cute graduation dresses

Episode 1
A Story Is Written By G-race Fiction
2 years and a few months back, somewhere
in Abia state Nigeria.
I was in a restaurant with my two very good
friends, Chichi and Chioma, we were out to
just gist and have fun. I’m a 22 year old
graduate of Bowen University but I live in
Abia state, I had just returned back from
school after my graduation. My whole family
was there to celebrate with me at my
graduation, but now I want to do it with my
friends.
My friends and I don’t go to the same
school, but that hasn’t stopped us from
being real close. Chichi is closest to me,
we’ve been friends for years; I tell her
everything and anything.
“so Ada, how does it feel to be a graduate of
mass communication?” asked chioma, she is
the cutest amongst us, she has a perfect
figure eight, average in height, dark skin, and
a very dark hair, which is thick and natural,
she normally leaves it into a short afro,
which makes her look really beautiful, she’s
a perfect example of an African queen.
“I took a sip of my coke, placed it back on
the round table where we sat in the middle of
the restaurant and looked at her, then I gave
her a big wide smile and said,
“it feels awesome”, I felt giddy and excited
and I expressed that by smiling like a moron
and getting restless on my seat as I
continued, “I can’t wait to start my service
(Nysc), start work as a reporter and tell
stories of every kind, whether good or bad, I
just can’t wait”. I said
“nawa, na so you dey excited?, abeg make
this strike vamoose so that I too go, go back
to school make I graduate” said chioma, her
university which is not a private university
has been on strike for a few months now,
lecturers have refused to teach ‘cos they
haven’t been paid.
“Don’t worry it’ll soon be called off” stated
chichi confidently.
She is light in complexion like me, same
height as me and very beautiful too, her hair
is brown in color, she’s slim like a model but
has wide hips and a tiny waist and she
knows how to dress.
“but that might be in four years time” she
said, we both burst into laughter at this,
while chioma just glared at us, she’s the
only one that refused to go to a private
university, said its boring as hell, that she
wanted to have fun. Well she’s having fun
now right?
“ehnn, continue to laugh oh, continue, I don’t
blame you, mshww” she rolled her eyes,
placed her drink back on her lips and took a
huge gulp, we didn’t mind her, we just
continued to laugh, it was then I felt my
pocket vibrate, my laughter reduced to little
chuckles, I dipped my hand into the right
side of my jeans trouser pocket and pulled
out my phone, saw it was a number without
a name, wondered who it was but still
answered it all the same. I said hi, the
person asked if I was ada, I confirmed that I
was, and that was how my world came to an
end, with only that confirmation. My family,
the whole of them, dead.
………………………………………………………………………………… cute graduation dresses
…………
Present day.
Two weeks after Fola’s wedding.
Gibson
I was in Michael’s office working on my
laptop, when Ada walked in. my eyes moved
to look at her when she spoke.
“Gibson lunch is ready, do you want to eat
here or in the dining room?” she asked,
sounding like she wanted to be anywhere but
here.
I looked at her and I did that for
approximately 5 seconds without saying
anything. She stood there patiently waiting,
but I could see that she was getting ticked.
So I stared some more, just because I enjoy
it when she gets ticked, she gets really cute
when it happens. Finally she broke,
“Are you hungry or not, seriously I have work
to do”
Now we’re talking, she was glaring at me,
One side of my lip went up into a smirk
which ticked her off the more, she whirled
around and began to stomp out of Michael’s
office in her cute fitted black skirt that went
with a blue top and some flat shoes, looking
amazing.
She was a few feet to the door when I
stopped her by calling her name. She
stopped and waited, her back facing me. I
knew she wasn’t going to turn around for me
to talk to her so I launched into what I
wanted to say.
“Babe, since Michael and Fola went for their
honeymoon, you’ve been avoiding me,
whenever we manage to meet you avoid
talking to me, how long will you keep doing
this?”
But she didn’t say anything, she didn’t even
move, she just stood there.
“Ada” I called
But she still stood there like a mannequin.
“Ada” I called again, still she didn’t move. So
I got up and walked to her, once I was
directly behind her, I placed my hand on her
shoulder, she immediately jerked her
shoulder and turned around to face me, still
glaring, then she said.
