Four days to Christmas and my present wasn't ready, I hated the fact I had to get Christmas present for someone, especially my mother, but since the present wasn't just for her but also for me too, I had no choice but to get it. It was past six in the evening when Owen parked in front of my house, he had called earlier about his arrival. Cecilia was seated beside him. I got into the car and Owen kickstarted the car to begin the journey. On the way there, we talked different things: about the rate of crime in the state, about Amelia and Owen, about my single life, but the major talking point was about Cecilia's marriage. Cecilia spoke about getting a divorce because she wasn't enjoying the marriage. "More reasons you shouldn't fall in love with the wrong person." I commented.
"You can never tell, Naomi. It's always a bed of roses when you are still in the dating zone, once it becomes marriage, you'd see that the roses are just thorns in disguise." Cecilia responded. "We dated for four good years, guys. And I enjoyed every single bit of those years, that was why I agreed to marry him. Two years into the marriage and he's already acting like a monster I have never seen."
"You are one strong woman. If it was me in your shoes, I'd be seeing the therapist every day." We all laughed after I said that.
"But I don't think getting a divorce is the best solution." Owen stated. "I just think it's one of those rough times you both are going through. Your 'for better for worse' just came quite early."
"What should she do? Keep living like that hoping he one day changes?" I asked.
"He doesn't beat you, does he?" Owen asked Cecilia.
"The emotional abuse she goes through is enough reason to leave him, Owen." I replied.
"Are you then directly asking her to divorce him?" He asked.
"I am directly saying she deserves someone better." I responded.
"What would you know about having someone seeing you haven't dated anyone in years." Owen said.
"I am single and happy. No man is controlling my life and I am not eyeing someone else while claiming I have a fiancé like you." I retorted. Cecilia remained silent.
"That's harsh, Naomi. You are sounding so mean." Owen replied.
"I am only being factual." I said.
"Enough of this talk. Let us please concentrate on the journey." Cecilia interrupted our conversation. "Who's going to approach this man? Are we all going to talk to him?"
"I'll do the talking. You both just remain in the car." I replied.
"You could have just come alone if you knew you could handle it yourself." Owen said. "We'll both go and talk to him. Cecilia will stay in the car in case anything goes wrong and we have to run for our lives, she'd be our getaway driver."
"Nice idea. I don't have to see the guns and tattoos." Cecilia responded.
We got to the place but parked far from the man's apartment, I and Owen got down from the car and walked to his apartment, leaving Cecilia in the car as we had agreed. We got to his doorstep and Owen knocked. We didn't hear anything so Owen knocked harder. "Who's it?" The man asked from inside.
"Hi, sir. We come in peace. We are here in search of someone." I answered.
The man opened the door half-open and stuck out his head to see us. "Who are you?" He asked.
"My name is Owen and this is Naomi." Owen responded.
"I don't give a damn about your names, who the hell are you guys?!" He asked loudly.
"Uh, we are just people. We are here in search of someone." Owen answered him.
"This is the wrong place to look for someone. Get going." He shut the door.
Owen and I stared at each other, looking confused. I decided to knock again but Owen caught my hand before it could reach the door. "He could have a gun." He mentioned. I thought about how true it could be. "What do we do now?" I asked in a low tone.
"I suggest we go back and wait till either he comes out or we luckily see Sarah. Let's not provoke him." Owen replied, speaking low.
"What if he doesn't come out?"
"Naomi! Let's just go." Owen pulled me by the hand as we walked back towards the car. We got into the car and Cecilia kept staring at the two of us. "So quick? What happened?" She asked.
"He doesn't want to talk to us." Owen replied.
"What do you mean?" Cecilia asked.
"He shut the door on us, Cecilia. We hadn't even talked much, we told him our names and that we were in search of someone. He just shut the door." I answered.
"And you both just left there without getting anything positive?"
"You wanted us to confront him?" Owen asked.
"So you want us to go back home like that? After driving an hour down here?" Cecilia asked.
"Owen insisted we sit and wait for him to come out." I answered.
"What if he never comes out again? Are we going to sit here all night?" Cecilia replied.
"What would you have us do, Cecilia?" Owen asked.
"I am not here to waste time. I have to get back home before it gets too late." Cecilia alighted from the car and headed towards the man's apartment. Owen and I looked at her with shock. "This lady is crazy." Owen said. We both rushed down from the car and hurried after her. Cecilia paced down towards the man's house and when she got to his doorstep, she knocked and said, "Hey, man. We are only here to see Sarah. We have no business with you." Owen and I stood in disbelief hearing what she said. "She's so dead." Owen said. The man opened the door and stuck out his head has he did before. "Mike?" Cecilia said. "Is that you, Mike?"
