Amara woke up very early the next morning. The sky outside the hotel window was still pale, and everywhere was quiet.
She sat up on the bed slowly and rubbed her eyes. A smile played on her lips as she remembered everything that had happened the day before.
It still felt like a dream. A sweet dream. But it wasn't. She had an apartment now in a nice neighborhood. A clean apartment with windows and tiles, and her very own bathroom and kitchen. She had her own place, a bed, and sewing machines.
She slipped off the bed and knelt to pray. Her voice was soft, full of thanks. "Thank you, Lord," she whispered. "Thank you for helping me. Thank you for remembering me. Thank you for a fresh start. If my whole body were filled with mouth, it wouldn't be enough to say thank you. Please, as I embark on this fresh start, be with me. Please guide me. Let your grace and mercy abide with me. Please help me forget my past and hold on to the future you have planned for me. Help me to trust you no matter the challenges I encounter ahead of me."
As she finished praying and wanted to stand up, she remembered what Michael's mother had said about beginning to pray for her life partner. She closed her eyes again.
"Lord, I know that after all I've done, I'm not qualified to ask you for a husband right now. I know I'm likely still under probation. You don't need to bring him now, but whoever he is and wherever he is, please bless him and prepare his heart to love and accept me the way I am, and with my past. And help me prepare myself to be the kind of woman he wants. And when the time is right, that you bring us together, let it all be perfect and to your glory, in Jesus' name. Amen."
After praying, she felt a deep sense of peace as she went to freshen up. After that, she packed her things. She carefully folded her clothes and checked under the bed to ensure she hadn't forgotten anything.
By the time she stepped out of the hotel with her bag and her phone in hand, the sun was rising in the sky. She flagged down a keke and climbed in. The breeze touched her face as the keke moved, and her smile grew wider.
God was good to her. Too good.
While in the keke, she remembered her Piggyvest savings and reached for her phone. The night before, she had contacted their support, and they had helped her log into her account with her new phone. She opened the app again just to check. The screen loaded smoothly, and her savings were reflected. Her heart did a small dance.
Thank You, Jesus.
Then she suddenly remembered something else— Michael's mother. What if she came looking for her?
Quickly, Amara opened WhatsApp and sent her a short message:
[Good morning, ma. I've checked out of the hotel. I'm going to the apartment now to clean the place before the pharmacy opens. Thank you again for everything, ma. God bless you, ma.]
She hit send and smiled to herself, then relaxed in her seat.
When she arrived at the apartment building, she dropped her bag in the corner and got straight to work.
She opened the windows first to let in the morning air, then swept the whole space. The floors were not very dirty, but she swept anyway. She cleaned the bathroom, wiped the windows, and mopped the tiled floors until they shone. By the time she was done, her body was damp with sweat
After tidying up, she walked around the apartment slowly and took mental notes of the things she still needed.
She tied her scarf properly and left the apartment, walking down the stairs with purpose. She flagged down another keke and headed for the market.
Amara bought food items and household items she needed, and then she bought some nice materials that she could use to make Bubu gowns as she used to. She also bought a very expensive material that she could use to make a lovely dress for Michael's mother.
By the time she was done shopping, her arms were full, and her bags were heavy. It was almost 1 p.m., and the sun was high and hot. She found a tricycle and climbed in, arranging her bags beside her.
As the keke bumped along the road, her phone rang inside her handbag. She smiled when she saw the caller ID: Sweet Mummy.
It was Michael's mother.
She answered quickly. "Good afternoon, mummy," she greeted, still smiling.
"Amara, where are you?" Michael's mother asked, her voice filled with gentle worry. "I thought you said you'd be at your apartment? Why is the place locked?"
"I'm sorry, ma. I rushed to the market after cleaning. I wanted to get a few things for the house. I'm on my way back now," Amara said apologetically.
"Oh! No problem then. It's fine. I was just a little worried," she said, sounding relieved.
"Mummy, are you at the pharmacy?"
"Yes, I'm here. When you get back, let me know," she said before ending the call.
Inside the pharmacy, Michael's mother turned to him. "She went to the market," she said.
Michael sat behind the counter, staring at his laptop screen. Forex charts were displayed on the screen, but his mind was elsewhere.
He heard her. He just didn't respond.
