EPISODE FIFTY

The driver dropped her off in front of the gate and drove off before she could even close the door properly. The weather was still cloudy, the sun hidden behind the silver-grey clouds. Ruby walked slowly. She still felt dizzy and the headache was returning in full force. When she got into the apartment, she went to her room and laid down on the bed. She was thankful that there was power supply.

It wasn't until she felt relaxed that she brought out the phone to read the message. It was a simple message, a reply to her previous breakup message.

Okay. Have a good life.

What? She looked again at the message unable to believe her eyes. After everything, this was the only reply he was giving her. There was no acknowledgement of her previous messages or the apologies she wrote, but she deleted them from her end so that evidence of her softness wouldn't be shown. Nothing else, just "Have a good life."

The tears poured down her eyes. She didn't even have the strength to cry out loud, not with her head throbbing like they were dancing legwork on it. She clutched the phone tightly, scrolled up to look at their previous messages, dotted with heart emojis, flying kisses, smiley faces. She went to the first message he'd sent her on WhatsApp. It had been barely thirty minutes after she gave him her number on Instagram that he sent a message to her. From there, their conversations were rich, continuing until they met physically and then officially started dating. There were the messages when they were both in their separate places of work, talking about how they'd prefer to spend their night. And then till that Friday, when it all changed. It was only her messages, voice notes, teary emotions, pleading palm emojis. Finally, a reply from his end. 'Have a good life.'

Laughter bubbled out of her throat. Despite the pounding headache, she continued laughing. She didn't know why she was laughing- at the quick turn of events? Or how ended up being the fool in the relationship? If she didn't understand or pretended not to understand at first, there was no denying the facts that were thrown in her face.

Rose was right. It was obvious that he wanted to break up with her but couldn't find a better reason for it. But why? She wondered. Her laughter turned to loud sobs. They had been doing fine. Or so it seemed. There was no sign that he fell out of love with her or he found someone outside. Even if there was, he must have hidden it well or she had been too blind to notice it.
At this point, was it important to consider all these things now? They were over now There was no Ruby and Fred. There was only Ruby now. A sick, heartbroken Ruby.

Unable to control herself, she curled into herself on the bed and cried. She cried because the pain in her chest surpassed the pain in her head. She cried because she didn't know what else to do. She cried because she felt helpless, felt alone on her narrow bed. She cried until she fell asleep, too weak to even reach for the tissue to clean the mucus running from her nose and her eyeballs couldn't manufacture any new tears.

***
Rose came back much later in the evening. Her first stop was to Ruby's room. Her expression changed immediately she entered the room and saw Ruby curled into herself. When she got closer, she noticed the dried streaks of tears on her cheeks and the dry mucus sticking to Ruby's nose.

"My God," she muttered and reached over to touch Ruby's forehead. As she expected, Ruby's temperature was running high. "I told her to stay at home if she couldn't handle work today," she said in exasperation. But she didn't hurry to wake Ruby. She walked out of the room and went to her room to change out of her clothes. After that, she entered the kitchen with the leather bag she returned with. On her way back from work, she stopped at the market to get some things. She went to work immediately, expertly cutting veggies, sprinkling ingredients. In no time, she was done. She dished out the food on a plate and placed it on a tray. On her way to Ruby's room, she stopped by the dining table to pour a glass of water.

She gently tapped Ruby when she got to the room. "Ruby," she said with urgency when Ruby didn't wake up at her first two taps.

Ruby woke up grudgingly. The first thing she felt was a searing pain in her head. "Jesus" And then her throat felt scratchy and hurt when she made the exclamation. The pains in different parts of her body became more pronounced when she tried to move.

"How are you feeling? Do we need to go to the hospital?" Rose leaned over her. She moved to help Ruby up.

Ruby winced with every movement. Her body felt as though she had been run over by a truck. Everywhere hurt. Her mouth felt dry. "Water," she croaked out.

Rose picked up the glass and raised it to her mouth. Ruby took small sips. "What happened? I thought you said you felt better? Why it is like this now?"

She licked stray water on her lips when she was done drinking. She slowly sat upright to face Rose. "He-heartbreak." She tried to smile but winced when her dried lips protested.

"Hmm," Rose humphed. "I thought I said you should stay at home, you were forming iron woman. Now see what happened. When did you come back? You haven't eaten, right? I made pepper soup with potatoes. Pepper soup is good for heartbreak." She carried the plate of food and blew at it.

"Finally, I was wondering when you will prepare this food," Ruby said the words slowly. This was fish pepper soup, different from the goat meat pepper soup Rose cooked a little more frequently. Ruby liked the mixture of ginger and garlic with the traditional spices in the food. It was only Rose that put ginger in her catfish pepper soup, she thought wryly.

"You have to be alive if you want to eat it more frequently." Rose took a spoonful of watery soup and blew at it. "It's peppery o." She raised it to Ruby's mouth. Ruby obediently opened her mouth and allowed the contents of the spoon into her mouth.

She winced when the pepper touched the sore end of her lip.

"Is it painful? I can add water to reduce the pepper?" Rose looked at her.

Ruby shook her head. "It's okay. Maybe the pepper will chase the heartbreak."

A look of offence clouded Rose's face. "You cried again this afternoon, eh?"

Ruby brought her head down. She sniffed.

"No. Before you cry again, eat first and take your medicine. I'm sure you missed your afternoon dosage. After taking your medicine, we will cry together. Just eat first." Rose raised the spoon again to Ruby's mouth, this time it also contained a small portion of fish.

The words worked. Ruby raised her head with a small smile and opened her mouth again.

EPISODE FIFTY-ONE

Two hours later, after Rose, ready for bed came to her room, she asked Ruby, "He called today?"

Ruby was scrolling through Instagram on her bed. She had a short nap after Rose fed her and helped her with her drugs. She was feeling much better now. She shook her head at Rose's question. "He sent me a good luck message."

"Eh?" Rose paused in her actions. She was about to join Rose on the bed. "He sent what?"

Ruby opened her phone to the last message she got from Fred and showed it to her. "Look."

Rose took the phone. "My God," she muttered. She also scrolled through some of the previous messages. She handed the phone back to Ruby, giving her a pitiful look.

Ruby smiled drily. "He obviously wanted to break up with me but didn't know how to. Let's just say this chapter of my life has ended with a huge full-stop."

Rose embraced her, rubbing her back comfortingly. "Don't worry, girl. You would meet someone much better than him."

"Exactly. He is not the only man in the world." Even as she said the words, she tried to ignore the sour feeling in her chest. It would take some time before she gets over him, she knew.

"So, we are both single now, eh?" Rose released Ruby and settled back into the bed, resting her back on the headboard.

They burst out in loud laughter.

Ruby snorted. "I don't plan on remaining single for long. I'm already searching actively for another person."

"Hmm?" Rose's eyes twinkled. "Who is that?"

"Nobody yet," Ruby said with a twinkle. "But I know that I will soon get into another relationship. I was serious when I said I was going to look for the right person for me."

Rose laughed. "You have not finished dealing with heartbreak from one and you want to jump into another one. I hail you o."

Ruby shook her head. "You don't understand. Being with Boye taught me a lot of things. Number one, never deceive yourself with the word 'bestie'. It was a bondage that I personally put myself in. I couldn't move on from it until it drained me completely. And then with Fred," she sighed, "Sometimes, it won't work out no matter how you try."

"Only?" Rose asked.

Ruby eyed her. "I'm still in the heartbreak stage, how can I come up with so many lessons."

"It's now like you're taking this relationship thing like a university course. I hope you graduate with first-class o."

"Come on," Ruby slapped her playfully. "You know what I mean. But on a serious note, I will give myself three months before I get into another relationship,"

"Ehen?" Rose looked at her.

"I'm serious." She met Rose's look. "Right now, I want to concentrate on my job and improving myself."

"Okay o." The word was cloaked in doubt.

"Babe!" Ruby whined. "I'm telling you something you're keeping your face like this. You're making me feel as though I am saying nonsense here." She unlocked her phone and started looking through it in mock anger.

"No, I don't mean it like that." Rose changed her expression and put a hand around Ruby's shoulder. "It's good that you decided to develop yourself first. But knowing you, if another fine guy comes now, you will forget everything and jump into another pot of oil."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "It's not that serious na." She didn't dispute Rose's words. They were true. In the same way, she almost gave up herself for Boye, and then Fred. Maybe she was doomed to lose herself in any relationship she gets into.

"I just wish you would think more of yourself when you get into another relationship. Ever since I knew you, you have been this way. I don't like seeing you this way after every relationship. Sometimes, learn to keep maybe forty per cent of your heart to yourself."

In a bid to lighten the mood that was becoming serious, Ruby said, "So how do I measure it? What's..." She trailed off when Rose gave her a dirty look.

"It's not a joking matter. Look, this time, you fell sick. What would happen next time? Would I have to call an ambulance?"

"Don't worry, Rose." It was Ruby's turn to embrace Rose. "I will take better care of my heart next time. I promise you the next person I meet will only receive sixty per cent of my heart."

"Fifty."

"Okay, fifty. Anything you say."

Rose sighed in exasperation. "Did you see the message they posted in the youth group yesterday?"

Ruby released her and picked up her phone. "Which message? You know that group always has up to 200 messages. And it's they don't make any sense." She was already going to the said group on her phone.

"They'll be holding a singles program. It's coming up next month. A one-week program."

Ruby scanned through the messages in the group. She stopped on the one about the program and starred it. "Are you going?"

"Definitely." Rose laid down. "I've been missing that of previous years. I'll just attend this one. Who knows what might come out from it."

"Me too." Ruby was registering her details through the link that had been posted alongside the message.

"Let's just hope luck will shine on us this time."

EPISODE FIFTY-TWO

Ruby rushed into the company. After taking two days off to nurse herself back to good health, she was feeling much better. She still felt as if there was a huge stone in her heart, blocking it from performing properly, but it was better than before when she thought her heart would stop beating. She wasn't over Fred yet. Even though she had deleted his contacts and everything about him from her phone--she left her favourite picture she'd taken with him by the beachside--, she still visited his social media accounts to see what he was up to. Her life had returned to how it was pre-Fred-- boring, lonely, and unexciting. She accepted that it was over. Her relationship with Fred was truly over.

"Ruby," someone called her name in a singsong manner.

She stopped in her rush as she was already minutes late and turned to see the person that called her. It was Gideon. He was also late.

"Gideon," She said as she hurried to the reception desk to sign her name.

"How are you feeling now?" He came up beside her, waiting for her to finish writing so he could also sign his name.

