Veritable Amigos

Chapter Seven

Chapter
Seven

   Gayles had wanted such an opportunity to come but not that soon. The chance is here but she now shivered to the idea. Suddenly she remembered she didn't know yet what was making the magic. It was a presentation, Vin's presentation! She quickly visited her account to check the assignment out. It had been well presented, the accuracy, undreamed of. He had presented it like a professional would have done which had won Gayles the favour of her dream.
   She was pondering over the issue till she was interrupted by Rennie. "What are you busily saying to your phone?"
   "Vin works magic. I don't know but I feel I am in love with him. He is a real darling", Gayles hailed.
   She asked perplexed, "wait! What did you just say?". 
   "What did I say?", Gayles questioned, trying to recollect her words.
   "Don't wander off the subject, you just spilled the beans. You love him that is what you just said."
   "Did I say that?", Gayles asked.
   "Is that a joke or something? You just said it and I know it didn't just slip out, you meant it", confronted Rennie.
   Gayles conceded, "it's actually not what you are pegging. He did me a favour and it was really great so maybe I was emotional but not what you think please".
   Rennie pulled Gayles to somewhere which appeared more quite and safer for their conversation. Rennie contemplated her and saw Gayles was over heels in love with someone she calls a friend. Rennie was threaten by the love her friend had developed, it meant she was out of contention for Vin. And Rennie was not going to allow that happen. "Should that be the case, you have to be careful of your choice of words and actions. What if you told someone else? Do you think he will still befriend you when he comes to know of it? He sees you as a sister, be very careful. You can not afford to lose his friendship with this "I love You" thing", she branched Gayles' mind from loving him. "I am leaving but please be vigilant", Rennie advised.
   "I have heard you", said Gayles. They departed to their hostels. 
   Stellie phoned her, "Is Vin still talking to you?"
   "Of course not", was her reply.
   "Why did you not text again?" Stellie asked.
   "I was asleep", answered Gayles.
   "Asleep because you did not want to talk anymore? Really! You have vacillated". said Stellie.
   Gayles asked, "what is wrong with everybody?'
   Stellie corrected her. "It should rather be, what is wrong with you not everybody?I want to talk to Vin if possible see him. He is responsible for this", Stellie demanded. 
   "Gayles, somebody wants to see you, please", a mate said.
   "Duckie, let me attend to someone please", she pleaded. 
   "Alright, quickly call me immediately you are finished with it", Stellie said and hanged up.
   She went to see her visitors and surprisingly, it was Aunty Addowah and little Abena. Little Abena was so happy to see her long missed friend, Aunty Addowah thought she was going to feel embarrassed at their sudden visit with their poor looks. But her arms were wide opened to them. Abena jumped so high to hug Gayles and Gayles was happy too.  They toured around Kumasi, the serene places around. That was Abena's first time of visiting such places.
   They had lunch with her. Aunty Addowah did not like the idea of her frittering away considerable sum of money on them though; Gayles was exploring with her baby friend. They bought everything they saw, ate, except for one tasteless bread which was not less a stone and a needle like sausage. They packaged some tasty foods also. It was fun! Gayles had less time to go shopping with them; she gave them money for their transport and some for shopping. She had been generous to them at the time of the accident. Abena became a little sister and a friend to her as well. Her mum was an ayah which made Gayles adore her personality more and not her  financial state. Her visitors took leave of her when they returned from the tour. She went into her room, Ana was back from class. "Hi there!", exclaimed Ana.
   "Hi", she responded, "you are back from class early today".
   "Yes, my head hurts that is why", Ana gave her reason. She often shared the word of God with others so was the last to always arrive. "Where have you been? You don't look like someone who just came from lectures", Ana conjectured.
  "I was out with my family", Gayles disclosed.
   "It was great right. Uhm, can you help me out with a question please?", Ana sought for help.
   "Sure", said Gayles. She sat down close to her. They were sharing opinions on the question. The question was elaborating though, but they managed to untangle it. She thanked Gayles for her help. How bad it was of her to forget to thank Vin for his help. As she was thinking of how unappreciating she had been, Vin phoned.
   "How was it?" he asked.
   "You are awesome", she commented.
