Two months ago
I had finished college.
I was going through my things, some I was going to donate, others to throw away.
I had kept everything from my junior school days.
I came across my old journal while sorting through the boxes. I had scribbled all sort of things in the journal.
I decided to go through it. I sat on my bed using my pillow as support, flipping through memories of my younger days.
I was about to drop it when a piece of paper slipped out and fell to the floor.
I picked the paper up and saw a contact written on it and remembered who gave it to me. Most of the numbers on it were fading already but I kept it my drawer out of curiosity and continued with rearranging my room.
I was done rearranging when Leah's call came in.
"Hi" she said breathless from her end.
"Hey, are you okay?"
"Yes! I went to the park with my niece. How are you doing?"
"I'm good. I just finished rearranging my room, just a little tired."
"Sorry baby, I'll let you rest now. We'll talk later."
"okay. Bye." I hang up from my side smiling. Leah would always check up on me even when she had nothing to say.
I went downstairs. Mom hasn't gotten back from work, Sophia is staying at the school dorm. She only came home when school became too overwhelming.
After eating my dinner, I went upstairs. I slept off the moment I laid on my bed.
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My relationship with my boyfriend, Mathew wasn't exactly full of roses.
The very first time I met him was at his father's birthday party. My mom and his father were business partners.
They owned OHYUL Construction Company, one of the most thriving construction company in the country. We supplied building materials to them.
"Hi, I'm Jenna Archer" I said with a smile.
"I'm Mathew Owen" he had told me with a grin.
"You are the son of Mr. Owen?" I asked him surprised he had a son that young and that good looking.
He only smiled before turning to the girl he was taking to earlier.
I felt embarrassed.
The second time I met Mathew was at one of my friend's birthday party.
We actually clicked this time around and talked about a lot of random things. I also found out the girl he was talking to at his father's birthday party was his older sister.
He asked for my contact.
We started dating after knowing each other for about a month.
Leah never liked him,
"He looks like the narcissist type" she always said.
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I woke up around 7am.
I decided to check if mom had gotten back but she wasn't in her room. I decided to call her. She finally picked after the second ring.
"Hello" she yawns
"Hi mom, you didn't come home"
"oh! I forgot to call you. There was issues some with the goods we exported, so I am currently in S town to sort it out".
"Oh… okay. So when will you be back?"
"I can't say for sure as it may take some time. Let's talk later I need to head out soon".
She ends the call before I could even say goodbye.
I went back to sleep and woke up in the afternoon
I had a date with Mathew in the evening so I decided to start getting ready.
I was so happy we were having a dinner date the last time time I saw him was a month ago. He has been busy at his father's company.
I got ready and was waiting for him to pick me up.
Two hours went by.
He never showed up.
I decided to call him but he didn't pick up. Disappointed, I went back inside.
I was removing my makeup when I saw the contact that fell off from my journal. I decided to call the number. I was more curious if the number still had a user.
The call connected at the first ring. It was a man that picked it. Well, it was a man that gave me the contact.
"Hello" I say
"Hello, who is this?" The man said from his end.
I was thinking of what to say to him. It has been years, he might not even remember he giving a child his contact or maybe I had the wrong person entirely.
"Uh… I am Jenna, you gave me your contact twelve years ago".
"Jenna Archer?" He says in a rhetoric way "you finally called" he chuckles.
"Yes" I reply curious as to what he was going to say.
"You didn't seem interested in the information I was going to share that time and you never called"
"Well…, I am calling now. What do you have to say" I say regretting why I called in the first place.
"A lot, but not now and not over a phone call. Let's meet."
"Why should we meet, how do I know you are not a scam? And what you have to say is reasonable."
"I am not going to force you to come," he replied calmly. "But you should know you are living with lies. I will send you the address and time. It is up to you to decide." He ends the call
Although Leah is my best friend and we are childhood friends, I never told her about what happened.
I decided to call her and let her know. I will not just go to an unknown place to meet an unknown man.
"That is a lot to process," she says after I told her everything. "And you never told me."
"I don't know what to do"
"You are not going anywhere, he is obviously a scam. He is going to tell you about your mom? Then who is Aunty?"
"He sounded genuine, with the fact that I have seen him with mom before… and those pictures I told you about." I say while pulling on my feet.
"True or not, you still don't know who he his. What if he hurts you?"
I sighed deeply
"How was your date with Mathew?" She asked
"He stood me up, I called that man out of boredom."
"He stood up? and you are cool about it?" she yells.
I could imagine her expression. "what could I do besides he was busy?"
"Why did he set up the date when he knew he was going to be busy and he couldn't even call! You cover for him too much."
I didn't know what to say
"I have to go now, my cousins will really be the end of me!"
"Okay, extend my greetings to Aunt and Uncle".
"Okay, Jenna. Even if you decide to go, let me know. Bye"
The call ended