Pelumi's Memoirs - 19

I started 

To write you a letter

But I wanted to be more clever

Can we talk for a minute?

-Tevin Campbell 

****

Nkoyo had admitted that she'd invited Celeste when Liyel confronted her.

"Nkoyo, stop trying yourself, else you'd trip flat on your butt!" Liyel admonished.

"I've said sorry about ten times in the last ten minutes bro! Is there no forgiving and letting go in your dictionary?"

Nengi Akenzua walked into the kitchen and found her children bickering.

"Liyel, I heard parts of your conversation. Your sister has apologized. Please forgive her."

"I wonder o!" Nkoyo chimed in.

"Mum, you see? Can you see how she's acting? Tending other people's garden, meanwhile yours is full of weeds and rodents! Mum please ask her who she's dating." Liyel spat out angrily.

Nkoyo laughed. "At this young age of mine? Bro, please o!"

"Okay, continue!  Continue poking your nose where you shouldn't." Liyel remarked angrily before walking out of the kitchen like a bull in a China shop.

"Good gracious!" Nkoyo said, heaving a sigh of relief.

"Hmm... Good gracious indeed! You know how your brother feels about Celeste. You shouldn't have gone out of your way to invite her."

Nkoyo leaned against the refrigerator. "I know mum and I'm so sorry I can't help it. Celeste is perfect for him but he's too blind to see it."

"Let your brother be the judge of that. Stop meddling in his affairs. Promise?" Nengi looked at her daughter for affirmation.

"Okay, mum. I promise I won't."

"Good girl." Nengi replied.

****

Celeste stole another glance at Liyel. She had been trying to get his attention all evening but he had completely avoided looking her way like she was some sort of creature with five horns. Twice, she had tried to talk to him and he had ignored her. He had been chatting with one of Tare's guests for well over an hour now. Laughing and gushing over like she was some sort of deity. She felt frustrated and had no idea what to do.

"Maybe you should go home." Nkoyo said as she came round to talk to her. 

Celeste heaved. She was tired of fighting this battle. It had become such an arduous task!

She waited around till most of the guests were gone before walking up to Liyel who was looked like he was about to head to his car. She held his arm. "Liyel, please let's talk."

Liyel took a step back. He shrugged his arm off her grip. "Start talking!" He said angrily. 

"I was thinking we could talk. You know....about....."

Liyel laughed, interrupting her. "You want to talk about what?"

"Celeste Braithwaite, lobbying for my family's help to get closer to me is just low and dirty on your part. Stop acting desperate. Have some dignity!"

Celeste swallowed the hurt she was feeling down her throat. "Liyel, please! All I'm asking for is another chance."

"Look, let me speak in plain English. I don't want you. You don't mean anything to me. Your explanation doesn't mean anything to me. I stopped having feelings for you decades ago. Nothing is ever going to change that. Just move on! Having gotten everything off his chest, he walked away.

If she could pray for the earth to swallow her, she would. His words tore at her self-esteem and shook her. She was a fool to keep going after someone who didn't want her. She reached out and picked her purse on the table sniffing. She wiped her face with the back of her hands quickly. It was dark where they stood but she was sure Liyel had been loud enough for a few people to pick up the gist.

She was rushing out of the compound and into the street where her car was packed when she bumped into someone. It was Tare. "Sorry..." she quickly uttered and kept walking fast. Tare caught up with her.

"I take it things don't go well between you and my brother?" Celeste nodded avoiding Tare's gaze. She was struggling to stop the tears that were threatening to fall. She didn't want to embarrass herself further.

When she got into her car, she let the tears flow freely before switching on the ignition. 

Amidst tears, Celeste drove to her two bedroom apartment at Durosinmi-Etti Court in Lekki. The gate man was trying to make small talk, but she wasn't feeling up to it. She smiled a little at him, parked her car in her usual spot and walked into the building. She turned on the light in her apartment when she was finally inside and switched on the air conditioning before kicking off her six inched black patent pumps. 

She sighed and walked into her bathroom examining her face in the mirror. Her eyes were red and had become puffy from crying so hard. She picked up the box of tissue and dabbed her eyes. Next, she reached for her facial wipes and cleaned the makeup which had become messy on her face.

"Celeste, chai! You have suffered! See your life o!" She said aloud.

Her phone chose to ring at that instant. She shook her head. Not tonight! She didn't feel like talking to anyone. It rang again and again. She felt like throwing it against the wall. Walking over to the couch where it lay, she looked at the screen to see who was calling. 

"Essien, you chose to call me at this time?"

"Celeste Braithwaite o! It's only 10:30pm! Quit sounding like some old lady!"

"I know. It's just that I've had a rather bad night."

"Liyel..." Her voice shook. Even the mention of his name brought the memories of the night back.

"Celeste, are you there?

"Yes, I'm here."

"You've been crying right?" Essien sighed loudly. "I've been telling you to give up on whatever it is between you and Liyel. The guy has clearly moved on. My friends tell me about how they always see him with different girls at the clubs. Does that sound like someone you should still be having feelings for? You know what, I'm coming over. I don't like the way you're sounding."

Celeste sniffed again. "Essien, it's okay. I'll be fine. It's rather late."

"Well, I'm coming over anyway!" Essien remarked firmly. 

