Amara walked into her apartment with a wide smile on her face, humming Westlife's Flying Without Wings under her breath.
Ada, who was lounging on the bed, laughed loudly as Amara entered the bedroom.
"Try fly small small without wings," she said, laughing, and Amara giggled as she dropped her bag on the bed.
"Una done settle abi?"
Amara rolled her eyes and dropped her bag on the center table. "What was there to settle?"
Ada raised her brows, grinning like a cat that caught a rat. "Amara, you too form! Kai! Anyway, I'm glad you've resolved whatever it was that made your face heavy yesterday. At least you are shining your teeth up and down now."
Amara kicked off her shoes and plopped down beside Ada. "Anyway, I think there was an element of truth in what you said. I think Michael is jealous of Brother Emma."
Ada sat up, slapping her thigh. "Didn't I tell you before? I talk am say the man like you, na you nuh gree believe me. So how you take confirm am? Did he say something?"
Amara leaned back and folded her arms, thinking of Michael's face when she mentioned Emma.
"We talked a little. Before you say anything, I apologized like you asked me to. And he sort of said things that showed he wasn't happy about Brother Emma. The way he glared when I teased him confirmed it."
"Wait. What did you both discuss about brother Emma? Am I missing something?" Ada asked, and Amara realized she had yet to tell Ada about what Emma told her in church.
Amara told Ada about her conversation with Emma in church and how she had teased Michael, asking him to join them in prayers, and whether Emma could join them on their hangout.
"Ah! You sef nuh well. Why you go ask am that kind thing?" Ada asked with disapproval.
Amara laughed. "I just wanted to see his reaction. Na once he eye red."
Ada burst into laughter, shaking her head. "No doubt, that man dey jealous." She paused, her tone shifting to mischief. "So, madam, if Michael ask you to date him now, wetin you go do?"
Amara's lips parted, but no words came out for a few seconds. She looked down at her fingers. "I don't know… I'm not sure if his mother will approve."
Ada's eyes widened. "Eh? Why is that a problem? Didn't you tell me that the woman loves you and even rented you this place?"
Amara sighed. "Loving me as a person is different from accepting me as a daughter-in-law, especially when she knows all about my past. I don't want to do anything that will make her upset or think I'm ungrateful for all she's done for me."
Ada shook her head. "If she's truly as nice as you painted her, she will definitely accept you. Nuh stress yourself."
Amara let out a small sigh. "Even if she accepts what about everyone else? Church people?"
"Church people ke? What concerns your relationship with church people? Why did you make that announcement if you care so much about what they think?"
Amara frowned. "If I knew he liked me that way, I wouldn't have said anything. I don't care about how they look at me. He's the one I'm worried about. He deserves better. He is doing so well for himself. Why will somebody like him, who has his whole life figured out, want to be with somebody like me? This is not a Nollywood movie or romance novel. Let's face reality."
Ada rolled her eyes. "Stop looking down on yourself. Nothing is wrong with you. You be spec. Full option. If you look yourself less, people go look you less. Chin up," she said, lifting Amara's chin.
Amara smiled. "I nuh know say you done turn motivational speaker. Anyway, thank you. But let me not get ahead of myself. Maybe I'm mistaken. I don't want to think about it until he says something. Time is going. Let's do and start getting ready to go out."
Ada waved her hand. "Nah. I'm not going again. You should get ready and go."
"Hian! Why? What happened?"
"Nothing. I just want you both to have a nice time. It's your first outing. Two is fun, three is a crowd…"
"Abeg, no start. Michael invited you, and you said yes happily. Why did you say yes if you didn't want to go?"
Ada smirked knowingly. "That was because you both weren't talking. I wanted to follow so I will ginger the two of you, but since una don already make up, no need. Besides, I think he asked me so that I won't feel left out when you go out without me."
Amara frowned. "Just get ready and follow us, joor."
Ada shook her head stubbornly. "Nope. I nuh dey go. Maybe you and I can hang out later in the week before I travel."
Amara hissed softly but gave up. She took off her clothes and went to the bathroom to freshen up.
As she stood in front of the mirror, styling her hair after applying her makeup, Ada folded her arms, watching her.
"How come you sabi hair and makeup like this? Na professional touch o."
Amara smiled faintly. "Valerie made me learn before I started working. She said presentation mattered."
Ada let out a loud laugh. "Who go hear you now go think say na office work you dey talk about." Ada laughed harder, holding her belly as she mimicked Amara's tone.
Amara spun around to glare at her, and Ada raised her hand. "Okay, nuh vex. Sorry. But let's look at the bright side, you learn correct handwork. This your makeup fine pass wetin one idiot do my cousin for her wedding last week. Her neck and face be like two different people body."
Amara laughed at that. "For real?"
"For real. Anyway, you can make this your side hustle."
Amara's eyes lit up, and she pursed her lips, thinking. "Honestly, I never thought about that. I thought of going back to my cleaning…"
Ada waved a hand dismissively. "Person dey big pass something. You're not the Amara you were two years ago. Even I can see that. Listen ehn, with this your sewing you can gather money small small to buy makeup stuff like the makeup box and ring light, with good makeup items o, not foundation that will crack. Then later, you can upgrade both your fashion designing skills and makeup skills. You go dey style brides from head to toe—hair, face, dress. You go cash out die."
Amara chuckled and pointed a comb at her. "You know what? Hold that thought till I come back. Record it on a voice note so that you nuh go forget because your sense dey come dey go like NEPA light."
