The Club Of God-Fearing Men – 9

If she found his suggestion strange, her face didn’t give it away. In fact she glossed over it in a manner that suggested she had warded off many an unwanted proposition without blinking an eye.
She chuckled lightly, saying; ‘I know this new place in Ikeja. Because it’s new, there aren’t so many people flooding it yet, so I think it’d be great if we take advantage of the serenity for this week at least. We can come up with something better later, yeah?”
Genesis was also an expert at hiding disappointment, so his response was a cross between cheerful and reserved. Too much of everything was no good; if he responded in an overly cheerful manner, she would know he was faking it.
He felt he had underestimated her. Just because she was small and playful didn’t mean she was stupid, he decided.
And when have you ever settled for stupid? A voice reminded him at the back of his mind. What he loved, was a challenge. So, dear Lola, be it inside the church or on the top of Mount Everest while fasting sef, I shall have my way when I’m ready.
Their plans were final. Friday by five-thirty, they would meet for their first Salvation class.
It was odd that by the time Genesis was waving her goodbye, he realised he was strangely looking forward to it.
That night, while he prepared for the new week; he found himself thinking about Abbey. It was unexpected because he hadn’t seen her since that night at the club and apart from the brief nostalgia he felt when he was in Grace Assembly earlier that day; she hadn’t entered his thoughts again.
What was it about her that made her pop up in his thoughts now and again? It couldn’t be physical beauty, because he had met many gorgeous women in his day.
In fact, he had once been literally blinded by a particular lady’s beauty. He could hardly look at her without blinking. Staring at her was difficult for him because hers was the kind of beauty that made you question everything, that made you wonder how God could claim to love everyone equally and end up bringing out the ‘fearfully made’ in some people and the ‘wonderfully made’ in others.
So no, it definitely wasn’t beauty that drew him to Abbey.
In his short playboy life, he had come to accept the fact that on some counts the Bible is right. Physical beauty is indeed vain. It is unnecessary in some cases. Only a shallow man, one who didn’t really understand life, would place physical beauty above all else when looking for a woman or a wife.
He had seen many ‘ugly’ of women end up with the most unexpected caliber of men. One time, a classmate of his had introduced him to his fiancée, a lady who had lost her left leg in an accident and had a metal prosthesis in its place.
When she walked, there was clumsiness in her steps that put Genesis off when he first met her. He avoided looking at her legs or in her face, afraid that she would see the irritation in his eyes or the question – why had his friend not picked someone better?
He didn’t really get to know her until his friend married her and moved to Oyo State for his new job. Something happened later that year that caused Genesis to bunk with them for a week. By the time he was leaving their house; he had nothing but praises for Nnedinma. Whenever he looked at her, he forgot about her disability and saw the beauty his friend had seen. And it shamed him that he hadn’t looked beyond the metal to see the human being with a beautiful heart.
Maybe he was doing the same with Abbey. He was refusing to see beyond the fact that she was a widow and had children. He was refusing to see that beyond that, she was human and could have something more to offer.
He sighed, turning in bed.
His friends usually accused him of overthinking things.
If they saw him now and heard his thoughts, they would remind him that this was all a game. Get in, get out and it was over. Besides who wants a woman with baggage? They were not supposed to get emotionally attached with their spirikoko conquests; they were not supposed to look at them as human beings with feelings. No, they were just conquests, pawns. And this was a game.
Just a game, Gen.
He needed to remind himself that. He needed to get his head straight and focus on nailing the smart, sexy Lola Ajibade.
But before then, he had to figure out what it was about Abbey that he couldn’t get out of his head. And maybe when he did, he could get her out of his head and focus on giving sweet Lola some salvation classes.
He roused himself from bed and began to search his trouser pockets, sure he would stumble across her card.
It was 10:54pm when he found it. Tucked somewhere between the pages of a newspaper. He must have slipped it there for safekeeping.
Way to go Gen.
And he thought he had disposed of it long ago.
He hadn’t looked at the card very well when she gave it to him because he hadn’t cared, after discovering she was a mother. But now he looked.
The card was a deep blue colour with her name embossed on it.
Abigael Olaitan.

Manager
Her number was written in small block letters at the edge.
Genesis glanced at the pearl-shaped clock hanging from his wall. It was exactly eleven o clock. It was too late to call anybody, especially someone who was practically a stranger to you.
Maybe it was the pressing need to get her off his mind that overshadowed all reasoning, or maybe it was something more profound that caused him to disregard his rational mind and make the call.
He dialed.

To Be Continued…

MIMI. A

The Club Of God- Fearing Men – 6

He did not want to believe he was imagining her, or that his subconscious had conjured up her presence.

“Guy!” someone nudged him again.

He snapped out of his semi-trance and looked back at his friends; his first instinct was to tell them who she was, but then again, what use was it? How would he tell his boys that the first woman that had caught his eye in the church was a mother of two? They would laugh him out of the room.

He had always been known for his ability to cut a clean deal with the women he dabbled with. Tango was the one who usually had a lot of woman drama because he couldn’t seem to keep his pants zipped. There was always one lady out to get back at him for something he had done. He could be likened to Barney Stinson from the popular sitcom How I Met Your Mother.

“Ermm…I…never see any correct babe yet.” He stuttered, dragging his eyes from Abbey who was now entering the club fully with the dude in earrings.

“Why you dey dull now? You don start to dey chuk eye to find Miss World for inside church abi?” Sly asked.

The type of women he frolicked about with were not necessarily the Miss Worlds’ of their generation, his friends knew he could be picky when it came to women even if it was going to be a fling.

As much as he admired women with big hips, balloon sized boobs and a pretty face; he was easily turned on by a woman who could stimulate him intellectually.

If after sleeping with a woman, all she could talk about was how ‘big’ he was, how ‘good’ he was, how ‘sexy’ he was, Genesis knew he wouldn’t last long with her.

