Chapter two~ Best of friends again

for every failed relationship must be something behind it_Zaria Omah

••

"Yara!" The woman in the huge gele, growled out her daughters name as soon as she approached.

The girl, Yara. Didn't budge a reply, instead she stared at the woman quizzical, knowing that it would piss her off.

"You didn't say you were going to give birth in there." her mother sneered, her face scrunched up in repulse as she stared at her daughter in anger.

"That's because I had no plans of doing that.” she retorted, the woman hissed,  pulling her closer and using her nose to sniff around her subtly when her eyes widened in realization.

"Did you-"

"Yes.”  Yara replied curtly, her mother gasped.

"You excused yourself to go and..." she stopped, pursing her face into grimace as though what she was about to say was abominable. The girl rolled her eyes in boredom.

"What is wrong with you?" The woman yelled, making sure to tone her voice low.

"Stop making a mountain out of this. It's so unnecessary." Yara snapped in irritation.

"Oh I will! " the woman snapped back "I brought you to a church and not to some smoking joint!"

"And I never asked to be brought here!" She nonchalantly replied.

"Don't you dare use that tone on me, young woman!" Her mother retorted, glaring harshly at her daughter.

She knew her daughter solely hated coming to church but she always did force her to, with the conviction that her daughter was possessed. Taking a long deep breath, she continued,

"You should learn how to control that arrogant self of yours. It's enough trouble bringing you here with me just for you to act like some deranged girl..."

"Funny how you think that way when you're nothing different..." Yara sassed.

"You sick child— "the woman shrieked in anger, raising her palms above her to give the girl a slap just when another voice interrupted the tension between the duo.

"Mrs Dera!" A high-pitched voice called out from behind, causing the woman's hand to hang midway in the air. She stared hard at her daughter for a split second before she slowly drew back her hands, fixing a smile on her face as she turned around to face the owner of the high pitched tone.

A light-skinnned woman donning a cream coloured gown and a big red fancinator resting on her head approached the duo in long careful and confident strides. Yara recognized the woman, she was Zaria's mum. The both had equal gaits and they had a proud aura around them so it was easy to tell who she was just from her walking step.

stretching her red painted lips into a bright smile as she called out again, "Mrs Dera.." this time she purred, engulfing the woman into a side hug.

"Ahh! Mrs Omah! You're looking beautiful today.” mummy Dera complimented, causing the Mrs Omah to break into loud fits of laughter.

"Thank you. You don't look bad either.” she paused, turning to look at the girl in the black outfit and a scowl on her face.

"Hello Yara!" She greeted to the girl who rolled her eyes saying nothing in return, still the woman continued. 

This time with a smirk.

"It's been such a long time since I saw you, you're now all grown up. How was your holiday? Your mum said you went to the states?" She rambled.

Now this snapped her attention back to her mother in confusion. The woman gave her a meaningful stare still smiling at the lady.

"Oh about that, her holiday was fun.." breaking into a nervous laugh as she replied.

" I bet it was..." mrs Omah cut in. 

Something about that sentence made it sound like she was jeering at them mentally but she still had to keep cool with a smile.

"Besides, Yara's going to resume school on monday, Bluebells high school." her mother chirped in.

" Oh, my daughter goes to the same school too, you remember her? Zaria." the woman asked eyes twinkling in excitement.

That minute, Zaria had to make her grand appearance, she halted her steps upon sighting Yara who had raised her eyes towards her. The both girls stared hard at themselves with a seething hatred beneath their locked gaze which their mothers had no idea of.

Either that, or they choose to overlook whatever anger the both girls had towards themselves.

"Yes. I remember her." Yara replied flatly, causing Zaria to let out a loud scoff.

Zaria's mum smiled widely, clapping her hands in excitement, "perfect! You two will surely get along, you know catch up on old times and who knows become best of friends again...isn't it?"

Best of friends?

Just then, a loud shrill cry cut into their conversation, erupting into a round of chaos as a woman cried with her hands wrapped around her head.

"My purse! My money!!" She yelled frantically in alarm. Everyone instinctively strucking their hands into their handbags and pockets to make sure their money was safe while the woman wailed out aloud.