“Look, we have broken up; you are now the
friend of my boss, not my boyfriend, so
please let’s keep it that way”
Then she turned back around and walked
out, ok this has been going on for far too
long, time to stake my claim, I was done with
this , this has to end, I don’t mean us as a
couple ‘cos as far as I’m concerned we never
broke up, she’s just having a phase, she’ll
come out of it soon, and that “soon” is
today.
So I followed her, right up to the kitchen,
occasionally she would turn her head to look
at me walk behind, then she would quicken
her steps, but I always caught up with her.
As she got to the kitchen, I held her by her
wrist, then pulled her towards me making her
turn around fully to face. Then I grabbed her
by the side of her neck, got real close, and
pecked her on her forehead. Once I was done
I looked at her, and the look on her face
made me chuckle, she had on a stupid, cute,
funny look.
I looked to the kitchen to see the maids were
there staring at us, one even had her mouth
hanging agape. Well then, that should do it.
“Did you just do that?” this was said by my
sweet Ada, in a whisper,
My head turned away from looking at the
maids to look at her when she spoke, then I
answered once she was done speaking, “yep,
I just did; now the whole house will know we
are back together”
“No we are not” she said in a whisper.
“Yes Ada we are” I replied her.
“But…but… we’ve broken up” she stammered
“No we haven’t,” I said.
My hand was still holding her by her neck
when she bent it backwards to look at me,
then she said, no longer whispering.
“Gibson, I remember vividly breaking up with
you in the pool a few months ago, we are no
longer together, we have broken up, so I
don’t understand that stunt…”
She didn’t complete her sentence ‘cos I
pecked her again on her forehead.
This made her to jerk back in surprise, I still
don’t understand why she‘s still getting
surprised by it, I do it all the time to her,
well I haven’t been doing it ‘cos I’ve been
giving her some space, but now I’m taking
that space back.
“Will you stop doing that?” she bit out
angrily, “I said we have broken up, you are
now a friend to my boss, and friends to my
boss don’t kiss me on the forehead, ok, so
just stop it”
“Sorry babe, I can’t , and even if I could, I
wouldn’t, and sorry again ‘cos I know you
really love to talk to me right now but I can’t
do that, we’ll talk once I’m done with the
work I’m doing in Michael’s office”
Then I kissed her yet again on her forehead,
this time I noticed her mouth was hanging
open like how the maids’ mouth was, the
only difference is hers is cuter than the maid.
Then I turned around, and walked back to
Michael’s office, grinning as I did.
…………………………………………………………………………
What in the world just happened?, I
specifically said we have broken up, and yet
he’s acting like we’ve been courting for four
years now. Or is he deaf?
As I stood there thinking maybe Gibson is
deaf or is just plain stupid and forgetful, I felt
the eyes of my co workers looking at me. I
turned my head to the side to look at them,
and like I was some soap opera superstar,
they stared at me.
“Don’t you girls have work to do?”
“yeah we do , but looking at what just
happened is way better than working” said
one of the maids, I rolled my eyes at her,
ignoring her, all of them, then marched
forward in search of Gibson. If I have to
scream it into his ears in order for it to
penetrate into his brains that we have
broken, I will.
But when I got to Michael’s office, he wasn’t
there, hmm…where is he, as I walked back
thinking where he might have gone to, I saw
Nancy walking to the door, looks like she
wants to go to the supermarket to buy the
ingredients for the pastries I want to teach
her. But before she goes, let me ask her if
she has seen Gibson.
He didn’t even tell me where he wanted to
eat, guess he isn’t hungry.
………………………………………………………………
I was walking to the main door of the house
when I heard my name, I turned around to
the sound of Ada’s voice, she was walking
fast and briskly towards me like she was on
a mission, I hope I haven’t done anything
‘cos she looks pissed.
She asked as she walked towards me,
“where is Gibson, have you seen him?”
I sighed in relief and it was a big one, glad
she wasn’t pissed at me, she squinted her
eyes glaring at me, I saw the look, I know
that look so I quickly said, “ I have no idea”
And really I don’t, I saw him 3 hours ago in
Michael’s office, he’s the boss for now,
because Fola and Michael are on their
honeymoon in Dubai.
