“Closure isn’t closure until someone is ready to close the door.” – Jonathan Maberry

•••

“Do I really have to do this, though?”

She sighed, as she peered through the window of the car at the humongous white metal railed gates and fence that barricaded the rehabilitation institute. It was quite ironic, and also vaguely amusing—how something that housed so many derailed, deranged folks was covered in such pure, saint-esque colors. Almost as if the architects of the building, were hinting at some subtle sense of sarcasm. The question was – who was being mocked? The observer or the captive?

“You don’t have to do it.” Came the voice from the other end of the seat—his reply, wasn’t exactly what she anticipated and she was forced to stare at him to see if he was being his typical logic, defiant self. “It’s not like your life depends on it or something, or as if you’re the one who offended her. It’s the other way round, okay. If anyone should be nervous—it should be her, not you.”

Rena swallowed, returning her gaze back to the gates. “I know that, Dabby but she doesn’t. Plus, I want to be angry with her like any normal person would. For Christ sake, she almost exposed my dignity to the entire world–”

“Yeah, if you call the island the entire world, then alright you’re on the right track.” He smirked, a mocking look on his face.

“Now’s not the time to get on my nerves, Guy.” She warned him. “Remind me why you’re still in the car again? And why I didn’t drop your ass on the main road sometime during the journey to this place?”

“Because I’m six feet four inches of muscles and beauty, and it’s impossible to move me except if I want to be moved.” He replied in a slightly terrified, rehearsed voice that caused her to laugh despite her annoyance on his attitude. “Plus, you hate doing stuff on your own. And we both know what would happen if we told the girls that your Dad suggested this.”

“Yeah, April would probably purchase an AK-47 and some revolvers off the black market.” She  remarked with pride, relaxing back into her seat. “And if there was something as a mouth sharpener, to sharpen one’s harsh and blunt remarks—Moyin would definitely get one in preparation for today. I have the best friends in the world, really.”

“I know, I know. You’ve told me several times already, get it over with–”

“Ode, I said friends not friend. Why would you think I’m talking about you–”

“You’re narcissistic, Rena. You’re quite pompous and full of yourself. Definitely the second person is you, and if that isn’t the case – it’s probably, Mike here.” He trailed off, motioning to the seat in front of him where the middle-aged driver was smiling helplessly at his reference. “Right, Mike? Wouldn’t that make sense? You’ve driven her all over the country with the girls, and you must have heard a lot of stuff that no one asides from them is supposed to. Yet, you keep these secrets to the letter despite the fact that it’s not part of your job description and you’re not being paid for it. You don’t have obligation to keep them, but you don’t talk. Surely, Rena would have good reason to call you her best friend.”

Mike stifled his resulting laughter to the best of his abilities, but little components of it still escaped his lips.

“Can we just go back on topic?” Rena sighed, face-palming. “Like I said, Dad said the best way for me to handle this is to make peace with her so the both of us can move on, and we wouldn’t have bad feelings towards each other. It’s already hard enough me coming down here to seek her out, I want to be angry with her because she did horrible things to taint my image. But now I’m supposed to be nice, welcoming and even apologize for being the target?”

“Uh, yeah. Pretty sure that’s what your dad said.” He nodded. “Once again, it’s all about keeping you safe. What Benita tried to do last year’s ending is a big proof that she is one heck of a devil, and that she could totally attempt something like that again. And since her crimes aren’t so large scale and big that would bring about consequences like being locked up in jail, you’re pretty much not safe until you are able to prove to her that she’s the right one to be crazy, and you’re the wrong one to be targeted.”

“Is that what they teach them at rehabilitation?” She scowled. “If that’s all it takes, then why did she go there in the first place, if it wasn’t so they could fix her damaged head up and show her what is right and what is not.”

Dabby sat up, spreading his hand on his thighs. “Okay, let’s try and look at it this way. In a way that doesn’t make her the beast she is. I’m someone, who doesn’t like you. Because you have the life I want, but I don’t do anything about it because well I’m not that bad a person, until you start taunting me for something I ran for, and really needed but you don’t really because losing won’t do anything to your already established popularity. It’s like you’re a person who has a lot of meat, but saw one piece of meat on the floor and still insisted on taking it despite the fact that – I who doesn’t have any meat at all, needs it more.”

