FIFTEEN YEARS LATER
"Hey... sorry I'm late." Marilyn Appleby smiled apologetically at her best friend, Vanessa Hill as she took her seat, eyeing her steamy plate of jollof rice and chicken, with some salad at the side.
"I can't believe you ordered without me." She complained, her tone light and playful, and slightly accusing as well.
It was their lunch break, and despite being very busy, very successful women, with their own companies, they always made sure to meet for lunch at their usual hangout, Jerry's...at least twice a week. They had been doing this for almost ten years; so long that you could even call it their thing. Of course, there were sometimes hindrances, with the occasional lateness like today, but they never cancelled on each other.
Not without some really valid explanation, at least.
Vanessa laughed at her friend's antics as she wiped some sauce off her bottom lip. "You know, when I called and you told me you were stuck in that lunch break traffic around the Independence square...I honestly thought you were finally going to break our ten year record because of how insanely late you were. And plus… a girl's gotta eat, especially when she hasn't since yesterday evening."
Marilyn shook her head, not wanting to accept the long explanation. "It still doesn't cancel the fact that you betrayed me, girl… now you better start apologizing."
"Alright, alright," Marilyn's fair skinned friend said in mock exasperation. "I'm very sorry, Lyn. Forgive me please?" She pouted adorably, "Pretty please with cheese and chicken on top?"
"God," Marilyn exclaimed, bursting into laughter, "Did you have to fucking say that?"
And so for the next hour, the banter continued as the two middle aged ladies filled each other with gossip and long talk amidst good food and wine.
Jerry's was truly the best.
Time ran out very fast and they soon had to go their separate ways. It was funny how it only did that when one was having the most fun. With a promise to call Ness as soon as she got back to the office, Marilyn drove off. She couldn't help reminiscing how she met Vanessa, on the not so long drive back to her Office, Appleby and Associates. Most best friendships started out at high school usually with the most cliché introduction ever, but not theirs.
She was in the University of Ghana then at 18 years. A naïve stupid girl who believed herself to be so in love with her boyfriend that she closed her eyes to all the signs showing how much of a lying, cheating bastard he was. Vanessa had been a victim of Marilyn's boyfriend, Charlie's unwanted advances then, and even though she didn't know Marilyn personally, she had heard about her and felt it right to let her know what her beloved boyfriend was always up to behind her back.
Oh it had turned into a fight...a huge one. Marilyn had been hysterical, claiming Vanessa just wanted to come between a perfect love and the poor girl had gracefully retreated. At least she had done her part. The camel's back was broken when Marilyn caught Charlie in bed with another woman and that was when the dirt washed out from her eyes. She had no friends...Charlie had been her everything to the annoyance of her once close friends. Only one person had cared to call her out on her bullshit. A perfect stranger.
That night, with no one to turn to...Marilyn had found herself in front of Ness's door. She made her mind to knock, but her courage left her all of a sudden. What she had done to the poor girl who had only been trying to help was so inexcusable that she didn't think she would be forgiven so easily. Hell, even she found what she had done unpardonable. And so with that thought in mind, she had turned to leave, but the door had opened before she could do that, and out stepped Vanessa looking all dressed up.
One look at Marilyn's face and everything had clicked in the light skinned girl's head. She didn't say a word, all she did was stretch out her arms and pull the distressed girl in for a hug.
That was all it took to let the fireworks out.
Marilyn had cried and cried until she couldn't anymore and then passed out on Ness's bed, but the girl hadn't minded, not even upset at the fact that that date she had been about to head out for had been abruptly cancelled by the same girl that had humiliated her a few days ago. All she had seen was a girl completely heartbroken, and she was willing to do everything she could to help.
The weeks that followed saw Vanessa nursing Marilyn back to health and by the time she had recovered, a beautiful friendship had formed.
A knock on Marilyn's car window snapped her out of her reverie. It was then she realised she had arrived at her office.
"Boss… you make fine?" One security guard asked as soon as she rolled her glass down. She nodded pleasantly, a small smile gracing her feature.
Yes Boss indeed.
That name always got to her, as apparently, the position she held at work was initially one only held by men. It was like a dream, her very own paradise. Snapping out of her thoughts, she spoke out. "Oh yes, Baba. Don't mind me." She slapped the air casually, "I was just lost in thought. I hope the family is doing great."
"Oh Madam, yes oo... Walahi ebi God. Take care eh. Continue to make all the small girl pikins proud."
Marilyn couldn't help but chuckle in amusement as she listened to the old security man go on and on. Baba always had this way of speaking with passion, and that always got to her, always making her laugh and feel inspired at the same time.
As she made her way to her office, she couldn't help but feel proud. She always felt this way when she took a look at her company, Appleby and Associates. This was her own toil and struggle. Her legacy for her sweet daughter. She had always felt within her that she couldn't work for someone. She was too damn proud and challenging for her own good and she preferred to rather give out orders than take them. This was why she had quit her old job at her former law firm and started her own company of course with the help of Vanessa.
It seems we're in a very reflexive mood today. Marilyn mused as she climbed the final set of stairs leading to the top floor where her office was located. The partners were all in this section. With a curt smile on her face, she nodded at everyone till she got to her personal assistant's desk.
"Hey Clara, any messages for me?" She asked.
The young lady looked down for a moment.
"You have only one call from Isabel's school ma'am."
"Isabel's school?" Why would her daughter's school be calling her at this time of day?
Her P.A only nodded, silently answering her question
"Oh okay. Please send me the McMahon file in about five minutes. Thanks."
Closing the door to her office quietly, Marilyn made it to her desk, kicked off her heels and slipped into a pair of slippers she kept for when she was indoors. After settling into the swivel chair and silently spinning for a few minutes, she grabbed the receiver and dialed her daughter's school, playing with her car keys as she waited for her call to be connected.
What could have happened now? She wondered. Her daughter, Isa was a good student. An excellent one to be specific. She only hoped it wasn't an accident or something health related.
Before she could stress herself out some more, her call was connected.
"Hello...this is Marilyn Appleby. What's going on? I was told you called my office. Is my daughter okay?"