I once had a friend, a very close friend, and her name is Imole. Imole was a very beautiful lady, she was always there to help me and other people in need. She was tall, fair in complexion, had big eyes that showed all the innocence on earth, and a smile so warm that it could melt the coldest of hearts. Her words were gentle, her presence comforting, and it was almost impossible not to trust her. She carried herself with such grace that people easily believed she had no flaw. To anyone looking from the outside, Imole was the perfect friend, the perfect helper, the perfect sheep. But beneath that charm and softness, there was something deeper, something hidden.
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Imole and I attended the same secondary school; we went to school at the same time, we were in the same class, and our classmates thought we were siblings. One afternoon during breaktime, Imole came to the art studio, where I was drawing the assignment that was given to us. She sat beside me, trying to cut her fingernails with her finger, anytime she does this, I know something was bothering her so I decided to ask her.
“What’s wrong, Imole?” I said, without looking up from my drawing.
She leaned closer and whispered, “Do you know I just finished talking to Nafisat?”
I nodded absentmindedly, still sketching lines on my paper, not really bothered.
“She said some awful things about you,” Imole added, her words went straight to my head and a seed was planted in my mind.
I froze, dropped my pencil, and turned my chair to face her. She finally had the attention she was looking for.
“What did she say?” I asked, with my eyes fixed on her.
Imole didn’t hesitate. “She said you are the most ugly boy in the class. She even mocked your school shoes, saying they look like they’re begging for money. And she also said that whenever you pass by, there’s this… one kind of odor you carry with you.”
Her words pierced me, sharper than any two edge sword. A new found anger grew inside of me immediately. “What? That same Nafisat?” I snapped. “The same one I saw begging Ayomikun to buy food for her? She’s the one talking?”
Imole’s big innocent eyes blinked, urging me on.
“I don’t even like that girl,” I continued, my voice rising. “She always feels like she’s above everyone else. I don’t even know why I’m in the same class with her.”
We went back and forth, tearing Nafisat apart with words until we were satisfied. Imole finally stood up, brushing imaginary dust from her skirt.
“I want to go back to class,” she said softly, almost like she had done me a favor.
I nodded, turning back to my unfinished drawing. “Alright. See you there.” And just like that, she left.
8 minutes later, I heard noise coming from the hallway that leads to the art studio, it was so loud I had to pause what I was doing to listen to what was happening. The more I listen, the more the noise got louder, and closer to where I was.
"He is very stupid, I will treat is f*ck up" I recognise that voice, it was Nafisat voice. Why was she talking to angrily, and why was her voice getting closer to where I was. I stood up, and just as I was about to move towards the studio entrance, Nafisat walked in, then came at me to grab my uniform.
"You know you are very stupid. So this is how you go around spoiling my name and acting like a saint" Nafisat said so angrily. I was still in shock because I didn't know what she was talking about, and I saw Imole standing at the studio entrance, not saying anything.
"What did I do, leave my shirt before I get angry?" I shouted back at Nafisat, trying to get her hands off my shirt.
"Oh... You want to fight. Ok, beat me na. Beat me and see if you will walk out of this school with your legs." Nafisat was so angry she wasn't even ready to listen to what I had to say.
"Why are you talking behind her? Why did you say she was begging Ayomikun for food?" A familiar voice came from behind me, and it was one of my friends, "Isi."
“Me..?” The words came like a shock to me, too. Everyone’s eyes turned to Imole, who was still standing by the studio door, silent.
Nafisat glared at me. “Imole said you were the one going around spoiling my name. She told me you called me a wicked girl, that you said I am a proud human being, and even said you said I go around begging for food.”
My mouth went dry. “I didn’t say that,” I replied firmly. “Imole came here herself and told me you said those things about me. I only reacted to what she told me.”
The crowd shifted, eyes moving between the three of us. For a moment, silence filled the air. Then Isi spoke, “So, Imole… who is lying here?”
Imole blinked, then gave a small, innocent smile. “Maybe there was a misunderstanding,” she said softly, her voice calm, as if she hadn’t just set two people against each other.
"I was only saying the truth, it was their words not mine" She said
But in that moment, the truth was clear. She had planted the seed, stepped aside, and watched it grow. And that was the day I finally saw her for who she really was, not the sheep everyone thought, but a wolf well hidden in sheep clothing.
The End.
Thanks for reading. My name is Fashtioluwa.
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