𝟑𝟎 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐥

~~ 24. ~~

              He was still reading when something came to his mind. He turned off the tablet in his hand and dropped it on the bed before leaving his room and putting on his flip-flop.

              He went to the living room hoping Lola will be there but no one was. Deborah had told him she will be visiting her parents that day and she won't be returning until the weekend or Monday. So she had left earlier in the morning to meet up with the traffic on the way. So he was all alone in the house with Lola.

            He felt thirsty so he decided to go to the kitchen before going over to Lola's room. And surprisingly, he met Lola sitting on the dining chair in the kitchen. She was eating white rice and stew. But she doesn't seem to be enjoying it. She was just playing with the food and her spoon.

           And the guilt he was feeling began to swell in him.

              He had planned on going up to her room after quenching his thirst since he didn't see her in the living room. But here she was.

"Uhm." He cleared his throat a little quietly not to startle her. "Good morning." He said as she looked up to see him standing at the entrance of the kitchen. He saw the surprise on her face but it quickly disappeared. And it turned back to expressionless.

"Good morning." She murmured and she turned back to her food.

            She didn't expect to see him. She thought he had left for work. She had been avoiding him since Tuesday when they came back from the club.

"Lola." He called. She didn't look up and he slowly walked up to her side. "Lola, I am very sorry for those words I said to you the day before yesterday. I admit it was bad of me and very wrong of me. I don't have any right to criticize you and say those words."

"You don't have to say anything. It's fine." She said absentmindedly.

"No, I have to. That was my bad and I'm sorry Lola. And I mean it. I'm very sorry. You are not a slut and you are not cheap. You are not. I admit my bad choice of words. You don't deserve them. I'm sorry. I apologize Lola." He pleaded.

             It was the first time in his entire life that he is apologizing so sincerely to someone who doesn't really mean much to him and whom he hasn't known for more than three weeks and hoped earnestly to be forgiven.

              He longed to hear her say something. To accept his apology.

"I'm sorry Tiwalola." He begged again.

             Lola looked up at him. Just from hearing his voice, she can hear the sincerity in them. This was the first time that he sounded very sincere about something.

           Not just sincerity, there was eagerness and expectations in his voice.

"Well, it's fine. I accept your apology." She said nodding.

"Thank you." He appreciated in relief." He said again. "I promise to give you the respect you deserve. I'm sorry again."

              She won't have believed it if someone told her that Demilade could apologize so sincerely. But he was doing that right now.

            So he can lower his pride?! She thought.

           And she nodded not saying anything.

          He exhaled in relief. He went to the refrigerator and bought out a bottle of water. He looked at Lola who had gone back to eating her food before he finally walked out of the kitchen leaving her with her meal. He felt light and relieved like a heavy weight had been taken away from his chest. His lip tugged up to a small smile as he climbed the stair back to his room.