Chapter 65: Chapter 65

"oh my gosh! when I said you looked like a model, I wasn't lying. You really are a model, and your boyfriend is into perfume production?" Esther asked in awe

"I'm not really into the main production per se, I am the boss, the owner of the company." Jade said, the way his eyes lit, I knew he was feeling so proud of himself.

I kept my hands under the table and quickly typed "show-off" and sent to him. Immediately he saw the message, he laughed out

" I'm sorry, let's me quickly send this message" he said to Esther .

my phone lit up as his message came in "I hate exes, I just want this Tony of a guy to know that you are not someone he can toy with. you are not his type, YOU ARE MINE" I smiled sheepishly after reading his message. "Ahem..."Esther coughed "so tell me how is New York?" she asked

"it is a very beautiful place, a place where you are free to do whatever you like as long as it is not illegal. you are allowed to live your life without criticism, you dress the way you want, party all night. Everything looks so perfect, it's like heaven and the people there are awesome, the food is superb. I love my home but I love New York better and the people around me are one in a million, I could never have asked for a better set of people" I said

sounds so amazing I feel jealous "Awww...seriously? I'm so jealous of you right now, but don't worry as long as you don't have another best friend then you are safe" Esther said

"of course, no one can ever take your place as my best friend," I said

"liar" Jade coughed

"honey are you alright?" I asked rubbing his back

" I'm fine" he answered

"here, have some water. please be careful when eating so you won't choke," I said. I leaned closer and whispered "if you don't want to take my corpse back home, don't tell Esther that I have another best friend. she'll kill me if she knows."

"Awwn... you guys look so cute together," Esther said

"I know right, UK is my missing piece," Jade said

"I sure am" I said smiling.

"Waiter!" Tony called and the waiter approached our table

"how may I help you sir?" the waiter asked

"can you package my food for me? I won't be eating here anymore," Tony said

"sure thing, I'll be back in a minute," the waiter said and took his food.

He stood up to leave, "see you around Esther. Ukpono, have a nice time in Nigeria. Goodbye" he said stiffly and left, going after the waiter. We didn't say anything to him, we just sat there watching him. As he walked, he'll turn around and throw dagger stares at Jade and I. At one point, he wasn't paying attention to where he went, he stumbled on a chair and fell. Esther and I locked eye contact for about 5 seconds and burst into laughter.

"I don't get it, what's so funny?" jade asked

"oh my, Ukpono you've not changed one bit," Esther said

"I can't help myself, I don't know why watching someone fall down is always funny to me," I said, I tried to contain the laughter but when I look at Esther's silly face, I start laughing again.

My phone vibrated on the table, "hello ma," I said

"Ukpono, I'm sorry I have to cut your tour short. As you know, the introduction is on Wednesday and we need to be in the village tomorrow, I just got home from the market and there are lots of things to do, we need to start packing things that we'll use. Your sisters aren't back from choosing the wedding accessories and the people who were to assist have not yet arrived. Aunt Miriam, Natalie and Scott are helping but we're short of hands, could you and Jade come help?" she asked

"ohh... alright. I'll talk to Jade right now," I replied and ended the call. "mother needs me home to help with some things," I told Jade

"then what are we waiting for, let's go. Let's not keep my mother-in-law waiting" he said.

"Oh no! you're leaving already?" Esther asked looking disappointed.

"yeah, my mother needs us home," I answered

"I really wish we could spend time together, even for few hours, just like old times," she said

"you can come with us you know," Jade said

"really?" Esther asked, her eyes lit up with excitement

"yeah. mother needs helpers and you two want to catch up with the happenings during each other's absence, you can join us, chat with UK and help mother," Jade said

"incredible, I don't mind helping around," Esther said.

"alright, that's settled. let's go" I said and we stood up to leave. "hold on a sec, I'll be right back," I said and rushed to the counter "please give me 1 meat pie and a small size chivita fruit drink. Wrap them up in different bags please," I told the guy behind the counter.