   "I didn't ask about me, it was your sleep I asked about", he said.
   "It was great though but I overslept and was late for class. Not usual of me", she answered.
   "Are you blaming me for that?" he asked.
   "Of course, it was your fault", she blamed.
   "I helped you and you're accusing me", said Vin. "From the way you are speaking, the assignment did not go well as well, right. Gayles, I did try my best, perhaps my best wasn't the ultimate".
   She bigged him up, "I wasn't trying to say that, in fact you were super good".
   "Super good you say", he lent her words.
   "Well, I do not know how you do it but you always get my problems solved. I have never trusted a guy like I do trust you, the song you sang, the finishing of my project, you are indeed a special friend. I really do appreciate your efforts of being a best friend to me", said Gayles, with the words flowing from her heart.
   "You prove to be a writer, the words you have poured out sounds convincing but I surely know you do not mean it", Vin expressed.
   Hearing this she got carried away, why does Vin not trust her words? She was honestly expressing gratitude but he doubts it. Vin considers her heart poured words as lies so what if he had heard her mistakenly say she loved him, he will lose the little trust he has for her too. Rennie had made a point when she had said Gayles should not follow her emotions. She did not say it with the right intention though, it proved to be true. If there is not trust in the friendship, there should be no need keeping it. "Anyway, thank you so much for your help, I am screamingly grateful. Goodbye", Gayles said and rang off. She was disappointed and saw no value in telling Vin what his presentation has won. She did say everything in her heart so to mistrust her was a big blow on her. She threw the phone on the bed as if the phone was at fault. She was indeed upset with everything in her room, she scattered everything in there, the place was in a big mess. Why should the room suffer her anger? all the same the room wasn't going to be cleaned by itself. She would have to put them back in order. Ana entered the room and saw how her room mate had disorganized the place. She wondered if a mad person had just visited them and could not believe Gayles had done that. What a mess!
   "Oh God, I remember when a certain old girl of mine was going crazy. Hmmm, she began to toss things in her room. The room was not less in this shape", cited Ana aloud. "Is this how craziness starts? Hoops, who in here is going bonkers?".
   They both screamed their head off that caused the walls of the room to shake. "Did I really do this?", Gayles asked.
   "Maybe a much crazier person did this", Ana answered. She imitated the face of lion. "Hey stop that, I am scared", chortled Ana. Gayles got up from her sitting position to put the room in it's right arrangement. She caused the mess alone but attained help in putting it in place. With a helping hand, she tidied up the room faster. She chirruped a thank you to her helper and fell flat on her bed. 
   Not so long had she got upset with a friend than her phone beeped. "It urgent. We have to clear some stuff up", Stellie texted. 
   "What is it about? If it's Vin, sweetheart I do not wish to talk", she texted back.
   "Why don't you want to?" she questioned. "What did he do?"
   "Why on earth should he doubt me when I completely trust him? He has no right to do that to me, it can be someone else but me it's a big no", she answered, crossed.
   "Why should you be an exception?" Stellie asked, curious of her reply.
   "I am his friend", came her reply. Far from what Stellie had expected her to say.
   "A mere friend?" she asked again.
   "Why do you ask so many questions? Are you a detective? Mind you, I do not want speak to him again", stated Gayles.
   "Only because he doubts you, are you his wife to be crossed with just this?" rebuked Stellie.
   "I mean much more than a wife", Gayles instigated. Stellie was making her more upset so that she  will heartily spit the truth she had refused to accept out. It was a matter of she knowing it herself. This was going to help her bring Vin and Gayles together before it was worst. Rennie plans strategically to enable her have access to whatsoever she wanted. Her strategies do not fail her as well.
   It seemed she was getting to end the game Rennie had started. She loved Gayles so dearly that she could not watch her lose the joy of her life. Even if she did not want to recognize she dote on Vin, she, Stellie had taken it a responsibility to bring to light the hidden love.
   Rennie should take the pain and deny her uncalled for love she had developed after all Gayles had taken risks for her most often. Thereby, it should not be difficult to reciprocate it.
  "What was that supposed to mean?" Stellie asked her.
   "Uhm, let's call it a day. It's late and I want to get my head down than argue about an alien", replied Gayles.
