Chapter 4

Desewa! Desewa!! are you still asleep it's past 9 for

God sake aren't you going to work, Kemi yelled

banging on the door to her room, she got up to unlock

the door, what's up Kemi why did you wake me up like

that, I thought you left already until I saw your car

outside and it's unlike you, today is Saturday I can

decide not to go to the shop, don't you have client to

attend to? get up and get dressed.

When did you become so concerned, Sewa said

laughing, anyway I'm leaving, my manager just called

me I hope the money is good, alright see you later,

Desewa said closing the door.

She picked out an outfit from her closet, a skinny jean

with a smokey tube top, walked into the shower

vibing to Sweet caroline by Neil Diamond playing

from the stereo in her room.

I'm so hungry, i didn't eat last night, I need to eat

something, she said checking her refrigerator and

cupboard for a quick snack before heading to her

shop, there's nothing here, I'll get something on my

way to work.

Good morning ma'am, Tinu one of her apperentice

said has she entered collecting her handbag, good

morning dear, who owns the car outside? she's a new

customer she's has been waiting for you for a while

now, for a while?, what's wrong with you people why

didn't you call me what if I planned not to come

today, I'll come back to you, where is she?, over there,

she said pointing at her.

Good morning ma'am, I'm really sorry for keeping you

waiting, it's okay my dear, let's enter my office.

Welcome to Didi's how can we help you?

A friend of mine introduced you to me my daughter is

getting married in a month time I just got off the

phone with her she's meeting me here, I want you to

sew her wedding dress and other necessary cloths she

needs for the wedding, I hope we aren't late or you

can't finish up before then? not at all ma, we'll do it,

thanks for choosing us, we'll do very best ma'am.

Ma'am I think her daughter is here, Tinu said, lead her

in.

Good morning, I'm Layo, she said as she walked in,

Desewa, you can have your sit, thanks for choosing us,

you're welcome, I'm in a hurry can we make this

quick, alright ma'am, do you have a style already or

we should get our album, I have a style for the

wedding dress let me show you, she said stretching

her phone, this is really nice, can I send it to my

laptop to get a better view, sure, it's full stone, Sewa

said zooming in the picture, alright, I want that exact

type don't worry we gat you covered, how much is the

dress, note that we're not using just any kind of stone,

I dont't need the details just tell me how much it'll will

cost me to get that exact type, I'll have to do the

logistics first and get back to you I'm sewing to other

dresses one for the wedding reception and the other

for the after party, alright ma'am, Tinu get the album,

oh no i want you to design a new dress for me not

something you have or made before, okay then, that

won't be a problem, let me know what's on your mind,

what type of dress do you want, nothing is on my

mind I just want something unique, I'll have to get

back to you on that.

Ma'am, Mr Martins is hear to see you, Blessing said

as she walked in, as you can see I'm busy tell him to

wait, alright ma, give me your contact, here is my

business card, alright this is better, your account

number please, I'll send it you on whatsapp, please

write down your number, alright, thank you so much

for choosing us I promise not to disappoint you,

please get back to me on time on the other two

dresses and the bill, okay ma'am, I think we can leave

now mom, not so fast I'll have to take your

measurement, please make it fast.

Thank you for bringing your daughter here, you're

welcome, have a nice day ma'am , she said has they

left, Tinu please tell him to come in, alright ma.

I guess I came at the wrong time, he said walking into

the office, not really, she said, he stretched forth his

hand for an handshake, she shoke him back, you can

have your sit, thanks, how are you doing? he asked,

peachy, what about you? I'm fine too, I was

surprised when you called me yesterday, how did you

get my number? from your mom? I got it from your

Instagram page, and I was very sure you can't put a

nonactive number there, since I saw you yesterday I

couldn't get you out of my head don't mind my to

forwardness, If you don't mind I'll love to take you out

for dinner tonight, I have a lot on my plate, dinner

can't work, I'm free for now, I can order lunch for us, I

haven't even had breakfast, breakfast is very

important you know, I was going to get breakfast on

my way to the studio but I changed my mind, thank

God I didn't, I didn't know a client was waiting for me

and my so called apprentice didn't call me, I'll deal

with them later, should I order lunch, no, I'll get it

myself, he said, cause you don't want me to pay for it,

she said laughing, actually yes, I would like to treat

you first, I can order and you can pay, that's okay

then, let me tell one of my apprentice to place the

order, she said has she left her office.

Blessing place an order lunch for two plate of rice

at Ocean basket, alright ma, wait let me see y'all

first, call the others, Tinu, Halima, Ini, Joke, where's

Tola? Blessing I'm asking you, she said she's not

feeling too well and she won't be able to come today,

really? she couldn't send a text to me or call to tell

me she wasn't coming, she sent you to me, I don't

think she did cause if she did you won't be telling me

this now, right?

