CHAPTER TWENTY

THE PRESS GIRL

While Cleo's hands were trembling on his steering wheels, my body was sweating profusely, despite the fact that the Corolla's AC was working perfectly. Then grandma also decided to give me a call!

As I reached for my phone to answer her call, Cleo moved out of the car to tender his apology to the owner of the car he bashed as well. To help him out with that, I made my conversation with grandma short and moved towards the spot where he was standing with the other driver. Meanwhile, the tinted windscreen serving as a shield for the Mercedes' back seat against excessive sunlight unwinds, and a pretty face was revealed.

"Hi", I smiled at the press girl I met in school yesterday, during the interview but she ignored me.

"Hey, Nifemi", Tony who turned out to be the driver of the Mercedes waved at me.

" Hi, Tony", I couldn't help feeling terrified cause of what I've been through with him.

"Tony has offered to help us", Cleo explained."His dad owns a house here".

"Oh!" I exclaim mildly. "So what are we going to do about your car?"

"I'll be back for it tomorrow", He replied.

"Are you sure about that? What if it gets stolen?", I was greatly concerned about the Corolla because it meant a lot to him.

"Don't worry, it'll be fine", He instilled hope in me with a simple smile, and I sat at the back seat of Tony's car with the press girl. Cleo sat in front with him.

The John's Ekiti Residence was just as exotic as I imagined it to be. Even in the dark, the beauty of the fountain which stayed in between two buildings in the compound still popped out, thanks to the high amount of light surrounding it. More also, the fountain had the statue of a carefree little girl dancing ballet.

As we got down of his car, Tony started telling us the story behind the fountain because the press girl loved it, and took a shot of it. He said his family went for a summer vacation in London when Rose was six, and she enrolled for a ballet class because she loved watching beautiful girls dance it in Barbie cartoons. At the end of the class, she received honors, and her dad decided to have the statue of himself which was there before changed to hers because that act won him an important business deal with Londoners.

"Welcome to the John's residence. My name is Kate, and I'll be your host for as long as you're here.", A maid came to get our luggage as soon as we get down from the car.

" It's nice meeting you, Kate", I returned her warm gesture. "I'm Nifemi Adeoye. Both Cleo and Tony are my seniors in Marie's high".

"Alright", She gave me a look that shows she doesn't care about my relationship with either of them and continued her duty.

Firstly, Kate escorted us to the mud room where I changed my pink sneakers into flipflops and knee-length red gown into a jumpsuit. Others also changed their outfit and we washed our hands in different hand basins.

As the homemakers sort out the room each of us were to stay for the night, I conducted a tour around the house myself. On the wall beside the staircase, I saw portraits of well known and wealthy personalities in the country like Former President Olusegun Obasanjo who have been to the house on several occasions, and that left me breathless!

Aside from the portrait wall, their music room was also amazing! It contains lots of amazing musical instruments like the guitar, grand piano, saxophone, and so on. Kate said that a live band steadily performs there when important guests are around to entertain them, and the young master of the house also performs for his girlfriends there to impress them.

"Babe, your childhood picture is very cute", The press girl's cool voice said behind me, drawing my attention to the huge portrait of a cute male child with a funny facial expression above the wall of the grand piano. It was also amusing.

"That's expected because my mom was the most beautiful pregnant woman on earth when she had me in her womb", He bragged and sat on the piano chair.

"Our kids will be the prettiest of all", She said excitedly, and urged him to play her "Wise men say" by Elvis Presley.
He did so with lots of confidence, switch yet slow movement of his long manicured fingers then the intoxicating, solemn, and sweet fragrance of love filled the room until Kate came in to announce that dinner was ready.

As I laid my butt on a dining chair with soft inside material, the invited celebrity chef gave a summary of the recipe he used in preparing chicken and beef fajitas for dinner. Alongside the main course, he joined pico de Gallo(made of shredded tomatoes, cilantro leaves, red onion, jalapeños salt, and juice), Spanish rice(a blend of rice, water, tomato sauce, bell pepper, onions, margarine, stock, and flavoring) and Guacamole side dish to make the meal enjoyable.

