Chapter Forty-five
Amara wasn't sure what she expected from Michael when she said they didn't have to be friends. Maybe she expected him to assure her that he wasn't ashamed of her, but she didn't expect him to reverse the car and drive off without a word.
Her heart felt heavy as she watched his car disappear into the night, but she didn't have time to think about it because just then Ada's bike stopped in front of the pharmacy.
"Amara!" Ada screamed from the bike with a wide smile as she got down, and Amara laughed, happy to see her.
Amara took Ada's bag from the front of the bike, and the moment her feet hit the ground, Amara embraced her.
"So you miss me like this and you ghost me for two years? You see say you nuh get sense?" Ada asked, laughing as she hugged her back. "Abeg wait let me pay bike man," she said, pulling back to give the bike man money.
After the bike man drove off, they went up the stairs and into the house. As Amara turned on the light, Ada raised a brow. "How come there is no light outside, but you have light? You do illegal connection?"
Amara laughed. "No. The pharmacy downstairs uses solar, so they connected my house to it."
Ada raised a brow. "Seriously? That's nice of them. See my friend house na. You be big girl o," Ada said as she looked around the room.
Amara snorted, "Big girl ke. Abeg don't whine me."
Amara dropped Ada's bag by the wardrobe and her own handbag on her bed. "This one were you carry big bag, you dey stay for days?"
Ada laughed as she sat on the bed. "I just come, you done dey pursue me?"
Amara laughed. "I was just asking jare. You know you're always welcome. What do you want to eat? I can make noodles," she offered.
"Anything you have is fine. Even if it's bottom pot of soup. I'm not a visitor," Ada said, then asked, "Are you just returning from church?"
"Yes. I just got back from rehearsals. Let me quickly make Indomie for us to eat," she said, walking out of the room.
As Amara left for the kitchen, Ada rose from the bed and looked around the room again before opening the wardrobe. She gasped when she saw the new clothes hanging in the wardrobe and took out the dress Michael had bought Amara for their date.
"Amara, this dress is too fine. You must dash me," she said, taking it to the kitchen to meet Amara.
Amara, who had been thinking of her conversation with Michael, turned, and when she saw the dress in Ada's hand, she shook her head. "The dress is a gift from a friend. I'm supposed to wear it for our hangout tomorrow," Amara said, and wondered if they'll still go out as planned.
Ada raised a brow. "A friend of yours, or your boyfriend?"
Amara laughed out loud. "He's not a boyfriend; he's just a friend," she said as she sliced the onions and tomato for the Indomie.
"But he's toasting you, abi? Give me gist, don't dull." Ada smiled widely as she stood by the kitchen door watching Amara, with the dress flung over her shoulders.
"Toasting ke? Nothing like that. He's even a pastor."
"Pastor? You mean a Pastor bought you this dress to hang out with him? Is he married?"
"No. He's not married…"
"Is he very old? Is he fine?" Ada asked, watching Amara closely.
"No. I don't think Michael is older than me by up to five years. And yeah, he's fine."
"And yeah, he's fine," Ada mimicked her, "He is your spec abi? I can see it on your face that you like him."
"You asked a question and I answered. Ada, abeg let me focus on the Indomie."
"Anyway, I think he likes you. He is probably trying to get to know you better before telling you officially," Ada said, and Amara rolled her eyes.
"He doesn't like me in that way. Simply because a young, fine man bought a dress for me and wants to hang out with me, you've concluded that he likes me."
"Amara, he likes you! If he didn't like you, he wouldn't buy you this kind of dress for a hangout. Check this dress na, it's giving 'I want you to look fine for me' vibes," Ada said, but Amara shook her head.
"He's just nice like that. It's not a big deal. If I hadn't met his Mom, I'd have been suspicious of his niceness, but I've met her, and she is even nicer than he is. Do you know she paid my house rent and bought all these things in this house for me? She even bought the phone I'm using..."
"Na lie!" Ada exclaimed.
"I'm telling you. As in eh, that woman is an angel. She is God sent…" Amara trailed off when she saw the smile on Ada's face, "Why are you smiling like that?"
"Maybe she's being good to you based on mother-in-law level. What if her son told her he likes you and he is…"
"Abeg leave that talk. She was good to me even before she knew that I knew her son. I didn't even know her through him," Amara said, and Ada raised a brow.
"For real? Now I'm becoming more curious. How did you know them?" Ada asked, but Amara didn't say anything for a while as she focused on the noodles she was stir-frying.
"Go and freshen up and relax. When I finish cooking, I will give you the gist as we eat," Amara promised.
Thirty minutes later, they settled down to eat. "Oya give me the gist as e dey hot."