“So does that make me covetous? Or selfish? Or a bad person?” She queried in an irked voice.

“No, it doesn’t but in a potentially impaired person’s head? Yeah it does.” Dabby clarified. “The fault is not with her, it’s the way she thinks. You now have to go down to her impaired level and act in a way that her brain would be able to comprehend as a positive thing. Back to my analogy. It would mean you who is covetous is sorry about it, and would willing to give back that piece of meat back to her if it’s possible.”

She concluded in her mind, that Dabby was making a lot of sense. It would be only sensible to lower her strategy of action, in a technically abstract way since the girl had an abstract brain, and therefore saw abstract as normal. Her head whirled voluntarily back to the gates which had opened slightly by its side, to let passage for a person.

Benita.

Rena sat up, and studied her carefully. She almost looked like someone in mourning, in her attire of a simple black formal gown and flats. Her face was scrubbed free of make-up, and her hair haphazardly combed to both sides. In the past, she might have gazed up on Benita as having an enviable, gothic type of beauty but right now, the person who she was staring at, looked like a broken-hearted devil.

Before she could think of more reasons, for why she should remain in the car—she pushed the door open, and alighted graciously in a bid to announce her presence. Benita’s retreating figure of course halted, and she turned around in response to the origin of the noise.

She thought she had been shocked earlier, in seeing her in such a meek, sober façade but Benita looked beyond shocked. Rena would have expected a venomous, bitter glare from her when their gazes locked but the girl had flinched outwardly, almost as if she had caught whiff of a predator animal, and her face was a jumble of remorseful, and regret emotions.

Was this really Benita?

Taking the first step, she entwined her hands behind her back and offered a polite smile. “Hey, Benita.”

The girl seemed to be contemplating whether to reply, or to take off on her heels to the other side but she eventually went with the former. “R—Rena. Hi.”

“Hey,” Rena took a step forward. “So uh, I heard that you were getting out today.” She paused to gesture at the building by her side. “I hope you didn’t have a painful stay here.”

“It was quite okay,” She seemed to relax a bit. “As okay as a rehab facility could be, anyway. Why are you here? I know that coming all the way from the island just to see me miserable and to collect an apology, is too petty and immature for you. Or are some men in that car, who haven’t gotten down? You came here to beat me up, didn’t you?”

Rena couldn’t help but laugh, as she shook her head. “Don’t be ridiculous. I didn’t come here for any of that. I came here to check up on you, and to ensure that you’re okay and all.”

Her brows furrowed. “To ensure I’m okay?  Okay, let me see…” Her hands spread over her face, tugging at the flesh there as if to rip it off. “Okay, I don’t remember wearing a mask. Did someone wear one for me, while I was sleeping – perhaps? Cos I don’t understand why you’d mistake me for someone else.”

Rena chuckled, again. “I didn’t mistake you for someone else, Benita. I’m looking at you, am I not?”

“I just don’t seem to understand why you think you owe it to me to come check up on me if I’m okay or not? After all I did, especially—I should be happy you’re not grabbing me by the collar, and lodging my face into the wall.”

“Oh to be honest that was exactly what I had in mind at first.” Rena admitted. “What you did was totally inhumane–”

“I know and I’m incredibly sorry–”

“But of course that is not what I came here for,” Rena cut her off. “It’s not exactly something a normal apology could atone for. And since you can’t do more than that, there is no point waiting for one to forgive you. I’ve already forgiven you, Benita.”

“Phew! Thank you, your royal highness.” She curtsied, like she was a subject but this time Rena didn’t laugh. “So what’s left again? What else do you want to say? That I should totally stay out of your life, and you don’t want to see my face in Lake anymore? That’s the price I have to pay for it all, isn’t it?”

