Amidst the Ache

In an attempt to shield her face from the rays of the rising sun that crept through her curtains and threatens to drag her back to reality, she rolled on her tummy with eyes shot and franticly perused the bed with her right hand in order to get hold of the duvet. On reaching it, she sadly hears her alarm clock wailing. “Don’t tell me its 9.00am already, I barely had enough sleep.” she said as she stretched her hand towards the bedside table on her left and turned off the alarm. 

Exactly three minute after she closed her eyes to sleep again, her phone began to ring. "I’ll let it ring, its bad enough I’m locked down without my consent and still can’t sleep to my satisfaction” she mumbles as she covers her ears with the duvet. The phone kept ringing and she finally reached for it with disgust “gosh it’s mum" she whispered to herself . "Good morning, mum” she said while sitting up.

 “Morning Samantha it’s me Dona.” There was a moment of silence and one could hear the sound of Samantha’s agitated breathing. “Why are you calling with mum’s phone?” Samantha asked. “Mum is bathing and she asked to let you know that Nancy is on her way to Abuja already and would be at your place in an hour's time.” Dona replied

 “I thought she won’t be coming over until Friday!” Samantha grumbled. 

“Well today is Friday dumb head and don’t tell me you are still in bed.” Dona teased “I’m not in bed, I am reading” Samantha lied “and I thought today was Wednesday” “lol, Sam I know you are still in bed!" Dona said through laughter. "You just get your lazy bone out and fix your house which obviously is a mess.” “get of my phone Dona!” Samantha yelled as she pressed the end button.

It's been four months since the lockdown began, three weeks since she got the breakup message from her boyfriend and also received the sack letter from the New City Monument Bank where she had worked as a Marketer for five years. Not only were these news shocking they had hit her harder than the berg that caused Titanic’s wreck and to nurse her broken heart, she locked herself up within the corners of her room as darkness became her solace and pain her companion while she drowns in an ocean of self pity.

“ Arrg Dona makes my skin crawl!” she exclaimed “and how is today Friday?” she asked while trying to figure out what she had spent the week doing. On going through the calendar in her phone, she yelled . "Jeez, today is really Friday what have I been doing all through this week?" in an attempt to answer she began to startle "I em.. I emm... Wait! am I starting to suffer amnesia or what? How did we get to Friday what happened on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and even Thursday? have I been getting drunk every single day? Lord, my life is a mess !" she cried out.

Frustrated on being incapable of telling what had happened through out the week, she dropped her phone on the bed and laid her head on her thight while muttering inaudible words. As though dragged by an unseen being, she jumped off the bed and hurried into the bathroom to wash her face and mouth. “Nancy would be here in no time I need make this place look presentable” she said and begins to brush her teeth.

Neglect could be seen vividly displayed in the restroom as the white tiles on the wall and floor of the bathroom had hint of yellowish stain as a result of not being cleaned in a while. Also, In the bath tube lies a heap of unwashed clothes and in a blue bucket at the far end of the bathroom were undies that had been soaked since God knows when. “eww… this place reeks” she said.

After washing her face, she seemed to have just broken free from a long time spell as she could barely recognize her restroom and kept looking around like a lost puppy “what happened here?” she asked in shock. Few seconds later, she came off the daze and walked back to her room. Empty bottles of alcohol where littered on the floor and on the table were leftover foods that where beginning to go bad, broken cups and plates complimented the disorganized room while pieces of papers in hooks and crannies gave her studio apartment a tint of crazy. Her one time white throw pillows were baptized with red wine while her bedsheet seemed to have been arranged to play the role of a doormat . “Did I finally loose my mind?” she asked again in a shaky voice as she rushed and began cleaning.

“How the hell did I forget that today is Friday, I practically remembered reciting it a hundred times that Nancy would be coming over on Friday the 18th” She said as she pours detergent into the washing machine that now holds the dirty clothes.

