“To girls and women everywhere, I issue a simple invitation. My sisters, my daughters, my friends; find your voice”. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia.
........
"My God, Tomison. You needed to hear the way she said it. I just sat on my bed and wondered if she was alright. To think it was a dream!" Lara said, bursting into a fit of laughter. Tomison joined after.
"Guys, I'm not kidding. I know this sounds corny, but I think God was only trying to make our work easier."
"Jeez, Remi, relax. Don't go about saying this to people or you'll find yourself in trouble. Jax was in class during the last period, I remember talking to him. And Aisha left school before the last period. They said his body was found immediately after closing hours, by that time Aisha was probably at her the mosque or something. She leaves school early on Fridays and Mondays. You see?"
'Yeah, I've noticed her leave early too.'
"Yeah.." I nodded. "But if that's not it, what's the dream about?"
"It's all, you. Remi. You saw who you wanted to see and you played the whole scene in your head." Lara answered.
I didn't want to admit it, but I knew they weren't wrong.
"Whatever, can we shop already?" I said, attempting to change topics.
"So what's your budget?" Tomison asked Lara.
"I actually came with my dad's credit card. Told him I was getting 3 dresses."
"Your dad released his credit card to you?" Tomison asked in shock. "Mine would not even tell me his ATM pin even if he was on his death bed." Tomison said and we laughed.
I'd never even seen my dad's ATM, he barely discusses money issues around us and although I know we didn't have much, we were satisfied.
We got into the store and immediately, I saw a yellow gown that caught my eye.
"Don't think about it, light skinned girls don't wear yellow dresses." Tomison said.
"She's right." Lara added.
"But I've seen light skinned girls in yellow dresses. I see a lot of them on red carpet."
"Oh please, their celebrities, they can wear anything. Talking of red, that's your colour, try something red out."
"Can I try the yellow dress first?"
"Are you always this adamant. Like no one can change your mind about what you believe in" Tomison said.
"I just feel like I owe it to myself to try it out, I'll never feel satisfied if I don't. I'll always think I would have looked better in it."
"That's the same way you feel about Jax's murder."
"Yeah" I answered.
"Come to think of it" Lara spoke up. "Isn't it strange that a girl would kill a guy and cut off his tongue and three fingers? And Jax is a little too big for any girl to handle alone."
"So you're saying she didn't do it alone?" I asked.
"Yeah" Lara answered.
"I swear if the both of you know how funny you look you'll cringe. You're both serving me a real life movie, like a complete detective movie."
"We're trying to solve a murder case here" I said half jokingly.
"I know, it's just funny. I'm allowed to laugh right?"
"Whatever, I'll go try that dress out."
"I'll help you search for a red one just in case that one disappoints."
"Shouldn't you be searching for a dress of your own?"
"Oh! I've seen a dress already." She smirked and looked seductively at a gold and black ball gown.
"That dress looks expensive, Tomi" I said.
"Are you the one paying." She joked.
"Why don't we find the price out, Remi you try the dress out." Lara said, smiling.
I went over to the rack and picked the dress. I wasn't one of those girls that took note or their sizes so I just checked the price and nodded when I saw that it was affordable.
I went to the changing room and was surprised for a minute to find two girls like me there. I said hello to the and started taking off my clothes.
"What does ,IKR mean?" One of the girl asked the other.
"Duh, every one knows It means 'I know right' what does LOL mean?"
"laugh out loud."
They looked younger than I was and I couldn't help but wonder what their parents were going to be thinking.
"Okay, what's LMFAO?"
"Laughing my Fat Ass out. WBU?"
"What About You?"
"Yeah, Correct. K?"
There got to be kidding me.
"K means 'okay'"
"I'm sure you don't know what IWK mean."
"I want Kiss?" The first girl guess and the other one simply smiled triumphantly.
"You're wrong."
"So what does it mean?"
"It means 'I Will Kill"
"You're kidding right? Who even cooked that up. That's like the lamest one I've ever heard."
"It's new."
"Oh, guess that's why I haven't heard of it."
As they kept talking, I couldn't help but think I've heard those abbreviations before. You know that moment when you feel like you life isn't going to be complete if you don't recall something? Yes that's how I felt at than moment."
"Is everything alright? " one of the girls noticed my facial expression and asked.
"Yeah, yeah. Everything is right. I think I need help with the zip" I added and she left her friend and came to help me zip my yellow dress from behind.
"The dress looks beautiful on you." The other girl said.
"Thank you. And hey, how does that new abbreviation work?" I asked trying to see if their explanation might help with my remembrance.
"IWK?"
"Yeah."
"You can be like IWK you or IWK and add a name. Anyone." She shrugged. Her explanation only helped increase my curiosity.
I stepped out of the dressing room and I was attacked by the shocked faces of my friends.
"She actually looked good." Tomison admitted, holding a red dress.
"Told you She'll look good in diapers." Lara said.
"Hey guys, something just came up. Let me change I need your help."
"Na wa o, you won't even say 'Thank you'" Tomison said jokingly.
"Thank you, Thank you. So I'm keeping the dress?"
"Sure" Lara said.
"Definitely. You look like a yellow Cinderella." Tomison added.
I quickly flew out of the dress and changed into my former outfit, my inability to remember where I got the word from was driving me crazy. I said goodbye to the girls and left them in the changing room.
Weird girls.
By the time I came out, Lara was already dressed in a Pink gown that compliment her figure perfectly. It even had a nice slit.
"You look dope, Lara." I said, amazed.
"Told her the same thing" Tomison said.
"Where's your own outfit?" I asked.
"Everything I like is either too expensive or not my size. I'm cursed!" She said dramatically. "
"Don't give up, I'm sure we'll find something that'll fit you perfectly" Lara said. "So what is the problem, Remi."
"In the changing room, I heard two girls playing an abbreviation game and one of them mention one abbreviation. IWK, meaning 'I will kill.'"
"Okay?" Tomison nodded.
"I feel like I've heard the word from somewhere."
"That's it?" Tomison asked. "That's what I've been beating myself up about?"
Lara had her thinking look on for a secondary before she raised a finger and said.
"Facebook. Aisha's former Facebook password. Its IWK Abdullahi."
"So you're saying her password was, 'I'll kill Abdullahi?" Tomison asked.
"Yup. Who is Abdullahi?" Lara asked.
"That's what we're going to have to fine out."