"Do you have a bird, Father Chibuike?" She was looking at a raven.
Father Chibuike strolled to where she was, took one peek at the bird and laughed. "You won't believe it but that's Amaka."
"Amaka?" Itohan repeated. Somehow, he made it sound like it was something Ivie knew about.
"Told you you won't believe it. She just likes being unique to the very end, starting with her eyes."
Unique? Eyes? Itohan looked at the bird, it had black eyes. Still, she pretended to understand. "Yes, of course. She just looks different."
Father Chibuike shook his head. "I bet my millions that you're not okay."
She tried to but couldn't give Ivie's dramatic roll of eyes. She stuck to questioning. "Do you have millions, Father?"
"A lot." He went over his desk to pick the letter and returned it to her. "Boring. As you have turned to be. Or is this some personality disorder?"
Itohan answered quickly. "I just feel so sad. Sister Omo's death, Precious's case is having no lead. What if Sister Omo's death is related to it?" She placed the letter on the shelf and rubbed her palm together.
"Ivie, I told you to drop Precious's case."
He did? Itohan barely managed to control her expression. Had Ivie talked to the priest about it? She played along, "I just want to get my closure on the whole thing, I want to get justice."
Father Chibuike laughed and flicked her head. "Silly thing. Has your poor memory wiped the Dean's intension? Just one slip up and you'll be running to me to save you. I'd love to see that though, you coming from the high horse you've placed yourself to beg me, but everybody will take turns to spend time with Father Chibuike, please stay in line."
Itohan gaped at him. What was she supposed to say to that? What would Ivie had said? Forget what Ivie would have said, she took a step forward. "I'm the first in line, so it's my turn."
Father Chibuike folded his arm across his chest. "Are you flirting, Ivie?"
Itohan could only stare at him, out of ideas on what to say. How did one deal with a priest like him? No wonder Ivie disliked him. But not enough to not share discreet information with him, she reminded herself.
Father Chibuike tsked. "So boring. Hurry off now if you don't have any other business with me."
"Promise me first," she insisted.
"Promise you what?"
"That you'll share your discovery on the case with me. I won't hands off if you don't."
"And if I do you're not going to snoop around?"
She nodded.
"It's a deal then."
She was starting to leave when she stopped. "But what is it to you that I don't snoop around?"
"It's too dangerous," he replied.
"It's it to you if I get hurt?"
The question made him chuckle. "Then I can't tease you, I can't trouble you. And as long as I'm in charge of your form, I'm responsible for you. You should thank your stars you have a responsible teacher."
"Yes, Father."
When she left, he sat behind his desk and whistled to Amaka. She flew to his table, shifting back into a cat.
"Would you look at that?" He murmured, stroking her fur. "I let you and Ivie become acquainted for one night and you shy away from her the next morning. You're breaking the poor girl's heart."
He started to pet the cat, but it jumped from the table, leaving his hand midair and walked to her spot behind the couch.
"You're not mad at me, are you?" Father Chibuike asked. He went back to the work on his desk when the door opened again and Ivie walked in.
"Forgot something, or you're missing me already?"
She replied, "I left the letter on the shelf."
"Oh." He watched her snatch it from the shelf before he stopped her from leaving. "Come, I'll show you something." He led her to the back of the couch to show her Amaka in her true form, but he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw her. She had changed back into a raven.
"What is it, Father?" Itohan asked, looking from the bird to him.
"Something spectacular is happening, but you're too blind to see it. Run along now, before I believe you've taken a liking to me."
Itohan paused for a while. "Okay, Father."
Father Chibuike watched her leave, wondering how much she's agreeable she's become. And when he turned back to Amaka, he saw that she had changed back to a cat. A deep frown appeared on his forehead. "That's strange."