"Good morning to you Nora" Caleb greeted Nora who backed the door and was yet to notice that someone came in.
"Good morning" Nora acknowledged.
"Nora, I will be sending you back." he informed.
"It's not really necessary to stress yourself, I told Rose that I can take a cab back." Nora said looking at him.
"You want to get lost again?" He asked playfully.
Seeing her about to frown, he added
"I was just playing, I don't have anything doing today so I will just busy myself up by taking you home."
"As you wish"
Nora agreed without arguing.
Inside the car.
Caleb was thinking about what to tell her to start a conversation.
'Should I ask her how she got lost yesterday?'
No. She explained about that yesterday and that discussion would be leading to nowhere.
He waived the thought off and thought of something else. 'Should I ask her name?'
No. I just called her by her name now.
'Okay, then I should ask how she met my sister'
'I should tell her that she's beautiful'
'I should ask her what she does for a living.'
All the thoughts of what he should say to start a conversation were ruled out by him and he just continued driving. When they were crossing Ivy's house Nora kept staring at the gate, that notice was no longer there. 'They must have gotten someone else' she thought. Caleb wanted to ask why she was looking there but felt it was going to be rude so he kept quiet.
Nora on the other hand felt the atmosphere was too quiet so she thought of something to talk about to make the place lively.
She thought and thought and when she finally came up with some thing to say, she remembered that he has not spoken anything since they started driving, and concluded that he definitely did not like talking while driving.
This way, they ended up silent throughout the journey.
When they arrived, while she was getting off the car, he held her hand causing her to stop and when she asked him what the matter was, he said it was nothing, apologized and left.
"I will be going back to the military camp." Rose informed Nora.
"When?" Nora asked.
"This weekend" Rose replied
"Time runs real quick, it's two months already." Nora said sadly.
'And about the apartment..?" She asked.
"Don't worry about it, we will meet the landlord and I'll be paying the rent when they become due after you leave."
"Do you have the finance.?" Rose asked.
"Yeah and that's a big thanks to you. I'll soon be starting up my evening school for adults.
Thanks for bringing back to life, those dreams that almost died inside me. I will never forget what you did for me." Nora said gratefully even though she knew that Rose didn't like to be thanked too much. "I am happy that you are rising back like a hero."
Rose said happily.
"Yea the old me that was so passionate is coming back" Nora said smiling.
"Including the you that allowed you to love?" Roee asked and Nora smiled because she did not wish to disrupt the mood.
When Rose was set to leave, Nora became emotional. She kept hugging her and refused to let her go.
"I will miss you a lot Rose, thanks a lot for coming into my life and at the right time."
Seeing her not willing to let her go, Rose asked.
"Is this how emotional you can get, we only got to know each other not more than three months ago"
"Yes and that's why I can't have a boyfriend. They will only end up breaking the pieces of my heart that I've managed to patch back.
They are all the same." Nora said emotionally.
"Including my brother?" Rose asked and Nora was quiet.
"Why are you this stone hearted, a lot of people get heartbroken five times or more and are still willing to love again but you were only bitten once and you became unimaginably shy." Rose remarked.
"Maybe I am so weak at heart." Nora responded.
"My brother is crushing on you." She said blatantly 'Little wonder, he held my hand and wanted to say something to me when I came out from the car yesterday but he seemed to have been rather shy.' She smiled at the thought of a guy being shy. It was the first time, she heard of a timid man.
Seeing her smile, Rose added.
"You know why I have not given up on you yet? That's because people like you can just walk up to me one day with your wedding invitation and I would then be shocked how it happened, so take your time and do whatever you want to do. She said and smiled.
Nora smiled even though she knew a wedding card, she would happily show to Rose is impossible. She had crossed her heart already.
Nora refused to follow Rose to the airport for fear that she would not allow her to go so she paved ways with Rose here.
When Rose got in the car, Nora got a call from an unsaved number, she stared at the string of numbers and took the call.
It was Ivy.
"Hi Nora, I want to ask for a favour from you. I am sorry for everything that happened between us"
"What can I possibly do for you?" Nora asked.
"Can you come and teach my children as their home teacher.
I will pay you twice as much as you bargained with Mrs. Brown." Ivy said.
"Didn't you already employ someone?" Nora asked.
"We did not find another person as qualified as you are" Ivy said calmly
She thought about it for a while and felt she actually needed this job to enable her pay the rents when they become due. Even though she told Rose that she had the finance, that was to let her be at ease, Rose had done enough for her already and she ain't the greedy type.
I will accept on one condition." She said after thinking it through.
"Which is..?"
"You will have to tell me all I need to know about you." At least she needed to know who she was working with.
"That's a deal then."
"When can we meet?" Nora asked.
"What do think about 8AM tomorrow?" Ivy suggested
"I will be having lectures by 8:30 tomorrow. Why dont we make it 7AM or 7:30."
"I'm okay with that too. What about the location?" Ivy said.
"Is your house okay?" Nora asked.
"That's settled then."
They finally decided on the location and time.
"Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow.
Have a good day."
Ivy was dressing up when she got notified about the visitor waiting downstairs. She came down and saw her children seated around Nora bombarding her with questions. They had already gotten fond of her in minutes.
"Mummy" they both called as soon as she came. She ignored them and walked towards Nora. "We would be staying in the study."
"Mummy, please one more minute. she hasn't answered our last question." That was Gary talking.
"Go and eat." Ivy commanded frowning.
They looked at Nora asking for help with their facial expression. She in turn made a sorry face and they finally followed the maid that had initially come to call them.
"Just few minutes and you have already almost taken my children from me." Ivy joked and Nora smiled in return. They got to the study which was more like an office. Ivy asked Nora wanted. Nora decided to take juice while Ivy took coffee. Ivy then sent a message across through the intercom in the study.
Not long after a maid came in with both the juice and the coffee, placed them carefully on the table, bowed and left.
Ivy took a sip of her coffee before permitting her to ask questions.
"You are now allowed to ask as many questions as you want to." Ivy said smiling.
Nora did not touch the juice that was placed in front of her, she took a deep breath and asked the first question in her mind.
"How many bodyguards do you have?"
Ivy didn't expect her to ask that question and couldn't control the laughter as she laughed out loud. Nora joined in the laughter. She was really so blunt.
When Ivy was done laughing, she looked at her
"So you were really scared that day?"
"Who wouldn't be?"
"I didn't notice it."
"Now you know, answer the question." Nora said smiling
She didn't have much time to waste here.
Ivy breathed in and answered.
"Just seven, four males and three females."