Once, there was a woman he had an affair with for ten months, which was a huge deal for Genesis. He had met Ifeyinwa at a business conference organized for engineers, dominated by men. Ifeyinwa had been one of the two women at the one week conference, the other woman was married.

She wasn’t beautiful in the conventional way; her curves were minimal, her boobs were not much bigger than the size of an average mango. In fact he often teased her that her brains were bigger than her boobs.

So it wasn’t beauty that attracted him to Ify; it was the question she asked during one of the seminars at the conference. A question that had even the facilitator at the seminar, reeling in confusion.

His eventual answer had been, “let me get back to you on that, Miss.”

That singular act snagged Genesis attention. He knew he just had to meet her, he had to talk to her, he had to or he would die of not-knowing.

Their first conversation literally blew him away, if he had thought he was smart before, Ify reduced him to mint-sized intelligence.

When she spoke about immiscible liquids and azeotropes, stuff they had learned in chemical engineering, Genesis felt the undisputable urge to kiss her.

When they finally had sex, for him, it was like she was a goddess and sleeping with her was an act of worship.

Ten months! And even when it ended it was because she had to travel out of the country. He didn’t know the plans he had for Ify then, but she had kept him active mentally and sexually longer than any other woman had in a long time.

His guys had teased him about her for months even after she left. They wondered if she had jazzed him because according to them, there were no assets to make her worth keeping around for nearly a year.

If only they knew.

He could dare to say that he had possibly come to the closest thing there was to love with Ify. If love could be classified as great sex and great brains, then hell yeah; he had been so much in love with Ify.

Personally, he felt love was overrated. He wasn’t a cynic, wasn’t one of those people who believed that love was a farce or a mirage. Nope, he believed that love existed. The kind there was between mother and child. The kind that gave without expecting something in return, just like the kind of love he had for his mother.

He knew there was nothing he couldn’t do for that woman, he didn’t know how or why but she was the closest thing to an idol he had. It was because of the intensity of the love he felt for his mother that he believed that no other woman could beat it.

He had tried loving someone else once, had even come close to marrying her, only to discover that she had been using him to get into her father’s Will.

The incident had stabbed Genesis’ confidence somewhat, that he could be a tool someone used, while he gave almost everything; his time, his heart, his little money, Lola had proven to him that no matter how much you give in ‘love’, it would never be enough.

He sighed as he thought of Lola, his first and possibly, only love. Lola, the manipulator. Whenever he looked back at what he had done for her all in the name of love, Genesis pinched himself. He hadn’t been in love, he had been stupid.

“…ladies and gentlemen, as is our tradition fortnightly, we have with us AB Plus who’s gonna light this place up with her feisty voice,” the voice cut through Genesis reverie, jerking his attention to the present. It was the ear ringed man; he was on the stage, his arm around Abbey’s shoulder.

AB Plus?

Now this was going to be interesting.

“AB Plus and I go way back. She’s got the voice of a nightingale, let’s show her some love!” there was a slight ripple of applause from the crowd as ear ringed man stepped down and Abbey took the mic.

“Hi everyone. I’d be doing a song I love so much by Whitney.” her voice settled on the audience like warm chocolate.

Genesis realized it was one of the things he found fascinating about her; her voice had an effect he couldn’t quite explain.

“Di babe fine oh,” Tango whispered, hoarse.

Genesis ignored him, his attention on Abbey. She closed her eyes, tilted her neck slightly, opened her mouth and began to sing.

“As I lay me down

Heaven hear me now,

I’m lost without a cause

After giving it my all…”

There was an eerie silence as she rounded off the song.

“I look to you,

I look to you

After all my strength is gone,

In you I can be strong,

I look to you…”

It was like something from another world had passed among them. Men who were usually rambunctious, who would whistle in derision more often than not after a soulful rendition like that; sat still, like boys awed by the sight of Santa.

Genesis felt it too. His eyes couldn’t leave her face.

She opened her eyes, looking around, she said with a poignant smile:

“Jesus still loves you.”

In that moment, Genesis could have sworn she was talking to him.

“Thank you for listening,” she said and then stepped down from the stage.

The club erupted in applause as she walked away; out of the corner of his eye, he saw men reaching out to shake her hand as she walked by them.

It was an odd sight. Handshakes at a club?

“What just happened?” Genesis heard Chris whisper.

“I dey come,” with that he stood abruptly and followed after Abbey.

He didn’t know what he was doing, in fact her seeing him here would surely blow his ‘Christian brother’ cover but what the heck, he knew he just had to talk to her.

“Hey, Abbey!” he called, hurrying after her.

She stopped and looked over her shoulders. Her face was flushed and beads of sweat formed on her forehead.

He caught up with her.

“Yes?”

“Hey.”

“I’m sorry, your name again?” she frowned.

“Ah and I thought my name was memorable,” he feigned hurt, placing a hand on his chest.

She gave a small laugh, shaking her head. “Truth is I can’t even remember where I met you.”

Genesis was calculating whether that was a good thing or not.

“Never mind. Buy you a drink?”

“No thanks, I don’t drink.”

“Oh come on, Chapman? It’s the least you deserve after such a rendition.”

“Who are you again?” she was facing him fully now, and even though the lights in the club was dim, he could see her face. And it was remarkable.

“Let me buy you a drink and I’d tell you,” he didn’t know why but he needed to talk to her. After a beat he added “please.”

She sighed. “One drink. I have…chores to do at home.”

Children, his brain corrected.

“Thank you. I won’t keep you long, I promise.” He slipped on his most charming smile.

“How about we just hang around here. Going further into the club is…well…I don’t need it.” She suggested, sliding into the nearest empty seat.

“Okay I’ll go get your drink,” he lingered a moment to look at her again, perhaps afraid that by the time he got back she’d be gone.

When he got back, she was still there but someone else was sitting with her. A burly man sat in the seat beside her, leaning forward as though listening raptly to what she was saying.

She looked up at Genesis, gave him a small smile and the finger sign for one minute.

Genesis was irked but he didn’t let it show. What was the man doing? And on time he had begged from her!