Ruby had let go of any leftover grudges she had over Gideon. During her absence from the company, he'd called her frequently to check up on her and visited her once after work. She hadn't expected it from him. Before she never even had his contact on her phone, so when he called her, she was surprised. At first, she thought it was something to do with the company, but when he announced that he only called to know how she was and asked if she needed his help. That first call ended awkwardly. While they bantered a lot in the company, their relationship had never left the boundaries of the company.

When he called the second time, the evening of the first time he called, she was more prepared for the conversation, answering him cordially and even joked with him before hanging up the call.

The third time he called, she'd mistakenly mentioned her breakup with Fred. She tried to brush it off, but he remained insistent, saying that if she didn't talk about it, she wouldn't get over it.

Talking to him on the phone and seeing him physically seemed to her as two different things. After all, they had talked about, she knew that their relationship had crossed the boundaries of mere colleagues.

She flashed him a full smile. "Much better. Good morning."

"Wow." His eyes widened when he took a good look at her. "You're looking really good today."

She batted her lashes. They felt heavy but it was worth it. For the first time in almost ten months, she had put on heavier makeup than usual, even fixing thick and long lashes. "Thank you," she said smoothly,

"I can see that Mr Fred has been forgotten completely eh? You came very prepared, huh?" He took the pen from her hand and pulled the book closer to himself.

"Who Mr Fred again?" She flipped her hair. She loved the texture of the hair. It was a new wig she had gotten a week ago, before her breakup with Fred. It was expensive, one of the most expensive wigs she'd ever bought, but she couldn't deny the great quality.
Gideon laughed loudly, his voice echoing in the reception.

Ruby slapped him. "Shh! You don't know we are already late eh? Don't draw Mr Hanson's attention please."

Gideon shook his head. He finished signing his name and returned the book and the pen to their position. The two of them walked towards the stairs.

"You are looking really great today." He looked at her fully this time. She was dressed in a tight-fitting gown that brought out her shape including the small bulge in her stomach. On her feet were a pair of heels. Ordinarily, she preferred to wear flats to work, but today she'd decided to break the circle. After all, it was a new beginning for her.

She smiled again. "Thank you, Gideon."

They got to the top of the stairs.

Gideon stopped, then caught her elbow lightly when she continued walking. "So how about dinner together after work?"

She frowned. "Gideon?"

He shook his head. "No, no. I don't mean it that way." He let go of her hand. "I mean as friends. I've been wanting to take you out for a dinner. Moreover, you are all dressed today, it would be a waste if you just use it for work."

"Not today, Gideon. After work, I would be really tired and by then I'm sure most of the makeup would be gone, that's if I don't wipe it off myself." She hated carrying on the same makeup for more than five or six hours.

"Well, how about for lunch." She wanted to say something, but he continued. "I know that lunch period is short, but it's just to eat. The difference is that we'll be going somewhere aside Iyabo down there."

Ruby thought for some seconds. She sighed and said, "Alright. It's lunch then."

Gideon's thin lips stretched out in a wide smile revealing his teeth. For the first time, she noticed the gap between his perfectly aligned teeth. "Then it's set. Finally, I got her to agree to go out with me."

"It's just lunch." She rolled her eyes. "I'm not one to say no to free food."

"Oh." His eyes gleamed. "We can have lunch every day together."

She eyed him. "You and who? Abeg, I'm already extra late for work. I will see you in the afternoon."

He waved as she turned to go. "See you later." He didn't turn immediately to go to his office. Instead, he stood watching her as she walked, watching the movement of her buttocks as she walked.

Ruby, feeling awkward because of his stare, almost missed a step. She turned to him with a glare. "What are you looking at?"

He raised his hand in mock apology. "Just enjoying the view." He winked at her and started towards his office.

She groaned and continued on her way. "Annoying," she mumbled as she entered the office.

EPISODE FIFTY-THREE

The restaurant Gideon took her to wasn't far from the company. From the outside, it looked like a private home. It was only when they went inside that she realized that it was a restaurant. It had a subdued atmosphere, even though most of the tables were occupied, it remained quiet with the sound of cutleries against plates. The patrons, mostly in pairs, spoke in hushed tones.

"I didn't know this place existed," she said when they took their seat at a table.

He smiled. "This is like a place that everyone knows but no one knows."

She creased her brows. "What do you mean?"

"I mean it's there. Ask anyone for Alfred's and they will point you here, but very few people know what it is exactly."

"I always thought it was part of the hotel beside it. So why make it so private like this?"

A waitress came to their table holding two menus. She greeted them politely and placed a menu each in front of them.

Ruby opened the menu and looked through the menus. It was a combination of Nigerian meals and some foreign meals that she had not heard of before. She studied some of the foreign meals. On one hand, it would be nice to try new meals, but on the other, she wasn't sure if it was palatable. In the end, she chose something that looked like spaghetti but looked like it was cooked with milk. She didn't bother about the name and pointed it out to the waitress. Gideon also made his order and the waitress left. She returned minutes later with two glasses of fruit juice.

"This place is nice," Ruby said, turning her head to look at the place.

"I suspected that you've not come here before. I see you always go to Iyabo's place to eat. Don't you ever get tired of eating there?"

"I don't always eat there. Sometimes, I bring food from home."

"That's not what I meant, and you know it." He smiled. "I think I've eaten in all the restaurants around this area. Well, except that Freda's Eatery. The first day I went there, a man complained of seeing a worm in his fish. I never went back again."

"Eww." Ruby made a face. "You like food that much, or you just love experimenting?"

"Who doesn't like food?" He laughed. It was loud laughter in the quiet restaurant. She gestured at him to control himself. He shrugged, then continued, "I like Iyabo's pepper soup and ewedu. When I want to eat rice, there is this restaurant behind our company. The rice, especially jollof rice, is so good. I always felt that Iyabo's rice is a little undone."

"You've really studied all their foods. What about at home? Do you still go to restaurants or do you prepare meals yourself?"

A waiter arrived with their meals. He placed it on the table and told them to press a small bell at the edge of the table if they needed any other thing. Ruby had not noticed the bell when they came in.

She picked up her fork and stared at the food in front of her. She had seen something like this on Instagram and always wondered what it would taste like.

"Why are you looking at the food as if you are scared of it?" Gideon had already dug into his food. It was white rice that had been cooked with peas and carrots with a blackish sauce with quartered meats.

"Have you ever tasted it before?" She dipped her fork into the food and tasted it.


"It's not bad. Just cheese. I think I've had it before."

She went in for a bigger portion, whirling her fork in the plate to grab the pasta. She nodded in appreciation as she chewed. "It's not bad. I've always thought it would taste weird. I mean, who uses milk in cooking spaghetti."

Gideon chuckled and continued eating. "You asked if I buy food at home, and I would tell you proudly that I don't. If you go to my fridge now, it is stocked with soups and stews that my friends would end up taking for themselves."

She widened her eyes. "Really? You cook that much?"

"I grew up cooking for my family. I lost my mother when I was six years old. And being the firstborn, I had to take care of my siblings. Thank God they were just two. I don't know what I would do if they were more than that. She died three days after giving birth to the last born," he said.

"Oh my God!" Ruby dropped her fork and looked at him. "I'm so sorry."

He waved lightly. "It's been ages. At least we got through. I started cooking when I was eight. The girl my father brought to take care of us used to maltreat us, and after she left, he didn't bring another person. That time because I was too short, I had to stand on the stool so that I could stir the food. I got used to taking care of my siblings and cooking for them. It continued like that until I got admission and left home. At that time, my sister already knew how to cook."

"But up till today, I cannot cook for one person," he laughed. "Anytime I cook, I end up preparing for more than two people. Once I specifically tried to cook for one person, jollof rice. But the taste didn't come out right."

She chuckled. "I imagine your friends visit you just to ransack your fridge."

He nodded, then waited to finish chewing before he said, "They have to pay before they take anything from the fridge. Even though I like cooking, I won't be dashing out my food like that. Not with the way things are becoming more and more expensive these days."

"Maybe you should open a restaurant?"

He was already shaking his head before she finished talking. "No. Opening a restaurant would take the fun out of cooking for me. You should come around and watch me when I cook. I use cooking as a stress reliever."

"You would like my friend, Rose. She loves cooking and her meals are just so delicious. But when you mention opening a restaurant, she would look like a deer caught in headlights."

"And you? You don't sound like you like cooking much?" He used his fork to gesture at her.

She shook her head. "I only cook because it's necessary. With my friend around, I rarely ever cook. The last time I cooked should be..." She trailed off. The last time she cooked was quite recent, for Fred. That day, she almost cut her hand when she was slicing onions and when he heard her scream, he rushed to the kitchen. After she complained, he blew at her fingers and offered to cut the onions for her. She refused. "I want to prepare everything myself," she told him. She had cooked coconut rice. He'd said that she should have cut the carrots into smaller dices and that she'd over-fried the plantains.

"When?" Gideon noticed the look on her face.

"Oh, it's been long. I don't remember," she said. "Let's eat." She turned her attention to her food, not wanting to talk anymore. She was no longer enjoying the food.

Ohhh this story again. I know it's hard writing a book without incentive or any sort of renumeration.
But kindly finish this up for us pls

Kiddogarcia:
Ohhh this story again. I know it's hard writing a book without incentive or any sort of renumeration.
But kindly finish this up for us pls

Will do ASAP

EPISODE FIFTY-FOUR

A warm hand landed on her left hand that was resting on the table. Ruby looked at the hand and then at Gideon. He had a warm smile on his face.

“You were thinking of him just now?” he asked.

Her effort not to think of Fred at that moment seemed hopeless when Gideon asked the question. So he noticed. She didn't say anything.

He patted her hand softly. “It'll take some time to get over him. Don't worry. I will wait.”

This time she frowned, forgetting about Fred. “Wait for what?”

“For you to forget him and become my girlfriend.” He flashed his teeth at her. She noticed something stuck on one of his teeth.

She snorted. “Until thy kingdom come.”

“Really?” He sounded disappointed. “What about me don't you like?”

“Are you being serious now?” She was done eating. She placed her fork on the plate and reached for a serviette to wipe her mouth.

“What do you think? Wait o, all this while, you think I've been joking with you?” He abandoned his food and looked at her.

“You were being serious?” she refuted.

He coughed out a laugh. “What if I am being serious then? Would you go out on a date with me?”

“I'm on a date with you now, aren't I?” She gestured at the table.

“Oh my God, this girl.” He rubbed his face in exasperation. “You know what I mean?”

