, you're supposed to know where your boyfriend lives" She said again and I gave her another  stern look. She raised her hands in surrender

"Fine, he's not your boyfriend, I get it, now go say hi" She urged

I turned after rolling my eyes

"Tunji" I called. He turned reflexively to my direction and turned back but stopped immediately he saw me. A look of surprise swept across his features 

"Lola? What are you doing here?" He said hugging me

Okay that's a first... 

"Uhmm I'm with Tana, we came here to buy some stuff" I answered with a small smile

"Oh okay" he said waving at Tana with a smile, she did the same in response

"I can see you're here to get something, for dinner, I suppose?" I asked

"Oh yeah, bachelor life is not just easy" He said jokingly

I laughed softly

"Join Tana and I for dinner, I didn't even know you lived around here" 

"I've been living around for a while, nearly two months in fact, I didn't want my parents monitoring my life" He said 

"Yeah... Right" I said with a nod 

"So... Let's go?" I said titling my head towards Tana 

"Oh okay, lemme just get my car" He said quickly

"Yeah" I nodded, turned to ask Tana about Tunji joining us for dinner and she had no qualms about it. 

Minutes later we were back in the apartment. And soon after we were after dining, making small talk and laughing out loud. 

Tunji was way funnier than I thought... 

"So Lola tell me, how come you're sleeping over at Tana's place? It's not even the weekend" He asked out of the blue and I gulped

Tana knew fully well that I wouldn't open up even when I didn't want to lie, so she spoke up

"We're going to be staying together from now on. She's been kicked out by her Dad because she finally stood up for herself and resigned from your company" She said, a bit agitated. 

"Wow" He was a bit overwhelmed by her outburst 

"I'm sorry about that Lola" 

I nodded 

"It's fine"  I said quietly

"Uhmm I guess I'll be on my way now" He said getting up

"Thanks for dinner ladies" He said again

"You're welcome" We said in unison grinning from ear to ear. He looked amused 

I walked him out while Tana did the dishes after I dropped them in the sink. 

******

"How are you holding up?" He asked tucking his hands into his pockets

"Honestly?" I asked raising my eyebrows

"Honestly Lola, tell me how you're feeling" He said again staring at me intensely as if searching for the truth

"I'm still in shock, I still can't believe my father kicked me out, it was so unexpected, far from predictable, I don't even know how to feel right now" I gushed 

It felt good that I finally let it out. I seldom did that, I always had my thoughts swirling in my mind but voicing them out wasn't a usual thing. 

"It's alright, everything's gonna be fine" He said reassuringly. I nodded I wasn't so sure about his statement but I had faith in God and I heaved a sigh taking in the evening breeze 

"So what next?" He asked

"Fashion school, I guess?" I shrugged not appreciating the interruption in my tirade of thoughts. 

"If you need anything, remember I'm here for you, Tana's here too, alright?" He said putting his arm around my waist and bringing me in for a side hug. 

I hummed enjoying the warmth

What's with him and hugging today sef? 

I expected the novelty of this proximity between us to cause the butterflies in my belly to flutter but it never happened. I was supposed to feel something but it never happened. From his reaction it seemed it was the same for him, the moment wasn't awkward, it felt like we were siblings basking in each other's comfort not the 'couple' our parents wanted us to be. 

I walked him to his car and waved him off soon afterward, I walked back into the house with high hopes for the next day. I had to pray fervently and that's exactly what I did the moment I got into the bedroom. God had to be the source of my strength at such trying time. 

I had to cast my anxieties and burdens at his feet, and I believe I did just that.