LIFE OF US

EPISODE 13

MAR’S POV…
I slowly opened my eyes and stare around the room while lying on a large bed in the center of the spacious room. This must be a first class suit in a 5 star hotel. I have never been to a fully furnished apartment like this. Everything screams money in the room. I sluggishly sit up still curious about how I ended up here, the last thing I could remember was me passing out on the old drenched woman. “How did I arrive here?” I kept on asking myself.
As I slowly turned my head around the room, my eyes landed on large portrait hanged on the wall. I was shocked alongside confused seeing the person in the picture. It’s Mrs. Daniel, my adoption mother. I was still staring at the picture with my mouth agape when the door to the room slowly opened. I quickly turned back and stare at the door.
She walked into the room elegantly with an alluring smile on her face. “Mom!” I shouted looking at her with a confused face. She walked closer and sat by the edge of the bed. “How are you feeling Mars? Are you alright?” She asked with a concerned tune. I was still shocked as my mouth went totally dry. I couldn’t bring myself to saying a word so I just nodded my head as I gave a question full look.
She giggled and adjusted herself facing me. “Maryam!” She called with a soft voice. I was perplexed because this was the first time she would call my full name in a long time. “I know you have a lot of questions going through you mind. I know you are totally confused and anxiously waiting for an explanation.” She said looking at me.
She sighed and grabbed my hands. “I would try to make everything brief dear.” She said as she slowly walked to the dressing mirror. “You see, all these years, I have poisoned your heart about men. I have made you hate men coupled with your previous experience. I have made you live a lonely life which you shouldn’t have experienced. I have wasted your life thinking that I was on the right track. I did all these with a good intention to groom you to a better person.” She said as she stood by the mirror.
She folded her arms and continued talking. “All these while Maryam; I never realized two heads will be better than one. I never realized that whatever has a bad side will also have its good side. I never realized that there might be other sides to every story. I wasted our lives judging from our comfort zones. I should have imagined women who were successful with men beside them. But I never did that. I decided to poison our hearts with hatred towards men.” She said looking pitiful.
She sighed slowly and continued talking. “In my quest to poison more hearts to stay away from men, I realized that good men still exist and women can also be wicked. I realized that not only men maltreat women but women also maltreat men.” She giggled and smiled at the same time. “We were just unlucky to be in the bad side Mars. We were unlucky to be among the dominated ones. But that shouldn’t be a reason for us to be bad.” She explained.
I was already confused alongside looking at her curiously. I don’t know if this was the first time I was hearing those words but this is definitely the first time they are making sense. She slowly walked back to the bed and crawled beside me as she grabbed my hands. “I have poisoned your heart Mars that is why I decided to take full responsibility of my actions.” She said looking at me.
She was quite for a while before she continued talking. “I ordered someone to follow you around and scare you off with those words. I have been monitoring your movement in school also. I don’t know how to ask for your forgiveness or how to fix this thing I have started. I don’t know how to open up your mind and make you forgive men again. I don’t know how to do all these Mars. I just hope you will be able to forgive me and also open up your heart and embrace love in your life.” She said with tears on her face.
At this point, my heart has already melted. I don’t know what is wrong with me anymore and I am not sure if I am ready to do what Mrs. Daniel said, but I know she is way too bigger than this. Her worth to me is way too much that I can’t follow her instructions. I am sure she would always want the best for me. She started this in the first place and I think she has the right to end it.
I slowly moved closer to her and hug her tightly with tears on my face. “You don’t have to apologize to me mom. You can always order me to do anything and I will proudly do it. I know you would never ask me to do a bad thing or what will harm me.” I said while in her arms.
She smiled and holds me tight. “Thank you for understanding me Mars and also thank you for believing in me. Let’s start a new life together, a life filled with love and forgiveness.” She said. After a while of hugging each other, I slowly released her and grab my phone that was beside the bed. I spent a couple of minutes on it and kept it back. She was staring at me curiously.
“What did you just did?” She asked looking at me. I smiled and adjusted myself. “I think there are some few people that also needs to gain from this knowledge.” I said as I send a text message to my friends…
JENNY’S POV…
I spent the night alone in the hostel without any of my friends coming back. I also tried all their contacts but all weren’t reachable. I was paranoid because all these happened due to my stupid actions. I shouldn’t have invited Greg to the party. I shouldn’t have raised Mars’s suspiciousness on me.
I become more worried because I couldn’t reach any of the ladies and I don’t know where I should go looking for them. This is the point where I realized that we have wasted our time in this friendship without knowing each other perfectly. None of us knew the families of each other. I should have known where to locate them and apologize. I just want to fix things because it doesn’t seem proper for our friendship to end in a bitter way like this.
