People's judgments can dig a pit in our souls, defining us with their perceptions, and we end up carrying the weight of their misconceptions. I never really believed in myself, not even in the slightest, and yeah Pamela made it seem so.
Pamela, Tricia, and I were best of childhood friends. We were inseparable, closely knitted, even though arguments with Pamela were a regular thing for us.
Speaking about Pamela, her allure was undeniable, leaving a trail of hearts smitten in awe. She was the prettiest among us and it was indisputably evident.
But as they say, "True beauty resides within, transcending the surface and reflecting one's true essence." Seems like character was the missing piece for Pamela.
Manipulative? Oh yeah, it's Pam. She had a knack for undermining your every attempt, making it challenging to prove your worth to yourself.
Then Tricia. She was the perfect definition of meekness and simplicity. She embodied everything soothing, amazing, and truly good.
And then me. I'd found myself being the type who let the narratives others spun about me mold my self-perception. Not even in the rarest moment had I ever believed that I could live up to my dreams.
Despite it all, the question lingered on how our bond withstood the test of differences. Pam is annoying, yet we managed to stay intact.
Five years on, we pooled our efforts to inhabit a cozy one-bedroom abode nestled in the expansive Choba estate while our landlord occupied the grandest part of the house, overseeing our shared abode.
"I can't believe we live in Choba estate now," Tricia uttered as a scream of profound joy escaped her, echoing the depth of her happiness.
"It's the result of our unwavering dedication to our work," I remarked.
Weeks later, life became seamless in our new abode, a departure from our previous world. It was beautiful, so beautiful. I thought this blissful sensation could extend its stay, but not until the unexpected occurred when our landlord made a surprising appearance at our door.
"Hold on, I'm coming," I said, as I reached out for the door. It was another beautiful day for beautiful girls living in the Choba estate. It was a day off from work, and we'd resolved to enjoy a peaceful day at home, sitting pretty.
"Good day, Sir. Please come in," I gestured as he made his way in.
"How about your two other friends?" he asked.
"They are in the kitchen, they're trying to fix something for lunch. Hope there's no problem Sir?" I inquired, hoping nothing went out of place.
"Things were a bit tangled up, so I was caught in a bit of a situation and I sold the house. This house is no longer in my possession, and I'm not even living here anymore. Just thought I should let you girls know."
For a moment, I felt sober. I wondered what must have happened and how it even got to that extent. Mr. Douglas was a good and calm man. He never troubled us or interfered with our business. I wondered again why bad things happened to good people like Mr. Douglas.
"Oh heavens! I'm really sorry Sir for the house and everything that happened to you. I wish they never happened. Now that you've evacuated from your home, what's the plan for your new living situation?" I asked.
"I have another house at the neighboring estate, though not quite as big as this one," he replied.
"So when do we get to see our new landlord?" I posed the question, eagerly awaiting his response.
"That's the problem, Lisa. The new owner wants the house vacant, and I'm so sorry to break to you that you've got one week to find alternative arrangements."
"What?" I screamed in utter shock, so loud that Pam and Tricia rushed out.
"And why do you want to bring down the roof?" Pam rudely asked. "Oh! Pardon my manners. Good day, Sir!"
"But what happened?" asked Tricia.
"Mr. Douglas here sold his house off, and the new owner isn't keen on having tenants. So we've got a week to find a new place," I responded in a hushed tone.
That was already too much for us to bear. It wasn't about the money because Mr. Douglas had promised to make a refund, but how swiftly we could secure a new place within a week.
Two days later, we didn't hear from Mr. Douglas. We called his phone countless times but was unreachable.
"Did he vanish with our money? He'd better not cause it won't speak well for him," Pam burst forth.
It was getting messier and more complicated, and Mr. Douglas was nowhere to be found. I was deluded to think he was a good man, not after this time.
"We have five more days left, how do we get ourselves out of this mess? Our salaries for the month won't get us a house here, and it isn't even close to the end of the month." Tricia cried out.
That sharp reminder jolted me back to reality. It was indeed five more days left.
