Chapter 25: Chapter 25

There was a woman in the parlour who kept looking at her. Her brown globes that held a weird glint followed her every move and with her lips pursed in a thin line Uyai thought she had committed a crime she was unaware of. Uyai was uncomfortable and it was apparent in the way her steps faltered every now and then. While she served the two women drinks, making sure to avoid eye contact, Uyai had taken that moment to scan her appearance from head to toe. A good portion of her skin was wrapped in beautiful Ankara piece that emboldened her chocolate complexion.

She was a beautiful middle aged woman that looked no younger than thirty, but Uyai knew she was more than thirty judging from her conversation with Mr and Mrs. Ekpenyong as they laughed ever so often as the reminisced old times. Mr. Ekpenyong had taken his leave to see to his business leaving the women to their own while they catch up on their women's gossip as he had said.

Uyai couldn't help but watch the woman from the corner of her eyes; she was dressed with finesse, Uyai could swear her knee length Ankara gown cost a fortune; it was beautifully weaved with finely knitted pattern drawn across it. She had on big braids pulled to the back with a fancy ribbon. Uyai admired her nails which were nearly trimmed and painted with a rich nude beige colour.

It was her shoes that arrested her attention. It was a black stiletto with wait! Was that diamond? No! Definitely not. But she looked like she could afford it...but it's diamond we're talking about, definitely farfetched. Diamond or no diamond it looked beautiful giving the heels a new shine to them.

Uyai didn't know she been walking mindlessly with her eyes downcast still drooling over the shoe, until her sixth toe struck the chair and yes it hurt, it hurt a lot. She couldn't resist the wince that her facial muscles had pulled in reflex responding to the sharp painful stimuli.

Of course she held back the groan that was threatening to surface, pulling her lips into a grimace instead. Uyai was so into her predicament that she was only brought out of it when a voice spoke.

Certainly not Mrs. Ekpenyong's voice, no this voice dripped like one with honey sweetened tongue...Controlled, powerful and really sophisticated.

It said. "I'll take her."

"What did you say?" It was Mrs. Ekpenyong who spoke now. She sounded bewildered.

"I said I'll take her." she reiterated.

"I'm confused, who if may ask are you referring to?"

"The girl, what's her name again?" She looked her way and Uyai almost choked when her eyes flickered to her.

"You mean Uyai?" Mrs. Ekpenyong eyes rounded in disbelief and somewhat uncertainty.

"Yes." The woman simply nodded.

"Arit, you can't be serious. She's not a model."

"Well she looks like one to me." the Arit woman shrugged slightly it was barely visible.

"Don't be fooled by the height, she's no where close to one. In fact she just came in from the village, I doubt she'll be able to pull off any of your designs the way you want them." Mrs. Ekpenyong said to the lady who spared Uyai another look, this time it lasted longer and Uyai wondered what in the world she was doing there standing like a mannequin set up for inspection.

"From what I see, she can pull it off. Just a little training will do." Mrs. Arit asserted and delicately crossed a leg over the other as if to put across her point.

Uyai thought she had enough of being the topic of discussion especially when she was right there and they paid no heed to that. So consciously she began to walk away, but she was stopped by Mrs. Ekpenyong who decided then to call her name.

"Uyai come here." she beckoned.

Of course she couldn't ignore the call and reluctantly let her limbs move her towards the women.

"How long do you intend to use her?"

"Just a month or there about." she woman replied vaguely.

"I am still not satisfied with your suggestion."

"Look Caro. This would be the perfect opportunity to collaborate with Réeves en bloc. We make use of your makeup and hair dressing expertise which would definitely guarantee you a substantial pay. I just need one model to complete my ensemble, I'm desperate here Caro." She pleaded softly

"But can't you find someone else? I doubt she'll be perfect for the job-" Mrs. Ekpenyong began with a protest.

"She'll be perfect alright. Trust me I know a potential when I see one." the woman assured her with a compelling smile.

"You think so?" Mrs. Ekpenyong was still unconvinced.

"I know so."

Uyai was...confused. Yeah that's the word. And also perturbed. She felt like she was in some kind of trade, like... Slave trade? Of course her mind just had to go that far.

Snap out of it Uyai! They wouldn't sell you.

"I'll have to give it a little thought."

"Please do, but don't spend too much time thinking. I just have a week."

"I might need more than a week Arit."

"I'm afraid that not possible. This is fate Caro, what are the chances we were going to meet that day and don't neglect the fact that my fashion stall is directly next to yours. In fact this doesn't need thinking, don't you think?"

