story by Deborah Paul
ever been in love?
episode 19
Clarissa got to the place where she was supposed to make her client, she recognized him immediately she walked in, so she walked up to his table
CLARISSA
good morning Mr Samuel
MR SAMUEL
(Trying to think if he knows her)
sorry, do I know you?
CLARISSA
sorry, I’m Clarissa, the decorator
SAMUEL
you are the person I’m supposed to meet here?
CLARISSA
(taking her seat)
yeah, sorry for coming late I had issues with my car
SAMUEL
wow, I have heard a lot about you, and I have equally seen some of your work, I must say your work add more volume to you than you yourself
CLARISSA
how do you mean?
SAMUEL
its fine, can we begin? but first what can they get you? waitress
(he called but Clarissa stopped him that she was okay)
CLARISSA
I’m okay sir, yeah we can start
she opened her bag and brou-ght out her laptop, she showed the me Samuel different samples of jobs she has done in the past….he was please with them all, but didn’t they say first impression matters a lot? why would she dress like this to come see a client… Samuel couldn’t help but wonder if Clarissa didn’t have anyone to advise her of her mode of dressing… Clarissa spent the whole morning trying to make me Samuel pick one of her work, is not as if he didn’t want to give her the job, he was just too impressed with all her work that he didn’t know one to pick and that was making them waste too much time.
CLARISSA
why didn’t you come with your girlfriend to help you make a choice?
SAMUEL
(He chuckled)
I want this to be a surprise to my wife to be, this weekend is our wedding, I know she would be expecting us to go back to my old house after our honeymoon…..I will like to surprise her.
CLARISSA
you are such a caring husband, congratulations to the both of you..
SAMUEL
Thank you….what of you? I mean are you married?
CLARISSA
No, I’m single…so me Samuel which will you like to go for?
MR SAMUEL
I find your work so beautiful that I’m having a ha-rd time choosing.
CLARISSA
if you will allow me, I will say you should go with this, women are always attra-cted to pink and white….but I will advise you do white and light blue
SAMUEL
how did you know niniola likes white? that girl is a crazy lover of white….you know what? I’m going to leave everything to you…..I trust you will do justice to the house.
CLARISSA
Trust me…so when do you want us to start?
SAMUEL
immediately, because i want everything ready before my wedding, my wife and I will leave the country immediately after the reception…
CLARISSA
that won’t be a problem, once you make a fix payment, your work will be in progress
SAMUEL
I like the sound of that…so how much are we looking at her?
CLARISSA
can I see pictures of the house? and how many rooms is it?
SAMUEL
its a duplex
he said and took his phone from the table, he unlocked it and showed pictures of his house…the house is indeed a big house, and is not something she can do alone, she quickly did the calculation with her head.
CLARISSA
I will take two million and it’s not negotiable
SAMUEL
common, how can you say it’s not negotiable? don’t forget I have a wedding coming up this weekend, I’m broke miss
Clarissa smiled, rich men will not want poor people to get to their level, this guy smells money, and apart from that, the job is not something she and her boys can finish within five days even if they work overnight.
CLARISSA
(she smiled)
you know the payment is fair, or you would have preferred I said five million? maybe then we can negotiate.
SAMUEL
alright, alright…I will pay, just do a good job please….I do not want niniola to be disappointed
CLARISSA
You have to trust that I can deliver.
Samuel nods, he asked her for her account number, she called it out for him and he sent her one million, promising to send the rest after the job was done.
it was a fair deal to Clarissa, she wasn’t expecting him to pay in full immediately…her first time costumer always have their doubts at first.
CLARISSA
thanks, so when are you taking me to the place?
SAMUEL
(He checked time)
its already 12pm, I have to pick my woman up from school….maybe we should reschedule for tomorrow 11am, so I can take you there.
CLARISSA
alright, that’s fine by me…..if that would be all, I will like to take my leave
SAMUEL
alright….it’s nice meeting you miss??
CLARISSA
Clarissa, I mean my name is Clarissa…
SAMUEL
oh I won’t forget next time.
Clarissa got up to leave, Samuel got up too as sign of respect, Clarissa smiled at him before she left.
at the lobby she couldn’t help but notice the tow ladies at reception murmuring things to their ears, she wonder what they could be talking about.
she opened the door and left.
she was looking for a taxi to take her home when her phone started to ring, she brou-ght out her phone from her bag….she was shock to see the person calling, she looked around “is this guy stalking me? how come he knows I’m done?
she picked the anyways
CLARISSA
hey marcel
MARCEL
hey, good afternoon…..
CLARISSA
good afternoon…where are you at?
she said still looking around to be sure he wasn’t park somewhere and looking at her.
MARCEL
I’m heading your direction, are you still there?
CLARISSA
(surprised)
how did you know I was done?
