HE SAID NO
Episode 14.
The trio had not had their regular hang out for about 2 weeks, all thanks to work and conflicting schedules. However, Amifel and Blessing saw more often because they worked together most of the time. Amifel usually recommended Blessing for cakes and pastries whenever she got new invites for event plannings,
It was weekend, and there was no event to manage, Amifel was bored and so she decided to visit her friends. She didn’t bother calling because they were meant to be home, after all, it was weekend. Also, she didn’t want to go anywhere noisy and her friends won’t condescend to that, so she decided to go uninvited.
However, when she got to their place, she wished she actually called before going.
“Good afternoon ma’am, ” a chubby dark-skinned man greeted her as he opened the door, one of her friends obviously had a visitor, or maybe it was the both of them.
“Good afternoon sir, are they home?” She asked, contemplating turning back, “Yeah, Grace is around, she just excused herself to get something, ” he explained, “My name is Michael, I am Grace’s friend, ” he continued, extending his hands,
“Please pardon my manners, I am Amifel, and they are my friends as well, ” she answered receiving his hands in hers,
She did a quick scan, standing before her was a short and plump man who looked like he was in his mid-thirties, he was muscular and hairy, he definitely belonged to a low budget bearded gang and not the same gang George was in. What caught her attention the most were his boot-cut trousers, she thought guys no longer rocked that kind of trouser and she was shocked to see one in front of her, the tip could the trouser and his Afro cut reminded her of the way guys used to dress in the 70s. Apart from his cute face, she scored him zero for every other attribute.
“What could Grace be doing with such a man, ” she thought to herself as she sat on their maxi-bed, patiently waiting for Grace. She remembered the man Blessing was gisting her about in their last outing and silently hoped he wasn’t the one.
“Amifel, you are here. I didn’t know you’d be coming around, ” Grace said, immediately she came in.
“Yeah, I didn’t know that you were having a guest either, I just wanted to surprise you, ” Amifel smiled,
“Oh yeah, you did surprise me, ” Grace said, “By the way, meet Mike, he’s my friend and we serve in the same department in church, she continued,
” I already met him, ” Amifel said, “Should I take that to mean that you are a badass singer?” Amifel asked, facing Michael,
“Well, I am trying my best, ” Michael laughed, his big front tooth stared at Amifel, some moments after, “I think I would love to take my leave now, ” he announced,
“What? Why? I already got you a drink, maybe you’ll take it along then, ” Grace said, unpacking the chilled can malt she went to buy, the drinks in their fridge were already hot, all thanks to PHCN.
“I’m sorry, I just remembered I had an engagement for this evening, and I have to prepare for it, ” he explained,
Amifel felt like he wasn’t comfortable with her and she hoped she didn’t make her disapproval too obvious.
“Why do I feel like you are going because of me?” She asked him,
“I second that, Mike can be a little shy, ” Grace said, he giggled before answering her, “Of course not, if anyone would be uncomfortable then it would be your friend because she wanted to leave immediately she saw me, ”
“Oh, really. I just thought… Well never mind, ” she said, as he made a face, “Hey, have we met before?” Amifel asked sarcastically,
” I doubt that, ” he responded,
“I’m just joking, ” she laughed, “but really, you don’t have to go, ” she continued, hoping he would insist on leaving.
“I would have loved to ma’am, maybe some other time, ”
“Okay, if you say so. It was a pleasure meeting you, ”
“The pleasure is mine, I guess I’ll see you around, ”
“Okay, ”
“Maybe you’ll take the drink along with you then and some snacks, ” Grace offered,
“Don’t let me do that, let your friend have it so that I would save you the stress of going to get another, ”
“Her? She’s not a visitor, we’ll sort hers out, ”
“I insist Grace, ”
“Okay fine, Amifel, I’ll be back, ” Grace said as she made to see him off after they said their goodbyes.
Grace was away for a couple of minutes and Amifel who was glad the young man left removed her wig and unbuttoned her shirt as she laid down more comfortably on the bed.
“What if that old school guy forgot something and decides to come back for it?” She thought to herself, she didn’t bother answering before she quickly replaced her wig and adjusted her shirt,
“Amifel, whatsup? I didn’t know you would be coming around, ” Grace said, as soon as she opened the door,
“Madam, you have said that before, please say another thing, ” Amifel said, as Grace laughed, she quickly removed her wig again and gave her hair a light scratch,
“Don’t be ridiculous jor, What’s the plan? I would have said we should go out but I don’t know when Blessing would get back, ”
“Don’t even bother, I just want to stay indoor, ” Amifel quickly said,
“That makes two of us, how have you been?” She asked, settling on the bed beside her,
“I’m good, well I know I would be, ” Amifel answered,
“What’s wrong?”
“Leave my own first, let’s talk about you, is that him?”
“Who?” Grace said, trying to feign ignorance,
“Uganda, ” she hissed, “Abeg, is that the ‘man’ that you were talking about the other time?”
“Oh, Mike, it’s him, ”
“I mean the one you were hoping to share something beautiful with, ”
“Yes, it’s him, ” Grace affirmed,
“Wawu! Amazing! Is he a pastor?” Amifel said with a smirk,
“No, why?”
“Well maybe he plans to be, his trouser is a witness, “she laughed as Grace hit her playfully with a pillow, ” Really, who dresses like that in this age that we are in?”
“The trouser isn’t that bad moreover, I think that is the only one he has of that style, ”
“Hmmm, defender of the helpless. Things people do for love…” Amifel shrugged,
” Mike is actually a nice man when you get to know him, ”
“Well, with his archaic dress style, he doesn’t exactly have a choice except he plans to remain single for a long time, ” Amifel said, almost choking on her laughter, it did not look like Grace was finding the whole thing funny,
“You don’t sound like you like him, ”
“Does that matter? So long as you like him, it’s fine, ” she giggled, as she stood up and headed to their wooden table, she helped herself to the cold malt meant for Grace’s guest, “is there anything I can munch alongside?” She asked as Grace flung a plastic bottle of chinchin towards her,
“Enough about your old school friend, some strange things have been happening lately, ” Amifel said, sitting back beside Grace, as she narrated the dream she had to her,
To be continued…
Written by Sodamade Olamide Tolulope.
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