Chapter 8: Chapter 8

Immediately Nikki got down from the elevator, she bumped into a pretty woman.

"Oh! I'm sorry," she apologized but the woman only gave her a benevolent smile and walked away without responding.

Just then, Nikki sighted a black purse on the floor, apparently, the woman had dropped it when Nikki bumped into her. Picking it up, she realized the woman was already out of sight, how could her legs be so fast?

Nikki decided to open it and all she could see was money and an I.D card that had Arireoluwa Adeboye as the owner's name.

"She somehow looks familiar," Nikki muttered to herself as she kept on staring at the I.D card trying to picture where she'd seen her before as she sauntered to Kemi's office.

Immediately, Kemi's office was in sight, Nikki saw her walk out of the office with the woman she'd bumped into earlier beaming with smiles, that made Nikki realize why she thought the woman was familiar, she was Kemi's mother and also the owner of SOIL Restaurant; she had chains of restaurants all over the country, even the one in MAPLE was a branch of her restaurant amongst many franchise.

Nikki smiled at this as happiness welled inside her, but the joy diminished when she saw Kemi walk into Lisha's office with her mother. Why on earth will they go to Lisha's office?

"Oh! To whom do I owe this pleasant visit?" Lisha beamed as she stood up to welcome Soil who quickly enveloped her in a hug.

After swapping greetings, they all settled down and Kemi talked.

"Soil insisted on me bringing her to you, she actually came because of you and Mark."

"Most especially you," Soil added and Lisha smiled.

"So my own boyfriend is not important abi?" Kemi teased with raised eyebrows while Soil smiled in return.

"He is," she replied and Kemi nodded.

"Anyway, I have to take the lunch you brought to Mark," Kemi uttered as she got on her feet.

"Ensure he eats it oo and extend my greetings to him, ehn, don't tell Jimi I'm here oo."

Kemi smiled as she nodded in accordance before exiting the room. She met Nikki on her way, after exchanging pleasantries, Nikki kept on wondering why her Mom didn't leave with her. Kemi left for her office while Nikki proceeded to Lisha's office, she wanted to know what was going on.

"You didn't have to stress yourself," Lisha said in response to Soil who had told her she specially prepared lunch for her and Mark.

"It wasn't any form of stress, you know, I enjoy cooking a lot and preparing a meal for my daughter-in-law is so much pleasure."

'If only she knew the truth' Lisha thought.

"Thanks a lot then."

"It's nothing, after all, you're my daughter."

That word lit Lisha's face, no one had ever called her their daughter, she'd never been a daughter to any one not even her Dad who cared less about her and Gran who neglected her most times, she remembered how she'd always yearn for the love of her parents but since her Mom was dead, she could only wish for the love of her Dad but he never loved her.

"Li baby," the voice of Soil brought her out of her trance and Lisha covered it with a smile.

"So, what's our lunch course?" Lisha inquired as she stood up to carry the lunch bag beside Soil.

"Hmmm, the aroma is killing and it says it all, I know that, it's atadudu (green pepper) stew abi?" Soil nodded as Lisha proceeded to open the big cooler.

"Wow, Ofada rice, I've been craving for this, you just know my taste," Lisha beamed as she placed the food on the center table.

"I'm meant to know everything about my daughter right?" She ended it with a grin and Lisha nodded.

"What are you doing?" Jimi queried and that got Nikki startled, she'd been eavesdropping at Lisha and Soil's discussion and anger had been building up inside her at their closeness. Is it that Lisha didn't tell her the truth about her relationship with Jimi or what?

She turned to him and gave him a quick and flashing smile while clutching Soil's purse to her chest, "I came to return this," she opened the door before he could respond and walked into Lisha's office.

"Lisha!" Nikki shouted, that made Lisha completely stunned as she looked up at her sister.

Soil looked up at her and Nikki smiled down at her.

Lisha opened her mouth to talk but the creak from the door hindered her.

Jimi walked in with a smile and Soil shook her head, she'd expected him, she knew Kemi wouldn't keep her mouth shut, she'll surely tell him, she never kept anything from her twin brother.

"So, Lisha is now taking my place in your heart abi?" Jimi started as he sat by Soil who eyed him playfully.

"Not really but she's getting close to that."

"I'm your son oo."

"And Li baby is my daughter, maybe, you don't know that I have two daughters now, right?"

Lisha nodded in accordance, "Yeah."

"So, you only brought food for Lisha abi? What of mine?" Jimi inquired as he pointed at the big cooler on the center table.

"You eat my food every time so let Li baby enjoy this one and nobody must touch it, not even me."

"She can't finish the whole food," Jimi countered and Soil wagged her index finger.

"On my watch, she'll surely finish it."

Nikki was boiling with rage as she watched their display of happiness, what on earth was happening? They'd even forgotten she was in the room with them. She cleared her throat loudly to make her presence known and everyone snapped their heads towards her.

"Um, sorry, Mama this is my sister, Nicole," Lisha introduced and Nikki raised her eyebrows at the pet name, they'd even gotten to the extent of having pet name for one another, to her, it was getting terrific.

"Hmmm, you were the one that bumped into me earlier right?" Her sweet voice brought Nikki out of her thoughts, she smiled before nodding.

"Yeah and you dropped this," Nikki pointed her purse at her with a wide smile plastered on her face.

