Efe Anaughe

Yay! Happy New Year! It’s a few days into the New Year. I’m sorry it took this long guys, actually I have been quite ill. I think it was because I got so busy I never took time to rest in between. I spent my 31st night on my bed into the New Year. What a way to enter the New Year! I am so grateful my Father called to pray with me and usher me into the New Year closely followed by my Mom from Church.

It kind of made things look better, thank goodness for that. Sleeping into the New Year was not the way I planned to spend my 31st night. The girls were wonderful all through the period I was ill. Jasmine made sure I didn’t set foot in the office and the girls kept fresh bowls of fruits, peppersoup of all kinds and anything I felt like eating; all I had to do was mention it or hint at it.

I feel really blessed to have such wonderful friends and couldn’t have wished for better ones. “Hey girl are you day dreaming? Tell me this 2019 who would you pick; Rick or Dennis?” Zara asked as she and the girls came in with a light picnic basket after my Mom told them I had refused to eat all day. “I was not day dreaming!” I blurted out indignantly. “Ok, calm down Tobs,” Jasmine said giving Zara a stern look. “This is not the time to get Tobs worked up,” Jasmine said gently.

“There is an Art Exhibition coming up this weekend and I will love for you all to be my guests,” Bola said in excitement. “Tobs I will personally come and get you if you would like to come,” Bola said looking at me eagerly. My first instinct was to turn her down.

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You see Bola’s married lover is an Arts Collector and has been known to be involved in staging some of the biggest Art shows in Nigeria. I knew he was involved somehow but when I opened my mouth to refuse, Jasmine stepped in. “Of course we will all come Bola, don’t worry about Tobs, I will pick her,” she said snootily in a voice that brokered no argument.

I gave her a strange look but said nothing. Something fishy is definitely going on but this is not the time to ask questions. The following day Jasmine came to see me with a breakfast basket. The breakfast basket was one of the best looking, smelling and tasty I had ever seen or eaten. It had fresh fruits, blueberry pomegranate jam, smoked pepper bacon, ham biscuit slices, perfect potfuls assorted gourmet coffees, blueberries, maple syrup, buttermilk pancake & waffle mix, buttermilk scone mix and oatmeal one of my favourites.

As soon as we were done with Breakfast, I rounded up on Jasmine. “What was all that about Bola and the Art Exhibition yesterday Jaz?” I asked curiously. “Well Bola and her beau have been having some ‘ish’ and this is the first time in a long while he is inviting her and her friends to an exclusive Arts Exhibition and dinner,” Jasmine said persuasively. I was silent for a minute. The truth is I am not comfortable being around Bola’s married lover and all the girls knew how I felt about this, why on earth is Jasmine trying to get me to go for this Art thingy.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Bola; she’s just not a pretty face but also brilliant, caring and fun to be with. On top of that she runs her own business. I mean she could have any man she sets her sights on so why this loser? I thought disparagingly. I have little empathy for ladies who date married men. If I say it is unethically and morally wrong, will I be wrong? Let’s not even go spiritual because some will say they see nothing wrong with it. No woman on planet earth is happy to share her man with another woman, including you so let’s not deceive ourselves. I sighed heavily, I will have to decline this invitation but how do I do that without creating offence?