" I kept it in my handbag! It was here just now!!! My money oo... " the woman kept wailing.

"Nawa oo...even for church sef. " a random guy said, shaking his head in disappointment.

Yara trailed her eyes towards the church gates just in time to catch a figure in the black hoodie easing her way out. A small smile played on her lips as she brought back her gaze to meet with Zaria and the two women.

" Sure,  It is... Best of friends again.”  she replied with the smug smile on her lips as she spurned around and walked out of sight.

•••

"What was that about?" Yara's mother had asked immediately she got into the car, ready to swing it into motion.

"What?"

"You and Zaria...you two looked like you wanted to kill each other." she explained.

Oh so she did notice? her mind casted back to Zaria's mother with the big bright smile. She couldn't help wondering if she too had noticed and decided to play cool about it.

"Maybe we wanted to kill each other." she shrugged at her reply. Her mother threw a glance at her, her head already going bonkers on how on earth she birthed someone as cold as this. She sighed, a long deep sigh.

"You shouldn't cause anymore troubles, it's degrading, having to lie about something..."

"Then you shouldn't have told her that I went to the states for holidays. " she paused, throwing out aloud scoff, "that's too pathetic.”

"I did it for you!” her mum yelled, matching her brake pads forcefully, screeching the car to a halt.

"Do you think it's nice telling people that my daughter got into a juvenile prison?"

"I'm not your daughter. I was never your daughter! " she dead-panned, boring her eyes into the woman's deep shade of brown eyes.

For a moment everything around them went silent. A long bitter silence hanging around them. After what seemed like eternity, the woman sighed in exasperation

" Yes...one thing I'm fortunate enough to remind myself each day...one thing I don't have to remind you about.”  she drawled out, her tone sounded like a lump of bitter piles stuck in her throat.

The girl threw her face to the window in silence.

Small drops of rain had come hitting the windows softly, she watched in silence as road side sunday marketers ran helter-skelter to drop their goods in safe shades. Some without umbrellas had to double their feets before the rain comes pouring hard. Everyone hurried about, looking for shelter except for the one boy who sold fresh vegetables without an umbrella.

"Your dad and I already have enough to deal with and having you around won't help matters " her mother resumed talking with a harsh tone, cutting through her muse.

"How fortunate." she scoffed through gritted teeth. For a moment there was a small silence, only the humming of the car about to swing into action again could be heard. She didn't bother to imagine the look on her mum's face but she was sure that the woman would be wearing an irritated look.

"There's a soriee going on today, your dad's business associates from Canada will be coming, so make sure to put a smile on your face and try to act normal..." she paused, throwing a glance at her daughter's direction.

"At least if you are going to be a crazy witch, do look presentable and wipe that disdainful scowl off your face."

•••

The car pulled to a halt in front of the vast white painted building towering around them. The compound was interlocked and only the 'masquerade tree' planted at each coner of the fence and the fleet of cars parked in a modernised garage gave the house some kind of different look. 

A chubby lady clad in a pink checkered uniform waited at the door, slightly bowing to the presence of Mrs Dera who strolled casually into the huge mansion followed by Yara. 

The inner house was what could be described as white mass of decorations. From the walls of the house to the cushions and every other furniture in the living room were all coated in white. Exquisitely painted. Neatly designed. 

There was hardly a family photo hung on the wall except for the one picture of a young woman and a man standing at the sides of two smiling girls and one boy. It was the only photo hanging on the walls of the house. 

The house was dead silent and it seemed empty which actually it was. One could hear a pin drop on the floor and needless to say, the house harboured loneliness.

"Goodafternon mam'm" the chubby lady who waited at the door greeted,

"Where's Mr Williams? " Mrs Dera asked, totally ignoring her greeting.

"He's in his study ma'am" the lady replied still with her head bent low,.

"Has he eaten? " 

"Yes ma'am but he didn't come out of his study." the lady replied. 

