HER LAST WISH Episode 17 by Azeemah Salami
âSaturdays are always so busyâ Layla groan, lifting more cups of steaming coffee onto a tray.
âToday is extra busyâ Aria set sugar cubes with tiny cartons of heavy cream alongside it and Layla rushed to serve it. She was yet to leave the table when more people walk in.
She asked for their order after they were seated and rushed back to the counter.
âThree Cortado and one cappuccinoâ She said to Aria and they both prepared it.
She rushed off once again to serve the customers while Aria brewed more coffee.
Phil stepped out of her office and was impressed at how filled her cafĂŠ was, there were just a few empty tables.
Her smile was more broad as she walked around, checking if her customers were okay and well served.
She grin when more people walk in.
âGo attend to them immediatelyâ She shouted at Layla who was waiting for them to be seated.
âWhat do you care for Sir, Maâam ?â Layla ask politely, after they were done going through the menu.
â Americanoâ The man said.
âEspressoâ The lady said with a smile.
âOkay, itâll be ready in few minutesâ Layla smile before rushing off, singing âEspresso ⌠Espresso ⌠â She had made it a habit to sing with the coffee name whenever someone ordered it, she loved pronouncing it because of the way it felt in her mouth.
âEspresso and Americanoâ Layla said to Aria leaving her to prepare it as she quickly walked to another table that required her attention.
The coffee was ready when she got back and she carried it and told Aria what the other table wanted.
She served the maâam and sir and thought the lady was so cool with the way she smile often.
Aria already made the coffee ready for the other table and when Layla returned, all she did was pick it up and walk to the table.
âThank youâ The woman said curtly, turning back to her laptop as Layla place the coffee gently on her table.
Thatâll be the fourth cup of coffee sheâll be having and it looked like she was struggling not to fall asleep as she worked on her laptop.
Layla felt so sorry for her.
She walked back to Aria after making sure there was no order left.
They both sigh deeply, glad they will have finally rest for few minutes.
âIâm just wondering . . . what if today had been the day you got the call from Janeâs school and Iâm also away at school. How will Phil cope?â Layla wondered aloud and Aria laughed.
âPhil would never have coped with the stress, sheâll probably place a placard outside that reads âIâVE HAD ENOUGH, COME IN HERE AT YOUR OWN RISKâ
Layla burst into laughter âOr sheâll come right to my school and drag me out of the middle of a classâ
âExactlyâ Aria said and they both laugh.
A piercing scream followed by a loud crash disrupted their laughter, every one turned towards the direction immediately and Phil who had retired to her office came rushing out.
It was the lady who Layla had thought was cool with her smile. She just smashed her cup of Espresso on the floor.
The silence was deafening, Everyone wondered what was wrong.
âI didnât request for Espresso! I requested for Macchiato!â She screamed, tugging at her hair.
Aria thought that act was too extreme just because she was served what she didnât wanted, even if she hadnât requested for Espresso, she should have politely pointed out Laylaâs mistake to her and Layla would make amend immediately. Layla has never made a mistake with a customerâs order as far as Aria was concerned, so Aria wondered where this was coming from and she had heard Layla singing âEspressoâ while coming from their table, Layla do that only if someone order that particular coffee.
âWell . . everywhere had been so tight today, itâs absolutely normal to have made a mistake with someoneâs order.â Aria thought.
Layla stood, confused as hell.. whatâs going on?
She tried thinking back to when the lady ordered and she had indeed ordered Espresso while the man ordered Americano.
Or could she have mistaken the ladyâs word?
No! This lady had ordered Espresso, sheâs so sure of it because she remember singing with the word âEspressoâ and she doesnât do that unless someone orders it.
âWill you fucking explain yourself and apologize and stop staring like a mull! â Philia yelled at Layla.
âI .. I .. sh .. she had indeed ordered Espressoâ Layla said and Aria knew that was true, Layla would have apologized immediately if she was wrong and she had indeed sang âEspressoâ so this lady was the wrong one here.
The lady was still tugging at her hair angrily while the man was trying to calm her.
âIsnât this just weirdâ Aria thought.
âShut up! You indeed made a mistake with her order! sheâs obviously not dumb like you not to know what she ordered. Youâre so dumb with everything. Apologize immediately dummy! â Philia shouted angrily and for the first time in years Layla felt deeply hurt by Philâs words.
âIâm sorryâ She said in a shaky voice, trying to hold back her tears but they slipped, rolling down her cheeks .
Aria has never felt so angry at Phil, she wished she could slap her across the face.
âLayla is right, the lady had indeed . .â
âShut up! Or lose your job!â Phil cut Aria short with a glare.
âIâm so sorryâ The man said, holding the lady tightly to his side like she would run off.
âYou donât have to apologize sir, this dummy here caused everything. Weâre so sorry for the inconvenience. â Phil said making a curtesy.
A headbutt thatâll make Phil tumble over is what Aria wished for right now. She passed Layla tissue to wipe her tears.
âNo, this young lady is right. Mary had indeed ordered Espressoâ The man said and there was silence.
