"I love you!" Jessica shouted to her husband as she made her out of the house and into her vehicle. She was dressed in a black v-neck top that had puffy hands. She paired it up with a long dark green fitted skirt with a knee high slit at her right and a pair of black stilettos.

"I love you too, babe," he said watching her as she slid into her car.

"Gillis! Baby! I forgot something!" Jessica shouted from the vehicle.

Gillis walked down to the vehicle and down to the backseat window. His wife stuck her head out through the window, the bangs of her straight black wig made her look like an Asian lady. Just as she was about to talk, he leaned in and kissed her pink lips.

"Gillis," she swatted his hand, "you better stop that, you're not tricking me into becoming late again."
He laughed and squatted down till he was at eye level with his wife, "Oh come on, it was just one kiss."
"Oh I know you," she scoffed, "It's never one kiss with you. It's starts as one kiss and then bam! We're in bed tumbling for over two hours..."

"Look," he whispered nudging her to face the driver.

The driver sat at the front snickering at  what they were discussing. Noticing from the rear-view mirror that they were looking at him, the driver stopped snickering and sat up.

Slapping off his cap from behind Jessica said, "what are you laughing at, aboki?"
Picking up his cap and putting it back on, he said, "Nothing ma."

Gillis laughed at the two of them and pinching his wife's cheek he said, "Look at you speaking pidgin."
She laughed, "No try am oh, forget this my Oyibo skin, I be street girl oh! Area! {Don't even go there, forget my outward appearance, I'm streetwise! Area!}

Gillis and the driver stared at her for five seconds like she had grown a second head.

"What?" She chuckled.

"Jessica I love you and that's why I'm gonna ask you to never speak pidgin again, please," Gillis said.
"Yes madam," The driver said, "never again," he shrugged his shoulder in disgust, "see how you're saying the 'area'," he shook his head, "God forbid bad thing. Ma, please don't do it agin oh."

"Who asked for your opinion?" she slapped off his cap again, "big head," she hissed as Gillis laughed, "anyway, I called you to tell that tonight is my official welcoming party into the company."
"Tonight?" He asked, "I thought it was next week?" She shook her head, "What time?"
"7 pm," she replied, "Can I come pick you up?" She said hitting her hand against the window frame like a little child. Jessica loved coming to his furniture shop, at every opportunity she got she would stop by and visit him.

"You just want Clifford to buy you free bole, right?" He said with a smirk on his face.
"Of course I do!" She said laughing, "and it's been a while since I've seen Henrita and Terrence. Do they still quarrel?"
"Everyday," he sighed.
"Yes!" She said then, stretched her arms around his neck, "I love you," she kissed his cheek.
"You too boo," he kissed her lips before letting go and rising to his feet.

"Bye!" She yelled.
"Bye," he replied as her car drove off out of the gate and off into the distance.

Gillis walked back into the house to the kitchen where he was sketching some new furniture designs. After, taking time to replay Uncle Reginald's comments in his head, he realized that Uncle Reginald was absolutely right.

The furniture company wasn't growing like others did because there was nothing unique about it or their designs. That's probably why no one consciously wanted to patronize them. He thought, that updating the company with new designs and ideas would trigger the expected change he desired.

On the worktop, he looked over at the armchair he had designed. It was a rough sketch of an armchair with a carved out lions head at the side of the chair. The idea was to make the arm chair fit for royalty but, it just came off looking like he spent too much time watching National Geographic channel or Lion king.

"No, that's not it," he soliloquized. He shifted that drawing aside and stared at the next one. This sketch was a lazy chair, the kind young Tv shows used to give off a kind of youthful vibe to their viewers. The chair was sketched like the half of Avocado pear and just like the seed, the person would have to seat on the inside.

It was definitely pretty but, it was missing something.

'No matter where you go! Remember roads that will lead you home!'

He reached into his pocket and brought his phone out, looking at the caller ID he discovered it was his wife-who he saved as My Love.

Picking it, he smiled and said, "You just can't get enough of this your sexy Rivers husband, can you?"
She scoffed, "So full of yourself," she said as he laughed, "I wanted to say that I just arrived at the office and your crayons, oil paints, water color and sketchpad are in the study, in case you're looking for them."
"Huh? How did they get there?" He asked beginning to stroll out of the kitchen to the study.

"You fell asleep on them and left them in the balcony again," she chuckled, "don't worry I picked every last one, okay?"
"What would I do without you?" He said grinning from ear to ear.
"Loose all your drawing materials," she replied as they laughed, "gotta go now. See ya at 7pm."

As the call ended, it hit him.

He ran down to the kitchen with the sketch pad and after some few rough sketches here and there, he smiled, "Voilà."

***

"Awwwwn," Clifford cooed, "they're so cute."

Terrence looked at Clifford like a horn just came out of his head as he said, "Cute keh?" He hissed "there's nothing cute about this," he said pointing to his phone.

"About what?" Gillis said walking into the office, he pulled the laptop bag strap over his head and said, "What are you guys watching?"

"Porn," Terrence deadpanned.

Clifford laughed punching his hand away, "it's just a cute video of some little white girl and boy kissing," he smiled.

