When Olivia had gotten everyone's attention, she began crying all over again as she held her face while the tears gushed out uncontrollably.
If one were to see this, they wouldn't differentiate it from real tears...
One wouldn't be able to tell the difference between real tears and fake tears because she acted it out so well.
Continuously wiping her tears with the back of her palm and blowing the mucous out from her nose, she was able to gain the pity and attention of the people that gathered there...especially the women, and some of the men, who had daughters at home.
Amongst themselves, they all whispered gossiped.
"What kind of a boy is this, anyway...?" One woman asked.
"His parents didn't do a good job in raising him...!" Another said.
"I wouldn't blame his parents, he was looking for love...!"
"Of course I'd blame his parents...they didn't give him the freedom that he deserved...especially for his age...!"
"If they had given him that freedom, he obviously would have ended up like someone else's son!" One woman said, referring to somebody.
"Are you talkin' 'bout my son?" The first woman asked.
"Never mentioned names...!" The woman that referred to 'someone' answered.
"If he had been given the freedom that 'some' people are talking 'bout, maybe this guy would have ended up a criminal...he wouldn't have done this to this girl in public...he would have been an expert at it!"
"I agree...but why would the girl associate herself with the guy and then come pleading for help right out in the public I'm the first place?" Another woman asked, obviously knowing the answer to the question 'she' had just asked.
"I think, we all know the answer to that question so there's no need to ask it again!" One woman gave the previous woman off.
"Besides...!" The same woman said.
"We all know how girls are these days!"
"It's hard to find one with some senses in them!"
"Especially if their parents raised them the old fashion way...!"
All the other women nodded their heads.
"The method of whips and beatings to put then in their places...?" One asked.
"Yes...especially that!"
One woman sighed.
"What's wrong, Pattie?" Another woman asked the sighing woman as she placed her hand behind the woman.
"Oh, this boy, reminds me of my son...!" The woman said.
The woman that had placed her hand on her shoulder gasped.
"Oh My God, is he dead...?" She asked.
Pattie looked at her bewildered.
"Good God, No!"
The other women let out the air that they've been holding as they breathed down deeply.
"Ho! For a minute you had all of us, right ladies!"
All the other women nodded their heads, with relieved smiles on their faces as they all said;
"Yeah...!"
Pattie gave out a sad smile.
Turning back to pattie, the other woman, said;
"So what's wrong, baby girl?"
Pattie looked at there women's faces around her as she hesitated for a moment.
After a moment of hesitation and thinking, Pattie let out a deep breath as she decided to share her secret.
"I just regret not raising my children, especially my boy in the way of the Lord...!" She said.
All the other women were shocked.
"W...What do you mean, Pattie?" The woman closest to her asked.
"My boy's now all 'round the place with different girls everyday at different places...!"
"Are you sure that's not your son?" One woman asked.
Shaking her head, the woman, named Pattie said;
"No, that's not my son...!"
"How are you sure?" A different woman asked.
"I'm sure because my son wouldn't threaten girls to with him like this...girls come runnin' to him, and he accepts them all...he wouldn't be at such a lowly place like this, looking for girls!"
"And you're here, at a lowly place like this, runnin' 'round, and tellin' us 'bout your son?" A completely different woman asked in disbelief as her mouth fell agape.
Pattie blew her nose as she said;
"Well...what do you want me to do?" She first asked.
"I need solution to his problem...!"
The woman that had had her hand behind Pattie, slowly dropped her hand down as a both she and the other women began moving away from Pattie.
Pattie git confused.
"Why y'all moving away?" She asked as she looked both left and right.
All the other women shook their heads as some answered;
"Nothing...!"
"I think I forgot something...!" Another said.
"I got a call to take...sorry honey!"
"I just remember I have an important meeting to attend!" One woman announced, while another took out her phone and acted as if she had actually received a phone call.
Some didn't even reply to her.
As they either gave excuses or did not, they all just scattered.
They each had their separate problems that were already huge enough for them to handle...
The last they needed was for some 'unknown' person to ao them...
'Which they each were not ready for...
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
As for Olivia and Ethan, he had not expected things to take this turn.
Because as soon as Olivia said that, she just said there with her hands over her mouth, as if he had proposed to her...
