Chapter 3 3

Six months later

'What would you like to ma'am' I ask, twirling the pen in between my fingers while holding the note pad for taking orders in my other palm 'You!

''Pardon?"

I pretend not to have heard her the first time, maintaining a professional look with a bit of frown.

'You heard me Tad'

She replies giggling, opening ogling me without shame.... I almost shrank away, disgusted by her audacity.

'First of all, my name is Tade not Tad. Secondly you can't have me cause I'm not on the menu so save us the stress of going back and forth' She sighs dreamily and licks her lips, looking me over.

'Such a shame.... you're one hot piece of cake, but with a very boring personality she flips her long blond hair over her shoulder 'Thank you! 'That was not a compliment though 'She adds drily picking up the menu like it a piece of trash.... she does this all the time and it gets on my nerves like mad but I have to maintain my cool in other to maintain my job.*********Starting all over again wasn't easy, I knew this but nothing prepared me for all the hardship I faced in upon my return. I stayed with Tammy for the first three months, her husband was in Ghana on a business trip so it wasn't awkward living with her and her little kids, no one knew I got back until after two weeks of my arrival when mom paid a surprise visit to Tammy and I stupidly open the door without thinking to checking who it was... she almost had an heart attack seeing me. As expected their was another round of tears and emotional moments, she was very mad at me and Tammy for keeping my arrival a secret from her and didn't talk to us for weeks, it took insistent begging for her to let go of her anger and grudge. Soon everyone in the family found out and even those from my old neighbor where mom still lives, then the rumor and bad mouthing started.... it got so bad that I would lock myself up in the house for days, I was scared to come out and face their hurtful words and it started taking a toil on mentality. Tammy came to my rescue again this time. After about two months of staying with her, she came back one evening and broached the topic of me getting a job. 'Who would want to employ an ex convict like me? 'Have thought of it a couple of time and it only saddens me the more 'Please stop being pessimistic, you have to get your life back on track or people won't stop bad mouthing you, you have to show them how strong you are by moving on 'She got me a job in less than a month after our discussion, a colleague of hers' was quitting to open up a restaurant in a remote village which is fast becoming a tourist destination, it was a very nice plan so Tammy spoke to her on my behalf, luckily she didn't have a problem with my past, infarct she sympathized with me because one of her cousins had gone through something similar. I got the Job and started working here for the past three months, it was a new change being away from people who know my story and never miss and opportunity to taunt me, here no one knows me and I was starting afresh and getting my life back on track. Everything was going well and the restaurant was moving really well, even more than we expected but peace and tranquility never lasts long, about two weeks ago another nerve wreaking white woman came into my life but this time nothing would make me repeat the mistake of my past.

*********

10:00pm'......... I need you to make a list of all the food items need and send it to the supplier by tomorrow.....'She says, flipping through the account book 'Okay ma'am......'I reply, pulling of the strong of my apron to get to work. 'It Sandra not ma'am..... and you don't have to do it now, it late and you should get some rest after the day hard work 'Today was a very busy day for us, the restaurant was packed full to the brim and I had to work double shifts because some of the waiters were a absent from work. 'Okay Sandra.......''And yes.... thank you very much for today' 'It's nothing, I was only doing my job which you paid for' Sandra is a really cool boss and I enjoy working with her, Tammy was sure I won't regret getting this job and she was right about it .'Have you had anything to eat?' 'Na..... not hungry' 'I'm not going to have that, Tammy will have my head if anything should happen to you' I laugh knowing she wasn't bluffing, Tammy threatened her to take care of me or she would come after her. Sandra packed enough food to feed a family and handed it too me, she does this all the time despite my protest that I can't finish half of it. 'Good night!' She waves me off. I started walking back to my little self con apartment, it was very dark and late and everyone had gone to bed already, unlike in Lagos and new York, the people of this little town always go to bed very early so you hardly find anyone out this late. But for the last few days, I always get this nagging feeling that someone is following me. Who's there?' I stopped and looked in the direction of where I heard footsteps... no one answered for a while and I was about walking away when the stalker made herself known 'Hey Tad!' She calls, coming out of the shadows 'You again? 'The blond white girl. 'Have you been stalking me? ''Yeah.... and it's really so fun 'She came towards me still maintaining that sickening smile, I move out of the way before her hands could touch me. 'what do you want?' "you! 'She keeps saying this every time and it irritates me.... Suzy use to act the same way and I hate anything that reminds me of her, i scoff and turn away from her. I sigh 'It late already, don't you think it dangerous walking around aimlessly little miss blond' 'Oh... so now we're on nickname base, "little miss blond", it sound kinky, I like that' 'Go back to your lodge, it late already 'I dismiss her like a child.... in my opinion she shouldn't be more than 19 or 20, just an hormonal teenager who wants a steamy romance with a stranger... effect of too much movies. 'Maybe you should escort me back, I think I missed my way.....''No you didn't....''C'mon Tad, how can you let me walk all the way back to the lodge, what if something happens to me? 'This girl is bent on driving me crazy, the more I try to keep her at arm length the more determined she is to I trust in my life... she came into town with a couple of her college friends some two weeks back and they came to the restaurant for lunch during my shift so I attended to them, I notice she kept staring and smiling at me seductively and since then she always come everyday and request for me to always be the one to attend to her, sometimes she would wait for almost an hour for my shift time just so I will be the one to serve her.

My Co workers are beginning to talk and gossip especially kemi, they even started calling her my girlfriend and nothing I say would make them believe I have nothing to so with her. 'I didn't drag you out here so find your way back'

'But Tad.....'I walk off not bothering to listen to what she has to say. I know girls like her, spoilt rich kids who east things to go their way all the time, just like Suzy .I'm finally getting my life back on track after so long and I don't need her type barging into my life again, I'm going to keep my distance not matter what, I would never allow her meddle with my life no matter how obstinate she is.