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Chapter 8

They both came back Monday morning but didn’t have time to talk much as they had to prepare for lectures. Shade walked into her hostel room tired after classes and found her friend sitting on her top bunk, lost in thought. She walked up to the bed and stood in front of her, searching her face for answers. She shifted her weight from one leg to the other and pushed her glasses up when her friend still didn’t say anything. “Hello!” She said and waved her right hand in front of her. Angela finally looked at her and smiled. She smiled back and dropped her laptop bag on the bottom bunk before jumping in bed with Angela. Her blue jeans rested on the top of the black Converse all stars sneakers she had on as she let her legs dangle from where she sat. “What’s wrong?” She said as she playfully hit her friend with her shoulder.

Angela turned around to face her friend and sighed. She adjusted the bottom of the white mini gown she had on and said, “Freddy hasn’t been picking my calls.”
“What? Are you serious?” She said and her legs stopped dangling. Her mind raced through time back to the events of Friday night.
“I sent him a text too, and he read but didn’t respond.” Angela said and let her head drop down.
“That’s odd. Maybe his phone was stolen or something.”
Angela looked up, and then turned to face her friend before saying, “Did you tell him what I…Did you tell him about Wale?”
“What? No! Why would I do that?”
“What happened then?”
“I don’t know.” Shade said in a defensive tone.
“Tell me everything that happened that. Where did you guys go after the party?”
“We Umm! We went to the hotel. And he brought me back to school around 10 am.”
Anita leaned back in bed and turned around to look out the window. “What’s wrong then?” She said in a low voice.
“I don’t know. Maybe he lost his phone or something.”
“I have called his two phones.” She said. And then like an idea came to her, she sat up in bed again. “Call him.”
“Okay.” Shade said and reluctantly brought out her phone from her jeans pocket. She dialed Freddy’s number and held her breath. It rang multiple times but he didn’t pick up. She tried the line a second time and got the same result. “He didn’t pick up.” She told her friend and just as she was about to put her phone back in her jeans pocket, it started to ring. She hesitated and studied her friend’s face but couldn’t interpret the expression she saw on it. “Hey Freddy.” She said when she eventually picked up the call.
“Please, who’s this?” Freddy said on the other end of the line.
“It’s me, Shade, Angela has been trying to get through to you.” She said and then there was silence. “Hello. Freddy, are you there.”
“Shade, I lost my Dad.”

………………..

Freddy had heard about his Dad’s passing when he got home Saturday morning and was still in so much shock he didn’t feel like speaking to anyone. The man had died in his sleep. It was shocking to everyone that knew him because even though he was in his late 60s, he was still a very healthy man.

Freddy tried to persuade them not to come, but Angela insisted. She had been there before. She lost her Mom three years ago, and knew how people mourning the death of a loved one might feel like they want to be a lone, but sometimes, it takes spending time with other loved ones to get through those times.

Cars were lined up on both sides of the street, and the Uber didn’t have anywhere to park. The girls got out in the middle of the street, and Angela whispered something to the driver before she and Shade walked up to the house. It was a creamed colored duplex with low fences. They greeted people as they stepped into the compound. A lanky guy trying to turn on a generator at the extreme end of the house heard the gate open and turned around. He stopped what he was doing and started walking towards them. “I didn’t know Freddy had a brother.” Shade whispered to her friend.

Angela looked at her with a blank stare before saying, “That’s Freddy.”

Shade got a closer look when he got close to them and realized it really was Freddy. His dreads were gone, and he looked like a totally different person. With no smile on his face, he hugged them both, and held Angela’s hand as he led them through the back door into the house. He put them in a small living room, and excused himself.

When he was gone, Shade whispered to Angela from where they sat on a sofa, “What happened to…”
“It’s a tradition where he is from” Angela said and lay back in the couch. “Every member of the deceased family has to cut their hair.”
The loud sound of the generator filled the air, and lights came on in the living room. It was a very small place that was more or less Freddy’s game room, and there were game packs littering the floor. On the wall in front of them was a flat screen TV, of about 40 inches in size. And beneath it was a Play Station video game console. Freddy walked into the room and sat on the one-seater sofa next to the two-seater they were on. A few seconds of uncomfortable silence went by and then Angela got off her seat to join her boyfriend on his sofa. She had to squeeze herself in. She then slid her hand around his waist and leaned her head on his shoulder. He rested his head on her head, and let out a sigh.

In times like these, Angela understood that no words need be spoken. What was important was just the presence of a loved one.

omotaryoh:
Pls update

I try to update at least every night, but I went out yesterday night, so I couldn't update. But I will surely update tonight. Thanks for reading.

MhizDherbee:
Short

Sorry, but I might post more short chapters as time goes on. My target is to write an average of 750 words for each chapter...some times I go up to 1,000 words, sometimes i can only write 600 words (like the last chapter), it is all about my creative process and how I am feeling. I am very slow with writing my stories, so the chapter that can take you just 5 minutes to read might have taken me 5 hours to write. Please bare with me.

Godmother:
I have sold just one book since I uploaded itbto the site several months ago and I even had to send a complaint mail to them before that even happened.

Heard you have to advertise your books on the site before you are sure of making sales. Guess this is what amazon kindle has over them

Thanks for this comment Godmother. I guess they don't understand that the money is really in the percentage they make from people's book sales and not from the money they charge for the different types of advertisement/promo on their platform.

How have you been?

