Layla seems to have a lot of history that she has been hiding from me. I realized she was pale and worried when Nia mentioned about her family, and she walked into the house to get us some cake. She actually went into her bedroom, pulling out some pictures from under her bed that she had been hiding in a small box. She begins to speak to herself asking if she is really the one. I was confused as I bumped into her, holding the pictures in her hand. I asked if it had anything to do with Nia, yet she continued to deny it. I did not want to force her to speak of what she does not want to speak of, since I know nothing of the effect or memory she might be having in regard to those pictures. I smiled at her and requested her to excuse me, then I headed back home.
Ermias and Nia's brother are really close and good friends. They are close, that they refer to each other as brothers, but Ermias's intention is not to be a brother to him but rather use him for his selfish interest. Ermias has confronted Nia's brother of what has been happening in his sister's life, if she has been seeing someone lately due to the fact that she has been ignoring him and not giving him the necessary attention that he needs from the woman he claims to love. He wants her brother to keep him updated on everything that happens in the life of his sister and promises to recognize him as a real brother if he does what he asks of him. That very day before Nia left Layla's place, she gave me something that went a very long way in my life and hoped we would finally get to be with each other one day. It was an infinite sign she made on the windshield of her car. It was truly the best gift I have ever received.
Later that day, I met up with Deon for our usual fishing expeditions. Deon has been worried about me ever since I met Nia. He claims to have realized so many things have changed about me and that has made him very worried. The last thing Deon would want to witness happening to me is getting broken down. He knows me to be a very strong and ambitious person and would not want anything or anyone to change that about me. He has always had my back since childhood and that has been the reason why I see him not just as a best friend but as a brother for that matter.
As we are getting our net ready for the evening expedition, he started a conversation with me, stating out his worries and concerns for me. He is greatly concerned that I might be disappointed by Nia and that would have an effect on him as well. He thinks we are no match for each other as she comes from riches, and us, from the slums. There is no way water and fire can ever be friends except one die for the other to survive. That is the kind of race of life that exists between the rich and the poor in our societies.
"My hope is that this girl you have been thinking about all day long does not disappoint you one day", says Deon…
"As if you have often seen me this way", I rebated with a frowning expression.
"I have never seen you like this before, brother! I am not saying you cannot fall in love, but we should know our class and our limits and that is what I am trying to get you reminded about. I am just scared and would not want anything to distract you from all that you have been working towards all these years. That will be a disaster", says Deon.
"Just pour out all that you have hidden in your mind. What are you even saying? You think this is not going to work or I am not good enough for someone from the elite world to love me just because I am from a poor family?" I said to Deon looking more angrier than before.
"What the hell are you thinking!" He says angrily.
"They say, the drum sounds with the drum itself. It does not sound to any other thing other than its kind", Deon said to me.
After he said this to me, I instantly got a reality check and replied to him that she had not said anything to me, neither have I said anything to her. Afterall, it is just a dream, and he does not have to worry about anything.
"There is nothing going on between us after all. She just keeps thanking me for saving her life. She is just an intelligent lady who is only trying to know me better. We are not even friends either", I said to him while I look away from his direction.
"But sometimes people just have high hopes and wants a miracle of this kind to happen in their lives. At least it should happen even if its just for ones". I said again with disappointment written all over me.
"Let it be good then, brother. But I just want you to know that I will have no time to look back, and then be real and let her see it and take you for who you are, not for what she would want you to be, because this is our reality", says again Deon.
"Because if you get upset, then I am upset too, and you know it will not do us any good if we both get upset right? Don't give your whole to love, and what I mean by that is, don't die soon because of love", he concludes.
As soon as he finished advising me, I instantly, at the same time, got a text from her stating that she would want to show me the exhibition she made at the mall by herself and that I should spare some time for her tomorrow. My expression changed instantly, forgetting the advice given to me by my best friend and smiles like there is no tomorrow. I did not want Deon to feel like I had abandoned his advice so I kept my steeze, looked at him and said to him not to worry, that the blood that should burn out, should not remain in the veins. Meaning I will be extra careful with my steps and make sure I do nothing that will make him look back at me with disappointment. We ended our argument and proceeded with our job into the sea.