"Like I said we are watching American small children porn," Terrence said.

Henrita looked up from her table and said, "Animal."

"Your elder brother," He retorted then hissing he turned to Gillis, "Just imagine this small children as they're small like this, they're already spoilt, kissing each other. So, when they grow Wetin they go do? {what will they do?}" He snapped his fingers, "Tah! Oyibo people dey spoil their children eh! Tah! {foreigners spoil their children}"

"Eh, leave it for them are their parents complaining?" Clifford asked.

"If nah my mumsie, she go beat you eh, till the whole community come to hold her," he said, "when they hold her she'll say, 'leave me may I beat am oh! As she small like this she don dey know man, that means say her destiny nah ashawo nah. Abeg free me may I beat am deliver am' {if it were my mother, she will beat you so bad it'd take the entire community to stop her and when they do, she'll say  'leave me alone let me discipline this child! As little as she is, she is already having feelings for the opposite sex, that means she is destined to be a prostitute. Please, leave me to beat her and deliver her from that evil spirit}" he said making everyone laugh.

Henrita stopped and said, "But, that means she didn't beat you well because the ashawo spirit still dey your blood wellah {you still have the spirit of prostitution in you}."

"Your..."

"Enough you two," Gillis said, "it's too early in the morning for this," he said as they quieted down but, he could still see the daggers flying from each persons eyes to the other.

"Anyway," Gillis cleared his throat drawing all their attention, "so, I've been thinking and I have come to discover that we actually aren't growing as a company. I believe the major reason for this is the fact that we as individuals aren't doing anything to progress this company. Now don't get me wrong," he said stretching out his hands, "I see you all working and I appreciate it. I refuse to take for granted the time and money you all have invested to see this company get this far but, what I mean by 'not working' is we are not moving forward."

"We are slacking behind, making furniture of the 12th-16th century for a 21st Century world," he said, "Which is crazy! I mean that's like you Henrita typing with a typewriter in this present day and time or you Clifford using a charcoal iron or you Terrence doing...doing..." He narrowed his eyes, "I don't know, doing what you do."

"Bam! Terrence talk dey there," Henrita snickered, "talk dey there oh."

"Henrita if I..."

"Terrence please," Gillis interrupted.
"But you allowed her to talk her own oh," he retorted.
"Guy quit being so childish," Clifford scoffed.

Terrence blood boiled as he looked over and saw Henrita snickering as she mouthed girl power to him. He couldn't help himself but mouth back your daddy, fowl to her amusement.

"Guys," Gillis said, "as I was saying," he exhaled, "we need to rebrand, repackage, you know evolve, come up with the time and the season and roll with its flow. It's hard because that's not what we were taught initially but since what we were taught isn't paying the bills we've got to learn new things and we could also bring in new ideas. I took liberty of drawing a brand new idea I had this morning and I'd like to show it to you guys," he said picking his laptop bag, he unzipped it and pulled out 5 sheets of paper. Then dropping them on the table, he took one out at a time and explained it to them.

"I present to you, the avocado chair," he said.

"Ahhh! Shucks! No tomato," Terrence said, "what kind of boring name is that? Is the furniture edible or what?"

"Would you let me explain?" Gillis hissed, "I got the idea from an avocado," he said raising the paper up so all of them can see it clearly, "see it has the shape of a cut avocado pear," he said and they nodded in agreement, "but, unlike the fruit that has the whole pear to the top, this chair will only take half the wooden frame living the rest above for some customized cut out designs we could do like heart shapes or geometric shapes or accessories or even letters. I want it to be big enough to house a persons upper body but, not the legs," he said, then he brought another piece of paper, "the person can stretch his legs out with the chair by pressing a button on the chair that brings out a kinda leg rest, yknow?" They nodded in amazement.

Getting the third paper, he said, "I also thought about illuminating the chairs with a little light bulbs above at the head of the seat so, when you're like lying down you can see them glow."

"Oh that's cool," Terrence, "I'd like that a lot," he said as the others nodded.

Getting the fourth paper he said, "the chair can also double as massage chair."

"I'm in love," Clifford said as the rest chuckled.

With air in his wings, Gillis grabbed the last paper and said, "it can be a single chair," he pointed at the first design on it or a couple chair" he pointed to the third design on that same paper, "a family chair" and pointing to the last design on the paper he wiggled his brows, "it can double as a bed."

"Men, I can already hear mothers complaining that 'all you do is to stay in your room' for their teenage children," Henrita said chuckling.
Finally giving his much anticipated comeback, Terrence said, "you're talking from experience, right?"

Cutting off Henrita, to the joy of Terrence, Gillis said, "Any questions? Ideas? Criticism? Suggestions? Whatevers, let me hear them," he said siting on the table.

"Well how do you intend to go about the creation?" Terrence quizzed.

"Well, I was thinking that we can test run it by making a little pieces with wood and seeing if it's possible. From there we take measurements and see how every part can come together as a unit for the furniture so when we eventually want to create the big one it will be easier for us."

"Seeing that you colored the sketch blue, I'm thinking that is the official color for the furniture?" Henrita asked.

