"Janet, how is everything and everyone at home" May asked as she was frying the chicken for stew(wetin??, is it a crime to eat chicken as a student??)
"They're very well, and mum sends her greetings" she replied smiling and doing the dishes as if her life depended on it(after all it was the only thing that she could do properly).
"Awnnnnn" Goodness commented as she chopped the onion in a rhythmical manner(wait there were tears in her eyes,was it the onion or was she getting emotional).
"How's baby Peace?" Chidinma asked in between a mouthful of white rice she claimed to be tasting(no be my mouth you hear am)
"She's very fine and she's getting even more beautiful than her mum by the day" Janet fired smiling widely.
'That was it, that was all it took to ruin my day' i thought as I stumbled out of the kitchen leaving my friends in shock.
"Pearl, Pearl?" I could hear Nonso scream at the top of her voice.
I was so lost for words, I couldn't thank these girls enough , they've actually just wiped the tears from my soul('but they would've come earlier' I thought. 'Well thank God they came anyway' I said under my breath to counter the previous thought).
"Thanks very much girls" I managed to say as I found my voice. "Am extremely grateful for this" I said as tears streamed out of my eyes.
"Awnnnn,it's ok" the fair slim girl said for the first time as she gave me a hug(the best I've ever felt in a while and it worked)
"I am most grateful" I said wiping my face with the back of my hand.
"You're welcome darling"the dark,chubby girl said.
"You'll be fine"the tall,slim one reassured.
"By the way we didn't get to introduce ourselves" Janet observed.
"Yes, you're right"the fair,slim girl agreed. "I'll go first" she suggested. "My name is Chinonso but feel free to call me Nonso" she said stylishly.(I just smiled at her intonation)
"I am Chidinma"the dark,chubby girl said, "but you can call me Dinma" she smiled revealing a set of white pretty teeth(e be like say na fowl shit she dey use brush mouth).
"Am Goodness" the tall,slim(she never fat that time), dark girl said taking my attention off the 'fowl shit teeth'.
"But you can call her Goody" Nonso joked causing an uproarious laughter.
"And I am May" the tall,dark 'perfect body-siezed' girl said finally (awnnnnnn,shes so beautiful I thought). "There's no short form for my name" she said again piercing into my thoughts as another round of uproarious laughter erupted in the room.
"I am so happy today seriously,you girls are the best" I said smiling.
Then I remembered Archie, I had to cook up a lie so I could move out without stress. 'He doesn't even own me so it won't be a problem' I consoled myself...
I had grown so fond of Archie,leaving him was like leaving a part of me behind(trust me it was a part I was glad to leave).
I left Archie's house the next day(trust me he wasn't bothered cos someone else was there by the time I left). I got to my new abode on about thirty minutes and I was welcomed with a special delicacy of noodles and fries egg(Janet must have given them a clue that I can slap....shhhhh..you too like aproko).
That was it....they accepted me and took care of me sincerely from the depth of their spirit. They were God-chasers and all attempts they made to bring me to 'the light' as they called it, I turned it down easily and I was living my life.(but in all of these,they never abandoned me)
I never thought life could be as sweet as as it was right now,I had the most beautiful set of friends in the world (undermining the fact that they were the first persons I called 'friends'). They were really angels. I had never felt so much love in my life before,indeed am blessed (blessen't I?)
One faithful morning, I woke up nauseating,weak and feverish. It became worse by evening even after taking the malaria drugs I was administered by the matron I was taken to down the road. I was taken back to her the next day as Janet had suggested. She ran a test on me and discovered that I was down with typhoid and treatment started in earnest(what were you expecting?,you feel say na Nollywood be this abi). This actually one of the best parts of my life because it was I met Jide Smith. Remember him right??(yea,the guy who broke my heart,the first I ever loved)...
It was at this time I met him.
Whattt?(calm down ooo, don't rush me). I will tell you on one condition...bribe me with noodles and egg.
Three days after the treatment, I was rushed to the clinic, I was getting even more worse and the matron herself was confused.
I had fainted and was rushed there by my panicking friends.
According to them, I was unconscious for a long time but when I woke up the first face I saw was......
"What is wrong with you?" Nonso asked.
"Why would you storm out of the kitchen like that?" Dinma asked.
"Pearl, what's wrong?" May asked as she sat by me.
"Nothing" I screamed(trying to gain composure to pull the strings I constructed
"Then why are you acting weird?" Goodness asked.
"I just don't like hearing about baby Peace, you know what it does to me", I cried.
"I'm so sorry" Chidinma apologized emphatically.
"But seriously Pearl,you really need to heal of this pain" May advised. "You seriously have to get rid of this pain and move on" she emphasized as she wiped the tears in my eyes.
"I am trying, but its not that simple" I defended.
"We understand dear, and we are sure going to help you" Nonso advised. "But only if you're ready, you need to help is too you need to help us too" she added.
"I am ready, I really need to take my life a bit seriously" I responded.
"We're so proud of you girl, we'll help you" Janet said.
"Now let's go back to the kitchen and keep our beautiful faces bright, remember its Dinma's birthday tomorrow" Goodness said in excitement.
"Yes oooo, celebrations loading" Chidinma announced as we all came together giving her a teddy bear hug(the part I love most).
