CHAPTER 69: JUST LIKE BEFORE.
The next day back in the university, Lucinda ran around the basketball arena looking for Richard. She had tried calling his number last night but he seemed to have blocked her. Just when she went to celebrate her victory with Ben yesterday, this had to happen.
“Hey, Kings, where is Richard?” She asked the tall and chocolate skinned looking guy who held two balls in his hands. He was bouncing both at the same time and his focus was slightly away from them because of Lucinda.
Kings was from one of the western countries in Africa and was so involved in his culture because he wouldn’t let the chance of him talking about it slip away for a minute. He was a law student and despite having one of the twenty four seven strict reading courses, he somehow always had time to spare for sports and he never let anyone down in his studies. In short, he was the best amongst the rest.
“I have no idea where he is. Check the classroom though, I overheard some engineering students saying they had a practical for about half an hour.” He answered and left without waiting to listen to what else she had to say or ask.
“Thanks.” Lucinda mumbled and went to where she had been given an option. Truly when she got there, Richard was in class with a group of students. His face was serious as he listened to a lady talk. Her name was Juliana and she wasn’t even in the first level, she was a third year student in the same department as Richard and the others.
Lucinda walked in with her hands tied together and sat behind. Juliana kept talking and explaining certain terms while Lucinda just watched her do so, she secretly admired the girl for not conforming just like her but then what else could she do? The damage had already been done.
After waiting for twenty minutes more, Juliana was done and everyone gave her a round of applause before she left. Richard packed his books into his bags and then saw Lucinda who stood up as well with eager eyes. Richard felt like walking away but then decided to speak his mind to her, seeing how much trouble she put him in because of her silly action.
He approached her and pulled her outside the class, he continued pulling her to an open ground where there was no one around before setting a specific distance between them so as not to create an air of confusion.
“Richard…” She called out sweetly.
“Shut up. I brought you here to talk with you, not the other way round.” He interrupted and Lucinda swallowed hard.
“What the hell is wrong with you, Lucy? What do you think you are gaining from doing this?”
“I love you, Richard, can’t you see? I am in love with you.”
“Are you dumb? Aren’t you literate enough to know what being in love means? You love me and you sleep with many other guys behind my back…”
“I did that to gain your attention but I swear Richard, they are not as good as you. You are the only one I love, I swear Richard.”
Her pleas of deceit was making Richard more angrier as he had already planned to make her see the wrong in her actions but it seemed she was forever blind.
“Can you listen to yourself? I don’t love you, I only love one woman in my life and that is Kira, don’t you understand? You were just my whore and I wasn’t the only one who benefited from you. You threw yourself to me with the promise that you wouldn’t ask for anything from me. You can’t make a good partner because you don’t even have the qualities of being such.
I ruined my life all because of you and if I have a son and daughter in the future, these won’t be a part of their options because it is horrible. You are a female, Lucinda, it’s better if you’d change your ways. Next time, don’t you dare pull such a shitty game with me again. Never speak to me because we are done, understood?!” Richard warned and walked away.
Lucinda’s eyes turned watery and she quickly blocked them with her hands by wiping them. She wasn’t going to cry…no she wasn’t. She was a Queen after all, she shouldn’t cry over someone else’s mistake for losing her but then it hurts.
Her mum had always told her that these were ways that she could get a man that she loved, by getting his attention. This wasn’t over. It was not in any way over.
*_*_*_*_*_*
“I believe that we should help him.” Zeke said as he drove out of the family company. They had just spoken to Raphael and he had not been doing well at all, he felt totally sick and was poor in hiding it.
“He wants to be a man then let him be one.” Don answered. Zeke glanced at him with disbelief as he pressed on the brakes to relieve the car from its high speed.
“Aren’t you his friend? Why are you saying this?”
“I am not denying to be his friend, Zeke. All I am saying is that if he wants us to stay out of it then let’s stay out of it until he wants us back in.”
“What about his son and Evelyn?”
“He has to sort that out himself. If he wants to get out of this finally then he has to make a plan. This way, he won’t be associated with the family ever again and he can finally be the man of his choice.” Don answered.
“I just can’t believe that his father would do such a thing, it was unexpected. Sometimes I doubt if he is indeed Raphael’s father.”
“What if he isn’t?” Don shot the question and his eyes met with Zeke’s for a brief minute. The former took out his pack of ice cream and scooped it.
“That is just an imagination, right?” Zeke asked him and Don laughed.
“Yeah, it is. That’s why I have the word ‘if’ in my sentence.”
As Don was about to put a spoon into his mouth, Zeke grabbed his hand and shoved it to his mouth instead. Don frowned and gave him a punch on his shoulder.
“Ouch, easy, bro. It’s painful.” Zeke whined while laughing.
“I brought the ice cream for myself not for you.”
“There is love in sharing.”
“Love my ass! Humph!” Don puts a spoon into his mouth, preventing Zeke from hijacking his ice cream.
“Will you be available for tonight’s job?”
“I am still in University, you should cover up for me.” Don replied like a spoiled brat.
“I have been the one covering up for you, what do I gain?” Zeke mumbled.
“My loyalty, that’s what you gain, dude.”
The rest of the journey was full of banter between the two but mostly caused by Don.
*_*_*_*_*_*
Lucinda entered Elizabeth’s fashion house. It was a beautiful place to be in with a series of silver lights placed everywhere illuminating sparkles from it. The house was cool with the help of the air conditioner and there were different designer dresses of limited versions in there. Shoes, bags, dresses etc were not missing. The texture was magnificent and the color theme was between purple and blue with slight addition with white.
There were many people in there who were checking out the dresses. Elizabeth sighted Lucinda and walked up to her. She was wearing her house’s theme color, a blue gown with shiny stones on it.
She was wearing heavy makeup and jewelry as well. She was indeed beautiful.
“Hello, you must be Lucinda, right?”
“Yes, Mrs Gulf.”
“That’s good then come over here. Let’s talk.” Elizabeth said with a smile.
“How is your mother?”
“She is fine but currently not in the country.” Lucinda replied and sat down when they got to the place Elizabeth had brought her to. Elizabeth took her seat in front of Lucinda.
“What would you like to drink?”
“I am fine, ma’am.”
“Alright. So…you said you had something important about Richard that you would like to share with me.”
“Yes, ma’am. It’s about who Richard is dating.”
“Richard is in a relationship?” Elizabeth was marvelled.
“Yes ma’am.”
“Who is the lucky girl?” Elizabeth asked with her eyes filled with sparkles.
*_*_*_*_*_*
Tom sat at a corner in the playground watching his peers play. He didn’t feel among and this was affecting him. He was not happy because no one was talking to him. Everyone was talking about what their father had bought for them while he had nothing to talk about.
He wanted to speak with Raphael again but Evelyn was always telling him that he was busy. It felt like he was now living back in the beginning when he first arrived here with no one to play games with.