Chapter 13: Chapter 13

A beautiful month.

The day was zestful and bubbly, people roamed around the city of Lagos full of life and energy, the atmosphere was fresh, Christmas lights and other decorations hung everywhere, apparently, it was christmas season.

Nikki and Miracle walked into the vivacious beauty parlor and soon one of the stylist left with Miracle.

"Good afternoon ma," Nikki greeted while grinning at Soil.

Soil looked up at the grinning Nikki trying to place her face, she'd come to the exclusive beauty parlor with Kemi who was currently at the spa while Soil was in the salon.

"Afternoon but do I know you?"

Nikki smiled warmly before replying, "I'm Jimi's friend."

Soil sized her up, Jimi never kept friends except Mark of course.

"That's impossible."

Nikki smiled before replying, "Kemi is my very good friend too."

Soil nodded while still wearing the confused expression, "We met sometimes last month at MAPLE, I bumped into you and you dropped your wallet then I brought it to you at Lisha's office." She sat on a wing chair beside Soil.

"Oh!" She accompanied it with a clap, "You're Lisha's sister right?"

"Yes, ma."

"You should have told me that from the start, anyway, how is Li baby?"

Nikki pursed her lips at the mention of her sister's name while wondering why she had to talk about Lisha.

"She's fine." She gave her a plastic smile and Soil nodded.

"It's been some days since I heard from her, let me even call her," she waved at the stylist plaiting her hair before proceeding to bring out her phone from her bag.

Nikki watched her as she dialled Lisha's number, seconds later, Lisha's voice came up from the other end and a smile spread across Soil's face. Jealousy roared through Nikki's veins as she watched Soil in an obvious excited discussion with Lisha, but then, her gaze didn't waver from her until another hairstylist walked up to her with a coiffure magazine.

Flipping through the magazine, she watched Soil with the corner of her eyes and anger seethed in her, why would Soil like Lisha?

After choosing a kinky braid, the hairstylist left with the coiffure magazine and Soil dropped her call.

"I told Li baby to come but she said she was busy," Soil started and a fake smile appeared on Nikki's face.

"She doesn't really like plaiting her hair, most times she's always busy, so, she doesn't really care about her looks, main reason, she lacks fashion sense, I wonder how she became a fashion designer with her bad dressing."

Soil squeezed her face as she wondered why Nikki had to ramble.

"I didn't ask you about her fashion sense."

Nikki quirked her eyebrows before smiling wryly, "Um, yeah, it's…"

The voice of the hairstylist stopped her before having few talks with her, minutes later, she proceeded to start Nikki's hairdo.

"Ma, what of Kemi?"

"Do you know my daughter?"

"Of course ma'am." she dashed her a reverent smile which Soil didn't return.

"Anyway, she's in the spa." Soil turned to her phone and soon started chatting with her friends.

Nikki didn't want to stop the discussion with her, she was bent on getting closer to Soil who cared less.

"I really love the food at SOIL restaurant."

Soil didn't look up from her phone, "I'm glad about that."

Nikki wanted to continue the discussion but she was short of words, she didn't know what to say and Soil was looking unconcerned, so, she kept quiet as her hair was being made.

"Hi, Nikki," Kemi greeted half an hour later.

"Hello Kemi," she replied with a cool smile.

"I didn't know you were here too, what of Miracle?"

"She's having her hair done."

Kemi nodded before turning to her mother who was just getting up, she was done with her hair, "You look beautiful as always."

"Thanks my dear," Soil replied with a wide smile.

"Time to leave, right?"

"Yeah." After bading Nikki bye, they both walked out of the beauty parlor. The minute they left, Miracle walked in looking pretty with her new hairstyle.

"Mommy, is my hair fine?" she called and Nikki grinned at her daughter as her heart swelled with happiness, she was always filled with joy whenever she sighted Miracle.

"Your hair is fine baby, you look pretty," she complimented as Miracle jumped on the wing chair Soil had sat on earlier.

"Thanks Mommy, you're fine too."

Nikki waved at her hair stylist before bringing out Miracle's iPad from her bag, seconds later, she gave her the iPad and her daughter quickly swiped to her games, that she was really fond of.

An hour later, they walked out of the beauty parlor, and just about immediately Nikki started her car, she caught sight of a young handsome man and her eyes widened upon recognition.

"Daniel," she mumbled to herself and immediately the supposed Daniel turned to her, she drove out of the beauty parlor not wanting him to see her.

All through her ride home, she got uneasy as different thoughts tumbled through her mind.

**************

"You look disturbed," Lisha started as she sat by the edge of Nikki's bed, she'd noticed Nikki had been quiet ever since she got back from the beauty parlor.

"Do I?" She pointed at her chest and Lisha chuckled.

"It's written all over your face, now tell me, what's plaguing my kid sister's mind?"

Nikki swallowed her saliva before deciding to talk, "I saw Daniel today."

Lisha's eyes opened to its fullest extent, "Daniel as in Daniel?"

"Yeah," Nikki confirmed.

"Is he still alive? I thought he jumped into a river and drowned himself or rather got electrocuted when he hugged a transformer."

Nikki shook her head, she knew it was a mistake telling Lisha but deep down she knew it wasn't.

"This isn't a joke, you know all those didn't happen to him."

Lisha plopped fully unto Nikki's bed, "To me, he's no longer a member of earth but of hell."

Nikki smirked while eyeing her sister, "You're just something else, I told you I saw Daniel today."