He quickly packaged my order, I paid and joined the others. "let's go," I said "who has that?" Jade asked

"it belongs to Mr Etini, the driver," I  answered

"oh, ok" he said

"Here you go, Mr Etini," I said handing the snacks to the driver when we got into the car

"ah! small madam (usually used by employees when addressing the daughter of their employer), na who get this one?" he asked

"it's yours Mr Etini," I told him

"ah! thank you oooo. So like this now, where una dey go next?" he asked

"home. Take us home please," I said to him

"Guess who I saw yesterday" Esther said as the car sped off to my house

"I don't know, tell me," I said to her

"Dawn!!!" she said

"which Dawn?" I asked

"How many people do you know in Nigeria bearing the name Dawn?" she asked frowning

"Umm... I know two people." I answered

"well I'm talking about the one both of us know," she said

"Dawn Mbang?" I asked

"Bingo! The funny thing is that he asked me if I've been in contact with you recently and I said yes, if only I knew you were back that yesterday, I would have brought him to see you. Just like old times," she said

"well it's good you didn't, the fewer people who know that I'm back, the better for me. I just don't want my  "friends" to buzz around me like I'm supposed to play Santa Claus for them." I said

"but he's your friend, we all are. Me, Dawn, Ruth, Precious, Sam, Ekikere and Abasiekama. We've always been friends, have you forgotten 'friends now, friends forever'? Did you forget about us all when you got to New York?" she asked

"not you Esther, I never forgot you. You're more than a friend to me, you are my sister," I said

"And the others? Don't they matter to you? Did they become nothing when you became a superstar?" she asked

I didn't answer, I turned my face away and stared outside, a drop of tear escaped my eyes. Esther's words were true, I did turn my back on my friends when I became a model. I tried contacting them once but couldn't get through, since then, I made myself believe that they didn't care about me. It was easier to think that way, it was easier to pretend they didn't care about me than for me to accept that these people would continue being together without me. I believed that they will make so many happy memories without me that soon, they'll forget  about me, or even replace me.

When we got home, everything seemed normal. By normal I mean, Natalie and Scott were sitting on a bench at the backyard playing Ayo, my mother was in the living room watching soap opera

"ma? what's going on?" I asked

"Ukpono, you're here. come sit with me," she said

"you said there were lots of things to do and you were short on helpers, where's the work?" I asked

"oh that? I miscalculated, I thought today was Tuesday. There is nothing to do today except pack," she answered

"pack? what are we packing and where are we going to?" I asked

"we're going to the village tomorrow, the introduction will be done there," she said

"why can't it be done here? And would we have to stay there till the traditional marriage?" I asked

"you know it can't be done here in Uyo, it must be done in your father's hometown, in the family's compound. That is the tradition, and no, we won't be staying in the village till the time for the traditional marriage. we have lots of things to do after the introduction," she said

"like what?" I asked

"we are going to the farm on Friday, to harvest cassava for garri and fufu," she said

"oh no!!! I am not going to the farm" I said

"everyone is going, big sis, UT, Suto and his wife, you and maybe your friends," she said

"and you?" I asked

"oh I will be there. Things are hard in this country, do you know how much a bag of garri cost? I refuse to spend money on garri when I have a large farm with cassava ready for harvest," she said

"but ma? why do all these? why not hire caterers?" I cried

"I will cook for my daughters wedding, do you think it's a small thing to give your daughter out in marriage? not to talk of two at the same time. I will cook for the traditional marriage as for the white wedding, your sisters have decided to take it upon themselves to hire caterers. But me I will cook small thing for close friends and family" she said

"ma!!! why do you love stressing yourself?" I cried "please... enough with this, you are not cooking anything for either the traditional or white wedding. I have money, I'll handle it, please"

I begged but she wouldn't budge, that's my mother for you, she is sweet but can be as stubborn as a mule. I gave up when I realized that nothing I say would make her change her mind, my words to her was like someone pouring water on the back of a chicken. The water will slide down on the floor without touching the chicken's skin.

"I'm going to talk to Jade and the others, I don't know if they will be able to cope with the harsh lifestyle in the village." I said to her

"you go do that, I just want to complete this show," she said without even looking at me

I told Jade, Natalie, Scott and Juliet about our trip to the village, "... there's no constant electricity, there's little or no signal and so you wouldn't be able to use internet service, there are just 3 bathrooms and toilet in the big compound for everybody to use. The weather may be hot but you need to wear trousers and long sleeves to prevent mosquito bites. There's no bathtub or shower, you either use a bucket in bathing or you bath in the stream. As we're going there, everyone will expect you guys to work. Natalie, you will learn to cook with firewood and do things the manual way. Juliet, you're 8 years old, you'll be expected to join other children in running errands like fetching water from the stream with water pots, sweeping with broom made out of palm fronds. Jade and Scott, you guys would join the men in doing tasking jobs like splitting firewood, pounding yam, clearing the bush with machete and doing other tasking jobs. The village is a fun place to be if you can cope with all these things, can you guys do it?" I asked