Ana's POV

"What does it look like I'm doing here?" Nancy responds in a question of hers, the chocolate skin that clothes her nice curves prompting her average height figure to appear cute, her deep black eyes coupled above a round nose and little cherry red lips glowing in the evening light.

"I can't discern," I retort, tilting my head to the left so I can gape at her. "You two are over, so again why are you here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" she jeers.

"No, it's not," I deny.

"Uh!" she groans. "We are back together."

She says this and everywhere is calm, all eyes pointing at Joe as we all wait to see his reaction. A minute goes by such that I can hear the evening animals releasing sounds in the distance, a vehicle passing the street is being heard, rather not a single letter escapes his mouth.

"I'm disappointed in you, Joe," I state my feelings as Oluchi storms towards my apartment, tears running down her cheeks the precise moment Nancy hisses changing her focus to me.

"Of course you have to be disappointed, you never liked our union anyway thus you wanted him to yourself." she ridicules.

"And what are you implying?" Glory queries, moving forward to go in her face but I hold her back.

"We don't have time for your games," I say, aiming to go into the house.

"Hold up, wait, you are pregnant?" she interrogates, observing my belly for the first time in months. "Am I seeing things?"

"Nancy, I repeat, I have no time for this," I declare continuing in my plan of walking ahead.

"I don't see any husband around," she mocks, pretending to search at different corners.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I implore.

"Shit!" She exclaims as if having a revelation. "He's the one right? That guy who was visiting you while I was around."

"I knew it," she goes on to say, cackling. "I wasn't wrong to deem you a prostitute."

"Nancy stop," I command, instead she dismisses my order like I haven't spoken.

"He's engaged right?" she raises a question, snorting. "So you are one of those dumb side chicks who think they can trap a man with a baby, it's sad and funny that it didn't work out for you."

"If not that I am pregnant and don't want the child in my womb to become violent, I would have bestowed you a strong slap," I confess, holding in my anger, at the same time trying to feign indifference to her statement.

"You know what?" Glory inquires walking speedily to her, and before any of us can understand what's happening she smashes Nancy's left cheek with her right palm. "I'm not pregnant."

My lips are wide in surprise at the event that I stare helplessly, whirling my neck in Joe's direction after I note Nancy rub the part that got hit and Glory smirking in victory. My eyes meeting his face I can swear on anything holy that I observe his mouth twitch in amusement.

"Serves you right," I turn to sneer at Nancy who is still in a condition of shock as I amble to my home and throw behind me, "I want you out of this arena in not more than fifty minutes tops."

"Stay back, I don't want you within three feet of that door till I say so," I heed Glory's order the moment I whirl to spot Joe aiming to follow me.

I push my way through the ajar door, my vision going around the living room in hope of sighting Oluchi lounging quietly in one of the armchairs, rather I'm proved wrong as I don't find her anywhere.

"Where do you think she may be?" Glory asks, her presence felt beside me.

"I don't know the house is---" I explain but she makes me pause.

"Shhh, I think I heard something," Glory proclaims putting her index finger to her mouth. "Listen."

I obey and I hear the sound of someone sniffing coming from an angle. "I think she's in her room.

"Yeah, it's coming from that way," she announces, pointing at the location of one of the rooms. "Let's go."

Confirming our instincts we trace the noise and truly it is coming from the exact room we predicted, low sobs and sneezes emanating from the door.

"Olu?" I call, knocking on the barrier but the environment goes silent. "Olu, please say something."

"Can we come in?" Glory invites, peeping through the keyhole in a bid to catch sight of the human inside.

"Oluchi, please it's Glory and me, Joe isn't here, just open up," I urge, a pitiful emotion overtaking me hence I know how it feels to be heartbroken.

"That is not my problem," her unsteady voice retorts, pain transporting into our hearts from her tone.

"Okay then," Glory beams. "Open up let's come in."

"Yea Olu, we want to see you and cheer you up, maybe I crack silly jokes to make you smile, how does that sound?" I suggest, praying she agrees to our pleas.

"I'm sorry girls, I simply want to be alone, I'll be fine in no time," she speaks in between cries.

"Oluchi, we can't leave you alone at a time like this," Glory pronounces fiercely.

"I guess there's a first time for everything," she says, seeming to blow her nose from the sounds we heed.

"Olu this is serious, please allow us to enter," I compel, trying the handle, rather it appears locked from inside.

"It's locked," she exhales, "I'll let you know when I'm ready."

"No o, you have to be ready now aunty, you have to open up or I do something drastic," Glory warns, knocking incessantly on the door.

"Oluchi please, simply grant us access to be with you, even if you don't want to converse with us, it's normal, we understand, the only thing we are asking of you is to open up," I beg in a tired voice. "We are worried."

"I won't commit suicide if that's what you are thinking," she blurts in reply.

"It's not what we are thinking," I lie, exchanging a stunned gaze with Glory thus that's the first thing to be worried about in situations such as this.

"Liar liar pants on fire," she mocks, her behavior riling Glory up.

"Oluchi it appears you aren't taking my warning lightly," Glory scolds, "let us in oo."

"I've had enough of this," I assert, abandoning my previous position.

"Where are you going?" Glory quizzes watching my movements.

