Protected episode 21 & 22

Protected

By Bebe Ernest

Episode 21

 

After that announcement last night I was shook.

Dinner countinued as usual.

If I was someone else I would probably be scared for Selene.

Justice got this looks in eyes and I knew all hell will be let loose soon.

Damn.

And here I was my greatest fear was not to be mocked.

 

It’s the next morning.

I am in the kitchen, as always ma-king breakfast, am trying to toast some bre-ad and fry some bacon.

It’s going smoothly.

After breakfast I go to my room. And I start watching TV.

What ever justice said yesterday about a p@rty must have been a joke.

I settle into my be-d and I almost bur-st out laughing because the movie was a comedy.

Oh I so love my white movies.

I was getting to the best p@rt when my door bur-st open.

Sandra and julliet and another lady sweeps into my room, acting for all the world like it’s there’s.

 

What now? cue Rihanna’s voice.

 

“Hello Ma Cherie”

That was sandra, i get up and k!ssher cheek.

 

“Hi, Sandra, julliet”

I turn to the other lady.

“Oh, magic, this is Tamara, my cousin”

 

(So who remembers this lady? Comment.)

 

I exchange greetings and I see that they have a big garment bag with them.

I open my mouth to ask but julliet beats me to it.

“Tamara, is a stylist, she is good with make up and colours”

Ok….

That’s cool but what’s my business?

She answers my unspoken thought.

“You are going to a p@rty with justice, you have to look the p@rt.”

Are these people for real?

“Are you guys for real?”

“I don’t know what that mean but yes, we are real.”

That was sandra, I shake my head, this is so strange.

I take everything in, Sandra is perched on my be-d, julliet is standing in front of my dresser and the lady Tamara is going throu-gh my design pad.

Well what?

 

“Isn’t it too early to start dressing up? I mean it’s just past 12”

They look at there selves and bur-st out laughing.

Ok…..

“No bella, getting re-ady is never too early, well come on, you have to get your hair done”

That was Tamara, she pu-lls me in the direction of my bathroom.

Before I know it I am being undressed, my hair is being fried, ok maybe not fried but it felt like it.

My nails are getting polished, my legs are waxed.

That thing hurt so bad.

I am plied with chocolate and gossip.

I found out Tamara is a mother of one, she lives with her b©yfri£ndthey love themselves but they are not married, his mother is a witch.

I find out that Julliet went throu-gh a tough time when she first arrived in Nigeria from the states.

(If you wanna find out, refer to my first novel(The Homecoming), can’t talk about here)

She had a really tough time.

 

Then finally I find out that Sandra has had a crush on Justin forever.

Well what!

 

“I mean the first time I knew I was in love with him was when he helped me from the rain about 2 years ago,

He covered me with his jacket, it was so h0t, I wished he would have k!$$£d me.”

Sandra gushes and I almost die, I blus-h de-eply, talking about k-sing and any form of intim-acy is still a tricky subject for me.

They notice my blus-h.

Of course.

“Tell me bella, you’ve never k-sed justice?”

Tamara asks and I blus-h.

“Eww, Tammy,.that’s my brother”

“Oh shush girl”

Sandra says.

“Well? Tell us, I want to know too.” julliet says

I shake my head.

“Oh come on, don’t be shy”

That’s Tamara .

 

“I have k-sed him..”

I say hesitatingly

 

“Ohhhh”

The three of them say and lean from there seat.

“Well go on”

“But am scared that I don’t know how to do it properly”

I say and they lean back.

Well….

“Am sure you are superb at it”

Julliet says.

“Really?”

I ask insecurely.

“Yeah baby girl, I mean the man is smitten with you”

Sandra says

I smile and blus-h.

“Yeah am sure he is, I mean wait, how am i sure? I feel like I am not up to standards, he is rich I am poor.”

“Don’t let him hear you say that sweets, you are a Maxwells now, even if it doesn’t work out, you will always be a Maxwell,

You don’t have to care what people will think, he never says sorry for his decision, he has never, he will never”

Julliet says and I am reas-sured.

But wait.

“He never says sorry?”

I ask.

“He never, not ever”

“But he told me sorry the other day”

All eyes turns to me in surprise and scepticism.

“Justice told you sorry?”

I nod.

“Oh my God magic, you totally tamed my brother.”

Julliet says and I smile in confusion.

“Voila”

Tamara says and she turns me to the mirror, she has been working on my make-up.

I look at my self and it takes me a while to realize the reflection am staring at is actually my self.

I look so beautiful, yes I do, and am me.

I turn and I feel tears rush to the surface.

“No no, you can’t cry, you look too beautiful to cry”

Sandra says and I smile.

“Thank you so much for this, I love you guys.”