She smiled impishly. “But you called it a date now? Is this not a lunch date? Shey you were asking for an apology date? I've given it to you.”

He cleared his throat and straightened up. “Yes. I asked for an apology date so that I would officially apologise for the things I did when we first met. I am really sorry.”

“What are you talking about? I've forgotten everything that happened.” She picked up her glass and took a sip from it, looking elsewhere but at him.

“What do you mean?” He had a confused look on his face.

She rolled her eyes. “Really, I have forgotten. Or do you expect me to keep carrying it on my mind? I have other things to think about.”

He finally understood what she meant and laughed. “This girl, the more I talk to you the more I like you. And I was killing myself over it.”

She smiled. “You're a nice guy. Even though I still don't understand why you said those things about me that time, I will just pretend it was another person.”

He wanted to say something but she shook her head, knowing what he was about to say. “Let's not talk about it. Let the past remain where it is supposed to be.” She stretched out a hand towards him. “So friends?”

He reached out to take her hand. “Frie... No, wait. Are you friend-zoning me?” He wanted to let go of her hand but she held on tight.

“Let's start as friends, Gideon. I'm not sure I want to get into a relationship now,” she said.

He shook his head slowly. “I'm not sure I agree with this friendship thing. I'd rather remain your colleague before you are ready to get into another relationship.” He let go of her hand slowly. “We cannot just be friends.”

She sighed and played with her fingers, still feeling the warmth of his hand against hers. “Let's go. Lunch break ended minutes ago.” She picked up her purse and put her phone inside it.

“Ruby,” he called out. For the first time since she knew him, this was the first time he was calling her that way, filled with emotions and honesty.

She looked at him. Gideon wasn't exceptionally good-looking, neither did he have an attractive aura like Fred or the other men she had met before. He was rather plain, with a normal face that was neither handsome nor ugly. He had a little stubble along his jaws. The only exceptional thing about him were his eyes. The same eyes that she almost fell for the first time she met him.

“Okay, anything you want, Gideon. But don't expect much from me. I'm afraid I may end up disappointing you.”

He stood up with a wide smile. “This is better than just being friends. Don't worry about disappointing me. I wouldn't give you that chance.”

She stood up as well. “I'm not promising anything,” she stressed.

“Well, let's see as it goes.” He brought out his wallet. “You can wait for me out front. Let me settle the bill.”

She smiled and walked out of the restaurant. The weather outside was warm, the sun shining so brightly that she felt a little dizzy as she stood. She was about to fall but reached out to hold something. She ended up catching on to someone's hand.

“Oh, I'm so sorry.” Without seeing clearly, she tried to apologise and let go of the person's hand. The person held on.

“Ruby?” A voice called out questioningly.

The voice sounded familiar. She looked up, this time, her eyes cleared. She creased her brows as she looked at the person. Like his voice, he also looked familiar, but she couldn't place where she knew him from or what his name was.

“It's me, Dafe. From uni. Don't you remember?” The person said.

Ruby widened her eyes and in the same moment, she felt uncomfortable. “Hey,” she said shakily. “It's been a while.” She looked back to see if Gideon was coming, but he was nowhere to be found.

“Yea.” Dafe, tall with broad shoulders and a clean-shaven face, towered over her, so she had to look up when he talked. “How have you been? You're looking so good. I can see life has been good to you.”

“Yes,” she said drily. “Life has been good to me.”

At this time, a hand snaked around her waist sending shivers up her back. She stiffened.

“Babe,” the sound of Gideon's voice eased the tension in her body.

She placed a hand on Gideon's hand around her and held on tight.

“This is...?” Dafe looked at Gideon.

Ruby smiled shakily and interrupted Gideon as he was about to introduce himself, “Gideon, my boyfriend.”

Dafe “oohed” and looked at Gideon from head to toe. Gideon was also shorter than him, an inch or two taller than Ruby so he also had to look up to Dafe when he spoke to him.

Gideon, probably excited about how he was being introduced, stretched out his hand enthusiastically for a handshake. “Nice to meet you...?”

Dafe took his hand. “Dafe, Dafe. I was her boyfriend back in the uni.”

Gideon gave Ruby a questioning look. Ruby avoided his gaze. “Oh, nice to meet you Dafe.” Gideon's voice was no longer as enthusiastic as it was before.

“You stay around-” Dafe was saying but Ruby cut in.

“We are in a hurry. Maybe we will catch up some other time.” Without waiting for a reply from Dafe, she took Gideon's hand and started walking away.

“Come on, Rubs. At least give me your number. I lost it some time ago. Maybe we can catch up over dinner?” Dafe grinned. He unlocked his phone and handed it to her, not minding the look on Gideon, her supposed boyfriend's, face.

With shaky hands, Ruby inputted some digits into the phone. When she was done, she handed it to him. “Later then.” This time, she turned on her feet without taking Gideon's hand and hurried towards Gideon's car in front of the restaurant.

EPISODE FIFTY-FIVE

Gideon got into the car with her. He looked at her. She avoided his gaze. "Who is he? Is he really your ex?"

"We are already late for work." She gestured at the keys in his hand. "I don't want to talk about it."

He frowned. "You don't expect me to just forget about this after what happened back there. I recognize the look on your face. You looked frightened. What happened between you and him?"

"Gideon," she pleaded. "Not now, please. I don't want to talk about it. We are already late for work. Let's just go back to the company."

"I won't forget about it though." He turned on the engine of the car and reversed the car before he drove into the road.

Ruby looked out of the window as he drove. He was right. A burst of fear had overcome here when she recognized Dafe. He had changed, no longer the thin guy he had been before, but the way he made her feel never changed. There was no denying it. Even now, her body was shaking, shaking so badly that she could hardly hide it from Gideon. Seeing Dafe took her back to her years in the university. She met Dafe barely three weeks after she resumed school as a year one student. At that time, she was filled with so much excitement and anticipation of the life ahead of her as a university student. She had so many expectations of how her life would go—she would be a serious student graduating with a first-class, while in school she would meet the love of her life whom she would get married to after her service, after marriage, she would get a job in a good company, take care of her family and become a chartered accountant.

She met Dafe at the school library. Being a serious student, two weeks into her resumption she was already visiting the library daily and spent her extra time there. Her schedule at that time was simple—class, library and lodge. Even on Sundays, she spent the rest of the day after returning from church service in her room reading.

Dafe was in his final year and was in the library researching materials for his project. He had approached her and then asked for her name and her department. Dafe was tall and even though not as muscled as he currently was, he had his appeal. He was attractive. When he talked, he spoke smoothly, compliments flowing easily out of his slightly pink lips. She fell for him at first sight. Blushing all the while he introduced himself to her. That day, she stayed in the library until 10 pm when the library closed.

They started dating a week later and soon, Ruby was practically living with him. Within two months, most of her properties had been moved into his flat. He came from a wealthy home so he lived in a two-bedroom flat alone. She became his live-in girlfriend and of course, started doing the things a wife did for her husband. She cooked for him, cleaned the house, washed his clothes and satisfied him in bed. At this point, she forgot what she came to school to do. She began to miss lectures for reasons as silly as staying in with him because he didn't have a lecture that day. She seemed to have forgotten that as a final year student, he didn't have as many courses as she did and he only had to write his project.

At first, it wasn't all horrible. Dafe came from a wealthy home and took good care of her. He bought her nice clothes, bags and shoes. He made sure she changed her hair every two weeks or less. They often went on dates to classy restaurants and some weekends, she travelled with him to Abuja.

By the end of her first semester in school, she had three carryovers and her GP was lower than 2.5. The problem started at the end of the second semester, just as he was about to graduate. It started with slaps when she didn't come back on time or when she forgot to wash a pair of boxers or his socks got missing after she washed them. At that time, she honestly began to feel that she was married to him. Most of her friends and his friends knew they were together, they treated her like his partner. She in turn had to behave in a way that was befitting of the term 'girlfriend' even though at this point, she wasn't sure what she was. From slaps, it turned to beatings. The first was when she travelled without his permission. She got a call from her father saying her mother had been admitted into the hospital and she rushed home to see her mother. When she returned, three days later, he pounced on her without waiting for her to say anything even though she called him the day she travelled to explain why she had to travel immediately.

She could have learned her lesson the first time or the second time, but no, she remained with him. She believed that she was the one at fault, that she was the reason he got angry. Maybe if she did better, if she paid attention to his socks after washing them, if she made sure she got back home in time, if she changed her hair before he felt it had gotten old, he wouldn't get angry. It was hard to serve two 'gods' at the same time. Her grades kept on falling, her relationship with him, no matter how hard she tried, was failing.
She felt lost at that time. At some point, she knew that the best solution would be to break up with him. She knew that remaining with him would only destroy her. But she didn't know how to detach herself from him. Despite the beatings, despite the maltreatment, she was deeply in love with him, or so she believed.

Her friendship with Rose began at this period when she was losing herself in the relationship with Dafe. They had just completed the second-semester exams. She missed two exams and came to school to meet one of the teachers, with the hope that he would give her a makeup exam rather than having to carry the course over. Dafe had given her ten thousand naira to give the lecturer if he proved difficult to deal with.
Rose also came to meet the same lecturer, but for a different reason. Rose was one of the serious students in class and she was on good terms with a few of the lecturers. She had come to buy this particular lecturer's book, one that he had published days earlier.

She met Rose standing in front of the lecturer's office when she got there. "Is he around?" She recognized Rose as one of her classmates. But because she wasn't a serious student, often missing lectures, she never had an opportunity to talk to Rose until that day.

"I called him earlier. He said he is on his way," Rose said.

Ruby nodded and leaned against the railing. She was tired. The previous night, she had endured a round of beating from Dafe and then brutal sex that left her legs sore.

"Are you okay?" Rose studied her. "Your face..." She gestured at Ruby's face "...it's swollen."

Ruby touched her face lightly. She had used makeup to cover it. How did Rose notice it? She forced a smile. "I'm okay. I just didn't sleep well at night."

"Really?" Rose said. She wanted to keep talking, but the lecturer arrived at that time. She rushed to meet him, taking his laptop bag and books. "Good morning sir."

EPISODE FIFTY-SIX

The only reason Ruby had been able to write the makeup exam that day was that Rose pleaded for her, proving an alibi for her when she said she had been ill. The lecturer didn't believe her, until Rose confirmed it, saying that she had visited Ruby after the exam. "Ruby didn't miss the exam on purpose," she said.

