Love Really Is Strange – Episode 6

By Lydia Jonathan

On the phone with Mimi

Mimi: what do you mean you got fired?

Me: Mimi, I’m fine, its fine

Mimi: No its not fine, I’m coming home right now

Me: No way, if you leave, you’ll get into trouble

Mimi: I don’t care

Me: Mimi please, I already got fired, I don’t want to be met with same fate. I promise I’ll explain everything when you get home, okay?

Mimi: okay, but be careful, and I’ll be home later

Me: I’m not a kid you know, I’m going to be fine. See you at home

Mimi: okay…..bye

Me: bye

I hung up and headed home exhausted both physically and mentally. I carried the box of things I cleared from my office table and placed them on the ground when i got home chanting in my head ” I’m not going to cry”, “everything will be okay”, “things happen for a reason” and I went to the kitchen to prepare something to eat since I was hungry

After preparing the food, I tried carrying the pot down unaware of the little spilled oil on the ground and in a swift movement I landed on my butt with the pot and its content scattered all over the kitchen floor. Staring at the mess, I buried my face in my hands and the tears came flooding.

“Why God? Why is this happening to me?” I sobbed until I couldn’t cry anymore. With swollen eyes I cleaned the mess, went up to my room showered and laid on the bed thereby drifting to sleep

“Liz?” I felt a hand on my fore head. Squinting, I opened my eyes a little and saw Mimi with worry laced on her face

Mimi: Are you okay Liz? You’ve been sleeping for a while now

Me: *yawning and stretching, yea I’m fine. You’re back from work?

Mimi: I’ve been back for a while now, but you’ve been sleeping, so I decided to let you be, but its really late and you were still sleeping

Me: I was really tired, what’s time is it?

Mimi: its 8:30pm

Me: oh my God, I’ve been sleeping for that long?

“Yea, now come on down and eat, I know, you haven’t taken anything since morning,she said exiting my room

“I’ll be right down, and with that I got up, examined my face, noticing the swelling has gone down, I went to catch up with Mimi

************

“He did what?! Mimi exclaimed when I told her what my *former boss did after we were done eating

Me: Mimi calm down, do you want to hear all the story or what

Mimi: okay I’m sorry, go on

So i went back to what transpired In the morning between me and my boss………..

Knocking on the door

Boss: yes? Come in

Me: sorry Sir, you asked to see me?

Boss: yes Elizabeth, sit *offering me a seat and went back to his work

Me: thank you Sir

The silence getting uncomfortable, and with him not even sparing me a glance, I cleared my throat and began

Me: is everything alright Sir?

Finally he looking up, he smiled

Boss: everything’s fine. How are the sales coming along

Me: very well Sir, we got a higher sales report than that of last month sir

Boss: very well. You must be wondering why I called you in here

Me: yes Sir

He got up from his chair and came over to where I was sitting and turned my seat to face him

Boss: do you know you’re a very beautiful girl *placing his hand on my thigh

Me: er erm………tha_ thank you Sir

Boss: no need to thank me, you should know, you’re beautiful,and you can get anything you want if only you play your cards right. He stated, tracing his hand underneath my skirt.

Outraged i slapped his hand away from my leg and got up

Me: what are you doing Sir? You are a married man with kids and you’re old enough to be my father. Have you no shame

Boss: I won’t stand to have you insult me, I am your boss!

Me: but you are not acting like one right now, I am so ashamed for you

He walked over to his door and asked me to leave his office

“Gladly” I retorted and stomped out of his office fuming

Some minutes later I was handed an envelope which contained my sack letter

“That as***ole” Mimi fumed, getting up from her seat after I finished with my story

What does think he is, just cause he’s the manager he thinks he can do whatever he pleases and get away with it? she added now pacing

“Mimi it’s fine, I’m glad I even got fired, cause I wouldn’t have been able to work freely after what happened,I tried putting on a smile but a sad one

Mimi: I am so quitting

Me: no! No way, we can’t both be jobless

Mimi: but how can I work knowing what that jerk did to you

Me: you have to try okay? Please for my sake

Mimi: *sighing, okay. Have you told George yet?

Me: i don’t know how to tell him, he was so happy when we got this job, and I don’t want him feeling bad

Mimi: you know you have to tell him

Me: I know, but for now lets just keep it from him please, he’s doing really good and I don’t want him getting worried over me okay?

Mimi: okay……

We chatted for a while and later retired to bed with me scared and uncertain of what tomorrow will look like.

I was awake in my room but pretended I was sleeping when Mimi walked into my room to avoid her taking pity on

Thinking I was still sleeping, she touched my hand for a bit, whispered she was leaving for work, then left.

After laying on the bed for a while, I decided to at least do something productive. I took my shower got dressed, then pulled out my laptop and started searching for vacancies online. After surfing for a while, I finally saw some I got interested in and decided to apply mentally sighing cause I know that it’ll will involve writing of application letters and CV submission again. I closed my laptop and lay on the bed again for a while before grabbing my handbag and headed out

After walking for a while, my tummy started grumbling indicating hunger, but i had no appetite. Scared of having ulser as i barely eat well, I walked into a nearby eatery ordered meat_pie and juice cause it was already mid day.