“C’mon, this isn’t a soap opera.” Rena shrugged, taking another step towards Benita. “I’m more worried about the way you’ve been acting since you saw me. Before I came here, I was worried about you receiving me well. I never thought to bother and worry about how you would be receiving yourself after you’ve gone through all these?”

“All what?” She frowned. “Okay, this is just rehab. They speak to you, and you’re expected to talk about your problems so they could help you. Specialists come around some times, but it’s nothing inhumane. Don’t think they told me to wash hundred toilets in a day, or they gave me hundred lashes of a whip on my back. It’s not a punishment place in anyway.”

“I know, and that’s why I’m worried more because it’s that way.” Rena objected. “If you were punished, then I’d have been worried about you hating me the more, and not becoming this—person I can’t even recognize.”

“I knew it! There is a mask glued to my face.” She faked a horrified look, before pulling at the skin on her face once again.

“Benita, it’s quite obvious you haven’t forgiven yourself.” Rena refused to be amused by her act. “Look at you looking all goody-two-shoes, making unnecessary jokes and acting like you’re a servant of mine. I can’t even see anything from the old you in you.”

Benita’s gaze narrowed on her, before she spoke. “If it’s about people changing, then you’re also one to talk. The old Rena, wouldn’t let anything done to hurt her go unpunished, not to talk of checking up on a person that almost ruined her.”

Rena shrugged. “Well, I’m trying to be a better person – at the same time, still remaining myself. That’s why I’m not running over to you, and pulling you in for a hug because I can’t pretend I’m that emotional for you. But I’m doing the best I can, and I’m okay with myself. But you acting like someone who doesn’t deserve another shot at life isn’t going to help anyone?”

“You’d rather me act like the saucy terror I was before, who was your rival–”

“You were never my rival, you weren’t up to me in anyway.” Rena cut in. “Someone who was my rival, wouldn’t need to go all through all that stress to influence anything.”

“Okay, ouch. Back to default Rena, now are we?” Benita flinched.

“I’m just saying the truth, and at the same time doing what I believe to be right.” Rena clarified. “But you seem to be acting, by being this sweet person I can’t even remember. Deep down inside, we both know that you aren’t a sweet person in anyway. So why the act? Pull it down, for just a moment and forget all what you’ve been taught and be really truthful to me, and yourself mostly. Say what you want to say.”

“Oh, I’d rather do it.” Before Rena could brace herself for the incoming missile, it stroke her hard on the left cheek and she staggered back in fright – holding the slapped side of her face, before lifting her gaze back to look at the monster that had finally bared its ugly face. “The hell!”

“Oh, you said I should be truthful to myself for once, didn’t you?” Benita cried, and Rena knew if it was possible to shed blood as tears, it’d be streaming down her cheeks. She heard the door of the car slam close, before Dabby came into sight – coming to stand beside her. “I’m really sorry, Rena I don’t hate you. Maybe I do, but that’s my fault not yours because I’m the sick one. But ever since I saw you, I’ve always wanted to give you a really hard slap on the face for just being so goddarn perfect!”

Dabby who looked like he was about to go on the offensive to protect her, relaxed and gazed at Benita in a curious, dumbfounded way.

“You have everything,” She continued. “The spotlight was always on you. You shined without even doing anything. Teachers liked you, the students liked you. All the boys liked you, they’d even get down on their knees to worship you—if you snapped your fingers and order them to do so. You just had everything, without working really hard for it!”

Her cheek was still vibrating, from the hard sting it had suffered but she finally released it and let her hand drop to her side—ready to listen to Benita better.

“I just thought in my mind, that you shouldn’t be entitled to it. I thought that I was the one who deserved it since I did a lot of work. I had a social life that was even more upscale than you and April, went to more of our parties – talked to more people, warmed up to more teachers, even put in efforts to get better grades—yet there was absolutely nothing to show for it! Nothing at all! It wasn’t nice in anyway. But still, I didn’t hate you. You had never raised your nose up at me before, so all I had was envy as I thought that you were only lucky. Nothing more, nothing less.

