Little Lucy - S01 E22

Story 3 years ago

Little Lucy - S01 E22

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 22

Taking the pointy edge of the comb in my hand, I parted a straight line on Collette’s hair, applied her favorite hair oil and began replaiting it back.

Collette head was rested on my laps as I worked on her hair. She had a brown novel in her hand with her HB pencil stucked at the back of her ear.

We were on her bed and it felt soo good to have her lying on my thighs.

” You’re always reading that novel,” I said, trying to figure out what she was reading. ” What’s it about?”

Collette had a lollipop in her mouth. ” Romance.”

I was surprised. ” Never knew you had any interest in romance.”

She s----d on her lollipop. ” I’m a high school girl, Lucy. What’s new about romance? I’m experiencing adolescent. You can only be a teenager once in your lifetime. Might as well make the best of it.”

I agreed with her. I felt the same way as well.

It was a beautiful Saturday morning. We’d just rounded our general hostel sanitation and had returned from a delicious breakfast of custard and bean cake.

Usually, Saturdays and Sundays were free days; No school work, no nothing. We were given the weekend to rest and pal out.

I had washed the bathroom floor, dressed our bed and also did the laundry.

Collette always did her laundry but today I volunteered to assist her. I was surprised by the amount of water she uses for her laundry.

Collette was the sort of girl who would wash two pair of clothes with four full buckets of water.

I glanced outside our window to see our uniforms drying under the sun. Collette’s uniform and mine stayed side by side.

I felt pride. The council president’s uniforms next to mine. How cute.

” Chess club begins at 3:00.pm. I want you to be there ,” she said, suddenly. ” Also, I’ll be making preparation for our priest arrival tomorrow for Sunday service. If you’ll be free this evening, maybe you might assist me.”

I pretended as if I didn’t know about the priest coming in tomorrow. ” Wow, that’s great. We’re finally having a priest tomorrow?”

She grunted. ” That’s what I said.”

I parted another side of her hair and applied the hair oil. Collette had such soft silky beautiful long hair. I wish I’d have hairs like her.

I smelt her hair and it caused me to grow green with envy on how nice she smells all the time.

” Collette,” I called, creating a braid down to her neck.

” Yes?”

” Now we’re this close,” I said suddenly. ” Wouldn’t it be nice if you tell me about your family.”

She removed the HB pencil off her ear and underlined some words in the novel.

I waited for her to say something but she was quiet or rather hesitant. When she’s like this, I could tell she was thinking.

Then she spoke. ” Why not tell me about yours.”

” Hey, no fair I asked you first.”

” Let’s hear yours,” she said, bored. ” Then I’ll tell you mine.”

I groaned but I knew if I didn’t do as I was told, she’d simply close the subject.

” Well, I’m the only child,” I began. ” My mom and dad didn’t think it necessary to have more than one child. It’s not as if we were poor or anything. There was money. As a matter of fact, my mom’s job pays more than my dad’s. However, I remained the only child.”

” That’s interesting,” Collette screwed her face, tapping the pencil on her soft lips. ” I’ll bet you must’ve been a lonely child.”

” That’s right,” I sighed. ” It was tough being the only child in the family. I craved for a little brother or a big sister to play with but my parents were strong to their words.

Fortunately for me, I had lots of friends back home. While growing up, it wasn’t Soo hard making friends. I get along with just about anyone.”

” I can see that.”

I smiled bitterly. ” Sadly, I lost my father when I turned thirteen. He died in a car crash. Mom was devastated and it broke us to pieces. My dad was cool. I was his little girl. We did a lot together. When he was gone,the house suddenly became all quiet and dark. My mom decided not to remarry—not just yet. She’s been a single mom for four years now.”

Collette was quiet. Then she spoke. ” Your mom must be quite a woman.”

I smiled with pride. ” She has one of those youthful looks. A lot of men swoon around her but she isn’t ready to remarry. I respect her decision. Seriously, I don’t want to have a stepdad. I love it this way. Just me and Mom—no one else.”

Collette made a bitter smile. ” You’re being selfish, Lucy.”

” I don’t know,” I made another braid. ” I just don’t like the idea of welcoming a new man in the family. What if he’s a pervert? There’d be two sexy women in the house with a man in between. Nope I can’t stand that.”

Collette smile slipped and she closed her novel and dropped it aside.

” Well, what about you, Chi-Chi?”

She glanced up at me and I smiled down at her.

