CHAPTER 27

NORA

Nora couldn't stop laughing at the welcome

pleasantries she got from her friends, more reason she never mentioned anything to them about her journey back to the city, she loves the outcome of surprises. Tade wasn't going to leave her neck until it falls off her body, Nora had to beg for her life "Tade easy on the neck, I still need it" "How dare you bail on us when we needed you the most! I need to cut this neck off as a punishment so you wouldn't try that again" Tade insists as she held on to Nora's neck while Chichi laughs at Tade's troublesome display. "I missed you" she finally admits naughtily and hugs Nora tightly "I missed you more, I missed you guys!! I can't believe everything that happened waited for me to be out of the city before happening, I'm so sorry I wasn't around" Nora apologizes to her friends, she looked at Chichi with a concerned face "How are you holding up?" Chichi shrugs "I... am okay" "I am okay too even if you wouldn't ask" Tade voluntarily submits with her baby voice making Nora chuckle, Damn! She misses her girls "you! I heard how you almost beat a grown man up, I'm so scared you might even beat me up if care is not taken" they all burst into laughter. "where is Susan?" Nora asked as they walked back to the dining table "She is out, work perhaps" Chichi supplies "Oh! I forgot it's a

weekday" Nora sights the food on the table and

acknowledges that she walked well, she draws a

chair out and dished some eggs for herself while

Tade goes into the kitchen to make a cup of tea for Nora.

After their meal, everyone at the dining table has something to talk about but Nora insists she isn't going to talk about herself since both of them are not really in the right frame of mind at the moment, even though she has been dying since a day before to share it, she will hold on till they are ready to hear it. Both Tade and Chichi insist that they were ready, Tade who was hell-bent on hearing what Nora had to say submitted that her gist could even resuscitate their mind from the dying state that it's presently in, so Nora shouldn't deprive them of what could bring life into them. Nora agrees to tell them what it is but they have to wait for Susan to get back so she wouldn't be left out, so pending while they await Susan, she insists they talk about how to address the issue on the ground especially Tade whose estranged husband just got back. Tade bluntly informs them that Jide's arrival is no issue at all, that he ceased to exist in her world a very long time ago. Nora advised that she gets a divorce lawyer to make it official rather than just being separated informally as it stands according to the law that she is still married to him, which Chichi totally supports and even insists she does that fast because she perceives the husband to be a shameless trouble maker. Tade promises to get a lawyer during the week to put her through the divorce process so it can be fast as possible. Nora asks Chichi about her plans, and if she is still going to avoid her mother or face her which Chichi admits that she is not ready to face her mother or her crazy ex yet, she needs time to heal and most importantly she needs her mother out of her house. Nora advises her against sending her mom packing as it wouldn't end well with African parents but Chichi persists, she said her mother ought to have thought about that before inviting a monster

into her home. "you can't blame her, no parent will give out his or her child to a lion to devour, she obviously didn't know what you encountered in his hands, she meant well when she invited him in, so don't shut her off completely, give her a chance or even talk to her about it" Nora advises Chichi who insists her mother knows what she is doing, "it's not like she ever gave me a breathing space ever since she arrived at my house, it's high time for her to return to her husband, any discussion about my ex can occur after she leaves". Nora knows Chichi can be very adamant at times unless she is willing to let go, she just hopes she heals on time and gets over this phase she is in.