“Until the election came of course, and you and April descended on me like vultures – tearing me apart with those insults. You never knew how deep they went, you never knew how deep I went during the elections proceedings to ensure that I came out on top. I buttered up to many people, gave out a lot of stuff—put in more work that anyone! Yet you still came out on top, as always. So many people that had promised to vote for me, so many people that I had spent money on and used my resources to convince – went on to stab my back, all because it’s Rena. And it’s only logic to vote in Rena and of course, April.”

The words had more essence, and logic than she would have expected and she couldn’t help but feel pity and remorse for her. Never had she thought that there were people out there putting in more work and resources all in a bid to achieve just a fraction of the fame and recognition she had. She had never thought of it that way in her entire life. She had simply thought that there were two classes. The privileged, and the regular folk. She always saw herself as fortunate to belong to the privileged class, and hadn’t for once thought that it needed to be embossed with work at some point.

“I knew it wasn’t fair to me,” Benita apparently wasn’t done. “It just wasn’t fair. How could I keep on doing all that and not get anything out of it? And yet you, you did so little and always came out on top. I knew it was impossible to get your level of spotlight, there was absolutely nothing I could do. But I thought that you could still get what you deserved, even if I couldn’t be as popular as you. I thought there was a way that I could bring you down from your level of fame and spotlight, down to the lowest levels to where you’d be miserable and sad.”

“And you think she deserved that?” Dabby asked, and Rena had to nudge him gently on the side to restrain him from doing something to her. She eventually realized the real reason he had insisted on coming anyway. It was to protect her, in case Benita pulled of any stunt. “You think that she deserved to have her name soiled and that of her family dragged in the mud? To become the laughing stock of the entire County?”

“I wasn’t really thinking much,” Benita cried, tears running down her cheeks in so swift a motion, almost as if the molecules were in a race with each other. “There wasn’t much thinking, just a lot of hating and spiting. I just wanted you out of that life you had become so accustomed and comfortable with. I wanted you to get a taste of what life of a regular person felt like.”

Rena knew she had more than enough reason, to attack Benita and give her the beating of a decade. But just like Dabby had said, she wasn’t exactly in a right state of mind and as far as remorse and resentment, she felt it all and probably spited herself for doing such. But for how long? Forever? She’d be kidding herself if she said she was comfortable with the idea of Benita being miserable all her life. It wasn’t because she cared for her that much, but she didn’t want a nagging feeling on her conscience. She didn’t want to be the cause of anyone’s sorrow.

“Benita,” Rena started, closing the gap between them and lifting her hands to place them on the girl’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry about all that. Sorry that you had to go through so much, and not get anything in return. Sorry, for the insults that April and I threw at you that day. It was very immature of us, and I can assure you that we regret it–”

“Yeah, you regret it not necessarily because you care to hurt my feelings but because I had retaliated in a very brutal way.” She retorted, looking away. She felt the strong presence of Dabby behind her, monitoring Benita’s movement closely as he obviously didn’t trust the girl.

“No, I regret It truly. We’re sorry that you had to go through that.” She swallowed. “I can’t say I can relate to putting so much into something, and not getting the wanted results out of it. I’ve always been fortunate like that all my life. But you see, the thing about fortunate people like myself isn’t for people like you to hate us—okay? It’s for you to walk up to us and ask for our help. Help that we would gladly render.”

“Help?” She arched a brow, as their gazes locked.

“Yeah, I can help you to get a little bit of what you always wanted.” Rena nodded. “That spotlight I have? It can accommodate so many people. If you want I could bring you into it. When you resume school, you could come hang out with us. Me, April, Moyin and the rest. We’d consider you as one of our own and anything that we do, you’d do with us. Consider yourself a part of our inner circle. So what say you?”

She seemed to enter into a state of deep thought, as her head lowered to her feet. Silence ensued, and Rena withdrew her hands from Benita’s shoulders and moved away with Dabby so they could give her space to think about their offer. Rehabilitation must have indeed exerted a great change on the girl—owing to her action of not jumping straight on the offer. What else could she possibly be thinking off?