âFuck you Philâ Aria muttered but not to Philâs hearing and Layla almost laughed.
âOh really?â Phil said slowly, so embarrassed to look Layla or anyone else in the face.
âYeah, Mary is suffering from dementia.â He announced and everyone exclaimed.
âWowâ Layla sigh, feeling so sorry for Mary, it hadnât been Maryâs fault after all.
â Iâm so sorry for whatever this might have causedâ The man said, Mary was now smiling at his side and it was then Layla noticed the edginess in her smile. She has thought Mary was cool with the way she smile often but of course she had been wrong.
âIâm so sorry for whatever this might have caused, young lady iâm so sorryâ The man said.
â Itâs absolutely fineâ Layla said.
Everyone turned back to their business after the man left, Philia left for her office still not able to look Layla in the face. She felt so bad, especially with the gazes she was getting from her customers.
âWowâ Aria breathed as Layla joined her at the counter after cleaning the floor and clearing the pieces of the broken glass cup.
She turn to Aria after thrashing the tissue she had given her, muttering âThank youâ
âItâs nothing sweetheart, you must have been so hurt to have cried, its been ages I saw you cry over Philiaâs unkind words â
âYeah, I was deeply hurt that I couldnât hold my tears. I wonder why though, cause she has said much more worse things to me and Iâve never even bothered to worry about it or cry over itâ
âThe emotion got to you today, itâs the little things that breaks usâ
âI feel so sorry for Mary thoughâ Layla sigh.
âSame here, I had thought her behavior was weird until the man confirmed itâ
âI hope she gets healed soon enoughâ
âMe too. And did you see Philiaâs face after everything?â
âNo, I hadnât even glance in her direction.â Layla said.
âIâve never seen her look so mild and remorseful, she literally had her head bowed as she walked to her officeâ
âReallyâ Layla smile, she wasnât angry at Phil, just hurt at her words
âYes, another customer is hereâ Aria said and they both stood straight.
+
âPhilia gave me the permission to go to the Party â Layla told Aria after they finally got to rest, they know their rest is going to be disrupted soon though.
âGreat! How long did you persuade her?â Aria ask.
âThatâs the surprising part, I didnât even persuade her, she gave me the permission almost immediatelyâ
âAre you serious?â
âOf course, I was surprised too that my mouth dropped openâ
âWow . . could Philia be changing?â Aria raised a brow.
âI guess soâ Layla said slowly, she would have been glad if Philia is changing for good because she wants to and not because of a reason.
âWell . . it would have been unfair if she refused to allow you go, knowing thatâs the first party you will ever get invited toâ
âEven at that, Phil would have stopped me from going if she wanted to. She can be so unpredictableâ
âExactly, iâm glad she gave you the permission though. So have you decided on the dress to wearâ Aria ask with a smile.
âNot yet. Iâve been busy, im going to do that tonightâ Layla said, excited at the thought.
âYou must be looking so forward to your first partyâ
âVery muchâ Layla grin.
***
Layla fell on her bed with a thud.
She was so tired, and Phil even had to order pizza for dinner because she knew Layla was too tired to cook. It was written all over her face.
Today was a long day and it had been extra stressful, her legs and hands ache, she had taken painkillers after eating pizza and all she wanted to do now was sleep but she had to freshen up for the night, she would have skipped tonightâs but she was reeking of coffee and sweat.
She reluctantly got to her feet after some minutes, pulling her wears as she walk into the bathroom.
+
She walked out of the bathroom in her pyjamas, refreshed.
She felt a bit better, she should pick out her wears for church and the thanksgiving party but she knows sheâs definitely gonna fall asleep halfway through it.
She had barely positioned her head on the pillow before falling deeply asleep.
***
âOMGâ Layla nearly screamed glancing at the wall clock.
10:05am
And sheâs yet to get up from the bed when church service starts at 8:00am. She hadnât even gotten her dress ready.
âFuckâ She scrambled out of the bed, dashing into the bathroom.
+
âPhil, why didnât you wake me for churchâ Layla said in a hurried tone, hopping on one feet as she hurriedly put on the second shoe.
She was ready in thirty minutes, she was in so much hurry that her room looked a mess now but she was going to sort it when sheâs back.
âI should wake you up? After you looked like you were going to die from stress yesternightâ Phil said, turning back to the TV and scanning through the channels.
âByeâ Layla said, nearly running out of the house.
âArenât you going to eat something?â Philia shouted after her.
âWhen iâm backâ
~
Layla got back from church by 1pm, church service do end by 12pm and she do get home by some minutes to one but she doesnât know why today seems fucked up.
âHi Philâ She said, walking into the living room. Phil was still by the TV and Layla doubted if she had stood up since she left for church but there were slices of cake and a jug of iced tea in front of her, so she had definitely stood up, at least to go to the kitchen.
âHiâ Phil said.
âAre you still feeling tired?â She ask as Layla lower herself onto the couch.
âNoâ Layla answered.
âGood, then go make lunch. iâm starving.â Phil said pushing the plate of cake from her lap. âI need a good mealâ
Layla got to her feet.
