RESOLVE

Chapter Six.

~Sarima's POV~

Squelch...squelch...squelch.

Came the squishing of the two pairs of flip-flops on the bad wet road that led to Onome's house.

There were smelly black soils and dirty bins beside the drainage system from the sanitation conducted earlier today. The rain had made a mucky mess of it on the road.

The air was chill and breezy from the aftermath of the rain, and the road was void of vehicles.

I was enroute to deliver a pair of leather slides, bag and ankara sandals to Boma, who was currently at Onome's place.

Homa was tagging along, chatting away about the job she'd secured as a replacement babysitter at a daycare in one school.

She was also taking selfies on her new iPhone, which her best friend, Amira, had gifted her.

"Smile a bit nau," she frowned at my stoic face in her pictures.

I sighed and attempted to smile as she took more selfies.

"Your smile looks forced, see." She showed me the screen of her phone. "Like you missed your period or something." She ducked from my incoming swat, cracking up.

"Abeg, stop disturbing me." I frowned, shrugging her hand off my shoulder.

"Oya, just this last one." She pleaded as she clicked away, her hands raised.

My eyes landed on her unshaven armpit hair. "Look nau," she tugged at my chin.

"If you want to raise your hands like that, shave off the hairs on your armpit first."

She hissed, rolling her eyes and dropping her raised hand to cover her armpit.

"If this place can be like this, down south should have already turned into a wig."

"Ehn, leave it. I'll buy a shaving stick when I get home."

We both sighted a madman on our lane, approaching with a whip, as he pointed at objects on the wet floor and inside the smelly gutter and spoke unintelligibly to them.

We quickly crossed over to the other lane to avoid crossing paths with the psychopath.

The screeching tyres echoed loudly as the vehicle brake was put to use.

A car had nearly hit us.

The car stopped, and my heartbeat sped up, adrenaline kicking in.

Homa held my hands, standing beside me, her heart also pounding as the face of the driver came into view with the tinted glass window winding down.

"Are you guys okay?" Then, finally, his question came in.

I was expecting an outburst, not this.

We were already pulling an audience as people glanced in our direction.

"Yes, sorry...sir." I apologised, trailing off. My fast thumping heart from the near accident gradually returned to its normal pace.

He nodded, staring at me dazedly. Homa and I exchanged a look and continued our movement, her hand still entwined in mine, I guess she was still in shock.

The Venza honked a little and soon was beside us again.

"Umm, excuse me ...I, err...was wondering if you know a hotel creme de la creme. It's being renovated, I think, around here." The toned man who looked to be in his mid-thirties asked me. His words stumbled out of his mouth in a very defined manner, making me want to improve my vocabulary while addressing him.