Down the lane

Mom, I need to tell you...........

  "What should I offer you? Juice? Coffee? Pastries? Small chops? Or cookies?" Helene, her secretary asked.
      "Let me have orange juice and maybe cookies." Fredrick said.
      "Really? I can't believe you want to eat here after all this girl said to us." Janet said.
"What about you ma'am?" Helen asked Janet but received no response.
"She is fine." Fredrick said.
"Okay sir." Helen exited.
      "She apologized already. So forget it."
      "I am sorry once again. I did not mean for all that to happen, I was kind of frustrated so......." Taiye was interrupted.
"Well I am as well frustrated, so that is not an excuse." Janet complains.
"She is sorry ma. I apologize on her behalf." Temitope who has been standing behind Taiye holding a file said.
" I am really sorry. You are right, it is not an excuse but still I can only apologize."
"That is none of my business, if you like apologize and if you like don't." She face Fred. "Fred, I have told you already, she can't plan my wedding, Shade would do it. I don't know why I would have a friend who is an event planner and not have her plan my wedding. Yet, you want this rude girl to be the one to do it."
Helen came in with a tray, on it is a packet of orange juice and a plate of cookies. She drop it in front of him.
"Thanks." Fredrick said taking a cookie from the plate and putting it inside his mouth.
"You are welcome sir." She said exiting once again.
"Janie, relax. If she is not up to expectations, we can give the work to your friend."
"Better remember this, Fred." Janet sulked.
"Let's get started." Taiye said.
"Okay." Fred said.
"First of, I would like to know the couple..." She faced Temmy "The file." Temmy handed it over to her.
"First of all, the bride and the groom's name."
"It is Janet Anuoluwapo Akinbowale and Benedict Ikechukwu Chigozie."
"I thought it is Fred?"
"I am her brother." Fredrick replied.
"Oohh, let's continue then. I need to know the date for the wedding."
"We are still contemplating between two dates, but nevertheless, it is still going to be three months from now." Janet replied. She is surprised at how well she is replying despite not liking this lady in front of her.
"Okay, pls do let me know when you decide."
"Okay, so what else?"
"I need to know your budget."
"Hemm, let say thirty m." Fredrick said.
"Let's say thirty m or thirty m."
"It is thirty m." Fred replied.
The conversation lasted for about fourty to fifty minutes as they talked a lot more on the type of wedding it would be. Taiye wrote down the digits of both brother and sister in the file which she has already noted some information on the incoming wedding and handed the file over to Temmy.
"That would be all for now, anything else I would call to let you know." Taiye said as she handed over to Janet a card she brought out of her locker. "That is my card, if there is anything I need to know you can call me."
"I guess we can leave now." Janet said, without waiting for a response she heads out of Taiye's office. Fredick got up to leave as Taiye escorts him out of her office.
"Thanks for helping to change her mind, I appreciate." She says as they walk out of the office.
"You are welcome, I just feel you can do a better job." Fredick said.
"I am sorry about earlier, I am not usually like that and I promise not to disappoint."
"It's okay." He said looking at her.
'I have work to get back to.' She thought.
As if reading her mind "I bet you have work to get back to, so I should not delay them. "
        "See you some other time then." She said as he smiles heading out. She heads back to her office, on her way to her office, she stopped by her secretary's desk.
         "Miss Helene, come with me to my office to clear the table."
         "Okay ma." She said standing up.
         "And has Temmy handed over the file for the new project to you?"
         "Yes ma."
         "Analyse it and have it sent to my email when you are done." Without waiting for a response, she heads to her office as Helene follows behind her. On get to her office she picked up her phone from her desk to make a call as a Helene exits the office after packing up the tray.
         "Hello ma........... I am deeply sorry ma.................... It is work, I am so sorry................. Hope your daughter was not too angry at me ................... It is expected, I am so sorry, you know I am not like that ma............................ When next you are free please ma let me know, so I would make time for you........................ Thank you ma, I appreciate you for your forgiveness............... Thank you......................" The conversation ended and Temmy entered the office.
