Romance in Kitalo City Book 1
Nella isn't looking for love. She's had a taste of it and is convinced it's not as glamorous as the world portrays it to be. She's pretty sure romance isn't for her, until she meets a charming basketball player who seem...
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It was Christmas morning and I was at the HSS center quite early to help with all the finishing touches needed before the day's festivities begun.
I was stringing Christmas lights to the edge of the stage in the hall when I heard a familiar Nigerian accent behind me. I turned to see Mama Bee patting one of the facilitators on their back as she walked in my general direction.
"Wow o!" she said with a huge smile on her face when she saw me. "A familiar face from my restaurant. How are you? It's nice to see you lending a hand here."
"I'm good, Mama Bee. How are you?"
"Oh, I'm well. What's your name? How did you find out about us?"
"I'm Hasani. I know about this place through Nella."
"Ohh, Nella Lola. My girl. So you're a friend of hers?"
"Yes."
"That's good. That's good. You know when she first joined us a few years ago I was so worried about her. She was so sad and angry all the time, coming in in her wheelchair, not wanting to talk to anyone. But look at her now."
"Wheelchair?" I questioned, confused. "She was volunteering in a wheelchair?"
"What? No. Nella only started volunteering two years ago, before that she was part of our program like the women and girls you'll see at lunch today."
"Part of the program? She was a victim of violence?"
Mama Bee seemed to catch herself treading on thin ice with this topic of conversation. She was suddenly reluctant to keep sharing information about Nella.
"I see you don't know about it. I think I said too much about business which is not my own. I don't want Nella Lola to be upset with me."
This reminded me of the day I had a conversation with Akim and he said pretty much the same thing, except that Mama Bee had said a bit more and had therefore let me in on a part of Nella's past I'd been curious about for a while now.
"Of course," I reassured, "don't worry. This will stay between us."
She smiled and stayed a while longer, trying to get to know me and making sure not to mention Nella again.
About an hour later, the stage was lit and ready, with a beautiful Christmas tree with actual boxes and gift bags of presents wrapped for the women and children on the program. The African-style Nativity display was sparkling with with Christmas lights all over it and the whole place felt homey with all the decorations in place.
I made my way to the back of the stage to put the tools I'd been using back where I'd been instructed to take them from. I smiled when my eyes landed on Nella.
"Awww, how cute do you guys look right now?!" she squealed as she took a picture of the twenty children standing in front of her in their Christmas costumes.