As a result of the lock down, movement was restricted and mum had called her last week to inform her that her cousin Nancy who just rounded off her compulsory service year would be staying with her in Abuja until the airports where reopened for international trips.

Thirty minutes to go she said as her 9:30am alarm went off. At this point, she was done doing the laundry and had cleaned the rest room. She then proceeds to take the dirty plates to the kitchen and began getting rid of the broken bottles and stained throw pillows. Her ex-boyfriend Joe had bought those pillows he had claimed they fit and compliment her furniture perfectly as both of them complimented each other. While taking the last one off the floor, tear-drops escaped her eyes “and he vowed he would never leave me” she scoffs angrily while hitting the pillow on the floor as though she would kill the non-living. For the first time in weeks she broke down and cried profusely for all she had lost.

At about 9:45am, Samantha had successfully brought life back to her apartment and was getting ready some handmade décor when her phone began to ring; “It must be Nancy” she said as she picks the phone and answers the call. “Hello dear, where are you now?” she asked while checking to see if anything wasn’t in place. “I’m at the gate of the estate but the security man won't let me in he asked I call the person I’m here to see” Nancy replied. “ Please can you give him the phone, I’m sorry I forgot to give them a heads-up about my having a visitor today.” Samantha said. Nancy could be heard through the phone handing over her phone to the security officer. While confirming that Nancy was here to see her, Samantha quickly does some final touch in her living room area as she place the décor here and there. She gave the security personnel her apartment number and ask they please help Nancy locate the building and with that, the call came to an end. Samantha lights up a scented candle that was placed on her dresser, and quickly made her way to the bathroom to have her bath. 

Ten minutes later, she is all dressed up in a flowered home wear and is adjusting her hair bonnet when she heard a knock on the door. She sprayed her cherry bloom perfume and headed to welcome her guest “You are welcome Nan…” She got cut short by her mum, Joe, Dona, and two others echoing “Happy birthday Sam” immediately she opens the door. “ my birthday, its my birthday” she couldn't believe her eyes and stood shocked Dona had to push the door wild so they could all get in. “ thank you mum, thanks everyone, you all remembered I totally forgot.” she said while hugging each person. On reaching to hug Joe, he goes down on one kneel and opens a cute black box holding the most beautiful ring she had ever seen.

“Sam I have watched you grow and thrive in all you do, I’ve seen you in all your shades and I’ve never regretted being a part of your life and you a part of mine. These seven years with you have been the best yet and I would be glad if you would do me the honor of being my wife” he said. Stunned, she look towards her mum and then Dona hoping to find answers or get a clue of what's happening from their now smiling faces. She gradually brought her attention back to Joe and looked searchingly into his eyes “b... b... but the message Joe, you said you where done with me. I don't, I don’t understand where's all this coming from?” She asked finally getting her voice back “I’m sorry dear that was all…” “it was a prank” Dona said laughing as she cuts him short. “I sent the breakup text he wanted this to be a surprise and you know him he can’t hide anything from you especially when you communicate often so I came up with the idea and yes, before you ask I, Nancy and Mum have been in Abuja for two weeks now we left Kaduna during the last relaxation for grocery shopping. We didn't want to bother you with our arrival as we wanted you to get yourself together especially when we heard about your job.” “ Sam I’m really sorry about the prank but I really love you and would love if you will accept to be my bride” Joe continued “ say yes! say yes!” the uninvited guest echoed while making funny faces. “I’ll marry you Joe, I'll marry you but I’m so going to pay you back with a more expensive prank” she said as she busted out laughing she handed her left hand to him and he carefully slides the diamond like ring in her index finger and lightly kissed her hand. Samantha hugged and kissed him back while crying and laughing. Happy birthday and congratulations filled the air and lost in awe she walked towards the window still holding onto Joe, she never got to find the best explanation for what just happened and how the sadness of weeks could fade within seconds. To her, today held the best moments of her life.