Chapter 17: Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen.

Jennifer listened carefully as Mark moved from one room to another, whistling some boring song. She stood up from the cushion and walked to the door that connected the sitting room to other rooms.

She placed her ear on the door, listening for his movements. She pressed closer when she did not hear anything.

The door suddenly opened as did hers and she faced Mark who had a brow up, questioning her swift opening.

She gave him a silly grin and walked to the sitting room and sat down, pretending she was studying a painting.

His cologne filled the room as he walked to the fireplace and took something.

She saw him, from the corner of her eyes, look at her.

"Remember the rules." He pointed a finger in her direction.

She sucked in a part of her lower lips and rolled her eyeballs before saying,

"Of course. Your rules are not to be violated. It is okay."

He narrowed his eyes at her before walking out.

She tip- toed to the window just right beside the fireplace and made sure she saw his car at the end of the street before she made her move.

She went back to her room and grabbed a black slip- on which fitted her just fine.

' Thank you Mark's sister.'

As she went back to the sitting room, she scanned the room for the keys.

All she wanted to do was violate one of his rules to prove a point she wasn't so sure of yet. She did not want to leave his house unsecured.

She sighted a single key hanging just next to the mother- baby painting.

She took it and went to the entrance, tested it, and when she saw it was the right one, she did a mini-celebration and locked the door.

She studied the sight in front of her. To the left of her stance, a lot of flowers of majority purple and white colours, was enclosed in a square concrete frame.

Jennifer wondered how she skipped such a beautiful view the day before.

"Well, hello there." A shrill voice greeted her, as soon as she bent to study the flowers.

Jennifer stood up to face  the woman before her. She had black, curly hair, though with few grey features,  which was very full. Her tiny lips with thin lines at thier edges, was covered in pink lipstick, her eyes connected to it by a smile. Her surprisingly petite body was hugged by a blue pencil gown.

"Hey!" A neighbour!

"Are you Mark's wife?"

"Huh?" Jennifer laughed in her head. 'What?'

"Are you Mark's wife? You are the only female that has stayed overnight at his house."

"No, no. I am like a, um. . . guest? Yes guest."

'Only lady that has stayed overnight? This should be interesting.'

"Oh, that is okay darling. That is just fine. Wanna come meet our gang?" The woman was already pulling at her arm.

Jennifer smiled widely, time to violate rule number four.

"Of course."

Jennifer took the woman's arm properly and walked with her.

"So what is your name?"

"Jennifer."

"Nice name dear. You can call me Candy."

"Nice to meet you Candy. This place is nice. The city is nice."

Jennifer said as they crossed the road.

"No, no dear, the city is amazingly nice. I see that you are new to this place. Don't worry, you are sure to have mind blowing fun at some point." Her smile turned to a few seconds frown.

"That is if Mark doesn't stop you." Her smile came back immediately.

"Come, I need you to meet the whole gang."

Jennifer returned her smile, already enjoying her company.

They walked to the house directly opposite Mark's and walked to the garage which was sort of the front door of the bungalow. In front of the garage, three fairly old people sat round a wooden table, chatting away.

"Hello guys! Look who is here!" Candy shouted from a distance as she pulled at Jennifer's hand like an excited child.

"Hey wifey ! I missed you!" A man who looked eighty shouted back, his almost bald head looking extremely oiled. He displayed a full set of teeth or almost full ones as Candy walked towards him.

"And how many times have I told you, John Steve, that I am not your wife and would never be." Candy moved closer to the man and gave him playful slap.

"You see," The man faced Jennifer. " She always come back begging me for those nasty things we did back in our days. On such nights, I become her s..."

"That is enough now Johnny, how are you lady?" Another man with full silver, long hair asked her. His face had brighter features  compared to Johnny's who had eyes that looked like they entering his ball socket. His eyes were blue and smiled a lot.

"I am fine. And my name is Jennifer."

The man nodded and smiled at her, the smile making him look more handsome.

' His beauty definitely fed a lot of eyes in his prime.'

"I am Albert. You have met Candy and Johnny. Over there is Harmony." He pointed to a lady who was seated opposite Albert, eye glasses on and eyes closed. She had features of a very petite person.

Jennifer nodded slowly and sat on a chair Johnny offered her.

"So, do you guys talk to Mark at all. Or is he some weirdo?" Jennifer asked.

Johnny let out a laughter which was soon superceded by a fit of coughs.

"I told you not to laugh too much." Candy hurriedly got him a bottle of  water.

Johnny gulped it down and gave another toothless smile.

"See I told ya she loves me."

"You wish."

"Actually Jenny, do you mind me calling you that?" Albert asked.

"It is okay."

"We actually caused him not to talk to us at all."

Jennifer raised a brow.

"After his sister died, he was miserable. He confided in us that he needed something to keep him happy."

"So we ordered him a wife." Candy said.

"What?" Jennifer was so close to screaming her words but it surprisingly came out calm with a perplexed look accompanying it.

"Nah really. We thought it would be good for him. But it obviously was the wrong thing to do. He came here screaming at each of us, telling us to forget we ever knew him.Till now he hasn't talked to us." Albert paused and looked back at Mark's house.

"He can be such an arrogant, stubborn bastard."

"Wow. But you guys really wanted to help him."

"But he did not see it that way." Candy answered.

"Oh. How come he hasn't moved from here, I mean it makes all he said to you guys more effective."

"He still loves us. That's why. But he will come around. He definitely cannot abandon the few people that were there for him when his mother died." Johnny answered.

"His mother is dead too?" Now Jennifer's voice rose a bit.

"Yes. Few weeks before his sister died." Albert replied sadly.

'That explains a lot.' Jennifer thought, a comforting silence following everything. Candy tapped her husband  as she went to get a chair to sit on, placing her chair beside Jennifer.

"Will you love to have some cupcakes?" Harmony's shrill voice broke the silence, a crooked smile on her baby ish face.

Jennifer did not even see her open her eyes.

"Of course." She got up to get it, her full brunette hair bouncing as she walked into the garage.

" It is actually nice being with you guys."

" We also appreciate your presence Jenny. Please do remember to come often. We hardly have any young person around."  Albert patted her shoulder as she nodded in agreement.

Harmony walked towards them with a tray of delicious looking cupcakes.