Chapter 34: Doubts and a Shifting Friendship
1373words
She held the book more tightly, feeling its leather cover gave her a sense of stability in all the chaos. She needed to speak with somebody, someone who would not judge her and who wouldn't keep secrets hidden behind lies.
Ayo. Her best friend, her confidante. He was the only one she felt she could trust completely.
She takes out her phone and presses his number, feeling her heart beating very fast in her chest as it rings. On the third ring, she hears his sleepy voice in her ear.
"Eki? What's wrong? It's like, 4 am."
Eki took a deep breath, trying to collect her thoughts. "Ayo, please come here," she said. It's really important."
There was a pause, and then Ayo sighed. "Alright, alright. Just give me ten minutes, I gotta throw some clothes on."
After twenty minutes, Ayo came quickly into her apartment. His hair was messy and his sleep shirt had wrinkles. You could see he was worried because of how wide his eyes were.
"Okay, tell me now," he said while falling onto the old sofa. "Why are you awake at this very early hour looking like you fought with a bear and didn't win?"
Eki stopped for a second, feeling the heavy burden of the secret. But when she saw Ayo's concerned face, she couldn't hold it in anymore.
She started talking quickly about everything: the secret room, the papers, the Moonlight Lease, the Guardians, and the fight. While she explained all this, she saw Ayo's first worry change into something different – a blend of doubt and puzzlement.
"The Guardians? Like, ninja-style protectors?" Ayo laughed a bit, humour showing in his voice. "Eki, this sounds like something from fairy tales."
Eki bristled. "It's not fantastical! I saw them, Ayo. They also had this strange feather pendant, like the one security guard at Dapo's office building."
Ayo's amusement waned. He frowned, rubbing his temples as if trying to process everything. "Wait, the security guard? Do you think he's part of this… Guardian club too?"
Eki nodded, remembering how Dapo had a strange reaction to the book and noticing the fear that briefly showed on his face.
"And then there is Yemi," she said, her voice now very quiet. "She was simply there by chance, seeing everything." And when I mentioned the Olori's Promise, she looked like she'd won the lottery."
Ayo leaned back on the couch, his face showing more and more worry. "Okay, Eki." I must say, this is becoming strange. But maybe, just maybe, you are overthinking it a bit. You've been stressed about this internship, and now you're finding conspiracies in dusty files."
Eki felt a pang of hurt. Was Ayo doubting her? But watching the crease on his forehead and the real worry in his eyes, she couldn't stop a small hint of doubt from forming in her thoughts.
"Maybe you are correct," she said, her voice sounding tired. "Perhaps my mind is imagining too much."
Ayo's face showed a small, relieved smile. "That's the Eki I know," he said while reaching over to hold her hand gently. "Look, forget about these Moonlight Leases and Guardians. Focus on the real world, okay? You're about to land a killer internship at a prestigious firm. That's what matters."
Eki nodded, trying hard to push away the small doubt that still sat in her stomach. Even with Ayo's support making her feel more confident, a little voice inside kept saying: what if he was wrong? What if the truth she searched was bigger and more dangerous than anyone imagined?
The phone on the coffee table made a buzzing sound, breaking the quiet calm. Eki glanced at the screen and her eyes grew big with surprise. It was a text from Dapo.
"Meet me at the office first thing this morning. We need to talk."
Eki feels very nervous inside. Why does Dapo want to speak with Eki? And more importantly, could she trust him after his strange behaviour the previous night?
Across the room, Ayo looks at the phone with worry on his face. "Who is that message from?" he asked in a quiet voice. He asked.
Eki paused for a short moment. "Dapo," she spoke softly, the name feeling unusual in her mouth.
Ayo's brow shot up. "Dapo? What does he want?"
Eki showed the text to him, and a quiet full of caution settled between them. The secret she now shared with Ayo felt very heavy in the room, creating a strong feeling of unease.
"He wants to meet me at the office this morning," Eki said with a little unsure voice. "He says we need to talk."
Ayo put his hand through his messy hair, letting out a sigh of frustration. "Eki, I do like this," he says. Dapo has been acting strange recently, and now this is happening? Looks like you are tangled in something complicated.
Eki could not stop himself from saying yes. The recent days were very chaotic with many surprising news and hidden secrets, each time discovering one secret just to find a bigger mystery below it. Even though she had much fear, she felt that finding out the truth about this matter was very important. It was not just for her peace of mind but also to find what reality stayed hidden in old pages of the book.
"I know," she said, voice firm though her hands trembled. "But I cannot just forget it." Something Dapo is not telling me, and I must find out what it is.
Ayo stared at her for a short moment, his eyes showing some worry and respect he didn't want to admit. Finally, he let out a soft sigh that had a touch of surrender in it.
"Alright," he conceded. "How about this? I came with you to Dapo's office. Maybe if another person is also there, everything stays fair."
Eki's face had a thankful smile. Ayo showing support, even if he wasn't certain, felt like soothing comfort to her anxious feelings.
"Really? You'd do that?"
Ayo chuckled, a familiar warmth returning to his eyes. "Yeah, alright. But there is one thing. After we talked with Dapo, we must stop all secret society actions forever, yes? First, we focus on internships. After that, we can watch some funny videos to relax our minds and laugh a bit.
Eki smiled, feeling relief in her heart. Having Ayo with her, even if he did not fully believe her story, made her feel much safer.
"Deal," she said with strong determination, feeling new power inside her. Even though help from Ayo was important to her, she understood that this mission needed to be completed by herself in the last moments.
The night might have ended with more questions than answers, but Eki Olumide was sure about one thing: she no longer wanted to stay an outsider in her family's story. She decided to find the truth about Moonlight Lease, even if that meant discovering secrets people like Dapo and maybe Yemi liked better hidden.
The next morning, when the sun shone bright with golden light over Lagos city's tall buildings, Eki and Ayo went to Dapo's office. Both had faces that looked very serious. Eki gripped the book firmly in her hands; its worn leather cover quietly hinted at the difficult journey that was coming.
When Eki arrived at the big glass doors, she stopped and took a deep breath. Inside, Dapo was waiting for her; his secrets were like hidden streams ready to be explored. She knows that truth is just one conversation away. But a worrying feeling about what might occur comes to her thoughts, like cold air bringing shivers down her spine.
This meeting with Dapo is not only to know what happened before. It could be a big change, like a bridge that gives clear answers or perhaps even more hidden secrets later on.
