UYAI ✔️

Uyai (twenty-two)

There was a woman in the parlour who kept looking at her. Her brown globes that held a weird glint followed her every move and with her lips pursed in a thin line Uyai thought she had committed a crime she was unaware of. Uyai was uncomfortable and it was apparent in the way her steps faltered every now and then. While she served the two women drinks, making sure to avoid eye contact , Uyai had taken that moment to scan her appearance from head to toe. A good portion of her skin was wrapped in beautiful Ankara piece that emboldened her chocolate complexion.

She was a beautiful middle aged woman that looked no younger than thirty, but Uyai knew she was more than thirty judging from her conversation with Mr and Mrs. Ekpenyong as they laughed ever so often as the reminisced old times. Mr. Ekpenyong had taken his leave to see to his business leaving the women to their own while they catch up on their women's gossip as he had said.

Uyai couldn't help but watch the woman from the corner of her eyes; she was dressed with finesse, Uyai could swear her knee length Ankara gown cost a fortune; it was beautifully weaved with finely knitted pattern drawn across it. She had on big braids pulled to the back with a fancy ribbon. Uyai admired her nails which were nearly trimmed and painted with a rich nude beige colour.

It was her shoes that arrested her attention. It was a black stiletto with wait! Was that diamond? No! Definitely not. But she looked like she could afford it...but it's diamond we're talking about, definitely farfetched. Diamond or no diamond it looked beautiful giving the heels a new shine to them.

Uyai didn't know she been walking mindlessly with her eyes downcast still drooling over the shoe, until her sixth toe struck the chair and yes it hurt, it hurt a lot. She couldn't resist the wince that her facial muscles had pulled in reflex responding to the sharp painful stimuli.

Of course she held back the groan that was threatening to surface, pulling her lips into a grimace instead. Uyai was so into her predicament that she was only brought out of it when a voice spoke.

Certainly not Mrs. Ekpenyong's voice, no this voice dripped like one with honey sweetened tongue...Controlled, powerful and really sophisticated.

It said. "I'll take her."

"What did you say?" It was Mrs. Ekpenyong who spoke now. She sounded bewildered.

"I said I'll take her." she reiterated.

"I'm confused, who if may ask are you referring to?"

"The girl, what's her name again?" She looked her way and Uyai almost choked when her eyes flickered to her.

"You mean Uyai?" Mrs. Ekpenyong eyes rounded in disbelief and somewhat uncertainty.

"Yes." The woman simply nodded.

"Arit, you can't be serious. She's not a model."

"Well she looks like one to me." the Arit woman shrugged slightly it was barely visible.

"Don't be fooled by the height, she's no where close to one. In fact she just came in from the village, I doubt she'll be able to pull off any of your designs the way you want them." Mrs. Ekpenyong said to the lady who spared Uyai another look, this time it lasted longer and Uyai wondered what in the world she was doing there standing like a mannequin set up for inspection.

"From what I see, she can pull it off. Just a little training will do." Mrs. Arit asserted and delicately crossed a leg over the other as if to put across her point.

Uyai thought she had enough of being the topic of discussion especially when she was right there and they paid no heed to that. So consciously she began to walk away, but she was stopped by Mrs. Ekpenyong who decided then to call her name.