I want to know what's going on with you guys I really

want to know just yesterday I was complaining about

you not following the driver to deliver a wedding

dress today non of you called to tell me a customer

was waiting, y'all wants to form coup in my shop do

you want to ruin my business? Blessing start talking

why didn't you call? I knew you wouldn't come late

cause of the pearl you forgot to take home yesterday

and you might probably want to finish it this morning,

just keep quiet, you have no excuse, as soon as a

customer arrive and I'm not on sit you call me stop

assuming, do you understand me?, yes ma, they

chorused, next time something like this happens I'm

kicking y'all out of my studio, we're sorry ma, sorry

for yourselves, please tell Tola I don't want to see her

in my shop if she comes on Monday, in case I'm not on

sit when she comes, and if you like let me meet her

here, I'll give her your spot in the shop, Blessing is that

clear, yes ma, because I'm so linient with you doesn't

mean you think you can just act anyhow, don't let me

see her here on Monday Blessing, go and order the

food for me, she said angrily has she walked back to

her office.

I heard you raising your voice, it's nothing just

settling an issue with my apprentice, lunch will be

here in few minutes, tell me more about you, he

said, these place is everything about me, she said

smiling, apart from the shop.

I'm Adesewa but my friends calls me Desewa, I own

this place, I have an older brother and a younger

sister, what about your parents? my dad is late, sorry

about that, he said, he died when we were very young,

my mom owns a school and runs a fabric store,

thanks to my dad he left us enough before he died, tell

me about you.

Ma'am, your order just arrived, Tinu said entering the

office, take my credit card, Xavier said, alright sir, she

said dropping the food on the table.

I'm so famished, Desewa said digging into the bag with

the food, it was Fried rice and salad with chicken

thigh, let's continue from where we stopped, tell me

about yourself, I'm Xavier, I head my dad's petroleum

company and I own a drink, water and biscuit

company I'm thinking of going into sweet or

chocolate, I have a younger brother, my mom and dad

are alive, they travel everytime for vacation, I'm the

only one who loves business in the family, my brother

is a very good lawyer, still trying to build his own firm

though, wow that's really nice, what about your past

relationships, I've had series of girlfriends in the past,

I won't lie to you, I can't count, most of them

were after my money, I was engaged few years ago

but suddenly she went missing no one knows her

whereabout till date, she was my first love, I'm really

sorry about that, Deswa chipped in, I still don't know

why she left me, why do you think she left you? what

if something happened to her, let's not talk about that,

he said, tell me about your past relationships, well.....

I haven't been in a relationship for more than two

years now, I had one when I was still in the university

but we broke up three years ago, we started dating in

my second year I found out he has been cheating on

me with one of my friends and this was two years

after we graduated, we planned on getting married

already even though he hadn't proposed yet, since

then I just quit dating, that's really sad, I hope I change

your mind, I hope so, she said laughing.

All these girls work for you? yes, some are still under

training though, that's good, when did you start this

business, I started sewing since my first year in

school I made cool money then with time it grew

bigger, by the time I was in my finals i had this shop

already, I worked my way up here, you're making me

you're really managing your business well, thank you.

I'm pretty sure you're not up to 30 yet and you've

gathered all these, you're making me laugh look who's

talking, you have like four big companies and they're

doing great and I don't think you're up to 30 to, I'll be

30 this year though, what about you? just turned 26

last month, wow, when did you start your business,

when I turned 25 my dad resigned and put me in

charge, that same year I started building my

companies, I just started the biscuits last year and it

has grown lot, all I need now is to settle down, my

mom has been disturbing me to get married, the last

girlfriend I had who I thought I might get married to,

she stole from me and disappeared, I learnt my lesson

already, not to date a jobless lady, I started a small

business for her, still she wasn't satisfied, she

scammed me big time, I'm so sorry about that, it's

okay.

The first time I saw you I couldn't take my eyes off

you, you're really beautiful, I love your long legs and

body shape, sorry if I'm too forward but I just can't

keep it to myself, I really like you, I'm flattered, she

said giggling.

Desewa, I don't want to rush things, I'll give you all the

time you need but I want you to consider me, let's get

to know each other first, alright.

Should we do dinner tomorrow? I won't like to steal

your day like today cause I know you have many jobs

at hand, dinner is fine, 8pm tomorrow at Oceans

basket, wait! tomorrow is Sunday, no I have dinner

with my mom tomorrow, what about lunch maybe

after church, she stays on the mainland and cause of

traffic I'll have to leave here on time drive, after

church I'm heading straight to her place, alright then

we can talk on the phone tomorrow and do dinner on

Monday, that's fine, I have to go now, he said standing

up, alright let me see you off.