MARCEL
really? you are done? I didn’t know, I just felt maybe i should come wait for you since I’m done
CLARISSA
that’s nice of you….but I’m not going home yet.
MARCEL
oh, so where are you headed?
CLARISSA
my client and I came to an agreement so I’m going to the market to get some materials for his work.
MARCEL
that’s cool then, I will take you
CLARISSA
you will what?
MARCEL
why does everything I say surprise you? you said we are friends now right?
CLARISSA
I know but
MARCREL
give me five minutes I will be there
he said and hung up before Clarissa could say anything else.
five minutes later he arrived and parked, he horned and Clarissa got up from where she sat to meet him….he unlock his car and she entered.
CLARISSA
Thanks for coming to pick me
MARCEL
Stop doing that
CLARISSA
Doing what?
MARCEL
Thanking me for every little thing I do
CLARISSA
but it’s good to be grateful
MARCEL
I know, but we are friends now so I don’t think we nee-d to be too formal with each other
CLARISSA
Alright….so shall we? friend?
(she joked and they both laughed)
Marcel started his car and drove away.
FEW HOURS LATER
Clarissa was done with her shopping, she practically had to beg Marcel to wait in the car else he would have followed her inside the hot sun while she pick everything she nee-ds.
Marcel was hungry so he asked if she was hungry too, she said she was starving.
CLARISSA
I haven’t had time to eat anything today
MARCEL
neither have I….let’s do lunch, what do you say?
CLARISSA
Please, let’s go I’m very hungry
MARCEL
at your service ma
(he said and started the car.)
Marcel drove them to a near by restaurant, where they made order of fried plantain and porridge beans, that was what Clarissa felt like eating, marcel decided to do the same thing….he ordered for a bottle of wine and some goat pepper meats
CLARISSA
that remains me….so this morning I went to see my client and when he saw me, after the introduction he said “wow, I have heard so much about you, your work speaks more volume than you yourself” I tried to make him say more but he waved it aside…what do you think he meant?
immediately Marcel un-derstood what Clarissa’s client had said to her, like who dresses like this to go see her first time costumer? “a jogger’s trouser on a native attire? with a high heels? he thought within him.
MARCEL
I wouldn’t know……maybe he was surprised to see a young lady instead of an age woman with big glas-ses on.
he teased and they both laughed
story by Deborah Paul
ever been in love?
episode 20
After lunch marcel drove them home, immediately Clarissa got to the compound she noticed her car was not there, she turn to look at Marcel
CLARISSA
Did someone steal my car?
MARCEL
that’s not possible, is it? because I’m sure we locked the gate this morning.
CLARISSA
I locked it with my own hands….the key isn’t broken so how did the theif get in?
MARCEL
(He chuckled (
okay that’s enough, I was only kidding with you…after dropping you off, I discovered I forgot a file at home, I drove back home to take it since it was the reason why I was going out in the first place….I noticed you left your small purse in my car, I opened it and ta-da the key was right inside….so I decided to call my mechanic to come pick the car, it took him about 15 minutes before he got here.
CLARISSA
(Still shocked)
you took my car out for repair?
MARCEL
that is what friends do for each other right.
Clarissa smiled at him, this time the smile was pure, true and de-ep….. marcel felt his heart racing, a lot of girls have smiled at him before, but how come does this feel so differently?
CLARISSA
thanks so much
MARCEL
I told you to stop doing that…I’m kind of tired, I want to go take a shower and a nap….see you later?
CLARISSA
sure, I will do the same too
MARCEL
Alright….and that reminds me, Tope will return your car by 6pm
CLARISSA
that would be nice….see you later.
she said and went to his trunk to pack the things she bought, Marcel helped her packed some few things to her room before he left for his room.
Clarissa was too tired to even take a shower, nor take the things she bought inside her sto-re room, she laid on the couch to rest a little…she opened her eyes around 7pm, and to a sound of thun-der, she opened her curtain and saw that it was raining heavily.
“I can’t believe I slept for almost five hours” and damn I’m so hungry” she said and got up heading for the bathroom….she took off her clothes and took a warm shower before she put on a big shirt and a big but bun short.
she packed her hair in a ponytail and and headed for the kitchen when she heard a knock on her door.
“that must be Marcel”
she said and went to open the door.
she smiled at him immediately she opened the door
CLARISSA
Hi Marcel
MARCEL
Hi Rissa
(he said closing his umbrella)
CLARISSA
I wonder if it’s just Lagos or everywhere, the rain this year is just too much
she said giving him way to come inside
MARCEL
and you don’t like this?
CLARISSA
I like it but, it’s too much
MARCEL
yeah you are right about that…you slept for long, I checked on you around 6pm when the mechanic came but you didn’t answer.
CLARISSA
I’m so so sorry, I wonder that kind of sleep, do you know I didn’t take my shower? I slept like that….I just woke up.
