"Nothing, I was just thinking of calling you before you showed up" Frank replied, faking a smile.
"Oh okay" Bola continued, "So when did your parent ask us to come?"
"My mum said we should come next week Saturday"
"Haba! Next week Saturday? That's too far na"
"No, it's not. Next week Saturday is just around the corner"
"Oooh! I can't wait o. The pregnancy is already becoming visible na"
"We just have to wait. You know Aba is a long distance from here and my Mum won't want to just receive us anyhow. She wants to prepare well"
"Okay" Bola replied unhappily, " but I think we should just choose the date so that preparations can begin at once"
"Okay, if that's what you want. I think you should pick a date and tell me, I'm not really good at picking dates"
"Okay, hmmm" Bola paused and thought for a while. "Lets make it on the twenty eight of march. That's enough time for your parents to come for the introduction"
"Yeah, that's enough time for me to decide what to do" Frank said to himself and smiled.
"Yeah" he spoke aloud, "I think it's cool but let me contact my parents first and get back to you before we start making plans"
"Ooooh!" Bola lamented, "haven't you told them you were getting married before?"
"I have, but you know they have to approve of my wife first"
"Are you saying they won't approve of me?"
"No o, of course, they will"
At that moment, someone knocked on his office door.
"Come in" Frank replied the knock.
"One of his employees walked in briskly, " Sir, we need extra hand, the waiting clients are too much and one of them is specifically asking for you"
"Okay, I'll join you in a second" he answered her and turned back to Bola, "please I have to get to work now before things get out of hand"
"But we are not through yet"
"Yes, we'll continue later" he said and walked out of his office to join his workers.
Bola sighed as she watched him walk out , she wasn't enjoying the way he treated her; without giving her much attention but she thanked God for he had even agreed to married to her.
She picked up her bag and was about standing up when her eyes met his phone on the table. He did not take it to the workroom with him. She picked it and touched the power button, her face lit up as she discovered that the phone wasn't passworded. The first icon she clicked on was the call register, she scrolled down and met Amarachi's number in the fourth position in the dialled numbers. She navigated to his messages, the last message he sent was to Amarachi.
After reading through the conversation, she smiled wickedly to herself and muttered under her breath. "Amarachi, you'll be so sorry after I deal with you"
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ini got home distressed, she wasn't sure of what to believe. Sandra claimed that another girl was seeing Kelvin, she even described the girl as Amarachi but how come she couldn't recognise Amarachi when she saw her? Or what is really because she couldn't see her front view properly?
All these questions raced through her mind, as she settled into one of the sofas without even bothering to go into her room to take off her clothes.
A short giggle disrupted her thoughts, reminding her that there was someone else at home.
"Okay, I'll be expecting your call, don't forget o" Amarachi's voice sounded louder as she opened the door to her room.
Ini stood up and set out for her room but almost collided into Amarachi.
"Oh Ini" Amarachi spoke, "welcome home"
"Thank you" Ini replied without paying much attention.
"I didn't know you were going somewhere after work today"
"Yes, I had to meet a friend urgently"
"Alright, how was work? We've been talking less often these days"
"Yes, I'm busy with better things" She replied and gave Ama a look, already getting pissed by the questioning.
"May you excuse me? I have to get into my room now" She added quickly.
"Oh! Sorry" Ama replied, leaving the doorway quickly and walked into the living room.
Ini dropped her bag on the bed and started taking off her clothes at once. She was very tired and was feeling slight pains all over her body.
She wrapped herself with her towel and headed for the bathroom when her phine rang. She took a glance at the screen from the bed where it was and hesitatingly walked back and sat on the bed to answer the call.
"Hello Kelvin"
"Hello dear, how are you?"
"I'm fine, you?"
"I'm fine too. Hope work wasn't stressful today?"
"Not really jare"
"Alright, I called to find out what are your plans for Sunday?"
"Plans for Sunday?"
"Yeah, ain't you celebrating?"
"Oh! My birthday?" She giggled, "not planning any celebration this year, maybe next year"
"Why?"
"Nothing, I just feel like it should be that way"
"Okay, if you say so"
"Yeah, I say so"
"Alright" he replied, " but do you know I've missed you a lot already? I feel like having you here now"
"Yeah" she replied in a low tone, " I feel the same way too"
"So, can we see tomorrow evening?"
"Yeah, if you want us to"
"Alright, I'll pick you after work tomorrow"
"Okay, till then"
She cleaned her watery eyes gently with her handkerchief as she sneezed for the seventh time just within twenty minutes of resuming work that morning, she wondered where she got the cold from, she had been sneezing all through the night and going several times to the toilet to blow her nose. The Air conditioner in the office was not helping matters also. She had a lot of work to do but the way she felt made her sluggish in carrying out her tasks.
She had spent the last night at her friend's house, Bola. They both thought on how best to separate Ini from Kelvin and also how to make Frank take his eyes off Amarachi but they couldn't come up with any reasonable plan so they decided to watch how things go first.
She was still struggling with her tasks when her Boss, Kelvin walked out of his office with a file in his hands. He came towards her and dropped it on her table.
"Make sure this is retyped, I've made some corrections to it already"
"Okay sir"
"I'm going to see the GM now so I might not be available for sometime"
"The GM just left his office some minutes ago sir"
"Oh! Are you sure about that?"
"Yes, very sure sir"
"Okay, thank you"
His phone rang as he turned back to the direction of his office ,
"Hello Amarachi, just hold on for a second, I'll call back" he answered as he walked back to his office.
For a moment , Sandra forgot about the cold and catarrh that troubled her, she was more interested in hearing what the call was about. She stood up and walk towards his office door as soon as she was sure he was already seated.
She got to the door and tried to eavesdrop, but she couldn't make out what was being said. She walked back to her table hurriedly and picked up the file he just gave to her. She dashed into his office without knocking.
"Oh! Sorry" she said as he looked up at her surprised but still engrossed with the phone call he was making.
"Okay, on Saturday, we'll get her a gift. Thanks for accepting to help, I'll call you later" he concluded hurriedly and dropped the call.
"I'm sorry sir"
He took a angry look at her and snapped, "how many times do I have to tell you to knock before you barged into anyone's office?"
"I'm sorry sir"
"Be sorry for yourself, what is it you want?"
"Ermmm, I... I... " Sandra fumbled, not having words to say, she sneezed loudly. "I wanted to ask if you already cross checked this document"
Kelvin shook his head both in disgust and in pity for her, "what's the matter with you? Didn't I say I already checked it when I dropped it on your table?"
"I'm sorry sir, I didn't get it clearly"
"Just get out of my office, your presence annoys me more"
Sandra walked out of the office feeling bad, she wondered how Kelvin could talk to her like that, had he forgotten that he met her in the company and it was only because she had only a higher national LPPdiploma that he was allowed to take a higher position? Was it the same Kelvin that used to discuss with her like friends who now talked to her like she didn't matter?
She wondered why she still felt she was in love with him, was it even love or lust or just even stupidity ?
She felt insulted but consoled herself since she already got an information that would ne useful to her and Bola. She picked up her phone and dialled Bola's phone number immediately.
"Hello Bola"
"Hello, what's up?"
"Kelvin and Amarachi would be going out together on Saturday"
"Going out? To do what?"
" I think they want to choose a gift for Ini"
"Oooh! Yes, that's likely true. Sunday is Ini's birthday"
"Okay, so?"
"We'll talk when you come to my place later"
"Okay" She replied and ended the call.
To be continued
