Chapter 7: Chapter 7

~AKEYLA'S POV~

When we reached the boutique, we entered into the building and started shopping. You could say Brenda was the one shopping since she was the one selecting the clothes while I watched her cluelessly. She didn't allow mw pick myself, she said I would a grandma's wear. Well, she couldn't possibly expect me to wear those clothes she was buying because they were all looking too explosive and short. After buying the clothes, she paid for them at the reception and we both walked out to the building's parking lot. We placed thee clothes we had bought in the back seat of the car.

"Akeyla, wait here while I go get something." Brenda said to me and I turned to her puzzled.

"Are you not done buying?" I asked her with an arched eyebrow.

She rolled her eyes and sighed lightly, "I'm not going to buy anything, I want to check inside, I may have lost my jewelry back in there."

"Oh, should I come with you?"

She shook her head. "No, don't worry, just wait here." She said to mw with a smile before she walked away.

I stood there for a few minutes and then my eyes could see a shop where they shaded boli{roasted plantain} across the street, at the opposite side of the boutique building. God knew how much I loved boli and that I would do anything to eat that. I looked to the entrance of the boutique to see if Brenda was coming out but when she wasn't, I started walking out of the premises. I stood at the road side of the road and looked at each side of the road like a three years old child before crossing to the other side. The ground was very rough and dirty and there were gatherings of water all over; they looked slippery so I had to walk carefully.

"Madam how much for three boli? {Madam, how much is three boli?}" I asked the boli seller.

"Na 3 for 500. {It's three for 500.}" The woman replied as she blew on the boli she was roasting.

"You no sell 3 for 200? {You will not sell 3 for 200?}" I asked her.

The woman shook her head in disagreement. There's no way I was going to buy just 3 bolis for 200 naira unless I was cursed. I knew things were already hard in the country but three boli for 500? That's too much. There's no way I would be it for such price.

"Madam things don cost o, I no fit sell am like that. (Madam, things are expensive now, I cannot sell it for that price.)" The boli woman said as she continued to use the hand fan to blow on the boli.

"Oya, make I take am for 300. (Alright, let me buy them for 300?)" I continued to bargain with the woman.

The woman sighed, "Sister you too fine to dey price like this na, just bring money come. (Sister, you are too beautiful to be bargaining like this, just bring the money.)" The woman said smiling at me. I am too beautiful to be bargaining? What is this one saying? Even if I had enough money, there's no way I would waste money like that.

"Madam sell for me na, abeg. (Madam, sell it for me, please.") I pleaded with her.

She sighed, "Na because you be fine girl o." (It's because you're a beautiful.) She said and started wrapping the boli for me.

I smiled at her, "Thank you vey much." I said before collecting the boli from her. I opened my purse and brought out a 500 note before handling it to her. I turned around with the nylon of boli and just as I was about to jump over a small of gathering of water that was in front of me, water suddenly splashed on me.

Oh my God! I froze on the spot and looked down to my drenched body in shock.

Who on earth was that careless driver?

I turned around quickly and saw the car still driving ahead. The person did not even bother to stop? Or was he or she not aware that he drenched a poor passerby? I stared at the black car as it slowly disappeared out of my sight. God is my witnessed that if only the car has stopped, what I would have done...

The cars suddenly slowed down and came to a stop because there appeared to be a hold up and the black car stopped as well.

Perfect! You are dead today!

I bit my lower lips in anger and I matched my way over to where the cars have stopped and stood beside the black car. I knocked on the tinted glass of the car and waited for the driver to wind down the glass but the glass didn't go down.

"Hello! Hello!" I kept knocking on the glass until it finally lowered down revealing the person driving the car. I opened my mouth to start to talking but my words got caught up in my throat as he turned to me. God! I swear if good looks were a crime, then this young man here should be jailed for life. I know there were handsome men in this country but it was actually my first time I have come faced someone this good looking. My eyes travelled from his posh nose to his high cheekbones and sharp angular jaw. Mind my descriptions but there's no other word I have to describe the perfection of this guy's cheekbones and jaw.

His low cut black curly hair was perfectly styled and it spoke high class. He had that appearance which could make him stand out in the crowd as his smooth flawless chocolate skin glowed. His brown eyes are so that you could get lost if you stared too long but they were blank and showed no emotions. His face had that faraway look in it which could not... Wait a minute, just for how long have I been staring at the person I had come to demand an apology from?

He stared at me without a word as if using his gaze to ask me what I want. I was expecting him to say I should take a picture since he knew I had been staring, no let me rephrase that, drooling! Can you even imagine that?

I have almost forgotten the reason I had come.

I cleared my throat as reality finally welcomed me. "At least you should apologize for splashing water on me?" I asked frowning hard.

He didn't say anything but only turned to his side to do only God knew what.

"Hello! I am talking to you! Can you say something?" Was he ignoring me?

He turned back to me and brought out his hand, stretching out a bundle of dollars to me. I stared at him in shock and disbelief. Was he...? What was he trying to do? Why was he giving me money?

"And why are you giving me money?"

I could see him roll his eyes, "Is that not why you are here? The money can get you a new dress and even pay for your rent yunno. Of course, you know how much this is in naira right?"

If I was not fuming in anger right now, I would start falling for his accent. God, why did this rude human have to be so perfect? Some things aren't fair at all. I scoffed in disbelief at his words and placed my hands on my waist staring at the money in his hand. Pay for my rent? Can you even imagine this rude thing?

"You are really something you know. Do you think you can resolve everything with money?"

"Yea." He answered coolly.

"You really have no shame, do you?"

He narrowed his brows as if shocked by my words.

"You couldn't even say sorry when you splashed me water on me but you are giving me money? What are you trying to prove? That you have a lot of it?"