I rarely ever called her Chi-Chi but when I do, it makes her feel special. I can tell cause of the way she looks at me.

” What do you want to know?” She asked, looking away.

” Well, let’s start with your parents.”

She closed her eyes. ” Divorced.”

” That’s sad,” I tried not to look surprised but I was surprised. ” Mind sharing what led to it?”

She shooked her head. ” It doesn’t matter. My mom remarried.”

” Oh,” I returned back to her hair, thinking just how similar we were. The only difference between us was my father died while her parents got divorced. ” So who’s the lucky guy?”

” Doesn’t matter, does it?” She opened her eyes and looked away. ” So long as they’re both happy together nothing else matters.”

There was a bitter note in her tone that I didn’t like but I tried not to push it any further.

” Got any sister or brother?”

” I have a sister,” she answered. ” She doesn’t live with us anymore.”

” Why?”

” My real dad took her with him.”

” Divorce could be a b*tch!” I gritted my teeth. ” It’s funny how couples who were once in love with each other eventually turn against one another and split up the family. I wouldn’t want a family like that.”

Collette didn’t say anything. I could see she wasn’t comfortable talking about her family’s problems.

After a while, I brought up another subject. ” By the way, my birthday is next month.”

She raised an eyebrow. ” November?”

” That’s right,” I grinned. ” That’d be on visiting day.”

” 6th November?” She asked, a puzzled look on her face. ” How old are you, Lucy?”

” I’m fifteen going to be sixteen next month.”

Collette stared at the ceiling with a blank look on her face. ” Happy birthday in advance.”

” Hey, you’re getting me a present aren’t you?”

” I’ll see what I can get,” she then became serious. ” You’d better keep that information to your self. If anyone knew about your birthday date in school, you’d be brutally dealt with.”

I knew what she meant. In boarding schools, birthday are usually celebrated in a weird way. First, you get splashed over with water, then you’re either being beaten with a belt or Serve a punishment. It’s crazy but at the end everyone laughs about it.

” All done,” I placed a mirror before her. ” Don’t thank me by the way.”

She stood up from my laps and gazed at herself in the mirror.

Looking at her right now, I started to realize just how lucky I was to have Collette. We weren’t dating but we were really attached to one another.

The way I braided her hair was a natural. She looked pretty good to eat.

” You did a great job, Lucy. Thank you,” she said, handling the mirror back to me. ” The hair is beautiful.”

And so are you, my pet.

Gosh, I can’t believe I’m imagining her as my pet.

” I’ll be heading to MÔM’s place,” she said, wandering over to her wardrobe. ” I need to make a call.”

” Let’s go together then,” I arranged her bed and jumped down towards my wardrobe where I selected my sports wear.

From the corner of my eyes, I watched Collette undress. She was in her white undies.

There was that funny feeling in my gut again.

She caught me watching and looked my way. I quickly looked away, pretending to undress.

I was a lover of the colour pink. Nearly all my belongings had a tough of red or pink to ’em.

My undies were all pink, my pyjamas were pink, my hair brush were pink, my book covers were also pink. If it were possible, I wouldn’t mind dying my hair pink.

But Collette was all about the color white and black.

When she was done dressing, I was speechless. She had on a white cotton leggings and a cropped top that showed her yummy tummy. I fell for her cute tiny belly button.

She looked like a model.

I’m drooling ?

On our way to Vee’s Lodge, we noticed a dark Prado jeep parked alongside the path to her Lodge.

” Looks like MÔM has a guest,” I said but at the back of my mind, I was troubled.

I remembered Sharon talking something about a man staying with Vee throughout the week. Vee’s fiance.

Collette didn’t say anything. She walked on as if the car didn’t matter to her.

When we got to Vee’s door, we knocked and waited.

It didn’t take long before a man opened the door.

Colette and I studied him closely.

He was smallish in size and there was that innocent looks in his eyes that got you thinking he was new to the world. His lips were think and dark and his eyes were bright.

” Who are you?” Collette asked and I was shocked at the hard tone she used on him.

He was startled at first but then he relaxed and smiled instead. ” I’m Abdul. Who are you?”

” Where’s miss Vee?” She asked, ignoring his question.

Abdul stared at Collette. ” She’s in the bathroom. You haven’t told me who you girls are?”

Collette then did something shocking. She brushed past him into the room leaving him stunned and confused.

I covered my face with my hand. Why does she have to put on that attitude?

” What was that about?” Abdul turned to me. ” Who the hell does she think she is?”

