IMADE AND JAMAL

IMADE.

"So Khali, how is everything at home? Hope your parents didn't complain too much? Cause you can't imagine how many times your mom called me asking of you. Is everything fine at home?" Angela asks worriedly immediately we settled down on our table at the ice cream parlour. Judging from the sour look on Khali's face, we could already tell that things weren't fine and she's most likely already in big trouble with her parents.

Unfortunately for Khalidat, she happened to be the only daughter of wealthy and popular business guru, Alhaji Tawaab Ibrahim Suilemon. For those that didn't really know her, her life was a blessing and they could even swear she was living her best life especially being the daughter of a billionaire and also the only female child of her father with four elder brothers and two younger brothers but unfortunately, Angela and I knew just how far from blissful her life was.

Being the only female child in the family, excluding her mother and her step mothers, Khalidat's life has always been controlled by her father and her elder brothers who believe they have the complete right to compel her to do whatever they believed was right since they were the men in the family and unfortunately for her, her mother never disagreed with their opinions and this propelled them to continue making all the decisions in Khalidat's life without taking her personal opinion or interest into consideration.

"See Angie, I won't even bother lying to you cause at this point cause I'm frustrated, I don't know what to do. The minute I stepped my feet into that house, Alhaji immediately unleashed the beast in him and it was so bad that I could barely sleep at all. The insults, the threats, everything he said killed my good mood and I'm still trying to recover from it." She replies with a sad tone and I couldn't help but feel terrible for her since I knew she didn't deserve to be treated this way.

"Did you tell him about the good news that you've still not shared with us?" Angie asks jokingly and her face lights a little.

"Nah, I couldn't bring myself to tell him cause he'll definitely find a way to ruin it for me so I plan on keeping it away from my family for as long as I can. Anyways, the good news I was jubilating about is that I, Khalidat Safiyah Suilemon has officially signed a new deal with a famous artist in Madrid and that starting next month, my paintings will be displayed in his gallery and it will also be displaced as one of the rarest art pieces for his next exhibition." She announces with a broad smile on her face, immediately earning an excited squeal from Angela and I.

"Omg Khalidat, that's great news! I can't believe it! Finally, you're going international." Angela squeals in excitement and immediately Khalidat's expression turns sour and her eyes became teary.

"I wish my parents can be this happy for me honestly but at this point, I know it's probably never going to happen." She says and I instinctively reach out to her and squeeze her palm in mine.

"They will definitely come around one day Khalidat. All you have to do is make sure you're successful so that when they seen how far you went on your own, without their support, they'll appreciate your effort and they will personally congratulate you." I tell her calmly to encourage her.

"You guys, let's leave anything sad at the back of our minds today and focus on only the good things. For example, Imade's new job is something we can talk about." Angie suggests and we both agree with her.

"To be honest, the only thing I'm curious about is this Jamal guy that you suddenly met with again. I mean, I've known that company for a while now and I never imagined the CEO would be the same dude you've been gushing about for years now." Khalidat chirps excitedly and I rolled my eyes.

"Can we not talk about him? I don't want to ruin my mood." I tell her but of course, that wasn't going to happen.

"No o, I want to talk about this guy that has held my bestie's heart for ten years. It's still shocking to me that of all times to run into him, it had to be now that you're in need of all the help you can get. I still don't think it's coincidental." Khalidat says and I frown.

"Abeg abeg, no bring that one come here. That dude is worthless and as far as I'm concerned, this sudden reunion was and is still nothing but an unfortunate coincidence. You need to see how depressed Imade was over this guy. Imade that doesn't like to drink in public, drank to the extent that she got so drunk and a total stranger had to intervene and help me carry her to the car. Lord knows that if I ever meet this Jamal guy, he'll regret every hurtful word he said to my friend." Angela chimes in angrily.

"Angie, you need to calm down. This issue is not that deep to me. I just feel like over the years he moved on from the silly promise he made to you and that alone shouldn't even come as a surprise, I mean, this things happen and remember I told you a few years ago that promises like that don't always fall into place. You were just the childish one and now that realisation has hit you, drop whatever you felt in the trash and move on."

"If you see him anywhere, ignore him and show him he no longer holds any importance in your life. Period!" Khalidat tells me bluntly and I sigh.

"You're only saying it like this cause you've never being in my shoes. You need to see how perfect he looks Khalidat. The dude grew up to look like an artwork and lord knows that if I tell you I hate him right now, then I'm lying cause I don't hate him one bit. Yes, I'm angry at him but I don't have any hateful feeling towards him." I confess shamelessly and the light smack from Angela was what greeted me as soon as I said what I said.