I quickly jumped off the bed and picked up my phone that started ringing hoping iys one of my friends, to my surprise, its Greg. I sluggishly answered the phone. “I am in your compound.” He said briefly as he ended the call. I knew he was going to come but I wasn’t expecting him anytime soon. I don’t have proper explanations for him right now. Maybe when I get to talk to my friends, I might find a meaning to our relationship.
I sluggishly walked out of the room and head to his. He drove out of the compound immediately when I entered the car. It was a quiet and awkward drive. We were both silent. He drove to a more quiet and deserted area. “How have you been?” He asked slowly looking at me.
I sighed deeply as tears started rolling down my face. He quickly grabbed my hands and hug me for a while. “I am horrible Greg. I don’t know what to do. All my friends have left the house. I am left all alone. I shouldn’t have invited you Greg. I am the cause of all these.” I said as I continued crying.
He hugged me again and comforted me for a while. “I understand what you feel Jenny. I am not going to force you for now. Let’s talk about us when you get to explain to your friends.” He said looking at me. I felt relieved from his statement. At least, he relieved me of stress from his end. I quickly nodded my head looking at him. He smiled and hugged me again. I was still in his arms when my phone beeped. It’s that special emergency tone. I opened it slowly and read “CODE 111.”
I quickly sit up after seeing the text. I am sure it’s from Mars. “Are you okay?” He asked. I adjusted my seat belt and look at him. “I think Mars is back in the hostel. Can you send me back?” I pleaded looking at him. He quickly started the car. “Sure.” He said as he takes off.
A MONTH LATER…
KATE’S POV…
I slowly stepped out of the shower with my body still dripping water as my artist helped me with a towel to tie around my body. I carefully walked to the mirror and took a seat opposite it, my face full of alluring smiles that revealed how happy I am. “Let’s begin this.” The makeup artist said with a smile on her face as she stood behind me. I nodded my head in agreement as I adjusted myself and face the mirror comfortably.
If there was anything I wished for in my whole life is to have a happy wedding. I always wanted to get married to the person I love. Well, I think life has offered me this chance even when I was on the verge of giving up. It all felt like a dream. I still couldn’t believe that I am actually getting married after all the horrible experiences I had.
I closed my eyes slowly as the makeup artist applies some eyeshades on my eyes. “You would really make a beautiful bride Kate.” Mars said as she walked into the room with her teeth revealing a beautiful smile. I smiled back at her as she sat beside me alongside Jenny and Yesmin. They were also dressed in their beautiful blue gowns looking so gorgeous and elegant. After the makeup, they helped me dress in my beautiful wedding gown.
I was shedding tears as we stood by the large mirror in the hotel room. I still couldn’t believe we are doing this. I still couldn’t believe I am getting married with my best friends beside me. Jenny moved closer and wiped my tears with a tissue. “Don’t ruin your face Kate; I don’t want to ruin mine by being emotional.” She said and we all laughed.
I slowly turned and face them. “Thank you guys, thank you for doing this with me. Thank you for always being here with me right from the start. I know I had been a jerk but I couldn’t imagine life without you guys.” I said looking at them. Mars giggled with a smile. “Come on ladies. This isn’t the time of being emotional. We don’t want to be late to the church service.” She said as she opened her arms and gave us a huge hug.
Life isn’t always as though as it seems. We always have experiences, good ones and bad ones. But they shouldn’t judge how we should live our life in the future. These four years I spent in the universities with my friends are the best part of my life, I have learned a lot and also gained a lot.
I learned that life moves on no matter how worse it gets, I learned that our futures might have a better story to tell than what we have been predicting. I never imagined finding love but I am so damn happy to find Steve along the way. I never imagined saying the words “I DO” but I found myself happily saying it to Steve.
I smiled as I was sitting beside Steve holding hands in the reception hall as in watched my friends danced happily with their boyfriends. Jenny and Greg just started the relationship and I can tell they are super compatible. Who could have believed they could come this far after all their previous encounters?
Yesmin and Jide are also getting to know each other again; I guess they are taking it slow before getting married. Well, I can’t wait to witness a Yoruba marriage. Mars on the other hand has agreed to a scholarship for Master’s degree abroad. I think they are leaving together with Alex because he wants to expand his business to European countries.
Our lives have really changed for the best and I think this is the best change that could ever happen to us. I quickly answered my phone that has been ringing for a while. It’s a video call from my friends. “Hey bride, how is the honey moon?” Jenny asked as I joined the call.  I hissed a bit looking pissed off. “I told you guys not to call till after a month. Anyways, let me gist you the latest. Insist on your husband’s taking you to Dubai for honey moon.” I said as I dropped the phone mistakenly.
They all laughed for a while. “That bitch is probably out of the world now.” Yesmin said laughing. I quickly picked back the phone. “I heard you bitch.” I shouted as I ended the call and kissed Steve back…
THE END!
BY MSQUARE!