I exhale a deep breath, as I let my hands fall to my sides as it was starting to hurt in the position it was before.
I looked at the cheval glass before me, and saw beads of sweat beginning to form on my forehead.
The cause of my present predicament, was the gown I have been trying to zip up for a while now, but it usually get stucked at my waistline.
I was getting frustrated now, as I let my head fall backwards to face the ceiling.
I thought the tailor took my measurements! Then why the hell isn't this cloth zipping up?
"Gosh, kay! What are they feeding you with over there in Nigeria?" Tess who had been watching all these happen, spoke up.
The ceiling and I exchanged a not-again look. I sighed and dramatically turned around to face the screen of dad's iPad, which was positioned on my bed and immediately went wide-eyed, because what I saw looked scary.
Tess had brought her face closer to her phone front camera making her eyes look all big and wide on my screen.
"Duh! Different kinds of food and not the fish they feed you with, over there in Miami. And shoo! Shooo! Move your face away from the camera, I am finding it difficult to think with your eyes looking like that." I said moving my hands in a drive-away manner.
She rolled her eyes. Shissh, even more scary.
"You are just jealous they feed me with Big, Fresh and healthy fish every morning and admit it, I always look beautiful. Isn't that right Drew?"
No response...
I took a closer look at Drew's image on the screen, only to find him half asleep with his mouth slightly opened.
"Drew!" Tess voice boomed, making him jerk awake with his hands flying to his ears, removing the earbuds and looked around probably to figure out who had shouted his name.
"Where is the fire?" He asked
Oh boy! I was totally wrong.
The expression on his face was enough for Tess and I to burst into laughter. Drew hadn't been wrong when he told us they were taking them through drills at the camp and this was his free time.
We were all on a group face time. Tess, had insisted we have it because she had missed seeing our faces. Apparently, to her, chats and calls weren't enough.
Drew, who later realized there hadn't been any fire whatsoever, but had been awoken by Tess, joined us in laughing.
"You should have seen the look on your face when you said 'where is the fire'. You looked hilarious." Tess said mimicking Drew's previous expression and bursted into another round of laughter.
I couldn't help but join in again.
"Yeah whatever. Besides, why did you scream out my name in that manner?"
Before any of us could respond, the door to my room came ajar. I turned to find mom peeping in with a smile on her face.
"Mommy!" Tess squealed.
"Good afternoon Mrs Jade." Drew greeted. Jade was mom's first name.
"How are you my darlings?" Mom asked as she walked into the room.
They both said fine.
"That's good to hear. So I heard y'all laughing and I couldn't help but drop by, to see what is making you laugh."
I was about to tell her not to worry, that it is all soughted out, but Tess had other plans.
"Drew, thought his phone was producing fire!" She said immediately and started laughing, more like cackling and I turned to find Drew looking all embarrassed.
Mom started giggling, "What?"
Oh great.
"Do not pay any heed to her mom." I said, biting on my lips to keep myself from laughing also.
"And why haven't you zipped up your cloth, young lady," mom asked, reminding me of the plight I was in.
I sigh, "It keeps getting stucked at my waistline and my hands were beginning to hurt." I let out, frustrated.
"FYI, you are getting fat, like faaaaat." Tess drawled.
"You are not getting any leaner yourself." Drew said, coming to my defense.
"Thank you for pointing that out Drew."
"It is the fish! At least I am not denying it, Kay is." She said.
I gasp in surprise, "when did I deny it?" I ask, flailing my hands and placed it on my waist in a V-shape.
"I don't know, I thought you did."
Just imagine.
Mom stood there and watched us, as we banter back and forth.
"Mom help me out here." I pleaded and she gave me, the why-was-I-brought-Into-this look.
"Here," she said instead and walked closer to where I stood and nudged me to turn around. "Let me help you with the zip honey. Try folding your shoulders backwards." She continued, as she tugged at the zip.
"Oh ok," I replied, somewhat unsure of what she wanted me to do exactly, but did as instructed.
No sooner did I hear the sound of the zip moving up with ease.
"Thanks mom," I said feeling grateful.
"You are welcome. Uhm I gotta leave now to go make sure everything is put in place. Be quick to finish up here, you've got people that wants to meet you." Mom said and gave us a warm smile.
I thought I was done meeting new people, because I had met lots and lots of people relating to my grandparents and family, earlier today at morning mass. They had held a memorial service, just for grandpa because he and grandma were catholics.
She happily waved at Drew, and Tess and pecked me on the cheeks. She hastily left the room and paused by the door and turned to look at me grinning.
Before I could ask why she was smiling crazily, she spoke up, "Lest I forget, Derrick has been asking of you." She sang and disappeared, leaving me to blush and smile like a crazy person.
My thoughts trailed to what had happened yesterday at his house. I just started giggling totally forgetting the two people on the screen.
"Who is Derrick?" Tess asked in all seriousness.
I yelped, letting my smile vanish, "You scared me Tess".
"That doesn't answer the question Kay. What has this Derrick, done to make you all dreamy?" She continued in that serious tone.
I quickly cleared my throat and studied the expression on my best friends faces. They both gave me a look that says, I can't lie neither can I evade their question.
This is gonna be one hell of a conversation.
***
"You look beautiful as always, Princess," Derrick said, gracing me with his presence when I got to the foot of the stairs. He looked yummy, he was clad in a jeans and grey sweatshirts with a converse. I was beginning to feel mom has had me over-dressed for this event.
