Chapter 07

NIGERIA.. 

I laid on my left, in the bed in my room, going through a heart -wrenching novel titled 'My scars'. Just then, I heard a sound.

"What, Monica!" I turned to the direction the voice came from. It was Amy, clad in a sexy short red gown. I looked at her curiously as she exclaimed expecting her to say something and she did. 

"You haven't dressed up just yet? Don't you notice I'm all dressed up, but you are here reading some sort of novel." She pronounced 'novel' like something disgusting, and shook her fingers –  sign of displeasure.

"Oh! my, gosh! I am really sorry. It slipped my mind, sorry boo, gonna do that now." I got up hurriedly from the bed, and placed the novel faced down on my bed. I moved closer to my closet in search of what to wear. 

Amy cattily moved close to my bed . She settled on it, and crossed down her legs expecting me to bring out what to wear. I finally brought out a casual dress - trousers and black plain tees. I grinned and moved back to the bed, dropped the outfit on it to undress my house wear. To my wonder, Amy yelled out;

"What! When did you become this way? Why this dress? Yuck! What has come over you? With so many dresses in your closet, you brought out this? I am so disappointed, Monica." She swung the dress around the bed like it was dirt or something.

"Hey come on! I have never worn this dress. It is brand new and mind you, I'm only going with you girls, not on a date. Do I need to dress up formally." She kept quiet for a while so I just picked up my dress from the bed.

"As far as you are stepping out of this house Monica, you've got to dress well," she folded a hand on her arm, and wagged her finger on her head. "And, what if it is a date?" She checked for my reaction before adding, "I mean, what if you met a guy –"

"If this is your plan, then I would advise you just stop this rubbish you are trying to do," I dropped the clothes in anger. "What are you saying? I don't need you to look for a guy for me! Don't try hooking me up with someone, dammit! I am okay the way I am, what –" 

She cut in, "that means you never get over Arnold. Huhn! Speak up!"

I stared at her in annoyance, and rummaged through my hair as I was near frustration. "Leave pls!"

"Don't try to run from the truth. You tried your best to get over him, but you couldn't," she threw her hands up and down. "What the hell is wrong with you Monica? All because of him, you left the state, but all was to no avail. You are only hurting yourself, if you still love him which I am sure you do, then you guys should work things out." She blurted out. 

"While I'm still calm, could you please just do me the favour of leaving my room before I get angrier. Just leave Amy!" I screamed with tears resting on my eyelids. 

The ladies stilettos thumped on the tiled floor as they made their way into my room.

"I was only being truthful to you as a friend." Amy ended the conversation emphatically and left. 

I wiped my tears and sniffed in like nothing went wrong. I took back the dress to my closet, and walked back to meet the girls standing confused.

Olivia finally said, "What is wrong between you both? You are not dressed yet? and what was the argument all about?"she waved her fingers quizzically.

I folded up my arm onto my chest and heaved.

"Could you please tell us what the problem is? We are all good this whole morning and –this? What is going on?"

"I am okay and please, go out without me. I wanna get some rest." I lowered myself groggily on bed, and faced the other side to avoid eye contact with the confused faces before me. I covered myself with the duvet, and shut my eyes tight.

"Come on girls, let's give her some time." I heard Lilian murmured to them. The sound of their stilettos drowning in the distance, as they made their way out.

***

(USA)

"What! Could you believe what she just said now?" Amy placed the pillow case on her leg, supporting it with her hand as she sat on the couch. Her wrist was dazzling with a diamond wrist watch.

"I was wondering too, how could you resist him of sex? He is your man girl, orrr-" Lilian stressed out. "You don't wanna taste that yet? You don't want the feeling of that thing getting in between your legs? Oh my- Are you still a virgin?" She peered into my face for an answer.

They never realized that it hurt me a lot and all I could just think to myself at that moment was never to lie or keep anything to Arnold. 

"Hey babes! Let not make jest of this situation at hand, you don't really know what the matter is, and you had to force her to tell you guys what happened at his place. It's not done that way. Don't intrude in their matter as long as Arnold is okay with it." Olivia protested as usual. 

"Here she comes, if we don't intrude then who will?" Amy scowled.

***

She always does this, all she cared about was to keep intruding in my matter. How on earth will I just stay peacefully doing things my way without her. I jerked out of my bed, groaned as the memory rushed in and was pissed up by everything.

       AMY'S POV.

"She is just being stubborn. She should let go of these pains and try working things out, all I am doing is to help." I said to the ladies as I sat on the bed with my legs crossed and my elbow plunging deep into the well cushioned pillow on my legs.

"Why the hell must you mention Arnold to her? you know how vexatious she is going to be. You know how much she despised hearing his name, above all, how hurt she will be." Lilian sat next to me on the couch, placed in my room. 

"How long are we going to do this for? How long are we going to keep the truth, the fact that she will only be happy with Arnold. Do you think she is happy while we are here? And until when is she going to keep hiding the truth, her love life, her past, everything at all, until when is she going to pretend everything is damn okay with her. You ladies should reason this. Why on earth is she always angry when Arnold's name is mentioned, is this not enough evidence for us to see she needs him in her life and all she had towards him was just mere anger, anger!" I yelled in frustration and flung the pillow on the bed, while I stood up pacing around anxiously. 

"Amy is absolutely right! Let's look at this –she doesn't want to end up with someone else, whereas she hasn't sent the divorce papers to him. Don't you think she is expecting him to come plead with her. Let's try and help those guys back together." Olivia said thoughtfully.

"I will suggest we stop thinking much about this issue, and Amy you just have to calm down, should we try bringing them close or we should try as much as possible to drift them apart. Arnold's presence is hurting her, don't you get? She is still hurt because you girls will never stop mentioning his name, look at how happy she was this morning, she is happy she is going out with us at least, but you went on talking to her about Arnold, what the heck is wrong with you? Olivia, you will never change, your opinions are always off the way, I'm just so disappointed in you today Amy, you ruined everything." Ciara walked out of the room. 

"Think about what Ciara said and Olivia, if you don't want the happiness of a friend then stay away, or you just keep your suggestion to yourself." Lilian added and left also. 

"Hmm!" Olivia moved closer to me, and held me on my shoulder. "Pls calm down and let's just do what they think is right."

"Are you giving up already on a friend? I know I have always misunderstood you Olivia, but I thought deeply about this today. This happiness of hers is just in a short while, even if we do everything in our power to make her happy, is just at that moment. She will most likely resume to her moody self when she is alone, come to think of this. I mean, they only think it is right whereas it is not."

"Then, let's try something. Let's just get something done."

~~~