My mom wants to meet you” Richmond my boyfriend said.” She invited us to dinner”
” What? When? Why are you just telling me now!”
It was on a Saturday morning, this crazy guy could have told me this five days ago but he was just telling me now!
” Calm down babes. She is only inviting us to dinner tonight. ” he walked into the bathroom unclad.
My God! i didn’t have a single clean dress in my wardrobe! I used to send my laundry to the dry cleaners but my mom’ s health coupled with other expenses made me start doing them. By doing them i mean, pick what i want to wear the next morning and wash it the night before. By morning it would be dry, a quick touch of iron and I was ready to face the day.
” Rich I am going home! What time is the dinner?”
” 6 pm and why are you going back home?” he called out from the bathroom. I ignored him and picked up my bag.
” I will be ready by five. Yea come pick me up by five pm.”
I practically ran out of his apartment. I was just opening the door to my own apartment, when i heard the clap of thunder and it started raining. How will my cloth get dry now? My sitting room was a big mess, clothes were strewn on the sofa, a box of pizza sat on the table. I thought i had thrown it out! my house smelled like rotten veggies! what the heck! I was only at Richie’ s place for two days, how could it smell this bad? i searched for the source of the foul smell and voila! It was a bowl of salad i made some days ago. When did i leave this one here? oh! I made it for Richie and i must have forgotten to take it along with me. I washed it out, opened my windows to let in air and i totally forgot to rinse out the bowl and dry it.
‘ Grrrrrrrrrrrrr’
I picked up my phone from the kitchen counter.
” Is that proposal ready now?”
Linda.
” Hello….. Hello…. the network is breaking….”
I disconnected the call. Linda was my boss and the CEO of the company i work for. This was supposed to be a two weeks leave for me but she has been disturbing me with one thing or the other. I don’t have her time now, i have a bigger crisis on my hands. I rushed into my bedroom, I threw open my wardrobe and my heart skipped a beat. It was bare. I searched through my bulky laundry bag and picked out a long silky dinner gown. I gave it a quick wash, squeezed it extra hard to drain out the water. I felt it with my hands, yea it should be dry in no time.
Richmond picked me up some minutes to five, he complimented my look and i beamed at him. He was a tall guy with six packs, his nose was slightly crocked as a result of a fight in high school. He had no idea how i live or how much my energy battery was on conserving mode.I cook dinners at his place or take it along with me on my way to his place.
” Welcome son” A beautiful middle aged woman, definitely Richie’ s mom kissed him on the cheek.
” Is this your guest?”
No. His handbag.
” Yes Mom. Meet Tomi”
I was expecting him to say meet my girl friend Tomi. What was the essence of coming here if i don’t even get introduced as his girl.
” Do come in Richmond, dinner is getting cold.”
” Good evening ma.”
” Evening my dear” her eyes sized me and from her looks i was definitely wanting. My hand crept to my hair, i was always having a bad hair day because i don’t give it a good brush before going to bed. Or is it my make up? i don’t know how i always manage to smear mascara on my cheek bone. We followed her into the grand living room. I saw my reflection in a glass door leading to the stair case and i froze. I looked like a tangle of mess. My hair, if i could still call it hair looked like something a cat coughed up.
My silky gown had spots of dirts on it. My lipstick was a scarlet mustache around my lips. Why didn’t Richie tell me! the dinner was like a mini society party. There were kimkardshians look alike and Kate Middleton look alikes. They were all expensively decked out in pearls and furs.
” Hey Rich” A big boobed barbie walked up to us and planted her lips firmly on his lips.
” Woow! Woow! Alicia!” He laughed uneasily.
I walked away from them, it was all going wrong. It wasn’t what i envisioned. Now i know how Alice must have felt in wonderland. Nobody paid me heed and a glance backward showed Richie was no where to be found.
” Come, come to the dinning room” Richie’ s mom announced.
Everyone rose and i followed them. Someone took hold of my arm.
” Where were you?” I seethed.
” I should be asking you babes, I wanted to introduce you to my cousin Alicia but you were no where to be found.”
We went to the dining table, before Richie could pull out a chair for me, cousin Alicia had already pulled him onto the seat next to her. I took the seat beside her, Richie gave me a ” I am sorry look” .
They were all laughing loudly and talking at the same time……it was more like bragging. My son is in oxford, my daughter is in France learning the Art of s-x, my grandchild went to the moon. Alicia nudged me.
” Ehen”
She gave me a look.” Where did you school?”
” School? Lagos”
” Oh really? Richie and i went to Cambridge you know.” She faced him.” Those were the real days of fun!”
The others laughed like a pack of hyena.
” My dear you didn’t touch your Thai curry” this came from Richie’ s mom.
My gaze dropped to the bowl of yellowish soup with chunks of red pepper, carrot and chicken b—-t. She didn’t even ask me before dishing it on my bowl and exclaming it was Richie’ s favorite soup. The dishes on the table were a variety of Italian and Chinese dishes. I couldn’t say no so i forced a smile and put some into my mouth.
” Don’t you like it? i spent hours in the kitchen sweating to make all this” she pouted.
” I like it” i lied. Richie winked at me, he knew.
” Pablo Picasso. i think his works are masterpiece.” A girl with lips too big for her face said.
” What do you think of what she just said” Richie’ s mom directed her question at me.
What were they even saying? i gave her a blank look.
” Do you think Pablo Picasso’ s works are always masterpiece.?”
” Pa….pablo?. Yes”
A bald headed shouted “No, no, i disagree! i totally disagree with you young lady unless if you care to elucidate on that!”
They were all staring at me now. Richie looked uncomfortable. Alicia was smirking.
” I don’ t know who he is”
The noise died down, mouths hung open, eyes were widened in shock. I felt my cheeks burn in embarrassment. I stood up, i moved too fast, not knowing the chair sat on my dress, the sudden movement knocked the bowl of Thai curry onto Alicia’ s thigh. She shrieked. I turned around and fled from the room. I heard Richie calling after me but i ran and kept running. Out of the building, out of the compound, i wanted to run to the end of the world and take a plunge below.
To be continued..
