ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHT

I was walking paces, it was just Lucille and me in my bedroom. I looked at Lucille and asked,"Okay, what's your deal? Why is it that everytime I engage in espionage with the targets being Mark and your mom, you mess it up?"

She sighed and said,"Because we're friends, I'll tell you...my mom said I should spy on you so you don't spy on them."

I looked at her, amazed then asked,"So you'd stoop down low enough to spy on me? I thought you were my best friend."

She said indifferently,"My mom's been paying me ten bucks an hour."

"Oooh, can I join in on the deal?"

"Back off hotshot, this is my business."

I looked at her and blinked a few times then sighed and said,"Fine then...this means war."

"Bring it on..."

From that day, the battle was on. But Lucille was a formidable opponent...she didn't follow me everywhere, but was always there when I even thought about spying, she was good. No wonder she got such a great deal.

I sat down on my bean bag, super bummed out. My supposed best friend came to me and asked,"Aww Tommy, why so blue? You can tell little Lucille."

I sighed and said,"I only spy on Mark because seeing him happy makes me happy, when his joy is being manipulated by some crazy lady, I make it my job to save him, like he has done me uncountable times."

"Aww, I didn't know...well things are great for me, I mean, you aren't much competition, I'm just making easy bucks."She said, sashaying out of the room.

I looked at her, surprised then frowned.

I was tutoring Chienembe on Quantum Tunneling and how Ruby had found a way to advance it by a thousand years and got jealous as he said many super nice adjectives of Ruby, so I said to him...

"Umm Chienembe, as you are my Doppler, we share a bond that no one else can have with us and due to that bond, I'm compelled to tell you...back off, Ruby's mine!!!"

He stared at me with widened eyes then smiled and said,"Not if she likes me instead."

I dropped my jaw...

Did he honestly just say that?

I replied,"Game on..."

Why on earth am I in a competition with every freakin person now?!

Mark came with a card on his hand and looked between the two of us, I could tell he was confused. I sighed and pointed to Chienembe and said,"He's the Nigerian, I'm the Ghanaian Nigerian."

"Oh right..."Mark said,"Chienembe, I have to ask you something very important."

"Of course."Chienembe said.

"Is this your grandmother?"

He showed Chienembe and both he and I widened our eyes.

She looks just like him!

Just with wrinkles!

And in that case...she looks just like me!

Chienembe looked at Mark then smiled and said,"No, I've never seen that woman in my life."

I looked at him, surprised then Mark asked,"Are you sure?"

"Positive, who is that anyway?"

"She's a lady that Oleh's men were holding captive and I traced her roots... she's related to the both of you."

Wait, we're related?

We looked at each other.

Mark continued,"She's more to Chienembe's side so I thought you were used to calling her your grandmother."

Chienembe shook his head.

Mark said okay awkwardly then left, I looked at Chienembe, shocked and yelled,"Are you kidding me?! You look just like her! I look just like her and I look nothing like either of my parents!"

Chienembe just shrugged his shoulders and left.

Mark worked hard to find Chienembe's grandmother and Ms Lucy used her connections to help. They showed him several eligible nominees but he said no to all of them and something was suspicious to me.

Chienembe walked into his room and the door banged shut and I appeared behind where the door was and he yelled then said,"Tommy, you startled me."

I asked,"How does your grandmother look?"

He blinked twice and said,"Well she has..."

"Wait...Tony."

"Who?"

"My sketch artist, so I'd be sure, continue."

He looked at me then began,"She has black hair apart from a white spot on her forehead, she's darker than me, she has three missing teeth..."

"Which teeth exactly? Incisor, canine, molar, wisdom or premolar?"

"...um, the two at the top front and one on the bottom left."

"You got that?"I asked the sketch artist, he nodded.

I signalled Chienembe to continue and he sighed and shedded a tear and shouted,"I'm sorry, I lied! My grandmother wasn't kidnapped, I don't even know who she is! Please don't tell Mark."

"Why not?"

We looked back to see Mark who was standing at the door with folded arms...and he did not look too happy.