It was morning already and I caught up with Nia at the mall. I was so happy to see her again and could not hide my happiness. She could not hide hers either. She took me round and showed me the exhibition. We took nice photos in front of the portrait she drew of me, and it was all a happy moment for us. Her brother, on the other hand, had been sneaking and keeping an eye on her as he was directed to do by Ermias. He could not believe his sister would stoop low to the level of a poor barber's son, yet he could do nothing about it. He continued to stare at us while his sister took pictures of me on her smart phone.
As we continued to see more of her portraits, I came across the tired yet sad man she drew from the bus. Even though in reality the poor old man was not happy, she portrayed him as a happy man, and I tried to ask her of the reason why she portrayed him as a happy person.
"These people are really not happy in reality, you know that right?", I said to her.
"Since I cannot intervene in their real life, I delete their sadness in my portraits", she replies.
"Why do you do that, if I may ask?", I asked again.
"Everyone deserves to be happy, even if it's just a one-time happiness, we all deserve to be happy and look happy", she replies with a sad face.
This makes me wonder if this girl is really happy with the life she has, even though her parents are wealthy, and it's been something most of us have been wishing and hoping for. I tried to calm her down since I have realized how important those portraits are to her and pledged to her my full support in all that she will do, of course as a friend, at least for now.
Ermias is meeting with Nia's father regarding the sale of one of their companies. Nia's family is going through some hard times as he has lost most of his wealth due to some uncertain circumstances, and the only person to help her father get back to his feet is the father of Ermias. Ermias's father has chosen to buy one of Nia's father's companies, which is the biggest amongst the list of his properties. He has decided to take care of most of his debts and all they needed to do is sign the agreement and everything will be done with. Ermias, being the head of the negotiation table and the heir to his father's empire, it lies in his hands whether or not this agreement will pass or fail.
Ermias has been calling Nia, yet she has refused to answer nor return any of his calls. Her facial expressions change whenever his calls come through, even though I did not want it to be obvious that I peep on her phone, I keep calm and just continue to admire her. His calls kept coming through several times until I asked if everything was okay with her, and of course, with her usual answers, responding that everything was fine. She finally turned off her phone as he seemed not to give up anytime soon, and seeing her worried to that extend doesn't make me feel right.
Everyone in the meeting room, including Nia's father, had been waiting on Ermias to come sign the agreement so they move to the next stage of the future of their respectful companies, but as he, Ermias, was told everything was set for him to come sign the contract, he told them he is not ready to sign any agreement yet and walked out on them and headed straight to his office.
Just as expected, exactly what you might be thinking now, he starts to scatter almost everything that stands in his way in the office. His personal assistant runs to him due to the noise that was coming out of his office, and as an arrogant and inconsiderate human that he has always been, he screams at his personal assistant and sacks him out of his office. He continued to destroy everything in the office, then entered his father. His father comes into his office and tries to calm him down. Ermias was in pain, not in pain of love, but the fact that he is being rejected by someone he forcefully wants. His father asked if he really wanted her that bad, and as he said yes to that, the father told him not to worry. He promised his son that he would make Nia his, no matter what, and that no one dares not put his son through pains. He has already planned on what to do and will surely execute it, no matter what.
Nia got so worried about how much Ermias had been calling her and requested we go outside the mall and take a walk. I couldn't say no, even though I was not yet done seeing her exhibition, but I agreed to her request, and we walked out of the mall. On our way exiting the mall, I had a question I really wanted to ask to find out the truth. As we were climbing the stairs, I asked if she had a boyfriend, but she replied by saying no, she has no boyfriend. I asked if the one calling was her boyfriend and she said he is someone who has been disturbing her for a while now and that I have nothing to worry about. I was not all that convinced with the answer but decided to take it just as she claims.
Her brother seems not to give up on spying on his sister, but who cares. Upon reaching outside the mall, she asked if I had any plans for the day and I told her I would be going to the campus for my late afternoon class. She did not seem too pleased with the answer I had given her but did not want to push any further. We said our goodbyes to each other and walked towards opposite directions.