COME WHAT MAY

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Monday, 15th August 2016.

As the countdown lessen day by day, Lolita began to panic and worry over what she would do. She had approximately sixteen days before she must exit Botswana. Her letters of admission stared back at her blankly on the dining table at Rachael's house. Her work at Aurora private school was over. On the Friday the stupid DNA test results came back, she was supposed to be at her class' end of term party plus she was supposed to be sent off properly but she had to excuse herself because of family emergency. Who was she kidding? She had no family anymore! She had not heard anything from David since Friday and her mother continued to call her but she kept rejecting it.

If she doesn't get the scholarship, she would have to go to Nigeria. Rachael joined her at the table and sat down. When she saw the letters, she looked at her friend and said,

 "Let me help you Lolly. It might not be much but with what you have and what you can get from your parents, you will get to Canada. You will get a job there and study part time." Lolita smiled and smacks herself on the head. Her brain had been on lock down for sure if she couldn't come up with such a simple solution.

"You don't want to leave do you?" Rachael asked slightly bending her head to give her a closer look.

"I don't know anything anymore." Lolita replied with a shrug of her shoulders.

"I must face whatever life will throw at me head on Rachael. It is time to get out of my comfort zone." Right then the doorbell rang and Rachael picked up the receiver. Lolita started clearing her documents from the table and quickly took them inside. By the time she came back to check who was visiting she found herself face to face with Ryan Johnson.

"Good Morning Lolita." He greeted with a bright smile revealing his cute and deep dimples. Rachael gasped in admiration and mouthed, "wow" to her friend. Introductions were made and Ryan sat down.

"What brings you here stalker?" Lolita asked with a small smile.

"Checking on you." He replied.

"Thank you." She replied and quickly added, "Don't you have anything to do...places to be...humans to save?"

"Lolita!" Rachael reprimanded her in a soft yet firm voice.

"I am just asking because not everyone is jobless like some of us are." She replied curtly. "Sorry." She said almost immediately.

"What are your plans Lolly?" Ryan asked.

The latter told him she was going back to Nigeria if the scholarship does not push through.

"Let me help you."

The death stare Lolita gave him shut him up almost immediately.

"Thank you dear life saver but no I am okay."

The tension in the room heightened and Rachael jumped in to save the day.

"Why don't we throw a party? Send you off in grand style."

"That will be depressing Rachael. Imagine everyone both fake and sincere telling me they will miss me, cry crocodile tears and give me presents with miserable hugs." She shook her head violently at the thought.

"Well can you escort her to my wedding? She doesn't have a date." Lolita gasped and laughed out loud and then glared at her friend but Rachael only smiled and added, "28th August...this year. I will get the invite right away." She left the two alone to get her wedding invitation.

"I came to invite you to come to church with me so you could meet my church family."

"Why?" Lolita asked skeptically. Ryan sighed and thought to himself, "why doesn't she care about my feelings? Why has she suddenly gone cold?"