Safe

Eleven

"I didn't think I could do it but you know after, I felt like I could do anything in the world."
"That's great Nike. I'm sure you see that you're the same girl you always have been except maybe wiser and stronger."
Nike smiled enjoying the praise Dr Obinze was showering on her. It didn't matter that all she'd done was drive herself to her appointment, she was proud that she'd finally faced her fear and had taken another aspect of her life back.
The past months had been rigorous, filled with therapy sessions, trials with anti depressants and a lot of emotional turmoil over reintegrating into regular life but she couldn't deny that it was fulfilling to do all those things herself and for herself.
"Is there anything else you'd like to share with me?" Dr Obinze asked to which Nike shook her head.
The doctor leaned back to watch her and Nike made sure to meet her eyes knowing looking away was a sign of fear and she was everything but scared of her psychiatrist.
"You've been doing so well lately that I don't think it's necessary for you to continue seeing me."
Nike gaped at her.
"What? No! I still need your help!"
Dr Obinze smiled. "With what? You're driving, eating, swimming, sleeping well, you're doing great already."
"I.. I need guidance with my new job. It's a new environment you know." She defended.
"A new environment that you're adjusting well to. You told me yourself that you enjoy teaching those kids, what could you possibly need my help with?"
Nike sputtered as she struggled to find an answer.
"I just think you're scared of loosing your crutch. And remember when we talked about fixating on people and things?"
Nike nodded slowly.
"Well, that's what you're doing. I'm here to help you but my work is done. You're stronger than ever now and it's time you take your life back, don't you think?"
"Yeah, I guess. It'll just be weird not having you to talk to."
"Remember you have your family. Lola and your parents are there for you.
Besides, we'll still see each other when you come in to review your prescription."
Nike nodded realizing that her best bet was to take this in stride as she'd done with everything else.
"Thank you for all your help Dr Obinze. You've been an angel."
"It's been a pleasure working with you."
They shared a hug and smiles and Nike returned to work feeling like she'd lost a friend.
Not letting it get her down, she quickly ate her lunch and prepared for her next class.
She was teaching senior secondary school Foods and nutrition, it wasn't her dream job but it was a start and she loved it despite knowing the kids were a tough crowd sometimes.
She was distracted from her thoughts by the students filling into the classroom and taking their seats. As usual, they did it noisily, talking and dragging their seats. She waited for them to settle down before greeting them.
"Good afternoon everyone."
They chorused a good afternoon and after asking questions to revise the previous class, she got to the first order of the day which was dividing her thirty students into groups for an upcoming practical class. To make it interesting and to ensure less grumbling, she'd come up with a ballot system that would be random and satisfy the kids.
"Okay guys, so the numbers are in this cup. I want you to pass it around and pick a piece of paper each, don't open them till we all have one."
She sat on her desk as they passed the cup around giggling and whispering. Food and nutrition was regarded as an easy class and because it was an elective, the class was smaller and made up mostly of girls which allowed her to be free with them making her one of the cool teachers.
The cup found her again and she placed one hand over it as she addressed the class.
"You may open your papers now."
There was a fuss as papers were opened and friends checked if they were in the same groups then cheers and some sighs of disappointment.
"Okay, calm down please. Next week, we'll be learning how to prepare our selected desserts.
Group one will be making banana bread."
The students in group one cheered and Nike smiled at their excitement.
"Group two will be making fairy cakes, three will make a honey cake, groups four and five will make two different cookies and group six will make ice cream."
After all the cheering had stopped, Nike made them put their names down for each group and assigned ingredients to be contributed by each individual.
It was tedious as the children argued and made jokes but afterwards they were able to take their notes for the day."
"Alright, that's all for today but we still have fifteen more minutes in this period. What should we do?"
"Let's check everybody's nails ma." One of the boys suggested and people laughed.
"Why nails?" She questioned.
"Because some people are keeping nails and painting them." Another boy answered amidst complaints from the girls.
"Michael, your sentence was badly constructed. I need you to rephrase."