I would kill to be in his clothes, rather than this knee-length Ankara flay gown, and flats, that made me look extremely girlish. Thank God she hadn't insisted on a thorough makeover.
"Thank you," I beamed and blushed as he continued to stare at me. I couldn't help but tuck a non-existent hair behind my ears.
"Kayla!" I hear a familiar but distant voice call out and I looked up to scan the already crowded room and saw the twins and Queen waving excitedly. They excused themselves from a group of teenagers and made their way over to where I stood.
"I really don't know why they are here," Derrick uttered in a low voice.
I turned to find him watching me, "they wanted to come and I couldn't help but oblige."
That earned me an eye-roll, "just be careful princess... I don't trust them."
"Excuse you! They are my friends, not yours. Don't act like you know them. If you must know, they are very nice people." I rushed out.
He just sighed in response, but held a look that shows he wanted to say more.
Does he know something I don't?
I didn't have the time to dwell on it, as I heard happy squeals coming from behind, Derrick.
"Oh my God! You look so pretty. No one could have rocked this ankara better than you," Korede happily said, as she bypassed, Derrick, to come give me a squashing hug.
"Tell her sis, you look gorgeous, Oyinda." Muyiwa said coming up to stand directly behind his twin. Ever since he knew I bore, Oyinda, which was my yoruba name, he hasn't stopped calling me that.
"Nice dress dear," Queen chirped.
I replied with, thank-yous, feeling loved.
"You all, also look beautiful and handsome," I said as I examined them.
They also replied with, thank-youss. They began relating the experience they encountered on their way here.
"I told this nut head, to let us take taxify but she insisted on taking normal cab which got us delayed." Muyiwa said eyeing his twin.
Before she could retort, someone cleared their throat. I knew it was Derrick, I had ignored him on purpose, because I wanted him to see how nice these people were.
"Huh, I've gotta go do something, princess. If you need me, I will be in the kitchen." He said as he started walking backwards.
I nodded in response then he turned and sauntered over to the kitchen.
"Princess?" Korede raised her eyebrow in question.
"Let's just leave it that way," I reply, not wanting to buttress on it.
A loud music came on, which made my friends groan. I couldn't pin-point what genre of music it was.
"What kind of music is this?" I inquired.
"This is what we call, Fuji in Nigeria." Muyiwa flatly responded.
"This is what most old people in Nigeria, love listening to."
"Cool! So I am sure you guys would definitely come to love it as you grow old," I stated trying to get a rise from them.
"Over my dead body!"
"I reject it in jesus name!"
I chortled in response to their antics.
...
Twenty minutes later, I was left alone in the crowded room, considering the twins had a call from their parents, which they had to step out to pick it seeing as the blustering sound from the music would overshadow their voices. While Queen had muttered something about using the toilet.
All at once, I recalled Derrick had gone into the kitchen. Not wanting to remain in this bizarre gathering, I turned immediately and crashed into a fragile body, making the person stumble.
"What the hell!" I heard a familiar voice, cuss.
I looked up to find a man chastise the girl of the use of a cuss word. They both turned to face me.
Oh no!
Laura turned out to be the girl I had bumped into, but the man, I had no idea of, but he gave off the aura of someone important.
"You!" She tends to say this whenever she sees me.
Getting stale if you must ask me.
"I am sorry," I grudgingly let out since courtsey demands it.
"Yeah you better be." She spitted out. I fought the urge to wipe off the invisible sailava flying out of her mouth.
"I see you guys know each other." The man spoke up, intervening whatever comeback I had intended on dishing out.
"Yeah, and she's a total bad luck," Laura declared with a frown.
"What? And you are the arrays of sunshine that brightens the day?" I ask, being sarcastic while raising an eyebrow.
The air around us getting thicker with every breath.
"I swear I'll..."
"Calm down Laura." The man cut in, and she she shut up immediately.
Wow!
He turned to look at me, "hi, I am Philip Kennedy and you are..." He said with a smug smile on.
"I am Kayla Adedamola."
"Oh my! You're my business partner's grandaughter. It's such a pleasure to finally meet you." He sounded surprised but didn't look it.
I forced a smile to my lips in response, as I was starting to get uncomfortable around these two.
"Yeah. So I gotta leave now."
"Alright. It's nice to see that you finally granted your grandmother's last wish by visiting Nigeria."
This made me furrow my eyebrows, at what he said. Before I could ask what he meant by that, a young guy came up beside him, to tell him his attention was needed.
He muttered a see-you-later-kayla and turned to leave with Laura on his trail.
Just a few steps away, he paused to speak with Laura in a low voice, "You can't follow me now, I am meeting up with business men. I don't want to raise any suspicion."
She reluctantly uttered an ok. Both of them unaware, I hadn't left immediately but had overheard everything.
They dispersed in different directions leaving me to wonder. What had he meant when he said grandma's last wish? And who was Laura to him?
.
Hey guys, I finally updated.
To be honest I experienced some major writer's block, before writing this chapter and I felt down like I didn't know what I was doing.
At the end I finally figured out a thing that worked for me, and I was able to jumble over 2000 words together.
Tell me what you feel about the chapter, by commenting.
And do not forget to click on the star button below to vote, and share this book with your friends.
Thank you my readers for staying this far with me.
σʅαʝυɱσƙҽ_ɯɾιƚҽʂ.