Palm lines - Episode 23

 

 Sharon's POV

During the period of Miss Erika's illness, Dad's closeness with Miss Erika became stronger by the day. Even when she was discharged, dad we still went over to her house to visit her. On Saturday, we went out to the beach with her. Cynthia refused going so we went along with Miss Erika, Ade and Tuni.
Dad and Miss Erika had romantic moments and we caught them kiss. We pretended not to see them.
 " Miss Erika just kissed your Dad" Ade paused, "We all saw it, stop giving recaps." I snapped. 
"I think your dad just cheated on your step mom" he added and I glared at him.
 "Anything apart from the obvious?" I asked and he chuckled.
"Those two like themselves, they've been too blind to realize it" Tuni stated, "Didn't you see that day during your birthday?" She added and Ade agreed.
"It's no news that Dad likes Miss Erika, but Miss Erika is in love with another guy . Dad might get hurt but they look so good together"
"Do you seriously want me to play the video so you can see it?" She played the video of their kiss.  
"Does Miss Erika's lip look like it didn't like what your dad was doing?" She asked and I tried to get the phone from her. "Delete that thing before someone sees it?"
"No one would see it" she answered.
"Please delete it!" I requested and she rolled her eyes swiping her phone and pressing her phone.  "Fine! Deleted already" she answered and I sighed.
 "You guys don't think Miss Erika likes Dad, or do you?" I asked and Ade laughed

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/palm-lines

. "Of course she does, maybe she doesn't realize it yet. Miss Erika and your dad, two peas in a pod."
 "But it can never be, the parks between them"
"Never say never, fate is such a trickish thing" he answered and I smiled, "How come you speak so mature?" I asked and he chuckled. 
"Years of experience" he answered and I scoffed.
"Shut up, you're not even old. You remind me of my dad, you speak like him too" I snapped and he laughed.
"Your dad doesn't like me"
 "Why do you say so?"
"Do you see the way he looks at me like I'm a villian?"
 Tuni walked away and I wondered why she did. "Don't go far!" I yelled. "I promise I won't, I just want to see hot boys"
"The world is a wicked place" Ade yelled.
"The gods of my mother will not let any harm come to me" she bragged and I chuckled. 
"Your dad doesn't like me" he picked off from where he left off, "It's probably because he doesn't trust me, every dad always distrust their daughter's male friends"
"Why?" i asked and he smiled. "Because they're worried."
Of what?"
"Of moments like this" he kissed me on the lips and i kissed him back.
Then i pulled back, "What was that for?"
"That was an analysis on why your dad is usually scared of me" he grinned at me and I folded my hands. I was mad at his guts! Having such guts to kiss me in public.
I looked around to make sure no one was staring.
"Let's skip the part where you pretend you don't like me; i know you do and newsflash, i do too. Can you be my girlfriend?" he asked and i opened my mouth in shock.
"Um.. I can't really give an answer yet and we're just in SS3, we're still very much young"
"You have until monday to think of it"
"Ade"
"Take your time"
"Ade"
"Shh, take your time" he interrupted and I chuckled. He's such a smooth talker! 
I thought things were going to get weird between us, but it didn't, he was just like dad, they both had a way with moving forward even in embarrassing circumstances.
On sunday after church, while i was painting in my secret room with the new tools dad got me, Cynthia walked in. 
Apparently, she has been crying, from her dripping mascara.
"You conniving b*tch!" she yelled and i rose up in surprise, "Cynthia!" the mother yelled pushing her away. "Control yourself!"
 "Was that your plan all along?" she asked, "Have you finally lost it?" i asked and she slammed the paint brush off my hand.
"Jesus! What plan are you talking about?" I was so confused. 
"You think i don't know about your stupid plan to replace me with that b*tch of a teacher"
"Don't call Miss Erika names, you're just being delusional"
"You think i don't know your father is cheating? I even have proof" she played a video of dad kissing Miss Erika.
I shut my eyes, Tuni didn't delete the damn video. "How did you get it?"
"You want me out of the picture shea? I'll make your life miserable, you and your stupid Miss pr*stitute"
"She's not a pr*stitute, don't call her one"
"Then why is going around kissing people's husband?" She paused, I didn't even know what to say. I was speechless. 
"You want to replace me shea? I'll make both your lives a living hell and your father better come back early cause he has some explaning to do" she added leaving the room and i sighed.
I was so mad at Tuni so i rushed off to her house.
"Good afternoon Mrs Reiner," "Good afternoon dear" She smiled and i returned it with a frown.
"Where's that lying trouble brewing friend?" i asked walking in without being asked to and she closed the door.
"Friends fight, let me not get involved in this. "Tuni!" she called out and Tuni came out smiling.
"Hey"
"Why didn't you delete the video of Dad kissing Miss Erika"
"Wait your dad kissed Erika?" Mrs Reiner asked, i was too angry to answer.
"i did" Tuni answered,
"You're still lying"
"Okay fine! I didn't, i just kept it"
"Are you that perverted you want to watch Miss Erika and my dad kiss?"
"Iew, i kept it as a memory for you. For a time when they become real couples"
"Doesn't make sense"
"That was why i did it anyways. If i wanted to watch anyone kiss, i'll go watch porn"
"This is where i come in as an adult, what's going on?" Mrs Reiner asked, "Ask Tinu who she gave the video to!"
"I didn't give it to...."she paused,
"I didn't to...."she paused, "F*ck" she added.
"Mind your language" Mrs Reiner warned. "Someone sent the video to my step-mom"
"Oh my God, one of our neigbour and her daughter stopped by last night....Wemmy did this" she turned to her mom.
"That little bitch" Mrs Reiner blurted out. 
"I'm sorry" Tinu apologized.
"You should have deleted the video when you had the chance to." i snapped leaving the house.

