LoveStruck

re you

ut on the streets was sane enough; some were miserable, others were probably whining about having to arrive at work early e

e worry of getting hit by a vehicle prevented her from moving as fast as she wo

pected her morning to be. She had never had a thing for being sweaty on a cool mornin

was overly late! Never had she imagined waking up at Past ei

se was suspiciously quiet, and her thick curtains had blinded rays of light from en

ly for work and the brightly lit compound of her house through the louvers made her dash b

falling from its loose knot atop her head and cascading down her back, thereby, making her run feel uncomfortable. One thing she was grateful for not rushing about that

orning, she had half yelled at her other older twin brother

mbled about not going to work." He only spared her a glimpse once, probably to see what she

om her lotion and the fear of being late for work. Books, her purse, her laptop, stationaries, powder, a bottle of water, her eyeglasses, a ro

ing on his dark lips. "And then receive a sma

." The surprise was evident in her voice as she stood akimbo at the entrance of the kitchen and st

of her bag over her head, across her left sho

u." The slim woman adjusted her Ankara wrapper around her bust and took a sea

ng." She looked down at her clothes to spray some parts. "Please, mommy, keep my food aw

e scratched his neatly trimm

ard the black

mb0m." She slammed the door shut behind her, ignoring her

salary." She heard her brother shout, bu

r family always wanted to know what she was doing all the time and who she was on the phone with– She never had much private time. As the only girl among three boys, they ordered her around, saying as a girl she had

ver, a tout–like man with small dreads agreed to her offer, eager for the extra money he was goin

's hands. She wasn't sure if she gave him more than the amount of money she was supposed to, but, the driver shoutin

as going to eat deep into her pocket, but, a

exclaimed in joy as he held

in front of a black school gate with a h

nd is mostly attended by kids whose parents could afford the high school fees. It

ool. Her next strategy was how to avoid other staff members and the loud mouth Principal. If she was

survey of the school environment. She greeted the two young gatemen with a nod before slowly pushing he

from the raised pavement of the three–stor

r. Her heart skipped multiple times and she thought she would faint. Plastering a fake smile, she slowly turned i

lips. Her lips and mouth had gone dry. "Mr. Adetoun, good morning sir." She

and skimming his eyes over her disheveled appearance.

"Sir, I swear I had an emergency this morning, my brother was rus

l the lies she had planned on dishing out to him."The last time you were late you said your younger sister was rushed to the hospital." The dark-skinned man folded his left arm and placed his right hand

uldn't deny that all that she had told him were lies. She felt bad

ld it across his chest. "We've been calling your number but y

ds he said. Standing there with a tired body and listening to him talk, she felt like her whole body would soon give way. Not that she cared if s

the proprietor. God knows I've tried over you, even your

justify his actions again. The man and her

and shot him a hard look. "M

t his head to avoid her gaze like a child. "Eh,

She pouted

e lightly tapped

wobbly and her body was feeling hot. All she wanted at that moment was to sit d

ly wanted to tell you about the new student that wa

senses shoot up as she grinned at him. "Oyinbo? What

your class so take good care of her

prob

s, we merged them because you

now." And with that, she turned and headed to the building, not sparing Mr.

ully making her presence unknown to any of its occupants until she got to h

ss, where her eyes could reach every activity going on within the four corners of the room. Releasing her grasp from her bag on the table, she roams her eyes around the cream-colored classroom,

ked herself up from her sitting position and made her way to Faith's class. I

ays. They had stuck together since then till the present moment. They bot

tall fair-skinned lady exclaimed, the moment she set her eyes o

g." That was another lie. If God had a book record for keeping her lies, He w

u just spewed out." She picks up her phone from the wooden t

h points in the direct

th them some minutes–" S

me minutes of sleep," she sai

is so fiiinnee," she squealed. "I was asking for her name this morning, she didn't even answer me, but that's not even what I wanted to talk about..." She dismissed with her right hand.

s wig and run away with it. With shoulders slumped down, she turned back to face her friend with hands akimbo.

me you were hungry." Faith pouted her lips

off to my class, Bye!" And with that, she walked o

ign

: African patt

bo:

Daddy/

epper/re

hasize a statement i