Golden Reputation

1.BACK AND FORWARD



ABUJA, NIGERIA.

JUNE 20th, 2019.

Everyone has a story to tell. Some people open it to the entire world, but mine , it's something I protect with everything I've got. It is my story to live and to cherish. ~ Leilah~

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I never really believed in fairy tales nor in Prince Charming who would telepathically appear and sweep me off my feet to a nice magical castle. I never believed in a Prince Charming who would somehow fight all my demons and drag me off with him on his silver stallion, or magnificent unicorn.
Because I didn’t grow up in a castle with adequate light holes to be taken care of. No. I was raised in an underground fortress so close and dark; there isn’t a string of light to save us. It was a pit with demons lurking behind and hoping for the slightest opportunity to strike with the sharpest weapon the world has ever seen.
They had words... they had visions!
 
It’s a game of tainted……..
Reputation.
 
 

HE’s BACK. So now she has to leave.

Hundred days!

That’s all she has before he comes for her.
 
To some people life is perfect- well, so they display it to the world; to other’s it could be so much better. Leilah stopped complaining a long time ago. She decided not to; not because she didn’t have the right to, but because it changed nothing.

She found a recent rule. Face every challenge as it comes. Go with the flow. Her best friend had pointed out everything wrong with that sentence, but she didn’t care.

Even now as she packs her clothes, she is calm. She looked around the house that wouldn’t be her home anymore, but it never had. Not in this life, not in the next life, if she is opportune enough.
 
She’d only been in Nigeria for a month, and things were not exactly working out with her father’s wife. They had never been. Then there is ‘he’; her nightmare. Sometimes she had hoped things would change, but she had stopped hoping.
 
She wasn’t Cinderella who got her magical wishes fulfilled by her godmother, nor does she live in a fairy tale, so why bother hoping or having something as unrealistic as faith?
 
She missed New York. She missed NYU. She missed her friends and all the fun she had. And she would hate to admit, but she’d rather go back than stay in Nigeria. For most people, graduating will be the coolest thing - and she’s happy too - but she wouldn’t mind taking another year if it meant going back to the States.
 
“So this is it, huh? You are leaving, again? “She snapped out of her thoughts when her best friend banged the door to her room. They had seen each other almost every day since she came back, but it just wasn’t enough to make up for the lost years.
 
“Waalaiki Salam to you too, Mirah. There you are. I have been waiting for eternity,” her slim hands wrap tightly  around Mirah’s chubby form.
 
“Let go of me!” Mirah attempted to push her away. Leilah gave her friend a wide smile; it had always been an immunity.
 
“I’m not falling for that,” Mirah huffed, making her way deeper into the room. She threw her hijab on the bed and struggled to take off the straps of her shoe.
 
Dressed up in a Floral Yellow gown and a matching heel: Mirah struggled with the long silky material around her caramel skin. You’d think she was dressed up for a night party. Mirah had always been the more fashionable type; heck, she’d even dress up for a pool party when invited.
 
But that wasn’t what made her beautiful. It was because she has the kindest heart ever and has it in her to lighten up the mood every time. You want to get on her good side, smile — she is that easy to please — you want to get on her bad side, offer her an avocado. And this is one trait they shared. They hate avocados!
“Bishh, what do you use to get such glowing skin? Your skin keeps glowing every day,” Leilah pouted. Shoving away some clothes scattered on her bed, she sat down swinging her legs.
 
“Water and soap.” Mirah said, sitting beside her friend.
 
Leilah could only hope getting rid of pimples and dark spots was as easy as using soap and water. They have a hate-love relationship with her pimples; having a fair skin made it worse and more noticeable.
 
“You know I’m not here to play games, right?” Smack! “I would rather you stop smiling and tell me why you have to leave a month after you are back,” Mirah’s hand landed on her friend’s shoulder, making Leilah yelp and abruptly shift.
 
“It isn’t like I’m leaving forever.”
 
“Yeah, said the one who always leaves, who knows, one day I may likely wake up to find you went to God knows where.”
 
Smack! Smack!
 
“What the potatoes is wrong with you and your smacks today? Have you become best of friends?” Leilah used her hand to hold Mirah’s. Mirah was literally fuming. She was gritting her teeth.
 
“Then why don’t you tell me why you are leaving. You can’t just call me and be like ‘ Hey Mirah, come over and help me pack. I need to leave for Lagos in two days. I will stay with my father’s friend.’ Then hang up on me. Regrettably I know you a lot, Leilah. There must be a good reason for you to live in Lagos- we all know how you hate that place, especially for being crowded. So why don’t you just spill! Is it because of that woman downstairs? And anyway, last time I checked you promised we will start a business here. Remember? Does that cling? Are you even sure you are not claiming to miss me? I mean-“
 
“Will you just shut up and help me pack?” And that earned her another smack from Mirah.