Chapter 27: Chapter 27

Chapter 26.

The first person I see when we walk in is the house help from last time. She has this sneer in her face showing that she dislikes me. But why wouldn’t she like me? Has she ever seen me somewhere before coming here? Anyway, that’s her and this is me. It doesn’t matter if she likes me or not, what matters is the fact that I am here and if that annoys the hell out of her then she can go to hell for all I care.

‘’Hello, mum,’’ Harry calls when we get to the living room. His mum is seated there with a set of newspapers in her hands. She must be reading the news to know exactly what the world is talking about.

‘’Hey, son, I can see you have brought this ….’’ She sizes me with her right hand but before she can say anything stupid about me, her daughter cuts her off.

‘’Clarita, mum. Her name is Clarita.’’ She says and just from the way the mother reacts, it is super obvious that she is not her favourite person.

‘’Whatever her name is. Harry, why did you bring her here? Why do you keep coming home with her?’’ she asks in pure disgust and a frown on her face.

‘’Because she’s my friend and I do whatever I please with my friends.’’ Well, this woman here is confirming that she doesn’t like me. She knows very well what her reasons are and that I am not going to control them.

‘’Can I have a word with… your friend?’’ she asks almost rudely and Harrison bursts into a burst of laughter. A dry one.

‘’Not at all, mum, I don’t want you to scare her away. She is my friend, I brought her here for a reason but you talking to her isn’t even close to the list.’’ He explains arrogantly.

‘’You are not going to …’’ he cuts her off, his long and accommodative hands tightening around my small waistline.

‘’Do that? Watch me do it. You are not going to speak to Clarita.’’ Out of curiosity, I decide there and then that I will speak to her. I don’t think I will lose anything if I speak to her. After all, it is just speaking to her, nothing much.

‘’Son, please!’’ she says beseechingly.

‘’No, mum. You will not do …’’

‘’Hey, it’s okay. If your mum wants to speak to me, then why not let her? It is fine to do that, right?’’ He shakes his head at me. I don’t know where I get the courage to say that but I do it anyway.

Harrison gives me a look I cannot decipher at the moment but I ignore him. These big families have so many secrets kept under their beds, who knows, I could be one of the secrets. I roll my eyes internally when I say that. Me? A secret? That sounds weird. Gross even.

Who knows, anyway?

‘’I am coming with you,’’ Harry says quietly.

‘’In private, Harry. I want to speak to her in private.’’

‘’But mum …’’

‘’You heard me, Harry! Stay away and let me speak to this ….. Girl.’’ I don’t have to be an intellect to know that she was going to say a mean word about me. Call me a bitchy name but that’s okay.

‘’I will do it, don’t worry about me, Harry.’’ He nods half-heartedly. Seems he knows something that I don’t. Which is logical because it’s his mum we’re talking about.

She motions me to follow her when she walks towards a room. I give Harry a blank stare and follow his mum to the room. My heart is throbbing so hard in my chest. I don’t know what she wants but I am not a coward. Refusing to see or talk to her can only confirm that I am one. I don’t think I have anything to hide.

When we get to the room, she bangs the door behind us and proceeds to sit on a couch. She doesn’t ask me to sit so, I keep standing.

‘’What the hell do you want with my son?’’ she asks rudely.

‘’What the hell does your son want with me? That should be the question, you?’’ shit! Was that me? I think someone just spoke on my behalf. Why would she ask what I want with her son and not the other way round?’’

‘’Mmmm! so you can talk back at me?’’ she asks with an evil smirk on her lips. ‘’You keep following Harry around and you think that’s a good thing? Or you think that will make you rich?’’ my eyes shoot wide open at her statement. I want to keep quiet but I decide otherwise.

‘’I am just asking a question, ma’ am,’’ I tell her back with confidence. Talking back at elderly people isn’t a good thing. I am supposed to follow strictly what my parents taught me so that I don’t lose my respect for others.

‘’You think I will sit here and watch you, a village whore waste my son?’’ wow! A village whore? That’s a first.

‘’I am not planning on doing anything to your son, in fact, we are just friends and …’’ she cuts me off.

‘’Friends? And you think I’d buy that? What do you take me for? A fool? Who the hell lied to you that social claimers like you could be friends with rich people?’’ That was mean. She pauses for a second before she continues. ‘’Listen here, you witch! I didn’t know you would be coming back to the city. Whatever your plans are they will never work. If you've come back here for any reason, just know that you have failed.’’ I hear echoes of her words hit my head repeatedly. I swear I think I am hearing things.

‘’What do you mean?’’ my voice is trembling and my body is shaking as I ask that. I am sweating and my heartbeat is on speed completely. I know I should be coming down but how do I do that? What she just said is impossible.

