ANDREA: Episode 19

Written by: BlogAces

 

Co-written by: RebelKween

After she walked out on the guys, she'd spent the whole day drawing some clothing designs. It was a hobby she enjoyed but she still kept latent. Thinking and drawing the clothing designs seemed to take her mind off the turmoil she was feeling on her inside. Whenever she found the chance to do it, it gave her a certain serenity. It was a shelter where she ran to hide her from the ferris wheel that was her emotions.

She examined a few of her drawings and put them away. She then lay face up on the bed, shut her eyes and tried to relax. She felt strangely tired and weak. The events of earlier in the day still swirled right before her shut eyes like a movie on a projector. She still shuddered at the thought and kept on asking herself what she might have done differently. But she knew that she still had to give this a good thought. She had to admit to herself that Eddie and Sam were well within their rights to ask for what they did. But on the other hand, what was really working that Sam? Why couldn't the idiot just respect her privacy. She really was getting tired of Sam and his recklessly impulsive actions. If she had opened that door, she would have said some really mean things to him. What would she have said? Would she have told him she wasn't interested in him anymore? That would have ruined everything, wouldn't it? She sighed and rolled on the bed and wondered what everyone was doing now. She looked at the time on her phone. 7:34PM was the bold display on her blackberry smartphone. She sat up. That late? Time had rushed past her and she didn't even know. Then it dawned on her that she hadn't eaten all day but what was worse was that she had no appetite to eat. She had to put something in her tummy but she wasn't ready to walk downstairs to whip something up. She most definitely didn't have the strength to face any of the guys anymore that day. She decided she'd call Senami to send up a slice of toast and enough coffee to drown in. Just as she was about to pick up her phone, it started ringing. She picked to see the caller. It was Sam. She dropped the phone and turned away because she wasn't in the least ready for his issues. The phone rang and rang again. She kept ignoring. She was really mad at him for coming up earlier to disturb her peace inspite of her warnings. She wasn't sure she wanted to speak with him that evening. Was he even home? She couldn't have known. She decided to wait it out for him to get the message that she didn't want to speak with him before calling Senami. What a pest. After a couple more tries, there was a little quiet. She decided he had given up and picked her phone to call Senami.
"Hey Senami. Good evening. Yeah,please do me a favor; can you make me some toast and bring it up? And I'd like some coffee too. Decaf, please. Yeah thanks. So who's at home now?" She listened briefly. "Okay thank you. Just get me what I asked. Thank you." She ended the call.
Eddie was the only one at home and was in his room. She wondered where Sam was. Her phone beeped. It was a message. She knew it was going to be a Sam and decided not to read it. She really didn't want to be upset more than she was already so she ignored it. But curiosity just kept on biting at her so she decided to brace up for the worst and just read what Sam had sent. She picked up the phone and pushed on the track-pad of her blackberry to read the message. Sam had only sent three lines but the three lines left Andrea feeling dizzy with shock.

"You're not picking my calls. My mum just made a surprise entry into town. Off to pick her. Thought to let u know?"

She clasped her mouth with her hand as she read the message again and again as if the content would change if she read it more than enough times. She suddenly felt sick. This wasn't the plan at all. What did that old lady want in Lagos? Why did she have to come without advance notice? In fairness to Sam's mum, they wouldn't have let her come had she asked so it was a smart move on her part. Damn! Damn that woman. This was bad. There was no way she could come to the house. What would she say about Eddie and their marriage and... She didn't want to think about it. She decided to call Sam. Like a brewing storm, the headache had started building between her temple. She no longer needed any toast now. She was toast.

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Sam was already driving to the park to pick his mum when his phone rang. It was Andrea. He scoffed as he wore his enhancement and connected the call.

"Hello Sam." It was obvious she sounded hesitant.

"Hello Andrea. Great to have you grace my phone with your call."

"You can get rid of the sarcasm right now and tell me this sms is one big joke."

"I wish I could but I can't, dear. On my way to pick her up as we speak."

"You're going to let her come to the house?" Andrea sounded concerned.

"She has me by the balls, Andrea. What would you have me do?"

"I dunno. She can't come over and you know this. How do you explain the set up to her?"

"I'm confused. I honestly am."

"Err... This may sound crazy but can you lodge her in a fancy hotel? Then we think this through properly to know the next thing to do. What say you?

