RESOLVE

Chapter Thirty Nine

~Author's POV~

"What are you looking for?" Somi asked Adams as his eyes had been subtly looking around her father's sitting room in concentration and his hands kept flying to check the side of his pockets.

"I think I dropped my wristwatch Somewhere."

"Have you checked the car?" She questioned.

He nodded affirmatively.

He'd come to pick her up to spend the rest of her day at Hotel Presidential which was where he had been staying ever since he came into PH. Their return flight to Lagos was the next day and he'd waited outside the compound for her, before coming back inside to check what was keeping her and had seen that she was packing her suitcase. "So it'd be easier to go to the airport together, tomorrow." She'd grinned at him and went back to the room to continue doing what had been keeping her.

Mama was in attendance of a women's meeting at the church but was still very much aware that Somi was about to leave.

"The Patek Philippe?" Her eyes were like saucers as he nodded.

She knew that the wristwatch cost over 40 thousand dollars and she began to panic.

Let it not be what I'm thinking, she thought to herself.

"Did you drop it somewhere?" She abandoned her suitcase and began to raise the throw pillows from the couch and sliding her hands into the corners. "Nah, I never took it off here."

She stood straight sucking in her lower lip as she asked. "Did you come in contact with anybody? Handshake or anything of that sort?"

He nodded, "Yeah?" He dragged, "Your brother and his friend outside."

Wene and that thiefing Samuel of a friend that he had. Somi thought. What sort of embarrassment is this?

"Give me a minute." She headed into the passage of the quiet house leading to Wene's room with a frown. She knocked at the door calling his name but there was no response so she barged in.

The room was empty and a mess. His yellow bed sheets were almost black and the wall beside the bed, unlike the normal blue painted room, was black too.

Old plates he'd used to drink garri were on a table and plastics of different empty carbonated drinks were on the floor.

Wene was a pig, she thought to herself as her nose automatically flipped in disgust. No wonder he had so many pimples.

She opened a drawer and it was empty except for a roll on.

She stood up in frustration looking around cause she knew he'd come back inside this house to check on her as she was packing inside her room to leave and say his farewell.

She backed out and started heading back to the parlour where she luckily ran into him and his friend.

Adams looked up from his phone from the couch he was sitting on.

"Please come with me." She said to the both guys as she felt embarrassed confronting them in Adams' presence.

They followed her to the front porch and the guilty look Wene had on his face already confirmed her suspicions. Samuel had a frown.

"Did you take his wrist watch?" She swallowed, asking quietly.

They both shared a look.

"What wrist watch?" Samuel asked.

"Please give it back if you took it, that watch costs over 30 million naira." She stretched out her hand.

Wene had a restrained look as he looked at his friend from the corner of his eyes, trying to mask his fear.

Somi massaged her temple in frustration. "Please just give it back if you have it so we'll be gone." She requested between clenched teeth.

After waiting in silence for a minute she directed a pointed gaze at Wene and he folded in a few seconds. He turned to Samuel and began to dip his hands into the pocket of the boy's washed cargo jean shorts.

The latter pushed him away. "Wetin?" His scowl had become dangerous and Wene directed an angry gaze at his short friend, pulled him back from escaping and forcefully got the watch out of his pocket.

"He took it outside," Wene confessed as Samuel hissed and angrily stormed out of the compound.

"And you allowed him Wene? Why nau?" Her voice was getting louder as her anger was evident.

"Why nau?" She slapped him. "Why are you embarrassing me?"

"I didn't know it cost that much." He pleaded, massaging his cheek with a grimace from the impact of her slap. As he retracted his step in case she wanted to strike him again.

"Is that an excuse to steal?"

"We just needed some cash, I'm sorry." He hung his head in shame.

"Wene go and find work if you need money, that's what your mates are doing. Working."

"Babe" She hadn't noticed Adams standing at the door until he spoke up. "Come," He was saying to Wene who cowered at the end of the porch in shame. "Here," he slipped out a few dollar notes from his wallet and moved to the man child, towering over him.

"No, don't give him. He should go and look for a job." Somi was holding him back in anger.

Wene was scared to collect the money. "Have it, c'mon." He urged the young man and the latter obliged. Apologising and simultaneously thanking him profusely.

"You can have my number and call me whenever you need something." Adams said to him and patted his shoulder before going back inside, after his angry and embarrassed girlfriend.

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"Leave it!" Somi had said to Wene who was trying to help her put her suitcase at the backseat of Adams' car, Few minutes after the whole altercation.

Her hostility towards him did nothing to waiver the huge grin he had on his face. And he kept on waving as they drove off until they were out of sight.

"C'mon mama, He's just broke." Adams said to her as she was still sulking.

"So you're justifying stealing now, even rewarding him?"

"No, it's just." He paused and smiled and his smile turned into a soft chuckle as his eyes were glued to the road.

"What's funny?" She quizzed, watching him casually navigate the road with a hand on the steering wheel.

"Why did you slap him?" He glanced briefly at her, amusement tinging his features.

"That's what's funny?" She asked.

"You can't go around slapping grown men, you know."

"He stole." She justified, "He had it coming." She rolled her eyes and he smiled again glancing at her as he made a U-turn.