"I'll be right back," I assure and stride to the small tray in the living room where I keep some of the spare keys to the rooms in this house. I know it's not safe but hey, that's not the only place I keep them, I've got many other spots, and besides, it's God who protects.

"What's that?" Glory mouths as she notices the sliver items in my hand when I wander back to her.

"Spare keys," I whisper for Oluchi not to hear, jiggling it in her face and bending to insert it quietly into the keyhole, thankful it doesn't make any noise. "Let's just hope she didn't latch it with the hook from inside."

We hold our breath in uncertainty as the key meets with the nook and crannies of the lock till we hear a clicking sound that brings a grin to our faces.

"One, two," I murmur, and on three we both bend the handle and shove it open with force in case she's blocking it but that's not the case as we end up scaring her as she scurries to the end of the room the second we barge in.

"I'm not going anywhere," Oluchi declares as Glory walks to her right-hand side while I position on the left side.

"That's our decision to make," Glory notifies, squinting her eyes as she glares at her.

"Madam ngwa, move [Madam it's time to move,]" I motion to the door, providing no space in my tone to be countered.

"I'm serious I'm not going anywhere, I'm okay here," Oluchi murmurs her palms held behind her back and face straight as if hungering for a fight.

"It's like you want me to drag you," Glory scoffs, folding her arms to gaze at her."You are not allowed to stay here and wallow in pity so."

"Olu, please," I plead, lending her a look.

"No I----" she begins and Glory and I trade signs, hoisting her into our arms as she screams and trashes. "Stop it!"

We don't listen and more so she shrieks, as we continue to drag her on each arm.

"Anyone who hears your voice might think you are being kidnapped," I chuckle, struggling not to lose hold of her arms as she keeps shaking at different angles while we succeed to pull her out and dragging her almost to the living room.

"I'm being kidnapped by you two," she asserts and Glory and I think the same time to drop her, causing her to stand erect.

"Now act civilized and stride between us to the entertainment room," Glory compels.

Bobbing her head in affirmation, she follows us two steps ahead and the next moment she's off, dashing to the entrance door and pulling it open, sprinting outside.

"That girl is crazy!" Glory exclaims going after her, I attempt to do the same despite my pregnancy but cease my activity the instant my phone rings. Having an inkling of who it is, I produce it from my purse and don't check the caller, smiling the instant I hear his voice.

"Good day dear," he greets through the device I'm holding as I slowly amble to the couch to sit and await the both of them thus I can spot their silhouettes running around the compound.

"Good day Ike," I respond settling in.

"Can I ask if you are free for the day? I want us to have a drink," he informs and I shake my head despite the knowledge that he won't see me.

"I'm sorry, no," I speak. "I'm currently in the middle of something."

"And that is?" he interrogates. "Wait, what's the commotion I'm hearing?"

"Glory is chasing Oluchi," I convey, massaging my forehead as I place my legs on the table.

"Why is that?" he asks, his words coming off as confused.

"It's a long story," I sigh.

"I have time," he replies. "Tell me what's happening."

I do, narrating the whole deal from the start to the finish.

"Are you sure Nancy isn't a witch?" He investigates and I laugh.

"Yeah, I might consider that theory." I giggle, "she derives joy in causing people sadness and trampling on anything named love."

"How is Oluchi coping?" he quizzes in concern.

"She's really bad," I inform, sighting them stroll in, or more like Glory pushing her inside. "Talk to you later, they are here."

"Okay, be cool," he advises and I snort at that, ending the call as Glory blurts an. "I need to go and get those shopping bags."

"Damn!" I clamor. "I had forgotten about that."

"Me too, until I caught a glimpse of each of them at several locations," Glory admits and departs, going to do as she says after ordering Oluchi to "sit still"

"Oluchi why do you feel uncomfortable showing others your emotions?" I raise a question. "And not just any group of people, I'm referring to us your friends."

"Before you go on to argue or concur with that, I'll have you know that I know what I'm implying and you do too." I go on to say and she clamps her mouth shut.

"Listen here dear," I speak reaching for her palms. "You don't owe anybody strength except yourself, and if things appear too hard for you to handle I'll have you to know it's normal to let out the tears okay?"

"That was exactly what I was planning to tell her but I'm grateful you did," Glory confesses arms full with each of the bags, plopping them on the seats.

"I'm thankful we are on the same page, " I say to Glory, swirling to Oluchi. "I hope you got me straight right?"

"I do," she breathes, tearing up.

"It's fine baby girl, let it on me," I say as she leans into my shoulder, releasing the torrent of tears that coarse through her.

*****

It's been three weeks now since Oluchi and Joe's fight and it is hell living in the same compound with them that sometimes I feel like abandoning my own home, the image seeming appealing at times like this.

Ike helps at times by either offering to take me out or taking Joe out of the house in the name of watching football or having drinks, their relationship has to be getting to that of friends which leaves me perplexed.

It's another Saturday and I wake up to the sound of hisses and curses being hurled from outside the windows and doors of my confinement.

Having a fill of their childish behavior thus it's obvious they are totally in love with themselves, I pick up my phone from the table close to the bed as I stretch a little and dial Ike's number.

When he picks, I mutter only one sentence. "Let's do this," and cut the connection, a smirk appearing on my lips as I have a notion that all the nonsense is going to end today.

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