After eating with no idea what next to do, I decided to call George

George: Hi baby,this one you’re calling by this time, hope all is well?

Me: Yea, everything’s fine *I lied, just thought I should hear from you, Its been two days you know?

George: I know and I’m so sorry Babe, its just work has been hectic and I’ve been really occupied

Me: Of course I understand, just take it easy okay?

George: Are you sure you’re okay babe? Cause you don’t sound it

Me: I’m okay, now stop being worried and go back to work okay? *i teased

George: Okay, and I promise this weekend its gonna be just you and me

Me: Okay

George: I love you

“I love you too”, smiling, i hung up glad that atleast I’ve got a bestfriend/sister and a decent guy in my life, that can put a smile on my face no matter the situation, but then soon started dreading having to tell him about my job.

Getting up, I decided to go to my safe place

*****************

Hi mom, I smiled and hugged her

My daughter she returned the hug mirroring my smile. Papa Miracle, come and see o, one of your daughters have come to visit, she yelled after pulling away and ushering me a seat

Thank God my daughter,you’re here, he entered the sitting room. Smiling, he hugged me then took a seat close to his wife with me sitting opposite them

Mrs adebayo: How are you my daughter? how is Miacle? Hope you’re fine? Are you people lacking anything…….

Mr adebayo: ah ah Eunice! Allow the girl to answer one after the other nau

Mrs adebayo: Hian! Is she not my daughter again?, can’t I ask how they’re doing anymore?

Mr adebayo: Is that why you want to bombard her with questions?

Mrs Adebayo: Is it now bad to ask how my two girls are faring?

Mr Adebayo: Did i say its bad?

Looking at both old married couple bickering, i smiled and wondered if I can have what they have, old, but still have a love so strong for each other

Me: Daddy, mummy

They both stopped, turned to me and smiled

Me: Mimi and I are both fine, everything’s fine. I just thought to come visit you people cause its been a while

They both looked at each other and smiled

Mr Adebayo: Well, speaking of a while, you know that cake you used to bake me Lizzy?

Me: Yes?

Since I stayed with just my mom growing up, I took an interest in cooking, since she’s not always around. I can bake all sorts of cake( chocolate,vanilla, brownies, cupcakes, etc), cookies and the rest. And sometimes i bake and cook for the adebayos when my mom drops me off at their place. That’s why i even do most of the cooking in the house for Mimi and i

Mr Adebayo: Good, can you please do it for me

Me: Of course daddy

Mrs adebayo: Later you’ll say I’m disturbing the girl, now you want her to bake for you as soon as she got here

Mr Adebayo: Woman, if I ask you to do it, you won’t o, so please, allow the person that wants to do it for me to do it

Me: Its okay mummy, I can do it. Do you have all the ingredients?

Mrs Adebayo: Of course my daughter, come on……..

She said and we both headed for the kitchen. After mixing the batter and chatting for a while, she began

Mrs Adebayo: Now, what’s bothering you my child

Shocked at how see saw through my façade

Me: I lost my job mummy.

After I told her all that happened, Mrs adebayo (Mimi’s mom) shook her head, and told me everything will be fine

Mrs Adebayo: you know? Everything happens for a reason, maybe you weren’t meant to be there and so you shouldn’t think much about it, okay?

Me: Okay……

She went on about life, and how disappointments is inevitable, then she stood to give me a hug and when she pulled away smiling, I smiled back and at the exact time the timer started buzzing indicating the cake is ready.

I brought it out and Mrs Adebayo cut a slice and gave to me and took a slice too, which she eating

Mrs Adebayo: You know, your boss was right about one thing though

Confusion clearly shown on my face

Me: What do you mean? What was he right about?

Mrs Adebayo: To use what you have to get what you want. You have a gift, why not make good use of it.

Saying that, she smiled, took the cake and disappeared to the sitting room to her waiting husband

I stood there pondering about what she said and what she meant. Tired and even more confused, I tidied up the kitchen and went to join the couple.

After staying for a while, I bade the couple goodbye and left but not without getting food stuffs from Mrs Adebayo for Mimi and I

When I got home,I told Mimi about my visit and we chatted,before going to bed with what Mimi’s mom said still at the back of my mind

The next day I decided to tell George about my job when he comes to pick me for our weekend getaway. But got a call instead saying he can’t make it anymore but promised next time.

Dejected, Mimi decided to take me out instead. We walked and chatted, visited the beach and later went to a cafe…

After we finished ordering, we waited for our meal but its a no show, a bit angry and hungry, I turned to Mimi who was smiling. Confused I asked why she was smiling

Mimi: relax will you? It’ll soon be here

Me: but I’m hungry

I whined like a little girl, and just then the waiter shows up smiling and placed a covered platter on our table and said to open it. Confused I looked up from Mimi to him then shrugged and opened it to find a small red velvet box in it. I looked up to Mimi who pointed to my back still smiling. I followed her hand and it landed on a smiling George with a written inscription in his hands,

“Will you marry me, Lizzy?”…………….

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…to be continued