The next morning in school, just before assembly, Ade asked if I had given his proposal a thought.
I had a lot in mind, I didn't even give a thought to it. 
"You said till monday" 
"Look at your date, it's monday and you're in a bad mood"
"I told you on whatsapp about what happened"
"The video issue"
"Tinu begs for forgiveness, she didn't mean to do whatever she did and she's behind you" he pointed out and i turned back. 
She was clasping her hands probably in guilt. 
"I really don't like to meddle in girls fight but i think you two need to talk this out and i need an answer before school closes" he winked at me leaving me alone with Tuni

Erika's POV

I got discharged on friday. Later in the evening, i took a taxi over to Feso's house.
The gate was opened so i walked in. I knocked on the door, but no one answered.
After waiting for some minutes, Feso came out, he was on his blue boxer, I've always loved the way blue looks on him.
He seemed surprised to see me. "What are you doing here?" He asked and I scoffed,  "You haven't been picking my calls, neither have you been returning them. I've been sick since on Wednesday, I only got discharged today"
"What happened to you?" I saw care in his eyes.
"Malaria but you would have known if you called"
"I wanted to"
"Then what happened? You broke your arms?"
"You returned my gift back to me"
"What does that have to do with anything, you broke up with me, i didn't want to feel like i owe you anything"
"So it was okay to return the phone, it was a damn gift for crying out loud, you don't return gifts!" "Don't yell at me, Feso. Let's go in and talk" i suggested then i heard a feminine voice call his name.
"Seriously?" i blurted out and i saw a pretty dark complexioned girl wrapped her hands around his neck.
 "Who's this?" she asked and i scoffed.
"Bye Feso"
"Erika" he called but i ignored him.
While waiting for taxi to convey me back home, i saw a car pull up.
"Erika?"  Stanley came out of the car 
"I'm shocked" he looked down at my belly. Who wouldn't be?
 "Where are you going to?" he asked, "Home" i answered and he volunteered to take me.
I busted into tears the moment i entered into the car. "I can pretend as though i can't hear you crying and i can also ask what's going on. Which personality do you want right now?" he asked and i told him everything. I  cried until i got home. 
"Please take good care of her" i heard him say to Kechi.
"Sure" she added then shut the door. 
"Who's he?" she asked, "Stanley, The guy Ada set me up with the other time, he saw me on my way from Feso's place."
"Did Feso reject you?" Dorcas asked and i blew my nose in an hankerchief.
"He was with another woman" i answered busting into another round of tears.
I received a call from Mr Savage the next morning. He wanted to find out if i was healthy and free enough to go the beach with him. 
I took his offer cause i needed the distraction.

While we sat on the beach sand, his eyes severally darted towards Ade's angle
"Why i don't i like this boy?" He asked, and i chuckled. "Stop it!"
"He's handsome, look at him, look at his arm, he doesn't even look like his age"
"You don't know his age"
"Look at the guy, he even feels like awesome" "Like someone i know"
"Who?"
"A grey-haired man that's so full of himself" i gave him a cue and he fell into deep thought. He was definitely faking it.

