This is not a sequel to Twain Became one(TBO) You don't have to read my first book to understand it but it contains some spoilers.

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"Ask me how I'm doing I say okay, but ain't that we all say?" -Let you down (NF)

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Friendships are supposed to be wild and wholesome at the same time.

Liz settled her bum into the parked black jeep that Pamela brought. Never in all her years of living has she been happier to enter an air conditioned car like today.

She turned to look at Pamela and they both started laughing. Pamela had a way of making her feel better and protected, the kind of friend you bring to a fight, always and forever loyal.

"My love!" Pamela squealed with childish excitement and crushed Liz close to her frame.

"Missed you fish," smiling brightly at her in return while taking in her appearance.

Pamela flashed her a naughty grin, "I missed you too Orangutan."

"Have you ever seen a baddie?" Liz flipped her ponytail then continued, "If orangutans where this fine you'll probably have applied to change your specie."

"Ah! Did you just shade me?" Eyes shining with mirth as she steered the car down Lagos road.

"Now you can open your mouth and respond to me right? Few seconds ago fine boy had you tongue tied."

"Marriage hasn't changed you one bit. You're still looking for trouble everywhere you go, grow up my dear." It was meant to be a joke only for Pamela's mood to take a dive.

Liz didn't understand what she said wrong but everywhere was mad uncomfortable with Pamela being quiet.

"Babe are you okay?" Liz asked and Pamela's eyes filled slowly with tears. Her lower lips trembled as she tried to control herself but failing miserable.

Sometimes even the smallest things are triggers to the pain we carry.

"Stop the car Pamela!" Liz ordered sharply and Pamela burst into tears immediately after killing the engine. Not the pretty kind of tears either, more like full waterworks and snort.

In the last fifty hours Liz have been through so many emotions but this right here was crippling. She pondered quietly on what she did to make the Ice queen cry and tried to calm her down and fishing out tissue from her bag.

"I am trying to grow up. Why can't everybody see that? I'm trying to hold it in, trying to do what's best for the twins. To fight for my home, I'm really trying," the tears poured down her face in more torrents.

Something major was wrong with her and Liz wondered how long it has been seeing that something so little made her burst in tears.

"Oh. My. God. Babe what's going on with you? You are the strongest person I know and we both know I didn't mean that literally. Are your hormones messing with you or what? Are you pregnant again?" Liz asked quickly in succession and started rubbing her palms down Pamela's back in a soothing motion.

During their stay in Medical school if there was anybody who excelled at comforting Liz when she woke up from her nightmares it was Pamela. So, it felt super weird now that the table was turned.

Pamela was the thoughtful one, who tried to act all tough on the outside but she was all mush when the layers were off. She was that friend that will tell you her mind and curse you off at the spot.

Pamela smiled through her tears when Liz asked about her hormones just as she knew she would.

"I am so sorry Babe. Sorry for bothering you with this immediately you got in. I don't know why those words just felt so triggering for me but crying made me feel better."

"Don't ever apologize to me okay? Its always okay to cry, to not act so strong and coordinated." Quick nods followed her statement with a watery, unsure smile.

Pamela tried to gather her thoughts looking everywhere I'm the pure black leather interior of the he Mercedes.

"Welcome to Naija Bish!" Pamela exclaimed almost immediately like she wasn't just crying a river.

I swear this girl is bipolar. Liz chuckled as the thought came in.

Pamela started driving again and Liz looked out the tinted car window taking in Lagos a little.

The hustle and bustle was mad. Yellow painted buses with men hanging outside like they weren't scared of their life was something that perplexed her at first.

"Always stand up for yourself, here only the fittest will survive." Pamela broke the silence tearing Liz's attention from the streets of Lagos.

"Who was that stranger? he had cute set of eyes though the kind that sent fire to your ovaries." winking at Liz as she gunned down the empty lane she turned into.

"Its a pity he had a shitty attitude. Some are fine but have no sense and some are fine and have sense but have body odour." Whatever she just made up was so stupid she cackled at her own joke and Liz joined her effortlessly.

Pamela was racing now as and Liz's heart thumped in fear.

"Are you not married? Yet here you are allowing your ovaries catch fire." Liz suddenly felt possessive but didn't know why. It was a tiny knot that quickly twisted the pits of her belly, when Pamela described him as hot, which was weird.

Does it even make sense being jealous over a rude stranger?

"So being married made me blind right? I should not appreciate the wondrous things that the Lord has made and give him praises." Her hands waved in the air making her even more dramatic.

How do you stay mad with this girl? She had a way of making you laugh even through her pain.

"Well-done ma. Reviewer, curator and appreciator of all the fine things of life." Liz hailed with the corners of her lips curved up on their own accord.

"I receive my badge with honor, pride and dignity." Pamela finished with a mock salute and Liz just dissolved into laughter.

Hypocrite! Did being married stop you from having feelings for your best friends husband.

Liz sobered up quickly. She couldn't even deny it cause it was a fact and she felt so guilty. From the very first time she saw Chris in her office something changed inside her.

Sometimes she hated herself for having these feelings especially after they were in a serious relationship.

Pamela was truly in love with Chris and vice versa this she was sure of at least and her happiness meant the most to Liz. Chris had literally begged her to come to Nigeria and paid all expenses so that his wife will have someone to talk to.

Liz feelings for Chris was something she will never act on after all marriage and relationship was not meant for her and nothing mattered more than Pamela's happiness.

