Stuck In The Middle | The Inkwell Creative Nonfiction Prompt #62

One fateful hot afternoon in November many years ago, I was idle and was just checking the social platforms where I have accounts when an image of a dark beautiful damsel flashed my face on Tiktok. The lady whom I later knew to be Sandra had a pose with my bestie, this made me sure that with my bestie in the picture, I would eventually meet the ebony lady.

Samarth Singhai

In the evening of the same day, I went out to a nearby shop to get some stuff for my dinner, and in the same shop, I met a lady.

Good evening, dearie.

She looked at me somehow, like who the heck is this one?

Hello, can I help you?

She asked with bitterness in her voice.

No. I just want to get to know you.

Again, she looked at me, hissed, and walked past me, her shoulder brushing me aside.

I felt so much ashamed of myself but as a guy, I just bounced and bought what I came for then returned to my apartment.

A week later, I had one or two things to do in school and thought of paying my bestie a surprise visit. I reached her room doorpost and saw that she had a guest with shoes lined outside her door. Just with a knock on the door, it flung open with a beautiful image standing before me, so close that I could perceive the scent of her lip gloss.

Hi, handsome.

She greeted me while I tried to stretch my neck into the room to see if my bestie was in.

Hi. I'd like to see Chichi.

She smiled back at me and said

Come in

I followed her from behind as she walked into the living room. Before she could utter her next work, I sunk into the two-seater armchair.

Where is Chichi?

I asked not having anything to say and did not want to keep quiet. I have been a very shy guy but was trying to loosen up recently during this encounter.

She will join us soon. Can I offer you anything?
I shyly replied to her;

Water will be just fine.

She is a jolly good fellow but looks exactly like the lady I met in the shop the other evening. Suddenly, there was silence again and I was getting very uncomfortable. I just had to throw up something to make our space lively again.

Have we met before because you look exactly like one lady whom I saw a few days ago at Elemba Street?

She became quiet instead of responding to my question. You know, I thought I had said something wrong or hurt her in some way.

Sorry, my name is Nkem.

I tried introducing myself to her and stretched out my hand for a shake, it was at that moment that Chichi and another lady came out from nowhere. The lady looked exactly like the one that opened the door for me.

Hey, Nkem. I'm so sorry, I am attending to the laundry.

My bestie said walking to me with her hands stretched out for an embrace.

Chichi, we need to talk.

I dragged her out of the building. There are a lot of things she needs to explain to me.

Who are these girls? I am so confused.

Chichi opened her mouth, trying to explain but I cut her short again.

I met one of them a few days ago and she was very rude.

When I was done purging my heart to Chichi, I allowed her to speak.

Nkem, you need to calm down. They are my new friends and are twins.

Oh! I thought as much. I saw one of them with you on your TikTok account and was planning on talking to you about it.

Now, Chichi knew I was serious about what I had said. She promised to tell me everything I needed to know.

Cassandra and Sandra were born to rich parents but lived differently. While Sandra lived with her grandma, Cassandra lived with her Uncle in Cameroon.

It was getting interesting as Chichi poured the story.

You had probably met Cassandra because she is the rude one between the two ladies.

Alright. Which one of them struck a pose with you on social media?

The urge to know more about the ladies became imminent in me.

Sandra was the one I met first and she is the one I struck a pose with on Tiktok.

When we settled the issue of identity, what was left was how to differentiate between the twins.

Chichi, how do you differentiate between them?

This time, Chichi wasn't going to be friendly. She wants to bargain on that information.

You'd have to do my psychology assignment if you want me to tell you that.

Without hesitation, I nodded in the affirmative.

Alright. Sandra has a birthmark behind her left ear. That's all.

I felt duped. That was so cheap. I never knew that she had a birthmark behind any of her ears.

After all the discussion, we joined the ladies. Almost immediately, I could see the difference between them. Sandra is such a soft and sweet person.

Jonathan Borba

Cassandra probably did not recognize me as the guy she insulted a few days ago and I acted like I never met her too. Whereas, I connected with Sandra and we got talking. That evening, when I was leaving Chichi's place, Sandra accompanied me and we exchanged our phone contacts and kept in touch.

One thing to another and we started a relationship. Three years down the lane, we tied the knot in a marriage registry and we live happily together. Five years into our marriage, I share the story of how I met her sister first before her and how she treated me. We just laughed over it. How sweet it is to find that one person that compliments your nature.