Facade (Romola 1)

83: You're Poison

She had to shout over the roaring in her ears. "Why would you think that I would pretend to be sick to get your attention? You, of all men?"

"You claimed that your mother is an accountant, she is a bread hawker, Romola. A street hawker." he added. "And you are nothing but a cheap lying b***h!"

The back of Romola's hand connected with his face. Tears streamed down her flushed cheeks. "Don't you ever speak about my mother that way. I'm trying to provide for myself but what have you ever done? It was very convenient to have me in your house and on your bed, right? Why didn't you leave me in school where I belong?"

His eyes widened but the rest of him remained statuesque. The rest of the party watched them with varying degree of shock displayed on their faces. She would be damned if she allowed him to destroy the rest of her dignity. She continued, despite the tears trying that chocked.

"I am working to secure my future and provide a better life for my family but all you do is poison what you touch. Yes, my friend is a prostitute and my other friend is a junkie, but I accept them for who they are.

"What would you have done if i had told you the truth about my mother? Would you have believed me? Would you treat me better than you are doing now? Would your mother have been more respectful to mine?"

He dropped his head. He was not the man she thought she loved. Under the night sky, she had peeped beneath his handsome physique at the real man and he was not a man. He was a monster.

She continued, "Thank God Muyi died the way he did because if he were still alive you would ruin his life, worse than you've done mine."

"Romola!"

She glared at Dami. "Stay out of this!"

Olumide still refused to meet her eyes.

Irritation coursed through her bones "You're nothing but poison."

He muttered, head bowed and shoulder curled. "Muyi was an accident."

"And my pictures on the internet too?" She pulled her dress lower and exposed her breasts, then pushed him off her path. "If you'll excuse me, I have three clients to service."

She caught sight of the little audience that had gathered behind the automatic hotel doors. Every eye watched her as the doors parted. Her rage had given her a flash of strength. Fleeting strength. She needed to get to the men before her strength would fade. Her bracelet's clock-face read 8:05.

She walked to the L shaped table of the receptionist desk. Her palms slapped the marble table rid herself of guilt. She shouldn't have mentioned Muyi. She had stooped to his level. Yes, he deserved it but Muyiwa didn't deserve to be pulled into a fight that he had nothing to do with.

"Good evening. How can I help you?" The receptionist, a woman almost her age, smiled.

Was the woman mocking her or was her smile a part of the job. "I... I am here for... I was asked to..."

"Do you need a minute?"

Romola shook her head. She had mesmerised the room numbers by heart and she knew the names of the men but her tongue refused to untwist. Olumide's words rang in her head; a cheap lying prostitute. She was none of those. She wrapped her arms around herself and rubbed her skin. Why was the lobby so cold.

"Room 306... or was 806? Maybe 406"

The woman raised her brow. "Do you have a name?"

"Yes," Romola leaned forward, whispering. "Dr. Dennis Balogun."

"I'll check the register and place a call. You can wait there." The woman pointed at one of the red sofas clustered to one corner of the lobby.

Her legs were unbalanced as she made her way to the Sofa. Olumide was wrong about her. She wasn't selling her body for money. She wasn't a liar. She wasn't any of the things he said. She clutched her hands tighter and curled into her self as the cold seeped into her skin. Her throat burnt with unshed tears.

She sniffed, burying her face in her laps and giving her tears freedom to flow. He was the cause of her problem. He had asked her to spy on Yetunde. He was the reason Yetunde hated her. She could never forgive him.

"Romola?"

She sat up, wiping her tears away. "Yes?"

The woman passed her another smile. Sympathy, Romola decided. She didn't need it. What she needed was courage. The courage she had gathered before she saw Olumide.

"They are ready. Room 406. You can take the elevator."

Romola walked towards the elevator, knowing that she was holding her future in her hands.