The Silence Within

Chapter 12

"I told you not to deliver those pictures without full payment. Why did you?" Lola screeched at the apprentice who stood rigid in the middle of her office.

Lola's eyes were a blazing fire of brown, wide and ready to burn. Her anger caused the muscle in her face to twitch.

The apprentice, Adesua, who watched the wide eyes could barely get words out of her mouth. "Madam, I...."

"Oh shut the fuck up!" She clapped her hands, halting the girl's words. "I gave you a simple instruction and you could not follow. When will I get my money?" The veins in her neck jerked.

"The woman said she would transfer the rest before the end of tomorrow"

"Oh really?"

"I am sorry ma"

"Sorry won't change anything and I do not want to hear it! Just find a way to get my balance before the end of today!"

"Yes ma" The girl said then rushed out of the office.

"People are just shitty" She began to pack files and gather them together. "They know they do not have the money to afford photographers as expensive as me, yet they hire us. They just want to be wanna bes. Oshi!" She hissed out loud.

Sukanmi watched her across the room, gnawing timidly at his lips. Since she arrived to work, she had been moody, snappy and angry. Lola kept ranting, hissing and slamming files against the table. She flopped into her chair then opened her laptop.

"Madam" He called tentatively, afraid of one of her flares. Lola had not looked up even though she heard. "Everything is ready for the shoot" At those words, she shut her laptop, stood up and headed out.

The shoot lasted a while. She was not exhausted instead she enjoyed it. The wife was jovial, making everyone laugh in between the shoot and the husband was an introvert, a shy man, she would say. Lola's phone rang on her way to the office. She halted, brought it out of her pocket and grinned at the screen.

"Lola!" a high pitched voice screeched into the mouthpiece.

"Oh, Adeola" Lola took the phone away from her ear. "Omo oba (The king's daughter), when did you come back to Nigeria?" she brought the phone back to her ear.

"Today" Came the excited reply.

"What?"

"Yes, I came back this morning. I wanted to surprise you" Lola rolled her eyes and proceeded to walk into her office.

"You could have just walked up to my office. It would have been a better surprise"

"So, you mean you are not impressed?"

"Am I?" Lola teased with a smile.

"You shitty face" They laughed.

"Are you done with your movie?"

"Yes, it's over even though it was hectic in London but I am so lucky to have my next movie in Nigeria" Lola smiled. "I am coming up" the call got disconnected.

Lola looked at the phone and shook her head. The lady never cease to amaze her. Adeola was a successful and rich Nollywood director and producer. Her father was a politician by the name Adewale Adekunle Folohunso. He was a contestant for the governorship election of Oyo State. Adeola was the single-minded among her friends, the one who loved to be her own boss, the one full of life, the one with a lot of connections in the Nigerian movie industry.

Lola on the other hand loved to party and travel. It was what she did most during her stay in California, documenting the places she had been to in the world and she was yet to see many more places. Photography had taken her wide and far making her a traveller for a while. She had been to wonderful destinations, visited places of attraction, seen and ate different foods, landmarks and stayed in superb hotels. This year, she had four unknown destinations to be at.

Adeola swept into the office, face beaming and bags hanging from her shoulder and another from her hand. She marched in almost hopping on her feet, heels clicking on the floor. The burgundy dress she wore clung to her succulent silhouette. A leopard print bag with gold chains dangled from her shoulder. Adeola was everything from beauty to classiness.

But Adeola was almost an albino with creamy skin that was almost white. Her hair, brown with a hint of gold, was cut low. Her eyes were a nice pair of a lighter shade of Lola's brown that trembles from time to time. She had a personality many loved.

She had a nice face shape with a perfect nose and slightly full lips she never failed to pout. There was also grace and sophistication in everything she does. The difference between her and Lola was, Lola was proud and it showed in everything she does.

"Hello babe" Adeola dropped the shoulder bag in a seat. She flopped into the same seat then crossed her legs.

"Na you be this? (So this is you?)" Lola said surprised. She walked out from her table still amused to see Adeola when she least expected her. "This your surprise eh, o ga gan (It is too much o)" she sat next to Adeola who kept beaming.

"I wanted to surprise you. See what I brought for you from London" Adeola held the bags out and wiggled it at her friend's face. She went through the bag bringing out its contents. "I know what you love so I got them" She held a pair of sneakers and ballerina in her hands.

"Those are pretty" Lola collected the shoes.

"I know you love shoes. Your closet is a boutique"

"Oh baby, thank you so much"

"OK, I thought about something. Next Friday, I want you, me and the girls to have dinner at my house. We need to catch up after three weeks! I am spending the rest of the week with my sweetheart. God, I have missed him. No more video calls and phone calls. I can finally hold him and hug him"

"I know lover girl"

"Oh, just say you are jealous" Lola sneered. "So, are you in?"

"I am in!"

"I knew it. I will just text the girls. Kiki is not in Nigeria. We all know Osas is a busy woman and Haseenah will never make it. Kiki and Osas should be free by next Friday" She brought out her phone and typed urgently. "I have missed you" she screeched hugging her friend after putting her phone away. Lola laughed out as she wrapped her hands around her. "Aside from that" Adeola continued when they pulled away. "I got you this" She brought out a glass figurine from her bag. Touched at heart, Lola sighed. "It was the best thing I could think of as a gift" she handed over the figurine to Lola.

The figurine was two dolphins entwined together in love. They had their head rubbed against each other. Mesmerized, Lola ran her hand through the glass with a satisfied smile.

"Thanks" she said. "Where will I keep this?" Lola twirled the figurine in her hand. "My office? My room? Ah!" she gasped out. "My dressing table"

"So back to business"

Across the busy street, he kept an eye on the entrance of the building. He sat in the driver's seat of the blue SUV, with no haste or rush to be anywhere. When the sun emitted hot waves that caused nothing but sweat and burns against people's skin, he enjoyed the comfort of his car with the air conditioner at full blast and a bottle of chilled coke in hand. Just right on time, she strode out of the building. He sat up with instinct. A lady followed her with bags hanging from her hands.

She had not changed much. She was still the pretty woman he left behind to be in hell. She laughed with the lady, halted and laughed harder as the lady said something. Her face was vibrant, full of life which was not the face he had left behind. When they had departed, that pretty face was full of ire, disgust and antipathy for him. Those brown eyes that glimmered were cold and emotionless when they looked at him as he was led out of the court room shouting. Memories came in which spiked rage in him.

The coke he had in hand was long forgotten and his grip had tightened around the plastic bottle. Both women walked to the SUV parked in the parking lot. She opened the booth while her companion marched to the passenger seat of the white range rover. In the warm breeze of the afternoon, her hair blew across her face. She pushed it back, keeping what she had in hand in the booth before closing it.

Over the car, they spoke and she tottered with more mirth. How much he wanted to wipe away that glee from her face after what she had done? She got into the car and he took that as a signal to switch on the engine to his. When the car drove out into the road, he followed like he had always done.

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