Chapter 004.
JOYCE'S POV.
"Aww! I am full seriously." I said to myself than to Carlos as we both got into my room rubbing my stomach back and forth.
"Look at you," giggled as he said. "Let me have your phone sis. I wanna call someone." He laid flat on my bed folding up his legs.
"Who do you wanna call? Your hoes right?" I dropped myself on the wooden chair at the study, making myself comfortable.
"Come on sis! Do I look like I have one? I am innocent."
"Hmmm! I see. Innocent?"
Carl laughed out loud, "come on!"
The little android phone was handed over to him.
"17 missed calls?" He voiced out to me.
"What! From who?"
"From Clifford."
"Are you serious? Let me have it."
He roused up from the bed and stretched it out to me.
"I can't get through him Carl." My voice trembled as I dialed his contact.
"Try again!"
"I can't, I have tried many times. Now I am scared, what could be wrong?"
"Calm down sis. Let me try again."
"It is not just going through Carl. It is not." The tears I don't even have an idea where it came from slipped down my cheeks.
NARRATOR'S POV.
Cecil and praise – students' of success high school passed by an open compound on their way to school as the strange noise that came through diverted them from moving forward.
"What is going on in Clifford's house?" Praise asked as he stared at cecil for an answer.
"Come on, let's go check." Cecil bounced forward, forcing himself through the people that stood there as an obstacle.
The women clad in wrappers of different kinds of fabrics. Some wrapped the wrapper around their chest, while some tied it on their waist dropping their hands on the waist. Some students' from various schools also peeped to see what was going on. These are things that interest students' the most, so they wouldn't want to miss it.
"Why the strange noise on the door, who are you people? "A neighbor asked in a loud voice with a wrapper tied around her chest.
"Hello ma! We are from the bank, we are here for Mr. Francis, but on getting here, we didn't meet him at home. Its like the door has been locked, no one is at home." The lady who claimed to be a banker responded.
"Ah! From the bank? Hope there is no problem 'cause I don't think they are inside this house oo."
"Hmm... there is a big problem. Mr. Francis and his family collected a loan of 10million from us and he promised to give it back today but unfortunately, he is no where to be seen." The lady partner, which is a young tall guy declared.
"Arrgh!" They all exclaimed.
"What! This is a big gist to pass across everyone in school, don't you think?" Cecil said to praise who watched the lips of the bankers as they said.
"Of course, let's go now."
JOYCE'S POV.
I dressed up already in my neat ironed uniform waiting patiently for Carl to get through with his food, wrapped my arms around my chest singing a praise song.
"Why aren't you eating?"
I turned my face to the direction that came from. There was mum dumping in the light brown tea into a glass cup for Carl. "I'm not just hungry mum, I am okay. Carl, hurry pls, so we could leave together."
"Done sis!" He stood up from the wooden chair and swallowed the tea eagerly as he cupped some bread in his mouth. "Shall we!" He said in a full mouthed and reached for his school bag that was hung at the back of the chair, then he flipped it on his shoulder.
"Bye mum!" We both waved to mum and stepped outside, then she responded in a smiling face.
Background voices of students' overtook the school as I walked into the school magnificent compound. Students' hung around the school compound mumbling to themselves. Some of them occupied the long stairs staring hard at me, pointing hands.
Is this all about me? Their giggling was enough for me to check my bum if it was torn or did I poo on my short? This was embarrassingggg.
The class looked distraught with noises, cackled and changed of sits, but they immediately kept quiet and returned to their sit when they saw me coming. They avoided eye contacts as I gazed at everyone of them. I wondered what was going on, right from the school compound to my class. I walked further and sat down beside precious; my partner.
"What is going on presh? Everywhere looked disorganized and I caught everyone just staring at me. I don't understand." I said as I unbacked my bag, then I brought out my exercise book placing it on the desk.
"There is a rumor going on in school now."
"How does that got to do with me?" I glared at precious –who doesn't maintain eye contact.
"It is all about your useless boyfriend Joyce, therefore it concerns you a lot too." I made a left. There was Sandra wrapped her arms, like she wanna fight me.
"What is it about Clifford?" I said without gazing at her.
"Do you have to talk rudely always? She considered you a friend, but –" Eunice walked down to us, but Sandra interrupted.
"Could you just let me talk. It is non of your business OK?" She faced me and said further, "your boyfriend's parents' were granted a loan of 10m from the bank and are yet to pay, but to everyone amazement, they ran away with the money without paying an ounce."
"What!" I giggled shortly. "You think this is true? It looks funny to me, how possible?"
"Why did you think it is not true? Oh, he left you here right? You should know he doesn't love you by now, he is only having fun with you all along Joyce." My heart sunk as Sandra uttered harshly.
"Is this true? Are you saying – Clifford left already? Oh my, oh my God." I pressed my hand on my mouth and jerked up from the chair, headed to the terrace as the tears escaped from my eye lids.
He didn't tell me he'd be leaving so soon, he didn't – oh my God! Was that the reason he called so much yesterday?
"Did you know about his journey?" Eunice stood a distanced away from me, with Precious beside her.
I wiped my tears and placed my hand on the plank wall, then later turned to the girls. "Yes – he told me about it." I forced the words out of my mouth.
"So, what is up with the loan? Is it just a rumor?" Precious asked.
"I don't care about the fucking loan right now" – I cried out. "All I care about is Clifford, I couldn't even get through him."
"Why would you care about the loan? After all, you knew about it." Lisa – a slim gorgeous girl walked down to me with everyone else in our class and other classes, attacking me with questions I knew nothing about.
Lisa had always been a pain in the neck ever since she knew about Eric attention towards me. I don't even have an ounce of feelings for him, why then did she felt the need to bully me all the time? That was the question I never got an answer to.
"Why do you need an answer from an innocent girl? What does she has to do with the so called loan?"
Everyone looked back to see who just commented. Eric was in a loosed tie as always. He had a vintage scarf around his neck with a big chain, dug his hand into his pocket.
I rolled my eyes at him and looked away.
"She is the girlfriend of the culprit, so she have to take the blame for it." A girl from our class responded.
"You guys could be so funny. Joyce is actually different from Clifford, that is Clifford's problem to solve their issue. Joyce is not responsible for their difficulty. She never knew he is someone like that and she already made her decision to let go of him. No more words about this issue, at least, I am pleased she finally realizes the one who love her."
I wrapped my arms around me and stared at him with disgust as he gave his dumb and fake remorseful speech. "What does that suppose to mean?"
"Do you want me to confess my love for you in everyone's presence?"