C H A P T E R T W E N T Y - S E V EN
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Normani liked the sound her boots made when they crushed against the ice on the ground. Her steps were almost rhythmic. Her hands were buried deep in the pocket of her coat and the fingers of her left hand fiddled with the fresh bound leather of her visa.

Finally reaching her Honda civic, she got into her car and started the car and drove out of the parking lot of the British embassy.

It was a cold, frigid afternoon and the roads were congested. Normani fiddled with her music app for a few minutes until she found a playlist she liked to keep her company on the drive. She hummed along to Janelle Monaé’s Dirty Computer as the traffic moved at a sluggish pace.

It was the day before Christmas Eve so the entire city was scrambling to get their last minute shopping done. Had she not needed to head down to the embassy, she’d have stayed home.

As the song changed over from Take A Byte to Jane’s Dream, her phone shrilled with an incoming video call.

She smiled when she saw the name on the screen and positioned her phone into its holder that was glued to her dashboard.

“Hello,” Ayoola greeted and Normani reciprocated a greeting.

“It’s so good to hear from you, it’s been a while,” Normani said.

“I was just calling to check in on you, are you driving?”

“Yes, but I’m headed home now, where are you?”

“I’m in Emmanuel’s office, I dropped off some lunch for him,” she replied.

“How is he?” Normani asked.

“He’s fine, but I think you should be more concerned with how I am feeling and how I’ll be feeling for the next nine months,” Ayoola replied cheekily.

“Oh my god, oh my god! Congratulations, wow I’m so happy for you!”

“Thank you,” Ayoola replied with a relaxed laugh.

“I knew I wasn’t seeing things when I saw that glow you’ve been sporting recently, I just didn’t want to assume... I- how many weeks are you?”

“I’m just over nine weeks, I found out yesterday and I’m about to tell Emmanuel today, wish me luck!”

“Come on, he’s going to be over the moon. You’re giving him his first child.”

“Yeah, but you know how I’ve told you about how tight money is right now, I just hope this brings him more joy than stress.”

“Trust me, he will be ecstatic. Money problems may be temporary but a child, a child is forever. You’ve brought him eternal happiness. And you’ve made me happy for checking on me and for giving me these great news. As soon as this call ends, I’m going to Pintrest cute baby gifts and then I’m gonna start planning to buy and ship them over to you.”

“Goodness, I don’t even know the baby’s gender!”

“I’ll stick to neutral stuff, okay? All babies love safari themed stuff right? Giraffe blankets and bottles are totally gender neutral right?”

Ayoola laughed and Normani could see the mirth shining in her dark eyes and she couldn’t remember a time her friend was happier than this, except maybe for the day Emmanuel had proposed and Normani had been the first person Ayoola had called.

She’d grown more beautiful as time had passed. Her face was plumper, filled with joy and a good diet and she’d grown her hair out and it rested upon her shoulders in a river of black silk.

Ayoola had been doing really well for herself in the past years. She'd gone back to school to complete the equivalent of an American GED, and had fallen in love with one of the educators from that school.

After Ayoola had gained her qualifications,  she moved in with her lover Emmanuel and worked as a secretary while got promoted from a maths educator to the school's deputy pricipal.

“I won’t stop you, but I need you to know that you’re crazy.”

“That’s a personal compliment, thank you, honey.”

“How have you been?”

“I’ve been doing really well this past year. I’m from the embassy actually.”

“Ah, so this is really happening?” Ayoola replied with a wide smile blooming on her mouth.

“Yes, I’m going to The UK next month,” Normani replied.

“Tell me you’re planning to see Joseph too? You know he’s touring there now?”

“Of course I know, I was texting him the other day. I have VIP passes to see him in Manchester,” she replied.

“I’m so happy God has blessed us all like this. You and Joseph are doing what you love and you’re getting fiercely rewarded for it, I’m engaged and expecting, God is good, hands down.”

“God certainly has blessed us,” Normani replied with a nod. These days it was hard not to look around and not see God’s hand in everything. Joseph’s EP American Teen and had taken off a few weeks after Normani had returned to the United States. Joseph then got signed by an American label and had moved to Los Angeles (but had made sure to buy property in the city of El Passo.)

American Teen the album was released the next year and was followed by a nation-wide tour. Their performance of Love Lies at the VMA’s that year had been one of the highlights of her life.

Now he was on a world-wide tour for Suncity and had just started its European leg. He’d soared through the charts in the past five years and he was finally living his dream and Normani couldn’t be prouder. They were still very close, which was why Normani had made sure she’d scored the heavily priced VIP tickets for her visit in the UK.

“How is Matilda?” Normani asked.

“She came to see me the other day, after her lectures, she is well. She’s still dancing, still as sweet as honey.”

“That’s good,” Normani replied.

“She had some news for me though...”

“What is it?”

“Keith is getting married. She was delivering my invitation.”

“To Josephine?”

“Yes.”

Normani felt an odd sensation run through her for a moment, and then it passed.

“Are you going to go to the wedding?”

“I’ll see, it depends on how I’ll be feeling then, you know how pregnancies can be difficult and also if Emmanuel is up for it you know?”