She wrote the exam in the lecturer's office, supervised by Rose. It would end up being one of her highest grades that semester. During the fifteen minutes that the lecturer left the office, she allowed Ruby to use her textbooks to check some of the answers she'd written.
After the exam, they left the lecturer's office together and took the same bus to the school gate.

"I hate to intrude in people's lives, but the way you are suffering now, do you think it is worth it?" Rose asked when they got down from the bus at the school gate and Ruby thanked her again for helping her.

At first, Ruby wanted to snap at her, tell her to mind her business, that helping her with the exam didn't mean she could put her mouth in her personal matter, but when she opened her mouth, nothing came out.

Rose looked at her with a helpless sigh. "Break up with him if he is making life difficult for you. You're still young, I'm sure you don't want to lose yourself at this age."

Ruby blinked rapidly to stop the tears in her eyes from rolling down. "Can I come and stay with you for a few days?" Earlier that semester, she had moved out of her lodge, taking full residence in Dafe's home. She didn't see any reason to keep paying the rent of a place she didn't stay in very often.

"You don't have anywhere to stay?" Rose looked at her doubtfully. She had only offered to help Ruby with her exam. It didn't mean she wanted to open the doors of her house to someone. At this point, even though she could understand the type of life Ruby was living, it didn't mean she trusted her.

Ruby shook her head. She understood Rose's worries, so she asked instead, "Do you know any place I can rent? Today or tomorrow? I want to move my things before I go home for the holidays?"

She pretended not to notice the look of relief on Rose's face. "I will ask around. I will call you when I get one. Let me have your number."

Thinking about it, she had not thought twice about breaking up with Dafe. In fact, there had been no official break-up. The next day, Rose called her, saying she wasn't able to find one, but since she didn't have a roommate, Ruby could keep her things in her place and when she returned from the holidays, she could find a new place.

Ruby waited until Dafe left. That night, he went out with his mates to celebrate their graduation. She told him she wasn't feeling fine and wanted to stay back to rest. As soon as he left, she packed her things and left his house. She didn't take anything of his property, even leaving the things that he bought for her. Taking anything that belonged to him would only make him search for her. She wanted a clean break.
Rose helped her to pack her things that night. When she left his house, she simply sent him a message saying that she was tired of the relationship and had packed her things out of his place. She didn't know if he looked for her. Even if he did, it would have been difficult for him to find her at that time. She spent the holiday in one of her aunt’s house for the fear that he would go to her parent's place to look for her. Moreover, it was his last semester in school. He would have to leave school to go back to his parent's house in Abuja and he also had to attend the compulsory service corps.

After then, she never met him again or heard about him. And slowly, even memories of her relationship with him were buried deep in her heart, she tried her best to forget about him. She hated to think about it, how she had been vulnerable during that time. Some of the scars she'd gotten from the times he flogged her with a belt were still on her back. Seeing him again, only brought back those memories along with the fear that she had lived with through her first year and part of her second year, fear that he would find her and drag her back to his life, fear that he had found her and he seemed no different from how he was back then.

***
A hand landed on her hands that she had been fiddling with on her laps. "Ruby, are you okay?" Gideon's worried voice pierced through her memories, bringing her back to the present. She was in Gideon's car. The car was parked beside the company.

She breathed in deeply, taking in the refreshing scent of the air freshener in the car. "I'm fine, Gideon."

He wasn't satisfied with her answer. "Did you see the look on your face earlier? I called you three times and you didn't answer. Do you think I can let you leave this way? What the hell is happening? Who was that guy back there?"

"He is my ex-boyfriend, Gideon. I thought I made it clear back then."

"You're scared of him?" Gideon studied her expression.

She shook her head violently. "Scared of who? I wasn't scared. I was just surprised to see him." She forced a smile. "It's been a long time."

Gideon rubbed his jaws wearily. "I know the difference between someone surprised and scared. But if you don't want to talk about it, I'll let it be."

He wanted to take his hands away from hers, but she held on to it and looked at him. "Gideon, I'm sorry I don't want to talk about this. But thank you, back there. I'm sorry I used you that way. I just... I didn't..." She trailed off.

He patted her hand on his. "You wanted him to know that you were not available, I understand." He smiled perkily. "You owe me for this, you know eh?"

She rolled her eyes and pulled her hands away from his. Her fears were forgotten. "What do you want now?"

"Don't worry. I won't insist on you talking about it now, but you should bear it in mind that someday I would." He laughed when she pouted her lips.

"Don't try to take advantage of me o."

They came down from the car and walked to the company, bantering all the way. Even though he didn't say it, Gideon was trying his possible best to make her feel more relaxed. By the time she went into her office and sat down at her desk after tendering an apology to Mrs Oyena for being late, she felt relaxed. Even when she thought about her coincidental meeting with Dafe, she didn't feel as afraid as she did at first. It was all in the past, she assured herself.

More pls

love the updates

Thanks ma’am
More updates pls

Thanks for updating after a long break, I was surprised when I saw an update. God bless you please don't leave us hanging again. Thanks

queentener:
Thanks for updating after a long break, I was surprised when I saw an update. God bless you please don't leave us hanging again. Thanks

I won't
This time, it's a promise

EPISODE FIFTY-SEVEN

Ruby rolled her shoulders in relief when she looked up at the clock and saw that it was three minutes past six. Her colleagues were still bent over their computers. She shut down her computer and switched off the socket of the extension it was connected to. She packed her bags and stood up.

“I'm going,” she announced to the office. She got distracted replies in return. She didn't mind. After what happened in the afternoon and the memory of Dafe, she wanted nothing more than to go home and sleep.

As she walked out of the accounting office, a hand stretched out and stopped her in her tracks. She looked at the owner of the hand and met Gideon's smiling face.

“How are you feeling now?” Gideon asked. He peered into her face, probably looking for signs that she cried.

She pushed her head back and avoided his gaze. The way he looked at her made her feel naked and vulnerable. "Nothing is wrong with me, Gideon. I'm okay."

"That's good." He leaned back in relief. "I got these for you." He stretched out his other hand towards her. He was holding the signature bag from one of the eateries in the area.

She frowned but collected it and looked inside. There was a plate of food, ice cream and... was that suya? She could feel the heat from the contents of the bag. "Did you just get this?"

He smiled. "I ordered it for you. I know that you're not feeling good. I hear ice cream is good for bad moods? I got a strawberry-flavoured one. You like it?"

Ruby looked at him, not knowing what to say. Her heart was filled with so much gratitude. She swallowed and said, "Thank you so much, Gideon. I really appreciate it."

He waved his hands at her. By now, other employees were trooping out of their offices, biding each other goodbye. "It's nothing. I wanted to do it. I don't like it when you say thank you. I hope you feel better. I still have some work to complete at the office. I will see you tomorrow." He smiled at her and walked away.

Ruby stood there for a while, looking in the direction that he had gone.

"So, you and Gideon? What's up?"

A voice came suddenly behind her. She jumped at how close the voice was. She turned to see Ama standing behind her, folding her arms and looking at her with curiosity.

"Jesus." Ruby placed her hand on her chest. "Next time don't sneak up on me like that." She shook her head.

"I've been standing here for a while. He saw me but you didn't notice me. I don't get it. Were you that lost in admiration for him? By the way, why are you so scared? We are in the company and other people are walking around." She frowned.

"Nothing." Ruby started walking towards the stairs. Ama followed behind her. "He got me something, so I was just trying to appreciate him."
"Hmm?" Ama looked at the bag in Ruby's hand. She reached for it and looked into the bag. "Wow! Ice-cream. Now I want to take some ice cream." She looked at Ruby. "You're still recovering from an illness. Are you sure ice cream is good for you?"

Ruby eyed her and took the bag from her. "I am healthy and well. There is nothing that can stop me from eating ice cream." She had almost forgotten that this was her first day at work after the sick leave she took. She was so exhausted that she felt like all through the week she'd been at work. She was grateful that it was Friday.

"So what's going on with the two of you? Don't tell me he is investigating something again." She narrowed her eyes.

"Please." Ruby rolled her eyes. "We are now friends. He has been of much help, especially with my breakup with Fred."

Ama nodded with understanding. "Friends? Or Friends?" She stressed out the last word.

"What do you mean?" Ruby stared at her.

Ama humphed. "Why are you acting as if you don't know what I mean? I mean normal friends or friends that..." She made a gesture with her fingers.

"God! Ama, what are you thinking?" Ruby groaned. They walked out of the company. "I thought you were religious. Why are you always thinking like that?"

"Is it not you that taught me? Any small thing you will be suspecting that this guy is sleeping with this girl, or this girl is seducing that man. Now, you're blaming me for thinking the same thing."

Ruby looked chastised. "It's not that bad," she mumbled.

"You think?" Ama tsked and shook her head. "So you guys are just normal friends? Since when?"

"Just recently," Ruby said. "You know he came to visit me when I was sick. And then took me out for lunch this afternoon. He wanted to console me for the breakup."

Ama squinted her eyes at her. She thought for a few seconds before she said, "Are you sure the guy doesn't like you?"
Ruby didn't say anything.

Ama widened her eyes. "Oh my God. that is so cute. Gideon is a nice guy despite his love for gossip, but he would make a good-"

"Wait, what are you thinking?" Ruby cut her rambling.

"Aren't you going-"

Ruby was already shaking her head. "No, no. Not at all." She said the words with a conviction that left no argument.

Her excitement deflated, Ama looked at her. "Why? Are you still angry with him over what happened when? Three years or more ago?"

"No. It's not that. I stopped being angry with him a long time ago. I just don't feel that attracted to him. Moreover, I still haven't gotten over Fred."

"Really? If you had only given the first excuse, I would have believed you. But with the second excuse... Don't you think you're deceiving yourself? So if someone asks you out now, you won't date the person because of who? A stupid coward that has to frame his partner to break up with her? I was trying to be light with my words when I called you the other day, but babe, forget that guy completely. He shouldn't be the reason that you cannot move one. I'm sure he has gotten another girl and has already forgotten about the girl named Ruby."

"You guys all think it's easy?" Ruby burst out, frightening Ama and attracting the stares of passers-by. "You think I don't want to wake up and completely forget that I spent about six months with one man? I really want to forget. Sometimes, I want to pull out my heart and force it to stop feeling hurt. But..." her voice broke. "It still hurt, really. I feel the pain so much and even when I try to ignore it, I remember the times we spent together, how things felt like they were going well, and then I start wondering what went wrong. I really want to forget, honestly. But I can't." The last sentence came out as a whimper.

Ama put her hand around her, her expression softened as she said "I'm so sorry, Rubs. I didn't mean to sound harsh. I understand how you feel." She rubbed Ruby's back.