The other kids laughed at the reprimand and Nike shot them a glare that kept them quiet.
"Some of the girls are growing out their nails and wearing nail polish." He said after some thought and Nike agreed with him.
"That's much better and I don't want to see anyone laughing at someone else's mistake, okay!
Now who are those wearing nail polish?"
Their was silence in the classroom and Nike sighed.
"Don't make me check. Stand if you have your nails coloured."
A group of girls stood grudgingly and showed their nails which were painted a subtle pink that would probably go undetected if someone hadn't snitched.
"You know long nails and colour are against the schools dress code. I don't want to report you so I'll allow you to wipe it off as long as you give me the rest and you never do this again."
The girls surrendered the rest of the polish which was unsurprisingly in someone's pocket. The bell rang and the students were dismissed leaving the girls with Nike who gave them something to wipe their nails with and made them put their names down in case they repeated the offence.
She was finally able to breathe when the room was empty and at the end of school hours, trudged home to dinner with her family.
Her mother had made Pounded yam and Egusi soup for dinner which pleased the girls because it was their favourite and a great way to start the weekend.
"How was work Nike?" Their father asked as they ate.
"It was alright. I seized nail polish from some of the students."
Lola laughed and shook her head. "Are you sure this job is for you? You were the queen of wearing colour in secondary school!"
"They don't know that." She smiled back.
"I'm sure your sister enjoys dishing out instructions." Their mother added with a teasing smile.
"Of course she does mummy. You've seen her with Sade and Lekan, she like a drill sergeant."
"You're making me sound like a tyrant!" Nike complained which made the other women laugh.
Seeing her scowl, their father interrupted the laughter.
"Stop teasing my daughter please. She learned that behaviour from somewhere obviously."
"I wonder who that would be." Lola laughed and shrieked when her mother whacked her with a napkin.
"Why are you harassing me now? This is the real offender." She pouted pointing to Nike who rolled her eyes at her and told her to focus on her food.
After dinner, their parents went to watch the news while the girls cleaned the kitchen.
"Nike, I need to borrow your silver heels tomorrow."
"I'm not a rental service." She retorted.
"Not a rental service but you wear all of Sade's shoes to work!"
Nike glared at her and flicked soap suds at her.
"You're just a snitch! Why do you want the silver ones anyway? They're my favourite."
"Because they're the only ones that'll fit my outfit." Lola answered with a dreamy smile.
Nike stopped to look at her and gasped with more flair than necessary.
"You're going to hoe again!" She said shaking her head.
"This one is a date." Lola hissed.
"A date? With that look on your face, I know you're planning an entanglement with somebody's son."
"You're too dramatic Nike. We're just going to get drinks."
Nike shook her head at her sister who despite her efforts to downplay the outing was grinning like the cat that got the canary. She rinsed her hands of soap and came to lean on the counter next to her sister.
"Tell me about this guy that wants to take you to get drinks."
"I only asked for shoes aunty. The man is not your business."
"I'm not giving you the shoes then!"
Lola scowled at her sister for a second then jumped off the counter and darted upstairs.
Nike followed her with a shout and their laughter carried down to their parents who just sighed at their antics.
"Open this door now you shoe thief!" Nike shouted banging on her own bedroom door. She could hear her sister inside going through her things trying to find the shoes in question.
"Open this door before I call daddy!"
"Salary earner like you calling daddy every time." Lola taunted from inside.
"You know this isn't necessary. You can just show me the guys picture and that's all."
"It's not your business!"
Nike finally gave up and stopped banging on the door and when the door inched open, it was with a severe warning from Lola.
"You know I'm older than you. Respect me and let me go in peace."
Nike just stared at her wondering where the audacity came from.
"Aunty mi, you're a thief and I'll tell daddy."
Lola snuck past her with a grin and rushed into her own room, slamming the door behind her.
Nike shook her head and shut her own bedroom door before going to her sister's room knowing the door would be open.
Lola was sitting on the bed looking at jewelry when she walked in.
"This is serious o." She laughed.
"Show me your dress and let me decode your intentions for that boy."
