A Love Bargain

025: Meeting his family 3

Pearl

My grip tightened around my phone as I thought carefully about what to answer, I might say that I was home and she would ask that I open the door for her.

"Mama, is there a problem?" I thought hard about anything, I might have done wrong.

I heard my mother release a loud sigh, "It's Felicia's mother, she called me, shouting and embarrassing herself." My mother hissed.

Instantly, I knew what this was.

"What did she say?" I asked, my tone lower.

"That is not important, but Amaka please stay away from Felicia and her marriage." She warned sternly. "If you're home, I can come over--"

"I'm not home, mama," I sighed. "And I'm not even close by, right now."

"Okay, we can talk about it in detail whenever we see but please stay away from Felicia, and don't ask her to divorce her husband again. You even offered to pay rent for her eh, Amaka?"

"I was only trying to help," I shrugged, my eyes darting to random corners of the compound.

"Help? Helping is good but you should look at who you are trying to help na, she doesn't want that help. Please stay away."

"Okay mama," I sighed. "How are you doing?" I tried to change the topic as soon as possible.

"I'm fine, just that this woman called me and spoilt my day," she hissed. "Your sister also called, asking me to send her money."

"Oh."

I wasn't happy knowing that Felicia's mother, called mine and knowing her quite well, I could imagine the things she must have said to my mother. Yet, there was nothing I could do. Maybe if I had minded my business, all these wouldn't have happened and right at this moment, I made up my mind not to ever show interest in Felicia's family issue ever again.

"How much did Amara ask for?"

"Thirty thousand."

"Okay, at the end of the day I will send you twenty, you can then, add ten and send it to her."

"You don't need to--" She protested

"I will send it, mama."

"Okay," she muttered and the line went silent.

"Let me go back to what I was doing, okay?."

"Alright," she said and then, the phone beeped.

I heaved a sigh, trying to calm my nerves. Thinking about the horrible things, that woman must have said to my mother, had put me in a bad mood. But I needed to go back in and finish what I started.

I gazed at the door and then my steps followed. After I stepped in, I shut it behind me and sauntered into the living room. The aroma of food hit my nostrils, causing me to pause for a minute. My eyes darted to the dining room, and my nose sucked it all in.

Everyone was already seated around the dining table, chatting with smiles on their faces. My eyes fell on the man and a woman, who looked to be in their forties, placing plates in front of each person at the table. I watched as Mrs Phillips smiled at them before they stepped out of the dining room, the next thing her eyes fell on, was me, and the smile on her face, broadened.

"Come over here, Pearl," she gestured and everyone on the table turned their attention to me. Mr Phillips was seated on the table head and his wife on the first seat by his left. Their sons were seated by his right with their backs on me.