‘’I mean what I just said. Walk back to wherever you are coming from because this city is clearly too small for both you and me.’’ I mentally roll my eyes. I am really avoiding doing that physically at her.

‘’Are you confusing me with someone, madam?’’ I ask again. This time, I am scared to death and I fear I might faint but I will let that go.

No fainting. Not now, nor here.

‘’I am not. I know who you are and trust me what you want will not work. Your plans will fail.’’ I think for a few seconds looking at her in the face. This woman is completely a stranger to me. I have never seen her before, save for the day Harry brought me here for the first time. This is new. Me, coming back to the city? I thought I was born in the village and this was my first time stepping foot in this city. Well, I confirm that life is a bitch!

I don’t see the need of me talking to her anymore, so, I walk towards the door. I need to get out and grab some fresh air. Trying to argue with this crazy woman is pointless. She is literally speaking in tongues and that makes me mad as well.

‘’Where do you think you are going?’’

‘’Well, I don’t have the energy to argue with you. You are speaking crazily and I am not ready to listen to you.’’ I tell her politely. I don’t know how she gets to where I am but her palms land on my cheeks and it stings like a bee. The pain, the ache. I need to leave here before things get worse.

The door flings open, I step away for whoever that is to make their way in. a

A tear falls as a torrent of tears follow. I watch as the handsome guy walks towards me and his hands sling my waist securely.

‘’What is happening here?’’

‘’Your stupid friend just insulted me.’’ And there she goes. She just got insulted by me? Really? His eyes widen as his hand loosens dropping down automatically.

‘’Seriously, Clara?’’ He asks angrily. ‘’Did you have to insult my mum?’’ nice, just wonderful. Harry is supporting his mum. He couldn’t even wait to hear my side of the story. Anyway, birds of the same feathers flock together. Here they go, they are flocking together evidently. I look at the evil woman and she has an evil smirk on her lips.

This is going to be torturous. I don’t know what to do. I don’t have anyone to turn to. He brought me here just so that he can side with his mother when she tries to make me look bad. Aliana was definitely right. She said it and its happening in less than two hours.

I try to get out of the room but he holds me be back by blocking my way.

‘’Did you insult my mum?’’ I cower when I see an evil gleam in her eyes. I wonder what life has in store for me. I turn to look at that woman and she is smiling, I am still trembling from what she just said. I am looking at Harry like I am lost or something close to that.

‘’I – ‘’

‘’Did you or did you not?’’ he says sternly.

‘’I didn’t insult her ‘’

‘’Are you calling me a liar?’’ she asks feigning hurt.

‘’No, madam. I am sorry.’’ I say fearfully the tears haven’t stopped rolling down my cheeks. With all that has happened, I don’t do anything to keep them at bay.

I push him away and I am glad when he moves out of the way. I walk out with my wet eyes wiping them angrily with the back of my palm. I lose track and bump into Anita. I am happy it’s her and not him or the nosy sneering maid.

‘’Hey, everything okay? What did my mum do?’’

I feign a smile. One that doesn’t reach my face. She smiles back.

‘’I am okay. Your mum is super nice, you know?’’ I say sarcastically.

‘’Are you sure, Clarita? You know I got the sarcasm.’’ I facepalm internally. ‘’I know my mum. I wanted to warn you about going to speak to her about anything but if your friend let you, then I have nothing to say.’’

‘’Hey, can you take me to the gate? I need to leave.’’

‘’Where are you going without Harry?’’

‘’He is still speaking to his mum. He will be joining me later.’’ I tell her uncertainly.

‘’I don’t know why I don’t believe you.’’ I laugh humourlessly at that.

‘’You definitely should.’’ She holds my hand and we’re about to start walking when I hear his sweet voice. Wasn’t I mad at this nigga? I roll my eyes. Me and mad are and cannot be found in one sentence. I ignore him and pull her towards the direction Anita was pulling me to.

‘’I told you. That whole thing of she is just talking to his mum was a scam.’’ I don’t respond.

‘’Stop Clara!’’ the arrogant Harry shouts and I cower. He sister tenses and this is one of the times you wish you never met some people.

To be honest, this Harry guy is completely stupid. Who does that to the person they claim they love? He remained with his mum without even asking me to know what the story was about. I feel disgusted already.

‘’Let me take you back to wherever you came from.’’ I want to protest, say no and tell him that I will find my way but I don’t give in to that urge. I don’t want to find myself in the midst of lions and hyenas.

I am well aware of Anita’s eyes on me but I don’t turn to look at her. I follow Harrison to the car. He doesn’t open the door for me. That doesn’t matter to me. I am only boarding his car because I don’t have an option.

‘’Hey, are you not going to talk to me?’’ he asks once he’s stopped in Aliana’s compound. The drive was short. He never spoke a single word during the driver I open the door and bang it closed behind me.

I walk away without a word.

He should probably go speak to his wicked mum.