While Aderinsola was preparing to get in bed and Mama Silver was just returning from her night journey. Emma and Abby were sitting on the floor inside Emma's room waiting for Omolade who went to the kitchen to get them some midnight snacks.
When Omolade returned, Emma nearly gave herself cardiac arrest because of what Omolade was holding instead of the snacks she wanted to get before
Emma gasped when she saw Omolade entered with two bottles of their grandmother's special Black Muscat wine.
"Lade, a bottle of that cost more than 500 grand. Grandma will kill you if you don't return them right now!"
"Well, these are the only strongest drink I could find inside her pantry after searching for so long. Let's just enjoy it and..."
"No, you're missing the point!" Emma cut Omolade off mid-sentence. Grandma doesn't joke with those and last time I counted, there were only five bottles left in the case, minus these two you're holding now?... She will be left with just three bottles and she will surely get mad!"
"Well, why were you keeping count of her bottles of wine if you've not been stealing them yourself ehn?..." Omolade looked at Emma with a mischievous smile on her face
"I dunno what you're talking about..." Emma said and shrugged her shoulders innocently before she suddenly burst out laughing... Well since I'm in the mood to get smashed anyway... Although I would have preferred tequila or vodka but... Half bread they say is better than none. So I'll manage the wine."
Omoalde and Abby laughed when they saw how Emma suddenly switched sides because of her need for alcohol. The fear of grandma killing them because of the wine no longer matter, the only thing that mattered right then was getting drunk.
"So you agree that we should drink today, then we can all gladly die from grandma's wrath tomorrow, yeah?"
"I would gladly join but the problem is I don't drink," Abby said sadly, already feeling left out of the fun
"Well you can hardly call this a drink since the whole bottle has just fifteen percent alcohol content," Omolade said, holding out the wine bottle for Abby to see for herself
"Alcohol content wines are good for the heart, unlike liquors that are basically gasoline or beers that are basically vodka," Emma said, got up from where she was sitting on the bed and removed three disposable plastic cups from inside the mini-fridge in her room
"Stop talking rubbish about my dear vodka!" Omolade exclaimed before turning to Abby "Don't mind her o, she's talking rubbish because the man she's getting married to would probably bar her from drinking alcohol for the rest of her life..."
"Yeah, the man I'm getting married to... The man I know nothing about apart from the fact that we had sex three days ago and he nearly strangled me to death like ten hours ago..."
Looking crestfallen, Emma raised her cup of wine in a toast...
"Cheers to good life & I pray I have one in the nearest future." She toasted before downing the content in one gulp.
"Awwnn..." Omolade scooted close to Emma and gave her a tight hug "It's going to be okay sis. You are going to have a good life, grandma promised remember?... I trust her!"
"For what it's worth, I think he cared for you a little bit... He called your phone while you were sleeping this evening and..."
"He did!?... Well, why didn't you say so earlier? Where's my phone?" Emma frantically searched around for her phone. "Where's the darn thing!? Did anybody see my phone!?" She desperately asked and looked up when she couldn't find her phone only to found Abby and Omolade's strange look fixated on her.
"You've fallen in love with him, haven't you?" Omolade asked Emma with a frown of concentration on her face.
"Uhmm... No! Why would you say something as ridiculous as that?"
"Well maybe because you nearly bite Abby's head off right now or because you were crazily searching for your phone to see if his number was printed inside with gold and diamond right?..." Omolade said sarcastically
"Printed with gold and diamond?... Don't be silly!"
"My point exactly, because I don't understand what the sudden mad rush to find your phone was for... And it has been right beside you all this while..."
"Oh!"... Emma said when she truly found her phone right beside her. "Well I just wanted to save his number on my phone not that I'm in love with him or anything"
"Yeah, I hear you!"
"You've fallen for him Emma, stop lying to yourself!" Abby gently said to Emma
"I'm not lying to myself... I just don't know how I'm feeling about him, alright!"
"You don't know how you're feeling?... What's that supposed to mean?"
"Yes, I truly don't! I mean, I've never been in love and I don't know what it feels like to love... I feel like I hate him... and I also feel like I don't really hate him..."
"You've lost me," Abby said
"Of course I hate him for what he did to me but... Do you know when Lade suggested I press charges?... Well, I hated that idea more. I don't know if you're getting me? I truly hate this guy but if I was given the opportunity to get back at him for what he did to me... Well truth be told, I don't think I would be able to..."
"I understand... Omolade who has been looking intently at Abby said gently. She looked at her sister and her heart ache for her. How can someone be so fierce and yet so cute and naive?
"You do!?..." Emma asked, looking at her sister with surprise
"That is, love to the best of my knowledge Emma," Abby said
"Really!?..." Emma asked with a catch in her voice, looking between Abby and Omolade
"Yes babe, really..."
"But how could I love him when he hates me so much?..."
"Would you like to listen to the recording of that call?" Abby asked
"You recorded it!?... Yes, please! I would like that." Emma replied eagerly making Omolade and Abby laughed at her
"What do you think? Emma asked her sister and friend when they were done listening to the recording of Leo and Abby's phone call
"Well, he was polite..."
"He sure wasn't to me..." Emma retorted
"And he said it wasn't deliberate..."
"And you believed him? But how could that not be deliberate?"
"Girl, I saw ice frost all over your body three days ago during the day, when the weather was very hot! I wouldn't have believed that if I hadn't seen it with my eyes..."
"So what are you suggesting I do? Because if I'm marrying him in two weeks time that means we'll be meeting sooner... I wouldn't even know how to face him or what to say to him without making a fool of myself"
"Well since I'm more experienced than both of you put together, I will advise you to play this one close to your chest. Don't wear your heart on your sleeve so he won't take your love for granted... If it happens that he didn't feel the same way towards you, then at least you'll have your dignity intact and walked out of the marriage with your head held high"
***
After two more bottles of their grandmother's Black Muscat wine, Abby who was now drunk couldn't take anymore and just slept off while Omolade and Emma still sat having tête-à-tête.
Then Abby's phone started ringing with caller id LOML
What kind of name is this? Omolade asked passing Abby's phone to Emma who was closer to the bed where Abby laid.
"It's not a name it's an initials LOML means love of my life."
"Ohh we should wake her then," Omolade said and they woke Abby up.
"Hey, baby... Thought you weren't going to call anymore today..."
Watching Abby conversed with her man, Emma couldn't help but wonder if she would ever have such a relationship with Leo in the future.
***
The following morning, Mama Silver entered Emma's room to inform her that about her parents when she met with an eyesore. Abby was the only one on the bed, while Omolade and Emma were lying haphazardly on the floor.
'2.5 million naira worth of wine gone in one night! God of mercy,
how are you creating them these days?' Mama Silver thought to herself in amazement