"Oh! Thanks," Soil collected the purse from her before placing it by her side, she then turned to Lisha.

"Aren't you eating again?"

Lisha shook her head before looking up at Nikki who had resumed glaring daggers at her, "Do you mind joining me?"

Nikki opened her mouth to reply but Soil stopped her, "Li baby, the food is only meant for you and no one else."

Nikki resisted the urge to explode as she eyed Soil who didn't notice her warily. She decided it was best she left the room if not she might just do something she would regret. Her resentment for Lisha was now blooming.

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

"What color did you choose?" Lisha questioned Naveed. They were in the design room where other team members were present too, actually, the design room was the office of Lisha's design team, she was the only one with a separate office and as such the design room was thrice her office.

"Blue," Naveed replied while hoping she wouldn't give him a crazy answer, Lisha only smiled at him and walked over to Fiola; the seamstress.

"How many do you have left?"

Fiola looked up from the sewing machine before responding, "Okay, good job then, anyway, it's time to go home, see you guys later," she waved at each and everyone of them and walked out of the design room to her office.

Minutes passed, Lisha then sauntered to the elevator and it whizzed downward, it wasn't long before she got out and walked to the car park.

After dropping her bag at the backseat, she started the car without looking back and that made her hit a car.

"Gosh!" She murmured before getting down, walking to the car, she realized it was Jimi's car.

"Gym, why did you park your car behind mine, ehn, answer me?" She stood akimbo and Jimi shook his head.

"Smallie, I can park my car anywhere whereas you were the one that hit my car," he corrected and Lisha scoffed.

"Scratched, not hit, spell it, scratched," she told him and Jimi smirked.

She moved closer to him and in a twinkle of an eye, her hand came in contact with Jimi's stomach.

"Ahh," he groaned as he wrapped his right hand around his stomach, how could her hand be so small and yet powerful?

"Smallie, why did you punch me and is your hand made of steel?"

She pursed her lips before replying, "It's made of Gold actually, and the reason I punched you is because you didn't spell scratched," she made an air quote at the last word and shook her body.

"Gosh, don't you know the spelling of scratched?" Jimi straightened up and placed his hand by his side even though he still felt the effect of her punch.

"Whatever, just accept that you're dumb, common scratched, you cannot spell even Miracle can spell it, olodo," she fluttered her eyelashes and Jimi chuckled.

"Anyway, what are you going to do to the scratch?"

Lisha clapped sarcastically as she looked sideways before turning to him, "Me or You?" She pointed at his chest before continuing, "You have a phone, so, google what to do to the scratch of a car, I've given you the topic now, after that, you can tell me when you've done it," she stepped on his foot and Jimi gave a half-stiffled shout before she eyed him and walked back to her car.

"Carry your pangolo (jalopy) away from titi (road) and let me pass," Lisha said as she opened the door to her driver's seat.

Jimi entered his car and reversed while Lisha drove out of the car park but not without sticking out her tongue at him.

Lisha kept on yelling at other drivers during the traffic till she got home. On getting home, after Gran opened the door for her, Miracle jumped on her as usual, and after much giggling and soft jokes, she dropped her on the chair and dashed to her room.

After taking a warm bath, Lisha slumped on her bed but the entrance of Nikki stopped her from closing her eyelids.

"What's going on?" That was Nikki's question as she sat by the edge of Lisha's bed.

Lisha straightened up as she rested her back on the wall and her hands on one of her pillows placed on her tucked legs.

Lisha shrugged before replying, "What do you mean?"

Nikki crossed her arms before raising her voice, "You and Jimi, what's going on between you two, his Mom even brought you lunch and you guys seem so close, did you bewitch her? 'cause I know no one would want someone like you for their son, of all comely ladies? she even called you Li baby," she squeezed her face before continuing, "What kind of stupid pet name is that, she even refers to you as her daughter and yet you claim there's nothing going on between you guys, you..."

Lisha stopped her with a raised palm, "You didn't even greet me and the next thing is you complaining, what's bad if she refers to me as her daughter? Oh, you think everyone will be like your parents and for your information, you can kill yourself if you conclude there's something between Gym and I, you have no control over my life, so, get out of my room now!" She thundered and Nikki flinched.

Her comeback got stuck in her throat as she stood up and glowered at Lisha who was getting pissed off by her sight, Lisha picked up her pillows and threw them at Nikki angrily, she jumped down from her bed when she realized Nikki didn't leave, knowing Lisha could pounce on her, Nikki hissed and scrambled out of her room hastily before slamming the door shut.

Lisha got back on her bed and wrapped her coverlet around her, immediately, she closed her eyes, her door protested, she turned back to the door and her eyes met with Gran's.

"Nikki already told me about everything when she got back, why did you send Nikki out of your room?" Gran questioned with anger evident in her voice.

"Gran, I don't have the strength to tell you that, the person that told you should be able to give you the response," she covered her face with her coverlet and wrapped her pillow around her head.

The only thing she heard was the bang of the door that signalled Gran had left the room. Lisha sighed as she stood up and threw all her pillows around the room angrily.

When will Gran stop favoring Nikki over her? When will everyone stop favoring her over her? When will she get loved by her family? All this and many more plagued her mind before she eventually drifted into sleep.