” School council president,” I said worriedly. ” That’s who she is.”

Abdul’s face relaxed but he was mad about what just transpired between Collette and him.

” I guess you two must be Vee’s wards,” he said and I realized how husky his voice was.

” That’s right,” I replied. It felt odd seeing a male after being locked away from the world in this school for three and a half weeks.

He stepped aside. ” Well, come on in.”

??????

Vee, Abdul, Collette and I sat on the floor in the living room; each person with a plate of hot steamy spaghetti.

Vee sure was a good cook. The spaghetti was spicy and tasty if I hadn’t gotten a hold on myself, I’d have slurped through it all.

Vee and Abdul sat beside each other while Collette and I sat on opposite sides.

I would’ve enjoyed the meal if Collette wasn’t looking like the way she was looking now.

She was picking on her food, a big frown on her face.

Vee and Abdul noticed this but said nothing.

After a long awkward silence, Vee broke the silence. ” Umm … Girls?”

I looked up to meet her eyes but Collette didn’t raise her face.

” You girl’s probably remembered Chief Gregory?”

I was the one talking now. ” Who’s Chief Gregory?”

” My supposed fiance.”

I nodded, Collette was silent.

Vee continued. ” Well, turns out my mother was playing some sort of prank on us. Abdul was outside the country to round up his studies. He was urgently called to return to the country in the sense that his father was taking a fourth wife. When I met him earlier this week, I discovered I wasn’t getting married to his father, chief Gregory. It was Abdul all along.”

I stared at her without saying a thing. Well, that explains a lot. I stole a glance at Collette. She was as quiet as ever.

Abdul began talking. ” Your wards are very quiet, dear.”

Oh now he’s addressing Vee as dear?!

I was quick to see Collette balling her hands into fists.

” Umm…” I rose to my feet. ” Thank you for the meal, MÔM. I need to make a call to my mother.”

” Is there something you need?” Vee asked.

” I need 30k.”

Vee and Abdul were surprised.

Abdul spoke. ” 30k? That’s a little too much. What do you need such an amount for?”

I frowned at him inwardly. How on Earth is that his business? I immediately began to hate him.

” She’s paying me for tutoring her,” Collette spoke finally and the tone she she used was her usual calm voice but it hinted on anger too.

Vee regarded her. ” 30k? That’s too much, Collette. Won’t that rip her off?”

” I’m fine with it,” I said suddenly. ” Besides it’s my money so I’m free to do whatever I want with it, aren’t I?”

Vee and Abdul looked at each other and then she shrugged and handed me her cell phone.

I excused myself and left the room. I was glad I left. The tension in that lodge was suffocating.

Moving away from Vee’s lodge, I went behind the backyard, found a tree and sat down beside the flowers Vee was growing.

Dialing my mom’s number, I placed the phone in my ears and waited.

It didn’t take long before my mom’s voice broke into my ears. ” Hello, miss Vee. Happy weekend.”

Hearing my mom’s voice. I nearly cried. ” Mom?”

She caught her breath. ” Lucy is that you?”

??????

•••••••••••

AUTHOR’S POV•••••••••••

Clearing out the dishes, Collette dropped the plates in the sink and began washing them.

She heard a car engine roared and sped away.

Abdul had left to the market to go get some foodstuffs. Collette knew Vee sent him off so she could have some quiet time alone with her.

From behind her, Vee sneaked up and held her waist.

With one powerful shove, Collette pushed her away. Picking up one of the plates, she pointed warningly at her.

” Don’t you ever think of touching me.”

Vee face fell. ” Collette … Can we talk?”

” What is he doing here?!” Collette asked instead, rinsing the plates in clean waters.

” Abdul?” Vee smiled. ” He just came to spend the week with me. He’s leaving tomorrow morning.”

” So he’s your fiance,” Collette said softly but her hands were unsteady. ” You two are going to get married and have the best of married life.”

” Stop being jealous, Collette. I thought we’ve had this conversation before.” Vee said, approaching her but Collette backed away.

” Yes we did discuss about it but that wasn’t what you told me the last time. You were going to get married to an old man and then get him divorced.”

” Well, there was a change of plans,” Vee said, running a finger through her hair.

” Change of plans?”

Vee leaned against the wall. ” Don’t think I’ve been lying to you, Collette. I’m as surprised as you were when I found out about Abdul.”

Collette’s frown went deeper. ” I don’t like him.”

