3

Sharon observed the drama unfolding between Tina and Prisca but chose to hiss and not bother asking them what was going on, as she had never liked Tina. She wondered what her brother saw in Tina that made Patrick so preoccupied with her. 

While Sharon would admit that Tina was indeed cute, sexy, and fair-skinned, she still considered her too local. Just then, Patrick stepped out of the kitchen and into the parlor of his mini two-bedroom apartment, which he shared with Sharon. He noticed Tina sobbing while Sharon was busy laughing and drinking happily with her two best friends. 

Irritated, Patrick asked Sharon, "Where's your friend Tina?" Sharon, with her hands on her hips, replied, "Which of my friends?" 

Patrick glanced at the wall clock and realized it was getting late, prompting him to wonder why it was taking Prisca so long to take Tina back to their village, which was a bit farther from the nearby city where he lived with Sharon. 

Patrick and Sharon weren't the only children of their parents; Patrick had three other siblings besides Sharon. 

Just then, Prisca stepped out of the restroom and said to Tina, "Let’s leave." However, as they stepped out of the house, a heavy wind blew, followed by a torrential downpour. 

Prisca turned back to Tina and said, "You see, Tina, we can’t go out in the rain. We’ll have to wait for it to lessen or stop before heading home. I’m going back inside." 

Without waiting for Tina to respond, Prisca turned and re-entered the house to continue her conversation with Sharon and the two friends who had arrived earlier. 

Tina, left outside the door, began to cry. She didn’t want to re-enter the house, even as the heavy rain continued to soak her clothes. She stood there, sobbing. Patrick stepped out of the kitchen, having finished cooking, and noticed that Tina wasn’t inside with Prisca and the others. He assumed she was still outside. It was getting dark, and the rain was falling heavily, causing the night to descend quickly. 

Ignoring the ladies chatting, Patrick opened the door and saw Tina sobbing beneath the small porch in front of his house. "Come inside, Tina; it’s still raining," he urged. 

"No," Tina refused to budge, not wanting to return to Patrick's house. Frowning, Patrick went back inside but later stepped out again to offer Tina an umbrella. She refused it, saying, "There’s no need for it." 

"Take it to cover yourself; you’re already wet, and I don’t want you to get too cold since you won’t come inside," Patrick insisted, leaving the umbrella beside her. Knowing Tina was very stubborn, he returned to his house, feeling frustrated with her attitude as the heavy rain continued, accompanied by lightning and thunder. 

Meanwhile, Tina stood outside, regretting her decision to follow Prisca that day. "Why today of all days? Mom will be home from the market, and she won't find me. Richmond and Jude might be outside playing or wondering where I’ve gone," she thought, sobbing as the rain continued to pour late into the night. 

*****

Mama Tina (Tina's mother) had been at the market earlier, where she usually sold fruits and food at the village square. Noticing the sudden change in weather, she anticipated a heavy downpour. Mama Tina quickly packed up her fruits and headed home to the house where she lived with her children, despite her husband having left for another woman ten years ago. Upon entering the house, she found only Jude, her youngest son, asleep inside, as the front door was unlocked. 

Concerned, Mama-Tina wondered where Tina and her eldest son, Richmond, had gone, leaving only Jude at home. She approached Jude and gently tapped his shoulder to wake him. "Jude, wake up. Where are your sister and brother?"

 Jude, a ten-year-old boy, stirred awake and smiled at his mother. He hugged her happily but replied, "I don’t know, Mom. I had finished eating when I saw Aunty Prisca arrive, and she was talking with Aunty Tina. Then Aunty Tina told me to go back inside and sleep after I finished my food." 

"Hmm," Mama Tina frowned. "Then where is Richmond?" Mama Tina wasn’t pleased that only Jude was at home, but just then, Richmond rushed in, shutting the door behind him to block the strong wind. He had been at his friend Alex's house, helping his father at the furniture workshop. 

"Good evening, Mom," he greeted. "Where’s Tina?" Mama Tina quickly asked. Richmond gulped, unsure of Tina's whereabouts, as he had left with Alex while Tina was still at home. He had no idea who visited her after he left or where she had gone. 

Worried, Mama Tina felt compelled to search for Tina at Prisca’s house since Jude had mentioned that Prisca was visiting them. Just then, the wind picked up and the rain intensified.

 Frustrated, Mama Tina paced their old parlor, hoping nothing bad had happened to her only daughter. She eventually returned to the kitchen to prepare their evening meal, noting that it was getting late. She recalled a neighbor warning her to keep an eye on Tina, as Prisca often visited when she wasn’t home. The neighbor had mentioned that Prisca was known to hang out with different guys. Though Mama Tina thought Tina was disciplined enough, she now regretted not heeding the warning or confirming the neighbor's gossip about Prisca. 

******

The heavy rainfall continued into the night, and Tina remained outside in front of Patrick's house, soaked and shivering from the cold as the rain gradually lessened. 

"If only I had known my way back home earlier, I could have trekked home to our village earlier today when the sun was still shining," Tina thought, shivering in front of Patrick's house. 

Just then, she noticed a car drive into Patrick's compound and park, making her anxious. She wiped the raindrops from her eyes with her palm and saw the driver switch off the headlights, fear gripping her as she wondered who was in the car. As she worriedly watched the man in the car answer a phone call, she suddenly heard Sharon's voice and the laughter of her two best friends as they stepped out of the house behind her, cursing at the rain. 

Tina noticed they had changed into new, stylish short dresses, different from what they had worn earlier that day, looking like they were headed for a party. 

To her shock, she saw Prisca with them, now dressed in a seductive red short dress. Tina rushed to meet Prisca, hoping to confirm if they were finally going home and that the driver was a good Samaritan offering them a ride. 

However, before Tina could approach and ask, Prisca yelled, "Where do you think you’re going, Tina?! With that soaked-up body of yours? Please step back; you’re not following us, and you’ll soak someone’s car with that dripping wet body!" 

Tina frowned, unable to comprehend Prisca's recent behavior towards her. Embarrassed, she swallowed the question she wanted to ask. Sharon, noticing the umbrella in Tina's hand, walked over and took it from her. 

"Don’t be annoyed, Tina. Could we borrow this umbrella? It looks like mine, which I’ve been searching for," she said, glaring at Tina. 

Tina remained silent, still stunned by Prisca's comments. Sharon took the umbrella and walked away, opening it to shield her head as she headed back to the car. Tina finally snapped out of her daze just as the four girls were about to get into the vehicle. 

Tina rushed to Prisca again and asked, "Wait, Prisca. What do you mean I can’t follow you? I thought we were going home?" 

"No, Tina. Sharon, please wait for me. Don’t tell the driver to go yet," Prisca replied, turning to face Tina. Standing beside the car, she added, "Well, you see, Tina, I’ve changed my clothes, which means I’m going out and not heading home. Besides, it’s late, and I’ll be back soon. So why don’t you go inside and wait for us to return? When I come back, we can start going home."

 "But—" Before Tina could finish her sentence, Prisca rushed back into the car and shut the door, not waiting for Tina to respond. The driver started the car, and Tina stood outside, crying as she watched the vehicle drive out of the compound, leaving her alone in front of the house.