“You don’t know where he is?” she asked
again, still glaring at me.
“No Ada, seriously I don’t” she kept giving
me the glare, while I waited patiently for her
to be done with it. She thinks the glare
scares me but it actually makes her look
cute. So it doesn’t hurt to take the glare full
on whenever she gives it.
She gave up giving me the glare, sighing in
the process, realizing it wasn’t working, then
she turned around and walked to the kitchen
yelling, “when you see him, tell him I don’t
want to see him, he doesn’t exist, and that
we are done, so done” (explanation: when
you see him, tell him I desperately need to
see him, pronto).
“Sure will” I said, grinning at her back.
I stood there grinning behind her, when
suddenly I heard.
“You’re grinning”
I jerked in surprise at the sound of Stephen’s
voice, he was walking towards the stairs, he
had a towel around his waist, barefoot, and I
could see the droplets of water coming down
his skin, exposing his six packs, flat tummy
and from where I stand it looks hard, this is
mainly because he works out, with the
droplets of water on his skin it means his
wet, which means he just got out from the
pool.
“Yeah I am so?” I replied back, smirking at
him
He shook his head, like I was a child in need
of home training, “ Ada doesn’t need Gibson
desperately”
My mouth dropped open in shock, how in the
world did he know what I was thinking? He
wasn’t in the room when I said it. Or was
he?
Hewalked passed me, ignoring my reaction, I
spluttered for about three seconds then
demanded, “how did you know what I was
thinking?” then I shut up, realizing my
mistake, maybe he didn’t know it, maybe he
just guessed it, and my stupid big mouth just
said it out loud letting him know he was
right about what I was thinking. Shoot! I’m
so stupid.
I’m totally going to ignore him for the next
two days, no speaking, no hanging out,
nothing!.
“Nancy you can’t stay a minute without
talking to me, so your plan of trying to
ignore me for the next few days, won’t
work”.
My eyes bugged out, he was at the stairs
right now, he took the first step, turned
slightly around to grin at me, then took the
next step and kept on going up the stairs.
I heard him chuckle deeply ‘cos of the look
on my face, I watched him go up the stairs
until he got to the top, totally freaked out at
his ability to read my mind. Then I watched
him disappear from my sight. Slowly, oh so
slowly, I turned around, walked to the door
like a zombie, placed my palm on the door
handle, and pressed it down. It made a click
sound, then I pulled it open, and stepped into
the hot afternoon sun.
Before Ada came to me, I was on my way to
the supermarket to buy some ingredients for
my baking lessons. I’ve been watching some
really nice videos on how to bake some
amazing pastries, so I’m going to try baking
them ‘cos they look amazing, but I won’t be
doing it alone, Ada will be supervising me.
But after experiencing Stephen’s ability to
read minds, I’m not sure I can go to the
supermarket any longer.
“Hi sugar plum, you ok?”
My eyeballs moved on its own to look at
Becky standing slightly to my left facing me,
looking at me like she thought maybe I
needed medical attention, and she might be
right.
I nodded my head woodenly at her meaning
yes; she tilted her head to the side, trying to
figure out if I was saying the truth.
“You look like you’ve been given a shot of
the zombie venom, you sure you’re ok?” she
asked again, and again, I nodded my head.
She still looked unconvinced so I decided to
convince her by speaking and this is what I
said slowly and quietly,
“Stephen… can…. Read…. minds”
“Huh?” was her reply cos she couldn’t hear
me.
I shook my head to clear the fog that was
clouding my brain and repeated more firmly
saying, “Stephen can read minds, did you
know that?”
She looked confused for a moment so I
asked again, “did you know Stephen can read
minds?”
“well…I don’t think…” she started, but I
interrupted her by saying,
“Why didn’t you tell me he can read minds?”
I said with an attitude.
“hold on sweetie” she said, raising her hand
palm out in front of her trying to keep me
quiet so she could answer but I spoke again.
“No, Becky why didn’t you tell me he can
read minds, I’m sure he has read everything
I’ve thought about him for the last…..” I
stopped speaking, as I tried to think of how
long I’ve been with the smiths’ family, but I
couldn’t remember so I continued with my
rant.
