Zarah - infinite dreams

Chapter Eleven

This chapter is dedicated to Dorofine

  "How can you say seventy naira from two hundred housing units? Haba now, is it because I didn't price before I entered? Better give me my complete change before I pay you" Zarah clutched the straps of her bag tightly, assuming a warrior stance. She ignored the pleas from the other passengers boarding the tricycle for her to calm down. They could clearly see she was about to grab the infuriating tricycle driver.

"Madam abeg, I don't have time for all this unnecessary drama. Pay me my money so that I can go"

She eyed him scathingly. "Pay you which money? When you're done spitting your nonsense you'd bring out my complete change. It's because I don't have change, if not I wouldn't be standing here, wasting my time"

"Hmm... Aunty, pay me my money now, if not..." The driver let his voice trail off at the end as if to make himself sound threatening but Zarah wasn't the least bit intimidated, instead he succeeded in driving her irritation to it's highest peak.

"If not what?" Zarah asked, letting her anger get the best of her. "What would you do?" Her voice rose in pitch and volume with each word, attracting the attention of bystanders but that was the least of Zarah's concern. All she wanted was her complete change.

"What's happening here?" A deep masculine voice asked.

Zarah's eyes widened and she almost let out as gasp. She could recognize that voice anywhere, anytime. That couldn't be...

Holy cow! What in the world was he doing here? Although she panicked on the inside, her body remained frozen. Nothing part from her eyes gave her away.

"She has refused to pay me my money" The tricycle driver supplied eagerly.

Embarrassment flooded through her veins and she flushed when he threw her a questioning look, amusement dancing in his eyes.

"That's a lie!" Her voice was was suddenly small which surprised both the passengers and her herself. "I didn't refuse to pay him, h -h -he hiked the price and I refuse to be cheated... I -It, it..." She was suddenly at loss for words.

"How much is the money?" Nathan asked calmly, cutting her short.

"Fifty Naira" Zarah said the same time the tricycle driver replied "Eighty Naira"

Zarah shot him an icy glare "No it's not!"

"Don't worry, I'll pay" Nathan reached into his pockets.

"No, you can't! It's normally fifty Naira, he hiked the price. He said it was seventy and now he's saying it's eighty. Everyone knows it's fifty Naira and it's fifty he'd get, he cannot..." She ranted, She knew she was ranting but was powerless to stop the nonsensical flow of words.

He gave a light hearted chortle but brought out a five hundred Naira note nevertheless. Zarah paused and stared at his cheeks.

He had a dimple!

A freaking cute dimple!

She blinked, still staring at him as he handed over the note to the tricycle driver. Triumph flashed over his features and Zarah blinked again in disbelief.