Chapter 3: Chapter 3

I rolled to the wall and attempted covering my ears with the duvet to block out the sound of the claps outside. I could hear the voice of the all righteous Lodge president as he led in the praises. Another monday, I thought.

I lazily got out of the bed, all sleep fleeing from me. I walked to the bathroom where I kept the basket for my dirty clothes. They had pumped water. I did not hear news of the Lodge president's beating. I don't think it happened; he would not be singing outside if it happened.

Nellie would be happy - no, excited to see that I washed. She had travelled home the previous day to see her people. I was trying to be useful in her absence. To be responsible.

Bruh, I hate washing. It will be so much better to wear nylons around. Well a lot of celebrities have been wearing things that look like that.

After washing, I washed the bathroom, toilet before proceeding to the kitchen. My pots were washed and stacked away, even plates too. Nellie washed them all on her last visit and since then, I had not cooked. Well I could say, since I returned from her lodge Sunday morning, I have been lying down on the bed. No, I am proud of that. It's called resting - Something I always preached to my mom but no! 'I'm a struggling single mother ' but we all knew out of everything, she was no more struggling.

I lay on the bed and began to watch, 'Venom'

'Venuuuuuum' they should have really made the alien handsome. Oh, he looked better than the other, mindless one but still, he was too stupid to be ugly. Eddie was already an idiot and they just had to add one more idiot?

Somehow I slept off after watching the movie and I woke up to the furious banging on the door. I swung my legs off the bed and approached the door screaming, "Yes, break it ! You hear? Knock harder, you are not getting it right. Get a millstone and come and break it! "

"Shut up your mouth! Hope you are ready? "

I opened the door to Nellie who was wide eyed seeing me. She stared hard from the boxers I wore to the polo then to my kinky hair. I wondered what my hair looked like at that point; I had slept without plaiting it or tying it.

"If it's the boxers and my polo, they are clean ones and I actually washed all other dirty clothes. My hair, I'm planning to wash it." I explained.

Her eyes rested on me angrily then she pushed me and went in. I locked the door.

"It's eight o'clock already. Are you not going for the seminar?" she asked, settling on the foam still glaring at me.

I found a bottle of peanut and began pouring it into my mouth. "I'm not going," I said.

"Oh, you are so going. It's a seven days seminar and you are so going to attend till the last day. So better step into that bathroom and wash your body or better still wear whatever you feel like let's go. We are already late."

" How is that stuff even a seminar? A seminar should be educative."

Nellie eyed me. "So this one is not?"

Dropping the bottle of peanut, I took my phone and walked into the bathroom. I played Rihanna and Wale's 'Bad' putting it in the highest volume while singing along with it.

"Is it bad that I never made love

No I never did it

But I sure know how to fuck

I'll be your bad girl _ "

The door opened, Nellie scooped water and poured it on me.

"Better come out from there, you stupid virgin. If you are delaying to make me go without you, put that aside and if you are working towards making me miss that seminar, I'll not forgive you. "

After she slammed the door , I took my bathing more seriously and came out before the end of the second song that was playing, Ciara's 'overdose '.

" FG says they will call off strike next week, " she said  immediately I  came out, tying my navy blue towel.

I went to the wardrobe and found a jean trouser and a polo to wear. If not for the strike, I would have been in the studio painting an assignment to summit.

"Is that what you are wearing? " she asked as I packed up my hair.

"No, I'll change in the classroom, " I replied without looking at her.

She was wearing a turquoise blue chiffon shirt, she had it tucked into a black pencil skirt then she wore flat shoes. She looked like a Banker or like she was going to church. I wore my Jordan sneakers and followed her out. She just loved to overdress.

" Books. I have never seen anything  destroy a relationship like books. Now don't get me wrong, books can educate but let me remind you, it's a human that wrote those books. "

I stood at the door, searching for a space where I could squeeze in myself. We had a larger number than the other day and apparently, I arrived very late.

"Young lady, please come sit here," the speaker said.

All eyes turned to me as I followed the young woman's direction and landed on the first seat in the row. I was the only one in the whole bench. I will never come late again. Nobody liked the front seat except in a place where they were sharing free food. I knew some very religious girls in my department though, who will scamper for the front seat even if it's just for night class.

" …Like I would not tell you when my advice is ruining you but one thing is sure. Books can build, they can also destroy."

I thought she has mentioned that before?

"Books are written by the writer's opinions and experiences. Most relationships books don't work for everyone at the same time. It could even be contradictory. They tell you, 'love but don't love so hard'."

I brought out a pack of capri sonne and began to sip.

"There are people - people like me. I'm mostly influenced by what I read. That is why I'll never read a book written by an atheist about religion," The speaker said, earning laughter from all sides of the hall. I shrugged, looking around, I didn't even realize that was a joke she cracked. Maybe they had a very active sense of humor or just did not know when to laugh.

She was still talking. I was looking at her, remembering the other day when she said I could not love another if I have not loved myself. Nellie said, I did not love myself, even my mom said it too. They said it too often that I began to think that there was some truth there but I loved these two humans a lot. Maybe for me, I was more affected by what I heard. For books, naa... I don't read those shitty books claiming to make one's life better.

"Now you read a book written by a stranger telling you how to know when your partner is cheating on you. For no cause or for a little cause, you turn insecure because you are now checking, does my partner have this tendency?"

Okay, this is for couples, apparently. I had to let Nellie know this class was not for me. Did she even say it was a church organizing it? That means it's okay to be boyfriend and girlfriend now. Wow, I mean, that was very educational.

" You have to be able to decide what you allow to sink in and what you don't allow. "

The speaker was done and like the last time, hands were raised in the air.

"What are the books you recommend I read because I know my babe is cheating but I really need to know what to do," someone asked without standing up.

The whole class was quiet. I could see people ready to write down the books.

"The Bible. Read your Bible if you love her."

If I had water in my mouth I would have splashed it on the closest person because that cracked me up. They weren't all expecting that.

Read your Bible. Seriously?

Nobody asked anymore questions; they were disappointed. Someone even screamed, "Whaaaaaaat" and everyone laughed. I sat back and waited for them to rush out before I made my way to the door.

"What are you always doing at my door? " I asked Nellie, seeing her outside.

"We always get done before you guys."

"Relationship talks are interesting for those that need it," I said while we walked down the exit of the building.

"I saw you! You were at the front," she said, her tone not hiding the joy. She was happy I sat there. I knew I had to keep that front seat.

"Where is your friend, the one with a snake name? "

Shocked with dimmed eyes, she asked, "What, Linda? "

"Yeah but forget I asked. I'm following you home so you can cook for us."

"I'm traveling home."

"Home? Thought you just returning," I said.

"Yeah. I had to just come for the seminar."

Was it because "home " was an hour away for her? I was disappointed.

I brought out a pack of caprisone and began sipping, already planning how I was going to stay on my own. It was a situation I did not like.

"Stop doing that, " Nellie cautioned then she hugged me, "See ya tomorrow. "

I nodded, sipping my drink. I watched her walk away. I realized that was the second pack I was taking all day unlike me; I always took the drinks till my bowel could take no more.