Rebellion

16. The Plunge

“Trust your heart if the seas catch fire, live by love though the stars walk backward.” – E.E. Cummings.

•••

“Hey, do you need a refill?”

Anjola stuck her head through the door’s arch-way and enquired. It was late in the evening of the day, just about twenty four hours after her last date with Dayo. She was in the study rummaging through some medicine related books and searching for nothing in particular. Her mind was too busy to give her space to do something else.

She rose her head up from where it was buried on the desk, in between her propped elbows. “I want to stay awake for a few more hours, Anjie not the entire week, okay? I think I’ve had more than enough coffee for now.”

As expected, her retort wasn’t enough to cause Anjola to depart. Instead, she waltzed into the room with a steaming mug in her hand. As she ventured towards the sofa pitched behind the desk and its chairs – Tiolu stopped her right in her tracks.

“Oh, don’t sit down there miss. I didn’t say I’d be needing your company.” A frown marred her forehead, as Anjola proceeded to taking the seat anyway. “You just don’t listen, do you?”

“Well I don’t,” Anjola feigned an amused smile. “So, what would you be needing then? You don’t want coffee, you don’t want my company. Hell, you’re not even tempted to come out of the room, even when the scent of my baked cake filled the air, earlier? I mean, you got me terrified here miss. I’m actually thinking the real you was abducted by some goons and replaced by a clone, you know.”

Tiolu fought back the smile that threatened to smear her face. “And for some reason you think it’s wise to share this bit of info with me. I mean if it’s a theory, aren’t you smart enough to know that you should keep this bit of information to yourself. Instead of sharing it with me – the clone.”

Anjola’s resulting laugh was despicable. One that terrified Anjola. “I was hoping we could reach a compromise, you know. An agreement where no one would have to get hurt. And at the same time I was even contemplating bribing you to stay behind, because unlike the real Tiolu – you aren’t really a piece of work. I mean, look at how the apartment has been tidy for the whole of the day. If Tiolu was at home, well….let me just keep that bit to myself, just in case you’re the real Tiolu and not a clone.”

A smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “And why would they even clone me in the first place? It makes sense since I’m a Keye, but they didn’t exactly plant me in my dad’s house. So? If I’m here, then it means you’re the target. What could they possibly want from you, asides from your ability to brag about being able to get domestic work done, of course.”

Anjola giggled gently, leaning backwards into the chair. “Hey, that isn’t all I got okay? One is my ability to mooch money off you. Two – is my nag of taking the remote of the TV to work because I know you would arrive early, and I don’t want you to control the TV…”

Wow.

“…And the last is pretending to care you’re in distress when all I really want to do is to rub it in your face that you were wrong not to follow my advice of breaking up with Dayo.” Anjola’s monotone altered from one of amusement to admonition, and Tiolu knew her friend wasn’t playing anymore.

“I don’t regret refusing your advice.” Tiolu cleared her throat and cracked her knuckles. “If I did, it’s not like I’d be in a great mood now. I’d probably be holed up in my bed-room, thinking and soaking up my pillow with tears.”