Lola stood and produced a simple, floor length red dress with a halter neck and mile high slit from her closet and held it up to her sister. Nike surveyed the dress then declared certainly.
"Are you sure it's just drinks because he's not going to know what hit him!"
Lola giggled and hung the dress up then held up a pair of earrings to her face.
"What do you think? Hair pulled back, bold lip?"
Nike gave a thumbs up and Lola clapped in glee before putting everything away and getting into bed.
"You're still here?" She asked when she saw Nike was still sitting at her desk.
"No o, it's just my shadow. Anyway I'll go before you chase me away."
"Goodnight!" Lola called as she shut the door.
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      The following evening, Nike tried to catch a glimpse of her sister's date when he came to pick her up to no avail.
She'd spent the day begging Lola for information about the guy. A name, job description, anything!
Lola had refused to say anything but promised that if the date went well, she'd tell her everything so Nike said goodbye to her at the door and said a quick prayer that the date would be awesome.
Lola's excitement had worn off on her and she hoped this man would be good to her sister. She knew that Lola loved love and that she wanted to fall in love. She also knew that some of her past relationships had left her worse off than before and she hoped that this would be it for her.
To pass the time, Nike put on a face mask and finished her remaining chores. She ironed her outfits for the week and after, stretched out in her sister's bed to watch a movie.
Two movies later, Lola came in carrying her shoes in one hand and her clutch in the other, looking deliriously happy.
Spotting her sister, she sighed blissfully, dropped her shoes and fell on the bed next to her.
"Does this mean the date was alright?" Nike asked hopefully.
"It was better than alright!"
Nike let out a happy shriek in response then clamped her hand over her mouth when she remembered her sleeping parents. She sat on her knees and started tapping Lola like crazy.
"Tell me what happened!"
Lola closed her eyes and sighed again before sitting up to face her sister.
"First, I need water. I think I'm drunk." She said.
"Love drunk?" Nike asked in surprise.
"No, you moron! We finished a bottle of champagne and I feel like I'm floating."
Nike groaned and hurried to the kitchen to get a bottle of water thinking along the way that alcohol explained the delirious behaviour.
When Lola had drank some water and calmed down a bit, she shimmied out of her dress and got under the covers with her sister, leaned her head on her shoulder and told her about the date.
"It was amazing, Nike! Tobi sent a car to get me and bring me to dinner. I thought we were going to a restaurant but we had a private dinner on the roof of the Imperial hotel."
Nike gasped and shook Lola's arm. "So he's rich rich?"
"Stop interrupting!" Lola commanded.
"We had our own chef and candles and roses and wine. Then after dinner, we went to this jazz club I had no idea existed and just talked while music played, then we danced and talked some more before he accompanied me home.
He kissed me in the back seat while the driver pretended not to notice and I swear I have never felt anything like that before in my life!"
"Oh Jesus!" Nike herself giggled as her mind conjured images to accompany her sister's story.
"Wait! Where does the champagne come in?"
"At the club. I told him I don't like liquor." She admitted sheepishly.
"You're so lucky sis! Sounds like you had the best night."
"I did!"
"So how are we feeling about him?" Nike prodded.
"Honestly? Dangerously close to falling in love."
Nike squealed in response and hugged her sister.
"Okay let me see a picture."
Lola found her phone and showed her a picture of a gorgeous dark skinned man smiling at the camera with a cap pulled over his eyes and Nike almost swooned.
"He's hot! Where did you find him!"
Lola laughed and put her phone away then sobered up for a minute and said. "One more thing, he's a soldier."
Nike gaped at her. "Like a military man?"
"Yeah, he's in intelligence though so no worries."
"Daddy's going to lose his mind!"
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Hey guys, I've attached a picture of Lola's dress at the top and below is how I imagine Tobi to look. You don't have to put a face to the character I just thought we deserve to see this beautiful young man. Also, in this chapter I mention Pounded yam and Egusi soup, a meal native to the Yoruba people of Nigeria in case you didn't know that.
Please comment! Please vote and make me happy 🙏