Make It Rain

TWENTY-SEVEN

"I must say Ezekiel, I am a little surprised to see you here." Shola shifted a little to face him.

"I am sorry, it's just... I didn't know where to go." Letting out a gentle breath.

"It's okay. I can almost guess how you feel right now. We both lost someone very dear to us." Although she lost two.

"Like... when I found her dead, I... I couldn't think straight. I felt..."

"...lost." They said in unison.

"Yes..." Ezekiel sent his gaze directly at her understanding eyes. For the first time after Junmi's death, he felt a little comfort.

'Her eyes... It feels so real, I can see her pain and anger even though she is hiding it so much. Could I be mistaken about her killing Junmi?'

"To be honest, this is the first time I am losing someone close to me. I have never experienced this before."

Shola nodded her head, "My first was a young boy, probably eight or nine months ago... actually he was my boyfriend's younger brother... Umm my ex-boyfriend."

"Oh I am sorry to hear that."

'And here was I, thinking Seun was her boyfriend'

"He was in a hostage situation where he and his older brother got shot... he died but his older brother made it."

"Umm... Could you excuse me?" Seun left the sitting room for them.

Ezekiel threw him a curious look before focusing back at Shola, "That must have been really hard for you."

"It was no more harder than this has been for me. Because... this time 'my father and best friend' were involved, right?" Her face slowly began to squeeze a little while her lower lip gently vibrated as it puckered again.

Sensing her emotion building up again and her tears slowly glistening her eyes, Ezekiel moved closer; "Shola..."

"... You have no idea how much I suffered then. The way his mother treated me like I shot them and not getting to see Samuel for so long... but all that was fine, I was beginning to settle with that. Then my father and best friend dies? Why did all these happen to me?" 

For the first time since her father's death, Shola finally found the courage to speak out all that she felt. Talking to someone that could almost understand her pains and feel all that she felt at the moment helped her let out all her feelings. 

"It's fine Shola." Ezekiel went in with a hug.

'How could I have been suspicious of Shola. Now I know I was wrong, it can't be her. Or could I have been wrong about Junmi's death overall?'

Ezekiel could see Shola's love for all the people she had lost manifest itself through her present revelation. From the day of Junmi's death it didn't make any sense to him how casually Shola had reacted to it, but now it did. She had all her feelings and sorrow suppressed in herself for so long that she didn't know anymore how to let them out.

"You are going to be fine Shola. I promise."

Breaking out of the hug with a sniff, "Thank You."

"I came here because I was lost, but here I am making you cry."

"No it's fine, I actually needed this. Thank you." Shola gave off a forced smile. Something Ezekiel could see through.

"It's alright," he replied, "I should take my leave now." Ezekiel slowly got up.

After seeing him off to the door, Shola shut it close before turning around and bracing herself against it with a soft sigh.

***