"Cecilia?" The man responded. Owen and I looked at each other, asking each other what was going on with our eyes. "What are you doing here, Cecilia?" The man asked.
"Is this where you stay?" Cecilia asked.
"Yeah."
"Are you the one frightening my friends?" She asked.
The man opened the door fully and came outside, he stared at us and asked, "They are your friends?"
"You both know each other?" I asked, still looking surprised.
"Mike's my husband's friend." She replied. "If I had known you were the one we were coming to see, I would have just invited you over."
"Great, things just got more interesting." Owen remarked.
"What are you doing here?" Mike asked.
"We are looking for Sarah. Is she in with you?" Cecilia asked.
Mike stared at I and Owen, then directed his gaze towards Cecilia. "Why are you looking for her?"
"We desperately need to see her." I answered.
"Sarah isn't here. She doesn't stay here." Mike replied.
"Oh God, no!" I exclaimed.
"Why do you need to see her?" Mike asked.
"It's something personal, Mike. But it's really important we see her." Cecilia replied.
"You guys can come back tomorrow, she'll come around." Mike said.
"No, please. Tomorrow is too far. We really need to see her today. Just tell us where she is so we can go meet her." I responded.
"No way that's happening. I am only talking with you because of Cecilia. You better go and come back tomorrow."
"Mike, please. It's urgent we see her tonight." Cecilia said.
Mike gazed at her as she stood in front him, then brought out his phone. "Let me call her." He dialed her number and placed his phone by his ear.
"Thank you, Mike. Thank you." Owen said.
Sarah answered and Mike began, "Hello, Sarah." We couldn't hear Sarah's voice as Mike didn't put the phone on loudspeaker. "Some guys are here to see you," Mike continued. "A guy and two ladies... The said they need to see you... There's Cecilia, who's my friend, Owen and Naomi... You don't know them?" Mike put the phone away from his ear and spoke to us. "Who are you guys? Sarah doesn't know you."
"Yes, she doesn't. We just want to speak to her, that's all." Cecilia responded.
Mike put the phone back to his ear and spoke, "They said they need to talk with you." He put the phone away and said, "Too bad, Sarah doesn't want to speak to you."
"Please, Mike. Please tell her it's urgent." I said.
He continued the conversation with Sarah, "How about you just come over and see them first?... Trust me, if they looked dangerous, I wouldn't have called you... They seem like ordinary people to me, besides, if anything were to happen, you should know I've always got your back..."
"Nothing's going to happen. It's just a conversation." Owen said.
"She said you she will see you tomorrow then, you can come tomorrow." Mike said after he hung up.
"Can't we see her tonight?" I asked.
"Don't worry, we will come by tomorrow morning." Cecilia said.
"It's late and you should get going. These streets aren't safe at night." Mike replied.
"Sure, we are leaving already." Owen smiled and said.
"Thank you, Mike. Thank you very much." Cecilia said. She hugged him and turned to leave.
"Thank you, Mike." I added. We all left his house and walked back to the car. We burst out laughing when we got into the car. "That was unscripted." Owen started.
"I didn't see that coming as well." Cecilia spoke. "Look who ended up doing the talking."
"Thanks, Cecilia. I was literally scared when you knocked on his door." I smiled.
"Unfortunately, Owen won't be here tomorrow with us." Cecilia stated.
"That's true." I said.
"Funny you both think I will miss tomorrow's meeting." Owen said, as he ignited the car.
"You won't go to work tomorrow?" I asked.
"I will call in sick." Owen replied. We all started laughing as Owen said that.
"Please drive faster, let's avoid trouble with Cecilia's husband." I said.
"Who would have thought Cecilia would be friends with a gangster." Owen remarked.
"Mike's not a gangster. He is a nice man. He's been friends with my husband before I met him."
"If he isn't a gangster, that means Sarah isn't a gangster then." Owen said.
"Tomorrow will tell." I said.
Owen dropped me at my place first, we got to my place few minutes to ten p.m. "Thanks, guys." I said, as I alighted from the car.
"You don't have to thank us every time, honey." Cecilia responded.
"Would you spend the night here, Owen?" I asked and smiled.
"Ha, ha, ha, very funny. Your joke is too cheap to buy this time. Amelia is waiting for me at home." He replied. Cecilia and I began laughing.
"Goodnight, honey." I blew Owen a kiss. He smiled and drove off.
I walked to the door and unlocked it, got inside and began dancing with no music playing. I was happy I was finally going to talk to Sarah. I couldn't wait for the next day. I thought of calling my mother to tell her about the news, I realized it would be too soon, so I decided to wait till after tomorrow's meeting. I slept a happy woman that night.