“First of all, let me start by saying that I’m very grateful.” Benita said finally, a look of determination on her face. “I’d have never thought you were this matured, and even if you want to point out that you were cajoled into doing this—still, it takes a lot of maturity to stand there and not pounce on me, especially when I gave you a very hot resounding slap not so long ago.”

“Yeah, that really hurt by the way.” Rena said.

“I’m sorry, you’re just too perfect.” Benita replied. “I wouldn’t have closure, if I know that I didn’t hurt you in some way. But I do now, and I’m happy it’s a menial hurt and not something that I thought of doing not so long ago. To the point, I’m not going to take you up on your offer. While I was inside this place, for the past month or so, my folks had already started making plans to move me to Oyo state to stay with an Aunt who is the definition of a disciplinarian. Luckily for me, she’s in her late sixties and her two kids are married people who don’t really have her time. Meaning she Is in desperate need of company.”

“Oh, Benita. I’m so sorry–”

“Don’t be, because I really want to go actually.” She exhaled, as if in a bid to truly convince herself. “Rather, I need to go. I shouldn’t be doing what I want to do, like staying behind and try to get another shot at this life when I’ve failed miserably by hurting a lot of people–”

“Trying to hurt a lot of people. You didn’t exactly succeed–”

“Doesn’t make me a better person.” Benita insisted. “I’m going to be leaving soon, Rena. So keep you offer. Once again, I’m very grateful and If before I harbored any bitter feelings towards you – it has definitely gone now. I officially do not hate you, anymore.”

Rena nodded. “That’s good to hear.”

“Now if you would excuse me, I need to walk down to the end of the street where I’d board a bus home. Of course, I’m not the world’s greatest kid that’d deserve being picked up by my mom or dad now, am I? Have a good life, Rena. And you too – Dabby.”

And with that, Benita turned around and walked off. The closer she got out of their sight, the more the pain in Rena compounded. Never had she thought she’d feel hurt at Benita offering to leave herself, but here she was feeling like she had failed in convincing Benita to give herself another shot at redemption–

“Oh, your dad is calling me.” Dabby said, with a curious look on his face as he stared at his phone. “He must have been calling your phone, but yours is in the car.”

Eagerly, she plucked the phone out of his hand and raised it to her hears.

“Hey, Dad.”

“Hey, Babe.” Came that rich, heartwarming voice she loved so much. “Aww, my baby isn’t sounding so great. You and Dabby didn’t grab burger on the way back and he ate them all, did he?”

“No,” She sniffled, wiping a stray tear on her face. She hadn’t even realized she was crying. “I just feel really bad for her, Dad. It’s so not fair. I just saw it all from her stand point, and although it doesn’t justify what she did but it’s still not fair to her, dad. It’s not fair.”

“Oh, wait a minute. She didn’t shoot herself right in your front, now did she?”

“No. But she refused to take my offer on me taking her under my wing if she returns the school. She says she is moving to Ibadan, to live with a very disciplinarian relative. I feel so bad for her.”

“Hey, no one said that place is a bad place.”

“She has been living in Lagos all her life, on the island of all places. Now she’s moving to Ibadan. Don’t tell me you can’t see the major step down.”

There was a pause on the other end of the line.

“She’d adjust well, don’t worry. Rena. It’d be fine. You did your best, alright? You have to remember that you can’t save everyone? You can only try to. And from what I’m hearing, you did your absolute best.”

“I guess. But I still feel bad, that I couldn’t follow you to the airport today. I should have been there as your plane took off.”

“What difference does it make? It’s just more tears to shed that I’d rather prevent.”

“So you’re awaiting your flight now, aren’t you? I could still come over and–”

“For Christ sake, Rena no! Go to Moyin’s birthday party would you? Have fun and try to forget about what happened today. Okay?”

“Got it.”

“I love you, stay safe.”

“I love you too, Dad. This past January has been the best in my life. Thanks for being around.”

“I don’t go back on my promises. Now hand the phone back to that tall thing standing beside you.”

She shook her head, as she handed Dabby his phone. “He wants to speak with you.”