****

Ineye frowned where he stood at a distance observing Liyel and Celeste's gestures. They seemed to be having a heated conversation. He turned in the opposite direction and went to get himself a bottle of water. 

"So what did you think about the party?" A voice behind him whispered. He shut his eye and opened it. He would always recognize that voice even in his sleep. 

He swirled round with a serious look on his face. "Ebitare, what are you doing sneaking up on me? Am I being stalked or what?" He reached for Tare's hands and held them in his.  "C’mon, tell me, Buttercup! Are you stalking me?"

Tare burst into laughter. "Good lawd! For a minute, I thought you were mad at me or something. Buttercup? Really? You know what it reminds me of?"

"Pray, tell." Ineye answered. 

"Buttercup sounds like something from an Enid Blyton storybook!" Tare said chuckling.

“I remember you used to love those. Ineye replied. "Rat-a-tat Mystery, Famous Five, the Twins at St Clare's...."

"Beautiful memories. I found Amelia Jane's story particularly interesting." Tare added.

"The jolly good old days!" Ineye said with a smile on his face.

"Penny for your thoughts?"  Tare asked when she realized he was suddenly pensive. Ineye rubbed his hand over his hair. 

"I was just thinking about the good old days before ill winds came blowing against my family like an unforgiving Tornado."

"I'm sorry....." Tare squeezed his hand. 

"Well, I suppose I should give thanks in all things. So says the Bible. Today, things have definitely taken a 360 degree turn for good."

Tare smiled. She hardly read her Bible but those words rang true to her. 

Tare's fingers were still entwined in his. His eyes roved over her stunning body. He broke their hold and reached for the bottle of water on the table which he gulped hard. 

“Fix your thoughts on what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and admirable.” It felt like someone had just whispered the words into his ears.  His thoughts had become impure. It was time for him to head home. 

"Tare, I'll be on my way now. Got to catch some sleep tonight. It's been a rather long day.”

 “Enjoyable day." He added.

Tare nodded. "So, are we heading to Whispering Palms this weekend?"

"Whispering Palms?" Ineye asked with incredulity in his voice before he got the memo.

"Tare Akenzua, are you asking me on a date?"

She stuck out her tongue at him. "If the shoe fits!" Tare answered coyly. 

****

Liyel had been over the moon. He had found the girl he wanted to do life with. Her name was Celeste Ndidiamaka Braithwaite.

He and Ivan had schooled at Massachusetts while Celeste had schooled at Boston University.

One night, one of their friends, Ibiwari Oyitso had thrown a house party and invited a good number of her friends over. That was where he met Celeste. He had been unable to tear his face away from her tall, slender figure and hour glass shaped waist. Her light colored skin glowed and in that instant, he had felt a very strong attraction to her.

He remembered walking over and speaking with her. "Hi, my name is Liyel and yours is?"

Her eyes, veiled with long lashes had swept over him. Ivan was watching him from afar with some of their friends. He prayed to God she wouldn't be the nasty type who would send him running with his tails in between his legs. He stood tall waiting for her response.

"Celeste." She'd said to him.

"Celeste Braithwaite."

"A beautiful name for a beauty like you" were the exact words he had said to her.

"I'm in my sophomore year at MIT." Liyel told her proudly.

He had been super pleased to see her eyes widen in shock. "Wow! Amazeballs! I attend Boston University."

"Great school!" Liyel had responded.

"Not just as great as yours!" Celeste had retorted.

They hit it off that night and began dating in the days that followed.

Though they were the same age, Celeste had been in her freshman year while he was in his sophomore year at MIT. They were the inseparable pair just like two peas in a pod.

Liyel took his mind off the past. He had just gotten home and was feeling rather low especially after the altercation with Celeste.

Dang! He couldn't forgive her no matter how hard he tried. Every time he saw her, the memories of the past came flooding back.

He reached inside the fridge for a bottle of beer. He was on the third bottle, when Ivan strolled into the sitting room with his IPad in his hand.

"Dude, what's up? Three bottles of beer?" Ivan asked, worried.

"Yeah, one of those days!" Liyel replied belching loudly.

Ivan looked at his brother, squinting. “Wanna talk about it?"

"No, Ivan. Go ahead. It's nothing!"

 Ivan hesitated for a minute before heading for the stairs.

****

"Celeste o, look at you! Poor baby!" Essien exclaimed when Celeste opened the door leading into her apartment. She gave her a hug right away. Celeste struggled to keep the tears at bay.

"Let him go! He's not worth it!"

"Essien, you don't understand! It's not Liyel. It's me."

"How can you say that? Look, I have heard bad stories about Liyel. You are better off without him!"

Celeste's heart couldn’t take what she was hearing. “It’s my fault." She insisted.

"Would you like to talk about it?" Essien asked. "You look like you need a cup of tea. Do you have any?"

"Yes, it's in one of the drawers to the right in the kitchen."

"Okay. Lemme make you a cup and you can talk to me."

Celeste nodded while Essien walked into the kitchen.

"Do you want the Chamomile or Lemon Ginger tea?"

"Chamomile is fine." Celeste replied her.

"Okay, here we go." Essien said, while placing the cup of tea which was in a saucer on a table. "Want some honey too?"

"No, I'm fine." Celeste smiled a little.

"Okay, let's talk!" Essien remarked raising one brow.