The next day, we'd sat thoughtless and restless in the living room. In that state where nothing seemed to make sense anymore, the gate echoed with the honk of a car, signaling someone's arrival.
The rhythm of my heartbeat quickened. I stole glances at Pam and Tricia, and I could tell they were equally panicked. We ignored the horn, as we took a close watch from the window.
"Did he ever think any of us would open the gate for him? What a joke he is," Pam blurted as the unknown guy made his way in. Though his face remained hidden from my view, I could tell he was filthy rich from the way he dressed.
"I guess that's Mr. No Tenants. I feel he's also here to remind us that we have just four days left." Tricia said.
"I could actually get him to fall in love with me, and we wouldn't have to worry about a place to live anymore," I smirked. That was me trying to cheer up, cause the whole sleepless thoughts were just too much.
"In your wildest dream, Lisa! Wake up from your sleep and face the real world," Pam fired.
"We are two different people, Pam, and I don't understand why my big dreams affect you so badly," I shot back.
"Two years ago, you mentioned that you'd buy a car that'd convey us to work simply because we trekked that very day to work. And I'd like to ask, haven't you found your choice of car yet? That's the problem, you think so highly of yourself," Pam snapped.
"I clearly remember. And the same thing you said was....."
"In your wildest dream. I'd say that for as long as I want. Looking at it, I'm the prettiest one here, yet I don't get to carry myself the way you do," she cut in.
"I'm not the reason behind your low self-esteem, Pam. As far as I'm concerned, we run a different race and it's not my problem that yours is veiled in ambiguity. How about you loosen up, and allow love to dwell in you, it would cleanse off your bittered soul," I snapped back.
"Enough! Girls, we can do better than this. This isn't the time for any of these. Pam, you were wrong and always out of place. You don't get to decide someone else's dreams, cause you can't tell what's in for us tomorrow. I'm sure if she had spoken low about herself, there wouldn't be any objection from you because you feel that's exactly how it should be. Embrace who you are and what you'd be and boldly say NO to looking down on other people," Tricia intelligently intervened.
"Bitter truth hurts," she blurted again.
"I'm not your problem. Fix yourself," I fired back.
"Can we stop?" Tricia pitched.
I didn't regret any of the things I said to Pamela, I felt so good afterward. I wasn't going to let her make me feel less of myself ever again.
It appeared that Mr. No tenants stepped into his domain fully prepared to take control of his home, and another day had already rolled by.
In the midst of it, I thought to myself that it'd be wise to take a walk away from home to somewhere remarkably quiet and soothing.
Stepping out of the house, I caught a glimpse of him chilling beside his car. The realization hit me that he was super cute and charming.
Then it made sense to me that he didn't deserve to be admired, not with what he had to put us through.
"Saying Good day to me won't bite you know," he let slip.
"So what's my penalty, Mr. No tenants? Are you going to kick us out already?"
"It's Malcon. That's the name," he replied.
"It makes no difference, Sir," I said as I walked away.
"Dinner?" he called out.
"What? Are you asking me to go on a date with you?"
"Do me the honor," he said, taking a step toward me.
"Can I decline? You don't even know me and likewise I. Look, you've put me through so much stress, and I need time to cool off. And no, I won't have dinner with you."
"And I will never stop requesting. Let's just say I like you already."
That was the weirdest thing to hear from him. But looking at the bright side, it was going to be to my advantage.
At first, it was me trying to remedy the situation. But gradually and gradually, it became LOVE. LOVE I couldn't explain, LOVE I couldn't imagine, LOVE I couldn't fathom, and LOVE far beyond my wildest DREAMS.
Everything became so perfect, beautiful, and smooth. So better than yesterday. My friends had gotten a permanent stay in the house, and I got to be Malcon's soon-to-be wife.
"Lisa, your achieved dreams have shown me the light, and have illuminated my path. I'm deeply sorry for the way I looked at you. Now I know better and I can do better." Pam apologized.
"All I need right now is your warmest hug," I said, inviting her to my open arms.
Thanks for reading!