Before Amara could speak, her phone began to ring, and her heart skipped a beat as she reached for it. Expecting to see a call from Michael, she frowned when she saw it was brother Emmanuel.
She contemplated ignoring the call for a moment, but received it on second thought. "Good evening," she greeted, and Ada raised both brows, wondering if it was Michael. Amara shook her head.
"Sister Amara, good evening. How are you?" He asked politely.
"I'm fine. You?" She asked as she kept her fork beside the plate.
"I'm okay. My sister just told me something she heard about you. She said her friend in the choir unit told her. I wanted to confirm. Did you say anything at the rehearsals? Did you even attend the rehearsals?"
Amara's pulse increased slightly even though she had expected this. She wondered if Emma was going to react like Michael. "Yes. Whatever she heard is true. I was at the rehearsal and I addressed the choir."
Emma was silent for a moment, and she was about to cut the call when he spoke again. "I'm sorry you had to go through that to provide for your family. I'm sure it wasn't an easy decision for you."
Amara blinked, taken aback by the sympathy in his voice. "What?"
Emma sighed softly. "Everybody has a past. Not everyone is bold enough to come out and declare theirs like you did. Don't let anyone judge you or make you feel like a sinner. I'm glad you are back in church now. Welcome back."
Amara felt tears sting her eyes, and she swallowed past the lump that had formed in her throat. "Thank you," she said.
"Nothing to thank me for. See you in church tomorrow. Good night," he said before hanging up.
"Is everything okay?" Ada asked when she saw the tears in Amara's eyes.
Amara nodded and then looked at Ada, wanting to open up to her. "Remember that stuff I asked you about two years ago? About the runsgirl issue?"
Ada nodded.
"It was for myself."
Ada nodded. "I know. I also know you did it."
"How?"
"Am I a kid? When you started avoiding my calls, and I heard your mother received treatment, and you were sending money home regularly, I figured you did it. I can't blame you for it, sha. I understand the situation in your house. I can't convince you not to do it when I don't have a solution," Ada said, and Amara was silent for a while.
"So, are you still doing it? I checked your wardrobe and I didn't see any ashawo gowns," she said, and Amara shook her head.
"No. I've stopped," Amara said, and then went on to tell her all that had happened and how she ended up in the apartment.
"Hmm. You went on a very long journey, my friend. What didn't kill you will make you stronger and wiser. Thank God it didn't kill you," Ada said when Amara finished her story.
"Why are you sounding like an old woman?" Amara asked, making Ada laugh.
"Anyway, from all you've said about this Pastor Michael, I think he really likes you."
Amara rolled her eyes, "Are we back to that? After everything I've told you, how can you think he likes me? Didn't you hear what I said? He is even ashamed of me."
"Is he supposed to be cool about your past like you are? Why won't he be ashamed? Is it something he should be proud of?" Ada asked reasonably, "Even if he's going to stop being ashamed of your past, it will take a while. His reaction is very normal, and that's another reason why I feel he likes you, and maybe he's worried about what people will say when he starts going out with you. I doubt he'd react that way if he weren't interested in you."
"Brother Emma is interested in me, too, but he didn't react that way," Amara countered.
"Was Emma there when you made the announcement in front of everyone? Was Emma the one who saw you outside the church that night? Listen to me, we both know I have sense more than you…"
"You dey crase," Amara said, making Ada laugh.
"I agree. But just listen. I believe that Pastor Michael likes you. If you don't want him, you can introduce him to me. If you nuh want am, I go take am. I dey find husband o. We are not getting any younger," Ada said, and Amara laughed.
"Take am na. Abeg, leave me. Nuh be husband matter dey worry me," Amara said and focused on their meal.
As finished their food, Ada gave Amara gist about all that was happening in the village and after talking for a while they were both ready to call it a night.
As they lay in bed waiting for sleep to come, Ada noticed how Amara kept glancing at her phone every few minutes.
"After you sharp your mouth finish you are now waiting for his call or message, abi? My gender. Una nuh go kill person."
"As if you nuh be woman," Amara said dryly.
"I'm not complicated like the rest of you. I don't even like drama. If I were you, sha, I'd apologize to him…"
"Apologize for what? What did I say or do that is wrong? I only said we don't have to be friends if he's ashamed? It's the truth, is it not? I didn't say or do anything wrong. It's left for him to decide whether or not he wants us to be friends."
Ada sighed deeply and shook her head. "Okay o. Be doing hard girl. I've said my piece. Don't say I did not tell you. Let tomorrow reach quick let me see Pastor Michael in church. If he enter my eye, I go take am."