Chapter 4 My Chapter

Never have I been this happy to see someone in my life. I think today's the only day am glad I got to know him.

Nothing at all." She smiled brightly. "We were just catching up on old times. Isn't that right, Muna?" She smiled at me before letting go of the rod in her hand.

"Darling, what are you doing here?" She seductively purred as she walked toward him.

"That was still the words you said when I saw you with her."

Kachi brushed past a flustered Jenny and walked toward me.

"Are you alright?" He checked me for injuries.

"Am fine." I brushed him off and picked up my purse, which was discarded during my fall. I turn to him. "As you can see, it is alright."

"Are you confident?" He turns to Jenny. "I hope I don't meet what I saw today again."

With them talking, I started fast walking towards my mom's shop. I would rather not be caught alone with Jenny and her venomous girls.

"Wait for me!" Kachi ran after me. "Why did you leave me there?"

He walked beside me without saying a word. Not even talking of what he saved me from earlier.

"Thanks for that." I gave him a look. "I don't know what would have happened had you not been there earlier."

I don't trust Jenny not to hit me with the rod she took up with her.

"Anything for you, darling. Your knight in shining armor Always comes to the rescue. " He puffed his chest.

"All you, stop calling me that? You're always being smug. " I frown at him.

I don't know how I feel about him calling me darling and all those endearments.

"You know I can't. You better start getting used to it, darling." He cockily said with a smug smile.

"Suit Yourself." He smirked at my words. That's it, he smirked.

He escorted me to my shop before he went back to his shop.

I won't openly admit it, but am seriously glad he came to my rescue. This makes it the tenth time we've saved me from the four deadly venoms.

I'm afraid I won't be so lucky next time. They might make sure to double-cross me when they're sure no one's going to save me.

*

Sprinting to the parlor, I stopped dead in my tracks when I heard whispers coming from there.

I stopped and leaned on the wall to better listen to the conversation going on.

For my parents to murmur as they talk, it seems they don't want me to be privy to what they're talking about.

I am to go in there now, I highly doubt they'll be able to continue with what they're talking about.

My presence will lead to the abrupt end of the conversation.

"Am afraid we don't have enough to go by. As it stands, feeding is gradually getting difficult." Father said in a resigned tone.

"I know. I've pleaded with my boss, but he's still adamant about stuff." Ud said.

I can picture Ud tugging on his hair like he does whenever he's frustrated.

"The rent is due in a month and so are Ugo's school fees. I'm afraid we'll be homeless in a month if nothing happens. " Mom said in a dejected voice.

Hearing their words made me decide on things.

"I'll get a job if it helps pay some bills." I blurted out. Surprising them with my words.

"Chidinma(A name Father rarely calls me) you know, you're finding a job is not Imyoption. You're still young for that. All you have to concern yourself with is your education." Dad smiled at me.

"You can't baby me all the time. I'm not a baby. I know things are hard, and you can use any help you get, even if it's from me, your baby. Please, Daddy, let me help in any way I can." I tried to reason with him.

"She's right. Though on normal circumstances, it wouldn't have allowed it desperate times calls for desperate measures." Mom stood up and walked toward me.

"Am glad you saw reasons with me." I smile at her.

With mother's acceptance of my words, it won't take long before father and Ud agrees to his words.

"Which job do you have in mind?" Ud asked.

"I don't know as of now, but I'll check the advertisement sections in the daily papers for job vacancies for high school graduates."

"Ok. Let's hope for the best. "

"I pray."

*

It was on Tuesday, and mom have gone to the market to get some things needed for bead making.

I'm currently writing an application letter to a law chamber for the post of secretary.

The pay isn't much, but it's something. At least I can make use of it to pay some bills.

"Hello?" I heard a familiar voice call out. "Is anyone in the shop?" The soft voice asked.

"Yes, come in. " I stood up from the chair I was sitting on.

In came the same boy who got lost two days ago. Today he's putting on sweats.

"Hi." He smiled at me. The smile on his face made him more handsome. Today, he looked more different than he was when he came here those days ago.

"How can I help you?" I pretended not to remember who he is.

"I came to buy some beading materials." He looked around the shop. His entire focus is n the beads arranged on the walls.

"You came to the right place." I smile at him. "We sell the best beads and the materials." I took out some of the beads we placed on racks.

"This isn't the material I want." He touched the fishing line. "This isn't the real one. The materials are inferior."

His words made me coil my hand in a fist. My anger at his words made me almost give him a tongue lashing, but I withheld myself from doing so.

I have to restrain myself from saying anything. After all, he's a customer.

He touched one of the stone beads. "This isn't an original stone bead. This is a fake. I thought you sell original beads, but they turned out to be fake.

All you sell here is fake." He touched the beads I made. "There's nothing inferior in these things."

His words made me angry.

"If they are not to your liking, you can leave my shop. You don't have to tell me what's superior and what's not in my shop."

If I thought of his handsomeness before, I don't anymore. How can he talk of our beads like that?

"I am trying to let you know that these are not original beads."

"Original my foot! How can you tell me that? Do you know how much we bought the beads? Do you know how scarce these beads are?" I walk towards him. "You might be rich, but that didn't give you the audacity to talk of things you don't know. Not at all."

I hate it whenever those who think they're the rich talk of things that ddon'concern them at all.

"What you have to do is pick up corrections. These beads aren't original. You're just fooling yourself by thinking otherwise."

"Fooling myself?" I scoffed. "You're the one fooling yourself and not the other way around. People like you who don't know your right from your left has no right in what concerns you not."

I walk back to the seat I was sitting on.

"You have to make corrections when you're given one. What if a person buys from you, and ends up discovering it's a fake? How do you propose to get yourself out of things?"

"I don't need your counsel, Mr. Rich boy. I can do just fine on my own."

Taking up the letter I was written, I focused on it. If he gets tired of standing, he can see himself out of my shop.

"What are you writing? An application letter? You need a job?" The stupid poke-nosing rich boy asked.

"What business of it is yours?" I place the letter on the table and faced him.

"it's nothing," He nervously smiled. "I just thought you might like...."

"Keep your words to yourself. " I deeply frown at him. " I never asked for your opinion, mister. "

" It's just...."

" Are you through with talking? If you are, you can awe yourself out of my shop."

I might have initially liked him, but that's in the past. I don't do that anymore.

"I thought you might be...."

"I did want to know your thoughts or anything like that. Just kindly leave my shop, I have some important things to do, I don't have time for your nonsense. "

I hate when people ask things and pretend to know what others want. I can't take it when they do things like this. It gets on my nerves.

"You're seeking employment, I can....."

" You can what? Did I ask for your opinion? Did I ask for your help? Last I checked, I never enlisted your help.