She stepped out of the car in front of the church building and looked at it, but she wasn’t really seeing it, she was seeing her options and her mistakes and regrets. How did I pull it this far she thought.
“What are you waiting for? Step aside now” Dinma her best friend prodded her from behind as she struggled to get out of the car, she moved away from the car door, Dinma joined her and they both stared at the church building
“Amaka you can’t do anything now, you didn’t back down when Richard finally travelled out, you didn’t back away when Dare was introduced to you folks, you didn’t back down when they started liking him and when he came to do your wine carrying, you certainly can’t back away now, you’ve gone too far to try anything stupid” her friend reasoned with her. “Look at me, Dare is a fantastic guy and he loves you and you know with him there will be no uncertainties unlike Richard, do the right thing girl!” She said just as her phone rang, it was Amakas mum
“Mummy we are here” she replied anticipating the woman’s question
“I know you are here, I am watching you from the room upstairs, what I don’t know is why you people are just looking instead of coming, you people should come please, we need to do some finishing touches!” Amakas mum said before dropping the call
“We have to go” Dinma said shutting the car door and signaling Chukwudi the driver to go and park the car
***************************
16 months ago
Chidinma had managed to drag her to watch the marigold hotel part 2, even though she made it quite clear she wasn’t in the right frame of mind. She and Richard had fought again but this time they haven’t spoken to each other for about two weeks which was unlike the usual three days or max five days. So feeling in a singular relationship she had been sulking and Dinma had decided to pull her out of the rut, “the guy is busy enjoying himself and you’re going on as if you just became a widow, abeg jor snap out of it!” Dinma had told her, so she had dressed in her black jeans and black tank top with her white and blue flower kimono. And Dinma had forced her to do her usual ‘Amaka facebeat’ so she did. And she must admit she did feel like the upbeat Amaka that she was, and of course they took selfies in front of Diva’s accessories store when they got to Shoprite in VI Lagos. After they bought their ticket, they decided to go to Mr price and window shop.
That was where she met Dare, he had seen she and Dinma take pictures in front of Diva’s and on his way out saw them enter Mr Price and so decided to go acquaint himself with her. She of course didn’t give him any face being in her broken heart state and normal assumption that he wanted to meet Dinma not her, every guy wanted to get with Dinma. It wasn’t her light skin complexion or her pretty oval face that attracted people, the first thing anyone would notice about Dinma was her shape!. Compared to Chidinma Amaka was small, dark and her shape was plain admirable.
Dare introduced himself and exchanged numbers with Dinma since Amaka was acting zoned out. And through Dinma he and Amaka became friends. She and Richard got back together, she knew Dare liked her since she didn’t know how to tell him she was in a relationship, she kept hanging out with him keeping it flirty yet vague affair. One night after another argument with Richard, Dinma came to console her.
” I really don’t get it, why are you still with Richard?, me I’m tired of this back and forth thing you people are always doing, isn’t it obvious you people should just stop?” They were in Amaka’s bedroom and Amaka was lying down , her face was facing the wall as Dinma sat on the bed looking at her
“Dinma I have told you people don’t just break up because of little conflicts, how will you keep up in marriage if you keep giving up”
*sneering* ” oh you think you will get married to Richard? *more laughter* ” what do you even see in this guy? I mean what exactly is giving you this hope, he doesn’t have a job, has this grand unrealistic scheme of traveling to America—
” it’s not unrealistic, he will go, and he doesn’t yet have a job here because companies this days don’t—
” don’t have much need for psychology you said so several times, did you study banking and finance? Yet you’re working in a bank, what is wrong with you, you keep defending him, keep reducing yourself for him, he’s leeching off you and you’re letting him! She raised her voice
“stop shouting at me, I didn’t call you to shout at me” she cried louder