"I don't apologize, so it's either you take it or you get lost. And don't pretend that you don't want it." His eyes moved down my body. "Seeing yuh state, it seems like you will need it."

I scoffed and bit my lower lips as I stared at him. There's nothing we would not see in this country! I am sure this one is a jobless rude prick flaunting daddy's money.

"You can keep your filthy money to yourself, use it to go and see a doctor because you're really sick."

Okay I didn't mean to insult him but bro! I'm angry. This guy just insulted me because he has lots of money and I have none of it.

"You don't want it?" He waved the money at me. Akeyla, your pride! Don't get tempted by money! The country is no longer safe, he could be a ritualist!

Bro! I was actually looking for my pride I swear... but it was nowhere to be found!

I gulped and stretched my hand to collect the money from him but withdrew my hand back. What if I turned into an object after taking this money? But then again, he could be God sent in disguise though. What if this was my way to my blessing? I should just take it, there shouldn't be any problem, right?

The road cleared up and he threw the money at me and without wasting any time, he drove off. I stared at the money on the ground and swallowed hard before reaching down to pick it.

I quickly turned back and started making my way back to the boutique premises. When I reached there, I met Brenda standing beside the car with a worried expression on her face and she kept dialing on her phone. I bet she was trying to call me but my phone wasn't me, I left in the car with the clothes. I quickly walked over to her and placed my hand on her shoulder. She turned to me abruptly and heaved a long sigh of relief.

"Where in the world did you go Akeyla? You got me worried! I told you to wait and you disappeared!" She scolded me with a frown on her face.

"I Only went to buy something Brenda." I said before walking to the front seat to open the door.

"But you got me worried Akeyla! I thought someone kidnapped you." She pouted her lips and I shook my head at her. "This your love for boli is scary Akeyla! Please don't go crazy because of it one day."

I laughed at what she said and shrugged my shoulder.

"Wait, why are you all wet and dirty? Did you fall? What happened?" Brenda asked with a concerned look as she took a proper look at my white T shirt and jeans which was drenched with mug water.

I sighed, "It's a long story Brenda. Let's get going and I will tell you on the way." I told her before entering into the car.

"What long story? Gist me, fast!" She urged like her pants were on fire me immediately she started the car.

"Some guy splashed water on me with his car and couldn't even apologize."

"What guy? What does he look like?"

I turned to my dearest who was asking me about the looks of my assaulter. That was Brenda for you. Her love for good looking men is scary. All the guys she dated in secondary school were all good looking but they turned out to be jerks and kept dumping her. Brenda may be an 100% smart beautiful melanin but when it comes to men, she is 0%. She would always cry to me and I swear the number of times I have advised to stop chasing after good looking men alone, should be infinity.

"I need to know naw so I would know if I should curse the person or not." She said with a shrug.

I shook my head at her. "So, you won't curse him if he's good looking?"

"Um well, it depends on how good looking he is though."

I sighed, "he had this emotionless face and talked like he had the authority to rule the world." I said to her with sarcasm. Brenda started laughing and I frowned at her.

"This is not funny Brenda; he even threw dollars notes at me and insulted me."

She stopped at once and turned to me with her hands still on the steering.

"He did what?"

"He insulted me." I answered with a frown.

She shook her head abruptly and glanced at the road before tuning back to me. "No no no, not that. He threw what at you?"

I rolled my eyes at her. Of course, she's talking about money.

I didn't say anything and simply brought out the money to show it to her. She stared at the bundle in my hand with widened that she almost she was driving.

"Please do not kill us, Brenda."

"Oh my God!" She exclaimed loudly. "How rich is he to just give you this kind of money?"

I shrugged, "I honestly don't know and that's what bothers me. There's no such generous person in Nigeria, none at all." I angrily placed the money at my side.

"Forget that thing Akeyla! Who told you there are no generous men in Nigeria? This is where the most generous people exist in, don't you know?"

I shook my head at her. This girl!

She continued, "So what did you tell him when he gave you the money?" Brenda asked.

"I called him shameless and demanded for an apology and he insulted me with the money just because he has a lot and I'm just someone who is still hoping gets called back to work." I swallowed hard and looked down at my fingers. Call it pride or whatever you want but if I had money, I wouldn't have collected it and could have thrown it at his face.

"Wow...I know there are lots of rich people in this country but this is just beyond wow." Brenda said shaking her head in disbelief. She turned to me with a confused expression.

"What? What happened? How can your face be like that when just you just received free bundle of dollars?"

I heaved a sigh and relaxed my back against the chair.

"I picked the money Brenda."

I could see her twitched her brows in confusion.

"Yeah, you did and so what? You didn't steal it." She shrugged as she diverted into the lane that led to my house.

"I wanted to save myself some pride and leave the money but I...I just couldn't because I knew I needed the money badly..." I sighed. "I guess some things can't just be avoided right?"

Brenda's expression turned serious, "You could have just left the money then, I can always give you money Akeyla."

"I just... I just want to earn enough on my own. Why is everything just so hard in this country?"

Brenda stared at me and her eyes started to become watery too. She turned back her gaze to the road.

"It's fine Akeyla, you don't have to use the money. I can just give you the same amount and..."

I placed my hand on hers and smiled, "It's so rare to find a kind friend like you and I'm really grateful for having such a friend like you. Don't worry about that. I won't turn to yam if I use some of the money."

She chuckled and nodded. "If you happen to meet that prick anywhere else and he asks you for the money..." She beats her chest. "Just come to me, I will handle it for you."

I smiled broadly at my adorable bestie.

"Thank you, Brenda, I love you so much."

She smiled and moved her the side of her face closer to me while still staring at the road.

"Give me a kiss."

I smiled and pecked her cheek.

"I love you too, you fine child."

I chuckled. This girl.

xoxo