CHAPTER 31

Khalid ft Ed Sheeran: Beautiful People   

~Time will wait for you if wisely used~

~Mina

SERAPHINA'S POV

"Seven minutes to takeoff. " The pilot's voice boomed from the intercom.

Monday came faster than expected and at once, we were boarded on Enrique's parents' private jet. Yes, you heard right, a freaking private jet. I still couldn't figure out how rich the guy was.

"Where is Aisha?" Bia asked.

"She went to pick some friends who lost their way." Aisha's supposed to be our tour guide but she's nowhere to be seen and takeoff is in five minutes now.

"Four minutes to takeoff." I guessed wrong.

"I still can't believe you guys made up." Caleb laughed, referring to Bia and Aisha. True to his words, the two girls had learned to side their differences and tolerate each other. Although half of the credit goes to Aisha, Bia put in slight effort as well. I'm just glad that they'd become friends.

"Me neither," Leila added.

"A minute to take off." Where's Aisha? I took my phone, about to call her until two faces I wasn't the least bit thrilled to see walked in, accompanied by a cackling Aisha. Much to my surprise and disappointment at the same time. Since when was she friends with Tyler and Zara?

"My apologies for the tardiness guys. These two fools lost their way and I'd to go back to help them. " I couldn't help but stare at her in bewilderment, wondering if I heard right.

"What do you mean by them?" Miskha asked the million-dollar question of the day. Aisha sighed and facepalmed, slumping on the seat next to Bia.

"My friend, Zara, and her boyfriend Tyler are coming with us to the Gambia." She slowly reiterated.

"Y'all friends?" Severina grilled. Everyone seemed to be in a daze. Aisha's sudden revelation was too much of a blow to our once steady, peaceful, minds.

"Yes. Zara and Tyler were the first people I met upon my arrival on campus. Zara, personally took it upon herself to help me with my classes and schedule, since I was a bit confused regarding the whole first day of university thingy. Unlike Tyler, who'd been a complete ass."

As she talked about the duo, her face lit up with enthusiasm. Too much of it, that I couldn't help but clenched my jaw in anger. Zara had a smug look plastered as she stared at me with her signature smirk. This was their dirty little mind game. I don't need confirmation from either of them on that. It's etched all over their faces.

"So, Maleficent had a heart." Lalia snorted, causing us to lowly laugh. They sat on the seat opposite mine and inserted their AirPods, watching whatever crap was playing on the small TV implanted in the back of the seats.

"Continue frowning like that, and you'll start resembling a bulldog." Maya snickered.

"I can already sense a riot on this trip." She continued, making me glare at her.

"I'm just saying." I averted my gaze from the snuggling couple and plugged in my own AirPods, letting music drown me, as the flight took off.

As expected, we landed in the Gambia after five hours and passed through the usual security checks inside the airport.  A huge tour bus already awaited outside as we came out of the airport.

"I'm so excited." Miskha squealed. I was already in love with the country and we're yet to delve into town.

"Hi, uncle Seedou." Aisha greeted a middle-aged man, I assumed the driver, with a bright smile. They shook hands and she handed him some cash before ushering us inside. The interior was magnificent and welcoming. Huge curtains blinded the windows and the soft seats were each accompanied by fluffy pillows. An air conditioner was installed at the top right corner of the vehicle. Overall, the inside was warm and welcoming.

"So, how do you see The Gambia?" The driver asked over his shoulder from where he sat.

"I love it, I'm already so excited." Malu cheered.

"You haven't tasted excitement yet." He laughed and started the roaring engine. He's so fluent in English, but again, they were colonised by Britain from what I've learned during my little search up.

"Starting is Yundum." Aisha pointed out, as we passed the crowded town, inhabited by women, men and children, bustling the busy streets. The mood surrounding them screamed joy, as they cackled over loud chattering.  Looking through the transparent window, I couldn't help but feel a strong pull of attraction towards the serene scene. The women looked breathtakingly stunning in their African dresses and head ties, with that melanin-riched skin accentuating their pearly white smiles.

Looking back at Aisha now, you could tell her looks weren't stolen. From that cheery attitude to those gorgeous features, a striking resemblance to these women could be depicted without an ounce of skepticism.

"Woah, I thought such beauty only existed in movies." Sophia gushed. It was then I noticed they were all standing up, and filming the scene while the bus hastened with a blare.

