The impossible

Chapter 1- Nightmare

Stella!, Stella!!, Stella!!!

Shalewa woke up soaked with sweat, even with the fan turned on beside her. She looked around the familiar room but couldn't really see anything because it was still dark and calmed down when she realized it was just a dream. She had been calling her sister again.

Her eyes became watery as tears flowed down her cheeks and her throat began to ache. Before she could make her emotions take over she cleaned her wet cheeks

She couldn't allow the nightmares of the past hunt her till then.
She couldn't allow that.

Shalewa was ten years old when her parents were murdered and her older sister disappeared.
She didn't know what her life would have turned to if she hadn't been saved by a woman who was passing by at that moment.
Through out the years she has had nightmares of the same incident that happened.

She turned to her nightstand to switch on the lamplight then sat up to looked at the clock. It was five minutes past six also an early Monday morning. Which meant a busy work day for her.

She quickly get on her knees to do her morning devotion.

When she was done with morning prayers she walked to the bathroom, about to have a short shower when she heard the rattling of keys unlocking the door.

It was strange.

Shalewa became scared, but also became alert and ran to her bed, grabbed the knife under her pillow with her hands shaking as she waited for the door to be opened.

Before she could see any appearance of the intruder she flung the knife to the door intending to scare the intruder.
The knife attacked the white dressed figure who turned out to be a feminine voice, screamed out of fright, her voice sounding too familiar. The knife hit the door surface and fell to the ground in a loud clatter.

Shalewa cautiously took some slow steps towards the door, opened it and saw a lady on the floor, panting,her hands on her chest and her eyes filled with shock.

Seeing the Lady, she gasped.
"Tara?"

"Shalewa" Tara said, her voice a bit too shaky.

Taraola Williams is Shalewa's best friend ever since law school. She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and raised in America where her parents and brother lives. Shalewa got admitted into a prestigious law school in abroad where she met Taraola. After they graduated from law school and was time for Shali to return to Nigeria,Tara wanted to leave with her though her patents planned for her to work at so she decided to go with her to Nigeria. Few months later, they were interviewed and got employed to work at a firm in Nigeria. Since then, they've been living their lives as best as they can.

Shalewa hastily grabbed her up.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming na?" Shalewa asked.

"Joshua left early na and did I know you were going to kill me" Tara explained as she entered inside with Shalewa. Joshua was her boyfriend and they were staying together."

"Oya sorry, I thought you were a thief. I was scared"

"Thief ke? Its even me that's supposed to be scared since I'm the one staying downstairs and why should you even be scared since my boyfriend is a police officer." Tara proudly boasted.

Shalewa just shook her head.

"What would you na say if they finally shoot him"

"God forbid!! Ahan Shalewa how can you say that about your cousin!"

  "I was just joking na. I'm sorry"

Tara turned to face her noticing that there was dried tears on her cheeks as the lamplight shone on her light brown skin.

"Shali, were you crying?" Tara called nickname. She placed her hands on Shalewa's cheeks seeing the dry tears that were there.
 
Shalewa had already forgotten about that.

"Shali, tell me what happened did you have another nightmare? Was that what made you scared when I entered?" Tara asked,worried about her friend.

"Yes." She breathed out as she opened the tap and washed her face.

Tara remained silent.

"Its almost twenty years and you're still having nightmares? Should we go and see a therapist? And we need to tell Aunt Caroline before it gets out of hand."

"Therapist my foot!" Shali scoffed.
"And don't tell Aunty Caroline abeg. Remember I told you I lied to her that I'm not having nightmares anymore so that she could stop singing lullabies for me every night."

  Shali recalled those times it was so embarrassing.

"Yeah" Tara laughed.

Aunt Caroline is the woman who was passing by during her parents accident. She took care of Shali. She had always loved Shalewa and thought of her as her daughter. Shalewa had also loved her back and considered her as a family to her that's why she also called Joshua her cousin  though, not blood related.

Tara perceived an awful smell and took a look at Shali then realised it was coming from her.

"Shalewa you haven't had a shower no wonder you smell like crap ew!" Tara complained moving a few steps away from Shali.

Shalewa rolled her eyes.

  Tara was such a drama queen.

"You nko? The scent of your perfume is so strong that people will think u didn't have a shower this morning."

Tara gasped.

"Don't you judge me. I know you're just trying to defend yourself and besides who in this whole universe would sweats under a working fan"Tara points to the fan beside the bed." Oh I know,only a lunatic." She said before she began to laugh so hard tears were forming in her eyes.

"Continue laughing let's see who is going to take you to work." Shali said before heading to the bathroom.

Tara stopped laughing then ran after her and grabbed her hand to halt her.

"What if I said that I would make breakfast would you reconsider?"
Tara suggested urging Shali to accept the offer.

"Okay, its a deal."

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