He set the drink quietly before her and took a seat, inclining his ear towards their discussion.

“He died because he loved us, not because we were good enough. So no matter how condemned you feel, God doesn’t condemn you. Only the devil does that. So Mr. Bamidele, it takes absolutely nothing to find your way back to God again. Trust me.”

Genesis shifted in his seat. What in deuces was this sorta of conversation?

“Listen, I can recommend a good church for you. I can give you my card to call if you have any questions about Christ or salvation. But…only that, Mr. Bamidele.”

Genesis listened to the man thank her profusely and stumble back into the club with his bulk.

“Sorry to keep you waiting…I just…kingdom business.” She placed her hand on the table, angling towards her drink.

“It’s okay,” he noticed her eyes were a dark hazel color. “So, what’s the story here? Why are you in a club singing Whitney Houston and preaching Jesus? It’s ironic.”

“It’s a long story and I really can’t get into it now, especially not with a familiar stranger.” She took a sip from her drink.

“My name is Genesis.”

“Aha! Now I remember! Wait…Grace Assembly?”

He inclined his head to show she was right.

“Wow. Wow. Coincidence, then?” she raised an eyebrow.

“Well, isn’t there something in the Bible about the Lord ordering the steps of the righteous?”

She laughed again, “nice one, Genesis.”

“So I am no stranger anymore and I am interested in that story. Can I buy five more minutes of your time?”

“Hmmm.” She glanced at her wrist. “I’m afraid not. We’d have to reschedule.”

“Uh…a date?”

“No, a story-telling appointment. I don’t do dates, Genesis.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll call you?”

“You have my card, yeah?”

He couldn’t tell her he had dropped it somewhere he couldn’t remember, so he lied.

She downed her drink and stood, “thanks for the drink, Genesis. I have to go now, though.”

“Wonderful singing again, I must say.” Although he thought wonderful was a light way of describing her rendition.

“Thank you,” with a slight bow, she disappeared into the night; leaving Genesis staring at the space where she sat only a moment ago.

To Be Continued…

Mimi A.

The Club Of God- Fearing Men – 4

His belle turned out to be a visiting singer from some other church. Her name was Abbey.

He spent half the service fantasizing about her, the moment she mounted the auditorium, he let his mind wander.

So what did it matter that she was from another church? All it was going to take was for him to move base to whatever church she was attending. He thought singing made her sexy. Maybe she’d sing out a few lines for him when they were in his bed with her long legs wrapped around…

The moment she began to speak, not sing, Genesis knew that this one was one of God’s closest. He had heard many people preach and before long, he deciphered that they were wannabe motivational speakers. They ‘preached’ just to get the crowd excited, they lied to them that the moment they became Christians, the millions would roll in, say bye-bye to a life of troubles. Jesus will take all the troubles away.

And some desperados bought that lie hook line and sinker.

This woman spoke like she knew what she was talking about, not like she had read from some handbook and was only reciting what she had read. She spoke like one who had firsthand knowledge and experience of the God she served and that made her more appealing to Genesis.

“Sometimes we look at our lives as believers and we wonder why we are. So many questions; why, where, when, how, who. I remember a period I was going through dark times and I asked myself many questions. Why did God take interest in me? What was so special about me?” she paused for effect, then said; “and this song by Marvin Sapp came to me…He saw the best in me, when everyone else around could only see the worst in me.”

She didn’t sound corny. Or maybe he was just biased by her great shape or was it her voice?

“Listen to me good, people. God doesn’t care how messy your life is or how messed up you are, He’s provided a solution even before you knew it. He sees you through His eyes. All you need to do is accept the solution He provided and live your life free of guilt. Do you understand me?”

It was no surprise that she had the congregation spellbound, heck he was too.

When she began to sing, Genesis could have sworn he was transported to heaven, or somewhere close to it. He had come prepared for something but definitely not this. He had not prepared to actually enjoy himself. This was supposed to be a game; he was supposed to get in, find the woman and get out. He wasn’t supposed to mingle, wasn’t supposed to join these people in waving their hands like he actually cared, wasn’t supposed to move his body to the rhythm of her song.

And yet he was.

If not for the fact that the picture of her, naked except for thongs; was dancing across his mind, he would have sworn he had been converted by mistake. He imagined her singing in his ears, her tongue darting slowly across his earlobe.

It was with this picture plastered firmly in his mind that he approached her as soon as the service was over. Good thing his mother had built this insane confidence in him, he wasn’t afraid to approach a woman he found attractive especially if he thought he had a chance with her. It didn’t matter how many scriptures she spewed out, he had more than enough to match hers.

She was sitting in the black leather seat provided for her, somewhere in the Pastor’s corner; gulping water from a bottle.

“Hi,” she stopped as she saw him. Then she smiled, her eyes folded lightly in a cute way.

“Hello,” he put out his hand to sake hers. “I just wanted you to know that I was really blessed by your song today. It was so inspiring.”

He knew the right words to say to not sound carnal. People like this liked to hear how much their singing blessed you; it made them feel like they were doing God’s work for real.

“I’m glad, thank you. All glory to God.” She shook his hand, her grip was meaty.

“And I must say you have a lovely voice.”

Throw in a personal compliment that she’d have to acknowledge instead of shifting it to God.

She smiled again “Thank you. And what’s your name?”

“Genesis.” He paused, waiting for the why-did-your-parents-name-you-that reaction.

“Wow,” she looked at him then, her eyes taking in his features that she had possibly ignored before, probably wondering what was so spectacular about him to be named Genesis.

“I get that a lot,” he replied, bestowing her with a winning smile.

At that moment, two girls scurried up to them, ensconced in pony tails and frilly dresses.

“Mummy, see! Look what they gave us!”

Genesis eyes widened. What the blazes? Mu- what?

Both girls climbed into her laps, giggling and holding out their parcels. She laughed, pulling them to her.

“Girls, mummy would see it later, okay? Now, Mummy is talking. Oya greet this uncle.”

