A woman's dilemma - Episode 26

 

Amy:

"Still can't reach her! I swear that woman drives me crazy." Claudia stalks into the living room space with her phone glued to her ear.
"Let me try her home line." I say to her. I grab my phone and dial the numbers in. I get the same result  It's been switched off for more than a day.
"We should have followed her." I drop my phone on the couch and rub my groggy eyes. I check the wall clock and it is almost seven am . I should be in class in two hours but calculating the time it will take to get ready and transport to the nursing school, I know I won't be late for sure. It is supposed to be my first day and I'm bent on impressing my anatomy lecturer and prove to him that I deserve my spot in his class.
"Who keeps knocking on the door?!" Claudia snaps into my thoughts and I realize that someone is knocking at the door. 
"I'll get it." I push myself off the couch and take myself to the door.
"Good morning. Delivery for a Miss Claw?" The man's face screws up as he reads from the card in his hand and I grin. Claudia comes up beside me immediately and snatches the package before I can get my hands on it.
"Thank You." I appreciate the confused man. He nods his goodbye and leaves before I close the door behind me.
"What's in it?" I ask as I enter the living room to find Claudia's face buried in the bag.
"Breakfast." She pulls two plates from the bag and the smell of freshly baked food greets my nose

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/a-woman-s-dilemma

. I hurry to her side and grab one of the plate.
"He's sweet." I say between mouth full of my huge hamburger.
"He is." Claudia says and I pause at the dreamy look on her face as she types on her phone.
"Already said yes?" I ask her and she shrugs. 
"I'm just seeing where this is going. He's a play boy and we both know it. I'm not getting attached." I nod silently at her point.
"What more is in this bag?" I dig into the bag and when I don't find anything else, I topple the bag over just to be sure. A paper falls from the empty bag.

SENDING MY DRIVER TO PICK YOU UP BY 9AM. DRESS COMFORTABLE. YOUR MAN. 

"Awwwn!" I ooze as I read the bold handwriting of Nollywood's heart throb. I feel like snapping a pic of this little note and posting it on Instagram.
"Give me that!" Claudia grabs the paper from my hand and push it into her bra.
"Mr actor will just love to be that paper right now." I giggle. Claudia throws a pinch of her doughnut at me which cracks me up more. I check the time again and stand.
"I should go get ready. Can't be late on my first day." I collect my cup of tea with me as I start to leave. 
"Your phone Amy. You have a text." Claudia calls to me.
"Oh." I turn around to collect my phone from her to check the text. 
"It's your sister. She says to check the news." I say with furrowed brows. 
"The news?" Claudia grabs the remote control and switch her television on. It doesn't take a minute to find the news channel.
 A female newscaster goes on and on about INEC advising the public to be comported in the upcoming elections. 
"I don't see what we should be seeing on the news." I say and when Claudia doesn't say a word, I turn back to look to her. Her eyes are fixed on the television. My heart skips several beats when I see the tears rolling down her cheeks. Claudia doesn't cry.
"What's going on?" Apprehension seizes me when her eyes come back to my face. 
"She's dead." She says.
"Dead? Who's dead? A famous person?" I look back to the television and that's when my eyes spot the headlines creeping across the bottom of the news station. House fire consuming aspiring Governor's house and killing wife and several house helps. 
"Ahhhhhh!" a painful scream is wrenched out of my throat. 
"No. No. No." It can't be Frances. I grab the remote control and turn the volume up. Videos of what used to be Francesca's mansion comes up on the screen and I collapse on the couch beside Claudia whto s shaking. 
"It's not true right?" I shake Claudia whose teary eyes comes to me. I see the look of affirmation on her face.
"No. No!" I sob. Claudia takes me into her arms and we both cry together. I don't know how long we just cry against each other but when the newscaster comes back to the report on the fire and she says the police suspects it was the work of Francis's opponents in the election race.
"Lies! He killed her!" Claudia thunders. She jumps to her feet as she angrily wipes away her tears.
"Where are you going?!" I yell and chase after her into her room. She haphazardly throws on clothes. 
"That bastard killed her. He's going to pay." She bites out.

