FATE

24 - Decided mind

"Lilly, Lilly. " My mom shouted from the second floor.

Shit! I groaned and forced my eyes open.

Turning to my alarm clock it was seven thirty am already. I stepped into my Bonnie slippers and hurried down stairs.

"Lilly, are you still in bed?" She shouted again.

What's with all this yelling?

"No mama," I answer and enter into the kitchen to pick my bottled water as usual.

"Hey sis," Cynthia greets and I smile back at her.

What I saw got me surprised.

My mom was cooking.

"Mummy good morning. Are you making breakfast?"

That was an obvious question but I couldn't help my curiosity. I'm a Nigerian afterall.

"Ehn, ehn. She's is frying. " Mabel shot at me and hissed.

"Abeg. It's too early, no come fill our kitchen with your hiss." I hissed too.

That got everyone laughing and smiling.

"So I guess dad is still around?" I asked no one in particular and chugged down the whole water.

"Yes. In his office with bro Jason, playing chess and discussing businness. "Cynthia elaborated as she chopped some onions.

"Thank you." I headed towers my dad's office immediately.

Finally,  I made a choice.

My mind was decided and I wanted to give Lemuel a chance.

A chance to us.

I wanted to figure out what this new feeling was.

But there was one thing left to do.

"Hey Charlie. "

He picked up at the first ring.

"Hey Blossom. How are you doing?"

I smiled.

I had lots of pet name from Charlie.

"Good. You?"

"Never been better. "

Charlie's voice can lit up a dark room, he had a good sense of humour.

"Good. That's good to hear." I kept hitting my feet on the floor.

"Man Lilly. Lemuel told me everything. I didn't think you were going to say no. You're making me feel like I don't even know you anymore. I don't even know what's happening in your life."

"I'm sorry. There's been so much for me to deal with. I know I should have put you first."

"It's okay. You know if you need someone to lean on, I'm always there."

"Yh, me too."

I shrugged and we both chuckled.

" I need you to send me lemuel's address."

Where did that confidence come from?

"Wow," he stuttered. "What am I missing?"

"I thought guys  are not supposed to be doing amebo."

"Whatever. I'll send it."

"Thank you, I'll give you the update."

"That won't be necessary. You always seem to forget that Lemuel is my guy. Na me de get firsthand information."

"Congratulations to you." I joked.

"But I feel like you're watching me. You're with Lemuel, you're with me. No privacy."

"I've always watched over you. "

That's true.

"Yh. "

"Okay bye. There's so much work f or is to do."

"Eiya. I wish I could help. " I cooed.

"Trust me, you'd experience he'll when you start working. "

I burst out laughing. " bye," I smiled and waved.

My phone beeped immediately and it was a text from Charlie. The address.

I jumped into my red sports car. This was my favourite. Something gifted to me by my dad in my eighteenth birthday. On my twentieth birthday, I received a land cruiser jeep from my brother, this year I got a white sports car from my dad.

I have cars.

I was driving through the busy streets of Lagos. This journey was going to be a long one, from surulere to Ikeja.

I didn't know my way but thanks to Google map.

Jesus! I don enter.

The traffic jam was hectic . I was in it for two hours straight.

If only I said yes to Lemuel, I won't be going through all this stress. I feel like the heavens are punishing me.

Finally, the traffic jam died down and cars began to move.

What was the cause of the traffic jam?

No sensible reason.

I stopped at Ikeja city mall to buy some things for Lemuel. I was taught by my mom that it was the Igbo people's culture to buy things for whoever they were going to visit. It was wrong to go empty handed especially if you were visiting for the first time or in a long while.

My ride continued and soon I arrived at my destination.

'The Elites estate'.

Time taken is two hours and forty five minutes.

Oops! I gushed.

Money is good.

See the way this place looks like America.

The houses were surrounded with trees and shrubs, they had no gates or fence.

As I drove through,  I saw families having fun, some houses were quiet, some houses had children running around in the field, some were slated to be sold and some of them were having thier field watered.

This was my dream neighbourhood. So far I hadn't seen any mall around here and I bet it was for security. Strictly residential.

I gasped when I got to block 25.

Holy Mary,  molly.

This is not the right place. I clutched my steering wheel tightly and was about to turn back when I saw his black SUV.

So he does live here huh?

I drove into the compound still gasping because cars were not allowed to pack on the street. 

It had a driveway and yet another pathway that led to the door of the house. In front of the house there were flowers, purple blooms. And Lemuel planted those same purple blooms to demacate his compound from the others. Maybe I didn't look well but his house was the only one with a fence. So now the blooms grew around the walls of the fence.

His house was modern but had a unique touch of the eighteenth century.

I parked my car in his compound because his garage was full.

I was still looking around to have a clearer view of this compound when I found myself in front of his door.

A door that had both wood and glass.

Remind me why I'm here again.

I had to this.

Exhaling sharply, I rang the bell.