Which he had not!
Giving off a smile, as he turned to everyone, he grabbed Olivia and pulled her to himself, making her meet his body...
"Olivia, can you please stop this and let's get ok with the real deal, here?" Ethan asked.
Olivia bobbed her head up and down as she exclaimed;
"Yes, Ethan...we would get in with the real deal soon!"
Ethan was confused and at the same time angry.
"Olivia what...what are you talking 'bout?" He asked.
"I'm talking 'bout this...!" She said as she pulled out her left hand from between them.
On her ring finger sat a ring...
If married people alongside couples weren't present, they wouldn't have believed it even if they told them.
She wore a ring...
A real marriage ring that when presented, couldn't be denied the fact that it 'was an actual engagement ring...
Ethan's eyes widened in shock as he stared at the ring and then at Olivia before reaching his hand into his pockets and then shooting his eyes up to look at Olivia.
"How did you get that?" He asked.
"Why did you get it? What has gotten into you, Olivia?" He asked angrily.
As she was about to answer, Ethan felt a hand on his shoulder that made him jump in fear...
"AHHHHH...!" He screamed.
But when he turned around to see who it was, he was both surprised and relieved to see that it was a black security guard.
Letting out a deep sigh of relief, Ethan gave a salute.
"Officer...!" He greeted.
The security guard was a bit shocked at the boy's fear, but returning his hand to his waist as he placed both his hands in his waist, the black security guard said;
"Boy, why are you scared? I scared the guts outta ya?" He first asked.
Shaking his head, Ethan said;
"No...no you didn't at all...I was...I was just not here...!" He said lowly.
"You ain't no chicken, are you now?" One guy asked as everyone burst out into laughter.
Ethan also laughed awkwardly as he scratched the back of his head.
"Hahaha...right...a chicken...!" He said.
"Shut up!" Someone snapped.
Ethan looked beside him.
"He's not a chicken...you're the chicken!" Olivia said as she pointed at the guys that had called Ethan a chicken.
Everyone fell silent, including Ethan as he turned to look at who she was pointing at.
"It's only chickens that call others a chicken, you lousy chicken...!"
"Chickens ain't lousy, Sis...!" Thee guy said.
"Oh really...!" Olivia asked.
"Yeah...!" The guy responded as he nodded his head and said;
"They ain't lousy...they lazy!"
"That's what your 'so-called' boyfriend is...he a lazy chicken!"
Then everyone burst out laughing.
"You don't know him better than I do...none of you do!" She said as she pointed at all the guys that we're laughing at Ethan.
"He mine, and mine alone...so I know him, better than anyone!" He said firmly.
The guy kept quiet as he stared at Olivia, nodding his head, he backed down.
"Boy...!" The security guard called to Ethan.
"You lucky!" The security guard said.
"To find of these, these days...huh!" The man scoffed.
"Is just like trying to attract...wait a minute, is your name WIFI?" The black security guard asked suspiciously.
Ethan frowned.
"No." He answered as he shook his head.
"Then why do I feel the connection between the two of you this strong?" He asked, obviously trying to get somewhere.
It took some seconds before one of the guys got what he was saying and then gradually, all the other people gathered, were all like;
"Oh...now I get it!"
And then they began to laugh.
"Good one Man!" One of the guys said as he patted the black security guard on the shoulder.
As the crowd began to disperse slowly, the security guard pulled Ethan to one side as he whispered advice.
"You've got a good one there, boy!" The man said.
Ethan had a questioning look in his eyes, but he listened attentively.
"Hold her tight...that girl that stood up for you...!" He said.
"Hold into her...don't ever let her go!" He said.
"Oke that supports you and has been there for you the whole time, truly loves you...hold onto her never let go, even though, she could be a real pain in the ass sometimes...!"
It took Ethan a while for him to understand what the black man was trying to say, but once he did, he gave the man a stare...
Once the man was done advising him, he was about to turn and walk away when Ethan held his arm and silently asked him;
"What if you've broken up with her?"
"Huh?" The man asked confused.
"I said, what if you've broken up with her and...maybe might've, broken her heart?" He asked.
