Chapter ONE

*Third pov*

Sitting close to the clean, serene pool with the beautiful blue looking waters, Sola hardly realized that she was lost in her own thoughts and memories. 

She scarcely noticed the clapping of the waves caused by the chilly wind on a quiet Sunday in September 2016. She absentmindedly sighed as she felt the chill climb all the way up her soft, clear skin. 

Sola was trying so desperately hard to conjure up memories of how her life had been before she'd tragically lost her parents, but she realized she could hardly come up with anything. 

She didn't know if she was supposed to feel happy or sad about that discovery. That she was finally losing painful memories that made her cry to sleep on her small bunk bed almost every night and wake up from her dreams, crying too. 

Her parents had been the best human beings she had ever known, Two imperfect people who loved their daughter so much they would do anything to make her happy. 

Everything was blurred but she remembered how they would play pranks on her dad when he got back from work after a long stressful day. She remembered the everlasting laughter and play that would fill their small living room all night. 

Everything felt so far away now. Sola felt her vision blur a bit, her eyes filling with moisture at the pain and yearning of that little memory. 

A sudden bark snapped Sola out of thoughts. She glanced at the dog that was now curled beside her, panting. 

She now realized how much time had went by since she finished her work of cleaning the backyard of her part-time boss's home. 

"What says the time snoopy?" Sola said to the dog caressing his hairy head. 

The dog jumped up and started licking sola's knees, she laughed lightly at the adorable creature. She promised her self to get one when she was stable enough. 

She stood up and packed up the tools she had used in cleaning and headed back to the house. 

Sola was working as a part time cleaner for a rich lady who recently started dining at the restaurant where she worked. 

She was really grateful for the job because she needed to support her self till the end of the month. And this job was just helping her out. 

She walked into the sitting room where Mrs obi sat typing away on her cellphone. 

"I'm done with my work ma." Sola called out to her, standing close to the entrance of the living room. She didn't want to go in because the woman was very strict about her personal space. 

Mrs obi looked up, and smiled at her, with her red lipstick looking darker and making her look more appealing. 

"Oh, Sola? So quick? Wow. That's nice o" 

Sola chuckled a bit but didn't give any reply as she couldn't come up with any words. 

"Alright, just wait here a minute, let me go and get you your money." 

Mrs obi went further in, while Sola waited. She had started working for Mrs Obi two months ago. 

The woman was a single mother and was always alone. Although, her son who was in university, was hardly around due to his school being in another state. Port Harcourt to be precise. 

   She had forgotten his name, but she knew it was an igbo name. Mrs Obi had said she wanted them to be friends, Sola smiled, when she remembered how the guy had looked at her just last month when Mrs Obi had introduced her to him. 

"Who be this one mummy?" he had asked, his nose scrunched up at her like she was smelling.

"Her name is Sola and she works as my cleaner during the weekends. And I have told you not to be referring to people as 'this one'." Mrs Obi had quipped sternly. 

She was even more strict with her son. Sola liked the woman alot. 

Mrs Obi walked back in, with a white envelope in her hand and a takeaway box on the other hand. 

Sola inwardly grimaced. Mrs Obi always gave a different kind of gifts every time she wanted to pay her. Last time she had attached a black leather wristwatch. Sola had tried her best to refuse the offer, But the kind woman wouldn't have any of it. 

Today it looked to be a food takeaway. Sola was already calculating how to refuse the kind gesture. 

"Here you go, dear" she said as she walked towards Sola. 

"Thank you very much ma" Sola said as she stretched her hand towards the envelope, lgnoring the other gift in hopes to escape having to refuse. 

"And this is for you. I'm having a small house party for my directors this evening, so I ordered foods online, I want you to have this little takeaway." 

Sola stared at the white nylon in hesitance. 

"Oh.., no ma. I couldn't possibly.." 

"Ah, Sola just take from me abeg, don't let me vex o" 

Sola smiled warmly at her, her eyes watering. she had no choice but to accept it. She bent in a kneeling gesture to show her appreciation. 

"Thank you so much ma. God bless you." 

"Amen. Bless you too." she replied touching sola's cheek in an affectionate gesture. 

Sola collected the envelope and the takeaway and moved to collect her bag and her phone where it was charging. She turned it on. 

Thank God, 87 percent. She thought. The transformer at her area was currently damaged which was cutting the supply of power at home. So she needed her phone charged well enough. 

She said her goodbyes and made her way home, promising to call Mrs Obi once she got home safely. 

She waited to board a bus going to ojuelegba. The area where she stayed. Soon she entered the bus and sat in the front seat.

Sola preferred the front seat because she hated sitting close to those razz conductors with their sweats and breath facing her. 

About 30 minutes later, Sola got to her destination, she alighted and began her trek home. 

She got home expecting to see her friend, Clara, At home but the place was locked. Sola sighed and fished for her own personal key and unlocked the house. She knew Clara must have gone out to flex on a Sunday afternoon. Trust Clara to do that. She thought. 

She settled down, placed the food in the fridge as she didn't have the appetite to eat yet, even though she hadn't had anything in her stomach all day. 

She got into shower minutes later, and soon she was sprawled on Clara's big bed in her room. 

she had always been envious of Clara's bedroom. It was more spacious and decorated than sola's own. 

But it was her best friend's house, so she was lucky she got a room at all. 

Soon, she drifted off into sleep, sighing with contentment. 

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