"So where to?" Enrique gestured towards Aisha.

"Kairaba beach hotel at Senegambia."

She responded.

The bus ride was epic and thrilling. I didn't want it to end, but it was rather unfortunate as we drew nearer to our destination.

Now, I didn't spend enough time in the Gambia to solidify a concise conclusion yet, but if anything, I could affirm to you that peace and tranquillity were widespread. In the world I lived in, it's rare seeing people camping outside their house gates and chatting over brewed green tea. One can even say it's the only country which bored such an attribute. I contemplated taking a nap but eventually decided against it, as the condition on the bus wasn't favourable.

"We're here." Aisha exhaled, ending my train of thoughts. The bus passed through a grand entrance and maneuvered around, before parking in a single lane, next to similar vehicles. With Aisha leading the way, we alighted after bidding the bus driver a good night.

"I'm hungry," Miskha grumbled.

"Save it. You're not the only one." Leila scoffed. Miskha drew her eyes to narrow slits and cast Leila a dirty look.

Not in the presence of guests, please. I silently prayed in my head.

"Dinner is all set. No need for the feud." Aisha mocked, sticking her tongue out at the almost arguing duo.

We walked the short driveway to huge glass double doors which were already held open by two security guards, dressed in uniforms. I offered them a bright smile as we walked past the entrance, but they remained immobile and stiff, not so much as blinking an eye. Talk about robotics. I heard numerous clicks and turned my head in the direction of the sound only to find Kabia taking pictures.

"A little early for that aren't we?" Caleb snatched the camera from him, and I couldn't be more grateful. We'd already drawn enough attention as it's.

We were then required to sign in our details and other necessary information at the reception, much to my dismay. I'm not being hard, I just don't easily rush into paperwork without a precise reason. Although, I was left choiceless in this case since I was on foreign soil.

A young lady dressed in a white pencil dress, and black stilettos approached us with a bright smile.

"I'm afraid her lips had reached elastic limit." Severina chuckled. I gasped and discreetly smacked her upside the head.

"Hi, I'm Khadija and I'll be your tour guide for today, and hopefully your entire stay here." She squeaked, clasping her hands together.

"Madeline the second," Kabia muttered, pretending to look at the canvases lining the walls. I tucked my bottom lip into my mouth, stifling my laughter as an awkward tension clouded the atmosphere. The girl, still with her bright smile plastered on, expectantly stared at us.  Aisha cleared her throat and gave her a side hug, making their height difference very noticeable. I always knew Aisha was an average, roughly 5'4, but she appeared reasonably shorter compared to Khadija's 5'9 form.

"Um, we'll leave that for some time, Khadija. However, we'd like to be shown our rooms please." Khadija's smile morphed into a tight-lipped grin before she curtly nodded and started in another direction, dejection prominent in her features.

We followed closely behind, struggling to keep up with her long strides as she guided us to our said residence. Warm arms encircled my bare waist, and I couldn't control the smile that crept up my face.

"Feeling cold?" My shivering form was enough answer to Enrique's question. It's icy-cold out here, given that the hotel was just a stone's throw away from the ocean.

Khadija halted at a door and swiped a card at the lock before pushing the knob forward. A spacious lounging area came into view with several couches, a mixture of white and orange, occupying half of the room. A huge plasma TV hung at the top of the wall, just slightly above the fireplace, accompanied by two painting frames on either side. The ceiling was out of the ordinary, with greek artifacts skillfully engraved inside the white cement. The art was classic and dynamic. A tall statue of Hera stood at one end of the huge sliding glass window, blocking my vision of the sight behind the glass.

"They must have a thing for Greek gods." Enrique chuckled. Similar thoughts rummaged my head as I took the art in, most of which were of Greek origin.

"It's two to a room. Happy vacation." Khadija curtsied and turned to leave but Nathan's voice stopped her.

"What did you say your name's again?"

"Khadija."

"Beautiful." Not Nathan attempting to flirt, withal, that coy grin left very little to the imagination. The chocolate beauty lowered her gaze and muttered a thanks before scurrying off.

"So, who gets to share with whom and whe...

An argument broke out before Severina could complete her question.

I removed my shoe and flopped down on the couch. We weren't retiring to bed anytime soon. I just knew it.

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S/O to The Gambia 🤗🤗

Xoxo,

Mina.