28 days in Christmas Town✔

Chapter 2

Cover by naija_talentedwriter

Chapter 2
November 28

The drive home the following day, after yet another busy day at work, was surprisingly quick. There was no traffic or hold up which isn't like the usual Lagos traffic problems.

Within fifteen minutes, I was back at home and changed into a comfortable outfit as I watched television.

Mipo rushed in, distracting me instantly  as I pulled my gaze away from the TV show I was highly invested in. She paced around excitedly, waving her finger at me and wearing a smile all over her face. It was hard not to like Mipo. Aside from her friendly personality, she had a pretty face to match. Her mocha colored skin was something I loved about her. She wasn't the tall kind, only 5"5 at most, but her personality outweighed everything else. She had worn her favorite denim dress and pulled her hair in a low ponytail.

I stood up abruptly. "Slow down, girl. What's up?"

She paused to look at me, but her huge smile was still plastered to her face. "Mayowa proposed to me. He asked to marry him and I said yes."

Then she put her hand out for me to see as I grinned at the beautiful ring on her hand. "Oh my God, Mipo. It's gorgeous. I can't believe you're getting married. Wow."

Mipo nodded quickly. "I can't believe it too. I'm so overwhelmed and I'm so happy about it. Abbie, I undoubtedly want you to be my chief bridesmaid."

My smile broadened and I pulled her into a hug. "I can't imagine refusing a lovely chance like this. It's not like you have a choice. No one looks better in a bridesmaids dress than I do."

"Don't worry, I'll pick the ugliest color, just for you." We both grinned, then she added.  "We're having a June wedding. We definitely want it to be a little lowkey. We haven't talked about anything but that. I'm just so excited."

"Me too. How about we have a toast to it. I'm sure we have a bottle of vodka somewhere."

"Yeah we do. Let me go get it."

I watched Mipo excitedly bounce off to the booze cabinet while I went to get two shot glasses from the kitchen.

Mipo giggled as she opened the vodka bottle. I took the  opened bottle from her and added a bottle of mio along with it, pouring them both into the glasses, handing her glass over to her.

"so what do we toast to?"

I raised my glass, giving her an amused grin. "To your beautiful love story and finding the one."

Mipo wore a sad look that I couldn't decipher at that moment. "And to our friendship. Mipo and Abigail all the way. I would miss us being roommates because I can't picture being roommates with anyone else."

"think of it in this way, marrying Mayowa would make you have a lifetime roommate. Only difference is that, he would make you happier than I ever can"

"That's the cheesiest thing you've said all day. Just being my best friend till the end is the only happiness I ask for, from you."

I blinked back tears, trying to pull off a playful look "Look who's being cheesy now. Don't you dare get all sentimental on me. We've got a long way to worry about that."

Mipo laughed. "God, you're the best."

I smiled at her, then finally voiced out my worry. "My only concern is that I'd have to look for a new roommate."

"You can live alone here. Heck, you can afford to pay for this apartment alone even if it was twice the house rent. I'm the struggling assistant to a company's CEO. You're the hotshot journalist."

"Hotshot journalist or not, you know I hate staying alone."

Mipo nibbled on her lower lip. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot."

I didn't say anything. I didn't need to. I hated staying alone and I didn't care what people thought about that. After growing up in a family where I wasn't a priority, loneliness was all I had and I didn't want that anymore. I didn't want a reminder that I was alone. I hated that.. Mipo living with me, was a sign that I was never alone. I had my best friend with me, but her getting married was a bitter reminder that I was gonna be alone again.

I shook off the unhappy thought swirling in my head and lifted up the bottle from the table. "Wipe off that sad look from your face. Today's a day of celebration and we are going to drink until our eyes peel off."
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Hours had rolled by as Mipo and I sat outside, gazing upon the stars, with a glass of vodka in our hands. Star gazing was our usual hobby, even back then in university. We used to sit outside our dorm and stare at the beautiful nightlights. We would talk about our dreams and aspirations and make promises to keep in touch as often as we could.

Those times have passed but yet our friendship remained strong. Mipo had seen me in my best and worst times, and still stood by me. I wholeheartedly did the same in any situation she came across. We were each other's rock and having her in my life was an unspoken blessing.

Mipo admitted in a hushed voice. "I was scared Mayowa was going to break up with me"

I turned my gaze to her, watching her emotions slowly and not saying anything as she continued.

"He was acting weird lately and I was afraid he was going to dump me. We'd been together for over two years and I assumed he was tired of me. Then he asked me to go to his place today and I was sure he would dump me. I was surprised to see him on one knee, proposing to me. I had to say yes. I love him."

"Mayowa's the best there is. I'm glad you said yes"

"I can't believe I'd be a wife. An actual wife. The whole thought is scary."

"Personally, I like not to think about marriage. I'm married to my job whether I like it or not."

"That's insane, Abbie."

"No, it's not. Every guy leaves me whenever they realize how much of a workaholic I am."

"You can slow down, you know. It's not a race. Everyone else's lives are moving on too. Take care of you. Take up new hobbies and travel. I'm not talking about work-related travel."

I twisted my lips into a small smile. Mipo knew me well but she could never understand my point. "If I'm not married by thirty. I'd go adopt a baby and enjoy the rest of my life."

"You know you don't need to put any pressure on yourself."

"I know. I'm not. It's not like I'm giving myself a time limit. I just hate feeling left behind. It's not a wonderful feeling."

Mipo simply squeezed my hand gently, and said. "Just do whatever makes you happy. "

The truth was, I didn't know what happiness felt like anymore and I wasn't willing to admit that to Mipo. It seemed so unreal and unrealistic that it scared the hell out of me. so I pressed my lips tightly, saying nothing as we both stared at the stars, sipping our vodka from the glasses in silence.