NOT THE ONE || Completed✔

37: Never After

‘I like you’. The three words Joy had so waited for someone to say to her. Someone she also liked. The three words she had never thought she would hear till she either had the body of a fashion model or till she was old and gray.

Yet, those three words had somehow stumbled out of Bayo’s mouth with so much ease that she thought she was dreaming.

At first she had burst out laughing and Bayo had watched her with a puzzled look, hands on hip. But when he didn’t take those words back and maintained that serious look, she choked back the rest of her laughter and gulped.

“You’re not joking?”

“Do I look like I am?”

She snorted a laugh of disbelief. “Why would you like me? Why would anyone in their right minds like me?”   

“And why would you say that?” He narrowed his eyes at her.

“Because,” she gestured at herself. “I’m fat.”

“So?”

“What do you mean so? No one likes a fat girl.”

“No. What no one likes is an amazing girl who has low self-esteem. Listen, Joy,” he took a step towards her, but she backed away. He paused, a sign of hurt crossing his face. “You're not fat. You're just you.”

“And ME is fat.” She half-shouted. “You’re probably high on something. I need to go.” She hurried out of the library before he could stop her.

***

Oluchi tried to know what Joy and Bayo had talked about, but she didn’t say a word till they got home. The shock was just too much for her to let his words sink in. She didn’t know if she was supposed to be happy, relieved or mad. She was confused and lost in sea of emotions that she didn’t know when she dropped her bag on Deborah, whom was sitting on the couch watching TV in the sitting room.

“Excuse you.” Deborah said slowly and removed the bag from her lap.

“You are welcome.” Joy replied absentmindedly.

Deborah, now noticing her sister’s lost expression, turned down the volume of the TV and peered at her face.

“Big sis!” Chioma ran into the sitting room to give Deborah a hug.

Chima walked in and jumped to sit beside her. Deborah asked them how school was, played with them a little before telling them to go change and come down for supper. When they had been dismissed, she turned to her sister.

“What’s wrong?” She asked. “Is it that wall-gecko woman again?”

Joy shook her head in reply, her eyes staring blankly at the Television. A woman was having a tug of war with a tween for her handbag.

“Then what? You’re scaring me jor.”

Joy looked at her, and Deborah blinked, taking her head back.

“Why do you think anyone would like me?”

“That’s an odd question.” Deborah furrowed her brows, before it clicked. “Someone confessed?” her eyes widened and she plopped a little closer to her sister. “Who? Who?”