Chapter 10

It was another weekend but there was no party of note to attend this time around and except for church tomorrow Kiishi had no where to go. She loved going to church as much as she dreaded it. Church on Sundays were for her a time to busy her mind by observing other people. 

She attended a well known church, known because it was full of affluent people like her parents who had no actual interest in being religiously inclined. 

She would arrive in church an hour into service because it took her mother a long time to wear her makeup and generally get ready for church. They were not the only ones that came late to church she will watch as ' slay queens ' got down from the rides they had ordered and watch with excitement as they stepped out of the car.

They would step out slowly, one leg at a time with the most expensive shoes that were currently in trend and watch as they carefully lifted the rest of their body out of the car.

Most times they will wear clothes that were way above their knees except if the current trend was to wear a long dress and she will watch as they feigned modesty by constantly dragging their dress to cover more skin. Kiishi wondered why they bothered; if they really wanted to cover their thighs they would have dressed accordingly. She would watch as they turned the ground they walked on into a runway in which they will strut and flaunt their latest designer handbags and false nails.

Most of them she knew were in church to find a decent man to marry and their pastor's wife had admonished the women in the church several times that the church was not a place to seduce a husband but a place to worship God in spirit and in truth. 

There were other things that interested her like how the church's garage looked like a place that sold cars.

She would also observe the shocking difference between ' madams ' and their ' helps. ' She would watch as the ' madams ' walked hand in hand with their husbands as if afraid that the single women with their insanely short dresses would snatch their husbands before their very eyes. She would watch as the ' help ' carried ' madam's ' two year old in her arms in clothes that were faded and almost tattered looking. 

Kiishi was happy such was not the case in her family. Her mother might have forbade them from talking to Zainab but she had also forbade them from talking down at her and even more so she had ensured that Zainab was never looking wretched. Even now as they all walked into church nobody could tell who among them was their maid. 

" Kiishi what are you looking at? " Her mother hissed when she noticed that Kiishi was far behind them.

" Nothing mum. " But that was far from the truth she had been looking at Mr. Richmond, a well-known and very wealthy oil mogul who had just divorced his wife and was now flaunting a model on his arm. She thought to herself what their pastor would say of this, she wondered if Pastor Toks would approve of this union or if he would overlook it because it had been Mr. Richmond's generous contribution that had ensured the church's recent renovation. 

An hour later Kiishi yawned, she wished the service would end already. Sometimes she wondered why her parents bothered with church, she knew for a fact that her parents did not open their bibles except on Sundays when pastor Toks was preaching. 

Her eyes wandered and she locked eyes with a boy, perhaps he was a man she could not really tell but he was looking at her with such intensity that she felt electricity course through her body. He did not look familiar she could not tell if he were a celebrity's son or a celebrity himself or maybe some low-key rich person. 

She looked away but she could still feel his eyes piercing through her as if searching for her soul, it made her feel uneasy. 

Kiishi could not be more grateful when the grace was shared although she knew this was just the beginning of the second phase of church because her mother would attend her women of courage meeting after which she would greet the whole church. 

One day she had asked her mother why she greeted the whole world when she came to church, her mother had told her " It is important to network dear, that's how you meet people that will grow your business. " Kiishi did not think so however because none of the women her mother greeted in church had rendered any form of help to her mum's business, as far as she knew they only rendered gossip.

When church was over and her mother had greeted the ' whole world ' Kiishi alongside her mother, sister and Zainab made it to their father's G-wagon and when they were all settled her father spoke. 

" Kiishi who was that boy staring at you in church? " 

" I don't know. " Kiishi shrugged.

" I saw you looking at him. " Her dad said in a matter of fact tone, Kiishi only shrugged.

" Kiishi answer your father. " Her mother said.

" I don't know him. " Kiishi insisted and it was true.

" Are you sure? " Her father could be sweet at times but he was also very strict when he wanted to be especially when it came to boys.