          "Was that Mrs Abosede?" She asked standing in front of Taiye's desk.
          "Yes."
          "Was she angry?"
          "Yes, she was but I managed to mollify her." Taiye replied and Temmy smile but her smile was quick to disappear.
          "Ma, Are you okay?" She asked Taiye with pity.
          "What do you mean?" She asked confused.
          "For the past few weeks now, you have been slacking and you are not like that which is getting me worried, so I was wondering if you are sick and you need to go to the hospital.                                                                                                             You know you don't have to worry about the office, I would handle it."
Upon hearing her, Taiye smiled and replied "Thanks for worrying about me but you don't need to, I already visited the hospital and I was made to understand that I am only stressed out and I need to rest and I got plenty of that yesterday, so I am fine."
Temitope who was not satisfied with her reply but does not want to push it replied "Okay ma, please take good care of yourself." She exit the office.
Her office telephone rang and she picked it, after a while she replied "Send him in." Not quite long after that, some one knocks on her door. "Come in."  A man looking in his late forties enter her office.
            "Good afternoon, Mr Charles." They discuss the surprise birthday event the man wants to have planned for his wife, the preparation for the birthday event was already ongoing as it will take place in two days time, they only met to discuss the final arrangements and how to get his wife there which their meeting did not last more than fifteen minutes.
After Mr. Charles left, she felt drowsy and thought to sleep for about thirty minutes before she got back to work which she did, the only difference is that she woke up three hours after, she rushed to do some work and before she knew it, it was closing hour.
She ordered a Uber which took her to where her car was. As she got into her car to go home, she got a call.
             "Good evening, Doctor Laolu.............. I feel fine, I feel better...................... I have absolutely no reason to lie to you sir, You are a father figure and you know everything sir, so there is nothing to hide ......................" She suddenly becomes agitated and responds louder "You would do no such thing sir, you promised......................." Calmly, she replies "I am sorry sir, I do not mean to raise my voice, I hope you understand .......................... I will think about it and give you a response when I am ready....................... Thank you sir ....................... Have a good night..." The conversation ends.
She sat upright, resting her back on the driver's seat feeling like crying 'let's just go home.' she thought as she drove home.
"Welcome ma." That was the first thing she heard as she open the door to enter the house. Abike greets her collecting her bag from her as she heads inside faster than Taiye.
"Thank you."
"Hey, sis. How was your day?" Tomisin said giving her a friendly hug.
"It was not quite fun. How did your lecture go?" Taiye frowns on recollecting the call from Doctor Laolu.
"Forget my lectures and tell me what happened to your day." Tomisin insists.
"Hey Twinny." Kehinde said coming down the stairs.
"Hey Kenny."
"Sis now."
"Look Tomi, I would give you all the gist after I have freshen up, I am tired." As she said that, she heads for the dining room, putting her car key on the dining table as she left for her room. On getting to her room, she lied on the bed looking at the ceiling, few minutes after that, she entered the bathroom and took a quick shower. She got out of the bathroom after the shower, dried her body with her blue towel slightly, took her lotion and applied it on her slightly wet body, after that she wore her underwear, entered her dressing room, took a multicolor material short jumpsuit and wore it. She left her room with her natural hair braided in an 'all back' style.
"Abike! Abike" She shouts "bring me my food"
"Okay ma" Abike shouts from the kitchen.
Taiye plopped down on the living room couch, ready to give them details of her eventful day to her sisters, planning to exclude the one they should not  know as Abike brought her food and a pack of juice, exiting to the kitchen again. It was rice and chicken stew.
"Hey, babes! You won't believe the crazy day I've had," Taiye exclaimed, blowing on her food.
Tomi who was already pressing her phone looked up from it,  her eyes widening with curiosity. "Spill the tea, sis! What happened?"
"There is always drama in your world, which client is not contented with what you did this time around. Give us details now." Kehinde said, leaning in closer.
