17. Blackout

"Cassie. Cassie!"

The urgency in the voice that called my name startled me up from sleep.

I was at the restaurant where I worked and I had slept because I was dizzy and tired. Lately, I'd been feeling dizzy; only God knew why.

I raised my head from the counter, rubbed my eyes and yawned while stretching out my arms, then proceeded to look at who had rudely interrupted my sleep.

It was Rita, looking at me suspiciously, she wasn't even smiling.

"What's wrong with you?" Rita asked.

"I should be asking you that. Why did you wake me up?" I asked.

"Because I'm a good friend." She replied.

"How does disturbing me from sleeping make you a good friend?" I blurted out.

"You can't be sleeping on duty." She retorted.

"And who said I was sleeping on duty? This is my break period for crying out loud." I said.

"This is your break period, you said?"

"Yeah. This is my break period and I can do whatever I like." I responded.

"What time do you have your break period?" She asked.

"That's none of your business, okay?"

"No. Just remind me, when's your break period again?" She asked.

For peace to reign, I decided to give her an answer. "From 2-3pm. Dorrrh."

"Right! And what time is it?" She asked.

"Well, how should I know? The clock is faulty. You just mind your business and let me be. You're always being in my business. I get that this is your aunt's restaurant and you linked me with her to get a job and for that, I'm super grateful; but it's my job now and you're not my boss. Your aunt is and I don't see her anywhere near here complaining, okay?" I said, almost on top of my voice.

"Oh. So you think I'm always butting in on your business?" She said, obviously offended.

"I don't think, I know. For crying out loud, you're always here. Don't you have something doing? After your tutorial classes, can't you go home and read and just let me be?" I questioned.

She looked shocked at my utterances.

Well, I'm not sorry. She was actually kind of annoying. She's always everywhere and won't let you rest.

"I didn't know you'd hate me waking you up. I was just trying to be a good friend. My aunt told me to come here to oversee things because she went to the marketplace to get some foodstuff. She'd be back anytime from now. It's 4:45pm and I've been here since past 2, but I let you sleep as much as you wanted and served the customers myself and washed the dishes. It's because I knew she'd soon be here and I didn't want her to complain of you neglecting your duties, that was why I woke you up, but it's fine if you say I'm disturbing because I'm being concerned. I'm sorry for always being in your business." Rita said, a hurt tone complimenting her voice, and left where I was.

I felt terrible and really sorry. I shouldn't have spoken so rudely to her.

"Hey. Rita. I'm so sorry." I said, jumping out of my seat and following her behind.

She turned around. "Sorry for what exactly? Calling me a puckernoser or jobless?" She asked.

"I'm sorry for all I said. I didn't mean....."

"Didn't mean to hurt my feelings, I suppose." She interrupted.

I opened my mouth to speak but she cut me short.

"I don't want to hear anything. I thought you were a friend of mine. How could you even think so shallow of me? How could you say that it's because my aunt owns this place that I..... Gosh! Cassie. I never expected this sort of outburst from you of all people. I took you as my own sister. I've always been there for you and I've supported you in the best way I could possibly." Rita said.

Thankfully, there were only two female teenagers in the restaurant who seemed to care less about our discussion and were engrossed in their phones and giggling about something. Probably a guy, no! Definitely a guy. What else would you expect from teenagers?

The other people who came to the restaurant, mostly men, preferred sitting outside.

"I'm sorry, Rita. You know I am not always like this. Just pardon me for today. I won't ever do something like this again." I pleaded.

"For today? For goodness sakes, you've been acting rudely to me for the past week now. I feel you were acting all sweet and innocent in the past but now, your true colours are coming out. You're just a snide person and you really need to work on your character." Rita said.

"This isn't me, Rita. I don't know why I've been acting differently for some time now. You know I'm not always like this. I don't know what's making me act this way now. I just get offended easily nowadays and snap at every little thing. Please, forgive me. I can't do without you. You're the only friend I have." I hated sounding desperate, but I knew I was wrong and had to beg for her forgiveness.

Unlike Amsey, I was really good at apologizing when I made a mistake.

Her phone buzzed.

She took her phone from her back pocket, stared at the screen with this uneasy look on her face then declined the call, switched off her phone and kept it back in her pocket.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Learn to mind your own business." She retorted.

"You're hiding something from me." I said.

"Like I said, mind your business." She said.

I decided to just ignore it. I had always suspected there was something wrong with Rita but I couldn't coerce her into spilling the beans. She'd tell me, when the time was right. I also had my own secrets and there was no one anywhere forcing me to say it, although I had this bad feeling that something was going to happen soon.

I decided to just change the topic.

"I'm hungry." I said.

"Eat me." She said and both of us started laughing.

"Don't worry. I will. Let me get a knife to cut you in pieces first then I will boil and fry you like beef." I said, amidst the laughter.

"Jesus! You never told me you're a cannibal." Rita said, feigning fear and surprise.

"Well, now you know." I said.

She laughed again and I joined her in her series of laughter.

"You this girl. I can't even stay mad at you." She said, eyeing me.

"You can't now. I'm the only pretty friend you have." I winked at her.

"Sorry ohh. Beauty queen." She said.

"Of course, I am." I replied.

"You really should go into modelling and beauty contests on a serious note. You're really beautiful and we both know that." She said.

"Beauty contests don't require you to be beautiful though. You have to have something upstairs." I said, declining.

"You don't strike me as someone who is unintelligent, or are you?" Rita asked, obviously curious.

I sighed. "I won't say I'm dull but back in school, I was just an average student." I explained.

"So what do you want to do with your life? Are you just going to work in this restaurant all your life?" She inquired.

"Of course not. I wanted to be a chef in the past but, I'm not sure anymore. I mean, look at me now. The world deserves to know a beauty like me, so I'm considering going into the entertainment sector. I don't know which aspect of entertainment I'm going for yet, but all I know is I must become a celebrity. This wonderful work of God shouldn't be hidden, it should be displayed." I said, gesturing at myself.

Rita gave a hearty laugh. "Self-love is very important and I'm glad you've got that. Just take your time in choosing a suitable profession for yourself, okay?"

"Yes dear. I love you." I said, smiling.

"Me too." She responded, with a smile.

Rita was the sweetest person I'd ever known, except for my mum, of course.

"Good evening." I heard a voice say.

We turned around to see a fair lanky middle aged man, with a grim smile, staring at us. I hadn't even noticed him entering into the restaurant and I'm sure Rita hadn't, she'd have signalled me if she had.

"Good evening." Rita and I chorused.

"Can you help me package a plate of fufu and egusi soup to take home?" He asked politely. "I won't be eating here." He added.

I suddenly felt a slight pain in just head.

"Sure thing, sir. What assortment will go with your egusi soup?" I asked, ignoring the pain in my head.

"2 pieces of meat, a round panla and pomo. Also help me pack 2 chilled bottles of Trophy." He requested.

"Okay. Give me a moment." I said and walked over to the counter to package his meal.

While walking, I felt like my vision was getting blurry. I ignored it and went on.

My legs soon felt heavy and kind of numb. I felt dizzy all of a sudden and my head swung slowly back and forth.

"Are you okay?" I heard Rita call.

"Yeah." I managed to say, turning around slowly giving a weak smile but I could barely even see her.

My legs wobbled and I slumped to the hard floor.

"Cassandra!" Rita screamed.

It was the first time she ever said my full name.

God, was it time for me to meet my mother? I thought.

My eyes closed slowly and everywhere soon became dark.

Egusi: A Nigerian type of soup.

Panla: A type of fish.

Pomo: Cow skin.

Fufu: A type of food made from cassava.

Trophy: A kind of beer.