"Come back to earth soon Liz" she smirked first. Then almost as if a million dollar thought dropped inside her head, she bounced in her seat then asked,"Wait are you thinking about that hot airport stranger?"

No dear, I'm thinking of your husband and the unrequited feelings I have for him.

Liz probably shouldn't say this part out loud. So, instead she said, "You still drive like a mad woman at least that's good to know." Liz taunted gripping the handle bar above for support.

"Screw you!" Pamela exclaimed with shock.

"You're sitting in a G class Mercedes with customised interiors that will make a sane person drool. Before you open your mouth to respond just know you're not sane. Its not my fault you're a chicken and you drive like a 70 year old grandma with Astigmatism."

Liz threw her head back and laughed a genuine laughter that made her belly ache.

Apart from her husband and kids, Pamela loved her Cars the most and Basketball. It was a weird combination for the dainty tiny woman who was probably to short to play actual Basketball.

They spent the rest of the drive bickering about the most stupid things that Liz was too preoccupied with taking in Lagos and before long they parked in front of a huge steel black gate.

Pamela honked loudly and waited for someone to open the gate soon.

"Okon dey mad." She muttered quietly under her breath after we kept waiting with no response and alighted the car.

Liz slouched in the passenger side, the soft leather seat cushioning her and a tired sigh slipped her lips. She was jet lagged in both body and spirit and truly wanted to crash.

After a while, a thin sluggish man opened the gate. He had on beards that barely connected and Liz wondered why he bothered keeping the beards.

Pamela and her gatemen exchanged words hotly and finally drove in.

She dragged Liz by the hand and they barely made it in when the twins launched themselves at Liz.

"Aunty Izzy!" Daniel screamed shoeing off a toothless grin. His front molars were missing and he looked so cute, Liz felt like squishing him.

"Munchkin," Liz hugged the twins to her and suddenly felt all the bad energy and tension drip away from her.

Ella had on a yellow, strap sundress that made her look so pretty. Her hair was made into cornrows with tiny white glass beads attached to the end. The beads swished around whenever she moved.

Sometimes last year Pamela's family had spent a month break in main London and Liz had spoilt her munchkins silly.

The homey smell of Nigeria Jollof rice wafted through the air officially giving her the standard Nigeria welcome.

It wasn't her first time eating Nigerian Jollof though. After living with Pamela since their second year. It was a delicacy she loved but couldn't make. To be honest, Liz couldn't cook to save her life.

The twins wrapped their tiny hands around her and she made to answer their never ending questions while giving them their gifts. It was truly amazing how well they have grown and how they both seemed to take after their parents.

They looked more like their Father in looks but Ella had her mother's character through and through.

After lunch and playing with the kids a little bit, they were bundled to their grand parents house and it was finally just Liz and Pamela.

Pamela loaded the dish washer as Liz sipped on some cold creamy goodness called kunun aya. She was truly in love with this Nigerian concoction.

It was a blend of Tiger nuts, Coconut, Date fruit, and sugar cane for natural sweetness. Then chilled to bless to soothe you on really hot days like it was today.

'Where is Chris and when are you going to tell me whats wrong with you?" Even a blind person could see the faraway sad look in Pamela's eyes. The early excitement was beginning to wear off.

"He's at work. I'm fine, nothing is the matter just some hormones as you said." She masked her face in a smile that didn't reach her eyes, if her plan was to reassure Liz, she was failing miserably.

"You still don't know how to lie you know, so why bother trying?" Silence ensued her statement this time.

"Your home is beautiful," trying something different to lighten the mood.

"Are you asking me questions to psychoanalyse me as per the head doctor that you are?"

"I am just trying to be your friend Pam. You look the shadow of yourself and your smiles are creepy and empty, I miss you so much. Lately you don't pick my calls or return them, I came here for you babe." My heart squeezed painfully now, nothing hurts more than knowing someone you love so much is hurting and you don't know how to help.

"Did you really come here for me or because my husband reached out to you? All of a sudden you are booking a flight to come to Nigeria with the right timing of course so I can put two and two together. Liz you didn't even attend my wedding." Pamela rolled her eyes and Liz felt guilty.

"I am truly grateful you came and I don't take your friendship for granted. It's just that so much has changed, and is still changing with me I don't even know how to articulate my feelings.
You must be exhausted from your flight rest a little okay before you start your duties of being a friend and psychologist, okay?" The towel in Pamela's hand for drying the dishes was wrung forcefully.

Something big was up.

"You have always been too stubborn and smart for your own good Pamela Temitope Williams." Honestly it still amazes me how much she bottled up stuff.

We all know you are queen Pandora when it comes to bottling stuff.

Oh shut up.

Liz made her way to the room prepared for her and crashed down.
It was super neat and organised just the way I always liked my things to be.

She covered her eyes with a blindfold. Liz could only sleep on her back if she had a blindfold so as to avoid staring at the ceiling or slept on her side, anything to avoid being trapped or having to count until the itch or trauma resurface.

Deep darkness was beginning to envelop Liz and her thoughts as sleep warm hands dragged her into its depth.

Somehow a picture of a strange, clear blue eyes scowling down at her flitted through her minds eyes.

As she let herself self sink, she knew the nightmares will come, her only wish was that it will have little mercy on her tonight and give the tired body its much needed rest.

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What's something weird you love that others don't understand?

For me its Basketball, which isn't weird but then I'm very tall😂😂😂. So I just settle for watching matches only.

Please comment and vote, lemme know what you think.

Love and light always.
Orex