"Hmmm... I could give it a shot but you don't know my mum. When she wants to stir up trouble, she isn't rational. I'll try but I'm not optimistic."

As a matter of fact I do, Sam. Andrea told hersef. And the apple didn't fall far from the tree.

"Please try. But in any case, let me prepare everyone in case this fails. But I really need you to do this. Damn, Sam. You didn't see this coming?"

"How could I have? Anyway, you do what you have to do and keep me posted. She called me some minutes ago to tell me she's waiting at the park. I have to go get her. It's dangerous for a lady to be there so late and it's my mother here."

"Okay dear. Let me know as it goes."

"Will do just that."

And with that he cut the call and kept on driving. Women. That was where the trouble for mankind started. The call from his mother had really disconcerted him. Too bad about Mitchell back there. She had turned out to be simply collateral. He wondered if she had started eating his meal that he left behind in the rush. He laughed to himself.

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There was a knock on the door.

"The door aint locked." Eddie said aloud.

The door opened and Andrea walked in. From the expression on her face, Eddie knew something was seriously amiss. He began to put away the laptop he was working on on his bed.

"Sam's mother is in town." Andrea dropped the bombshell. She felt like they were out of time so there was no bush to beat about.

"WHAT???" Eddie exclaimed.

Andrea sighed.

"How could Sam allow that? Is she coming here?" Eddie asked.

"Sam didn't know she was coming. She just showed up this evening and Sam is on his way to pick her up."

"Just great! You haven't answered the second question, Andrea."

"Well, I've asked him to take her to a good hotel but I doubt that would happen. So we have to start considering the possibility she might show up here tonight."

"Just great. So how does this work huh? Lemme guess. I'm gonna be like... (he clears his throat) Welcome ma to our humble abode. We're glad to have you here. I'm Edward, Samson and I are very great buddies. We're so tight we're both married to this lovely lady here." He flashed a mock grin.

"You're not helping with this, Eddie. I'm trying not to panic here."

"So what do you think we should do? And in case you wanna ask me to go on an unscheduled holiday, forget it. Come up with something else and I'll listen."

Andrea remained quiet for a while. She was virtually drained and she knew if she could survive the night, she could survive anything. She thought of a way out while Eddie just quietly studied her. There was a knock on Eddie's door and they both jumped.

"Who's that?" Eddie demanded.

"I'm the one, sir." Senami replied from behind the door.

"Well what..." But Andrea cut him off to go open the door for Senami. She collected the tray Senami was carrying, thanked her and shut the door. She stood there by the door backing Eddie for some moments. Then she approached the bed with the tray containing her meal.

"Apparently, she checked in my room and when she didn't see me, she guessed right that I'll be here." Andrea said.

"Okay."

She set dropped the tray containing her food and then turned to face Eddie with a pleading look. Eddie started feeling uncomfortable. Knots began to develop in his stomach.

"I need to ask you a favor, Eddie." Andrea held his hands and looked with shiny eyes into his bespectacled eyes. "I need you to do this for me if you really love me."

"I err... I'm not sure how to respond to this and this is really awkward but you ask and I'll do all I can."

"Well, Eddie, I suddenly have an idea that occurred to me and you have a huge part to play here. This is the deal..." As Andrea told him what she had in mind.

Outside the room, the scream of Eddie's "NO FUCKING WAY!!!!!!" seemed to reverberate around the whole mansion.

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The weather was beginning to look gloomy and the darkness had set in. It was going to rain that night. That much was clear to Mrs Morenikeji. She strained her eyes to look at her watch using the reflection of light from a shop nearby. The hour hand of her watch was closer to the number '9' than it was to '8'. She hugged her bag closer to herself as the weather begin to cool. She was beginning to think it was a bad idea coming to Lagos after all. She fought for the umpteenth time the urge to call Sam to check up on him. She had decided to stay resolute till the very end. Some suspicious looking guys loafing around and nodding in her direction broke her resolution though. She fumbled for her phone in her bag to call Sam but she jumped with a start when she heard that unmistakably familiar voice say "Mum" behind her. She turned around to see Sam standing there and staring at her with an angry look on his face. Inspite of his expression, she had never felt so glad and relieved to see her son as she felt there and then.

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