MARCEL
that’s what tiredness can do to you.
CLARISSA
yeah…I was about entering the kitchen to cook, would you like to join me?
MARCEL
Absolutely
He said and followed Clarissa to the kitchen.
Clarissa cooked white yam and made chicken and egg sauce, all throu-ghthe time they spent in the kitchen they were talking about different things, and laughing at the same time.
CLARISSA
That reminds me, I will be living this house tomorrow and I can’t say for sure when I will return
MARCEL
where are you going?
CLARISSA
my client I met earlier today, I’m suppose to start his work tomorrow, and damn it’s a duplex i don’t know when I will be throu-ghwith the job
MARCEL
you are working alone?
CLARISSA
I’m not a hero you know….I have my crew, they can handle it, but it’s a first time client, and I don’t want any mistake so I have to be there.
MARCEL
that’s true, is just that this house will be boring without you.
CLARISSA
so does it mean someone likes the trouble I have been giving him?
she said and picked the tray of food and headed for the living room, Marcel picked the cu-ps and followed her from behind.
MARCEL
yes, I like the trouble….I wish I can talk you from going, but that would be selfish of me
CLARISSA
don’t worry, before you know it I will be back…And I will miss you too Sha
MARCEL
(he felt happy)
you will?
CLARISSA
yeah, please seat down let’s eat.
they were about to pray when Marcel’s phone started ringing, he went to the living room and took his phone from Clarissa’s table, he looked at the name of the caller and dropped the phone.
He returned back to the dining table
CLARISSA
Why ain’t you picking your call
MARCEL
its just someone I don’t want to speak to
CLARISSA
Your girlfriend?
(she asked like a jealous crusher)
MARCEL
what? no,no, she’d not my girlfriend
CLARISSA
(she giggled)
you don’t nee-d to be defensive, is not as if I care though….I’m just saying if you have a girlfriend it’s better you work out things with her.
MARCEL
Mirabelle is not my girlfriend
(he broke out her name before he realized it)
CLARISSA
okay…let’s eat.
MARCEL
I think I lost my appetite….I will go just go home.
he said and dipped his hand inside his side and brou-ght out her car keys and handed it over to her.
MARCEL
here are your keys, goodnight
he said and went to the living room and picked his phone and left.
Clarissa was still in shock, she didn’t know what she had said to have upset him like that.
she ate her food and took marcel’s share back to the kitchen….she returned back to take the hu-g of water into the kitchen when her phone beef, she went to see who it was, she smiled when she saw it was her cousin sis Kim that chatted her on WhatsApp
CLARISSA
hey, so you don’t want to talk to me right?
KIM
is not like that, I was busy this morning….how are you?
CLARISSA
I’m very fine ooh, just missing my sister
KIMBERLY
I miss you too…don’t worry by next week I will be back
CLARISSA
Not this weekend again?
KIMBERLY
I just catch one fresh Bobo here like that, babe the guy na die ooh, until I get to my satisfaction I won’t come back ooh
CLARISSA
(She shook her head)
you this girl, when will you change? eeh? you ain’t getting any younger ooh…abi you don’t want to marry?
KIMBERLY
marry? who? babe I’m not getting married okay? you nee-d to be in love before you can say you want to marry and live with one di*k forever….I can’t marry Biko.
CLARISSA
I wonder what men did to you, that made you hate them this much
KIMBERLY
(She sent smiling similey)
who said I hate men? babe I like man die, but I just can’t bring myself to fall in love okay….see how your life be na? every day one heart break to another….and I wonder how you manage to survive Everytime….one heart break I’m sure I will die….you can call me crazy but that is me for you….I can’t change that for anybody.
CLARISSA
its because you haven’t seen the one, that person that will sweep you off your feet and make you scream for rain pour of love.
KIMBERLY
never gonna happen…how is Marcel?
CLARISSA
(She remembered what happened earlier)
his fine I guess
KIMBERLY
you guess? haven’t you seen him today?
CLARISSA
I have…. please let’s talk sometime else and forget about Marcel
KIMBERLY
when you sound like this, then something is up…tell me what happened between you two?
Clarissa explained everything that happened from the day activities down to this night where she made a joke and he took it personal.
KIMBERLY
that was a careless joke if I must confess Rissa….what do you mean by ” is not as if I care? and beside what’s your business if the girl is his girlfriend or not? abi you have started catching feelings?
CLARISSA
catch what feelings? would that offend you if you were to be him?
KIMBERLY
I’m not him and I already feel offended…..babe whatever Jude did to you has really turned you to someone you are not….go and apologize to him….it’s his right, you owe it to him
CLARISSA
are you been serious right now?
KIMBERLY
like damn serious….I will chat you up later, atony just walked in
CLARISSA
who is Atony?
she asked but Kimberly has already left WhatsApp
to be continued