I Am Just A Friend

“Lanre my dear, come over here!” Anita’s mother called. Ify walked close as well on seeing her cousins.

“Brother Gozie!” Ify called Anita’s immediate elder brother first. He was the most jovial one and every recognises him first before the eldest. “Brother Neche (short for Chinecherem). She called the eldest brother as well, hugging them both. Then she hugged the eldest daughter, Alice.

Lanre who was standing by alone and not talking to anybody walked towards the happy family of the bride after Anita’s mother had called her to come over.

“Lanre hope you are ok?” Anita’s mother asked. She told her she was ok. The woman smiled and introduced Gozie to Lanre. “Lanre, meet my son, Goziechukwu. He is a very fine man. He is always the lady’s good choice. But he is always too serious with work”. The woman said.

“Mama!” Alice and Neche shouted at the same time. While Gozie just laughed. They all understood what the mother was trying to do.

Lanre frowned within her heart. Why was the woman trying to connect her to her son? She was not here for match making. She it is among the things she hates most.

“What is mama? Ogini? Ehen!” The mother exclaimed turning back to face Gozie, she said, “Gozie, this is Lanre! She is very industrious. She was supposed to be the maid of honour but....” “Mom!” Anita called trying to make her mother realise what she was doing.

Just then Michael who is now Anita’s husband walked into the group. He hugs his mother in-law as well as his brother in-laws and his sister in-law. Then he hugged Lanre as well.

“I never knew my wife had a sister like you? The both of you do look alike”. Michael said.

Anita frowned at Michael’s attitude. She felt he was acting up. He definitely knows it was Lanre, why was he acting like he does not know her. Unknown to her, Michael could not recall Lanre’s exact look. He had only seen her picture and that was like two months ago. A picture and a video does not mean he will recognise her.

“I am just a friend!”. Lanre said. Then she told them congratulations on their wedding. And as if she was the only serious one there she reminded both the couple and the bride’s family that they have people to attend to at the reception.

Michael told Anita to come with him so that they could go greet his parents before they leave for the reception.

Anita left with her husband while the remainder of the family left. But not without Anita’s mother assigning Gozie to be the one to drive Lanre to the reception hall.

Meanwhile K stood by a corner watching. He noticed Lanre leave with Anita’s brother. He was in a rage, but had to calm down.

Anita will have to answer to him why she went ahead to go outside their plan. And now they were pushing the woman he wanted for himself to her brother.