VILE

Chapter 1: The Present

Tomike was in her car warming up. She thought she was going to die from the cold eventually. This wasn't her first time outside Nigeria, but it was her first experience of winter. She placed her hand in front of the ventilation and harnessed the hot air that escaped from it. She never thought heat could be so pleasing. Her mind traveled back to the days when she hawked sausage rolls under the hot Lagos sun with her brothers and sisters. The sweating, the itching, the sun, beaming with no mercy and the sky would be cloudless, void of any breaks from the sun. It was some experience. Wherever she went, whatever she became, those experiences would forever be with her.

"Brothers and Sisters" she wondered where they were now, wondered if they were able to do good with their lives, wondered if they were all fine. How ironic life could be sometimes, just a couple of years ago she was hawking on the streets of Lagos, and now here she was in her own car parked across her office building in Boston.

Her mind was jolted back to reality by the bleering of a horn. The black Mercedes passed by after it almost ran into a pedestrian. She wasn't sure how much longer she could wait for Annalise. If she was going to take this long she could have said so so she'd wait in the building where it was warm, or even left her car parked in the underground parking lot rather than drive up to the front of the building.

As if reading her thoughts, Annalise appeared. She was wearing a bright red winter jacket lined with black leather, obviously designers. It fitted her body so well and reviled her long slender shape. She seemed to have curves in the right places. Annalise always dressed like she had huge bags of cash stashed somewhere in her apartment. She earned a little more than Tomike did but somehow got her hands on some of the most expensive clothings and accessories. Tomike always wondered how she was able to afford such things, but never asked. To be honest it was none of her buisness. They weren't that close, just co-workers who sometimes gave each other a lift cos they lived in the same apartment building.

Her strides where bold and confident, she was a pretty lady no doubt and she was well aware of it. The white shirt she wore threatened to be revealed as she had a black thick well knitted scarf around her neck. Another expensive item. The winds began to blow strongly, Annalise increased her pace and soon enough was seated in the car.

"I'm so sorry for taking your time Tomi, I didn't mean to. Mr Richard called me to his office suddenly." She said with a light Italian accent tainting every word.

"Anna you always do this and then find the perfect excuse" she began driving.

Annalise chuckled. "I really don't mean to, honestly. It just happens that way"

"All the time?"

"I"ll do better next time, I promise" she budged Tomike on the shoulder.

"Like I haven't heard that one before. The only reason I'm pissed is cos you left me out in the cold. This weather is way too cold for you to do that to me. Plus you'll have to refund me for the gas I used while the car was running"

"Tomika! Just let it go already." She was laughing now.

She didn't bother correcting Annalise. By now she was tired of telling people her name ended with an e and not a. She already resigned to being called Tomika, plus she allowed a few people call her Tomi.

Tomike scoffed "Yen yen yen whatever. Just know that when it's your turn to drop me off I'll have my revenge"

"You're way too sweet to do that Tomi" Annalise grinned.

"Try me"

******

As soon as she entered her apartment, she put on the heater and slumped into her couch. Tomike was famished, tired, cold and completely exhausted and drained mentally. She would do anything right now for a hot plate of eba and egusi soup. She stood up, headed for the kitchen and put a kettle half filled with water on her cooker. She went into her bathroom and made sure the water was hot enough so she could have her bath. But even hot baths were somewhat torture because as soon as you got out the water on your skin would turn cold. But she needed to wash up, she needed to feel clean. She skipped bathing in the morning, her excuse: the weather was way too cold, she'd wait until later. Now was later and there was no turning back. She undressed in her room, grabbed her robe and towel and stepped into the shower.