Ruby sniffed, then pulled herself from Ama's embrace. "I get what you mean. But with Gideon? I don't feel that way for him." After a small break of silence, she added, "Yet."

"Wow, so you're considering him now?" The smile was back on Ama's face.

Ruby frowned. "I didn't say so, but let's just see how things go first. I don’t want to raise my hopes too high and then just get disappointed again."

queentener:
Thanks for updating after a long break, I was surprised when I saw an update. God bless you please don't leave us hanging again. Thanks

Thank you for coming back
No more long breaks with no updates

EPISODE FIFTY-EIGHT

Ruby tossed her shoes behind her as she entered the house. She went to the kitchen to place the ice cream in the fridge, then found her way to the parlour and flopped down on the couch. She pulled off her wig and massaged her cornrows. They were already getting old, she observed. Maybe she would get Rose to help her braid them. She unlocked her phone and started browsing through Instagram. It didn't take long before she became engrossed in comedy skits and videos.

Almost an hour later, Rose came into the house. "My God!" she exclaimed drawing Ruby's attention from the phone.

Ruby looked up to see Rose drenched from head to toe, her wig protected under her bag. "Is it raining?" She stood up and went to the window to peek out. A flash of lightning brightened the night. She shivered and closed the curtain.

"When did the rain start? I didn't even notice it." She walked back to where she was sitting and looked at Rose.

"On my way back," Rose said while walking to her room. "It started suddenly. Thank God I was almost home at that time."

Ruby remembered that she hadn't changed her clothes. She stood up and went to her room. While she freshened up, she thought about her encounter with Dafe. She was glad that she hadn't given him her real number. It wasn't a fake number either. It was her Airtel number, the sim card that had gotten missing within her pile of books when she was packing out of her lodge after she graduated from the university. She didn't want anything at all to do with him. For her, he was the pure definition of toxicity and all her instincts were telling her to run away from him. After what she went through with him, she would be a fool to even think of bringing him back into her life, even as an acquaintance.

"Babe, this fried rice is sweet o. Where did you buy it?" Rose walked into her room with the plate of food she had kept in the kitchen. It was the food that Gideon bought for her.

Ruby rolled her eyes and took the spoon that Rose handed to her. She took a spoon and hummed in agreement. "This is my supper, you know eh?"

Rose smiled apologetically and closed the plate and gave it to Ruby. "Longer throat. But don't worry, I bought soup from Tosin. I'm already boiling water for eba. We will eat the suya later, right?" She sat down on the bed.

Ruby shrugged. She took a few spoons of rice then returned the plate to Rose. "Guess who I met today?" she said with a full mouth.

"Who?" Rose continued eating.

"Dafe."

"Ah?" Her eyes widened as she chewed.

Ruby nodded slowly. She bundled the clothes she removed and threw them on a pile of clothes by the side of her wardrobe. She sat down beside Rose with a sigh, reached for the other spoon and ate some rice. "The same way I felt when I saw him. I was so shocked. I didn't know what to say at first. If not for the fact that I was with Gideon, I would have just fled immediately. You know I never saw him again after I left his house."

Rose nodded, then said guiltily. "The truth is I've been seeing him frequently since I started working at the office. I think he works around that side too."

Ruby widened her eyes. "You never said anything all this while."

"The first few times that we met, he was always asking about you and wanting your contact, but I didn't give it. I don’t even know how he came to know that we were friends. I couldn't give him even your Facebook name, especially since I know how things went on with the both of you. Even though I know that you don't feel anything for him again, I thought it would be best if you didn't think about him. What did he say when you met?"

Ruby picked the chicken thigh and divided it into two and handed one part to Rose. "What else? He didn't say much. I was with Gideon. But he asked for my number. I gave him one of my former phone numbers. I think the one I was using back in school."

Rose grunted approvingly, sucking on the chicken bone. "That's my girl. Only God knows what he wants this time. Don't let him deceive you. If you know the different girls that flock around him eh. He has even slept with one of the girls in my office." Rose shook her head. "He still has that annoying smile as if he is the best thing that happened to girls in the world. I pity the person he would end up getting married to."

Ruby sniffed in disgust. "Enough about him. I think the water for the semo is ready now."

"Ewo!" Rose jumped up. "See my life. And with how gas is expensive, see me wasting it." She started towards the door. "You're going to eat eh? Plenty or small?"

"Hmmm," Ruby scrunched her face as she contemplated how hungry she was. "Just medium. We still have suya and ice cream."

Rose had already gotten to the door. She stopped and turned back at Ruby. "Let me guess something first. It's Gideon that got all those things for you, eh?"

"Imagine,” she humphed. “It's when you have finished eating the rice that you asked. Yes."

"Wow, so what is going on between the both of you?" Rose was already walking back towards her.

"Madam go and make the eba, biko. We just bought that gas last week o. Let it not finish because of gossip." Ruby turned Rose and pushed her out of the room.

"You will tell me o," Rose shouted while she walked to the kitchen.

Ruby walked back into the room shaking her head in amusement. She picked up her phone and went out of the room to join Rose in the kitchen.

"It's him, right?" Rose was pouring garri grains into the bowl of hot water.

Ruby opened the pot on the stove. It was ogbono soup. "Yes. I think he guessed that my relationship with Dafe wasn't exactly rosy and meeting him at this point made me feel bad, so he got something for me. Did you see the ice cream in the fridge?"

Rose turned the eba expertly. "Yes. The guy is nice o. Are you sure you're not going to consider him? I know that you still have Fred in your mind, but you should also start thinking of moving on."

"I know, I know. I'm no longer thinking of Fred." She leaned on the kitchen cabinet and unlocked her phone. "It's just that I honestly don't think of Gideon as anything more than a friend."

"Why? I've met Gideon before, and I don't see anything about him that will make you want to place him in the friend-zone."

"I don't know how to explain it." Ruby shook her head. "Maybe things will change in the future, but now... I don't see us dating."

Rose switched off the gas and stirred the soup. "Okay o. It's only you that knows what you want. Bring one plate for me. There's plenty of fish in this soup. This woman tried today."

Ruby brought out a plate from the cabinet and took it to Rose. She washed her hand at the tap and reached for a chunk of fish from the bowl of soup Rose handed her to take to the dining table. "Not bad." She sucked at her fingers.

Rose cleared the tabletop. "Oya, bring the soup, let's go and eat. I'm so hungry."

Ruby carried the plate of soup and followed behind her, still dipping her hand and reaching for small chunks of fish.

Thanks for the update

EPISODE FIFTY-NINE

It was a sunny Sunday afternoon. Ruby was watching a movie in the living room. Rose had left earlier after lunch for her co-worker's housewarming party. Her phone charging beside the television stand rang. She listened to it ring for some seconds before she grudgingly stood up to pick the call. It was Gideon.

"Hey, Gideon." She reduced the volume of the television and sat down on the seat nearest to the TV. Her phone was not fully charged yet.

"Ruby," Gideon's voice came through the speakerphone. "Happy Sunday. Hope you were not sleeping?"

"Same to you. I was watching a movie."

"Oh, okay. So I was calling to know if we can hang out later in the evening. Would you be free then?"

Ruby was quiet for some minutes, contemplating the offer. She didn't have anywhere to go and had prepared to spend the day binge-watching the movies she'd crammed in her watch later list.

"Don't worry. It's not going to be far from your place. I can come around. But if you're not interested..." he trailed off. She could imagine a little voice in his mind saying 'please say yes, say yes please.'

She forced herself not to think too much about it. "Okay," she said.

"Yes," his whoop was loud. She cringed at the excitement in his voice. "Then I will see you later then. Is six okay for you?"

"Sure."

"Alright. See you later." He hung up the call.

She looked at the time on her phone before she returned it to where it had been charging. She went back to her seat with mixed feelings. While she'd been dating Fred, she had cut off most of the guys that were on her contact, refusing dates and avoiding anything she thought would send off warning bells in Fred's mind. Now that she was single, her contact list seemed to be dry and lacking suitors. Gideon's invitation soothed the part of her mind that felt unwanted.

In other ways, she felt guilty because she knew what he wanted and she wasn't ready to give it to him. As she got to know him, she realized that he was a good guy. Even though his love for social gossip made him seem annoying on the surface, she understood that it was part of his job, part of what he did. Yet, she couldn't bring herself to see him as anything more than a friend, a co-worker. She wasn't sure how to change her mind about him. Merely agreeing to date him at this point made her only feel a little stiff and uncomfortable.

"At least it doesn't make you feel repulsed. Since it's just discomfort, you may just need to spend more time with him and open up to the thought of the both of you together. It might take a while but it's not entirely impossible." Rose had told her the previous day as they ate.
Spend more time with him, she thought. It wasn't going to be difficult. Gideon was a nice company. Maybe with time, as Rose said, she would come to see him as something more.


She dressed in a comfortable blouse and skirt. Her makeup was light. She had felt too lazy to go through the process of heavy makeup. It was just Gideon, she thought. She didn't need to go all out. Not when he had seen her even at her worst times, without makeup and tired from a stress-filled workday.

He had sent her the address of a bar where he would meet her. It took her ten minutes on a keke napep to get there. She was glad that she didn't have to go through the major roads with traffic. She got there early. She sent him a message and got a reply that said that he was still on his way.

The atmosphere in the bar was light and relaxed, with slow music rolling from the speakers. There were a few patrons in the bar mostly sitting in twos and threes. She took a seat by the wall, the position gave her easy access to keep her eyes on the entrance of the restaurant. She ordered a soft drink and settled into the cushiony chair. Unsure of how long she would have to wait, she took out her phone and started looking through the status of her WhatsApp contacts.

She was chuckling at a meme when she felt someone approach her table. Thinking it was Gideon, she locked her phone and looked up expectantly. The disappointment on her face was clear as day when she saw an unfamiliar man standing beside her.

"Hey pretty, do you mind me sharing your table with you?" He flashed a smile at her. He was already making a move to sit opposite her.

"No," she said pointedly at first, then rushed to soften her tone. "I'm sorry, but I'm waiting for someone." She smiled politely.

"Oh?" He straightened up but remained standing beside the table. "Who would have a pretty girl as you wait in this kind of place. I'm Johnpaul." He stretched out his hand for a handshake.

She took the tips of his hand and let go almost immediately. "Ruby."

"Since you already have company for this evening, would you mind giving me your number?" He handed his phone out. "Maybe one of these days, I would be able to share your table."