Mrs Dera sighed, not asking anymore questions, she muttered inaudibles before making her way to one part of the house before she halted on her steps, "Yara!" She called out with her back faced at the girl who said nothing instead she turned her face to meet Mrs Dera's, 

"There's someone who's going to deliver the clothes you're going to wear tonight for the soiree,  be nice to him and do remember to tip him..." she said in a strict tone as of instructing a small stubborn child then she added in a low tone.

"That's the first step of acting normal at least." Yara rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath "fuck me"

"Chizaram Yara Williams!!! " Mrs Dera seethed in a warning tone not throwing a glance at the yara. She had heard that and calling Yara's name in full actually had passed the message to the groaning girl.

Without another word, mrs Dera shashayed away, flanked by the chubby lady who religiously followed behind, hoisting Mrs Dera's handbag like it was some sacred.

★

Yara found her way to her room through the spiral shaped stairs, her eyes already warmed up to the dark painted room which had just one reading light shining in it.

She personally had her room designed in black, it was her go-to favorite color and like every other place in the living room, there wasn't a single decor in the room save for the photo of the three children from the family picture in a frame which was cracked at the face on the boy's side

Two girls and one boy...

Some family she had....

Some family she had destroyed long ago...

Memories trailing down to the burst of fire flames and collided cars which were already battered, a girl reaching out to her in despair and she running away like a fucking coward.

A lone sob escaped her lips as she stared at the boy, he was family too even though memories of the boy in the photo shot through her heart like pierced icicles, he had hurt her, broken her, made her who she was...

The cold heartless person she was.

Images of torn clothes and spilled blood, eyes filled with rage flashed through her mind causing her whole body to shiver in fear, she threw herself into the blankets laying on the bed, voices! Angry screams!! Terrifying whispers echoed inaudibles around her...she was slowly draining her sanity...her whole body shook vehemently in fear.

Just then, a small knock came jolting her up from her fears..she quickly sat up, running her hands through the side drawers placed beside her bed, she brought out a small orange bottle filled with white pills, throwing some into her mouth, she seemed to calm down abit.

Her heart still heaving and panting, she ran her hand through her hair trying to look still, she glanced at the vanity mirror which stod above a dressing table, sighing in frustration as the image of a worn-out girl stared back at her. 

The persistent knock came again and this time she replied without looking away from the mirror.

"Come in!" The door flung open and in came the chubby lady who looked around the room like she just got into a shrine.

"There's someone who wants to see you, Miss."

"For what?" She asked trying to keep a steady voice

" the delivery guy...I guess."

"Okay," she replied curtly. Still not looking up at the chubby lady who stood by the door, giving her a concerned look.

"Are you...okay..Miss?" She dared to ask. There was an empty silence enveloping the room for some seconds and for once the chubby lady couldn't help thinking if she had asked a wrong question.

" I'm fine." Yara replied in a low tone which sounded like whispers.

"Are..you sure Miss...you don't seem okay...."

"Benny?" She called in a dead tone, finally raising her face to the chubby lady, she stared at the chubby lady with a sharp glare.

"Ye..yes..Miss?" She stuttered a reply.

"Get out."

Benny, the chubby lady nodded in reply, not saying a word again as she closed the door behind her.

Benny had been working with the family since she was a crawling pantie, she was in her fifties with no kids and no husband. She had worked with the family for over twenty years and she knew every story as to why the family were cold towards each other and she was patient enough to tolerate Yara's rudeness...to her, it was her way to breathing so she neither complained whenever yara gave her cold shoulders and her madam acted like a snobby harsh lady not to talk more of the master of the house who never left his study.

The only thing she could do asides helping doing the house chores and all was to pray for them.

•••

Yara stared at the door which Benny had closed from behind. She tucked the photo inside the drawer, dragging her feets up to go to the bathroom.

She splashed droplets of water on her face before using a face towel to dry her face before stepping out of her room and making her way downstairs in a black joggers and tee shirt which she wore over a black crocs on her feet. She pulled the gate open to come in contact with the flashy BMW power bike which leaned sideways.

There was no one in sight in the empty road, she took a deep breath, turning to return back to the house when she heard that familiar to toneless voice which she heard just once.

" Hey!"