ASK FOR HELP WHEN YOU ARE TRAPPED

Malik returns to the kitchen without even using the toilet to ease himself which was his main aim when he left earlier. The matter at hand, seem to be a more pressing one. As he enters the kitchen, he can see that Lola had started cooking, the place looked much more better than before, the groceries arrangement made it look better and it is good for him especially now that his kids are two in number.

"You are back!" Lola exclaims with a lot of smile and excitement on sight of Malik. He was only away for some minutes but she had seriously missed him.

"Yes." Malik whispers trying his best to forget what he saw earlier and his speculations.

"What are your plans for tomorrow? Aren't you going to work?" Lola asks as she adds some spices to what she is cooking.

"Yes I am not." He replies bluntly.

Lola noticed his mood change but decides not to be affected by it, maybe it was because of what he just said earlier, sometimes remembering your ugly pasts or childhood can make you feel so bad. "Why?"

"Nothing much, I just want to be around the kids more. You know, it would help Ella's health." Malik explains still keeping a strict look.

"So are you on leave or what?" Lola asks again.

"Yes." He nods sharply.

"Is everything okay with you? Your mood suddenly changed." She finally speaks up.

"Yes! I am fine. I just feel a little bad talking about my past, the fact that my own mom sold me off for just a ten thousand is really weird and emotion damaging." He lies and successfully deceives Lola.

"I thought as much." Lola sighs. "Please do not think of that, at least you are in a better place now. You are not alone anymore, there is me and the kids for you."

Here she goes again! Saying she will be there for him, after what he had saw earlier he starts to doubt and think of so many things. The fact that she was into extramarital affairs is giving him a lot of concerns. Even by any chance, he later settles down with her, what assurance does he have that she wouldn't cheat on him too with younger boys as claimed in the text? "Thank you so much." Malik managed to give a smile.

"Let's go to the sitting room." Lola says with a very big smile.

They exit the kitchen and move straight to the sitting room. Lola sits very close to her bag and Malik sits opposite her.

Malik looks at her, expecting her to check her phone for any notifications or calls. It takes her a while to do so as she picks out a nail file from her bag and files her middle finger on the left hand. Afterwards, she picks up her phone and noticed she had two messages. She reads the content in her mind. "Send me the money woman, else everyone will know the kind of nonsense you are, I am sure you do not want the world to know you are having extra marital affairs with boys younger than you are." And just as Malik had expected. She grew nervous and very uncomfortable.

"Is everything okay?" He asks hoping she would open up to him.

"Of course." Lola says and her voice trembles. "I think I want to ease my self, which way is to the visitor's toilet?"

"It is straight down the line." Malik says describing with his palm.

"Alright, I will be right back." She say and walks straight to the visitors toilet with her phone. The description Malik gave her was easy, she found the toilet as soon as she takes just a few paces away from the sitting room. Still nervous, Lola enters the toilet and shuts the door quietly and dials her threatening boyfriend's number. The phone rings for while before he picks up. "You idiot, what was the meaning of those stupid text messages you sent to me some minutes ago?"

"Why are you ignoring me in the first place? I told you I needed money since yesterday and you refused to send it." The caller nags.

"I told you to hold on for me, did I tell you I wouldn't give you the money?!" Lola asks in a loud voice and immediacy controls herself bringing her voice low. "I told you to hold on, I will send it."

"You must think that i am stupid right, you think I am a fool." The caller says loudly. "Is this the nonsense you want to be pulling up with me?"

"Why are you talking as if I owe you this money or I am entitled to pay you this money?" Lola asks almost whispering.

"Do you think I will get intimate with an hold hag like you for free?"

"You are a bastard." Lola cursed. "Who did you just call an old hag? Me?" She scoffs. "I do not blame you, I blame myself for having something to do with a miserable idiot like you."

"Stop the rants and send me the money before the end of today, if you don't want to get exposed."

"What if I don't? What will you do?" Lola asks again.

"Then prepare to live the rest of your live in shame." He says and hangs up.

Lola leans worriedly on the door holding her cell phone close to her chest as it beat so fast. "What do I do now? This is getting out of hand already." She whispers to herself and after some seconds she takes a very deep breath. No matter what she is going through, she has to compose herself because of Malik and the kids. "I will get over it." She whispers to herself and remembers she is cooking. "Oh my God! the food!" She opens the door to go and check the food and Malik stands opposite her looking at her dead in the eyes.