****

"Thank You." I pay the taxi driver and quickly pull my bag on my shoulder. I check my wristwatch. I'm almost forty minutes late. I scrub my swollen face in frustration. Today has been a rollercoaster of exhausting feelings. I had not been able to stop Claudia from driving like a lunatic to Francis's campaign center and causing a scene. The police had the nerve to arrest the both of us with Claudia fighting,  kicking and screaming that Francis murdered his wife and burnt his house. Francis had a bandage around his hand but Claudia kept screaming that he's a fraud. As for me, I just wanted some quiet to mourn my friend. I still can't believe she's gone. The police station wasn't even a quiet affair as the press bombarded us for more stories. It got worse when Daniel appeared to bail out Claudia and I.
 I'll much prefer to be home right now, processing all these but the text from Gabriel informing of an impromptu test in anatomy and Claudia's insisting that Frances gave me this opportunity that shouldn't be wasted has me standing in front of the anatomy lab not knowing how to enter without bringing attention to myself. 
 I peek into the class and catch the side profile of the professor talking about the test. I sigh and rest against the wall in worry. He doesn't like me now he's going to think I'm a tardy student who comes to tests after it's done. I blink my tired eyes shut just for a moment's reprieve before I take the bold step into this class. 
"Coming late and preferring to sleep at the doorway, quite interesting. Don't you think class?" The gravely voice has my eyes pulling wide open and I come face to face with my professor's stubble.
"Sh*t!" I startle and jump to the side only to slam my head into the wall behind me. I hear the uproarious laugh of the class and the back of my eyes burn with embarrassed tears.
"Are you going to cry?" He looks mildly disgusted by my show of emotion and I try to wipe my tears off and compose myself. I brush my hands against my gown and clutch my bag to my chest to create some space between our two. 
"I'm sorry I'm late,  sir. I had a bit of a ---"
"Get out of my class." I'm rudely interrupted and I gape at his snarling lips. 
"But I'm--"
"Shut up. Do you know what I hate more than tardy people?" He Asks and I find myself shaking my head. 
"People who give excuses for their fuck ups." he helps and I shake my head. 
"I didn't mean to be late sir.

Read " Star-crossed " by the same author ( Ameh juliet )

. a personal problem came up and I got arrested and bailed out then I --"
"That's enough." I clamp my mouth shut at the silent command. He eyes me up and down and it takes everything in me not to melt.
"Go take your place with your group. Have an essay on the internal structure of the eyes on my table before the end of the day or you have a zero on this test." He says and I nod even though I have no idea how to go about it.
"Well don't just stand there nodding like a lizard. Find your group!" He barks.
"Yes sir!" I force my legs to action and when I spot Gabriel at the front of the class I relax a bit. He waves me coyly.
"He hates me." I groan quietly to Gabriel when the professor starts talking about how tardy nurses end up killing people's love ones.
"Mr Benedict? He's the coolest Prof here!  You'll love him don't worry." Gabriel squeezes my hand reassuringly but I just keep my eyes on this professor that's bent on hating me. He's supposed to be the coolest? I doubt that any of the other lecturers are this intense.
"Don't worry, I'll help you with the essay." Gabriel offers but I find myself shaking my head.
"Just point me to the library during our free period." I say while unconsciously, I watch Mr Benedict's Adam apple bob up and down as he teaches. I'll win you over if it's the last thing I do in my training here, Mr Benedict! My eyes slams down when be suddenly turns his eyes directly to me like he hears my thoughts. Okay, look up now. He can't still be looking at you. I slowly trail my eyes up and gasp inaudibly when I find his eyes still on me. A smirk raises the corner of his lips and I wonder how a cruel man could look this good even when he's tormenting me.