“Oh, good afternoon sir. I’m fine thank you….Yeah no problem, I don’t trust that girl and since she couldn’t tell anyone until she had gone and done it, I insisted on following her…It’s not problem. She’d be fine, once she is in the company of the girls and another particular person.”

“Dabby!” She kicked him hard on his shin, and he hopped away spouting nondescript nonsense at her.

“Oh, yeah that particular person? He’s alright…Nah, trust me. He’s a down to earth, trustworthy guy. Okay, have a nice flight sir. See you soon.”

“How dare you! What did he say!” She advanced on him the instant he hanged up, and he held up his hands in dismay.

“Jeez, calm down. Your dad is way more cooler than you think. He just asked what type of guy – Tomi is, and when I implied he’s one of those good looking nerds, he seemed satisfied. Obviously, he wouldn’t have approved if he was someone like me.”

“Thank God you know.” She rolled her eyes, as her gaze lowered to her wristwatch. “Now, let’s get the hell out of here before Moyin literally appears out of thin air to strangle me.”

After she and Dabby had settled into the car, she ordered Mike to head to their destination at the fastest—yet not so dangerous speed, the car could handle. There was simply no time to waste.

*****

Wan ti po mi gutter po…
Oju ti dirty…
Wan ti po chemical po…
Awon omo science student…

“Hey, increase that volume.” Tomi bellowed across the counter, to Alexis who was the disc jockey for today. Apparently, Alexis missed his order due to the fact that he had noise cancelling headphones glued to his head, as he operated on his laptop. Tomi sighed, gesticulating to the nearest person who happened to pass by the counter – heading back into the living room.

“Hey, tell the guy on the speakers to increase the volume. What’s the use of listening to music, when it isn’t loud enough?”

“I know right,” Itunu smiled empathetically, before heading off to do as Tomi suggested. As he watched him walk away, Tomi couldn’t help but marvel inwardly at how things had changed drastically in the space of the past month. Here was someone who was technically their enemy and arch-nemesis, but once again had turned ally and friend after the rest had deemed him redeemed.

Kosewe kosegbo…
Kosewe kosegbo…
Kosewe kosegbo…

He smiled satisfactorily, as indeed the volume had gotten kicked up a notch and his pleased state seemed to extend to the rest in the room, as most people started bopping and swaying their bodies to the groovy, hard rhythm of the beat. Nigerian music might not make a lot of sense most times, but groovy and infectious they were and that was enough.

The loud bang that emanated from the furious slam of the door, drew his attention to the front porch where some new people were just arriving. Well, not exactly new – since they had been in the party before, but had excused themselves and also because one of them owned the house anyway. It made more sense now, the ferocity in which the door was closed with. A visitor wouldn’t slam it shut in such authoritative way.

The duo that stepped into the room, exchanged a few words as they headed into the room and towards him. The nature of their discreteness initiated curiosity in him, but nothing that was inclined to jealousy in anyway even if the other person was of the opposite sex. Their relationship dated back years ago, and it was the time that would always be platonic no matter what.

“Hey bro,” Dabby extended his balled fist for a bump, and Tomi responded in like. “How’s it going? Hook me up with a can of Origin, abeg.”

Tomi smiled, as he retrieved the drink in reference from one of the compartments in the shelves before him.

“I hope it’s Origin zero,” Rena came up beside Dabby, straining her eyes at the drink he was handing over to Dabby. “I know we said alcohol isn’t allowed and all. But of course that won’t stop you from bringing it in if you want anyway.”

Dabby rolled his eyes, as he walked away. “I’m actually more obedient than most people think, once you give me enough reason to.”

Tomi could only shake his head in sheer amusement, as he watched Dabby careen away and join the rest in the living room. His gaze automatically drifted back to the pair of hypnotic, alluring eyes watching him. For some reason, he suddenly got hit by a wave of nostalgia – as if they were just meeting for the very, first time.

Hello there, old chum.

“Do I even want to know why you excused yourself during the party of your best friend, with another child hood friend that you proclaim gives you more sorrow than joy?” He inquired, making sure his voice and gaze held nothing but curiosity.