Since I wasn't an avocado fan, talk less of lime or lemon, I chose to ignore guacamole, and go for Spanish rice as my side dish because it looked a bit palatable and Cleo did likewise. In the end, it turned out amazing with the fajitas.

For Tony, taking a bit of all the side dishes was perfect, yet he only ate three spoonfuls. The press girl on other hand ate something completely different from our menu(a vegetarian dinner of tofu ricotta Spanish lasagna), then we made a toast clinking our glasses of Zinfandel wine.

The next morning, I accompanied Cleo and Tony to the parking lot as they moved out of the residence to get the Toyota Corolla. I suggested following them but Cleo preferred me to stay here. Aside from his partial night blindness which led to the accident, he said the car had thyroid issues and needed repair so we don't get into more trouble.

"What do you want for breakfast", Kate asked when I returned inside the house.

" Nothing", I sighed. I was too concerned about Cleo's safety to eat.

"If you want to exercise, there's a gym....", Sha said, holding a fantastic piece of gym wear.

" No, thanks", I entered my bedroom to have a cold bath in the Jacuzzi for about fifteen minutes to relieve myself, and changed into a blue bum short, with ash tan top.

Feeling a bit lonely after awaiting Cleo for a while, I walked slowly the massive living room hoping to see the press girl but instead, I saw a woman probably in her mid-fifties. She wearing an elegant brocade dress.

"Who the hell are you, and what're you doing in my house?" She yelled in a Roselike manner.

"Ma....", I tried to explain everything that happened to her, but the press girl's appearance shut me up.

"Good morning, Mrs. John", She greeted her with a hug and an enchanting smile.

" Good morning, dear", Mrs. John did likewise."How've you been".

"Fine",  They sat beside each other on a chaise Lounge." Mum sent her greetings. She left for Uganda last night to sign an advert deal".

"Too bad she won't be around for the fashion fair and you neither", Mrs. John said.

"I'd rather go on the school trip with Cleo" She blushed.

"That's so sweet", Mrs. John eyeballs lit with happiness, then she turned to me in anger." Do you know this......thing".

"Oh my God!", The press girl screamed like someone who has just seen a ghost, and ran to Mrs. John arms for shelter." I don't know. I've never seen her. How did she get inside?"

"We came....", I tried to explain once more,  but Mrs. John silenced with a slap which sounded thunderously.

"She must be one of Tony's numerous lovers", The press girl said with disgust in her eyes." I'm so tired of this..."

"Don't worry, dear. I'm going to teach her a lesson", She removed her phone from her Versace purse to call the Inspector General of Police, and within few minutes, few policemen arrived at her residence with a van.

Seeing them made me so anxious that my heart kept pound like I was going to have a heart attack soon, and it feels like there was a lump hanging around my throat.

" What's your name?"A Sergeant among the couple of policemen who came asked as he brought out a handcuff.

"Please don't send me to jail", I cried with every bit of strength left in me."I'm not a bad person".

"Shut up! Your action says otherwise", The policeman took me out of the living room despite my little resistance.

" I want you to teach her a bitter lesson. She's a bloody thief", Mrs. John falsely informed them, and just then, Tony and Cleo drove into the compound.

"Mum, what's going on?"Tony spoke first.

"It's this worthless thing you call a friend. She stole my gold jewelry!" Mrs. John accused me falsely.

"You must be mistaken, Mrs. John", Cleo stood up for me."I've known Nifemi for a while. She doesn't steal and neither has a flair for expensive jewelry like yours".

"I've always known you to be a good kid, Cleo and you don't move with bad folks",  Mrs. Martins admitted she was unwilling to let me go."But how close are you with her to know what she's capable of doing?"

"She's my girlfriend", Cleo's word made Mrs. John's countenance change.

" Oh, really?", She told the policemen to let me go and they left. "I can't believe this", She left for the other building where she came from.

"Nife, are you okay?" Cleo wrapped me around his comforting arm."What the hell happened?"

"It was just a misunderstanding", I said, not wanting to cause a feud between Tony and the press girl.

"I'm sorry about what happened. My mom's most prized possession is her jewelry", Tony offered me a square sized handkerchief to wipe my tears, and block bits of mucus trying to escape my small nose.

" It's not your fault", I tried to force a smile but my sad lips didn't accommodate it.