Ruby hesitated before she took the phone and typed in her number. She handed the phone back to him. "Maybe," she said dismissively. She looked up to see Gideon come into the bar.

She waved to get his attention. To Johnpaul she said, "My friend is here."

Her phone rang. She looked at it.

Johnpaul pointed at it. "That's my number. I'll call you." He turned to leave, brushing shoulders with Gideon as he arrived. Gideon gave him a cool look then bent to peck Ruby on the cheeks. "Hey, babe." He smiled at her before he sat down opposite her.

Ruby rolled her eyes, fighting the urge to rub the spot that he placed his lips on. "You didn't have to do that."

He gritted out. "I thought he was disturbing you."

Seeing the expression on Gideon's face, she decided to let the matter lie. "You know how they can be. It's nothing."

"Hmm," he grunted.

"How was your day?" She changed the topic. "You went to church today?"

He nodded. "It was really boring. But at least I get to spend time with you." He gestured for the waiter. "My friend told me the barbecue here is good. You want to have that or shawarma?" He looked around the bar. "This is my first time here."

"Shawarma is okay," Ruby said. Rose once bought shawarma from the bar. It was one of the best she'd tasted.

They made their order to the waiter. And when he left, they settled in for a long night.

Gideon will betray and disappoint her,just like others.

FlowerGirl040:
Gideon will betray and disappoint her,just like others.

I feel it's Gideon that will be served breakfast. Thanks for the update.

queentener:
I feel it's Gideon that will be served breakfast. Thanks for the update.

You mean she will turn him down? She doesn't have feelings for him though

Well done OP

EPISODE SIXTY

Ruby's eyeballs almost rolled out of the sockets when she saw the notification on her phone. Someone had just sent her credit of ten thousand naira. She blinked her eyes and looked at the message again to be certain that she counted the zeros correctly. But there was no denying the amount, not with the three zeroes that followed after the ten and the comma.

It wasn't difficult for her to know the culprit. She thought back to the call she had received earlier in the afternoon.

"You said you would call me back when you get home, but I didn't get your call." Johnpaul had called her on her way back from the bar while she was still with Gideon. She picked the call briefly to tell him that she would call him when she got home. But feeling tipsy and tired from spending the evening with Gideon, she'd forgotten to make the call.

"I'm sorry. I slept off when I got home," she replied, not an ounce of apology in her voice. He was only someone that she met and she didn't feel any need to be overtly polite, not when she couldn't even remember what he looked like.

"Ehen?" He said with an Igbo accent. "What about today? When you woke up, you could have called."

"I'm really sorry. I had to go to work in the morning, so..." She trailed off. "I'm sorry."

"Okay. Did you save my number? I want to add you on WhatsApp. Are you at work?"

"Yes." She had come out of the office to take the call.

"Let me not disturb your work. Call me when you close from work."

"I will." She couldn't wait for the call to be over so that she could return to her desk.

"Don't forget o."

She still had an hour before work closed. She had picked up her phone to check her messages, and the notification had caught her attention. She stood up from her seat and walked out, dialing his number on her way out.

"Hello," she said when he picked up the call.

"Are you done with work?" he asked.

"No. I'm seeing a message that you recharged my number with 10k. Is it necessary?"

He hummed. "Yes, I did. Is that a problem? I just wanted to be sure that you can call me."

"You really didn't need to. I said I would call you, and I will."

"Just call me after you close from work, okay?" He lowered his voice as though he was trying to calm a child.

She ended the call without giving him a reply. What did she want to tell him? She dialed a USSD code and looked at her account balance. She wanted to cry. The money was enough to get her the shoes that she'd been eyeing on Instagram. As she walked back to her office, she posted a status on her WhatsApp, asking who wanted to recharge their phone.

***
"He should have just sent the money to my account. Who recharges their phone with ten thousand naira?" she complained to Rose later that evening when she went back home. They were having supper in the living room, both of them balancing plates of beans and fried plantains on their laps.

"Please send five hundred to my phone. Abi just send one thousand. You can send for your brother. Shey he is always disturbing you for airtime." Rose was more concerned about her food.

"Yes. He was the first person I sent for. With the way he uses data, next tomorrow he will still call me for more." She hissed.

"Better do and call the guy o. Maybe if you don't this time, he will send fifty thousand." Rose laughed.

"Biko, abeg." Ruby shivered at the thought. "The funny thing is that I don't even remember how the guy looks o. It's like he wants me to call him by fire by force."

"Is it not just to call him? It's not video call na. Just endure. Highest five minutes then you cut the call."

After sending some of the credit to some friends and family members, she had about five thousand remaining. She had decided to keep the rest. After all, airtime could never be too much, especially when it was free.

After eating, she washed the plates and cleaned up the kitchen. She left Rose in the parlour watching a TV program and went to her room to call Johnpaul.

"Hello, good evening.” She sat down on the bed, holding her pillow to herself. She switched the call to speakerphone.

His voice resonated in her room amidst the sound of him chewing. “Nne, how are you? So you called eh?”

“Yes.” She rolled her eyes. “How was your day?” Truth be told, Ruby had little interest in the man. She had only called him as a gesture of gratitude, following the large amount of airtime he had recharged for her.

“My day was good.” The sound of munching continued. “I’m at this bar where they sell good vegetable stewed chicken. You should come and join me. I will send my driver to your place. Where do you live?” He did a good job of chewing while talking and still talking at a pace that she couldn’t follow. She suspected that he was a businessman that had gotten used to taking calls at ridiculous periods and having to quote his price faster than the other person could do so.

“No, no.” She wasn’t sure which part of what he said she was saying no to. “I just came back from work a moment ago. I’m not sure I want to go out again this night.”

“You’re not sure?” His belch was loud through the speakerphone.

She cringed. “I’m sure, I’m sure. I don’t want to go out this night,” she said in a rush before he would refute her.

“Oh.” He paused for a moment, she heard him gulping down something, probably alcohol. “What about your address? Let me send my driver to bring some for you.”

Ruby thought that it would be best if she ended whatever it was that threatened to sprout up between them at this point rather than letting it go on for much longer. She breathed in deeply and said in the most polite way she could muster, “Excuse me, I’m not really sure... I don’t think anything can happen between me and you.” She changed her wordings when she remembered how he’d reacted to her use of “I’m not sure.”

“Hmm? Why?” The sound of a chair scraping against the ground told her that he must be done with his evening snack.

“I just don’t like you that way. Besides, I don’t even know you.”

“You don’t know me? You haven’t even tried to know me and you’re saying that. Why do you think I was calling you out this night? I also want to get to know you. We can get to know each other along the way.”

She sighed lightly. “It’s not like that. The thing is I’m not interested in you enough to want to know you.”

“Hmm, oh! Okay.” There was resignation in his voice. “I won’t disturb you again. Have a good night.” The call ended with an abruptness that left her no opportunity to reply.

She stared at the phone in her hand before she shrugged. She felt a slight prick of dissatisfaction at the way he hung up without trying harder to woo her. He probably didn’t want to waste his time on something that would end up being futile. Just as she was trying to get him out of her mind, her phone rang. It was Gideon. Her dissatisfaction was forgotten as she picked up the call.

“Hey, my most favorite person.” For the first time, Gideon’s cheery voice sent tingles down her spine. Her heart rate doubled.

“You and who?” she mused, but with a smile on her face.

“That is the truth na? Who else is my favourite person?”

“Just look at yourself. You just said ‘most favourite’, doesn’t that mean that there is another favourite?” She wanted to slap the words back where they came from as soon as they came out.

Gideon let out a burst of satisfied laughter. “You’re jealous eh?”

“Jealous kwa? Me? No, I’m not o. I’m just pointing out…”

“Just admit it, Rubs. You’re feeling a tiny bit of jealousy, but don’t worry. My only other favourite person is my younger sister. But you’re the most favourite,” he said cheekily.

“Who cares?” She returned the pillow to its position at the head of the bed and laid down, resting her head on it. “So why are you calling me this late?”

“Can’t I just call to know how you’re doing? Besides, isn’t it normal for a boyfriend-to-be to call his girlfriend-to-be before he goes to sleep?”

She clucked her tongue. “The nerve.” She tsked. “I wonder who is giving you the courage to say all these things. My answer remains the same, I don’t think I want to date you. You are just a friend to me.”

“Biko, don’t friendzone me now.” He dropped the cheekiness in his tone. “Jokes apart, Ruby. I really want to date you. Think about it. We’ll really be a great couple.”

She gave out an exasperated sigh. “Gideon, you’ve started again. I’m not interested. I think we’ll be better as just friends.”

“Why?” The disappointment in his voice was difficult to ignore.

“Because…Gideon, I still don’t see you as someone I can be with. Seriously. I’ve thought about it, but it just doesn’t sit well with me.”

“Is it because of what happened before? I’ve apologised, Ruby. What else do you want me to do?”

She pinched her nose. “It’s not that. Moreover, I’m not ready for a relationship just yet. You know I recently got out of a bad one?”

“I know.” He was quiet for a few seconds. “Alright. I understand. I won’t disturb you about this again.”

The stone in her chest dissolved. With a light tone, she asked, “So we’re still friends?”

He gave a forced laugh. “Yea, if you still think so.”

Seconds later, Ruby had to give the excuse that Rose needed her to get off the awkward phone call. She lay in the dark wondering if she had made the right decision. Gideon had been different from what she’d expected. And she couldn’t deny the fact that she was beginning to feel something for him. She knew it would be almost impossible for them to go back to being carefree friends, but she also didn’t want to lose his friendship. Forgive and forget… as she got to know him through their friendship, she felt had applied the adage without any reservations to him, forgiving him for his crude remark when they had first known each other and forgetting that they had such a history. But she was still uncomfortable with the thought of getting into a relationship with someone that had made such a remark about her. It just didn’t sit right with her. Was she merely being oversensitive? She sighed and looked aimlessly through her phone. An hour later, as she drifted off to sleep, her thoughts were filled with worry over how she would face Gideon the next morning.

EPISODE SIXTY-ONE

Rose had already set out breakfast by the time she was done dressing up for work. The smell of hot akara wafted around the house. Her stomach grumbled in response.

“Wow! You went out to buy them?” She reached for one of the golden-brown balls and munched on it as she sat down opposite Rose who was scrolling through her phone while stirring a cup of coffee.

“Yes.” She dropped the phone aside and blew at the hot liquid. “I went out to jog so I just bought some on my way back.”

Ruby raised her brows in surprise. “Jog? Since when?”

Rose shrugged. “I woke up really early and was feeling a little uncomfortable so I decided to do something to take my mind off some things.”

