NOVEL WEB Chapter 8: Chapter Eight
It was already morning when Nancy woke up. She laid on her back, eyes opened, brain trying to remember what preceded the sudden sleep the previous evening. Then bit by bit, the memories flown in, like how raindrops escalates to heavy downpour. She remembered everything. Her crush had gone back. She had the feeling that she'd miss going to the mountain with him, she'd miss taking pictures of green leaves, sluggishly walking caterpillar, rainbow-color butterfly flapping its tiny wings, birds chirping, everything about nature. She had never felt this way. At that moment, she wasn't feeling to urge to go watch nature alone. Something had changed in her, about her. Something that had to do with Dave.
Is this love? What comes with love? Which price has to be paid when one is in love? What can one do to outsmart love? Can one un-love? All these questions moved about in her head like ice cubes dance inside wine cup.
She checked her phone, "Damnit! It's past 9 am." She flew up and dashed to the bathroom. She needed to submit a project to her boss before 10am and she hadn't even bathed. She worked the bristles of the toothbrush on her teeth with haste while taking off her clothes. She knew breakfast was out of option that morning. She was under the shower when she realized that there was no tremendous loud music that morning. The shower control gave a squeak as she turned it off to hear any sound.
Nothing. It was unlike her lousy neighbor. Then she remembered how she scurried out of her room filled with worry about her brother. She turned the shower again while making up her mind to check on her when she comes back from work.
But when did she began to care? Was it because she felt strong connection with her brother? Or because she had never seen her worried like that before? Or... She quickly shove the questions aside in her head and focused on how she'd get to work before ten when the journey takes almost half of the time she had prior to the deadline.
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Knock knock.
No response.
She knocked again. No response. She examined everywhere around the entrance; no slippers or flipflops around, the verandah was undisturbed by footprints and the silence coming from the room is more than a graveyard. Then she concluded that Tina wasn't home. She was able to submit the project around few minutes to ten. Her boss ranted a bit but she didn't care. After all, the project had reached his table, so why the yab.
She looked around again, contemplating on what to do. One of the neighbors, whose room was in the second flat, passed by.
"Ah, Aunty Nancy, how are you?"
She turned around to see Mama Kemi, the leader of gossip gang in the apartment. "Mama Kemi. Good morning ma. I'm fine o. What about you?"
"Fine too o. Wetin u dey do for here? You don turn friends with the lousy neighbor?"
One thing about nosy neighbors, they must know you every move. Nancy was hundred percent sure that Mama Kemi must have been watching her from her window before approaching her while disguising she was approaching the gate. Nancy smiled in her mind.
"Actually she helped me yesterday and it'd be ungrateful of me to not appreciate the gesture."
Mama Kemi moved closer and held the rail with her left hand while placing her right hand on her hips. "En en? But she no dey house now na?"
Nancy looked at the door again, as if the question would prompt any invisible unlock on the locked door. "Yeah, she isn't. I'll probably come back." She attempted to alight from the verandah before Mama Kemi began to probe her further. She must know what Tina did to warrant such gesture from Nancy.
"Maybe you go come back for evening. I see am yesterday wey she dey run like cockroach wey see insecticide. She run like flash comot for here yesterday. She fit receive emergency call from home sha." She escorted Nancy back to the entrance of her door while inquiring, "wetin she do you yesterday? I even don dey see one fine bobo like this wey dey come her house. I con see the bobo again with you for that mountain side. I con dey wonder wetin the bobo dey find for my two neighbor side, shey he no get work ni..."
Nancy wanted to explode. She has been there for just nine months and she had knew who this woman was within the first month she came here. She had to make herself unavailable for her so she wouldn't make her room her new gossip joint. One thing about gossipers, once you just pack in, they'd move closer to you. You'd think they're good neighbors, nah. They want to know who you are, they want your transparency so they'd find something to munch on when there's a misunderstanding between you and anyone. Anyone that gossip others with you is definitely gossiping you with others. Nancy had met people like that when she was young and still living with her parents; her mother successfully avoided them, she had used the technique and it worked. All she had to do was just to exchange pleasantries with everyone and keep them at arm's length. Afterall, one mustn't fight one's neighbor because if any emergency happens, the neighbors will be the first to be aware and call one's parents. They're literally one's help after God in an emergency.
Nancy nodded and grunted at each of her sentences. She took out her key, placed it in the keyhole and turned it backwards as she nodded to Mama Kemi. When it was unlocked, she turned to her, smiling, "Mama Kemi, I have no idea what you're talking about sha o. I don't know any bobo or anyone anywhere. Anyways, I wan quickly find something chop, I never chop go work. I dey tired now."
"Oh, oya na. Quickly go chop. I jus wan check if na coz of the boy she run comot yesterday or maybe na why u come check on her today. No lele na. I get her number sha if u wan call her."
An advantage of having a nosy neighbor, they have and know everything! Mama Kemi must have her number, it's a must. Nancy stared at her blankly. Why would she want Tina's number? Did she actually need to call her? Dave had not reply her messages since he left yesterday. Did she need another informant to keep her updated about Dave? Was she ready to let Tina, her lousy neighbor, know she was in love with her brother? She opened her mouth to refuse the offer, "e be like say I go collect am."
What just happened? Why did I collect her number? I can still refuse now. Why can't I refuse? Why am I punching the numbers on my phone? Have I lost control of my emotions? Why do I care about Tina? Do I actually care about her or about her brother?
The thoughts ran across her mind in spiky boots, puncturing her soul. She eventually collected Tina's number and bade Mama Kemi farewell as she went into her room. She dropped her bag at a go on the bed and heaved as she sat on the plastic chair. She reclined her back against the chair, sliding down a bit. After a while, she brought out her small mirror and place it before her. She needed to talk to whoever she's in the mirror.
A perfect way to build confidence and relationship with oneself is to always talk to who one finds in the mirror. One can yell, smile, flirt, adore, admire and other emotions can be shown to who's in the mirror. It wasn't there first time Nancy would do this but she hadn't done it in ages because she never found a reason to. She loved who she was, she loved doing things that made her happy, until she met Dave and her emotional system went from normal to something similar to abnormal.
She stared at her figure in the mirror for a while before speaking . "Are you in love? You haven't fallen in love in a breathtaking way like this. I know you were eager to explore this vital part of nature with a man, but is this how massive it affects the emotional system? You've seen others fall in love, were they feeling dejected like you if the love didn't work out?"
She went on and on, telling herself stuffs she'd have told her best friend, if she had one. She actually did; Wumi was her best friend but the normal cause of friends zoning out of each other happened to them. They haven't spoken since their convocating. It would be extremely odd and out of ordinary to message her now to rant about her emotions to someone who she hardly replied her messages on time. Even Wumi had given up on trying to bring life into their friendship. Nancy never had time to reply her texts on time. Now she felt guilty. She turned away from the mirror, thinking of what to do. Call Tina or call Dave or find Wumi to pour out her emotions to. She needed to do something to how heavy her heart was.