Chapter 22

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The café was crowded when she arrived. She checked the time on her phone for she never wore wristwatches. She just wasn't a fan of them. It was almost twelve. It was a rush hour. She managed to find a corner table. It was unoccupied because its location was no beautiful one. It was dark and quite hidden. She sat down and placed her handbag on the table after putting her phone away in it. She signaled a passing waitress who came to her. She made her order quickly for she always knew what she wanted before she always came. The waitress came back with it on a tray. She served her and wished her bon appétit. She dug into her lunch swiftly because hunger was not being nice to her. She began eating the spaghetti and fish ball quickly, barely relishing it. She had a dance section by after one o'clock that was the reason why she was hasty.

'Fancy seeing you here,' a familiar voice said behind her. She was still trying to remember who it belonged to when the owner appeared afore her, taking a seat without permission, crossing her legs over each other. 'Good noon,' she greeted with a beautiful smile that curved her small but plump red lips. Recognition washed over her in an instant. It was the lady with copper hair from Mrs. Ugwu's birthday party. The one Clement had chased away with his presence. She was too striking to forget.

'Good afternoon to you too,' she said placing her fork down on her half eaten plate of food to look at the lady who was still staring at her with that fixed smile that was slowly becoming weird. 'I seem to have forgotten your name,' she told her.

'I didn't get a chance to get yours back then Jade. Therefore, we can as well reintroduce ourselves.'

'Mayhap we should,' Chinwem agreed half heartedly. The lady's presence was beginning to unsettle her.

'I'm Sandra Maduabuchi,' she told her, leaning forward slightly, her long copper hair following suit. Chinwem knew that it was hair extension. But, it looked so real that she was almost tempted to ask which coiffeuse had done so for her.

'I'm Chinwem,' she said, wishing the lady would stop staring at her as if she was some prey with that wolf like eyes.

'Chinwem,' she repeated. 'It's a good name for a naïve little thing like you,' she said. Chinwem needed no one to tell her that it wasn't meant as a good statement. It instead was meant to insult her and she felt offended.

'I think that is rude. I am none of those adjectives mind you,' she said to her. Sandra laughed. She leaned closer to her once again to take the glass of water by her plate of food. Chinwem shot her an angry look. She said nothing more, setting the glass back where she picked it from and waving for a nearby waiter who came by. She ordered a glass of water.

'Well, sometimes the truth is hard to accept Jade,' she told her.

'I told you that my name was Chinwem, Red,' she drawled, adding the insult after a second thought. She wasn't the only one who could be referred to as a colour. The red head was another vibrant colour. Sandra laughed again, softly, proudly, confirming the thoughts that had come to her of the woman on the night that she had met her. The woman indeed liked to laugh a lot.

'Clement used to call me that a lot. I like red hair extensions a lot,' she smiled softly then, her eyes distancing as if she was reminiscing. 'You are so much like him, with so much to hide,' she whispered, leaning in. Chinwem stared at her with narrowed eyes. What was this insane woman getting at? The waiter returned then with her glass of water. She took a sip of it, then two more. 'I bet he never told you who I was or why he didn't marry me? Oh! I bet you never asked either, afraid to lose him. You both are keeping terminal secrets and it will hurt you both. Leave him Chinwem, do so now lest you do so hurt and broken like the time you alone know very well.' Now Chinwem was lost. What on earth was this lunatic talking about?

'You are insane,' she said. 'You are still in love with Clement,' she snapped. 'If you are trying to bridge us by planting seeds of doubt in me, it won't work. Clement and I are above that!'

'Of course it won't work sweetie because you are lying to him. Clement hates deception. That is what makes him a wonderful lawyer. When he finds out you are lying to him Chloe Chinwem Nwabuagu, half an eye, he would abandon you like the rest. I warned you.' She leaned back in her chair and sipped her water, looking pleased with the shocked look on her opponent's face.

'Sick bitch!' she screamed getting to her feet speedily. 'You dug so well like the hungry dog that you are! I have no idea what you will gain by doing this!' Sandra smirked.

'I stand to gain nothing. I'm just helping you beauty to make good decisions,' she said. 'Don't worry; your secret is safe with me. If I'm going to reveal it, I'll give you a heads up and see if you can beat me to it,' she said.

'You shall rot in hell, you, your wickedness and your red hair!' she waved a waitress. She came to her. She handed her a few five hundred naira note, about five for the bill. She took her hand bag and turned away from Sandra, the smiling bitch, and made to leave the café.

'Jade,' she began. Chinwem turned back to her, to look at her. 'You haven't finished your meal,' she pointed out.

'I have lost my appetite,' she stated.

'Since you are settling the bill, you might as well pay for my glass of water. You can just consider it as a favour that you are repaying,' she said.

'Sandra,' Chinwem called in an amiable voice. The red head looked up at her.

'Yes?' she answered her.

'Go to hell!' then, she turned and walked away without looking back, Sandra's irritating laughter escorting her out, through the café doors.