Facade (Romola 1)

36: The Big Why

"Romola," Yetunde cried, throwing her slender hands around Romola's body.

Romola stiffened, unsure of how to react. She glanced past Yetunde's shoulder to see Olumide's face contorting in disgust. She mirrored his feelings but left her face blank, unsmiling and hard.

Yetunde pulled away, staring with round red eyes. "I was so worried about you."

"Were you?" Romola demanded, unable to believe this beautiful girl with the slender, goddess-like, face would try to kill her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know the suya was laced with drugs."

"Drop the act, Yetunde. She knows everything," Olumide's angry words did not disguise the frost in his words.

Romola dropped her hand from his. How could he, the man with the smile like the sun, have an anger that caused a shiver to run down her skin. She never wanted his anger to be directed at her. She stared at Yetunde's face wishing Yetunde would deny the accusation but her friend's face morphed into guilt. Romola's heart sank.

"Why did you do it?" Romola raised her hand to prevent Yetunde from speaking. "Why? Kini ma she fun eh, ore mi?"

Trans: What did I do to you?

Yetunde chewed her lower lips before turning to Olumide, placing her white nails on his forearm. He glanced at it the way one would glance at a scrupulous policeman when the policeman wasn't looking. Yetunde smiled at him. "Can you give us a private moment?"

"I want to hear whatever you have to say." Olumide shrugged her hand from his shoulder.

"Olumide please."

"He can stay." Romola replied. She held his palm and drew him closer to her. She felt safer around the familiar and right now, he was the familiar.

"Okay," Yetunde drawled. "if you insist."

Yetunde sat at the foot of the bed but Romola drew her feet to her chest. The distance was needed. She had to study every pore of Yetunde's light brown face, from the scanty eyebrows to the full lips and stubborn chin.

Yetunde scratched her eyebrows. "Do you remember what I told you while you were eating the suya?"

Romola nodded. She didn't remember anything but she wanted answers and she would not interrupt Yetunde's confession. She deserved an answer. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"It's just that," Yetunde sighed. "After what I did, I felt so guilty that I started taking drugs.. to feel better."

"That doesn't explain why you drugged her." Olumide interjected.

Romola glanced at him. His thick brows were knitted together in a narrow gaze and his lips pursed, while he waited for Yetunde's reply. Even while angry, he still looked dashing. He stared at Romola for a second and his features softened as he winked at her.

She felt heat rise in her cheeks. He had the audacity to wink at her during such a serious issue. She looked away from him, unwilling to let him see the effect he had on her. Her gaze met Yetunde's frowning face. She masked her blush with a steely look directed to Yetunde. Why was Yetunde frowning when she ought to be pleading.

"You were saying?" Romola prompted.

"I was saying?" Yetunde questioned, staring at Olumide like the answers she sought was written on his face.

Romola's chest burnt at the look on Yetunde's face. She recognized that look. It was the same feeling that she felt when she stared at Olumide.

"The reason you drugged her?" Olumide's growl brought Romola back to the situation at hand

"Oh right." Yetunde sat up. "Drugs can be good you know for recreational reasons. They always make me feel so open and free and it was like I couldn't be bothered by anything."

Olumide cut in. "Like your friend convulsing on the floor.'

"Mide please. I wasn't in the right frame of mind that night." Yetunde grabbed both of Romola's hands. "You understand that I wouldn't do anything to hurt you right? I take you as my sister. I would never do anything to break your heart."

"I could have died you know." Romola repeated the words Vicky had drilled into her skull. "If Olumide had not arrived when he did."

"Romy baby," Yetunde drew closer. "I'm sorry. I just thought that since we liked the same things, you would like ecstasy as much as I do. If I had known that you'd react this way, I wouldn't have given you it to you."

Yetunde's gaze remained on her but she didn't know what to say. Her lips parted thrice but no words left her mouth. Everything just felt so wrong. She stared at Olumdie for help,

He sat back into the chair with a high stately gaze. "Did anyone force you to take those drugs or did you take them on your own."

"Well," Yetunde was silent for a few seconds. "A friend told me about it and I liked it so I tried it."

"Exactly. You tried it. You knew what you were getting into."

"It's okay Olumide." Yetunde's voice quivered and her apologetic look returned. "I know I made a mistake. I won't do it again."

"Why?" Romola asked. "Why me? Why not any of your other friends?"

"Because, I thought you already knew that I was taking drugs. At least you suspected. You followed me to the club."

Romola nodded as the image of Yetunde pushing her flashed again. Clearer now. She didn't remember much about it but she knew this was the moment that Yetunde was talking about.

"Even if drugs are..." Romola searched for a word to use that wouldn't be condemning. "Dangerous."

"It was just Ecstasy!"

Olumide's snort grabbed both girl's attention.