“What happened?” Ruby poured hot water from the kettle on the table into a mug and put a Lipton tea bag into it.

“One of my friends posted Blossom’s girlfriend. Apparently, he officially engaged her a few days ago.”

“My God!” Ruby gasped. “Are you okay?” She use a piece of tissue to wipe off the excess oil on her hands and reached out to pat Rose’s hand.

“What can I say? I have to be okay. It’s not like I can do anything else.” Rose sighed. She cut off a piece of akara and put it in her mouth.

“By the way, what happened with our credit guy?”

Ruby hissed. “Nothing o. I told the guy I’m not interested and he left. No too much drama. The guy is history now.”

Rose laughed. “So fast?”

“He’s probably looking for someone to settle down with and doesn’t want to waste his time on someone that is not serious. Immediately I told him I’m not interested, he hung up the call. At least he didn’t ask me to return his airtime money to him,” Ruby explained.

“But really you can’t blame him. At this point, if I find someone that is willing to settle down, I’m sure I’d give it serious consideration.” She sipped her coffee. “What about Gideon? Have you…?” she didn’t finish the question but Ruby knew what she meant.

Ruby poured in condensed Peak milk into her Lipton tea as she said, “I don’t know, Rose. Yesterday he made his intentions really clear, like not as a joke. But even though I like him a little bit, I’m not sure I’m ready to go down that road with him.”

“And you told him?”

“Yes. I told him I just want to be friends, but with his tone, I’m sure it’s virtually impossible.”

“That’s fair. If your motives don’t align, it’s not necessary to hold on.”

“Hmm?” Ruby gaped at her. “What are you reading now?”

“It’s just this relationship video I watched on IG.”

Ruby shook her head. Reminding herself that she still needed to get to work, she hurriedly gulped down her milk tea.

***
While the atmosphere when she got to work was typical of a workday morning, it all felt different to her especially when she got an unenthusiastic greeting from Gideon. Further attempts to be more friendly towards him was met with a cold reply. She gave up after a few more attempts, accepting that her friendship with Gideon had reached its end. It was a short one, her friendship with Gideon. But she had come to appreciate it especially when it seemed like it was heading somewhere serious.

For a few weeks, work remained the way it always was for her—checking numbers, meetings with the finance department, lunch and sometimes dinners with Ama— however, the distance between her and Gideon only grew each passing day. Her personal life even seemed to lack more spirit. She was suddenly devoid of suitors. Her messaging apps earned the award for the most boring app on her phone. Even Instagram was beginning to hold less appeal to her, especially when it seemed everybody on the app was either having expensive weddings or going on vacations with their partners. Her weekends were either spent lazing away on her bed or out with Rose. When Rose went to spend time with men that were showing interest in her—she suspected that Blossom’s engagement had been the incentive that Rose needed to get back into the dating game— she would have to deal with being alone in the empty house.

When it seemed things couldn’t get any worse than they had been, Ama sent her a message that shocked her.

Gideon is leaving the company. He handed in his resignation letter yesterday after work. The GM has already approved.

Ruby gaped at the message. She read the message about three times before she really understood what it meant. Gideon was leaving? Was it because of her? Without wasting any time, she dialled Ama’s number.

“Hey babe,” Ama was saying but Ruby cut her words.

“What do you mean he is leaving? Why? What happened?” The words gushed out of her lips.

“Abeg, calm down,” Ama chided. “I heard that he said he found a better opportunity elsewhere. I’m not sure of the details.”

“My God!” Ruby groaned. “This is so out of the blues. Why didn’t he say anything?” The words were out of her mouth before she could think.

“I thought you guys were friends. I wanted to ask you o.”

“Hmm,” Ruby sighed. “We’re no longer friends.”

“What happened?”

Ruby leaned on the couch where she’d been sitting and related everything that happened to Ama.

“Ehya!” Ama consoled when she was done. “And the guy seemed really serious with you. Are you sure you didn’t want a relationship with him? Because hearing you now, I can tell you somehow regret it.”

Ruby tried to recall her words a few moments ago, wondering if it really carried signs of the regret she felt within her. “Maybe. I don’t know. I just feel like I missed out on something great. But there’s nothing I can do now, is there? He’s already leaving the company.”

“Don’t you have his number? Just call him and ask him what is going on. After all, you were friends and even if that doesn’t mean anything again, as co-workers, I guess you can still call him.”

“Okay. I’ll do that immediately.”

However, she didn’t call him as soon as the call with Ama ended. Her mind was too troubled that she felt she wouldn’t say anything meaningful if she called him. She sat down staring at the dark screen of the TV musing over the thoughts that were running through her mind. When did the power go out, she wondered distractedly as she had been watching a movie on the TV before she got the message from Ama.

It wasn’t until later in the evening, before she had dinner that she called Gideon. He picked up the call almost as soon as it rang.

“Hello,” she said shakily. She hadn’t been as prepared as she thought for the call. On a normal occasion, she wouldn’t have called him. The call would have been too awkward, even an entertaining person like Gideon wouldn’t be able to rescue the uncomfortable air.

“Hey, Rubs.” Gideon sounded tired.

“Are you okay?”

“Yea, yea. I’m alright. Just trying to sort out some things. How about you? How have you been?”

“Good, good,” she croaked out. “I heard you were leaving the company. Is this true?”

She heard the sound of a generator going off from his side of the call. “Yes. I decided it was time to move on to better things.”

“Better things? You got a better opportunity elsewhere?”

“Not really. You know I’ve always been a content creator on the side. Last week this startup wants me to create content for them for six months. And considering other jobs that I have on my plate, I have decided it would be better to quit and do content creation full-time.”

“Wow.” She’d always known he did content creation on the side. Most workers at the company knew. But she never expected that he could go into it full-time. “It won’t be easy, right? But you know it would be better if you have at least one steady means of income? What if…?” she trailed off hating the sound of discouragement that sullied her tone.

He laughed drily. “I know, I know. I know that more than anyone else. But it's what I want to do. It’s not like I’m just leaving to start from level one. I’ve been doing this for two years now. I already have a base. I need more time to focus on it and grow it.”

“Oh, I understand.” She sighed. “So we won’t be seeing you around then?”

“We’re still friends,” he said wryly. “We can still see each other if you want.”

An awkward silence settled between them.

“I’m sorry,” Ruby said when she could no longer handle the rising tension between them.

“For what? It’s not your fault. Th…things just didn’t work out between us.”

“But, if I say I’m willing to try now. If I say… Let us give it a try. What do you think?” she said the words in a rush.

Gideon breathed deeply. “I’ll be honest, I’m a little tempted to jump to that. But I have to turn you down this time.”

Her heartbeat stilled for a minute, she held her breath. “What do you mean?” Was this his way of getting back at her for refusing him after he asked her out?

“No, no, Rubs. It’s not like that. Honestly, it’s not how you think it is.” He rushed to explain. “It’s just that the way things are for me now, I don’t think it will be wise to get into a relationship now. I have to put all my attention into this and I’m worried I won’t give you the attention that you would need as my girlfriend.”

“Oh.” She didn’t know what to say. She let out a dry chuckle. “I see what you mean. Well, I guess that’s it between us, right?”

“I don’t know. We can still be friends?”

Yea, right. She thought. “Maybe.” She wasn’t sure she could remain friends with him. She now understood why he had refused her offer of friendship when she’d refused him. It would be difficult to maintain this kind of friendship with anybody, with Gideon it would be worse.

“So we’ll keep in touch, huh?” He forced a laugh. He must have heard her decision in her tone.

“Yea, I guess so.”

They were quiet for a while. When Ruby wanted to end the call, Gideon suddenly said, “I still want us to work. I know you wouldn’t believe me. But can you give me time?”

She held back a snort. “Time?” Why? Was she supposed to put her love life at a standstill and wait for him?

“No, I don’t mean it that way. I just want you to give me a second chance when I come back in the future.”

“Gideon,” she said in a patronizing tone, “No one just sits around to wait for someone for a relationship. I’m not getting any younger and I honestly don’t have the time and effort to do that. It’s either you are in my life or not. If you don’t want to be with me now because you feel I will be a distraction…”

“I didn’t say that,” he tried to cut in.

“Just let me finish. If you feel you don’t have time for a relationship with me now, I doubt if that will ever change in the future. In fact, why do you feel that way? Do I seem like a girl that would want a man’s world to revolve around me? As in what? If you date me during this period while you’re struggling to build your career, I’ll distract you or what?” The more she spoke, the more enraged she felt. She knew some of what she said was far from what he meant, but she couldn’t help the words. If he had peacefully ended the call, she wouldn’t need to go all this way. But he had to wake the sleeping lion within her.

She took a deep breath to calm herself. “Look Gideon, you’ve made your point. You want to work on your career and during this period, you don’t want the distraction of a relationship. Whether you meant a relationship in general or just a relationship with me, though I understand, I don’t care. But don’t hold any expectations that when you come back someday in the future after making it, I’ll still be the same Ruby that was interested in you. No. It doesn’t work that way. People change, Gideon. I will change. You will change. There’s no saying that while I’m waiting for you to ‘make it', you won’t find someone else or that I won’t find my Mr Right? No, Gideon. I won’t wait for you. After you go, I’ll pick up the pieces of whatever it was I felt for you and move on with my life.” Her throat felt dry when she finished talking. She hadn’t expected to say that much.

Gideon had been quiet during all her speech. If not for the faint sound of the generator coming from his side of the phone, she’d have thought that he had hung up the call a long time ago.

He heaved a sigh. “I understand, Ruby. I won’t ask that of you.”

“Thank you,” she muttered.

“This is it, then?” he said in a small voice.

“I guess so.” She shrugged. Her rant had taken away most of the feelings that had been locked away in her chest. While she still felt a little hurt, it wasn’t as painful as she’d thought it would. Probably, it was because the feeling she had for Gideon was still in its sprouting stage. She wondered how it would have been if she let the feeling grow for much longer.

“Goodbye Ruby,” he said with finality.

It was about a minute after he had ended the call that she breathed the words, “Goodbye.”

Ah! This is serious. Now I am confused

So this part may come a bit sudden to you guys. But I also didn't expect it. I was writing and it just came up like that. Even I was confused. So, enjoy the read...

EPISODE SIXTY-TWO

“So your love life now is like, totally nonexistent?” Rose spoke with her mouth full, spewing white bits of yam.