"This is why I can't leave you to make decisions on your own. You're too childish and silly with your thoughts. Why would you still consider that fool as handsome and you even have the effrontery to hype him in my presence. If you've refused to have sense, I Angela, will forcefully make sure you have sense." Angela flares up and I couldn't help but stare back at her confusedly.

"You see this girl ehn, you're too extra." Khalidat says directly to a fuming Angie.

"What do you mean by extra? So you like the way she's still gushing over that guy that already has a fiancée? Are you going to keep encouraging her stupidity?" Angie attacks back and I honestly understood where she was coming from. She is only trying to look out for me but her reaction was still not necessary but it is understandable.

"See ehn, all na cruise. You said it yourself, this guy has moved on. There's nothing Imade can do about it, so if she foolishly wants to keep admiring the guy, let her do it at her own peril. You've advised her enough and whatever she feels can only be controlled by her so, lamarin ba nawa bane, it's none of my business." Khalidat replies her boredly.

"Let's just drop Jamal's name and focus on other things. He's no longer an important figure in my life so he should not be... Oh Father gracious lord!" I cut myself short when my eyes almost popped out their socket immediately they landed on two familiar figures walking into the ice cream parlour.

"Lord God, why me? What did I ever do to deserve this?" I cry out in frustration and the confused expression on both Khalidat and Angela's faces deepens.

"Babe, wetin happen? You look like you've seen a ghost." Angie quickly asks and instinctively, I cover my face with both my palms.

"Don't look now but the table behind you Angela, towards the far left, Jamal and his girlfriend just sat there." I tell them and they both deadpan.

"No freaking way Imy! Tell me you're joking girl. Are you freaking kidding me?" Khalidat blurts out and it was obvious she was just as surprised.

"You no go vex if I look him face bah? I wan see how the mumu you dey praise upandan be like sef. If he no fine Imade, na straight up insult you go chop from my hand." Angela blurts out randomly and I roll my eyes at her.

(You won't be mad if I look at him, right? I want to see how the idiot you love to praise looks like. If he's not worth looking at, I won't hesitate to insult you.)

"Did he really have to come here? Of all places to be? And he just had to bring that ugly witch along with him. Ugh!" I vent in frustration, feeling very irritated by the sight of both of them sitting together with stupid smiles on their horrible looking faces.

"Imade, calm down na. Your eyes are already turning red with jealousy." Angela mocks and I hiss.

"Can we leave already? I don't want them to see me." I tell them sharply with an irritated tone and a bored expression.

"Uhm, Imy, you know we just got here like a few minutes ago and leaving just like that without even enjoying our ice cream doesn't make any sense, especially if we're leaving because of somebody that's supposedly no longer important to you. How about you just ignore them and enjoy your ice cream? It's not that hard." Khalidat tells me calmly and my face falls.

"Now I know you guys really hate me." I hiss and they laugh.

"But wait o, I've been staring at this guy and I can swear that he looks very familiar but I can't place his face yet." Angela tells us.

"I think you're mistaken Angie. Jamal just got back to Nigeria so I doubt you'll know him." I reply her but she insists.

"I'm sure I know him. I just need to see his face properly and I'm sure I'll place his face." She insists, earning an eye roll from Khalidat.

"The guy is cute sha, no wonder jealousy dey kill you." Khalidat chirps and I hiss at her.

"Erm babes, why is skinny bone walking towards us?" Angela suddenly points out and Khalidat and I simultaneously turn to see Jamal's girlfriend walking towards our table and I unconsciously bow my head. "Why are you hiding your face?" Angela turns to ask me but I ignore her and keep my head low.

"Imade, is that you?" The annoying and familiar voice of Natasha asks and although I planned on ignoring her, a hard stomp on my left foot made me jolt up and ignoring her was no longer an option. That evil cow called Angela.

"Oh hi, Miss Natasha." I greet as nicely as I could but I think even a blind person could tell I was forcing it.

"Sorry to bother you girls, I just wanted to confirm if it was really you. I just thought it would be rude of me to just ignore." She says and Angela hisses, earning a death glare from Khalidat immediately. "That's so kind of you miss." Khalidat quickly replies and the next thing we know, Jamal starts also starts to walk to our table and my heart freezes temporarily.

"Natasha, let's leave." Those were the first words that flew out of his mouth and I was honestly not too surprised. Knowing how Jamal is, he was most definitely not comfortable with whatever his girlfriend was

up to.

"Wait, you're the Jamal?" Angela suddenly asks and we all turn to look at her confusedly.

"Sorry, do I know you?" He replied and the next thing we knew, Angela picks up her halfway empty cup of ice cream and immediately throws it at Jamal, leaving everybody watching beyond shocked and bewildered.

What just happened?