As the girls greeted him, Genesis thought how this resembled a story from a bad sitcom. How could this gorgeous no-excess fat woman, be a mother of not one but two girls? How could he not have foreseen that she was married? Or was she a single mother?

“Hello girls, are you twins?” it was a lame question. But all he could think of at the moment

“Everyone sees that,” girl 1 replied, with an attitude.

“Amber! Oya, go and wait for me with Auntie Joke, we’ll soon go home.” With that their mother urged them off her laps.

“Pretty,” his former enthusiasm had waned.

“With big mouths too. They just turned seven last month and it’s been like a whirlwind. So, Genesis, how long have you been attending Grace Assembly?”

He couldn’t concentrate on this discussion especially not while he was wondering if she was married or not.

If she was married, he would back out. As much as he liked games, Genesis respected the institution of marriage. He had watched his mother deal with his father’s infidelity for over a decade and it had torn at his heart.

“Why won’t you leave him, Mummy?” he asked, often.

“And then what? Marry again? Or be lonely for the rest of my life?”

“You deserve better.”

“I have better. Some women have husbands who beat them. Your father is a good man and he keeps me warm at night. He respects me; he doesn’t bring those women home.”

“And that’s enough for you?”

He couldn’t understand how a woman who had raised him to be fiercely confident could be this…this…meek and accepting.

“How’s your husband?” he blurted before he could stop himself. His eyes sought out her ring finger. Sure enough, it bore a gold band. How had he missed it? Had he been too taken with her looks to see what was so obvious?

A smile crept into her face and she said; “He’s with the Lord.”

Translation: he don kpai.

He wasn’t sure how to feel about this news.

“Oh. I’m sorry,” he stumbled on the words.

“Don’t be.” She glanced at her wrist and Genesis took the hint.

“I would love to talk more with you. Dinner, maybe? I know it’s unconventional and well…unexpected but I just think there’s a lot I can learn from you.” He was blabbing, he knew. But he couldn’t go ahead and say; ‘please I made a bet with friends, I think you’re hot and would like to take you to bed right this minute.’

She dug in her handbag and handed him a small card.

“You can reach me on any of those numbers. Nice meeting you Genesis.”

His eyes followed her bum discreetly as she walked away from him.

What now, Gen?

To Be Continued….

Mimi. A.

Lookout For Miss Right- 19

We dug in our heels facing each other; I could see the challenge in her eyes. How on earth did I manage to get myself involved with such women? I wondered.
“Get out, Jake,” she said in a quieter tone. “You have no right to judge me”
I looked at her wistfully, I no longer saw the beautiful girl who had caught my eye; instead I saw an unscrupulous woman who didn’t care who saw her nakedness. In my eyes, she was cheap and used.
Without another word, I walked out of the house, making up my mind never to return.

I drove to Oscar’s feeling like shit. The time was almost nine pm. I didn’t know how to face Femi, but I knew I had to tell him the truth instead of letting Barbs do it. She was bound to tell some lies. That wasn’t the only reason I wanted to tell my friend the truth… I knew it was the right thing to do. Femi and I had been friends for as long as I could remember, it was no use losing a friendship this beautiful over a woman who was undeserving of us both.

    I knocked on the door and Flores opened it; almost immediately, she flew into my arms, hugging me tightly. I don’t know why; but I suddenly felt like crying. Weird, right? But hey, I’m only human and I needed to ease myself of the burden on my heart. Believe it or not, these past days with Sonia and now, Barbara…had caused some sort of emotional strain for me. I had looked forward to this weekend with my friends to get my sanity back, instead I had blown it.
At that point, I knew what I needed the most were my friends. Finally, Flores let go of me and peered up at my face.
“Come in. Where have you been?” She held my arm and pulled me inside. “We’ve been calling! Why would you just go off like that?!”
She was behaving exactly like my mum would, but I didn’t mind. In fact, I think I craved it. I needed someone to talk some sense into me.
“I’m sorry,” I apologised.
That was when I noticed Oscar and Femi in the living room.
“Hey guys,” I said.
Oscar stood and walked up to me. He looked terrible; his eyes were red and swollen.
“I’m sorry, man. I shouldn’t have said that to you. I know you were just trying to help.” He said.
“It’s okay. I’m sorry, too.” I replied, placing a hand on his shoulder. My friend was in pain and I could see it. “Are you okay?”
“If you mean, ‘has he gotten over Abbey?’ Then, no.” Flores replied, a worried look on her face.
We all moved fully into the living room and sat down.
“He told us everything,” Femi said. “Stupid of him to end their engagement, even I know that.”
“It wasn’t my finest moment,” Oscar said. “But I don’t know what to do. I feel betrayed, like she played me.”
“Do you love her?” I asked.
“Like you wouldn’t believe,” He replied. “More than life itself. But is love enough?”
None of us had the answer to that question. The truth is; we all felt betrayed. Abbey had lied to our friend about something very serious. As much as we sympathised with her, we loved our friend more, and seeing him hurt was hurting us too.
At that moment, Femi’s phone rang and from the ensuing conversation, I knew it was Barbara. She had been bluffing after all. He hung up and I felt the guilt again.
“Who was that?” I asked.
“Barbs. She wants me to come over,” he replied.
“And?” I pressed.
He raised an eyebrow at me. “And…nothing. We have a major crisis here and I can’t leave. I’ll see her tomorrow.”
At that point, I admired Femi immensely. My friend wasn’t stupid after all. I, on the other hand, felt stupid. I had let myself get sucked in with Barbs’ antics. I knew now was the moment of truth.
I cleared my throat.
“I guess, now isn’t the right time to say this, but I really need to get it off my chest.” I began.
They all looked up at me.
I turned to Femi; “I owe you an apology.”
“For?” he asked.
“I was with Barbs this evening. After I left here I went to a restaurant to eat, I don’t know how she found me but she did. I’m not gonna say she’s responsible for whatever…”
“What happened, Jake? What did you guys do?” It was Flores who spoke this time, and I could hear the disappointment creeping into her voice.
“Nothing, technically.” I said, trying to avoid the accusing looks on my friends’ face.
“Technically?” Femi asked.
The whole story came pouring out of me; I didn’t leave any word of it out. I told them what Barbs’ told me about Sonia, and how the fight eventually ended.
When I was done, no one said a word. I could imagine what was going through their minds.
“C’mon you guys, I’d rather you crucify me than give me the silent treatment,” I said. “I’m sorry, I know I messed up.”
“Why do you think I didn’t want you to have anything to do with her in the first place?” Femi asked after a while. “You think it’s because I care about her? Ha! It’s you I’m worried about. It’s you I care about. I’ve always known my step- sister was loose. She doesn’t deserve you”
I was speechless. What could I say? My friend had just proved that he was smarter than I thought, possibly even smarter than me.
“I’m going to bed,” Oscar announced, standing.
“Don’t be tempted to commit suicide ooh,” Flores said.
He gave a small smile. “I’ll let you know if I’m thinking about it.”
“Everything is going to be alright,” Flores said, in her motherly voice. “We’re going to figure out a way to make this right.”
Oscar nodded and went into the bedroom. Femi retired next, after another apology from me. Flores and I were left alone, she didn’t talk to me. I could feel the disappointment emanating from her.
“Are you mad at me?” I asked sheepishly. I respected her immensely; I didn’t want to spoil her opinion of me.
“Should I be?” she asked.
I shrugged. “Maybe…I don’t know”
“Good.” She stood. “I’m going to bed. Good-night”
Without waiting for a reply, she went inside.
When I finally slept, it was a short and tumultuous sleep. I had a series of bad dreams which featured Sonia and Barbs. Just as I was beginning to enjoy my sleep, I was awoken by a push. My eyes flew open instantly.
Femi was looking down at me.
“Something wrong?” I asked groggily.
“It’s Abbey. Oscar just got a call that she’s been rushed to the hospital. We’re going with him.”