Ruby eyed her. “Close your mouth and eat. And who said it was nonexistent.” She forked a piece of fried yam and dipped it in the bowl of tomato stew. The stew was not as peppery as she liked it. But she didn’t complain. Rose had bought it when she called her earlier telling her to get some from a roadside seller on her way back from her date.

Rose swallowed and reached for a glass of water, gulping it down before she spoke. “Then tell me, if you decide to go into a relationship now, I mean right now, not tomorrow or next, is there any guy in your life that you can consider?”

Without even thinking, the obvious answer that came to Ruby’s head was ‘no’. No guy fit the description of a potential boyfriend for her. Not that she even had a description. But she said, “Ehen, there’s this guy that has been disturbing me for a while…”

“Lie, lie no good o, e no good. Today na Sunday,” Rose sang.

Ruby slapped her causing the piece of yam Rose picked from the bowl to fall and roll off to the ground.

“See what you caused now,” Rose complained as she picked it from the floor, blew on it and bit off a piece. Chewing, she said, “Seriously though, I don’t think it’s bad. You can use this period to focus on yourself. I have been telling you for a while now, things will soon change. Your workplace, your personal life, just try to get things together for your own good.”

Ruby stared at her. “Yes, you’ve been saying this for a while. And I’ve been wanting to ask, what exactly do you mean?”

Rose sighed. “I don’t how to say this, but I’ve been planning to move.”

Ruby frowned. “Move? Move where? To the Island?”

Rose shook her head sadly. “No, Canada.” She ignored Ruby’s gaping look and continued, “I’ve been saving up for it, looking through the things that are required. I have already written the IELTS exams. I’d be getting my certificate by the end of this week.”

Ruby was shocked down to her bones. She wasn’t she completely understood what Rose said. “You wrote IELTS?” she asked in a shaky voice.

Rose frowned. She had not expected the question. “Well, yes. Some people say it’s not compulsory, that I can bypass it, but I’d prefer having it in case of necessity.”

“That’s good. It’s always good to be prepared,” Ruby put in slowly. She didn’t say any other thing and continued to eat.

“Is that all you want to say?” Rose looked at her.

“Yes.” Ruby stabbed her fork into one of the yams. It split into two.

Rose shrank back a bit. “Ruby?”

“What do you want me to say, Rose? Congratulations, yes, congratulations. You’re moving to Canada. Yay! I’m happy for you.” She stabbed another piece of yam.

“I’m sorry, Ruby. I’m really sorry. I wanted it to be a sure thing before I told you,” Rose explained.

“Wow, just wow.” Ruby dropped the fork and stood up. “I tell you anything as soon as I think about it, even before it becomes a ‘sure thing’ and you’re here telling me that all of a sudden you’re moving to Canada. Why didn’t you wait until you were already in Canada, then you give me a video call saying, ‘oh Ruby, I’m sorry I didn’t come back home last night. Look it’s snowing. I’m in Canada’. Eh? Won’t that be better for you?”

“Ruby?” Rose looked hurt. “I really didn’t mean it that way.”

Knowing she was going overboard with her reaction, Ruby clenched her jaw and said, “I’m going to my room. I need a moment to myself.”

“Okay,” Rose muttered.

As she headed out of the dining room, Ruby turned to her and said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to say all that, but…” she sighed, “I’m really happy for you. Congrats.” She went into her room.

***
Ruby was a turmoil of emotions as she shut the door to Rose and the non-spicy stew that accompanied the fried yams she’d bought for her. Rose was leaving. She was not just leaving to get a new apartment or moving to another state. She was leaving the country. They had been together as friends for almost seven years and even though she was happy that Rose had found greener pastures, she was also sad that Rose was suddenly leaving. That Rose was leaving meant a lot to her. But mostly she was reminded of how stagnant her life had been for a while.

She had gotten sidetracked by her breakup with Fred when she decided to take the exam for chartered accountants. And now? She was still the same accountant that she had been after her service. Rose had left her at their original place. She had taken her plans to go into real estate serious and had already gotten a plot of land. And then her car. The more Ruby thought about it, the more she felt the gap between her and her best-friend widening. Of course, while she was still grieving over a relationship that had never even begun, Rose had gotten over her heartbreak with Blossom and was already planning to get better opportunities for herself.

She shook her head bitterly. She was not envious of Rose. She understood that they both had different routes mapped out for them. She was only angry at herself, angry that she had allowed time to pass her by and while focusing on the men that came in and out of her life, she had forgotten what she’d wanted. She had never really been an ambitious woman. What she wanted was comfort—a stable job to keep her going, a boyfriend that loved her and would eventually become her husband, and a place to stay. Those were okay for her, so she never really thought much beyond them. And now, her friend, the same person that she stayed up all night with gossiping about men and wailing about failed relationships, was pursuing grounds that she had never really given a thought to.

Ruby sat on the floor, leaning her back on the hardwood of the bed. “Rose…” she muttered. She sniffed and soon, tears started flowing down her eyes.

***
When she came out an hour later, after cleaning the evidence of her tears, Rose was curled up on the couch in the living room, looking through her phone. She looked up when Ruby came out.

“Ruby?” She sat upright and said in an uncertain voice. “Are you okay?”

“I’m just happy for you.” Ruby gave her a sincere smile. “I’m sorry for the outburst earlier. I didn’t mean…”

“It’s okay.” Rose took her hand and pulled her to sit beside her. “I understand. I’m sorry for not telling you earlier. I didn’t even tell anyone, except the guy that is helping me work it out. I just wanted it to be a sure thing first before I tell anyone. You’re the first person.”

“So now, you’re sure? You’ve worked everything?” Ruby held her breath.

“Not exactly. But hopefully, everything will work out good. The guy that is helping has good connections. Funny enough, it was Blossom that introduced me to the guy.”

“Huh?”

“Yes, I’m telling you.” Rose laughed. “But that was before the whole drama with his new fiancee. I once mentioned moving to Canada and he gave me the guy’s contact. I never deleted it.”

Ruby felt more disheartened. “All this while?”

Rose noticed her mood. “Not like that. I just thought about Canada a few months ago. I mean, you might feel worse about this one, but I kind of applied for jobs there and got one already.”

At this point, Ruby couldn’t help the feeling of betrayal that came over her. “And you said it only came to your mind recently? Rose, we are friends, best friends. You start looking for jobs in Canada and you didn’t tell me? Even a peep, I didn’t get. What happened to ‘reaching greater heights together’?” She thought of the words that was like their motto, that they repeated almost on every birthday they celebrated together and every new year.

“I’m sorry, Ruby. I just thought you already had so much going on in your life and wasn’t ready for that step. Almost everything you said you wanted to do just withered away a few days after you said them. You said you would write the exams for chartered accountants, after a few days I didn’t hear anything about it. And then, when you said you also wanted to try real estate, I sent materials to you, but you just left me hanging, ‘I’ll look at them during the weekend when I have time’. And what about the jewellery business you said you wanted to start last two years? I found a contact for you, I was even ready to help you employ someone to help you look after the business. Then what did you say, ‘business is not for me’.”

“Now this, Canada was an important choice for me. I was worried that if I tell you, it would be the same story again. ‘Oh, Canada. I want to go to. What do we have to do?’ Then three days after I tell you everything involved, it will be ‘the process is too tiring. I’ll just stay back. At least I have a job here, it’s not like it’s also easy to live in Canada. Ruby, no. I didn’t want that. I didn’t need that energy especially when you’re always moping about this guy or that guy. I love you, Ruby. Even with your lack of motivation and love for complaints, I like having you as a friend. But this is also an important decision for me. I wouldn’t want to be persuaded out of my decision, because I want to remain with my friend. Life doesn’t work like that, Ruby. It doesn’t.”

It was a long rant, one that was long overdue. At this point, rather than feel anger at Rose for keeping everything away from her, she was flush with self-blame and guilt.

Rose sighed deeply. “It may have come out wrongly, but I’ve always wanted to tell you this, you need to learn how to focus on your life and what you want for yourself. I feel like I’m a bad friend for not telling you this sooner and telling you in this manner. But I was sure even if I told you, you would change, but after a few days, you would go back to your previous self. I have tried to pull you along before, but you can also tell that you gave up after a few tries. Life is not easy, Ruby. It might be safe to stay in your comfort zone, but for how long? I don’t know how else to help you. You can only help yourself. I’m leaving to find the type of life I want for myself.” She took Ruby’s hands which felt stiff at this point and rubbed them. “What about you? What type of life do you want? Are you ready to work for it?”

Ruby stared at Rose. She still hadn’t found her voice after Rose’s outburst. She was still lost in the memories of the things she’d said, walking through her past actions, wondering if she was as lazy as Rose’s words portrayed her to be.

When Ruby didn’t say anything even after minutes had passed, Rose sighed for the umpteenth time and said, “I’ll just go in now and let you think about what I said.”

She stood up and reached for the TV remote to switch off the television. “I’m going to switch off the generator. It’s almost eleven.”

“No problem,” Ruby mumbled.

Rose switched on the rechargeable lamp that had been charging by the TV stand and then went out to switch off the generator. After which she retired to her room leaving Ruby alone with her thoughts in the living room.

That night, Ruby slept off in the living room. But what was in her mind as she dozed off was how she would miss the roadside snacks that Rose often bought for her.





Note:
How do you guys feel about this episode? Please leave your comments.

Rose is leaving?
She should av told her bestie

Making me feel somehow, but the Truth is that someone has to be left behind.
I don't know, but this chapter makes me feel more like Ruby

Kiddogarcia:
Making me feel somehow, but the Truth is that someone has to be left behind.
I don't know, but this chapter makes me feel more like Ruby

It made me feel like ruby too. ..
Dat advice from rose, I felt it

I didn't expect the twist, but I had a feeling Rose was not as open as Ruby is when it comes to their friendship. In as much as Ruby had her bad side Rose should have told her, Rose said she didn't need the energy? But Ruby's attitude didn't stop her from writing the professional course neither did it stop her from buying a plot of land. I think it's only Ruby that see's Rose as her best friend, Rose just sees Ruby as a friend. I feel very bad for Ruby but she will be fine. Learnt a lot from this last episode. Thanks.

queentener:
I didn't expect the twist, but I had a feeling Rose was not as open as Ruby is when it comes to their friendship. In as much as Ruby had her bad side Rose should have told her, Rose said she didn't need the energy? But Ruby's attitude didn't stop her from writing the professional course neither did it stop her from buying a plot of land. I think it's only Ruby that see's Rose as her best friend, Rose just sees Ruby as a friend. I feel very bad for Ruby but she will be fine. Learnt a lot from this last episode. Thanks.

Nice take