"Doesn't your scalp hurt?" Nancy asked Fiona.
"It does, I can't even laugh or smile wide. But it's worth it, I feel so good." Fiona said joyously as she turned around to show it off. They were black box braids reaching her hips in length when loosened.
The trio had gotten their nails done right after Fiona was done. Nancy had tried to convince Anna to try long artificial finger nails but she had refused, only Fiona who was so curious to try everything had agreed.
"Isn't it heavy on you?" Anna asked Fiona.
"No, they are light and affordable"
"Okay, let's go shopping" Anna said in a sing sang voice and they got to a car parked outside the salon front. The hair and nails process had taken several hours and yet they still had to buy a lot of things to which they wouldn't managed to carry so Anna was forced to contact Max for a ride.
"She's married, dear" Nancy told Max when she noticed him gazing at Fiona up and down nonstop.
Max lightly blushed as he looked away, he was caught red handed. He didn't say anything and opened the door for them to enter the car. Fiona merely smiled but stayed quite.
"Can't you pretend that you didn't see anything even for once?" Anna asked her bestie while opening the front passenger seat door for Fiona, "I want you to explore the city so sit here for a better view"
"Thank you" Fiona said and gracefully got in, right now, she was feeling like a boss lady. She kept spreading and folding her fingers every now and then just checking her long well polished nails out. She had always wondered how girls she sees in movies and music videos get their nails so long not knowing that they just add on artificials. She had always admired them and now that she was like them, her joy knew no bounds.
The two noisy best friends got in the back where they kept talking and laughing like they were on a talk show till they got at the mall. They left their hand bags inside the car and got in the mall. But as they walked towards the entrance, Max's eyes were fixated on the girl who he hadn't thought that she was this pretty.
When he and Liam had discovered Anna's place of residence, Max had seen Fiona coming from the same rentals as Anna and had paid her to tell them everything about Anna. Max had gotten her phone number and from then, she had been his informant for the past year but never had he seen her gorgeously dressed like this.
"I wonder what kind of person your husband is who can't take good care of his wife." Max said, his eyes kept following her just observing her happy cute face.
Inside the mall, the girls first got in clothes section. Anna told Fiona to choose whatever she wanted but the poor girl failed. After all, all clothes were nice to her. Besides, she was now scared of choosing much and expensive clothes when Anna had already spent much money on her. She picked a floral long dress and took it to where others were.
"What's that?" Nancy said, disgust already showing on her face.
"Why are you so adamant on long dresses? You got nice legs to show off, girl. Look at yourself in the mirror" Anna said turning Fiona's body, "Imagine wearing that shabby dress on this hair, beautiful nails and a nice body you got."
Nancy who was already bored with their nosense grasped Fiona's arm and dragged her to shorter dresses and skirts section.
"I'm not as stylist as you guys" Fiona said smiling shyly.
"You will learn by fire by force" Nancy said picking whatever would suit her well. Anna joined Nancy as Fiona tried on every piece the two kept giving her. They after left for pants and tops.
Max who was still outside watching their drama chuckled to himself. As a grown up and sensible person he was, he sensed Fiona's feeling and understood her. He secretly approached the boutique's owner and gave her his credit card.
"Tell that brown skinned girl to get whatever fits her. Don't you describe me when they ask you who paid." Max said, he didn't wait for a reply and left.
The lady went straight to girls, "Excuse me ladies, some guy paid for whatever she likes"
Anna, Nancy and Fiona looked at the Max's car through the building glasses in unison. All had a shocked but knowing look on their faces.
"I don't think that you know him though." The lady said to cover up Max.
"Isn't he tall, chocolate, strong built...." Nancy asked first.
"No ma'am, he's slim and crippled, one leg."
"Oooh!" Anna and Nancy cooed in unison. But Fiona was frowning,
"Seems like your friends' prediction are coming to pass. Are you still married or you're single and searching?" Anna asked.
Fiona looked around her then raised a brow and asked "Who is married?"
Everybody laughed at her funny question. Ann raised her hands as if to apologize for being disrespectful.
Nancy clapped her hands, "Alright then, let's ran this disabled guy bankrupt. By the time he comes for a phone number, we will have left."
And just like that, the girls picked all outfits, hand bags, shoes, undies, night wears they liked for Fiona till they decided to stop. The boutique lady felt bad for calling Max disabled but that's how she would end all doubts. Her workers parked everything and helped carry them to Max's car.