“I can’t remember how long, but you still
should have told me?”
She decided not to speak, she just watched
me instead, silently.
“I mean, I’m sure he has been laughing his
head off at all my inappropriate thoughts,
thinking how much of an idiot I am”
Then feeling totally stupid and embarrassed
at the picture I had painted in my head, I
ended with, “ God, this is awful”
“Inappropriate thoughts?, oh do tell” said
Becky, and to my dismay, quite excitedly.
“I’m serious Becky you should have told me”.
Then I kept quiet, she was quiet too, we
stared at each other, then I prompted saying,
“So?”
“Oh, are you done ranting?” she asked.
I rolled my eyes, then my eyes rolled back to
look at her, then I gave her a look, a look
that said I’m done ranting, now I want her to
talk, so I won’t look foolish ranting for
nothing. She understood my behavior so she
spoke.
“Well firstly, Stephen cannot read minds”
I attempted to speak, to let her know that he
actually can but she raised a finger stopping
me, my mouth clamped shut, then I stood
there listening, she continued.
“And what are the inappropriate thoughts?”
she asked, I tried again to speak, but once
again she stopped me.
“Hold that answer…, next, I’m sure whatever
the thoughts are, he won’t mind, he’s a nice
boy and an understanding one too, I mean
have you met his brother?”
I kept quiet, having nothing to say, I mean
what do I say?
The look she gave me said she wanted an
answer to her question; but I kept quiet, so
she said
“ok don’t answer me, but you do know he
can’t read my minds right?”
“Of course he can, he told me exactly what I
was thinking Becky” I said, sounding really
convinced that he can read minds.
“No Nancy he can’t”
I was done with this; she won’t believe me,
fine. I’ll just leave it the way it is. I walked
forward heading for the car parked in front of
me, but she stopped me by asking, “Where
are you going?”
“To the supermarket” I replied still walking to
the car, Bello was already in the driver’s
seat, so I opened the back door of the car,
bent, got in, closed the door, and then we
drove off, Leaving Becky standing there,
watching us leave.
…………………………………………………………………………………
……………………
Four days later.
Ada.
I was in my room, standing bent forward in
front of my bed and I was talking to myself;
yes I said that, talking to myself.
“Ok, so I have everything I need, my
handbag, which has my phone and purse in
it, and also my bottle of water ‘cos I get
thirsty all the time”
Like I said, I was speaking to myself,
checking to see if I had everything I needed
for my trip to the market. The house is in
need of some essentials, I’m to get them,
which leads to now. So right now, I’m about
to leave to get these essentials. As I stood in
front of my bed, I heard.
“Babe”
I rolled my eyes to the voice of Gibson
calling me babe, again…I mean when will he
get it, I’m not his babe, we are not together.
“Babe” he called again, so I turned around to
glare at him.
“What” I replied heatedly.
But he wasn’t moved by my glare, nope not
at all. He just walked casually into my room
from where he stood by the door like the
room was his, right to me and said.
“I’ve been waiting for you outside with the
car for over 20 minutes, how long does it
take for you to get your handbag and
phone?”
As I looked at him, I imagined using my
handbag to hit him hard on his head, but of
course I didn’t, I’m not that kind of girl,
instead I said, once again heatedly “I’m a girl
Gibson, it’s what we do, we take our time to
get our stuff. So get used to it”, then I
grabbed my handbag and phone from my
head, walked straight by him, and out of my
door.
As I walked in the hallway, I felt him walking
directly behind me; I was quite pissed ‘cos I
hated the fact that he has to be the one to
take me to the market. I’m big enough to go
by myself, but he just won’t listen. My god,
he’s so stubborn.
As I got to the stairs, he came to walk
beside me; so I decided I should ask what’s
currently bothering me.
Going down the flight of stairs, I said.
“Why are you taking me to the market sef?”
Sounding nasty.
Gibson replied not bothered by my nasty
attitude, “I’m taking you to the market ‘cos I
want to Ada, and Bello isn’t home to take
you”
We were now in the middle of the stairs
when I stopped to look at him and ask, “But
I’ve been going to the market myself for over
a year now, why now, why do you have to go
with me now?”
