Inbetween 6

I still could not concentrate the next day at work. I could not even hold my head up to look at Tunde for long. He was leaning against the closed door in my office, his legs crossed at the ankles and his hands in his pocket.

"What is actually bothering you?"

Tunde asked as I cleared clothes off my table and dumped them on the sewing machine. I hopped on to the table, burying my head in my hands.

"I know that you are bothered about her coming down but didn't you ever want her to know ?"

I told myself that I would tell her but I also knew I could not bring myself to tell her. I had to be drunk or not in my right state of mind for me to ever tell my sister that we dated the same man. I had evil plans of ending her

relationship with Mathew but not telling her.

"No" I replied him.

I raised my eyes slowly to look at him, to see his reaction. But his face bore no judgement.

He didn't tilt his head in question or narrow his eyes in thoughts, he just nodded as if he understood .

"You shouldn't have come to work since you told your sales girl to say, you are not around " he said.

"I thought I could face work " I replied with my head buried in my hands once more.

I shut my eyes and wondered why I had convinced myself to come to work. I had told myself that I was strong that I could continue my life as normal.

Even if Ada did find out and fate turned to strain my relationship with my own sister, I kept telling myself I would be fine. In the past, I had found solace in my sewing but it did not work that day. It was difficult. I felt drained; I had no will to do anything.

"Do you want to go somewhere? " Tunde asked suddenly.

"Yes " I replied quickly, looking up.

"Where do you want, my lady?"

"Home. I desperately need to sleep. You know, forgetting for just a moment that there are things I have to wake up to. "

"It's Friday. I also recommend that " he said.

He took my hand bag which was beside me on the table. I tried to take the bag, he took my hand instead. I followed him quietly like a kid, he locked my office and handed the key to me. I waved at Aku in the shop and asked her to lock up, there was this grin on her face that lifted my spirit as she bade us goodbye.

I loved Tunde holding my hands but I needed my hand back for the sake of Madam Chinaka and her usual talks. I started pulling my hand as we passed her shop but Tunde turned to me with a frown.

"Stop" He warned sternly.

I won't deny that simple command with the look on his face, sent chills through my whole system and It was then I stopped trying to take my hand.

As we passed his office, he said, "I'll be going to portharcourt soon for work. "

I nodded, trying to find words to say but I failed miserably and just nodded. Maybe he expected me to say something other than move my head.

In his usual nature, he held the car door open for me as I climbed in. He then handed me my hand bag.

" I wanted to ask you.. " he started, still holding the car door, "I'm preaching on Sunday. Can you come?"

"I can try."

He shut the door, "I'll send you the address." Then he knocked on the glass.

"Be good " he said when I rolled down the glass.

Most of the clothes we had were bought by my father. He loved to buy us the big shorts and shirts and he would say, ''This is what is invogue. Go and show your mother.'

We used to show her at first, she would wave us off hastily while going through her accounts book. We still walked around her room, waiting for her to be free. But Sadly, we realized she did want to see what we wore so we stopped showing her our new clothes.

Daddy's death tore her apart or so we assumed. She screamed at us with so much determination like she wanted us to just disappear. His death changed my home. We washed her cars , fixed the little problems in the generator, we did everything just so she could appreciate us but it was as if the mare sight of us, abhorred her.

One day, Ada and I washed her clothes and she returned home and soaked the clothes in water all over again. She said, "Do not ever touch my things, the sight of you two makes me want to run mad already."

That was all before her elder sister, Aunty Maimah took up the responsibility of taking care of us. She showered us with love like we were her own .

I found the tears rolling down. I let it flow, sniffing and more came down, pulling my head into a war zone and before I knew it, my head and my eyes were hurting badly. I looked at more of our pictures, sniffing through the tears, letting out gasps softly.

Memories of our childhood played in my head. There were many times we cried together, especially me , I used to cry alot. My eyes got heavy and blurry .

I placed my head on the pillow, shutting my eyes, trying so hard to blank out. Ada and I used to be so close. It was just weakening to think of the extent our distance drove us to.