Divepen1:
I know of Sally Dazie who made 150k in a month

I read about her on website. But I want to hear a Nairaland users personal experience. Or at least someone you know personally.

Hello guys. I just really heard about OkadaBooks on a Front Page this morning and I am excited about the App/Website. I just want to find out from you guys if anyone here has had success selling his/her book on the platform. Thank you.

MhizDherbee:
Keep 'em coming.......

Next chapter will be up by 9pm. Thanks for the motivation.

Chapter 5

She came to a halt beside a white Mini Cooper at the Zulu hall car park. It looked really small next to the T5. She let the engine run as the rhythmic sound of raindrops on the car roof contrasted with the sound of the windshield wipers swishing left and right. Human movement outside was down to zero. Puddles of water here and there reflected the moonlight. She turned around and was startled to see him staring straight at her. “I didn’t even know you could drive.” He said with a slight smile on his face. “And you handled this beast real good.”
“I’ve been driving since I was fourteen.” She said and adjusted in her seat so she could make better eye contact with him. “I’m the last kid and only girl.”
“Oh! Now I understand why you are so…”
“So what?” She said with a quizzical look on her face.
He stared at her for a few seconds and then said, “Angela isn’t picking up.”
“That’s strange. She’s meant to have returned to the room by now.” She said and tried to look surprised.
“Oh! She’s calling me right now.” He said and waved the buzzing phone at Shade before picking up. He nodded his head a few times, said okay once, and then ended the call. “Shade will join us later. Hmm!I guess it’s you and me for the next couple of hours.” He said and winked at her.


Her phone vibrated on the dashboard, and she turned around to check it. She had gotten a message from Angela that read, ‘I’ve left the campus with John Doe.’ Shade locked her phone, turned to Freddy and said, “Umm! We can leave now. My brother isn’t around.”
He opened the car door and ran around the van. She quickly moved over to the passenger’s side. “Wow! That felt great” He said as he got in and shook rain water off his dreads.

“Come on! Freddy.” She exclaimed and cleaned the water off her body.
“Sorry” He said and studied her from top to bottom. Without saying anything more, he pulled out his phone and dialed a number on his phone. He spoke to someone on the other end of the line for a few seconds, ended the call and looked at Shade. A smile appeared on his face and he said, “I want to take you somewhere.”


………………..


Jessica, Freddy’s cousin had returned from America last year to start her own business in the fashion industry. She was a ‘total make-over’ person, and worked mostly with women on their wedding days. She also helped celebrities out with clothes and makeup before social functions. Even school girls could get a total makeover for a cheap price before a club party. Business had been slow lately, and she always was on Freddy’s neck to help her get customers since he was popular and his school wasn’t far from where she lived. He had planned taking Angela over there a few times, but something always came up that made them cancel. Now, he felt was a perfect time to visit his cousin.

The house was the last one on the left on the dead-end street; a white building with tall black gates and a shop in front. She greeted them at the gate and tickled Freddy playfully as they made their way to the entrance. Her shop was already closed so she invited them up to her room, explaining how she had done a lot of professional work in her bedroom.

The house looked really empty, and Shade wondered how the girl could afford to live alone in such a big house. And just like she read Shade’s mind, she said, “My parents traveled to the east for a burial. But Stanley is around.” She said to Freddy.
“Where is that rascal?” Freddy said, coming up the stairs behind Shade and Jessica. Just then there was power outage.
“Shit!” Everyone echoed, and then they all laughed.
It appeared like the TV was connected to a UPS as it was still on, and it provided enough light for them to make it to the top of the stairs. Jessica turned on the flashlight on her phone and led the way to her room. As they got in, the house power generator came on. Shade didn’t know when “Wow!” escaped from her mouth. She was left in awe at how unconventional the room was. It was like a bedroom with a boutique in it. Just after the bed, on one side were the rows of shoes in a ten layer shoe rack, and on the right side were shelves filled with different wears. In the middle of all that was a small chair and table. A laptop was the table opened up with Jessica in jumpsuit Ankara on the home screen.
“Okay. Let’s see what we are working with.” Freddy’s petite cousin said and took a few steps back to look at Shade. Then she walked around her and lifted up her shirt a little before saying, “We are definitely not hiding that ass tonight.”
“Damn!” Freddy shouted and playfully collapsed on the bed.
“Perky breasts. Perfect.” Jessica said as she felt Shade up. When she saw the shocked look on Shade’s face, she smiled and said, “Relax.”
“Jessica, why is your bed so hard?” Freddy said from where he lay on the queen size bed.
“It helps my back.” She said as she headed towards the shelf of clothes. “Okay, Freddy it’s time you gave me and Moana here some privacy.” She added without looking back.
“No way! I’m her protector. I am not leaving her side.” He said and sat up in bed with a frown on his face.
“Umm! Stanley is in the boys’ quarters with some friends.” She said as she walked back towards Shade with a tape rule in her hand. “And they have loads of that thing you like.” She added and her eye brows moved up and down twice in real quick successions.
“Okay!” Freddy said as he stood up at attention. “I am out.” He added with a salute before leaving the room.

MhizDherbee:
Every1 falls in love sometimes. Gr8 story!!!

Thanks for the compliment.

MhizDherbee:
Kayo! I like both your stories that m following buh u need to update them frequently. #myopinion

Thanks. I will try my best to update on time from now on. If I may ask, which is the second story you are reading?