To be continued.

MIMI .A.

Lookout For Miss Right- 18

      Standing in the doorway like a bull getting ready to fight was someone I had come to fear more than the devil himself. Sonia.
Barbs and I scrambled to our feet, half-naked. I was clad in my blue boxer shorts, Barbs in her bra and panties, clutching the pink bed sheet.
“What is going on here?” Sonia bellowed again. She began advancing into the room, a crazed look in her eyes.
“Sonia, let’s talk about this please…” Barbs was saying.
“Talk? Talk? Okay…let’s talk about how you stole Austin from me! And now Jake!” Sonia screamed. She turned to me. “Is this your sick mother, you bastard?”
I didn’t know what to say, especially now that I knew her mental condition.
“Sonia…” I began.
“Shut up! Just shut up!” She yelled. “Barbara , you slut! I warned you never to come near my man, didn’t I?”
“It’s not my fault they prefer me,” Barbara wasn’t backing down. “And don’t you dare call me a slut again! How did you get in here? Get out! Get out now!”
Her words were cut off with a resounding slap. I hadn’t seen that coming.
Barbara reared back like a wounded cat. I thought she would start crying, the next thing I knew she had landed an equally resounding slap on Sonia’s face.
I was confused. If there was one thing I had learnt, it was never to get in the middle of a ladies’ ruckus. But I couldn’t leave them to kill themselves.
“Ladies please…” I began
It was no use; they had pounced on each other already. I did the first thing that came to my mind. I packed the rest of my clothing and exited the room as quickly as possible.
Why did trouble always have to catch up with me? I asked myself as I crawled into my car and slammed the door behind me.
Within minutes I was out of there and on my way home. I changed my mind when I remembered that Sonia knew my house and could easily find me.
I went to the only place I knew I could go. Oscar’s.
I didn’t know how I was going to face Femi, knowing what I had almost done. We hadn’t had sex technically, I consoled myself. But you were going to, another voice reminded me.
Well, Femi didn’t have to know about it. I couldn’t stand having him mad at me. So, I decided to keep it a secret and hope that Barbs would too.

              

Thinking of Barbs made me feel guilty. I had left her alone in the hands of a maniac. What if something terrible happened? Sonia was crazy and would go any length to have me. What if this led to something more serious?
With these nagging thoughts, I made a U- turn and began driving back to Barb’s place. I was partly responsible for the situation, so it only made sense that I do my best to salvage the damage.
I arrived barely twenty minutes later and rushed inside. The living room was empty as before, so I guessed that they were still in the bedroom. I made my way to the room cautiously and stood at the door. Both women stood facing themselves, like a staring contest. They were obviously tired of using their fists. I don’t think they knew I was there.
“He’s mine. I don’t want you near him,” I heard Sonia say.
Barbs threw back her head and laughed drily. “If he’s yours…what was he doing in my bed?”
“You seduced him, just like you seduced Austin.” Sonia spat the words out with venom. “Just like you seduced my father!”

