Love In Silhouette

❇「Chapter 28」❇

-The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved-
(Victor (Marie) Hugo)

Les Misérables

Nkem,

Today was a wet day. As usual, Asher had already left by the time I got up, which was only after seven. It's how hard that guy works for me...lol

My new morning routine seems less tiring by the day tho. I find I'm more eager to open that Rhapsody devotional Aunty Chdinma gave me nowadays.

Nkem, we both know it has nothing really to do with my wanting to or not; most times I'm just lazy.

Because truly, it begins to feel like God actually talks to me from the book, like he did from the bible the other day. So much so that every article is like a horoscope, telling you about your day even before you've started...

My phone's alarm began vibrating in my pocket just that moment.

Oh! Sticks! It's time already!

I dropped my pen and quickly got up, rummaging my bed for where I kept the ticket. How could I be so careless!
I bought a ticket to a high priced art exhibition and found no better place to keep it but on top of my bed covers.

I was beginning to get frantic as I pushed through the thick fabrics and still no sight of the red flashy card.

Thoughts of having to buy another ticket were already running through my mind; the only problem was how? The exhibition is today. They'd obviously have stopped selling tickets.

As little beads of frustration were beginning to form on my forehead, I felt it; at least I hoped it was it. I pushed aside the thick duvet and raised the sheets.

Ah! There it was, already slightly rumpled as the edge of the thick card had folded in. I peeled it outwards, straightening the card. In my search, I had forgotten to turn off my alarm so it was still ringing.

I swiped the dismiss button and the noisy guy shut up.

"Thank God I set the alarm a good hour before 1pm." I said while already tugging my joggers off and rushing for the bathroom.

~~

Now is the time to make use of this apparel. I pulled open the doors of my inbuilt boutique and scanned the Ankara prints section. It's only appropriate I appear in prints since it's an "African" art exhibition.

So I scan the hangers and my eyes land on a very pretty one with a flutter of colours in yellow, deep orange, red, navy blue and forest green. It's a two piece jumpsuit, but the trouser cut doesn't fall all the way down to my ankles. I pull them off the hanger and place against myself, one after the other sizing them up.

Yes, the trouser cut doesn't go all the way down to my ankles, just stops a few inches above it, and it's width is quite large save for the waist which has a sash attached to it. It's obviously meant to be the only fitting part of the pair of trousers.

The blouse, a cute little thing looks more like a tube because of the absent sleeves. It had glittering pearly black beads running right round it at the A-line bustline.

I dropped the clothes on my bed and bent to pick my shoes from the lower drawer.

They're a pair of navy blue sandal block heels, quite casual and thankfully low. If you didn't look well, you'd think they were flats from afar.

All done! Now, to the shower.

※

"Mary! Please tell Mrs.Onawale I'm leaving!" I yelled over my shoulder as I dashed down the stairs.

Did I really think I'd be ready in an hour?? Charlie!

I mentally slapped myself, fumbling through my bags for my keys.

"Okay Charlie! You want me to get David? Anything you need him to carry?" Mary called. I could hear her hurrying out of the kitchen to meet me outside.

"Uhm...gosh where are those keys!" I pushed the strands of my wig behind my ear as I burrowed deeper into the bag. "Yes! Got it!"

Just then, Mary bustled out. I was already in the car.

"No dear. Just tell him to get the gate, incase Yusuf is sleeping again."

I looked at the time on my dashboard.

12:54

They'll probably do Nigerian time. I assured myslef.

~~

I looked at my google map as I drove out of Ikoyi; it said I had 30 minutes to get to Eko Hotel and Suites.

"But it's usually just a little over 15 minutes nau!" I groaned and smacked the steering wheel. "Ah! Nawa for this traffic o! Hopefully it reduces by the time I enter the main road."

I turned on the radio and turned the volume down such that I could only hear the presenter's voice like a low humming.

I calmed and relaxed into my chair.

Gradually, my thoughts began to flow, one by one as it usually did when I was in the car alone.

A whole lot had been happening lately, and I felt as if I'd aged a few years...okay more like grown a few years in just under two months.

Like, I always thought myslef a simple person, nothing so particularly special. Just another rich kid. And yes, I treated life like that. I've come to understand that there's actually a way to treat life. Not everything is coincidental. Things are actually deliberate.

However, in the past month, it was like God just gave me the brain I never had. I actually began to look at and make sense of things; yunno, ask questions.

It makes me wonder how I lived before, like just another biological occurrence completing it's own circle of life which would probably be imprinted in space and used to create zodiac signs and horoscopes.

A real joke.

I chuckled. I mean, I started keeping a journal! Me, Charlie; actually sit own and write a journal. I chose to call her Nkem, "mine".

I've got to admit, it's quite hard to be consistent with that kind on thing; I mean some days you forget, some other days, you're just not in the mood to sit and start writing about your life.

But then, I realized it's like a baby step to becoming deliberate about life.

You can look back and assess what you've done, make changes and also appreciate things and be more thankful.

It seems like you're looking at your life through the eyes of another and you don't get to take as many things for granted as you used to.

I glanced at my map. 13 minutes to the Eko Hotels and Suites.

Authors Note!

Nigerian terms used

'Nwem' : This means 'mine' in the Igbo language.

'Nigerian time' : This is a term used to describe the Nigerian habit of not keeping exactly to time especially in reference to events.

Wrote this in a rush guys! I promise to edit afterwards; so don't be too pissed if you find out there's more mistakes than your fingers 🙈

Also, I'll drop the translations to the languages and Nigerian terms while editing.

Love you all! Don't forget to vote and comment 👉👈