Song of the chapter:
        Justin Bieber - Mistletoe

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     If anyone was looking for gossip, the shop facing Carol Anya’s house was the place to be that hot afternoon. Nobody knew why December was so hot despite the harmarttan but they were too preoccupied with life to do more than make a passing remark.
     Efe swore, “Carol please”, a pleading expression with a mix of love with it. Carol leaned on the gate looking unimpressed, one would think that he wasn’t talking to her. He put his hands in front of him, “I swear, I wanted to buy it, I just didn’t have money. Carol please, just give me time.” Carol looked towards the heavens in a universal gesture pleading for patience. She cast her eyes downwards, looking at her boyfriend of two years, “Efe”, she spoke condescendingly, “Today is Saturday. Christmas is on Monday. No time”, she turned and opened the gate, he held her hand, she turned ready to flick him off when she saw his face mirroring hers from years ago.
           She shrugged him off and entered the compound. She took a deep breath and looked around it, noting with distaste the Christmas decorations that her other neighbors had pooled money for. The Christmas carols that they were practicing grated on her nerves. She stalked toward the children and cleared her throat, “You people should take your practice somewhere else. Can’t you see that you’re disturbing someone?”. A woman, one of the choir members she presumed, looked at her, “I think it’s only you that they’re disturbing. You’re the only one that’s complaining.” Carol ignored the woman, trying to control her breathing. She walked towards her building ranting in her head.
            Stupid people with their stupid Christmas decorations and their stupid songs, she walked upstairs with a vengeance, stupid Efe that cannot buy me better phone, she wrenched open her door, stupid job that doesn’t pay until three days before the stupid holiday. She was so engrossed in damning the world that she did not notice her phone was ringing.
           She picked it up, looked at the caller and sighed, “Hello Jennifer, how are you?”, the voice that answered was calm and relaxed, not at all like the angry tyrant Carol had envisioned she’d face. She made the mistake of bringing her guard down, they exchanged a few pleasantries and just as she was getting ready to end the call, Jennifer asked, “Carol hope all is well?”, “All is well, I’m just tired”
             “Ehen? So you’re so tired that you couldn’t even come to my house for Christmas ahbi?”, warning bells went off in Carol’s head but before she could think of a plan, the next attack came, “Or is it transport money that you don’t have? Because as far as we’re living in the same Abuja here, I don’t see the big deal.”,Carol just sat listening and nodding, knowing from experience that you couldn’t stop Jennifer once she started. “Carol the whole family is here”, that’s the problem, she thought. “Or you don’t to see anybody or what?” Carol was tempted to shout a big fat, very enthusiastic ‘Yes!’ when Jennifer spoke again, “Or you think you’d be bored, come with that your boyfriend then”, she sighed at the mention of Efe, “No, no he can’t come.”
          Receiving a reply was all the encouragement Jennifer needed, “Are you sure? There’s plenty space o”, she didn’t doubt there was, considering her sister and her need for spacious homes and hospitality, her house would be a big one. Better get it over with than give her hope, “We broke up”, Jennifer resorted to her calm voice, “You broke up with him or he broke up with you?”, there was a pause, “Answer me Carol. Ehn, are you saying that you went to go and break up with the one guy that could stand you enough to even date you. Carol which kind of rubbish is this?”
        The need to reaffirm herself had Carol explaining, “It’s not like that. It’s just that…” “He did not have money.”, Carol kept quiet, “Ahbi is that not your problem Carol? It’s always ‘money this, money that’ money, money, money. You think people get rich overnight? Or is he not trying?”, Carol thought of Efe, a confirmed hustler, and kept quiet, “In fact Carol, if you like come. If you like, don’t come. Nothing concerns me again. I don tire for you. Merry Christmas”, the dial tone sounded.
              “Merry Christmas”, Carol whispered. She hated the season, it was a reminder of memories she’d rather forget. Turning on the TV, she let herself be absorbed by the fictional world. Her phone rang again, she shot it a look of disdain before picking up, “Carol!”, the perky voice sounded and Carol groaned, “Hello Chioma. Hope nothing?”, “Nothing o. Just that my church is doing a special service for Christmas tomorrow. I wanted to invite you.”, still reeling from her emotional rollercoaster, she shot down the offer with precision, “Sorry Chioma. I’m not coming.”, before the woman on the other end could inquire Carol hung up with a ‘bye bye’.
               She was getting sick of the Christmas invitations, it was like this every year, with the number of people inviting her decreasing once that realized Carol was and would forever be an atheist. She went through the rest of the day doing mundane acts, trying to keep her mind off both her sister and Efe before she went to bed feeling empty.