Anna also had bought more short skirts, much revealing night wears and thogs for herself to Liam's liking. They later went to shop other things.
"Anna" Fiona called, "Can I take this wrist watch? I want to give it to my husband as a gift in hospital right after the surgery."
"It's okay, love." Anna agreed, she bought for her nicer oils, perfume, scented bathing bar soaps, gel, hair spray and some simple jewels.
After shopping to their heart's desire, they returned to the car. They sat in earlier sitting arrangements and set off.
"We gonna need a celebration after ruining the poor disabled guy's finances" Nancy said.
"He met city tyrants" Anna said laughing, "Poor thing! I bet he's still searching for his one night's bride"
"Waaa! Men who invest much money in women don't work well in bed. It's either they take seconds in bed or are completely impotent much less to a crippled man." Nancy said with much confidence.
Max narrowed his eyes, the audacity of these girls talking shit on him flabbergasted him. Not like he was into Fiona, anyway. He had just pitied her and nothing more.
Fiona looked outside the window glass as she snickered, she was too shy to respond to vulgar language. She would never forget about this memorial day ever. All thanks to Anna and the mysterious guy, she was now rich. The city looked more beautifully lit at night, she laid back to relish it in.
In no time, they had reached home. Nancy and Max left after offloading the trunk. It was already eleven approaching midnight so Anna and Fiona just got in their rooms to sleep.
Anna turned and tossed in bed looking for sleep but was as far away as Liam was right now. She re-read all the notes he had left for her in every morning, his handwriting made her feel him closer. She wore his dirty clothes and socks just to smell his sweat.
She played the song he had dedicated to her last night (Talking to the moon by Bruno Mars) on repeat. Maybe now she felt the pain he had gone through, with his absence and lack of communication between them, the lyrics sank in her heart deeper, tears rolled down. The horrifying loneliness was too much that she wondered if she would bear it for an entire week. She finally fell asleep at dawn.
The next day in the evening, Anna finally received a message from her Liam.
*Hey Annabelle, how's is my love doing? We've just arrived. So, I'm heading to school after finishing this cup of coffee in my hands. I will call you later. Bye*
She re-read every word he in the message with a wide smile. She anxiously awaited for him to call for hours but it didn't come till late in the night when she had lost hope and had slept off but when her phone rang, the sleep flew out of the window.
"Hello, Papi" Anna said in a happy but hoarse voice.
"Hello baby, you okay?" Liam replied.
Anna felt her heart pumping just hearing his voice, "No, you took so long to call me!"
"Are you crying?"
Anna held her forehead trying to calm her nerves but her aching heart couldn't, "No, l--l I missed you, Liam"
"I know honey" He said, his voice deepening. "Turn on my laptop and switch on the light. I wanna see you"
"Okay" She replied in a long lazy voice. She turned it on and his face appeared on the laptop's screen a few seconds later.
Instead of being happy for seeing his face again, Anna felt sad and tears dropped on her cheeks.
"What's wrong? I'm here" Liam said frowning but the girl cried instead.
"Do you know how I was worried when I couldn't see any message from you for almost two days?" She asked wiping her tears. "I kept thinking that maybe something bad had happened to you or the plane. And I kept checking on social media to see any current news about plane crash or something; and praying till you texted me."
"Praying for what?"
She pouted, "I prayed to God to keep you and your businesses safe. I don't want to see you sad like you were on the day you left."
Liam fought a smile that was threatening to spread on his lips. His heart rejoiced for her genuine care and love. At least, he was a hundred percent sure of her true love for him. While his own blood were planning for his downfall, somebody was praying for his peace and prosperity.
"Well, thank you for thinking about me and praying for my wellbeing but stop worrying
so much, you'll get high blood pressure." He said lovingly, "The distance from one continent to another isn't a joking subject, but I'm fine all in all. I will be sure to come with you next time despite of the emergency, okay?"
"Okay." She said wiping all the remaining tears. "Did you miss me, though?"
"Yes, love! So much."
"What did you miss on me mostly?" She asked.
"Uh!" Liam said looking at something above the camera, "Mostly, I missed the sound of your giggles, the way you look at me in the eyes for long, the way you call me Papi while pouting cheekily and your tight hugs."