Serendipity

Chapter 7: The dress code is cream.

Ify sighed and nodded slowly.

Derin took her bath and got dressed for the trip back to her apartment. Lola had insisted on driving them back and they knew better than to argue. Asides from that, they weren't ready to jump buses in Derin's ill health.

They spoke about church and how powerful the service was. They avoided the topic of Nonso and did not question Derin's decision. But all Derin could think about was Nonso. Of how He looked humiliated when she said no and of how everyone could forget so easily whereas she still harboured hurt in her heart.

Once they were back at the apartment, she gave Lola a quick hug and went to bed. She didn't want to see their faces, she'll only keep thinking about Nonso and she'd only hear the contradicting voices of guilt that haunted her and the hate she felt.

She sat on her bed and her mind drifted to the university days when they had been dating. He'd been the best, he always dropped by her dorm room to check in on her. The both of them became inseparable that she felt she had slowly drifted from Lola and Ify. She remembered that once he smiled at you, he was genuinely happy, if he laughed, he was having a damn good time and he smirked if he was amused, which was all the time.
His mother had died of cancer in his final year in secondary school and it had affected him more than he wanted to admit. She knew that as the first son he tried to be strong for his siblings, she knew his heart was pure.

He had a good heart, all he ever did was good. she remembered how much he sacrificed during their relationship but still it didn't change the fact that he cheated. It still surprised her that he did. It puzzled her that someone so good could do something so bad to her. She was disappointed because then, she had always seen him as the better part of her.

She gulped loudly as she forced herself to sleep. It was then she realized she was still wearing his shirt and she clutched tightly to it.

******

The ray of sun flashed through her window blinds and kissed eyelids. She groaned in response as she stirred. She stiffled a yawn and slowly, her eyes fluttered open. She reached for her phone which sat on the night stand and checked the time, it was 8:30.

She gasped, throwing the blanket aside. She was still slipping on her slippers when she saw the note on the night stand.

'Babes, gone to work. Eat rest and sleep, just feel stronger, I'll call in sick for you today no probs'

Ify.
Xoxo

She creased her brows and re read the message.

And the rest of the day she spent doing what Ify had asked of her. When ify returned, she looked like she ran a hundred meter race.

"Why are you sweating?" Derin queried, scrunching her face in disgust.

"We've been paid for the month!" Ify said excitedly, jumping up and down in her ballet flats.

"Really?" Derin smiled.

Achievement was one thing important to the both of them. Ify had gone through a lot as a young girl. She lost her parents when she was ten, spent two years with a wicked Aunt and was later taken to an orphange. She remembered in the university, Ify had to joggle multiple jobs just to get by. She didn't always want to bother her elder sister. She insisted that her sister had done enough.

Seeing Ify this happy made her happy. Ify stopped jumping. Placing her hands on her waist, she sighed."I'm so happy!"

"I know, me too," Derin pulled her into a tight huge. "I'm so so glad."