"Doesn't ring a bell, who?" he asked, "You dummy!" i answered with a pause, i didn't know why i called him dummy.
"I'm sorry for saying that" "Erika it's okay" "I better go back to calling you Mr. Savage"
"I'll call you Mama Ejima" he threatened and i scoffed.
"You're thirteen years older than i am"
"I wasn't complaining, was i?"
"Ade doesn't look anything like me" he added.
"Are you sure you're not jealous because you like him, the way you described him, I'll say you're in love with him" i added with all manner of seriousness.
"Well played" he said to me and i busted in laughter.
"Thank God you're smiling now, you were gloomy from the start"  He chipped in and i nodded.
"What happened?" "I don't want to cry" i answered.
"Well i have a broad shoulder you can always cry on" he joked and chuckled, I made a decision to tell him, rest assured that if i cry, he'll definitely make me laugh.
I told him everything that ensued between Feso and i. "I've been sulking and waiting for his call while he has been sleeping with all the sluts in Lagos. I'm jealous right now"
"It's only logical, you love him"
"The lady looked so beautiful, she's thin too. Who am i kidding, Feso won't even look at we twice. I don't have my curves again" 
"Don't even think for a second that you're not pretty. I'm not trying to make you feel better or anything, You're one of the prettiest women i've encountered."
"Now i'm pregnant and shapeless" 
"Your pregnancy is a shape on it's own, you are shapeful and who says you don't have curves, your hips are fuller usual and you have curves where others don't" he pointed at my belly and i laughed, "Take it or leave it, you're the queen of curves" He added and i moved my lips close to his then i kissed him. It was so quick, I didn't even realize when I did.
I've always been most vulnerable whenever i'm sad.
I would have drawn back if he didn't kiss me back. I withdrew after realizing i was kissing a married man.
"I'm sorry" he apologized.
"I should be the one apologizing for kissing a married man" "It's okay, we're both adults, let's own up to our mistake"
We returned back to acting normal, deep down, I felt like a horrible person. 

 "So you kissed him" Kechi asked after I explained it all to her and Dorcas.
 "Yes I did."
"How did it feel like?" She asked and I scoffed.
 "I can't believe you just asked that"
 "You know very well that I had my eyes on him" Kechi complained.

Read " Hotel Palava " by the same author ( Essien Eno )

. "Is he a fair kisser?"
"I don't know"
"Why did you do it?" Dorcas asked, "I didn't mean to, I was vulnerable and when he was saying those sweet things about me, I didn't even know when I kissed him, I just did and he kissed me back"
 "I have a theory" Kechi raised her hands up, "I  think you like him"
"I don't like him" "Well I think you do"
"I'm going to tell you the same thing I told Vera, I don't like David, the only relationship I have with him is because of Sharon"
"You just called him David, so you guys are on a first name basis" Kechi pointed out again, "It's a deal we made, you guys should not make me feel worst than I already do. I didn't mean to kiss a married man. Abeg, no one should remind me again."

Then next day, I went over to Mom's house. It was all part of my plan to get my mind off the kiss move I made the previous day.
After church service, we went back home. I joined Ego in breaking melon seed.
I've been curious, about why she hasn't fixed a stable date for her wedding
 So I decided to ask her.
  "What's up with you and Paul and the wedding?" I asked and she gave me a half smile. 
 "Well...." She paused, "It's not Paul, it's me" she answered, "Well it's the both of us sha" she paused leaving me confused. 
"Paul wants a small wedding but my dream wedding has always been a big one. I've always wanted something like Ugo's wedding, or bigger than Ugo's wedding. Imagine how it'll look like when everyone comes to see Ego in a small event center, trying to manage half bag of rice and one cow tail" She complained
"And your job?" I asked and she rolled her eyes.
"Paul earns thirty thousand naira each months, sister, I'm basically the one funding the wedding" she answered and I opened my mouth in shock.
"Are you crazy? Wasn't he the one who proposed to you?"
"No doubt he was but he wants a low budget thing which Is annoying for me. Since I earn twice his salary, I'm putting it all on myself so I can have my dream wedding"
"Are you sure you want to go into that kind of....?"
 "I love Paul, he's a good man despite his financial constraints. Besides I just want to get married early, have kids early" she said biting her nails; it was a stupid habit of hers.
"Is that what you're bothered about?"
"I'm bothered about a lot of things, my wedding preparation that would have happened last year has been ruined completely." She bit her nails continuously and I slapped her hands.
"Ouch"
"Stop acting like a baby, you're soon going to be someone's wife" I complained and she waved her hands in pain. 
 "I've been saving up for my wedding for years now, I'd rather invest it on something feasible" I suggested, "Don't say that"
"It's okay, I'll try to be a happy as a single mom like Vera"
"Vera is crazy, you're the sanest person ever"
"Are you going to take my help or not?" I asked and she chuckled giving me a hug. 
"Thanks"
"You're welcome"

I tried getting the image of me kissing David out of my head but it was difficult. I was dying of guilt.

The next day in school, after assembly, Principal Gbade summoned me to his office. I walked in to see Sharon's step-mom Cynthia in the office.