A woman's dilemma - Episode 9

Claudia:

"Good morning sis Claudia." Blessing, my baby sister greets as I pass her on my way downstairs. I transfer the clothes I'm holding to my left hand so I can pat her back.
"Getting ready for school?" I ask her and she nods.
"I'll just check on the food on the gas cooker." She says. I look down at my watch. It's almost 7am and she's not in her school uniform. I shake my head at her.
"Go get dressed. I'll man the kitchen. Or woman the kitchen, in this case."
"Really?! Thanks so much sis! I was afraid of being late." Her eyes shine brightly.
"Why are you late anyways?"
"I overslept." She smiles sheepishly.
"Alright. Go on. Be right down to serve breakfast right after." I wave her off and she skips away. She's the baby of the house and she knows just how to work her charms. Soon she'll be writing her WAEC then it's off to the University. She's convinced that she wants to be like me and go abroad to study architecture. I'm just glad that she's thinking about her future. I smile fondly as I take the rest of the steps downstairs.
 I put the food off the fire before I make my way to the guest bedroom. I knock lightly on the door then let myself in

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/a-woman-s-dilemma

. The room's quiet except for the shower running in the background. I close the door behind me and drop the clothes on the bed.
"Amy?! Will you be long in there?" The sound of the shower stops and after a few minutes, Amy comes out with a towel around her chest. I smile broadly at her.
"Why haven't you changed at all?" I ask. She comes to sit on the bed and I plop down to sit beside her.
"Here." I hand her my lotion. She nods her thanks. Still I get no words from her. I watch her apply the lotion with silence.
"Amy? Are you going to talk about why you disappeared all those years ago?" She shakes her head and I purse my lips.
"Don't you think that's selfish?" I say and stand up. My short temper is already running out.
"Selfish?" Her voice sounds so tiny. Was it always this tiny?
"Oh you can speak. I thought you became dumb in the last six years." I say drily.
"I appreciate your help since last night Claudia but can you tone down your bitchiness for once." I roll my eyes at her.
"You know I can't." I sit back beside her.
"I guess the only thing that changed in the last six years is your wardrobe and boobsize." Amy says and we break out into a fit of laughter. I clutch my sides from the hard laughter.
"Don't tell me you got a boob job in Italy, Claudia. I remember them being too small six years ago." She says again and I snot at her jibe.
"They weren't that small." I protest when I get my laughter in order. She lifts her eyebrows at me and I giggle.
"Okay, they were small! I didn't get a boob job though. That's just something a man would make a woman do." I say.
"Oh my God. She still hates men." Amy groans playfully and I slap her shoulder lightly.
"I don't!"
"Okay how many men have you dated so far, Claudia?"
"Two." I poke my tongue out at her.
"Wow!"
"Yup. Actually, I was engaged up until a few months ago." I sober up at the thought.
"What happened?"
"I got a promotion over him. He got mad and said some stupid things about me getting the promotion because I was a woman. You know I don't stand for such chauvinism!"
"What did you do to the poor man?"
"I threw his ring at him and quit my job. I needed a fresh start anyways. I got an offer here in Nigeria and here I am." I sigh deeply but smile right after.
"I don't know who to feel sorry for. You or the poor man who got assaulted by your sass."
"Come on. Enough about me. How bout you. Any prince charming? How bout the guy at the wedding?! What's his name again..."
"Chuks?" I clap my hands and nod.
"Yes, Chuks! He was good looking enough and he was really in love with you from what I remember." I say.
"Love huh? Coward left like everyone else." Amy bites out. I sit up right at her serious tone.
"What happened to you, Amy." I ask.
"It's nothing." I see the tears after those words but she turns away from me.
"I didn't leave you, Amy. I looked for you. No, we looked for you. We saw about your father's death on the news. I called. Claudia used her father's connections to find you but nothing. I had to leave for Italy but I made sure Claudia promise kept looking. That's until she stopped taking my calls as well." I pull her face back to face me. I brush the tears with the pad of my thumb.
"I'm so sorry. I was so ashamed." She sobs and throw herself into my arms. I pat her back soothingly till the tears exhaust itself.
"It was awful, Claudia. They took everything from my mother. We had to leave for her parent's village down in the East." She says with a little whimper. I feel so bad for not being there for her through everything she tells me happened to her family.
"That's just insane! It's only in Africa that a woman suffers such atrocity. It's the 21st century for Christ's sake. You should have sued their asses!"
"We did, but my mother got hit with stroke. We could not attend any of the court dates after a while. I had to give up and take care of my mother."
"I can't believe I wasn't here when you needed me the most." I say after a while.
"That's all me. After everything, we became so dirt poor I just couldn't face you guys. I mean when I called Chuks and told him, he broke up with me. I guess I was no longer in the same class as you guys."
"That's ridiculous. I've always been dirt poor. That was never a problem to me for our friendship." I point out.
"But you're Claudia. Nothing shakes you." She says and I smile darkly. I guess I'm that good in hiding my feelings.
"But---" There's a knock on the door and Blessing peeks her head through when we don't answer.
"I have to leave now. Good Morning sis Amy." She says to Amy who smiles brightly at my baby sister.
"Damn Blessing! Is that you? Wow, she really has grown." Amy says to me. I roll my eyes when Blessing grins like the Cheshire cat.
"Go on now. You'll be late, b." I tell her.
"Right. The food is on the table. Bye sis Amy!" She calls and locks the door behind her.
"She's gotten so big." Amy says and I nod.
"Six years is a long time."
"Yeah."
"Come on. I'm starving." I look down at my wrist watch. It's a few minutes past 8. Oh no! I'm late.
"You late?" Amy asks when she notices my panicked look. I relax my face and smile.
"I'm not. Let's go eat." I deserve to be late for today's meeting. The actor I'm supposed to be meeting is the same one who stood me up at the party last night. He should have a taste of his own medicine.

Read " Beautiful Mask " by the same author ( Ameh juliet )

. After all I waited for him for two hours last night. I can be late one hour. I take Amy's hand and pull her up.
"Wait. Put those clothes on. I can't have you shock my father to death with your state of undress." I laugh and she blushes. 
"Turn around so I can dress up them."I smile but turn around anyways. Amy is still the same Amy from years ago. How lucky am I that I found her last night?
"Okay! I'm done. You can turn---" a ringing phone interrupts her. I turn around to face her as she picks her phone up to answer the call.
"Chinedu what's wrong?" She says as soon as she connects the call.
"What?! Oh no!" I catch her falling body just in time as her phone falls to the tiled floor.
"Amy! Hey, open your eyes." I slap her face lightly. Teary eyes blink open to look up at me.
"What's going on?" I ask.
"She's gone. My mother." Oh no! I pull my friend into my arms and rock her while we both cry.