When the landlord walked in to the scene, Angela suddenly became calm.
"Angela my dear, what's going on here?" Chief Bello asked.
Before Angela would respond, Alex narrated what had happened to the old man.
"Sir, I don't know who you are but I believe you have the right to know what this egocentric girl has done, how can someone reject the prize she won in a competition?" Alex narrated as he told the man everything, including how he had met Angela crying because she had lost her job.
"Sir, she won these prizes for herself, it's not charity" Alex added and chief Bello was shocked because he had no idea that Angela was out of job.
When Alex was done talking, the old man walked closer to Angela.
"I had no idea that you had lost your job, no wonder you were always at home lately, please my child accept your prize, you won that competition fair and square, I watched that competition on television and your designs were the best, you were creative and you won the heart of the judges, the Audience and even the viewers, please accept your prize my child, I have never seen some one who rejects 5million naira in this economy, don't be stubborn my girl, accept your prize right now"the old man said and Angela obeyed as she walked closer to Alex and collected the cheque and the car key.
Alex brought out a brown envelope containing the contract agreement and a pen and Angela signed the contract speechlessly. When she was done she said, almost like she was whispering
"Thank you" and Alex scoffed "hmmm" and immediately he walked away.
The next day, Princess visited Angela. Princess was surprised, when Angela politely invited her into her apartment.
"I am happy that you have finally accepted your prize, you deserve it because you won the competition fair and square, my brother did not know that you were participating in that competition in the first place, neither did I know that you have meet my brother before the competition, I don't know what had happened between you and my brother but my brother is not as horrible as you think, he is disciplined, responsible and intelligent but I'm not here to sing my brother's praise, according to the agreement you signed, you will be working with me for two years and I'm here to take you to the company" Princess said and Angela got ready and left with her.
From that day, Angela began to work at Princess Fashion world as a fashion designer, Princess was a lovely person as she had grown so close to Angela in a short while, she also taught her how to drive her new car.
Angela was a fast learner and Princess was impressed.
"You are a millionaire now, I suggest you change your apartment, it's too old, or what do you think? I don't mind supporting you financially" Princess had said.
"Ma, that won't be necessary, I have enough money, thank you....I have thought about moving too but I don't know how my Landlord would feel because he had accommodated us for more than five years for free" Angela replied.
"Really? That's unbelievable but you will not remain in a crappy apartment because of that, you can even impress him with a cash gift as an appreciation and then you can tell him about your plans to change your apartment....Angela enough with that "Ma", please come on, we are practically age mates call me Princess" Princess said and Angela nodded in smiles
When Angela told Chief Bello about her plans of moving, the man seemed to be happy. Just as Princess suggested, Angela came with a brown envelope containing about 2 hundred thousand naira, she had also appreciated the man for everything he had done, the man did not accept the money but he quickly gave his Blessings.
'please do come bye sometimes to visit me" the man said happily and Angela wondered why Chief Bello seemed excited with the news and why he had refused the cash gift.
"Esther, when I told Chief Bello that we will be moving, he seemed so excited with the news, I thought he would object and you won't believe it, he refused to accept the money" Angela complained.
"But he has no right to object, big sis don't worry your head over that, maybe he just wants us to leave his house, but I don't understand why he didn't accept the money, that man loves money alot, well I'm not surprised, that man has always been mysterious too" Esther replied and Angela stared speechlessly and then she remembered when his late father was alive , he had some financial troubles in his business and for two years he couldn't pay their rent, Angela also remembered how Chief Bello came and embarrassed their Father, even after he had pleaded for more time.
"I don't joke with money, pay my rents or pack out" The Land lord had said, at the time he wasn't a titled man, everyone would call him Baba Bello
"That same Man allowed us to live for free for years" Angela thought
Angela knew something strange was going on but she couldn't point out what it was.
Few months later, Angela and her sister had moved to a bigger apartment in a fine Estate, the two sisters were grateful that life had suddenly became sweet and easy for them. They used to go to bed hungry with no hope for a decent meal but now they had more than enough to eat and enough money to sustain them for a long time.
Angela remembered when her former boss had called her phone.
"Angela, I saw you on television, I don't even know that you are a seamstress, well congratulations, I hope the competition was worth it, if you want you can come back to work, I have forgiven you" The silly woman had said and then Angela gave her the piece of her mind.
"Thank you ma, I don't need your job anymore, when I did you fired me without thinking twice, after you saw me on television, you should know that I would never be needing your job, I have a better job now, a job I love not some crappy job, good bye" Angela had responded and hanged up immediately.
On the other hand, Alex had tried his best to avoid Angela totally,
"my presence makes her uncomfortable and I don't want her insults anymore" he had thought.
The young man had even avoided his sister's work place to avoid running into Angela.
"That girl is trouble, even though she has integrity, I don't like her ego, I don't understand what she thinks of herself" Alex had said as he tried his best to avoid Angela like a plague.
But the more he tried to avoid her, the more he always run into her.
One Saturday afternoon, Alex had visited her parents, he wanted to surprise his mother with his presence, he walked in to the house silently, he had packed his car outside but he almost lost his breath when he sighted Angela in his parent's living room, she was sipping a glass of juice and was watching the television, it was obvious that she was waiting for Princess who seemed to have grown so fond of her. To avoid another drama, Alex had to use the back door and when he got into his parent's house through the back door, he was disappointed that his parents were no where around the house.
When he went to his sister's room, Princess almost jumped out of her skin. She was applying some make up.
"Bro, is you? You gave me a big fright, why are you sneaking into my room like a ghost?" Princess entered jokingly
"So you and that feisty girl are now close that you bring her home unannounced" Alex threw in ignoring his sister's joke.
"Angela is a good girl trust me" Princess said in smiles.
"Spare me, I don't want to know, I can't believe I came in to my parent's house through the back door" Alex said and his sister laughed out loud.
"Come on, stop laughing so loud, she might hear you and then she would come into know to know why you are laughing so much, by the way where is our parents?" Alex asked.
"They went out, I don't even when they left but I called them on the phone, you won't believe what they told me, in quote " Princess we are running some errands, we are together, we will be back home soon, don't tell me you are missing us already, that's why you need to bring a man home as soon as possible, you need a husband so you can let us enjoy ourselves without bothering us, by now you should be bothering your husband not us"Princess said imitating her parent's tone.
"What?"Alex said laughing
"So my big brother when you stop laughing, please hook me up with one of your friends, I am officially in need of a husband, or I will leave this house like you did, maybe I will come live with you" Princess entered jokingly.
"No way, then you will bring that silly girl to my house unannounced, that girl is a tormentor, I don't like her one bit, I don't know what she thinks of herself" Alex entered and Princess smiled.
"Are you sure bro, because with the way you go on and on with same topic, one would think you have feelings for her"Princess said still smiling.
"God forbid" Alex entered and they both smiled again
Alex and Princess were still chatting away in the bedroom when thier parents arrived.
Immediately Angela saw the old couple walk in to the living room, she greeted them politely, she had been staring at their portrait the entire time she sat in the living room, no wonder she could easily recognize them.
One good stare at Angela, Alex's father said "Chidinma?"
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