"You nuh well. Better learn how to talk well o. Like this you fit marry pastor. You nuh go fit dey insult person anyhow once you marry pastor."
"If I hear! Even if I marry bishop I go tell you my mind. God know say na play, so He nuh go hold am against me," Amara said, then looked at Ada seriously, "but I mean am sha. Let's talk more about this when I get back."
"You go pay me consultation fee o."
Amara grinned. "When the money start to flow from the idea, I go pay."
Minutes later, when Amara was done, Ada clapped her hands and began to hype her.
"Chai! See fine babe! If beauty na crime, dem for don jail you since. Make I spray you small."
She pulled out a perfume from her bag and misted it over Amara.
"I done dey happy dey think say na money you wan spray me before. Broke girl," Amara said, laughing.
"Ingrate. As if the perfume nuh be money I use buy am," Ada hissed, laughing.
"The perfume smells nice. Who dash you? You thief am or see am pick somewhere?" Amara asked, laughing.
"They dash me sha," Ada admitted, and they both burst out laughing.
"Nuh worry. When I blow, I go spoil you. You be better friend," Amara promised.
Ada lifted her hands heavenward. "Amen! Make the money come quick, because I dey ready to chop the spoiling."
They laughed, and then Amara's eyes fell on the big bag Ada had brought with her.
"By the way, why are you carrying such a big bag around? You carry all your load travel?"
Ada hesitated, then smiled mischievously. "I go tell you when you come back from your date."
Amara folded her arms. "Stop dodging. You've been doing that since you came yesterday. Talk now."
Ada sighed. "Okay. I lied yesterday. I didn't come here straight from the village last night. I went to my aunt's place first… only to see my things outside. She threw me out."
Amara's eyes widened. "It's a lie!"
Ada forced a small smile. "I wish it were. She said I'm too grown now to be living in her matrimonial home. She no want anybody to follow her drag her husband."
Amara frowned deeply. "You and the man dey very close?"
Ada sighed. "Not at all. Normal uncle level. But I nuh blame her sha. The man womanizes a lot. And I've been living there since I finished secondary school. Now I'm twenty-seven…"
"That still doesn't justify what she did. It doesn't even make sense. You both did not quarrel, and she did not see you do anything bad. Why will she throw your things out?" Amara asked angrily.
"Yeah. The thing pained me sha. I just wish she had told me before I left for the village. I for just stay there nuh come back. But sha, I plan to go back before the weekend."
Amara raised both brows. "Go back to the village to do what?"
Ada's smile faltered. "Nowhere else to go. At least nobody go pursue me from my papa house."
Amara rolled her eyes. "Something is wrong with you. What happened to this place? You can stay here."
Ada shook her head quickly. "No, no. I can't live here with you."
Amara lifted her chin. "Why not? You're the reason I'm in Warri, shey you know? We both know there is nothing in that village. I'm even thinking of bringing my sisters here soon. We can get an extra foam for them to sleep in the living room. All of us will stay together and work together. You have business sense, it will be useful."
Ada blinked at her, almost disbelieving. "You sure?"
"Very sure. Stop worrying," Amara said firmly.
Ada's eyes grew moist. She hugged Amara tightly. "Thank you."
Amara laughed, pushing her gently away. "Abeg, don't stain my clothes with your dirty body."
Ada burst into laughter. "Idiot. Which dirty body?"
Just then, Amara's phone rang. She looked down at the screen, and her heart skipped when she saw it was Michael.
She answered quickly. "Hello?"
"Are you ready? I'm almost there." Michael's warm voice came through the line.
"Yes," she said, smiling.
"Good. Come downstairs."
The moment the call ended, Amara looked at the mirror again. "I look okay, abi?"
"If that your choir girl see you, she go declare three days vigil to pray against mamiwata spirit. You too fine like mamiwata," Ada said, making Amara laugh.
"Enjoy yourself o. Bring takeaway for me."
Amara gasped. "God forbid! That's gutter behavior."
"Nuh be from gutter me and you come? Abi them done pick you out of the gutter?" Ada shot back, and they both laughed.
"Na only you come from gutter," Amara said before hurrying out.
As she descended the stairs, Michael's car pulled up in front of the pharmacy. As he stepped out of the car, his eyes widened when he saw her looking so beautiful in the dress, with her face and hair looking beautiful.
"Damn…" he muttered under his breath, then quickly added, "Ah— God forgive me."
Amara's cheeks warmed when she saw how he was staring at her as she approached. And then he rushed forward and opened the door for her.
Upstairs, Ada had a wide smile as she leaned on the railing and stared at them.
Seeing the way he was staring at Amara, she could tell that he'd probably arrive at the cinema and finish watching the movie before realizing that she wasn't with them.
"Pastor Michael! Something came up o, so I can't come with you both again. But abeg, give Amara takeaway rice come for me! I want turkey, not chicken o!"
Michael laughed as he looked up at her. "No wahala!"
Amara looked up at Ada with a shake of her head. "You nuh just get shame at all," Amara told Ada, who winked at her.
"Na who chop belleful dey shame," Ada said, making both Michael and Amara laugh.
Inside the pharmacy nearby, two of Michael's staff, who heard their voices, peeked out and saw him holding the car door for Amara.
"See as e be like oyibo film! Pastor dey whine girl!" Loveth teased, and the other hailed him loudly.
Amara laughed, feeling embarrassed as Michael waved them off.
"Go back inside! Face your work!" he shouted playfully before sliding into the driver's seat and driving off with Amara.