PART 7: The Watch My Grandmother Left Me

I sat on my bed for a while after Nancy walked away, contemplating whether to simply sleep and forget everything or finally confront her.

Because honestly, why?

Why was I still tolerating all these? The same Nancy that wasn’t even contributing to rent.

The same Nancy whose dirty linens I had washed more times than I could count because “she wasn’t feeling well.” The same Nancy that couldn’t defend me today. Was she still the same girl I could once swear my life for?

I was still lost in my thoughts when I suddenly heard a loud crash from the kitchen.

Kpaa!

I rolled my eyes so hard that I almost saw my ancestors. I stepped out into the hallway immediately.

“Nancy! Abeg small small o. I just bought those plates after the last set you broke.”

This time, I couldn’t even hide the irritation in my voice. I had had enough.

You know, I have always been that friend who ignores people’s flaws and focuses on their good side because, well, nobody is perfect. I am human too and God knows I make my own mistakes.

But somehow, since my circle of friends increased from one person to three, I had become the designated flawed friend.

The one everybody corrected. The one everybody mocked. The one everybody had opinions about, while I ignored their own shortcomings.

How fair was that?

I was about entering my room again when I heard hurried footsteps pounding towards the hallway.

I paused, folded my arms across my chest, turned around and whispered to myself.

_”This conversation is long overdue. Bring it on.”_

The terror in the person of Nancy appeared moments later.

“You know what, Yemi? I have had enough of your nonsense!”

I blinked.

_Excuse me?_

She continued before I could recover.

“You actually think you’re better than everyone, abi? You don’t talk to me like that because I am not your slave. Yes, I may be living in your house but that doesn’t give you the right to walk all over me.”

Wow.

Just wow.

When I thought audacity couldn’t get any braver, it appeared in human form.

“So I’m the one walking all over you?”

I laughed. A dry laugh.

“Nancy, do you know how many ceramic plates I have bought this month because you refuse to be careful? Do you know how much I spend in this house every week? The only consistent contribution you have made in this house is the CO₂ you emit without fail.”

The words came pouring out before I could stop them.

“I am tired, Nancy. Tired of being ignored. Tired of being disrespected publicly. Tired of pretending everything is okay when it clearly isn’t.”

My voice cracked. “I miss my friend.”

That seemed to catch her off guard.

“I miss the Nancy I met in secondary school. The girl I called my sister. The girl I could have sworn my life on.”

At this point, tears had already gathered in my eyes.

I had kept those words locked up inside my chest for months because I never wanted to hurt her. But saying them now made me feel relieved.

And guilty.

Because the pain that flashed across Nancy’s face immediately made my heart ache.

Was there still any trace of the Nancy I once knew?

Nancy remained silent for almost a minute.

Then she sniffled, shook her head and said the words I never thought I would hear from her.

“You know what, Yemi? You’re arrogant because your parents have more money than mine.”

The words landed like a slap.

“But tell me, is your father’s money still helping you now? How is his business doing these days? You can’t even afford wigs anymore. When we asked you to do business with us, you refused. But you could trust one man enough to invest with him.”

She scoffed.

“What did you gain in the end? Nothing. You failed at love. You failed at business. It is even good Susan removed you from the money-making group because—”

She froze immediately.

The regret on her face was instant.

My heart dropped. “What?”

Silence.

“Nancy, what did you just say?”

“You girls had a group?”

Suddenly, so many things began making sense.

The outings without me

The sudden change in attitude.

The exclusion.

So they truly did not want me around anymore.

But why?

Was it because I refused to join the business Susan introduced after NYSC? At that time, things were difficult for my family and I was doing everything possible to support my mother.

And the comment about my father?

Wow.

Just wow.

“Nancy, answer me.”

She looked away.

“I am sorry. I didn’t mean to say those things. I was angry.” She attempted to move closer, but I immediately held up my hand.

“Please don’t.”

“Yemi, please. You know you are the only sister I have. We’ve been friends since secondary school. I am sorry.”

“Nancy, you are not sorry.”

The hurt in my voice surprised even me.

“If there was anybody in this world I thought would never hurt me, it was you.” Tears slid down my face freely now.

“I shared everything with you. My secrets. My dreams. My knowledge. I have lost count of the number of assignments and examinations I helped you prepare for.”

I swallowed hard. “So why?”

By now, I was emotionally exhausted.

I turned to leave, but Nancy suddenly pulled me into a fierce hug.

“Yemi, I am sorry. Please forgive me. I didn’t want Susan to kick me out of the group too. You know how she can be.”

She refused to let go despite my struggling.

Eventually, I said the words that always came easily to me.

“I have heard you.”

She pulled back immediately. “Are you sure?”

I nodded.

But there were still questions I needed answers to.

The group.

The gossip.

The secrets.

I wanted to know everything. After all, they say keep your enemies close, right?

So I looked at Nancy and asked quietly, “Tell me about the group.”

She hesitated.

So I added, “I may even be interested in joining now.”

That seemed to work.

“Okay,” she said reluctantly. “But don’t let the girls know we had this conversation.”

So there truly had been a lot going on behind my back.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

Curious to hear everything, I dragged Nancy into my room, completely forgetting that the complimentary card Kemi Kuti had given me was lying on my bed in plain sight.

Little did I know that before this night would end, another secret was about to be exposed.

_______________________________

Wow, please someone should check up on Yemi because this girl is just too gentle.

Aah! You will insult my father too? Omo, you for don almost meet your creator sha.

Anyways my people, what do you think will happen next?

Do you think Nancy is genuinely sorry or she’s only apologizing because she accidentally exposed herself?

Comment PART 8 to unlock the next chapter.

#thecomfortadeyeye#FictionStory#AllRightsReversed#NoCopying