She nodded, her head bopping in a slow motion to emphasize the magnitude of her positive reply. “Yeah, you want to know. But it’s just not you that’d want to know. The rest also. C’mon.”

She gestured that he followed behind her, as she led the way back into the common room. Another wave of nostalgia washing over his consciousness, as he remembered the last time she had led him through the house to a private place. That day hadn’t exactly ended blissfully, and he couldn’t help but think that the revelation that was about to be unveiled was something, almost equally radioactive.

In the center space of the living room, a plump, large leather sofa of a semi circle shape – accommodated several guests who were hunched, slouched and in other various casual positions engaging in drinking, eating in a rather haphazard manner that loitered the room. Rena didn’t need signal for the room to be vacated—the people sitting on the chair, upon meeting her authoritative glare had quickly removed themselves. Asides the guys of course, and Itunu also.

“Uh, you guys want me to leave also?” Itunu said, a red disposable cup in hand and the TV’s remote in order as he stood up from a stool, after noticing the gathering.

“Nah, it’s nothing. Might as well stay and listen.” Rena shrugged, and slumped into the chair alongside Tomi. Facing them on the other side, separated by a contemporary, brown coffee table was Mofiyin, Moyin, April and Dabby who had just newly joined them. The latter two in a rather intimate position, Tomi noticed. Ever since Dabby’s confession back at the orientation facility in the previous year, they had both made resolutions to testing the shores of romance together. And by the way things were looking, they hadn’t encountered any significant difficulty. Alexis on the other hand, was standing behind the chair – arms akimbo.

“So are you ready to tell me why you and Dabby suddenly left the party after receiving a phone call from someone like you guys are spies in some secret government agency?” Moyin scowled, folding her arms.

Rena rolled her eyes, snuggling closer to his outstretched arm on the back of his shoulder so that it fell and draped her shoulders. “It’s a long story, actually. One that Dabby and I didn’t want to tell you guys until we had gone and done it, because you guys wouldn’t understand. In fact, I didn’t even understand until after we had gone there to see things for ourselves.”

“Gone where to do what?” It was April’s turn to be inquisitive, as she looked up at Dabby’s face.

“Today is the day Benita got out of rehab.” Rena intercepted Dabby before he could reply. It was her problem, not his. She was going to carry the burden alone. “We went there to see her.”

The entire group sat up, except Alexis who was standing behind the rest on the chair who simply jerked his head back. They all wore quizzical looks on their faces, but maintained their silence—obviously indicating for her to continue. Tomi himself wouldn’t have taken cognizance of their surprise, because of his also – if not for the fact that Rena was hunched into his side and he couldn’t move of his own free will without alerting her first.

“Yeah, I’m sure you have a lot of questions so I’d take it in bits.” Rena continued. “It was my dad who suggested that I do it. He said that the one true way for me to move on, is to make peace with my demons. And to also ensure that the demon doesn’t come back to haunt me. It was ridiculous at first, in fact I remembered the exact words I said to him when he said it – ‘I said I’d go get a penis transplant before I can have the balls to pretend that I give two fucks about whatever happens to Benita.’”

Tomi’s eyes widened, as he took in her words. He knew he could only speak such words if he suddenly woke up one day, savoring the idea of purgatory.

“But of course that’s what I said to him in my mind, not the actual thing.” She clarified, causing them all to laugh. “I told him that I really couldn’t care less If I discovered that she committed suicide and jumped into a river or something. I mean, I hated the bitch before she even hatched a whole, devious plan to destroy me. If anyone should be getting an apology, it should be me and still even after that I should still have warrant to blow her ass to pieces if I want.”

“That’s my girl,” April smiled satisfactorily, as Dabby’s thumb stroked her cheek.

“But I couldn’t talk my way out of it,” She sighed again. “And well you know that and I’d do anything to please my dad. I kept on dreading the idea so much, but there was nothing remotely possible that I could do about it. Sha, we went there today and to cut the long story short, I didn’t regret going.”

“Because you lodged one hard into her face, right?” Moyin asked, edging forward in the chair—mischief twinkling in her eyes. “Tell me, you drew blood! Tell me.”

