A friend to remember

10: In the presence of strangers.

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"Miss?" Moni said, and Denise looked up from the mirror she was staring at.

"Oh... Hum..." Denise turned to her, trying to adjust the hem of the top. Moni picked up the clothes from Daniella's bedroom. Moni was not sure Daniella would have liked anyone wearing her clothes.

"Madam has requested your presence in the dining hall." Denise followed her to the dining hall.

"This place is beautiful," Denise observed and Moni glanced at her.

They followed the part Sheila brought her through. Denise did not think she would ever be able to figure out the house. It was just too large and too wide. There were hallways, rooms, and everything one could think of was one house.

"Here we are," Moni said and opened the large doors, Denise blinked. The room was as huge. Four chandeliers were at the centre of the room, they're smaller than the ones in the living room but were still beautiful. Large paintings hung all over the room. A single table that could fit at least ten to fifteen people.

"Denise? Why are you standing here, come!" Denise turned to see the four people sitting. Sheila was sitting next to Shettima, who was at the end of the table. Electra was sitting at the table with Dr Frank, who was stuffing his face with everything he could find.

Denise walked toward the four of them. She opened the chair next to Electra and sat. She looked around the table, her jaw fell open at the amount of food they had.

"Precious, will you be so kind as to bring Denise a plate?" Sheila asked one of the servants who was standing on their side. Denise waited silently for the plate. Precious walked toward a door not far from where she was sitting and came out with a plate. It would be harder for her to eat with her arm still bandaged.

"Thank you," Denise said to the help, Precious glanced at her and then at her employers. There was a rumour about the long-lost daughter being reunited with her employers and she thought she would be as snobby and arrogant as her twin but she looked quiet soft-spoken and more polite.

"What would you like to have missed?" Precious asked, opening the different meals that were available. The attention of everybody was on her. She did not like it much but there was nothing she could do about it. This was her first time here, sitting among important people. Electra watched her with curious eyes, waiting to see what she would say.

"I... Hum... I will just serve myself, thank you." She collected the spoon from Precious and pointed at the bowl of jollof rice, she took a sizeable portion and pointed at the bowl of meat, taking one assorted meat out on the bunch. Denise wondered why there were so many in the bowl in the first place. In her house meat was a luxury they were afforded once in a while. Most of the time they ate their food without any protein on it.

"Are you okay with the food? Do you like it?" Sheila asked after she shoved a spoon into her mouth. Shettima also stopped eating and waited for a response. Denise nodded, "Hum... It's nice?" it came out more like a question. She did not want to be treated like a child. This was not the first time she had eaten jollof rice, although this food was delicious the stares, from the staff and everyone else were a little unsettling.

"Shettima," Electra started, pulling her eyes away from Denise. She noticed the girl was getting uncomfortable by their stares. "I was thinking about church service tomorrow, Sheila was more confident to invite you so I am taking liberties."

Shettima glanced at Sheila, who looked down at the meal and blushed furiously. She did not think Electra would go ahead and ask her husband about it when they had discussed it earlier.

"I... You know that I am a Muslim do you not Electra?" Shettima started shoving a spoon of egusi soup into his mouth.

"Of course but..."