Lisha opened her arms widely, "And so? Is that why you look disturbed? Just because of that stupid creature."

Nikki opened her mouth to reply but the call from Lisha's phone impeded her.

"Who is the foolish person calling now? I just hope it's not a ghost sha," she said while fumbling through her jean trousers.

Nikki didn't fail to notice the smile that shadowed Lisha's lips as soon as she flipped open her phone's jacket and the caller ID revealed itself, and seconds after, she picked the call and her smile broadened.

"Hey, Gym."

The size of Nikki's eyes increased instantaneously as her ears opened widely to listen to their conversation. Why on earth must he call her? She'd noticed they talked every now and then and it was seriously irking her.

Giggles and laughter filled the room as Lisha conversed with Jimi, this act of hers got Nikki irritated.

"Oh, that's even true, today is the first day of the month, so, Mama would visit the orphanage right?"

"Yes, she wanted to invite you earlier but she said you told her you were busy," Jimi replied while flashing a smile at his mother who had actually pressed him to mention the orphanage.

"I'm no longer busy, if Mama wants me to join you then I can come," Lisha replied and Nikki lifted her eyebrows, so, they'd even gotten to the extent of going out to together, she thought.

Jimi mouthed Lisha's words to Soil and she nodded in affirmation, "You can come."

"Good then, jeez, I'm pressed right now, I need to go to the toilet, just hold on, hold on nii oo, if you hang up, I'll feed your balls to the dogs," she pulled her ear as if he could see her before she dropped her phone on Nikki's bed and ran into her toilet while Jimi laughed at the other end.

Nikki looked down at Lisha's phone before a stupid thought came into her, she copied Jimi's number to her phone and after saving it, she picked Lisha's phone.

"Hi," she greeted while grinning from ear to ear.

"Hi, please, who is this?" he squeezed his face from the other end and Nikki melted at the tone of his voice.

"It's Nikki, how are you?"

"Fine, why are you with Lisha's phone?"

"Can I come with you guys?" She ignored his question as a smile danced on her lips.

"Um, it's somehow a family thing and…"

She cut in, "But Lisha isn't your family, she isn't related to you in any way, she only acted like your fiancee for a day, so, I see no reason why Lisha has to go while I can't, I'm human too."

Jimi sighed softly, "We're not going to any fun place, it's an orphanage and whereas my mom didn't invite you," he said trying to sound as convincing as he could.

"I love children, so, the orphanage will be fun to me, your mom wouldn't be possibly angry about that, she saw me earlier in the day and we warmed up into each other, so, thanks, I'll come with Lisha," she quickly hung up without allowing him to respond as Lisha walked out of the bathroom.

"Gosh, I almost died in there," she jested before picking up her phone, "Oh, he eventually hung up even after I warned him."

"Yeah, anyway, he told me to come with you."

Lisha's brows puckered, "Did you touch my phone?"

"Not really," she jumped out of her bed quickly and ran into her closet before Lisha could object.

*****************

"I just heard her voice, I actually thought you were back," Jimi explained, they were both seated across the room.

Nikki had succeeded in gaining the attention of the kids and in turn grabbing the interest of Soil, she loved the way the kids quickly warmed up to her though she kept on wondering why she came with Li baby.

She glanced at Jimi and Lisha who were engrossed in a discussion and she smiled at this, she enjoyed their sight and she loved them together.

"I wasn't out of the toilet then and why did you invite her?"

Jimi raised his hand in surrender, "I didn't, she invited herself and didn't even allow me to have any say on it."

"Hmmm, pathological liar, anyway, I told you not to hang up but you did," she accused while pointing her index finger at him.

"I didn't, Nikki did."

Lisha took a glance at Nikki who was playing with the kids while Soil was conversing with one of the Mothers.

"That doesn't mean I won't cut your balls and feed to dogs."

Jimi chortled, "You can't do that."

"Oya, pull down your trousers," she commanded before bending down to pull off her chick gladiator sandals.

He chuckled before talking "Why should I?"

"Mainly because I told you to or do you want to disobey your great-grandmother?"

He erupted into laughter and before he knew it, Lisha grabbed his hand and her long nails dug into his skin. How could she keep such long nails? Obviously because of her devilish acts.

"Gosh, do you want to create a gash on my skin?" He jerked his hand away from her and what met his face was the sole of her sandal.

"Smallie!" he exclaimed.

"Gym, do you want more sand on your face?" she replied gently.

"You're something else," he said while running his hand across his face trying to get rid of the sand particles.

"I know," she replied before placing her hands on his face as she helped him dust the particles.

"Please, don't scratch my face with your long nails oo," he pleaded and Lisha smiled crookedly, quickly, he understood it and proceeded to get up but she plopped into his laps before he could and carried on with the process of scratching his face but he caught her hand and held it up quickly, Lisha couldn't deny the chill that went down her spine at his touch before their eyes met, they stared deeply at each other for what could be likened to eternity before the clearing of throat cut their gaze.

Quickly, Lisha jumped up and went back to her former seat.

"What are you doing?" Nikki who had been the one who cleared the throat questioned, she'd seen them from afar when one of the kids got down from her laps and ran up to pick his plastic ball. She'd noticed the way they looked at each other and she couldn't be more outraged, main reason, she got up quickly.

"What does it look like?"

Nikki couldn't bring herself to say it but as she opened her mouth to say something else, Soil impeded her.