“Drawer ni,” Rena chuckled softly. “There was no drawing of blood, because I actually didn’t regret going there. After today I didn’t even hate her. I even gave her the opportunity to return to Lake and join our circle.”

“Circle as in which circle?” April’s nose scrunched.

“As in that she could be hanging out with us and all, if she wanted–” Rena started.

“Oh, the only hanging I’d be doing with that girl is finding a rope to actually hang her to the ceiling.” Moyin cut her off. “Are you okay? Are you out of your mind? I’m not that surprised, you chose a crazy person to follow you anyway. You must have contacted his madness on the way there.”

“Hey, watch your mouth.” April slurred, hurling a throw pillow at the face of Moyin. “No one can talk about him in that way, just me.”

Moyin punched the pillow to the floor, and coughed gently. “Like I said, crazy people everywhere.”

“So what eventually happened?” Alexis asked, the only one who looked genuinely curious about the issue. “Surely, she couldn’t have declined that offer. It’s the one thing she always wanted in her entire life. Why isn’t she here now, I’d have expected that she start behaving like an orphan that has just been adopted.”

Rena gave a bitter cackle. “She declined, yeah very surprising but she did. Now she’s probably quarter way to  Ibadan, to where she’d go live with a savage aunt of hers. I really pity her. It sounds too harsh, after everything she had gone through in rehab.”

“Okay, like are you sure that these people aren’t spies?” Moyin reiterated her previous point. “Maybe our Rena and Dabby, the real ones have been kidnapped and these ones in front of us are clones sent to monitor us and report back. That’s the only way all what I’m hearing can make any feasible sense.”

“I’ve sha told you what happened, if you like don’t believe.” She rocked her shoulders in an apathetic fashion. “If you like believe. If you like act like Mofiyin that is pretending like I’ve not been saying anything and has been tapping his phone since–”

“Oh, he’s hearing all right.” Alexis replied on his behalf, coming to stand behind his friend as he watched what he was doing on his phone. “The game is just reducing the rate of reaction. Everything you’ve said so far would probably register in his head after he drops the phone, and then he’d start asking stupid questions that no one is ready to answer.”

They all shared a laugh, Mofiyin not flinching in the slightest bit as he seemed totally engaged with the game he was playing. Moyin looked a bit offended, at the state of his attention or maybe not, he wasn’t the best reader of facial expressions anyway. More so, no one really knew what exactly was transpiring between Moyin and Mofiyin. To their credit, the duo was equally as clueless as everyone else.

That was probably what made them the compatible couple they were.

“You okay?” Rena’s voice brought him out of his brief trance, and he looked to his side and gor lost in her dreamy face. “You’re characteristically quiet. But you look like something is on your mind.”

“Nothing at all,” He shook his head, before leaning in to plant a light kiss on her right cheek. “I’m just happy.”

She blushed a light shade of pink, before lowering her gaze and returning her head back into place on his shoulder. “Well, I’m happy you’re happy.”

Willing his body to relax on the chair, he closed his eyes momentarily and basked himself in the awe of the presence. Sure, they still had two more trying terms ahead of them which had activities that had the potential of zapping their individual strength, but the conscious knowledge that they had trumped last term’s woes despite being unprepared was soothing enough. When tomorrow’s problem came, they’d deal with it. But as for the present moment, it was for nothing other than rest.

And he couldn’t help but hope that the period would never end in the coming future.

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The End!

Phew, it’s been quite a ride guys, quite a ride. Thanks for sticking with me. There is an FAQ catalog and author’s note that follows. Make sure you read it, thank you. I’m retreating to my bed room now to cry in peace.

Do me a favor. Hop to my wall now and post a review highlighting your journey of reading this book. What you loved most, what you found most relatable etc. You don’t need to be professional. Just express yourself.

For the foreigners, the song in the chapter is titled – Science Student by Olamide. It’s only the biggest song so far of the year in the country. You should check of out on ITunes, I assure you that you’d find it impossible not to dance to it.

Alright, don’t forget to read the author’s note and FAQ. Thank you and God bless.