LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 2: Chapter Two
NANCY'S POV
The noise from my neighbor's loud speaker prevented me from sleeping. She had been warned several times to stop disrupting the peace of the building, even our Landlord has warned her. But she always respond with the usual "I bought it with my hard-earned money, no one will tell me how to use it". Honestly, she's just being unreasonable. I've disliked her since the first day she came to check the apartment before she packed in. The first moment I saw her, her vibe was totally on the opposite side of mine. She gave everyone she saw in the compound a downgrading stare on the first day she came. Some even tried to exchange pleasantries with her, she only snubbed them and adjusted her dark shade big glasses. That moment, I knew we'd never vibe. I couldn't muffle my scream when I later learnt she was packing in to the flat beside mine. I yelled at the caretaker, told him to give her another room. He patted my shoulder and explained that it was the only flat available, others were occupied. I screamed harder in my head. My reason for yelling that much remained a puzzle to me; all I knew was, everything about her would piss me off.
I was right. She always played music at the highest volume, the whole building pulsated at the tremendous sound. As if being her side neighbor wasn't enough, she brought home some ladies in her league and their noise was nothing compared to that of the market. They'd discuss trivial things like their previous night in a random guy's house, how the pedicurists did a shabby job on their nails, or how competitive bone straight human hair and iPhone was among them. They had nothing important to discuss, yet, they'd disrupt my serene ambience and personal time with their loud annoying voices.
This morning, I was contemplating scouting for another flat, I was ready to let go of the remaining house rent I'd paid before I packed in. I paid two years in full, and this was my eighth month in the apartment. I couldn't even reminisce on my moments with the crimson-face angel whom I met two days. Such an amazing sight. I've not been able to go back to the mountain, my boss at work had been using all means to drain all my strength. I also manage as a zookeeper in my alma mater; but I enjoy animal care than being an graphics designer. I learnt it as a skill and it came in handy as I landed myself in a multimillion naira deal with the skill. I intend to learn more tech skills as well.
I rolled over on my bed, sleeping on my belly. I kicked my bed frustratedly as my shameless neighbor sang alongside Fire boy's Party Scatter from the speaker. The song was among my favorites; I like Nigerian contemporary music and gbedu as well, but anytime I listen to her sing the songs, I wonder if the singer could stand hear her voice without having a mental breakdown. She sounded like a broken microphone. I stretched my hand and reached for my headphone, it's not like it does much difference, I'd still hear her voice, but in a muffled way. If I wasn't near her room, the headphones would have worked as a remedy, but it's not. I fixed the headphone on my head and connected it to my phone. I clicked on Music Go and scrolled up till I found the song I've never gotten tired of for years. I clicked on play and dropped my phone as Owl City's voice filled the headphone's soft speaker. I love Vanilla Twilight because each time I listen to it, I'm always drawn to imagine vanilla twilight itself. I've never been chanced to see the celestial ambience despite my numerous futile searches in reality, but I've seen it several times online and in the video of Vanilla Twilight itself. I closed my eyes to imagine the scene in my head; the splash of several colors were beginning to form in my imagination and I was eventually dozing off.
Knock knock
The scene was beginning to form when my mind drifted off to the mountain; oh his face. Right there, I longed to touch it...
Knock knock
The song had finished playing by now and was preparing to restart again, I set it on repeat mode. Then I heard the knock. I kicked the air angrily. When I thought I'd evaded the broken microphone beside my room and eventually getting a sleep, another person was about to disrupt it even more.
"I'm coming o"
I kicked the air with my fist as I stood up and approached the door. I turned the key backwards and turned the knob. I opened the door only to see broken microphone right before me. The head sparked.
"Umm, sorry girl, I just wanted to ask if the key to the tap is with you."
Even if I wanted to like her, her fabricated American accent won't let me. Americans didn't force their accents, why force it for them. Speak through your mouth and not nose, girl! I inhaled and calmed myself. I only need to reply her and go back to sleep. I didn't need to cause a scene.
"No, it's not."
I attempted to close the door when she held the door handle again. I looked at her sternly but she gave a bright smile,
"Please, do you know who has it? I need to use water urgently"
I still tried to maintain my calmness, "I don't know. Why do you need to fetch outside when there is running water inside?"
"Actually..."
I rolled my eyes. This girl needs to know her fake accent angers me more.
"...I've complained to the caretaker, the water in my room stoped running last night."
Good for you. "I don't know who has the key. Perhaps you might ask the security." I scoffed when she turned around to leave. I always try not to dislike my fellow human, as my parents raised me, but this particular living being easily won my dislike ticket. She walked like a chicken, waved hands like turkey's feathers. I was about to close my door when I caught a glimpse of someone. I had closed the door when my brain remembered whose glimpse I caught. I hurriedly unlock the door and dashed to the corridor. Holding the rail on my verandah, my eyes surveyed frantically the compound visible to me until my eyes fell on the figure at the gate.
I squinched my eyes to confirm who it was. My mountain guy! Oh, he looked more angelic than before. My heart raced more than ever. Several thoughts crossed my mind: does he live here? But I've never seen him here before. Probably he lived around this vicinity. But what's he doing in our compound? Does he know someone here? I looked at him again until my eyes fell on the feminine figure beside him. The smile on my face diminished, my heart which had been racing nonstop, abruptly stopped. My head, inexplicably, went blank as I saw my annoying neighbor locking arms with him. As I watched them discuss, he patted her head (she was surprisingly shorter than him), laughed wholeheartedly with her, and eventually hugged her. I had no idea how and when my eyes went cloudy but I found myself going back to my room, feeling dejected. As I turned around, it seemed I saw him looking towards my direction, but it didn't matter anymore. All I needed to do was to stop this love rumble in my heart.
"That chicken...!" I locked my door and fell on my bed.