The black man turned to fully face Ethan as his hands were tucked in his pockets, studying the young boy in front of him.
The security guard's stare was so intense on Ethan, that he couldn't stare back at the man.
The way he narrowed his eyes at him, gave him goosebumps as he lowered his eyes.
"Is there someone like that?" The black man asked.
"Huh?" Ethan asked.
"I said, is there someone like that in your life that you've broken her heart up?" The security guard repeated one more time.
Ethan thought for a while, before giving off a slow reply...
"Yeah...!"
"What race is she?" The security guard asked.
"She black...!"
"Tall as you?"
"No!" Ethan replied as he shook his head in negation.
"Smart...?"
"Very smart...!"
"Beautiful?"
"Very...!"
"More than that peanut over there...?" The black man asked as he pointed at Olivia who was busy texting away on her phone.
When Ethan turned to look at the person he was referring to, he held his breath as he turned back to look at the black security guard, who was looking at him, waiting for his reply with questioning eyes and a raised eyebrow.
"Yes!" Ethan said, finally releasing his breath.
The black man studied him for while before curtly saying;
"You better get back to her, boy!"
Ethan frowned.
"Get back to her?" He asked confused.
The black man nodded.
"Yep, get back to her!"
As he turned to go, he paused a bit, turning a little to look at Ethan, he asked;
"Why did you break her up in the first place?"
"What did she do to deserve that?" The security guard asked.
"Did she cheat on you to deserve that...?" The black man asked.
Ethan shook his head in negation.
"No...!"
"Did she do something that you didn't like it wanted...?"
Ethan again shook his head as he said; "No...!"
"Was it because of this little peanut, that you left her?" The security guard pressed on to know.
Ethan shooked his head as he exclaimed;
"No, no, no, and no!"
"Then why did you have to break her heart?" The security guard still asked.
Ethan shook his head as he looked here and there before saying;
"Look, it's complicated alright? I don't even think I can tell my best friend 'bout it!" Ethan said before letting out a sigh.
The black man looked on at Ethan keenly with some sort of disappointment in his eyes...
Lowering his head as he shook it, the black man said;
"I dunno what 'you' did kiddo...but whatever it is, you made the wrong choice...and I can't give you any piece of advice or useful words because I don't know the situation...!"
"But I just felt within me that it was 'DAMN WRONG'!"
"If she ain't pretty like this peanut, why go for her in the first place?" The black man asked.
Ethan shook his head as he said;
"I don't know, man!"
The black man was silent for some time, before placing his hand on Ethan's shoulder as he said;
"Go correct your mistakes boy...before it's too late...or else, you gon' regret it!" The black man said firmly.
"No one else's gon' join you in your suffering in your latter years...because both ladies, they ain't gon' remember you... except you go for that first one...she's got a lot of love for you!"
After pausing for a while, the black man said;
"If I were you boy, I'd leave this peanut right here and head out to find my first and only true love!"
Seeing that what the black man said made a lot of sense, Ethan nodded only to be cut short.
"But I'm not you now, am I?"
Ethan frowned.
He had asked this man for a piece of advice, and this man was making a comparison with himself?
He sure is funny...
"There's something you should know 'bout females especially girls...!"
"A young girl is like an egg...if not carefully handled could be broken...same applies to relationships...if not handled properly 'and' carefully, by either party, would end up in doom!" The black man said.
"D you get me, boy?" He asked.
Ethan didn't get that saying and get didn't hide the fact that he didn't.
But thanking the man anyways, Ethan returned to Olivia's side, deep in thoughts.
"So what did he say?" Olivia turned to ask him, making sure you focus all his attention on her.
Shrugging, Ethan said;
"Nothing...just some old pieces of advice!".
"Really?" Olivia asked as she stretched her neck to look at the black man that had spoken to Ethan earlier on.
The black man had walked for a bit but had still turned to look at them.
Seeing that Ethan went back to that little 'peanut' he could only sigh as he turf or his hand away and walked his way, with but a prayer in his heart;
'Lord, let this boy make the right choice!'
Narrowing her eyes keenly at the man, and sing within herself what she would do to him, someone came from behind Ethan and gave him an earsplitting slap.
She (Olivia) was not exempted...