Few hours after the incident, Cleo and I found ourselves cruising a village in the state of Kwara in the company of hijab sisters and kaftan brothers, because he took the fastest route, and applied more speed in driving to ensure we make it before dusk.

"Ekurole, sir(Good evening, sir)", Cleo prostrated to an elderly man sitting outside a distinguished hut among other huts in a  compound described as the address he was given(Majekodumi's compound).
Outside these huts, there were middle-aged, young, and old women staring at us, like we're aliens who descended from another planet. Some had old babies on their back and boiling pots of soup staring at them. Some were turning fofo in a large pot with all the energy they've got, while others were just watching.

" Ekurole sir", I knelt down.

"Ekabo, eyin omo(Welcome, children)", The old man gave us a smile which didn't look suitable with his half-lost teeth. "Omo tani yin oo(Whose children are you?)".

" Awa ore omomo yin. Shola loruko e(We're your grandchild's friends. Her name is Shola)", Cleo replied.

"Ah! Eyin Ara Eko! Eka Bo oo(Lagosians, welcome to my humble abode)", he instructed one of the young boys playing football with orange balls nearby, to get iron made seats which we sit on." Eya fe mu ore yin lo niyen! Efe ko fara mo mi mo(You came to pick your friend too soon. You don't want her to bond with me again)"

"Kori be sir(It's not so, sir)" Cleo replied with a smile.

"Grandpa, I can't find your stuff. Are you sure you kept it where you said You forget things easily these days", Shola's voice which sounded like was getting closer to us gladdened my heart.

" You're right but leave that for now, and come outside", He said and soon Shola came out of his hut in a short royal blue gown, and silver hijab which suited her perfectly.

"Oh my God! How did you guys know this place?" She gave us each a warm hug and took us to cool shade under the big orange tree where the boys got their idea of playing orange balls when the real balls are absent.

"I really appreciate you guys coming here to look for me", She sighed," Honestly, I don't think I'm worth this kind of trouble".

"Don't say that. Your teacher knows your worth in Marie's high, which is why he sent us here", He replied." And I've always seen you as a special kid".

"Really!" She laughed, then a bit of tear started falling from her glowing eyes."I don't think so".

"What's wrong?" Cleo offered her a handkerchief to wipe her tears.

"Thanks", She cleans her face and talked normally again." I know it was very wrong of me to leave and make everyone especially my parents worry about me but I had to."

"No matter what the case may be, you should have told someone, especially your parents. I've never had a kid before, but I can imagine how they feel", He told her.

"I know and I'm going to call my dad tonight to apologize, then you guys can go back to Lagos tomorrow", She sniffled and returned to the hut she came out from earlier.

I wish I did something to console her and make her share her pain with us, but no matter how much I tried, I couldn't just bring myself to say something. I was afraid of saying something that will increase her pain instead of easing it until she was out of my reach.

"Good evening, My name is Aminat. I'm a half-cousin to Shola by relation, and my mom wants to know if you guys are interested in beske", A tall slim girl with a large birthmark on her forehead walked up to us after Shola's exit.

" Nice meeting you, Aminat", Cleo smiled and introduced us. "I'm Cleo Martins, Shola's senior while she's Nifemi Adeoye, Shola's classmate in Marie's high".

" That's cool. I heard Shola's the most popular blogger in that Christian school, is it true?"She asked with a mocking and religiophobic tone.

"Yes", I answered her with pride.

" Alight", Her facial expression transformed into an inscrutable one. "Are you interested in beske or not?

"We are", Cleo spook on our behalf, and she got us each a plate of the dairy product. Once I tried it a bit and realized it didn't go well with my taste buds, I left the rest for Cleo who ate it like it's the best thing he's ever tasted!

" You're the weirdest person I've ever seen", I laughed.

"Well, your weirdest endeared me to you as well, Miss Nifemi Adeoye", Our gazes adjoined.

A/N:
Hey, guys😀😍. I decided to upload this chapter as a year-end gift and I hope you enjoyed it. I'm very sorry for the late updates. Believe me, I write whenever I get the chance to do so but editing is where I have issues with so bear with me😭
Thanks for always choosing Marie's high😀😍

Yours teenfictionly,
Eniola Oluwamuyiwa