"Well I certainly can't dispute that but I think we ask the girl in question, if she's interested, then fine. If she isn't then..." Mrs. Ekpenyong trailed off with a shrug.

Uyai still stood like a statue with her hands behind her back and head downcast. She had tuned them out a long time so she had no idea what else they discussed and how it concerned her.

"Uyai come here. Let me introduce you to someone." Uyai heard her name and responded in reflex. Mrs. Ekpenyong beckoned her closer and without much restraint Uyai hurried to her side.

"This is Mrs. Chance. She's a fashion designer. Arit meet Uyai."

"Greetings Ma." Uyai mumbled a greeting with a slight curtsy.

The woman responded by a faint inclination of her head in a notable form of greeting.

"Sit down dear." The woman said with a small smile.

Uyai did as she was told and sat with Mrs. Ekpenyong so she was facing the woman directly, who still sat demurely with her lips curled to one side.

"How old are you Uyai?" The woman asked.

"Er...20 Ma." Uyai responded slowly.

"Are you in school?"

"No she's not." It was Mrs. Ekpenyong who answered for her.

Uyai affirmed with a slight nod.

"Trust you speak English fluently?"

"I can try." Her answer was short clipped. What was this? Twenty questions? Was she being interviewed for a job position? If so, perhaps she should tell the woman she could give an English Professor a run for his money.

"That's okay. Now how would you like to be a model?"

***

That question had led Uyai standing amidst beautiful tall slim girls. She couldn't remember saying she would like to be a model. She had begun to decline that offer when Gift in all her glory just strolled in and screeched..."Model?!"

They had all whipped their heads to her in shock only to see her standing just a few feet away with round eyes.

"Aunty Uyai is going to be a model?" She queried.

She didn't wait for a reply but chipped in "Can I be one too?"

"Of course, when you're old enough." Mrs. Ekpenyong was quick to reply her.

"But--"

"When you're old enough Gift." Mrs. Ekpenyong had interjected once again this time coldly that the little girl had no choice but to flinch and keep mute.

Uyai had decided then to reply with an affirmative that she was interested. She was curious about the whole modelling buzz and of course the fact that she'll get to leave the house and make new friends. That was a plus.

Now back to the present.

Uyai could not recognize herself. She could swear it was a different person standing amidst these ladies. She had been artfully made up by Mrs. Ekpenyong's workers and dressed in a cloth that made her body shapely and sophisticated and most of all, the death traps called heels that enclosed her feet which had had gone through the process of manicure and pedicure. It was a shoe she'd never in a million years would have worn because apart from the fact that it added to her five feet 6 inches it was too beautiful to be worn but instead should be cased in a collection of prized possessions.

But here she was wearing it and looking extremely good with it.

They hadn't noticed her arrival since she tried as much as possible to conceal herself in the throng of girls who like her were gifted in the heights department, so she blended easily with them, or so she thought.

It didn't take long for her to be notice, and when she was, there were collective gasps of surprise and somewhat awe and Uyai didn't want to believe she could incite such an expression, so as usual she fidgeted.

"Wow! You'll be perfect for the camera." Miss. Philomena, a lady in her late twenties also the only female photographer who loved her job way too much and was always seen grinning widely and jumping up and down you'd think she was on candy rush. As usual a camera hung round her neck

"You look great Uyai." Mrs. Ekpenyong smiled when she saw her.

"Thanks aunty."

"Have fun, I'll get you later. Let me take your sister to the hospital."

"Okay." Uyai nodded

"Right. Come forward, let's see how good you really are." Mrs. Chance beckoned her and Uyai had no choice was to move shakily on her heels towards the expectant women.

"Philo use that background" she pointed to a mini stage set up with artificial flowers and trees, a man made nature. It had lighting on both sides giving it an unearthly glow. A green cloth hung from a pole just behind the mini stage. And a standing fan stood a feet away from a camera stand.

"I want a wide shot and a close up shot, include an angle shot if necessary. You know what to do." she directed. "Let me see you out Caro." she turned to Mrs. Ekpenyong.

"Sure. Come on Oyeh." Miss Philomena called over her shoulder while she skipped towards the set up stage.

"It's Uyai." Uyai said from behind her, apparently she was not loud enough cause she just ignored her and continued skipping.

Uyai rolled her eyes and quietly walked behind the hyperactive lady.

"Come on, stand here." she said, and when Uyai stayed stationary because she was clueless on what to do. The lady probably fed up marched to her, and without warning pulled her by the hand and dragged her to her desired position. "Now stand here, don't move until I tell you to." she warned.

Before Uyai could blink, she was blinded by flashlight and deafened by numerous clicks.