“You should go,” Normani said with resolute nod. She knew Ayoola was saying what she was saying to spare her feelings and it wasn’t necessary. “He was a big part of your life and as his older sister, he deserves to have you there for his big day.”

“Normani, how are you able to say these words with such peace?”

“Ayoola, it’s been five years since we broke up, that chapter of my life is well and truly over, I’ve moved on.”

“You will always be my favourite person, it’s horrible you and him didn’t last.”

“But nevermind all of that, I need to go now, my battery is at 3%. Merry Christmas Ayoola.”

“Merry Christmas to you too,” she replied and the call ended.

For the first time in a long time, the thought of Keith Ikande entered her mind. As she finally reached her residential area to the apartment which shared with Arabella, she thought that yes, she’d made the right choice.

×

“I’m making tofu wraps,” Arabella called from the kitchen as Normani entered the warm apartment.

“Sounds delicious,” she replied. She took off her wet boots and coat and walked into the living room in sock-covered feet.

Arabella emerged from the kitchen a few minutes later, arms laden with a tray of the food.

Her hair had gotten disarrayed sometime during the cooking process and her godawful Christmas sweater was stained with flour among other things.

“You look like you had a fight with the oven.”

“I did,” Arabella replied without any further explanation.

“I’ve been telling you that baking is not your forte.”

“Well, I still think I deserve an A for effort, don’t you think?”

“I guess?” Normani said with a shrug.

Arabella took the couch across from hers. They began eating in silence.

“I got my visa.”

“Yeah?” Arabella said with a smile, “I’m so happy for you. Have you booked the flight yet?”

“Yeah, I booked them while I was at the embassy, I was too excited.

“For when?”

“Eleventh of January.”

“That’s super soon, you ready?”

“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. I feel really guilty about making you move though.”

“Nah, don’t sweat it. As much as I love this apartment I figured I needed a change, I gotta learn to finally be on my own now,” Arabella replied with a content smile.

“Have you found anything?”

“A few places here and there but none of them are where I need them to be. I’m still going to view them the week after Christmas and I’ll take it from there.”

“I’m proud of you,” Normani replied.

“No, I’m proud of you. You’re finally doing this Mani. You’ve worked so hard these past couple of years and now you’re seeing it come to life. I know you’re going to kill it out there in London and you’re going to make a ton of money and find some super hot girl or dude who’s going to make you the happiest woman alive.”

Normani was blushing but she accepted the chaste kiss Arabella placed on her cheek after they’d hugged.

“I still think Faye and Anika are mad at us for not ending up together.”

“Well, they got married and fucked off to Houston so fuck them, we’re still upset they left us here on our own in New York, right.”

Normani nodded, “right.”

Normani took one good look at her roommate and close friend. She loved Arabella and she was sure that she’d always love her but she was grateful that they’d remained friends.

They’d tried to go back to a romantic relationship after that night five years ago but it hadn’t worked out. Normani had decided that she needed to take time for herself and to put her needs first for once.

Long ago, Normani had believed that the love that she had with Arabella Arellano and with Keith Ikande was where she was safest and most treasured.

She’d believed in endurance and longsuffering in order to enjoy the fruits of her labour but as time had gone by and the years had passed, she’d realised that the love she needed all along was her own.

For everyday that she had put herself first and taken care of her own needs she’d soared higher and higher. She was twenty-seven years old and all of her dreams were coming true. In a few weeks, she’d be off to London to open her first dance studio after years of working as a choreographer for American artists.

She’d worked as an instructor for Imani and had helped Peaches start her company from the ground up and now she was finally ready to set her sights on her own future.

Years of good networking had scored her a reasonable sale on the studio from a friend, an all expenses paid-for apartment and a growing pre-existing membership.

She was ready to face her future head first and although she was afraid of the unknown, she knew that she’d be able to navigate through it all, as she’d done for everything else in her life.

and folks there you have it! we’ve reached the end of Aeipathy.

thank you so much for sticking with this story for the past 18 months.

to be honest i had a totally different end in mind when i started this book – at first keith and normani were going to be endgame but as this story progressed i realised it was headed for a different direction. It was so much more than a love story between a man and a woman – it was about normani’s journey into discovering herself and realising her dreams as a black woman in this world.

i’m fucking ecstatic that this book ended like this, that it was neither keith nor ara that she ended up with (bc tbh tbh tbh i was always rooting for arabella and normani 🤧

tell me all of your thoughts now that the book has come to an official end!

although this is the end of this story, i plan to give you guys (3) three bonus chapters and i will deliver them althoughout the year 2019, so be on the lookout for those!

OTHER IMPORTANT NEWS

as 2019 approaches i’ve made the decision to leave wattpad. i believe that it has served me well in the last three years and i’m finally ready to start getting paid for my work. that being said, a few of my works will be kept up on my profile in their full, first draft versions and others will be taken down. for now, i know for certain that Aeipathy and Mommy will still be fully available, at least for the year 2019.

thank you so much for the amazing support. i’ve grown so much on this platform and i’m so eternally grateful for everything. i know so many of you were inspired by my characters and their stories and i hope they continue to. i won’t be posting any new stories but my messages are still open to anyone who needs someone to talk to. happy new year guys.

love always,

-dzangie 💛.