"Fine girl ke way"
"Your mummy ke way" "because if she had raised you right you'd have learn to keep your hands to yourself"
Uzo looked at the lady in disgust
"Like there's anything special about your body" he responded to the back of the lady who was already leaving, his friends who were right behind him soon caught up with him
"Why's it that once all these girls carry iPhone, gbam! They'll feel like they've arrived" he said to them
"My brother ehhh" his friends chorused
"Man must hustle if he wan give monkey part of hin banana oo" one of his friend pointed out
"Nwokem you see that girl" he pointed at the path she had followed " by the time I'm done with her she'd be begging to see the woman that raised me" His friends burst out with laughter
"Uzo Uzo Zukwanike! You don't have the kind of money that the chiefs she follows has" One friend interjected "You sef, how would you approach a lady for the first time and you'd choose to hold her waist" he continued but was met with disbelieving nods and ahs
"Shey una dey hear the boy?" Uzo questioned in disbelief
"What do you mean by that? Is she different from every other girls we've woed and won? What is special about her own body?" Another friend countered
"okay then but remember I've said my piece" The man said and walked away
"Give your mama the piece when you reach house" Two friends chorused after him. "Make una 2 chop am... fool" Uzo added and they all laughed
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God let today go in my favor please, because tell me why all my makeup artists are currently too busy to accept my calls, This man is going to propose soon and I have to be prepared if its today, famz I found a ring in his car, I think he's going to do it soon, it's been a week and oh my I love Alvin, after 8 years of beautiful friendship in love, why did I have to ruin the surprise
Oh my God, oh my God he's calling
"Hi babyyyyyyyyyyyyy." I spoke softly before he even had a chance to say hello
"Of course I'd meet you for dinner at our favorite restaurant" I giggled loudly before ending the call
My nails are done, God they're fire, My hair? Totally ate but my makeup guys I'm ruined I'd have to do it myself. I can already imagine all my wedding ceremonies, my friend and families I barely speak to
Oh my God, oh my God, I'm gonna be late
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"God, is this part of your plan?" she screamed in frustration after several trials to start her car to no avail
"Babe? Can his come pick me up instead" she said once Alvin picked the call "Well yes car problems, just be a sweet boy and come pick your girl up, I'm waiting" she stretched before ending the call not giving him a chance to decline.
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"I need to tell you something" Alvin lost count of the times he tried to talk to her but she keeps coming up with something, she seemed happy, anyone that see her would wonder why she's over the moon "Did something happen while I was gone?" he finally gave in to his curiosity, she just smiled and looked away and continued singing along with the song playing
"Yo! Listen we really need to talk" he tried again, reaching for his phone and turning off the Bluetooth
"Can't we do that over dinner?" she asked still excited
"Yeah we will but I want to be sure we are on the same page, you didn't give me a chance to tell you on the phone" he said, raising his hands to make her know he isn't done talking "I met this girl, sweet, beautiful, loving, passionate, everything and more I've dreamed of in a woman I want to be mine"
"Alvin stop it" she blushed, missing the point "we could go in and finish this" she said this time as she watched Alvin look for a place to park, oh my God guys, God have blessed me with the sweetest man ever She thought to herself
"Mercy, please I need you to know that as my best friend, you'd never be replaced in my life" he said after successfully finding a space to park "So today I want you to know that once we enter in there, we'd be meeting some of our mutual, my business partners and….." he paused "The woman who I asked to marry me when I went to South Africa…" he paused again waiting for her response
"Wait what?" She said in confusion cleaning an unplanned tear line, "What is it with me being your best friend and the woman you are engaged to being in there?" She said and it all made sense, that was why he took a week off after she found the ring, it wasn't for her and he had proposed already to the passionate and probably South African woman "Are you joking?" she said, traces of agitation on her voice
"What do you mean if I'm joking? You're my best friend and I won't forgive myself if you missed my engagement dinner" Alvin said innocently "You're my best friend you should be happy for me"
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"Your best friend? Alvin your best friend of years and we've been sleeping together for the last 8 years" "Alvin, 8 years of sex and I'm your best friend" she wailed and began pulling her heels, anything to distract her from this nightmare, she took a pause and held her head dramatically though the situation calls for it
"We're adults mercy don't be dramatic….."
"Oluwa mi o" Mercy wailed even louder, "To ba….. if you dare touch me me" she warned as he tried to comfort her
"I never for once asked you out and we've been cool with it, so I don't know why this is even an issue" he said, he was getting pissed
"My God, I've been called foolish but this has crowned it" she wailed again but this time to herself
Just then someone stood beside the door and Alvin wind down "Hey baby" he said and adjusted himself before giving the South African a kiss, at this Mercy noticed the heavy ring sitting pretty on her engagement finger and assumed she was the bride to be
"Jesu mi o" she screamed involuntarily as she watched them kiss again, Alvin said he doesn't like kissing so he never kisses her, throwing her heels at them, Alvin was fast enough to block it from hitting his damsel. Seeing this, her anger grew and she reached for the door
Open this door Alvin" She nagged
"Mercy our business partners and associates are here, including the ones we still have deals to close with" Alvin said in a soft voice, seeing that this didn't change her mind "Think of how this will affect your reputation, the whole world of business would know" he knew pulling this card would do the trick, he watched her freeze. She sobbed in pain as she started wearing her shoes, drying her tears, she was grateful she didn't spend a dime on makeup or used her car to drive herself here.
But what of the 8 years, 8 good years of invested relationship, 8 good years of doing everything to meet up with this man's expectations, God when did I go far from you?
"I thought you said, your best friend was not going to be a problem"
Ohhh her strong zulu accent
"Baby please can you not do this right now? Sicela"
Oh wow he thought him too
As she listened to them, she prayed for strength to walk home without breaking down on the road
"That's what you get for deciding to be friends with someone from the gutters"
I should be angry but there's something about her accent that excited me, I waited for Alvin to defend me but when he didn't I knew my place
Mercy wiped the new tears flooding her face before leaving, she looked towards the building and saw through the glass associates and mutuals of theirs, she wondered if everybody also thinks of her as the boss' best friend she continued walking with home in mind
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"Ahhhhhhh!!!!!" she screamed as she punched the mirror in her dressing room, not even knowing what was the source of the anger oh yes the stupid man that tried to flirt with her on her way and held her waist "what a good way to start a conversation with a stranger" she said and insulted the said man under her breath acting like she could ever forget her supposed dinner with Alvin
"Why can't men learn to keep their hands to themselves" she cried
"Me mercy? From the gutters?
Me Mercy? Like there's anything special about my body?"
She fell to the ground not strong enough to say her affirmation
God we built all of these together, no stone unturned with a vision in mind "ruling in the business sector" is this phase necessary?
She screamed on and on like if she keeps going then maybe God will come and tell her it's all a prank or a dream or better an illusion she can still stop but she knew it wasn't, once again God is testing my trust in him don't you know I'm only human lord?
She said and screamed more, Why can't Alvin be the man you have for me. Just then memories of the man who held her waist flew in mind
Ewwwwwwwwww...….the worst, I'd rather die.