At her 31st birthday, Rosalie fell into labor. Deep within me, I want her to give birth to her child this day so that mother and child will share the same birthdate, rare occasions like this warms my heart and seeing this scenario play out for Rosa, I couldn't be more excited.

Carolyn left with her whole family a while back to accompany her sister to the hospital, leaving me at the party I was actually coerced to attending and there's Glenda and Esse too enjoying every bit of it. Even though the celebrant has been rushed to the hospital, Rosa's husband instructed we guest, along with the others to enjoy the party, and as it seems, Glenda is obeying the instruction most ardently, seeing she's devouring a red velvet cake.

I look from her to Esse who is busy texting somebody. Reasonably, it'll be her boyfriend Kevin. They've been dating for more than a year and I don't know how long, but it's been a while, and she's never introduced us to him. Glenda advised we shouldn't pressure her into it, saying Esse will eventually do when she's okay with it, but Carolyn disagrees more often with Esse, saying she doesn't like her secrecy and most times confront her about it.

From our table, at the west wing, the music is pretty loud and as a bonus, we get a good view of the hall. From my perspective, people are paired up, holding hands and dancing, not bothered about the funeral outfit, others are at the food table while the rest are just chatting away.
Sitting still doing nothing is such a bore, in fact it's not in my nature unless I'm determined to rest. Since none of that 'resting' is happening now, I stand to leave, making my way out of the hall, not without telling the girls I'll be heading to the comfort room and be back in a jiffy.

Outside the designated hall, I walk up to a woman all alone, but after coming in her line of sight, I realize she's giving flirtatious body signs and eyes to a man standing across, unsurprisingly, they're both staring at each other.
"Hello ma'am. Please, do you know the direction to any comfort room here?" I ask in my perfect lady like voice.

"Take the elevator by your left, third floor, there's a comfort room around the corner" replies the woman whose eyes aren't going off the stranger anytime soon.
I discard the scary images forming in my head and scurry down the hallway, resulting further into a secluded area.

Just like the lady had said, I sighted the elevator and approached it to
Click click click open
But the damn thing is taking so long.
I try doing what I occasionally do when I am being impatient, a little remedy that eases my mind, tapping my foot to the ground, forming a beat. It always works for me except now because I thought I had made the excuse of going to the comfort room to linger around, but my bladder took it personally, and it may burst while I'm tapping.

In this case, I tap and tap again on the button, and it flew open after two sessions of tapping, revealing a man whom I am about glaring at until the eerie feeling of déjà vu hit me, for a second, he looks recognizable, but I didn't have the chance to place it well considering the way he immediately walks past without sparing me a single glance,"I know this man from somewhere" I whisper while walking into the elevator, again I tap the button to the third floor, impatiently waiting for it to close shut.

When it does, I bring out my phone checking messages to keep me busy, maybe distracted, but the elevator sound comes on before I could even get to the Messages app.

DING!

I'm racing out of the elevator to the comfort room, taking the left wing searching for the place on this floor, nobody is in sight, my suspicions arising again, but I can't attend to it clearly because Mother Nature is desperately calling.
After rounding the corner, I find a door with the sign I just need.

After finishing my business in a tight stall, I lean forward to reach the flush pull of the closet when the door squeals open, announcing someone just walked in.

"Yes, yes, he is really dead so calm yourself down" the voice says.
I peep through the small opening of the stall door, she's facing the mirror, dressed in black as well and all I can make out is, her pretty strawberry-blonde hair which is in a bun and the phone to her ear.

"I'm confident, I saw him inside the casket looking all peaceful...ugh! As if", there's a sharp edge to her voice before she continues
"Nobody knows, it's the Rolando family, remember".

The sound of running water blankets the room, thankfully I don't have to hold my heavy breathing any longer.
"There's this dumb party going on at the first floor, they're all wearing black with joyful music playing, if only we could rejoice as well" she scoffs
The faint voice of the person at the other end of the phone speaks again, but I can't seem to decipher the murmurs.
"Take it easy, nobody will know, security is being extra careful tonight and the whole building except the first floor is closed, so you don't have to worry" says the young girl reassuringly.

Who the hell are the Rolando's?

"She's fine and doing well. I actually thought Lisa will shed a tear, guess what, she didn't" she burst into fits of laughter.
The way she mocks the deceased, I can almost see the hatred for him seethe in her frame. At that moment, my phone in my hand rings, a message just came through, if not for that running water, I'll be in an embarrassing situation explaining why I am spying on a girl, younger than I am
"Okay, okay I have to join the others, bye, you can rest easy now"
She nods.
I immediately turn it silent and read what's on the lock screen, a message from Esse requesting my whereabouts.

"I love you and I'll tell him. I hope he listens, bye for now" and the phone leave her ears.

She washes her hands clean, apply what I can't figure out on her face, and leaves the room. Making sure to calculate five minutes later, I walk out of the stall.
Wash my hands at the sink and run out of the room the same way I came in, something about a young girl talking to someone about a dead man like that is giving me the creeps.

Well, this time, the elevator decided to open up immediately, allowing me disappear from this floor swiftly.
"The whole building is closed", I mimic the girl's posh accent and scoff as she did.

====

"Glenda, I'm crashing at yours tonight" Esse says, her eyes never leaving the road as she drives us back home.
Glenda grunted in response, she's stuffed food down her throat, there's no more air left to speak.
Automatically, Esse's saying, 'no ride for you Eleanor, we sleep here' just like it is when we head out, now my shoes are definitely going to stay at Glenda's.

My mind couldn't help drifting back to what I overheard, the firm can easily provide answers if I inform them about everything, then again, the girl distinctly assured whoever it was of the secrecy. So, even though I couldn't hear the other side, the girl constantly reassuring them just meant something is wrong.

"Hey, El. Are you okay?" Esse takes her eyes off the road for a brief moment to glance at me.
I nod.
"Are you certain? where were you by the way?" She asks
"The comfort room, I thought I told you guys"
"Didn't remember" Esse shrugs
then asks again
"Why did you take so long?"
"Esse, why are you ques—forget it"
I murmur, suddenly pissed off by Esse's questioning.
"My apologies, I'm just concerned".
I continue staring at the window by my right, the empty buildings fleeting by and the people walking past.

I truly love my friends, all four of them, they're the excitement and warmth in my life but in Esse I find an overbearing and overprotective mother, one I clearly am not looking for, just the thought of a mother, my mother, sets me off in a bad mood.

Without thinking, I demand she stops the car and got off with no explanation, thankfully they understood it's one of those times.
I take shade under the roof of a closed shop, trying to order a ride on my phone.
Finally getting one, I just have to wait patiently and watch the passersby, on the bright side, my shoe will get to go home with me today.

========

Thank you for reading this far.
~Darasimiwrites.