He had barely slept last night. He kept thinking about Amara; her face, voice, and smile. He didn't know why she filled his thoughts like this when he hadn't even totally made up his mind about marrying her yet.
He had picked up his phone several times during the night, trying to send her a WhatsApp message, but he had no idea what to say. He wasn't usually awkward with ladies, but he seemed to have no idea what to say to Amara.
He had composed several silly texts, even asking if she liked the songs she had sent from his phone, but he had cleared them all because the messages sounded too awkward and foolish.
Sleep came late, but thankfully, it came before he could disgrace his village people by sending a foolish text. When he finally slept, he dreamt of her again, standing in his kitchen, smiling at him, and calling his name.
When he woke up, his first thought was of her.
It annoyed him. Was it normal for a pastor to be feeling this way? This feeling seemed too carnal. He would have to talk to his father or his cousin's husband. They would know from experience. And maybe he would speak to one of his young pastor friends who got married recently.
When he got to the pharmacy that morning, he looked up at her apartment, hoping to catch a glimpse of her, but the place had been locked.
"Tega," his mother said again, "Did you hear me? She went to the market. That's why the door was locked. But she is on her way back now."
"Okay," he murmured, eyes still on the laptop, acting like it didn't matter.
"She said she'll let us know when she returns. I think we should go up and pray over her apartment today. You will bless the place," she added with a meaningful glance.
Michael nodded, "Okay."
"Are you okay? This one, you're giving one-word answers," his mother asked, and he nodded again.
"Yes. I'm fine," Michael said as he rose and stepped out of his office.
It was a slow sales day, so few people were in the pharmacy. He walked past his employees, and seeing the seriousness on his face, none of them bothered to talk to him.
He stood outside the pharmacy, checking his watch and calculating when Amara would arrive since his mother had said she was on her way.
He stood there waiting for some minutes, and soon, a keke drove in. His heart skipped a beat when he saw Amara seated inside.
As the Keke stopped by the side of the building, Amara got out. "Good afternoon," she said with a wide smile when she saw Michael standing there.
Michael felt his lips curve in an involuntary smile as he approached her. Even though she looked very sweaty, she still managed to look very beautiful. Or was it his eyes?
Oh, carnal man that I am!
"Good afternoon," he said as he joined her in getting her things out of the keke, wondering how she got the money to buy so many things.
Before Amara could pay the keke man, Michael took out his wallet. "How much is it?" He asked the keke man.
"What are you doing? Don't worry, I can pay," Amara said, trying to stop him, but Michael kept staring at the keke man.
"Na three thousand…"
"Which kind three thousand? Shey we agreed two thousand?" Amara asked, glaring at the keke man.
"As your oga wan pay for you, you nuh go let am dash me small money? Abi you nuh know say fuel done cost? I just pity you carry you like that before," The keke man said, and before Amara could argue further, Michael gave the man the three thousand naira.
"Thank you. But you should have paid two thousand. It's not three thousand," she said with a frown, while the keke man laughed happily and thanked Michael before driving off.
"It's not a big deal."
"It is a big deal. I had an agreement with him, and he came here and changed it. Thank you for paying. Why are you standing outside? Are you waiting for somebody?" She asked curiously.
"Yes," Michael said, not bothering to tell her he had been waiting for her. "Why didn't you tell me you were leaving the hotel?" He asked, staring at her.
"Sorry. I didn't want to disturb you. I wanted to come very early to start cleaning before the pharmacy opened so that I won't disturb," she explained, and he raised a brow.
"You didn't want to disturb me, but you wanted to disturb my mother. Why didn't you send me a WhatsApp message, too, to let me know?" he asked, and Amara looked at him, wondering what the problem was.
"I didn't send you a text because I planned to see you at the pharmacy, but you didn't come early before I left for the market. I also thought mummy would tell you," she explained.
"Have you finished cleaning now?" He asked, and she nodded.
"Yes. Mummy is inside the pharmacy, abi?" She asked, looking past him to the pharmacy.
"Yes. So will you…"
"Since the person you are waiting for is not here yet, please help me look after my things, let me go and greet Mummy. I'm coming," she said, and she hurried away, leaving Michael standing here and staring after her incredulously.
She didn't even let him finish what he wanted to ask her.