UPenn.
Mandy and Ifes went back to college and Mandy's squad of friends were perplexed seeing the sudden change of attitude in her.
"I'm now a Christian," she said when they inquired about the cause of the sudden change.
"What! What are you telling us?" Hunter asked.
"I'm saying I have given my life to Christ, and have gotten the peace of mind I never had throughout my whole life. I would like you guys to do the same."
Some of them laughed at her, some pretended like they didn't hear her and the rest walked away without a word.
"Ifes, do you think they would ever believe me?" Mandy asked her roommate as soon as she got back to her dorm room.
Ifes gulped down a glass of water then whirled around to look at her friend. "Just put them in your prayers."
"But I have."
"Continue," she advised, remembering how she had prayed for her roommate.
Mandy groaned. "I pray they wouldn't be as stubborn as I was, because I wouldn't mind shaking them silly and opening their heads to send in the message if it gets to that."
Ifes shrugged, giving her friend a smirk. "So you know say you be stubborn head before? (So you knew you were stubborn?)" She asked in Nigerian pidgin English.
"You know I didn't understand that."
"I wasn't saying it for you to understand either." She winked at her friend.
Her roommate stoned her with a pillow. "You are such a douchebag!"
She dodged the pillow, grinning. "Not more than you, Mandy.
"Okay, alright, I will show you how much of a douchebag I am. From what I can remember, you no longer work at the restaurant right?" This time around it was Mandy's turn to smirk.
Enjoying the expression on her face, Mandy grabbed her roommate's keys and her's, locked the kitchen and shoved the keys into her side pocket. "I am off to my friend's place. Don't wait for me because I will be eating over there, and will probably sleep there tonight."
Ifes quickly held Mandy's hand from the back before she reached for the doorknob. "You know I could never be serious with that."
Mandy tilted her head, smiling derisively. "But you said I am more of a douchebag than you?"
"It was a slip of tongue."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"How do I know that?"
"Just tell me anything you want me to do to prove it to you."
Mandy's upper lip curled into a contemptuous smile. "I've read some African novels, so you would have to treat and respect me the way you respect your traditional rulers."
Ifes almost burst into hysterical laughter but knew the repercussions would make everything harder.
"Yes, my lady." She bowed slightly. "Anything for you, your highness."
"Anything I say, repeat after me. Did you hear me, Ifes?"
"Yes, my lady." Ifes pressed her lips tight, trying hard not to laugh.
"Good!" Mandy gave another derisive smile. "I feel on top of the world right now!"
"Pretty Mandy!" Ifes repeated after her.
"Beautiful queen!"
"The greatest African queen of all time."
Ifes couldn't hold back her laughter anymore as she fell on the floor, rolling and laughing. She laughed and laughed till tears rolled out from her eyes. By the time she was done laughing, Mandy was nowhere to be found. She had left the dorm room without her notice.
Ifes and Mandy used the next two weeks to cover up on the topics they missed out on.
Ifes went back to Baby Blues BBQ to discover that they had employed another student to take over her place.
"My sincere apologies, Ifes. We just hired a new waiter last week. We didn't see you for over a month, so we concluded that you didn't want to come back," the manager said.
"It's alright sir, I understand. I also apologize for keeping you waiting that long."
"But I can re-employ you and relieve the other waiter of the job," the manager said, not wanting to let her go.
"No, no, sir. I think it wouldn't be proper to do such. I will just go back and check the employment office."
"Alright, if you say so."
They bid each other goodbye before she walked out of his office.
She checked with the employment office and finally applied for a vacancy at the college library. A week later.
In the Lecture Hall.
Ifes stood in front of her desk packing up her course materials when she felt someone staring at her from the back. She tilted her head around and beheld the intense leer of the person she didn't desire to be looking at her, at least not in that way.
Ryan again!
They both gazed at each other, and this time around, Ryan didn't walk away. Instead, he stepped closer till he was a couple inches away from her. Seeing the expression on his face, she knew he wasn't coming closer to extend a hand of friendship.
"Yes, Ryan, what do you want?"
"I should be asking you."
"What do you mean you should be asking me?"
"I've heard and seen what you have done to Mandy. way to go!" Ryan clapped his hands. "Isn't it great that you've succeeded in deceiving my friend? Well, I'm not here to talk about Mandy. We'll sort that out when the time comes."
He glared at her. "Your CGPA happens to be the highest in our freshman year. I can see you are really good at doing what you know how to do best."
Ifes stared at him unbelievably. "Are you insinuating that I...?"
"Yes of course, malpractice. Isn't that what you know how to do best? Isn't that your true nature?"
"I don't know what you are talking about Ry–"
"Keep quiet, I'm not done talking!" Ryan barked. "For now I'll say, just enjoy it while it lasts and watch how I expose you in this college. Just watch it!"
Ryan whirled around and walked away leaving her astonished.
------
Woodway Texas.
Mr. Jonathan Parker bought a fresh bouquet of Larkspur and Rose flowers and drove straight to his wife and son's grave to replace the old ones. The graveyard was quiet, the lush lawns mowed almost to ethereal perfection.
Even after two months of losing them, the pain was still there like the throbbing of a fresh wound. Holding the bouquet of flowers in both hands, he gently sat down on the edge of Oretha's grave.
Eyes moist, he glanced at her picture over the stone. "I've missed you so much, Oretha, I really have. All the special moments I had with you, all the times I gathered you up in my arms in bed as we slept. And how you'd reply to me with your sweet voice each time I said I loved you."
He touched her picture gently as though he was touching her in person. He cried at the memories it brought back, the tears cascading down unhindered.
"I know you're happy wherever you are now. You and I will meet again some day my love." Smiling through his tears, he took off his hands from her photo.
"I'm so proud of our daughter, Amanda. I'm perplexed at the way she's growing. Each time I look at her, I remember you because she looks exactly like you when we were younger and still dating."
He paused for a while, looked around then continued.
"Guess what?" He said it as though he was trying to surprise her. "I'm planning to do something to show my appreciation to God for visiting us with his salvation. I'm still thinking and praying about it though."
Mr Jonathan spoke for over half an hour before replacing the flower bouquet and walking over to his son's grave to repeat the same procedure.
"I've missed you, son. Amanda misses you too. Rest on."