Preordained #ProjectNigeria

69- New Experiences

Songs: 'Meant To Be' by Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line, 'Does It Feel' by Charlie Puth and whatever song you'd like to add.

Nwanyieze's POV~

"I don't know why I have to be this fancy," I complain to Temi, who is dusting off powder from my face.

"You deserve to be celebrated," she tells me.

"Pizza and ice cream at home would have been fine."

"You just made five hundred-k from an advert on your blog. Please, spare me the complaints. I'm taking you out tonight."

Temi never backs down. She has proven to be more persistent than I am, and I know I am stubborn.

"Fine, fine."

She laughs. "Like you had a choice sef."

"Abi?"

"We'll make tonight a memorable one, Queen. You deserve the best."

Her words make me smile, but my smile gets me reprimanded for causing premature smile lines when the setting powder isn't 'set'. "Jeez, sorry na!" I exclaim.

She had gone shopping for a dress for me, and now she unravels the dress I am to wear. It is made of purple lace, off-shouldered with its full skirt stopping above my knees. There is also a pair of brand new shoes in a hot pink colour.

"Temi, I feel like Cinderella now," I confess, twirling round in front of my full-length mirror to observe myself. "And you did wonders to my hair!"

Somehow, she had tamed my hair into an elegant chignon at the back of my head. Just as I am about to pat it with a haughty look on my face, Temi stops me. "You'll ruin it!"

"Come on, it's not like I'm attending my own royal wedding," I joke.

"All I know is that you should not spoil my work abeg. Now let me get dressed. Sit down like statue and wait, you hear me?"

"Ehen."

"Ehen."

While my friend moves around gathering her things, I sit still on my bed in my room, alternating between watching her and delving deep into my thoughts like a diver, only coming up for air when they are overwhelming.

I am doing well. It's amazing, I'm surprised, but I'm doing quite well.

Gratitude fills me. I might still have my regrets and nightmares, but I'm here today. I'm alive, I'm thriving. I'm not letting my past hinder me. There are days when I have terrible episodes of sadness and feelings of worthlessness, accompanied with tears and an aversion to going out and facing the world, but it doesn't happen everyday at least. I hope to get better over time.

I still miss Maduka. I still think of him and berate myself for falling for him and letting things go the way they did. I still miss his touch, the comfort of his arms, the sound of his laughter, the way he always made me a priority...

Will anyone ever treat you that way? I wonder. I hadn't bothered to find out after Saheed. Despite Temi's not-so-subtle hints about giving love another try, I hadn't...connected with another man.

"Ade at Gifts from God Home For Children called," Temi says, bringing me back to the present.

"Oh, what did he say?"

"He said thank you for the money and gifts."

"Sure. I'll give him a call tomorrow."

Through Temi, I give money to orphanages whenever I can. After my graduation, I had decided to send most of the money I got from prostitution to those in dire need of it. I had also made sure that majority of that money had been anonymously donated to the orphanage Maduka and I had grown up in. It seemed fitting that the children there received it.