“We love you too”

We hvg and share a moment.

“And for the dress…”

Julliet produces a long red dress.

I g@sp.

It’s an original Michael kors.

“I can’t wear that, it’s sacred”

They roll there eyes.

“We know you are a cloth freak magic but you tots deserve this, it is a limited edition”

Ok, that was not helping the case.

I take a de-ep breath and I gr-ab the go-wn I walk to the bathroom and I change.

When I come out I feel like am walking on air.

They look at me in awe and am nervous.

I step in front of the mirror and I look at myself.

The go-wn is blood red, it has a droopy back and front, you can see the dimple on my back side.

It’s rightly scandalous.

I love it.

The front is embe-dded with little pearls, I was showing a lot of cleavage.

I love it.

I smile at the girls.

Julliet produces a silver high heel and I feel like Cinderella.

I wear it and I totter on the heels, I almost fall..

 

I looove it.

I wear studded pearl earrings anda dropping pearl n£¢klace a diamond br@celet all provided by julliet.

I almost cry, I look prettier than Cinderella.

I turn and I hvg them again.

This time Sandra hands me a silver clutch purse and am set.

Throu-gh all this I can see it’s almost 9 in the evening.

Ha.

Now i see why they wanted us to start early.

I walk downstairs with the girls leading me.

I g@sp inaudibly.

He looks so handsome in his black tux and black inner shi-t.

He turns to me and I forget to breath.

He is staring at me and I am immediately nervous.

He takes my hand when I get to the last step and he raises it to hisl-ips and k-ses my palm.

“You look beautiful bitty”

I blus-h and he k-ses my cheek.

“So you re-ady to kick Selene’s bu-tt?”

I smile and nod.

Tonight will be a good night.

 

Protected

Episode 22

 

MAGIC.

Am so nervous, Jesus, we got to this shindig about 20 mins ago and I feel so out of place.

Even though am wearing a kick-ss go-wn and I look pretty enough to eat, am just still me a green girl from a backwater village in onitsha.

I sigh softly.

Am on justice arms and that alone should have been enough, but the looks am getting are not helping.

 

He has stepped away to talk to some acquaintances.

I know what julliet said and I un-derstood but it so ha-rd you know.

I walk to the bar, am feeling kind of dizzy.

I signal for a waitress and she steps forward, she is wearing a black go-wn, I notice the catering staff are wearing something similar.

“Good evening ma’am, how may I help you?”

Am instantly taken aback, me ma’am?.

If I hear.

“Oh, plea-se just call me magic, I love your dress by the way”

“Thanks ma’am, am zinny, am the head waiting staff, those guys over there are with me, they are Abdul, Fabian, Carmen, Mandy, godiya, ola, Vicki, Amma and Dare, we were just admiring your dress,

They want me to let you know that you look beautiful and we are prepared to serve you well this evening.

If you nee-d anything just signal”

I almost die, am overwhelmed, I can’t believe people think am pretty, I mean, what?

 

“Thanks Zin, I will let you know, right now can I plea-se get a glas-s of sparkling water?”

“Right on that”

She steps away and returns and she gave me a sweating glas-s of sparkling water, I take a sip, refreshing.

As I take another I feel Justice’s pres£nce beside me and I turn.

“Am so sorry about that bitty, I had to make the rounds with some of my colleagues”

I nod, I un-derstand.

“S’oright, I made a friend”

I signal at Zin and she steps forward.

“Hi, zinny this is my…..this is justice,my … guardian, justice, zinny, my new friend”.

He throws her a nod and she looks starstruck.

I won’t blame her, she looks exceptionally handsome tonight.

I can’t believe we haven’t placed a label on what we are, I was almost going to call him my b©yfri£nd.

Thank God I saved my self from experiencing that embarras-sment.

I mean what would I have done if he had said we were not d@t!ng.

Someb©dy shoot me.

I take another drink and he gently mas-sages my n£¢k.

Hmm.

Soon we are approached by an older couple.

Justice stands straight and I know, I just know this are our guests.

The man is tall and Noble looking, like he is from old money, he has dark hair with some streaks of white.

In his days am sure he sowed some wi-de oats.

The woman on the other hand looks like a f0rç£ to be reckoned with, she has attitude.

She breaths and walks it.

Her head is held high, she looks to be in her late 30’s but I know she is older, much older.

 

The thing that strikes me most is her silver eyes, they looks like molten silver.

I can see pain in there depths, de-ep pain, she has experienced a loss.

A staggering one.

I can see the same pain mirrored in the man’s eyes.

But when they see justice, they smile, they respect him.

And he respects them too I can see, the way he is standing changes, his demeanor changes too.

He drops his arrogance.