I gasped. Chief Odeniran and Barbara? Oh my God…
“Oh please…your father wanted me. He came after me. Guys find me irresistible, deal with it!”
Was she actually boasting about it? I wondered. The thought dawned on me that I had become one of those guys. First Femi, then Austin, now Chief Odeniran… what else didn’t I know about Barbara Bode- Johnson?
“Guys find you cheap! Irresistible is in your imagination. Stay away from me, Barbara…or you’ll see the bitch in me!” Sonia said in a menacing voice.
“Get out of here! You’re crazy!” Barbs yelled
It was at this point I stepped into the room. Both ladies instantly quieted.
“I think it’s time to leave, Sonia.” I said as calmly as possible.
She glared at me, the pointed a finger in my face: “You belong to me…and if I can’t have you, no one else can.”
With that she stormed out of the room. We waited until we heard her slam the front door behind her before our heart was put at rest.
“I thought you left?” Barbs asked.
“I did. Then I came back.” I watched her. My earlier attraction had faded.
She managed a small smile, and then touched my face. “My hero. See how crazy my cousin is? I can’t believe she threatened you.”
I moved away from her. There was a lot about her I didn’t know, and it made me uncomfortable.
“What’s wrong?” She asked. Her face was swollen in the places Sonia had hit her.
“Why does Sonia hate you so much?” I asked.
“Sonia hates everyone. It’s her mental condition.”
“Is she really your cousin?” I asked.
“Why all these questions? Am I being interrogated?” She was frowning at me.
“Just answer me,” I said shortly.
She stood. “No. I’m going to take a bath. You can help if you want.”
I stood too, and held her by the arm. “Answer me, Barbs.”
“You are not my boyfriend! I don’t have to answer your questions!” She yelled. “Let go of me!”
“So, who’s your boyfriend? Femi or Chief Odeniran?” The question was out before I knew it.
“You son of a bitch!” She loosened herself from my grip and raised her hand to hit me. I was faster than her and stopped her hand in mid- air.
“The truth is bitter, huh?” I asked sarcastically.
She eyed me furiously. “Well, deal with this truth… Femi is on his way here. I wonder what he’ll think when I tell him what transpired between us.”
I glared at her, and noticed that my heart began to beat a little faster than normal.
“You’re bluffing.” I said.
“Try me.”
I stood, wondering if I was ready to take that risk.

Lookout For Miss Right- 17

The kiss deepened and I found myself enjoying it. We soon forgot we were standing outside. I was so turned on that I couldn’t think straight at that point. And she was not helping; she pressed her body against mine so I could feel every part of her without touching. An onlooker seeing us would think that we were a couple of sex- crazed teenagers.
Finally, I got back to my senses. I drew back and held her away from me. She was panting, and from the look in her eyes I could tell she was equally aroused. What the hell was going on here? I was playing with fire and truth be told, I really didn’t care. So what if Femi was sleeping with her? They weren’t officially dating… Barbs herself had told me that their relationship was purely physical, whatever the hell that meant.
Yet I couldn’t ignore the tiny voice that tugged at the back of my mind, I had never dabbled with any girl that Femi had. It was an unspoken rule among us guys. No one touched the other’s girl as long as permission hadn’t been given.
“What are we waiting for?” Her husky voice filled my ear, interrupting my thoughts.
She nibbled on my earlobe sending a sweet sensation down my spine.
“Get in the car,” I growled, feeling like I would burst in my pants. This girl was driving me crazy!
She giggled and got in the passenger’s side. I got in the drivers’ seat. And instantly, she was on me again. I don’t know how she managed to do it, but she leaned across and our lips locked again.
And soon we began groping each other, it wasn’t comfortable for us but we managed it. When it looked like we were actually going to have sex in the car if we didn’t get a grip on ourselves, she pulled away and said:
“Let’s go to my place. I don’t want to do it here.”
This was the only reasonable thing she had said in two hours. I agreed, because I was still avoiding my place, sort of.
I drove; she gave directions and distracted me at the same time by running her hands up my thigh.
My phone rang twice on the way; both times… it was Femi. You know how the Bible says that whatever temptation comes our way, there’s always a way out? Well, that was very true in my case. The pointers were there, telling me to stop while I still had the chance… but I deliberately ignored them. Jake, the rational man had simply been replaced with a more powerful force. Libido.
Sometimes, I wondered why God made us this way. There was no rationality for a man in full sexual drive. Not when his little head was thinking for him. At that point, everything the man did was with a surprising rush of adrenaline! He was instantly transformed to a superman.
This was the reason why a drive of thirty minutes took me less than fifteen. Soon, I was driving into the Sun City Estate which was where she lived.
We didn’t say much as we got out of the car, there were things on our mind that needed to be done, not said. Her phone rang while she unlocked the door, she didn’t pick. And I didn’t care to ask; maybe if I had…it would have saved me from the later incident that took place.

Her living room was twice the size of mine with pink cushions strewn around and a big white teddy bear sat in the middle of the living room. Before you think I was more interested in her living room than the lady in front of me, you need to know we had actually calmed down. We were both turned on, but not in the crazy uncontrollable way of before. Now, we were willing to take things slow and explore each other, satisfy each other.
She was smiling at me demurely, and suddenly she seemed shy. Not like the lady who jumped me at the restaurant.
“You like?” She asked, indicating the living room.
“It’s beautiful. Just like you.” I replied. I wasn’t lying; she did look beautiful standing there, her hair spread over her shoulders.
I took a step closer to her; there was something I had wanted to ask her for a while.
“Tell me why you gave me a hard time when we first met,” I asked
“You reminded me of Austin. And I couldn’t deny I liked you, but the possibility of having you never crossed my mind…” she said softly
“Why?” I asked, caressing her face.
“Because I was sleeping with your friend,” she said simply.
Another pointer that should have made me stop, but I didn’t.
“And now?” I asked, our faces were a few inches apart.
“Now…it’s just me and you. And I want you so bad I’m beginning to ache.”
That was enough to shut me up; I leaned forward and kissed her. Things took off from there, somehow, we found ourselves in the bedroom.
She enjoyed foreplay, I noticed. We took each other’s clothes off gently, and teased ourselves some more. Just as it was getting interesting, the doorbell rang…
We ignored it the first time, thinking that maybe the intruder would leave. But whoever it was was persistent.
“Are you expecting anyone?” I asked in between kisses.
She shook her head.
So we ignored it; basking in the beauty of our bodies. We didn’t hear the front door open, neither did we hear whoever it was traipsing around the house. The only thing we heard was the shout that startled us;
“What the hell is going on here?!”
We immediately sat up, startled…and my mouth dropped open.