Vee shrugged. ” Abdul isn’t that bad. We share a lot in common. It’s surprising how he’s not taken by the idea of marriage but we’re only doing this because of our parents. Like I said, Abdul’s not a bad guy. I got to know everything about him in such a short time.”

” Things like what?”

” Well, he’s very opened, kind, domesticated and he can cook. He hasn’t date a girl in his life. I was impressed at how brilliant he was. He’s a chess freak too and he loves flowers. If he wasn’t Soo bad at painting I would’ve said we were of the same blood.”

” So you two spent the week together and then what next?” Collette asked. ” You two made out in the bed.”

Vee frowned. ” Now, listen Collette. This is my private life. I don’t appreciate you questioning my privacy. But if you wish to know, we didn’t do anything. Abdul was the perfect gentleman. He refused to share the bed with me. His staying here with me was for me to get to know him better. Is that satisfactory enough?”

Arranging the plates on the plate rack, Collette turned to face Vee. ” I have questions for you, MÔM.”

Vee waited.

Collette was glaring at her but her eyes were shaking. ” Do you love him?”

Vee cocked her head to one side. ” Love? Collette that’s way too soon. I like him but love … I’m yet to love a man. I hate men but Abdul … He seemed different.”

” What makes you think he’s different?”

Vee showed her teeth. ” I know a sincere straightforward man when I see one. Abdul is one of those men.”

” Does that means you’d gladly marry him?”

” We’re do both doing this for our parents. So yeah, were definitely getting married.”

Collette stared fixedly at her. ” My last question. Are you still planning to divorce him after marriage?”

Vee suddenly became quiet. She hadn’t expected this question from Collette. She was reconsidering her plans after spending such a marvelous week with Abdul. She liked him ofcourse but why was it difficult for her now to explain to Collette?

” You’re not saying anything,” Collette said suddenly.

Vee met her eyes. ” What do you want me to say?”

Collette nodded. ” I thought so,” and she left the kitchen.

Vee followed her. ” Come on, Collette. Don’t be this way.”

Marching to the provision cupboard, she unlocked her bag and took two can of inhalers from it.

Vee stood behind her, watching her with sinking feelings. She knew she was hurting Collette.

Why can’t she explain these stuff to her clearly?

” I wish you a happy married life, MÔM,” Collette said quietly, rising fully to her feet. ” I don’t want to be in the way of your happiness. No matter what you chose to do with your life, go ahead. I ain’t stopping you anymore.”

Vee came close and held her hand but Collette pulled her hand away from her grasp. ” I’m not doing this anymore, MÔM. I’m calling it quit.”

Vee waited. ” Quit? What do you mean?”

Collette faced her fully. ” I also have something to tell you. I’m in love with someone else.”

Vee eyes shot up. ” In love … With who?”

” It doesn’t matter who it is so long as she makes me forget I ever loved you, I’m good,” Collette answered.

This was too much for Vee to take in. She came close and held her hands firmly. ” Collette … You’re choosing another girl over me? Why?”

” Because you chose another man over me. Because you chose the school and your ambition over me. You’ve caused nothing but pain in my life to the point that I desired to take my life. I can’t continue this way. I’ve finally found someone I liked. She’s enough for me and no matter what happens, I’ll protect her till I leave after graduation.”

Vee took a deep breath and let it out. ” Are you sure this is what you want? Collette you and I have been lovers for as far as I could remember. Are you going to give up on our love for each other cause of some girl?”

Collette glared at her. ” That’s right. I’ll give up everything for her. It’s over, MÔM. I’m done with this sh*t. Go have a happy married life. At some point in my life, I just wanted to die but right now, I finally found a reason to be alive. I found love and I’m not ready to lose that. We’ve had memories together and yes, it’s going to be tough to get over it all but I’ll manage somehow.”

Vee couldn’t say anything.

Then she spoke. ” Collette … ”

” That’s not all,” Collette waved her hand to cut her off. ” I’m also renouncing my membership with the LILIES.”

Vee stiffened and her mouth went ajar. ” What did you just say?”

” I’m leaving the LILIES, MÔM,” she said without thinking. ” I’m starting afresh. I’ve been thinking about this for a while now and I decided I wasn’t going to continue in my mistakes. Joining the LILIES was my worse mistake ever. I’m leaving and I’m never coming back.”

Silence.

Another moment of silence.

Vee began breathing fast and her eyes went hard and dangerous. ” You’re not going anywhere!”