Taiye chuckled, trying to brush off her fatigue as she continues, she puts a mouthful spoon of food in her mouth, after chewing and swallowing, she continues "Okay, so first of all, my day was mad stressful and busy. I had a million things to do, you know how it is now  But here's the juicy part, This morning when I was heading to work, my car suddenly broke down." Knowing that was lie "......so I had to order a Uber, and while I was waiting, a guy offered to give me a lift."
Kehinde's eyes sparkled with excitement as she leaned forward, her braids swaying. "Oh, no, he didn't!"
Taiye nodded, rolling her eyes dramatically. "Oh, yes, he did. But you know me,  I shut him down real quick."
Kehinde eyed her " There we go again. What did you say to him?"
Taiye rolled her eyes again as she answered, still eating " I don't quite remember, I think it is something like him always trying to give every lady on the road a lift but then there was a lady in his car."
"Wow, he was giving you a lift when there is another girl in his car." Tomi said adjusting on the sofa.
"They could be related." Kehinde said.
"The lady lashed out at me. As soon as I insulted him, this lady pops out of his car, ready to unleash her own insults on me.Yeah, it was about to get serious, but thankfully, the guy called her to calm down. They drove off, leaving me just standing there."
"You dey always fuck up, why you no call me? I for just scatter the ground beat the girl like mad. I trust you were just standing and starring at her insult you." Kehinde said with a frown on her face.
"I bet. " Tomi concurred.
"No, I wasn't. I gave her a reply every step of the way."
"Liar." Kenny said.
"Whatever. Well it turns out they are my clients and they are siblings."
"I knew it, Why on earth did you even reject the lift? He was just trying to be friendly." Kehinde said.
"By making her the third party in the car? Yes she didn't know the lady is his sister but thinking she is his girlfriend, won't it be awkward?" Tomi said.
"What would be awkward about it, she has her phone to keep her busy."
"What are you going to do now? I bet you guys ain't cool yet and you hate to lose client." Kenny said after noticing that Taiye wasn't responding and she had a frown on her face.
" We ain't yet but I would find a way around it." Taiye said still eating, sounding a little sad.
Tomi also noticing the sadness in her sister "That's my sister, always handling business and keeping it real! You're a pro at what you do. Na you be boss lady now and you no dey carry last. Taiye, Your clients self no fit resist your charm, even when you insult them." She said adding all the swag making her sisters laugh.
Taiye wasn't worried about the clients, she was worried on how to go about Dr. Laolu's threat but her sisters just made all her worries go away.
"Awwwnnn Awwwnnn, I am blushing. Thanks my angels. I love you guys for always being there." Taiye beamed, feeling the warmth of their sisterly love surround her. "I have a work to finish, so I will go to my room, Tomi please take the plate to the kitchen." She said and left almost immediately.
As Taiye retreated to her room, a hint of sadness washed over her. She knew it was time to have a heart-to-heart conversation with someone. Maybe her mom would suffice, even though their connection was strained, but their mom had to be there for them at a point in her life, may be this was the point. She dialed her mom's number, her heart pounding with nervousness.
"Hello?" her mom's voice crackled through the phone.
Taiye took a deep breath, trying to hide the tremor in her voice. "Hey, Mom. It's Taiye."
There was a moment of silence on the other end before her mom responded, "Taiye? Oh, it's been ages. How are you, dear?"
'been ages! Obviously, you are too busy to have the time.' Taiye thought.
Taiye bit her lip, trying to steady herself. "I'm... I'm okay, Mom." She paused. " Mom, I am not okay, Mom I want to tell you something. " She hesitated again, deciding whether she was making the right decision or not.
Her mom sighed, her tone distracted. "I'm in the middle of something, Taiye. Can we make this quick?"
Taiye's heart sank, 'she is always in the middle of something.'  but she pushed forward, determined to make her voice heard. "Mom, I need to tell you.........."
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Now back to this chapter:
Who do you agree with on the lift
Kehinde or Tomi? Would you have agree to the lift? Comment your thoughts?
"What do you think Doctor Laolu threatened her with? Comment
Do you think she would tell her mom? Comment your thoughts

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