TICKING

1.

Thank you tentimileyin for the beautiful book cover ❣️💕

In every clique, there is always an inner clique. The question is are you in your clique's clique?

Funny!

My phone beeps and I picked it up to see who had sent me a message.

Zoom meeting in five minutes, very important
Meeting ID : 456 3823 7742
Password : 5643

I haven't even finished reading the message when her call came in.

"Babe good evening" she greeted the moment I answered her call. She sounded happy with her slightly cracked voice.

"Evening o. I just got your message what's up?" I asked. Hoping she would give me a heads up.

"You will find out when you join. It's a big announcement, oya o bye bye." she replied and ended the call. I could feel the excitement in her voice.

Efe has a bubbly personality and she is the most liked in our clique. She is a blogger and got her fame during her National Youth Service Year when she started a mini blog about the everyday lives of Nigerian Youth Corps Members, she published her experiences and that of different people who were willing to share plus latest news and updates. When she finished serving, she decided to go into blogging full time and became a lifestyle blogger. She's an adventurous person and the profession suits her well. Her boyfriend is a music producer, they met a few months ago at an event.

I covered the note book I was writing on before her text came in and opened my laptop on my reading table.

"This might just be another celebrity gist again" I said to myself yawning.

After booting my system and connecting it to the internet, I joined the meeting.

This better be worth my time.

When I joined, the first person I saw on the video chat was Ronke. Apparently, only two of us had connected. She was the least person I expected to see on this chat. Was she even a part of us anymore? I mean, it's not like she was no longer our friend, but our relationship with her had a strain after she got married. She married a rich man who wanted her to be a full time house wife, gist got to me that she and her husband were always having issues about her choice of friends and that she was a married woman and majority of her friends should be women who were already in their husband's house. It was confirmed the day we all decided to pay her a visit when her husband was out of town. The dude came home before schedule and met us in his house, oga didn't hide his displeasure and we had to use our common sense to leave not long after.

"Ah! Ronke is that you?" I asked her, of course it's her, but I'm a Nigerian and it's in our nature to ask obvious questions.

"It's me o" she replied with a smile as she adjusted her cam. Even though her husband is not completely in support of her friendship with us all because we weren't married, she didn't let us be. She kept on calling from time to time to check up on us and sometimes, I do return the check up. She is an amazing person and she use to be the first person I run to when I need someone to talk to. Now, Efe is my go-to person.

"See as you're looking so fine. Uncle is taking good care of you o."

"You're whining me jor .... Where is Efe sef? She made this video chat so urgent and she's not here yet"

Just then another person connected.

"Omotola!!!" We called in unison. "Babe no be so o, you just leave me for this Port Harcourt." I attacked her immediately.

With a huge smile plastered on her face, she replied "You know it's not like that. This is my season, business has been taking my time" Omotola is a fashion designer, she makes native attires and readymade clothes. She had been busy because she acquired a bigger space for her business, she wants to start an academy. She is a very nice person but I think she is unsure of what she wants, she let people make personal decisions for her. She is easily swayed.

"Shebi my eyes no dey deceive me like this? Is that not Ronke?" She asked me.

"It's her o." I answered laughing. It's surprising to see Ronke on a Video chat, not like it doesn't happen but it doesn't happen often.

"You guys should stop o. But for real, I miss you people o."

"I don't know about Nosa o, but I know I miss you." Omotola answered quickly.

"I miss you too." I told her. How could I not miss her?

I didn't even notice when Efe joined.

"My people!" She called. "Welcome to time out from the world with Efe."

"About time" Ronke said. "Why did you bring us here?"

"Where is Ada? She's not here yet." Efe said when she realized we were just four available on the chat. "Let me call her" From the cam we could see Efe trying to pick up her phone when Ada came online.

"What did I miss?" Ada said immediately she came online. "Girls how far naw... Ah! Ronke, to what do we owe this honor?" She said immediately she came online.

Ada is the last person in our clique and the second to get married. She is closer to Ronke now because they now bear the same Mrs title. She has a big saloon here in Port Harcourt and that's where we all go to make our hair. She is our hair plug. Ada is sometimes insensitive to other people's feelings and that's one reason why I sometimes have issues with her but she can be supportive if she wants to.

"Guys guys guys!" Efe called trying to get all our attention as we were still trying to chit chat.

"What is it you have to tell us that made you call us for an emergency video chat?" Ada asked.

"I'm getting married" was the next thing I heard in a sing song voice.

Glossary:
Slangs from the chapter. In subsequent chapters, I'll explain only new slangs.

Oya - a Nigerian slang with no definite meaning. It can be used in place of "come", "let's go" and "quick."

Oga - someone who is superior, a boss or a person with authority.

Ah- exclamation

No be so o - it's not like that

Shebi - it's a slang for approval "that's it", "yes", "I agree with u", "am with u", "are u with me"

I appreciate y'all for reading this book. It's been long since I wrote anything but thanks to TheOmoope and tentimileyin for bringing me out of my shell. 🙈

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