âYou can have the remaining slices of cake before leaving to cook. You havenât had anything to eat today right?â
âYeah but its fine, iâll eat when lunch is readyâ Layla said, she was truly not hungry, she was only thirsty.
âOkay then, see to the meal immediately. What will you be preparing?â
âWhat do you want me to?â Layla ask.
âPasta is okay and you should fry some of the chicken in the freezer tooâ
âOkayâ Layla said, walking towards the kitchen.
âClear this cake and jug pleaseâ Phil said picking the remote control.
Layla turned back and cleared the table before finally walking to the kitchen.
She downed a chilled glass cup of water before she started bringing out the ingredients for the meal.
+
Layla started arranging her room while the meal was getting ready.
She had really left her room a mess, she rarely do that but she had no choice this morning.
After minutes of putting things back in its place, sweeping, cleaning, dusting . . . Her room finally looked its normal clean and sparkly self.
She sigh as she sat on her well spread bed with a look of satisfaction on her face as she looked around.
She should pick a dress for the party, she got to her feet with a smile and walked to her closet.
Most of the dresses in there were her mumâs, her mum was petite and Layla do fit into almost all of her dresses, they even look more fitting and beautiful on Layla that her father would always tease her mum about it.
Layla smile at the memory, it has been so long she put on any of her mumâs wears. Since her motherâs death, she hadnât tried to but she was going to today and it is kind of making her heart race fast.
Her mum had beautiful dresses, she was a gorgeous fashionista that always stood out every where she went, most especially parties.
Even Philia do come into her room to pick one of her mumâs dresses whenever she had to attend a high class party.
âLayla, the meal is burning! Get the fuck hereâ Philiaâs scream jolted Layla from her thought and she dashed out of her room.
+
âClean my room also, when youâre doneâ Phil said to Layla who was cleaning the house after theyâve had lunch.
She cleans the house every Sunday, though in the morning but she had woken up late today and had to leave for church immediately.
Layla glance at the wall clock . . . 3pm and Danâs parents thanksgiving party is by 4pm. She hasnât even gotten her outfit ready and just when she thought she was almost done with cleaning, Phil asked her to clean her room.
âWhy are you staring at the wall clock huh? Isnât the party by 4pm?â Phil asked.
âYeah but im yet to get my outfit ready and some other thingsâ
âWell . . if you wont clean my room, forget about going to the partyâ Philia said, with a note of finality.
~Wow.. could Philia be changing~ Ariaâs words recalled in Laylaâs head.
âPhilia hasnât changed after allâ She thought.
*
Itâs 4pm and Layla is yet to leave the house, sheâs halfway ready though, dressed in a pale pink dress well fitted that it accentuated her graceful figure, the dress was so simple and beautiful with pretty pearls hung around the neck.
She hurriedly brush through her hair after putting on her shoes.
She slipped Danâs home address and some dollar notes into her purse, before rushing out of her room.
Stepping into the living room, Philia stared at her but Layla couldnât quite read the look on her face.
Is Phil going to stop her from going? . . Her heart raced at the thought.
âWhatâs this? Are you going for one of âyour Africaâ festival?â Phil asked.
âHuh..â Layla said, checking out her dress, her dress was beautiful.
âNo, I didnât mean your dress, your dress and shoes are okay but your face, itâs too plain and your hair, so rough. How can you go to a party looking like this? you look like youâre going for a burial to be honestâ Phil groan and Layla bit the inside of her cheek.
âSitâ Philia said to her before going to fetch her makeup box and hair straightener.
**
âI donât think sheâs coming againâ Fel said to Dan and he nodded, not happy that Layla wont be here. He had wanted to introduce her to his parents and also some of his friends he had invited from Prestige High School.
They were all here, chattering happily including Jacq, Dan had intentionally invited him just so he could talk to him about how worried Fel was on his recent behavior. Jennie was here too, sipping a drink with a smile on her face, looking her best as usual and Dan is finding it difficult to take his eyes off her.
She had greeted him cheerfully when she arrived like she hadnât been the same Jennie who had broken up with him.
The women were chatting, few gossiping and drinking while some of the men played board games and few of them talked about politics as they drank exotic wines. The rest paced the grand party hall, randomly chipping into conversations. The whole house was indeed in a party atmosphere.
Fel, Rylan and Anne are equally disappointed Layla wont be attending, they had been expecting her.
Itâs some minutes to five already, the party has started since 4pm and now everyone is about to move to the large dinning room, situated in the hall.
âOMG . . whoâs this goddess?â Jasper, one of Danâs friends said and almost everyone turned to the door.
Layla stood there, looking so pretty and shy.
âLaylaâ Anne and Felia called happily.
âI need her contact Danâ Collins, another of Danâs friends whispered to him.
âPleaseâ Collins added when Dan sent him a strict look.
âYou can go to her yourself for it and mind you, she is African and Africans teeth are like axe . . so, make your choiceâ Dan smile, like he just said the most normal thing.
He almost laughed at the âscaredâ look on Collins face before walking away to welcome Layla.
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