Forbidden

Saturdays Are For Recuperation

"So you really aren't going?" Dami asks for the third time that day. School was over and they were both in the taxi, on their way to get Tosin from school. Mr and Mrs Alabi would be going to Ondo State for a relatives wedding and Tosin would be going with them because she was the little bride. The rest of the children had the weekend to themselves.

"Damilola I said I'm not going anywhere" The Friday was tiring already. She had a lot of work to catch up on. The plan was to go for Saturday lectures because the Chemical Bonds topic wasn't really making sense to her and she needed clarification for the upcoming continuous assessment tests. Apart from that, the sun was basically frying them all on earth and the taxi had a weird smell to it, not withstanding the fact that when she tried to get in the handle tore her arm and she was walking around with an injury that would possibly get infected.

Dami rolled her eyes. "You're working so hard Isabelle, sometimes we need to rest. And Saturdays are for recuperations from the activities of the week. Besides, choir practice was cancelled. At times you forget that we're in the same class"

"The only difference is that you're a commercial student, madam. You don't do physics or chemistry"

"Well, have you tried accounting and bookkeeping? Numbers upon numbers it feels as if numbers would grow on your head"

"Can't be bad compared to energy and energy changes, solubility of substances, stoichiometry and chemical reactions..."

Dami fakes a yawn. "I've heard you ma. You've won. But still I just want you to come with me. I don't want to go alone, please"

Dami made it harder for her to say no. It always works.

"So when you both are doing your love life what am I supposed to be doing ? Ehn?"

"Shebi I've told you to invite Josiah. You're doing babe, he must text first. I really pity you, honestly. You better call him and let him know the plans now"

The taxi suddenly jerked and almost collided into another car at the junction. The driver, in a red Toyota Camry 2001 model yelled and reigned curses on the taxi.

"You dey mad? You no fit see motor?" The Toyota Camry driver yelled

"Na your mama wey mad" the taxi driver replied. Then, as if in cue he remembered. He looked on to Isabelle's eyes in the moment and he saw her hand on her belly.

"Sister sorry oh. No mind these stupid drivers" He said with an expression she couldn't decipher.

Isabelle nodded and looked away. It was a good change to the subject. She really wanted Dami to drop the subject but Dami won't.

"Issy, haba. You know I'd have helped you out as well"

"Even if I were to agree how do I start telling him?"

She snatched Isabelle's phone from her hand. "You call him"

Before Isabelle could protest further, Dami searches through and dialled his number. Isabelle placed her hand on her face. This is embarrassing.

"Isabelle, he's picked up" She says, eyes wide. "Take it! Oya speak!"

She collected the phone from Dami's hand and reluctantly put it on her head.

"Hello?" She said, replying to his repeated "Hello? Can you hear me?"

"Hi, Isabelle" He said.
It's been a while, she thought. They've spoken on the phone and his voice still sounded pleasant enough, giving her a warm feeling.

"How are you?"

"I'm alright. I thought you were never going to call"

"No actually, it wasn't me that-"