Lookout For Miss Right- 16

The story was getting more interesting. I was itching to hear more.
“So…did you know that Austin was Sonia’s ex before you started dating him?” I asked.
She shook her head. “I found out two months into the relationship but I didn’t tell Austin I was related to her.”
“Why?”
“So he’ll think I was as obsessive as she was?” Barbara said. “Anyway, the relationship didn’t last long, Sonia made sure of that. Soon, Austin and I were history and Sonia hated me. Four years later she was diagnosed with O.L.D.”
“So she’s fixated on me because…”
“You bear a resemblance to Austin. In her mental state, she thinks she can re-live her affair with Austin with you. And she’ll go to any lengths to do it.”
“Isn’t there a cure for it?” I didn’t like the idea of Sonia stalking me for the rest of my life.
“She was being treated in America. She has meds for it, but the problem is; she stopped taking them since she met you. That’s why she seems to be out of control.” Barbs slid a hand across the table and squeezed my hand. “I know this doesn’t sound comforting, but…”
I interrupted her, “So what happened that Wednesday night that we were supposed to have a date?”
She sighed. “Chief found out about it and also discovered she had stopped taking her meds. So he had her drugged, and sent me to check who her date was supposed to be with. That’s how I ended up there that night. She was asleep the whole time.”
“Wow,” I was actually intrigued. “She showed up at my place later that night, you know.
“Yes. No one knows how she managed to leave the house after she woke up. You need to know that her condition is a secret. Hardly anybody knows about it. And Chief intends to keep it that way, that’s why he’s been concerned about you. That’s why he’s gone so many lengths to keep you away from her. He didn’t want you to find out about her condition.”
“So why are you telling me this?”
“Because I feel you have a right to know. After all, you’re her latest obsession. And we need your help to get her back. She’s been missing for days now, we need to find her and have her sent back to the States.”
It was my turn to sigh. My life had just become more complicated.

“We need you to inform us as soon as she gets in touch with you. That’s the only way we can get to her.”
“I was with her yesterday. At a hotel, I don’t know if she’ll still be there. She doesn’t seem to want to be found,” I said.
“Well, that’s up to you. But I can tell you, it only gets worse.”
“If that was supposed to alleviate my fears, you didn’t succeed.” I said.
She laughed. “Now you know the truth. Let’s talk about more pressing matters.” She winked at me.
“You sure you’re not mental too?” I asked jokingly.
She laughed, diffusing the tension. “You ready to go home now?”
I stole a glance at her. “Am I supposed to insinuate something from that question?”
“I like this game we’re playing. But we’re not kids anymore, Jake. Let’s get outta here please.” She stood and held out a hand to me. “I know we didn’t start on a great note…but I’m ready to call a truce.”
I stood; there was no use causing a scene. We exited the restaurant together. She followed me to my car.
“So…you were saying?” I asked, leaning on the car.
“I find you attractive, Jake. And trust me; it’s not all the time I find a man attractive.” She said unabashedly.
Strangely enough, I was turned on by her brazenness. But something still bothered me:
“Barbara, you’re sleeping with my best friend, at the same time you’re propositioning me?” I asked.
She smiled wantonly. It was getting dark and the air between us was crackling with sexual tension. I couldn’t deny that I was attracted to her, but I had promised myself I wouldn’t dabble with anyone that Femi had claims on.
“My relationship with Femi is purely physical, you know that. You on the other hand…are different. There’s something about you that’s irresistible. I can’t quite figure it out but I intend to,” she leaned forward and I felt her lips on mine. It was a light kiss, I didn’t resist. The kiss deepened and I found myself responding. My head told me I shouldn’t be doing that, but my body refused to obey.
I don’t know what would have happened if we weren’t in a public place, but thank God we were, because soon enough we became aware of the sounds around us and we ended the kiss.
“Let’s get outta here, Jake.” Barbara whispered.
I wasn’t sure what the right thing to do was. Flee or give in? My groin was throbbing, madly. Barrbara had to be a she-devil.
“You think too much. Just stop for a moment… and don’t think.” She was saying.
“Barbara, I don’t think this is right.” Even I knew that excuse sounded weak.
She kissed me again. This time I knew she had me.