At my question, Gibson regarded me
carefully, and then he said, “Remember what
happened to Fola, for weeks? “
I nodded my head, he continued,
“She couldn’t sleep well, we were all scared
about what could happen next concerning
her, no one was safe, not one person… do
you remember?”
I nodded my head again, getting scared at
his behavior
“Do you?” he asked again, quietly but firmly,
like it was a threat.
I nodded once more, my chest beating really
fast, At my answer, he continued.
“Well, if you do, then you’ll know why I’m
being careful, only God knows the problem
you’re in right now, and now that people
know we are together, I have to be extra
careful protecting you”
Then he continued down the stairs after that
weird last statement.
I stood there dumbfounded, confused about
what he said, what did he mean by the
problem I’m in, I’m not in any trouble….and
what people?, we aren’t together, God this
dude is frustrating.
Gibson had gotten to the end of the stairs
when my brain started to work again, so I
walked down the remaining stairs stumping
my feet at the bottom for some added effect.
I had to do that so he wouldn’t think his
scary statement scared the living daylights
out of me.
Gibson just stood by the entrance door not
minding my behavior, I glared at him as I
walked, he just chuckled, yes he chuckled, I
have no idea what’s funny or what I’m going
to do, my glare doesn’t work on him, in fact
it doesn’t work on anyone. I just have to
look for another way to get him off me, and I
have to do it fast.
…………………………………………………………………………..
Some place in Tejuosho Market, Lagos state.
I walked in front of Gibson, while he played
bodyguard as I looked for the things I needed
to buy, I got to a shop that sold provisions
and seeing as we needed some milk, sugar
and other necessities, I decided to patronize
the shop. As I stood there prizing and
talking, I felt someone looking at me, I
quickly looked to my left to see a man
staring at me, like practically staring at me,
wearing a black hoodie with black track
pants, even as I stared at him he didn’t stop,
he just continued to stare, the look in his
eyes caused me to shiver and not in a good
way.
Lost in my own thoughts of why the man
was staring at me, I jerked to the feel of
Gibson’s hand on my waist, I bent my neck
slightly to the back to look at him and saw
that his eyes too was on the man.
“Are you done?” he asked eyes still on the
man.
I nodded my head, I wasn’t done but still
anyone in my situation will say yes.
“Let’s go” he said, his voice edgy.
I didn’t argue, didn’t give him any lip, I just
obeyed and turned around, his hand was still
on my waist, while the other was holding the
bag containing the stuff I had bought earlier
on.
Then he led me directly to his car, a black
Mercedes Benz E-class that was parked
outside the market, he opened the passenger
door for me, I got in, he closed the door, his
eyes still alert. I looked around, turning my
head this way and that, but I could no longer
see the creepy guy.
My head turned to the sound of the car door
opening, and then I watched as Gibson bent
and got in to sit behind the wheel. He closed
the door immediately, started the car, and
pressed his foot on the gas, and off we went.
None of us spoke; he just drove us straight
to the house, his face a mask of stone.
We got home safe. We both walked into the
house and I headed for the kitchen with
Gibson behind me. Getting to it, Gibson took
a hold of my hands, I looked at him ‘cos
seriously I couldn’t think, my mind was just
on the guy that was staring at me weirdly.
We stood by the kitchen, my hands in his
when he spoke, “from now on Ada, you don’t
go out alone, understand?” he said firmly, I
was not to disagree with him with the way
he sounded, and I wasn’t planning on doing
so. So I nodded my head, he nodded back at
me, and then he let go of my hands to pull
out his phone from his pocket. He dialed a
number, then placed the phone to his ear. A
few seconds later, he said into the phone,
“Bello….yeah, we need to talk, something’s
not right” I stood there looking at him as
Bello spoke at the other end of the line,
Gibson continued to speak.
“No not Nancy, it’s Ada” silence….
And then “yeah, it’s not good, get back as
soon as you can….ok, later”. Then he placed
the phone back into his pocket with his eyes
still on me and repeated
“No going out alone”
Ok then, this is a serious matter, so I guess I
should also be serious about it, so I agreed
by nodding my head at him.
Once I did, he turned around and walked
away, leaving me standing there with a
jumbled mind.
What in the world is going on?
To be continued……………………………