"Ok, now I want you to look at that board with concentration. No not like you want to Kill someone," Miss Philo sighed exasperation at the newbie who might somehow make her work harder.

Uyai did what she asked or at least tried to.

"That's better, don't frown, good, perfect!"

"Now I need you happy."

"That's good enough."

"How 'bout we round this up with a seductive look..." She trailed off with a mischievous wink.

Cue the embarrassing cough. That was definitely something she wasn't expecting, she could only squirm in response.

"Come on show me what you got." Miss Philo encouraged.

Uyai decided then to give it her all on what she thought was a seductive look, she bent her knees slumped her shoulders, raised her chin and raised a corner of her lip.

Expecting to hear the usual clicking sound, all she heard was silence.

Unknown to Uyai she got an audience who had their lips curled up in amusement. While some had appalled looks

"Err...what are you doing?" Miss Philo had paused, her finger just a click away as she looked at the newbie.

Uyai blinked confused and righted herself when she saw that they had drawn quite an audience "I was giving the s-seductive p-pose." she couldn't help but stutter seeing the stunned expression on the woman's face and their audience. Perhaps she did it so well they were astounded. In fact Uyai was already feeling like a pro.

"I'm sorry? You call that a seductive pose? I was scared for a second there thinking you had constipation or something. Don't ever do that again."

"Oh." It was Uyai's turn to be shocked. She definitely wasn't expecting that comment and was so embarrassed that she made a spectacle of herself.

"And who are you?" A woman asked.

Uyai drew her eyes to the owner of the voice and saw a lady dressed to the nines with the signatory heights models were known for. She was beautiful with fair glowing skin that lacked blemish. But her nose was scrunched up disfiguring the somehow still perfect face.

"Uyai. My name is Uyai." Uyai immediately replied with a smile.

"And...what are you doing here?" she asked in a haughty tone that confused Uyai.

Uyai was about to answer her when she was interrupted.

"She's our newest addition." A lady answered. A model too also dressed impeccably well, she looked a feet shorter than Uyai but they shared the same complexion and stature. She also looked bored out of her mind when she spoke.

"What? This?" she gave Uyai a once over, smirking derisively. Uyai was embarrassed over again.

"Yep she looks good enough." Uyai's look alike responded bluntly.

"And apparently also horrible at pulling off a seductive look." Someone laughed and Uyai located the beautiful lady who dressed like a gangster from her dark skinny jeans, black knee length boot to her black leather jacket. Even her makeup was dark only her lips wore a rich rouge colour.

"Tell me about it." A bored tone concurred.

"I think she needs to see a pro at work." It was Miss Philomena who spoke this time.

"Exactly. How about I show you how it's done newbie." The haughty lady smirked cockily and strutted to her side and pushed her aside with her shoulder

"She's doing it again." The gangster girl said.

"Yep. As usual Catherine has come to play."

Uyai was lost as she almost stumbled on her heels at the sudden push.

Who was Catherine? And why has she come to play.

Noticing the confusion etched on her face, Miss Philo nudged her and Uyai turned to her with a deep frown.

"That's Catherine." She pointed to the rude lady who was already posing for the camera with her eyes in a squint and her back arched. Her lips pulled in a inviting smile ...Uyai couldn't help but admit that she pulled off the look quite well.

"Oh!"

"Now do you think you can do that?" Miss Philo asked

Uyai shook her head.

"I think you can or maybe try. Come on let's go do this."

"I'm not sure I can do that." Uyai grimaced.

"You can and you will. Besides practice makes perfect." she shrugged.

Uyai reluctantly trudge to stand beside Catherine who had refused to move.

"OK Catherine that's enough. I think she got it." Miss Philo said to her.

"Did she?" Catherine purred softly and then surprised Uyai with an award winning smile. "I really hope you got it newbie." she winked and Uyai blinked taken aback by the sudden change.

"Er...thanks." Uyai muttered slowly.

"You're welcome sweetie."

"It's Uyai."

"Uyai? Don't you have an English name?" Catherine frowned.

"No. If it helps Uyai means beauty though."

"Beauty? Wow nice. Really suites you."

Uyai had just been complimented and goodness! It felt good. She felt like a goddess and it was the best feeling ever.

"Don't overdo it. Her head's going to swell." The gangster lady said with a smirk.

"Cut it out Raina. Her head needs to swell once in a while."

"Yeah Presh as if you're any better." The gangster girl who she assumed to be Raina retorted playfully.

"Ok that's it. Uyai show us what you got." Catherine interjected after a loud clap.