It was 2:59am. Biola was asleep dreaming of her future, when the clock ticked 3am the human figure that visited her in the past two nights appeared again. It walked close to her and began to strangle and press her entire body to the bed. Biola tried to free herself unsuccessfully because she couldn’t feel any hands or touch anybody; it was an invisible being. She felt her breath go and her heart stop but before she gave up it stopped and disappeared. Biola sat up abruptly rising with a petrifying scream. Breathing very hard she unconsciously looked at her clock; it was 3:01am just like the previous nights. The past two nights after her change was nightmare after nightmare but this night was more than a nightmare. Biola did not care, she wasn’t even afraid… she was beautiful that was all that mattered.
The rest of the night gave Biola peaceful sleep so she got up feeling refreshed. She showered, not before admiring herself in the bathroom mirror. It was a quiet morning for her, no music or TV while getting dressed; a lot of thoughts occupied her mind mostly about her next plans and her future. She really had no ambitions but she started thinking of creating one for herself and deciding quickly who she wanted to become but it wasn’t for her to decide, it had been decided. You see… If the nightmares she encountered happened to her a month ago she would have screamed for Jesus Christ and prayed but Biola was not that girl anymore. She was not the girl who cries for God.
When she entered the banking hall, she was greeted like a customer. She didn’t care and she didn’t even make them know that it was her. She walked straight to the human resource department “good afternoon, I have a letter for employee relations” she handed the receptionist a small white envelope. “May I know what this is about?” “It is my notice of resignation” “Oh ok… you are a staff? How come I don’t know you? I know everyone here… you are Biola?!!” She was very shocked when she opened the letter and saw the name, “What happened to you? You look extremely different” “It’s a long story” she had an arrogant smile on her face “So… give this to them I’m out” she started towards the door.
“Wait” the receptionist kept looking at Biola lustfully. “Yes?!” Biola snapped her out of her admiration “oh yes… you have to go through the proper exit process, plus I cannot just give them a letter that says ‘Dear HR, this is my exit. Yours faithfully” “Why can’t you?” Biola’s question made her chuckle in a sarcastic manner. “You have to write a proper letter” “I don’t have time to go through any process, I have things to do… do you want me to give them the letter myself?” “I have told you what to do… I can’t give them this letter”. Biola collected the letter and went into the employee relations office, gave the letter to the first person she met and was on her way; before they knew what was going on she was already on her way to the next thing.
“What do you mean, you have resigned?” Biola was on the phone with Efe. “What do you mean, you have resigned?” Efe responded and they laughed. “Can you meet me at Pronty Mall in fifteen minutes?” “Okay, on my way”. Efe met Biola in a small coffee shop at the mall. “So, isn’t it strange that we both resigned on the same day without even discussing it?” Efe sounded excited and Biola found her excitement adorable.
“Why did you even resign?” Biola was very eager to know “I want to be a journalist … and our conversation the other night made me decide to just follow my dreams and stop waiting to die” Efe was very sure about her decision and she was proud that she was. “That’s good but what are you going to do for money though?” Biola sipped her coffee “uuuuh… I don’t need money?” Efe hesitated before she continued. “My father owns the bank”, she waited for Biola to react but she got nothing. “I was just doing it to keep me busy…” “Instead of staying at home and taking medication, waiting for the cancer to come back” Biola finished her sentence.
Efe was impressed by Biola; she was starting to have some sort of admiration for her and she secretly prayed that Biola at least wanted to be good friends with her “what would you do for money?” Efe returned the question “I don’t know yet… I will figure it out when I move… move to Lagos” . “You are moving?” Efe asked exposing her disappointment “you should come… there’s nothing in this town anymore… all the journalists are in Lagos, the ones who want a great future anyway” Biola was sorry for her disappointment “that’s a good idea, we could live together…” “nopes… I like to live alone” Biola’s words made her feel another level of disappointment which she didn’t understand but hid very well.
“Hello!” a deep male voice interrupted them and they looked up to see a fine-looking man who was impeccably dressed “I am sorry to interrupt you two but… may I?” he waved at the empty chair on the table. “Yes, you may” Biola responded, she already knew he came there because of her. The man sat down and shook both of them introducing himself “I am Seyi”, they told him their names.“I must say, you are very beautiful and it’s not a pickup line, it is the truth” he said to Biola with a knowing smile on her face. The three of them had a short and nice conversation. An hour later, they were in a very nice and exclusive lounge having drinks; Efe most of the time watched Seyi and Biola talk while she drank her malt drink. The way men lustfully looked at Biola was fun to watch; she even laughed out loud when one of them accidentally bumped into a waiter with drinks.
“Will mummy and daddy let me move… why will I tell them that I am moving?” her thoughts went back to the idea of moving, it suddenly became something that she wanted to do and it wasn’t because Biola was moving. “It’s time for us to go” Biola brought her attention from the future to the present. “Where are you people going to? I can drop you off” Seyi asked “naah…thanks, we will find our way” Biola was already on her feet.
He gave her his complimentary card and told her to call him whenever she was in Lagos hoping it would be in the nearest future; he lived in Lagos and was very happy to hear that Biola had plans to move there. “I will think about it” she replied while got in to a cab with Efe. As the car drove them away Biola was impressed by her time with this stranger; her mind was still with him. “He is cute”, Efe said to her noticing that she was smitten. “Yes, he is”, Biola smiled and looked at his full name on the complementary card Seyi Francis Adeyemi.
Seyi, a man she could not forget would become more significant in her future than she could ever imagine; a future she could never have control over because she had sold it to Madame Deloris for beauty.