" Yes Dad. " Kiishi rolled her eyes, if only he knew what she was up to with Joshua.

" Okay. Face your studies there will be plenty of time for boyfriends. " Her father said driving into the parking lot of dodo pizza.

" So I can have more than one. " Kiishi remarked.

" Kiishi behave. " Her mother said firmly.

During assembly the following day, Kiishi felt someone staring really hard at her, it felt like the guy from the previous day but what was he doing in her school? She looked around but she did not see him so she shrugged off the feeling. It was not until lunch break when the cafeteria was full of whispers of a new student she knew that indeed it had to be the same guy from yesterday. 

" Kiishi that new boy is so hot. Have you seen him? " Bisola asked. 

" No. What does he look like? " Kiishi was curious.

" He's a hunk. Like all those muscles, even his uniform could not hide them. " Bisola said with excitement in her voice.

" He sounds like my type of guy. " Kiishi remarked.

" He is the guy of every girl's fantasies. " Bisola crooned.

" Really? I would like to meet him. " And as if he had heard her he walked into the the cafeteria and their eyes locked. Her intuition had been right it had been the guy from yesterday. He was tall, taller than even Joshua and his body could be compared to the guys that jogged in her estate every morning but it was his eyes that caught her attention. She could not tell their colour from where she stood but those eyes had fire in them and they had the ability to electrify whatever had their attention and they were on her.

" Kiishi, he's so handsome! " Bisola moaned beside her.

" Joshua is more handsome than him. He's just all muscles and bones. " Kiishi observed not taking her eyes of him. She had not lied when she had said Joshua was more handsome, yes Joshua's body could not compare but Joshua was handsome, very much so.

" I didn't know you were the loyal type. " Bisola commented surprised her friend will make a comparison.

" I'm not being loyal, I'm just being factual. " Kiishi shrugged as she watched this new student walk. 

" But you have to agree that Joshua's body cannot compare. " Bisola said.

" No one is arguing that. Are you and Dare a thing now? " Kiishi said in an attempt to change the topic. 

" No. He's a really sweet guy but there are no fireworks. " Bisola shrugged.

" I see. " 

" Do you think the new guy will look my way? " Bisola asked with a hint of hope in her voice.

" Why not? You're beautiful. " Kiishi said finally tearing her eyes away from the new student.

" I heard he's in SS 2. " Bisola informed her friend.

" So you're finally giving up Kayode? " Kiishi asked her friend who still had her eyes fixated on the new student.

" Well it's about time I move on. " Bisola shrugged. 

When it was closing Kiishi made her way to her school bus alone. There was no Bisola today because during the last period her parents had come to pick her up due to a family emergency that happened to be the naming ceremony of her older sister's newborn baby. 

Kiishi sat down beside the window and opened the Suzanne Enoch novel she was reading. A few minutes later she felt that stare again and what more he was sitting right next to her.

" Why do you keep on staring at me? " Kiishi closed the novel she was reading and turned her attention towards this new guy.

" No hi? What's your name? " He quizzed raising his left eyebrow.

" There's no need for that. " Kiishi said. 

" Really? That must mean you have no interest in getting to know me. " The new student gave her a lopsided smile.

" I don't care what your name is and before break tomorrow you will know half of my history already. " And it was true, Kiishi was very popular in school. She was the only popular girl without a bunch of stupid girls frolicking around her. 

" Why half? " He asked, he could not explain it but the girl seated next to him intrigued him. 

" Can you just mind your business? " 

" I was minding my business you were the one who talked to me first, remember? " 

" Stop looking at me. It's creepy. " Kiishi said deadpanned.

" I like you. " He said with a shrug of his shoulders. 

" You don't know me, besides I... Never mind. " She had been about to say ' I have a boyfriend ' but that was not true she had constantly refused to put a name on whatever she and Joshua had going on. 

" Just stop bothering me. " Kiishi finally said returning her attention to the novel placed on her lap.