   "I hope you do not mind if he hears it?" asked Stellie.
   There was a long pause, during which Stellie searched her contacts for Vin's, then Gayles texted back. "You can't gossip to that extent! Gossip in your small portion, try not to cheat your master".
   "Beautiful nonsense!" exclaimed Stellie.
   "Excuse me while I take my sleep, sweet baby gossip", teased Gayles.
   Sometime after the chat Gayles slept and dreamt Vin had taken her out to celebrate her birthday. She woke up and was disappointed to see herself in bed. The clouds were still asleep when she woke up, so was the sun having a nap, it was 10:30 in the evening. Ana was awake as at that time, she made her a cup of hot coffee to get her relaxed. They engaged in a bible discussion which passed the time quite pleasantly till she slept again. The next nine hours passed by and she was still in bed dreaming. Half way through the dream, Ana's face appeared in the space above the earth when she looked up. "Gayles", she said, "Rennie is here to see you. With, I think Ray". She quickly awoke and tried to sit to a sitting position. "Should I bring them in?", Ana asked. "Do you want to see Ray?" Oh God! She was still in a night wear. As for her face- she had not looked in the mirror yet. Ray should not see her in that bad shape, should they have made her aware she would have dressed up by then.
   "Tell them I am in town", lied Gayles.
   "A lie? I just won't do that", Ana refused.
   "Yeah, it is not right. Tell them I am in the bathroom, that won't be a lie because I am going right away", she said and went into the bathroom. Ana told them exactly what she said. Rennie and Ray left and left a message telling Gayles to meet them in Rennie's hall. When Gayles returned from the bathroom, Ana delivered the message to her. She reluctantly dressed up to meet them. She eventually got to the room of Rennie, it didn't matter the slowness she used in walking. After all, a snail would have still gotten there. Rennie excused herself for them to talk. Gayles knew Rennie would do that, she would not sit to watch him romance her like she was watching a movie, she rather chat Ram.
   "It had been a long time we spoke since my party", he began, "you no longer come to watch my performances. Are you crossed with me?".
   "Uhm, erg, the thing is I have got a lot of things doing these days. I hardly get the time to mingle with my friends, Rennie can vouch for that", she explained.
   "So that was the case? I thought you were avoiding me", he grasped. She felt uneasy alone in a room with him. Other ladies would have been thankful if they had an opportunity like she had gotten but for her, she saw it to be a slow death. It was like the angel of time had tighten the screws of the hands of time, time went slower than ever. Gayles couldn't wait to leave that room.
She prayed for the cause of a miracle but the clouds were busy with other works to open up for her prayer. "Is there a problem?", asked Ray. "You are thinking too much".
   "Not really", she denied.
   "I learnt next week is your birthday", he said.
   Rennie chimed in, "Ana is looking for you".
   Gayles sought leave and left with Ana. On their way, she told Ana how uncomfortable she felt alone in the room with Ray. Ana didn't stop laughing until they got into their room. "Omi gosh Stellie", Gayles exclaimed. "Hey my friend you never told me you were coming".
   The two girls joined Stellie - she was eating. They didn't even wait for her to invite them. "Where did you buy this? I am not satisfied", said Gayles.
   "Oh hello! I didn't buy the food for you. Glutton!", Stellie said. "By the way, where were you?"
   Gayles frowned. "I am not a glutton, I am a foodie. You better learn how to use the two. Is that clear? Rubbish!"
   Ana and Stellie couldn't stop themselves from laughing. Gayles behaved like a princess. She was looking very beautiful even when she claimed she was angry. "I wonder the kind of village this girl comes from", Stellie laughed.
   "This is the more reason why I hate Vin", Gayles stated.
   Ana left the room. She said there was something she was going to take care of. Stellie turned Gayles to face her, "have you realized you can't live a day without mentioning his name? Tell me the truth, you like him don't you?"
   "There you go again... Why don't you understand anything? I said I don't feel anything for him and for your information he is now my foe", Gayles defended her stand.
   "Alright! He is your foe not mine. Now call him for me, I want to speak with him. It's urgent", Stellie commanded.
   Gayles became shocked. What does her friend have to say with Vin?