"Yes," he said, noticing her face squeeze as he replied, he asked her, "or do you think another color would do better?"

"Well, not exactly," she started, "I just think we should leave the decision of the colors open to our clients. Let them be the ones to choose their preference and not us. Imagine a client is ready to buy your chair but they have a black themed room, how's that gonna work for them? Leaving it in different colors makes it more versatile in my opinion. Especially since this chair is coming in different forms, who knows, some couples might want it red for the valentine day or some family wants it gold or someone using it as a bed can want it white or grey or y'know?"
"Hmm, I didn't think of that," Gillis said, "that's very brilliant, thank you. Different colors noted," he said writing that down on a book.
"You're welcome," she smiled.

"You haven't said anything yet Clifford," Terrence said and all eyes turned to Clifford.

Clifford exhaled then crossing his legs, he said, "Cost," he cleared his throat, "How do you intend to go about the cost, Gillis?"

Now all eyes flew to Gillis.

***

"Hey babe," Jessica said as she strolled into Gillis office. Immediately his eyes landed on her, he flew out of his seat and pulled her in for a kiss. Her hands wrapped around his shoulder as they kissed and his arms around their waist.

"Missed you," he said staring into her eyes as they pulled away.
"Missed you more," she pecked his lips.

He sat on the table and pulled her closer hugging his arms around her waist again and she wrapping hers around his neck. He kissed her again and again and again. Giggling she pulled away and said, "I saw Tee and Cliff working on something outside. It looked strange but, cool. A new design of yours?"
"Yup!" He answered proudly, "and you're the inspiration behind the idea," he said kissed her again with a big smile on his face.

She bit her lip and smiled, "awwn, that's so cute," she dropped her head till their forehead and noses were touching and she said, "I believe in you Gillis. I believe in this company and I know it's gonna grow so big one day and make you so proud you followed your dream."

He turned his head away and pulled her in for a hug. He loved how she always encouraged him and stood by him, it even made him want to shed tears of joy sometimes. Indeed Jessica was everything he could ask for in a woman and more.

"Thank you Jessica," he said into her ears, "you don't know how much that means to me and even if I try I'll never be able to express it clearly but, thank you."

Jessica smiled broadly and said, "You're welcome, my dear husbandman."
He pulled away laughing, "What? Is that your new pet name for me?"
She grumbled in frustration, "Honestly, I don't even know what to call you. Everything just doesn't seem to fit!"

"Call him Adult wolf," Terrence said entering through the curtain.

"I don't get," Jessica said staring from him to Gillis who was shooting arrows at him with his eyes.

"Yes oh," Clifford said entering with a bag of bole, "Wolf man," he wiggled his brow.

"Can you be the alpha of my," Terrence shook his waist, "pack."

Clifford and Terence started laughing hysterically, Jessica giggled still completely in the dark as to what they meant and Gillis was promising himself never to ever again give these two idiots the 'scoop' in his life and to pay them back in due time for this.

Recovering from laughing, Clifford turned to Jessica and said, "Don't mind us, we just goofing around," he handed her a bag containing hot bole, mixed with yam and potatoes, roasted icefish and some spicy bole sauce mixed with onions and ukazi. He curtseyed and said, "Just how you like it."
Jessica grabbed the bag, inhaled the delicious wonders that lied within and practically salivating she squealed, "Thank you!" She gave him a peck on the cheek, "you will marry well."
"You didn't even kiss me like that sef," Gillis jocosely frowned.

"You mean 'bite'," Terrence teased as himself and Clifford snickered

"I'm not even gonna ask any more," Jessica said as they laughed, "Anyway, we gotta go now guys. Gillis and I have a party to attend."
"Oshe! Inside life." Clifford wiggled his brows as they laughed; all three of them except Gillis who had completely forgotten about the party.

But that wasn't the major the problem, the major problem was what in heavens name was he to wear?

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Another one! Another one! By DJ Mfon Judah 😎😂...my names too long 😭

For folks who don't know, BOLE is an indigenous delicacy made of barbecued plantain or yam or potato (or in some cases a combo of the three, this depends on how you are willing to pay and how you prefer it), served with hot tomato source (that can come mixed with onions or not) as I see it done here in Rivers State or with fried groundnut as done in Lagos and it comes with a serving of utazi-some vegetables leaf (this is optional), fish (this doesn't come free, you pay for this to be added) or Chicken as done in Akwa Ibomabasi State.

TORRI CORNER <let's talk>

Would you love a themed room? Like your room will be designed based on a particular character, maybe an actor or actress or a singer or cartoon character or a writer? Or based on a particular sport like racing or horse riding or swimming or tennis or football or rugby? Or would you love a color themed room like everything will be all black or all blue or a mix of different shades of one color or filled with different colors?

I personally would love a character themed room based on AQUAMAN! I don't really love the movie but, I love the MAN ❤️❤️❤️❤️😍😍😍. Like that man makes my drool, drool over him 😭😭😭. Why so hot? Why?????😭😭😭😭.
I wouldn't also mind a Jidenna themed room ❤️❤️😍😍❤️❤️ like honey would you be my Bambi 😭😭😭😭

VOTE.⭐️
COMMENT.🗣
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