* * * * * * * * * * * *
The sound of the phone ringing drew her out of the kitchen where she was making breakfast –or was it brunch? It was past eleven o'clock and she had only woken up about forty minutes ago. She dried her washed hands very well on a kitchen napkin before picking her smart phone and checking the caller ID. She smiled radiantly. It was from her sister. She took the call. Her sister's ever excited voice –the very one that had gotten them into trouble with their father- said her name from the other end.
'Chinwem, how are you doing?' she asked.
'I'm alright Corinne,' she said with a voice that revealed how happy she was. 'What about you? How do you do my dear?'
'How do you do too my sugar plum,' was her mocking reply. But, Chinwem was used to Corinne's jibes. It was part of her, like skin on flesh.
'Baby,' someone said from Corinne's end. She recognized the voice. It belonged to her other sister, the central sister as they called her for they were triplets.
'Melody, is that you?' she said jokingly.
'No,' was Melody's retort. 'It's Madeleine my dear –that's if I sound anything like her,' she said referring to their elder step-sister.
'No offence but I think Made sounds way cooler than you Melody,' she said.
'There was none taken,' Melody said with a laugh. Corinne joined her too.
'What you doing at Corinne's without inviting me?' she asked a wee bit hurt.
'She's at mine,' Melody said.
'Yeah, we're having a pity party. Melody broke up with Sven Ryder.' Chinwem was confused for a moment.
'Sven Ryder you say? I do not think that is his name Corri,' she said to her.
'Thank you for telling her that,' Melody said with a mirthful laugh.
'I think it was Stanley, wasn't it? Tell me if I'm wrong Melody.'
'It's Sven-'
'Corinne shut up,' Chinwem said playfully.
'She named him that because he likes to ride,' Melody explained.
'Well of course he does,' Corinne defended. There was laughter in her voice.
'I thought he was a banker, not a racer? He doesn't look it too.' The two laughed at her comment and she wondered what she had said wrong this time. They always did that to her, laugh at everything she did. Anyways, she knew that they were merely having harmless fun, teasing her and enjoying it.
'Oh my sweet virgin sister,' Melody said to her. She frowned. She hated to be called that. But it was true. She was the only virgin among the triplets. 'He likes to ride women honie, not cars, never cars neither automobiles.'
'Don't rub it in my face Melody.'
'Yes, don't do that!' Corinne mock defended before going into one of her huge laugh explosions. Chinwem sighed exasperatedly.
'Go on, go on both of you and have fun at my expense. It's typical of you two to always call me and then do that,' she told them although she was not offended.
'We're sorry,' Corinne quickly apologized. 'We did really miss you. So, that's the reason we decided to call. We really wanted to hear your voices sweetheart. We aren't making fun of you, at all. We're just catching cruise,' she pacified. She was good at that. Corinne had sugar in her mouth. She was sure she could even talk the devil into giving his life to Christ.
'But seriously Chloe,' Melody said, 'There is really no man yet? Or are you just playing with us?' she pried. Chinwem sighed exasperatedly once again. Her nosy sisters, here they go again with their torment.
'No, there is none.' Instantly, images of the handsome guy, the stalker who kept relentlessly chasing her, and calling her Samantha flashed through her mind. She realized then that she didn't know his name and had never bothered to ask him. But, she was sure he must have told her and she on the other hand had most likely forgotten what it was.
'Whatever,' Melody said with a gesture. She was so sure. She could almost see her do so. The gesture always followed her "whatever". They were paripasul with Melody.
'Anyways,' Corinne continued, 'we'll talk later. Bye sweetie!'
'Love ya! Goodbye.'
'Have a nice day!' she said before Corinne kept the call. She stood there for a long time, her mind dwelling on the one man who had dared to follow her in years. She hoped that he would not be disappointed if he was so persistent. She went to her hand bag and brought out the complimentary card he had given her. She studied it. His name was written on it alongside his phone numbers, all three of them. His name was Ugwu Clement I. she wondered what the 'I' in the name stood for. His handsome face flashed in her mind and she let out a pained laugh. 'Stop bugging me,' she said to herself. Tears came to her eyes in quarter of a nanosecond. She would be an idiot to dream of what she could not have.