They get to us and he bows w@!st de-ep.

I like I should curtsy.

“Maxwells my man, bring it in”

The man says in a boisterous voice.

Justice embr@ces the man, I mean a full embr@ce.

“George, it’s so nice to see you, thanks for your invitation”

He separates and turns to the woman, he bends and k!sses her cheeks, both cheeks.

“Margaret, you look stunning as always”

“Oh justice, flattering will get you everywhere”

She says in a surprisingly soft voice.

They turn to me and am as-saulted with nerves.

“Margaret, George, this is my girlfriend , Emilia.”

Apparently he has no misgivings on giving our relationsh!pa label.

I feel good.

I smile and I give a little bow.

“Good evening madam and sir, thanks so much for having us, it’s a great p@rty”

Am surprised when I am pu-ll-ed into a hvg by Margaret, ha.

“You look so beautiful my dear”

She says this while k!ss!ngmy cheeks.

I smile and blus-h.

Magic style.

“Thank you madam”

“plea-se call me Maggie or mother, am as well a mother to your b©yfri£nd”

I smile, plea-sed.

 

George shakes my hand and I greet.

Justice leads all of us to some seats and I seat beside him.

“So tell me magic, where are you from?”

She says this while reaching for her husband’s hand and immediately I can see they love themselves.

Where was Selene spawned from?

“Am from ontisha ma, my name is Emilia magic obi”

I say and I see her exchange looks with her husband.

Am sure they don’t approve, now that they’ve found out am not from a wealthy socialite home.

But surprisingly they don’t let it show.

The conversation goes on and am instantly pu-ll-ed in, soon am bantering with George, am siding with Maggie.

I laugh, I see we get some looks from the other guests.

Time flies, justice gets me a drink.

We talk with the Efosa’s some more.

I find out they are from a p@rt of Edo State but settled in Lagos State because their company is doing good here.

They are so warm, ma-king me feel welcomed.

We even exchange numbers, Maggie and I.

I ask again, where was Selene gotten from?

A ditch?

Then again the snake has not shown herself yet.

My gauze pu-lls at me, ma-king me remember the pain of the glas-s embe-dding itself into my f!ngers.

As if I conjured her up she shows up.

Magic why?

“Greetings parents”

She says as she leans and k!ssGeorge’s head and k!ssMaggie’s cheek.

She settles herself in a seat beside justice.

I don’t like that, i lean forward and I place my hand on Justice’s arm, he turns to me and k!ssmy cheek.

 

I glance at the Efosa’s and they look uncomfortable.

Poor people.

“So justice, fancy seeing you here”

He just turns to her and gives her a cold look.

She places her hand on his arm too and I clecnch his arm.

“I would appreciate Selene if you don’t t©uçh me ”

She looks taken aback and she drops her hand, looking pissed.

I swallow a laugh.

The conversation is dead.

This woman singlehandedly ruined the mood.

That’s a fit.

We are approached by a man.

“Congrats, Selene, on the baby, that’s a wonderful news”

I frown.

What?

The man walks away and she looks at him as he goes with a frown.

Her parents frown too.

A woman in a blue dress comes up and she hvgs Selene.

“Selene!, You are having a baby! such a good news, but wait,….”

She mocks whispers.

. What are you going to do about the herpes?”

“Herpes?!”

Maggie shouts.

 

The woman walks away and I finally get what was happening.

I almost smile.

“Mama…..”

Selene begins but another, wait about 5 people approach us.

All around I see people whispering about the sickness Selene has.

Selene is looking around and I see maggie looking around pissed.

“What is going on?”

Selene shouts and I hear laughter.

Maggie is so embarras-sed George is looking disappointed.

“Selene Imade Efosa, you have herpes?”

Maggie scream.

“Mama, I don’t…..”

“I am so disappointed Selene, I can’t believe I gave birth to this excuse for a child”

George says.

“This has to st©p, Selene, your accounts are frozen, your houses and cars you can’t use, untill you cure your self, until you become more responsible, you are cut off, better go learn how to work”

Maggie says and I was correct, she has attitude.

“But mama…,papa….”

“No buts imade, you are cut off, I can’t believe this.”

George says.

It pains my heart to cause this people pain but Selene deserves it.

It will be a sight to see the princess reduced to a pauper.

She growls and walks away, on her way she sli-ps and falls on her face, the tray a waiter is holding ti-ps and falls on her b©dy.

Embarras-sment complete.

Burn.

Justice pu-lls me to my feet after that.

“We will take our leave now, am sorry about this evening”

We stand .

“Am so sorry about this justice,we will talk tommorow in the office”

Justice nods and pu-lls me outside.

When I get out I bur-st out laughing.

Yup, tonight was a good night.