TICKING

7

"Sorry guys, I had to deliver food to my customer in Rumuola, you know the traffic there can be mad." I explained as I sat down in a rush. Aside from the day we met with Jamie, we haven't had time to ourselves for long. We saw ourselves one on one, but as a clique, we haven't had time to be together.

"Welcome." Omotola replied dryly. She was the only one who replied. Ada was quiet and Efe looked sad.

What happened? Did she have a fight with Jamie again? I remember last week when she got angry at him because of a lady she assumed he took to Kizzy's birthday party. To settle the matter, he had to delete the post and reposted it without adding her picture.

"Why the long face?" I asked looking everyone directly in the eye one after the other, I was becoming worried.

"I told you Jamie went to Kizzy's party with that girl." Efe replied quietly. There was no trace of emotion in her voice, she wasn't even looking at me, she was staring at the glass of juice in front of her.

"What happened?" I asked.

"She got a video just now from a fellow blogger. The lady he took to the party was busy rocking Jamie in the video." Omotola responded.

"Woah! Have you talked to Jamie about this?" I asked.

"You dey rush." She said to imply that there is more to the gist.

"She got the video late which means she couldn't do anything about it. Those bloggers who posts stuffs without confirming informations are feeding on it now. The new headline is Music producer discreetly shows off his woman. They uploaded all the pictures they took together at the party alongside the video."

"I called him, I told him to say something about it, to even post our engagement pictures to calm the gossips but he refused saying that they should think whatever they want to, he is not giving them more things to talk about and that this issue would die a natural death." Efe said, anger evident in her voice this time around. "What does that mean?"

"Look Efe, I know this situation is painful but you have to let it go. He's a celebrity and it's normal for women to flock around him. You're the one he cares for, you're the one with the ring." Ada said calmly.

What kind of advice is this?

She is the only one who drops insensitive comments in moments like this. Ada doesn't care about people's emotions. She says things like they are as easy as words.

"I don't support that." I said to Ada then turned to Efe "I like Jamie for you Efe, but if he isn't ready to prove he loves you by silencing this rumor I don't think you should continue." I told her.

"But I love him." Efe countered my statement.

"And that's the more reason you shouldn't leave him. I mean which man doesn't cheat nowadays, not to talk of a celebrity, a fine man at that." Ada said trying to convince Efe that continuing the relationship with all that is going on is the right thing to do.

"Ada!" I exclaimed. Is she really advising Efe to continue in a relationship she was being cheated on?

"Yes naw. You think husbands are easy to find? She isn't getting any younger. Men cheat! It's a normal thing."

In all this, Omotola was quiet. She doesn't have a say, even though she knows what is right, she doesn't want to say anything to contradict Ada. That is how she lets people make personal decisions for her.

"It's not normal Ada." I told her, I was getting angry already. What kind of mindset is this?

"Which man doesn't cheat? Efe, don't listen to her. She doesn't even have a man to call her own and she is teaching you how to run your relationship. You better stick to the devil you know before you would be used as a prayer point in family gatherings." Ada said.

Ouch!

Wait! How did she know about the encounter with my uncle? The only person I've told is Omotola. It was the day I went to the mall with her and Ronke, Ada was not there.

Ada! Always the insensitive one.

I turned to Omotola who was now wearing an expression of guilt.

"One thing I've realized in life is that some people would try to force you to do something they are already doing but doesn't profit them just so you would be in the same mess with them." I said looking Ada straight in the eye. "You think we don't know how your husband goes to your shop to collect money? Money he ends up spending on other women. How lazy of a man he is."

"Nosa don't even go there" Ada tried to shut me but I'm not Omotola. I will stand my ground.

"He goes to the shop to pack your money and still flirts with your girls. You think we don't know?" I said with my voice slightly raised. "No wonder he doesn't have control over you, because you have become the man of the house. See Ronke, she can't be here because she is married. Her husband says stay put and she does. But you, it's you that will tell your husband to stay put. You're a married woman, stick to your married life. You've never missed a girl's outing. Time you should be using to focus on making your marriage work." I said to her and stood up abruptly.

"As for you Omotola, I told you something from the depth of my heart, I shared my pain with you only for you to make me the subject of another discussion. Thank you." I turned to Efe, I need to pull her out of here before they corrupt her mind and she starts yielding.

"Efe let's go." I told her.

"Efe is going no where, she is not your child that you can always boss around, stop trying to control her and her relationship" Ada spat.

After about two minutes of complete silence and me standing like a fool, Efe replied;

"I'm sorry Nosa, but not this time. I love Jamie so much. Besides you broke up with Tobi last year because of infidelity but up till now, you still haven't secured another relationship."

That was a punch in the gut from Efe. I considered her my best friend among the rest. How can she think I don't want the best for her?

I picked up my bag weakly and left them. I got to my car and cried. After a few minutes, I put the car keys in the ignition, the engine of my Toyota Corolla roared to life and I drove out of the lounge premises.

In every clique, there is a clique. It became clear to me that I was never a part of the clique's clique. The real clique was Omotola, Efe and Ada who apparently is the leader of the pack.

Glossary:

You dey rush - You're in a hurry

So what do you think about this chapter guys??

Is Efe making the right decision?

What do you think about what Omotola and Ada did?

Do you feel sorry for Nosa?