TICKING

19

Hey everyone! I'm so sorry for taking so long to update this chapter. It has been ready for a while now, but I didn't want to upload it in the heat of the #EndSARS campaign that happened in Nigeria against police brutality & bad governance. It was a sensitive period for us all. Thanks to everyone who took part both in Nigeria and around the globe. 💞💕

Peace of mind and proper health care is the best recipe to recover, It didn't take sister Itohan much time to heal physically. Fortunately for us, she didn't obtain any internal bleeding or concussion so it was easy for her medications to work their magic and of course the love Osas and I showered on her.

After her discharge, I had a heart to heart to conversation with her in my sitting room.

"What is the next step?" I asked her after taking my seat and requesting to talk with her.  She didn't ask me "step about what?" Because she knew exactly what I was talking about.

"I need to go back, my kids would be resuming school soon." She answered.

"To your husband's house? You both haven't talked since you left, you refused to take his calls or anything. Going back suddenly because your children need to resume school is absurd."

"I didn't say I was going back there, I'm going back to Delta but not to him. I can't stay far from there, my life is there, my business, I've spent years building my brand, I just can't throw it away because I'm running away from a man."

"So what's the plan? What do you want to do?"

"Well, I need to rent an apartment first before going back, then I would contact my lawyer for divorce procedures. I also need to go back to Benin to inform Daddy and Mommy that I have left the marriage and they should send for his family to take back their bride price." She answered flatly. She had obviously thought this through.

"I can see you have a well thought out plan in your head, but are you sure this is the right decision to take? I mean you both can stay apart for a while and try to make it work during that period, see a therapist or a councilor, then you can choose divorce only if it fails." I advised her. Dating and marriage are not the same, leaving a marriage is a serious decision. She should make sure all hope is gone and there is no room for change from his path before taking such decision.

"Nosa, I've held on for too long." She sighed then changed to a slouching position on the chair she was seated on. "He doesn't like talking about it. He hits me, beg then ask me not to ever talk about it to his hearing because he is ashamed of his habit and cannot believe that he raised his hand to hit the woman he loves. Then after a while, a repetition of the whole process. I'm tired. I've had it up to here" she said placing her forefinger on the base of her neck.

I gave her a tight hug and we retired to bed.

They left two weeks later.

*****

"I prefer onion pink to baby pink though." I told Efe. She and Omotola were confused about which color to choose for her aso-ebi. "At least, I would be proud of my money." I laughed lightly. We were seated at a round table at our favorite joint.

"And who told you that you would be part of my aso-ebi girls? Ehh?" Efe replied.

"What is she going to be a part of? Bridal train?" Omotola added.

We all burst into laughter.

"Anyone you put me, na onion pink I wan wear." I replied both of them laughing.

"You are going to be my chief bride's maid. There's no other person fit for that position than you, you played a huge role in I and Jamie coming back together." Efe said lightly.

To say I was surprised was an understatement. I never knew she would give me such a role to play in her wedding.

I opened my mouth to say something but I was short of words.

"You can just say thank you, I'm happy you chose me to be your bride's maid." Efe said when she realized the number of times I've opened and closed my mouth but nothing came out.

"Thank you. I don't know how to say this, but don't you think you should choose a younger person for that role?" I asked earnestly. "I mean I'm not young and I'm older than you...."

"....Shhhh" Omotola shushed me. "Just say thank you and do it for a friend. Besides, who said that you're old?"

"I'm about to be thirty-two" I replied. "I'm like her big sister."

"Thirty-two and not Forty. You're a sister and a friend. Do it for a friend." Omotola countered.

"Well, what can I say? Thank you." I stood up to hug her.

"What did I miss?" Ronke said as she approached our table with a light skinned lady walking behind her.

"Mama the mama" Efe hailed her.

"Welcome." Omotola welcomed her.

They both sat down.

"This is the wedding planner I told you about Efe. Her name is Evelyn."

"Oh Hi, I'm Nosa." I waved then introduced myself. The rest of us did the same.

"Where's Ada?" Ronke asked.

"I invited her o" Efe Replied.

"So? Is she coming?" Omotola asked.

"I don't know. When I told her, she asked me if Nosa would be here? I said yes and she said ok." Efe added flatly.

"Can we start already, we're taking too much time debating on who's coming and who's not coming." I chipped in. I didn't want the conversation to be about the situationship between Ada and I.

"Look who's here" Omotola said as she took a sip from her Chapman.

I turned and met eye to eye with Ada. She smiled at and I smirked.

"Hey guys!"

Everyone was surprised when she came in. She sat down next to Omotola and after they ordered drinks, we started the discussion with the wedding planner. Efe told her what she and her fiance had in mind and her budget for the wedding. The wedding planner brought out her laptop and showed her plans and images of weddings that she had previously planned. We all gave one or two suggestions.

Through out the meeting, I noticed how friendly Ada was towards me. She always supported my ideas, tried entering my conversation with anyone. I ignored her completely. I'm not going to act as if all is well between the both of us and start laughing my pride away. I know I said hurtful things to her too but her words triggered them. If she swallows her pride and apologize, I would apologize too. But that doesn't mean that we would go back to the way we were. We would always cross each other's path because of the mutual friends we share but at least, the times we do, the moments shouldn't be awkward.

Thank you for taking out time to read this chapter 😩 long overdue!

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