Tapestry Of Lives: A Multifaceted Journey

Chapter Seven

Chapter 7

"Bummi?" My mom's voice cut through my sleep, followed by a slap on my back. Ouch, that hurt! It jolted me awake.

Wait a minute... Was I asleep? Did I fall asleep while...

"Madame, sleeper on duty," she said, hands on her waist, her expression unreadable. "I thought you were dead on top of the clothes you were washing."

No way! I know I left the house this morning to get detergent and...

And...

Why does it seem like... Did I get it or...

Yes! I met someone on my way to the store and then...

Damn, that guy was too cute to forget. But what were we talking about?

Names? Yes. I told him mine, and he said his was... um... But I've never seen him before, and his name isn't common among my friends, so...

Did I guess his name? Because I have never seen that face before, and why did I lie that we'd met? What kind of delusional dream is this? Maybe I ate too much last night.

"Bummi, kini o jẹ aṣiṣe pẹlu rẹ?" Will my mom let me think straight?

I wiped my eyes and blinked twice. "Was that a dream?"

"A dream?" Mom arched an eyebrow, hands still on her waist. "When you brought out these clothes to wash, I hadn't even thought about putting the pot on the gas stove, let alone making breakfast. And now..." She glanced at her wrist, despite not wearing a watch, and said, "I think it's almost noon."

Noon?! "Did I sleep that long?"

"I think you should be asking yourself that question, not me." Will she stop using 'think' in her sentences? It makes me feel like she conceived me out of her thoughts.

I sat up straight and exhaled.

Internally, I'm famished. Externally, I'm confused.

Meanwhile, my stomach is growling.

"Finish up those clothes quickly before your food gets cold." I know mom has her own rules in this house.

Rule number one: You dare not eat breakfast without showering first!

Rule number two: Always remember to brush your teeth morning and night.

Rule number three: House chores must be done first thing in the morning before stepping out.

In less than an hour, I finished the laundry and some minor house chores.

Speaking of food, I had already sneaked into the kitchen long ago before finishing with the clothes.

Forget the rules... but if you get caught... you're caught.

I finished up, had my bath for the first time today, and focused on my job.

Later in the evening...

I'm sitting on the couch with my HTC laptop on my lap. A coffee mug sits on the table in front of me.

I scroll through my saved documents, where I have some drafts from yesterday's report.

I need to finish them before bedtime.

I told myself this as I clicked on the sixty-ninth document.

My middle finger moved slowly on the soft-touch monitor—

Yes, I don't want to damage this one. I got it as a pre-owned model. Even if it were new, I'd still be careful.

I had some hard copies of written documents I hadn't uploaded yet. I began comparing the software versions with the handouts.

Mom and Nifemi were in the larger sitting room watching TV. Since we only have two parlors and three bedrooms, I’m using the smaller parlor for privacy.

My phone beeped. Checking it, I saw an email from Ojo. It said...

From: Ojo Salami (ojosala@gmail.com
To: Bummi Ademola @Bummijournal.com
Date: Nov 14, 2023
Subject: Help!!!!

Dear bestie...

Abeg (Abeg in my local English means: Please.) Can you send me one of your reports to cover for me tomorrow? Up till now, no one has called me or drawn my attention to a scene. I haven’t received a call, and the areas are dry. I have to report to Mr. Williams Eghosa Ogiemwonyi, the BOSS, first thing tomorrow morning. Remember that I helped you last week with the scene at the Ovia River bridge. Please, save a friend’s ass...

Regards,

Ojo with much love.

I threw my head back, closed my eyes, and took a deep breath before diving into his request.

Honestly, Mr. Williams Eghosa Ogiemwonyi is neither friendly nor informal. He is very strict and punctual.

I didn’t overlook things because there's a saying: A friend in need is a friend indeed.

Ojo and Lola have helped me in many ways.

I didn't waste any time before composing the draft. I have up to seven reports to upload in the latest updates tomorrow.

So, I gave Ojo one—forwarded it to his email, and he appreciated it with a heartfelt text.

Afterwards, I went back to my duties, meaning my pending journals.