To Be Continued…

Mimi .A.(C) 2013

Lookout For Miss Right- 15

“I think the best place to talk is your house.” She said.
“That’s not an option.” I replied. “I don’t want to go home yet. If you wanna talk, then talk here.”
She sighed audibly. “Where do I start?”
“Start by telling me how you’re caught up in all this.” I replied shortly.
“Okay. I’m a distant cousin of Sonia’s. My dad is somehow related to Chief.” She said.
I raised an eyebrow at her, I hadn’t seen that one coming. “You do get around, don’t you?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” She asked.
“You’re the step daughter to Femi’s dad… a highly influential man, I must say. It turns out you’re also related to Chief Odeniran. And don’t forget, you’re also sleeping with Femi, a reasonably wealthy guy. How do you do it?” I was deliberately being caustic.
She gave me a wry smile. “I have my ways… I won’t acknowledge that insult.”
I shrugged.
She leaned forward. “Does it bother you that I’m sleeping with Femi?”
I looked away from her, somehow I still found her incredibly attractive.
“It bothers you.” She said slowly. “Why? Because you’re attracted to me?”
“That’s not the issue here, Barbara. Let’s go back to the Sonia saga.” I said.
“What if I tell you I’m attracted to you too? Will that get your attention?” She gave me a piercing look.
I wasn’t taking the bait. “I’ll ignore that. Now continue what you were saying.”
She sighed again, settling back in her seat. “For now, you’re off the hook…we will come back to this, though.”
I nodded.
“Okay…back to my cousin dearest. You know she just got back from the States, right?”
“Yes. She’s doing her Masters’ there.”
“Is that what she told you?” Barbara gave a cynical laugh. “She was doing her Masters’ there…three years ago. Until, she had some problems.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Sonia stopped her Masters’ program three years ago. For the past three years she’s been admitted in a mental hospital in America.”
“Mental Hospital?… Somehow, I’m not surprised. She behaves like a nut job.”
“It was during her Masters’ program that she was diagnosed. After a series of problems at the school, they decided to take her in for a psych- eval. The psychologist diagnosed her with O.L.D.”
“What’s that?”
“Obsessive Love Disorder. O.L.D is an extreme form of love that transcends into an obsession over time. It is characterised by an unhealthy attachment towards someone and can be triggered off by many factors. The doctors determined that it was a serious mental disorder that required treatment. It causes an insatiable fixation of wanting to possess the target of their obsession. In this case, feelings of jealousy, insecurity and resentment override the mutual feeling of love. If the object of their obsession rejects them, it will result in the perpetual fixation and compulsion to obtain their desire. So, the unnerving aspect of this is that a person might not even be in a relationship with the object of their desire, or they might have simply had a stray conversation with them at some point and gotten interested in them, which then slowly turns into an obsession…”
I held up a hand to stop her. “How do you know all this? You sound like a doctor.”
She smiled. “Ever since she was diagnosed with O.L.D, I’ve done a lot of research, now I know it like the back of my hand.”
“I’m impressed. So, why is she fixated on me?” I asked.
She took out her phone and after tapping the buttons a few times, she handed it over to me.
“Take a look at that picture. Tell me what you see.”
I took the phone. I was looking at the picture of a young man, something about him looked familiar but I couldn’t quite place my finger on it. He looked to be in his early or mid- thirties. He was quite good- looking.
“Notice anything?” Barbs asked.
I took another hard look at the picture trying to determine why the young man looked familiar to me. Finally I gave up.
“He looks familiar…but I can’t recall meeting him before.” I said.
“He looks like you. Look closely and you’ll see the resemblance.” She gave me a knowing smile.
I looked again and sure enough the resemblance was there. I was stunned. I had always heard the story of one having a look- alike somewhere in the world, I just didn’t know they existed. Until now.
“You see it now?” She asked.
I nodded, still looking at the picture.
“He was Sonia’s first love. Austin.”
“Sonia dated this guy?” I asked.
“Yes. Years ago. She was madly in love with him; he treated her like a princess and gave her the love and attention she never got as a child. Everything was going well until her obsessiveness kicked in. She kept tabs on him, always wanting to know where he was, went through his phone every day… accused him of cheating on her. For over six months Austin put up with it until one day he couldn’t take it anymore. He called it quits. Sonia almost went crazy, she begged, cajoled, pleaded. But he was adamant. It was over. That was Sonia’s first experience of heart break and she didn’t take it lightly. She kept stalking him until he had to take out a restraining order against her.” She paused.
“And then what happened?” I asked.
“A year later he met someone else. Someone he didn’t know had affiliations with Sonia. Then Sonia found out and hell was let loose.” her voice had become subdued.
“Who was that?” I asked curiously.
“Me.” She said quietly. “He met me.”
I stared at her.

To be continued

Mimi .A. (C)

Lookout For Miss Right – 14

I was furious. Oscar had not said anything about ending the relationship.
“Please…just…talk to him.” Abbey was saying. “I don’t know what to do. I love him so much…I know I was wrong but…” She was sobbing again.
My heart went out to her. “It’s okay…I’ll talk to him, Abbey.” I said.
She thanked me profusely and hung up.
Femi and Flores immediately sensed that something was wrong.
“Is everything alright?” Flores asked.
I nodded. “Lemme see what’s keeping Oscar.”
“Yea…ask him if he’s turned to a woman who takes hours to bath.” Flores joked.
I entered the bedroom without knocking, I was livid with rage. Oscar was sitting on the bed, looking pretty much the same way I left him.
“Are you insane?” I asked angrily. “It’s barely two hours she told you… and you end a relationship you’ve invested so much in. Do you know you are supposed to marry that woman?”
He didn’t say a word, didn’t move a muscle.
“Do you hear me, Oscar?!” I was shouting now, it would only be a while before Flores and Femi realized that something was amiss.
He raised his head, his eyes were red. He had been crying.
“I love that woman more than life itself…but, what am I supposed to do now? Stand around and watch her die?!” he spoke.
“Shut up! Who told you she’s gonna die? She has cancer, not aids! Did you even care to listen to her? To know whether she’s getting treatment? Are you that selfish?”
Oscar stood now, towering a few inches above me. We were both shouting and we didn’t care.
“Treatment?” He snorted. “She needs to be flown to India for treatment. The cost for that is over two million naira. Where is she going to get that kinda money? Her health keeps deteriorating everyday! She’s dying slowly inside…and I can’t bear to watch it. So, I did the only logical thing!”
“Dump her? A woman who needs your support at a time like this! You waste no time in cutting her loose just because she is sick… Oscar, I’m disappointed in you.” I spat the words out, frankly, I was surprised at Oscar’s behavior. He had never done something so rash before and knowing how much he loved Abbey, I knew that he wouldn’t recover from losing her for a long time.
“You…you’re disappointed? Ha! When last did you keep a serious relationship? You know what? Mind your business and stop meddling in mine!”
I practically reeled back from the insult. I wanted to hit him but I knew he was looking for an opportunity to lash out.
“Shut up, both of you!” Flores shrill voice halted us.
Without saying another word, I walked out of the bedroom and subsequently, out of the house.
I didn’t want to go home so I drove around to clear my head. A part of me was angry with Oscar and the words he had said, but the more rational side of me knew that he didn’t mean what he said. The guy was just venting, and I was the closest person available.
As I drove, I put on the radio to distract me from the murderous thoughts I was having. My phone rang. It was Flores. I didn’t pick it. I really didn’t want to talk to anyone. A couple of minutes later, Femi called. I still didn’t pick.
I kept driving before finally deciding to stop at a restaurant whose name I didn’t bother to take note of. Whenever I was angry, I almost immediately got hungry. I couldn’t explain it but that was how my metabolism worked. I ordered some food and sat down in a booth to eat. I needed time to think, not just about Oscar but about my life in general. Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew Oscar was right. I hadn’t been able to keep a serious relationship since God-knows-when. All my past relationships had never lasted more than eight months. The last one I had a few years back had only lasted two months. Was something wrong with me? I wondered. Was it some psychological problem or what?
I pondered as I ate. No answers came. I wasn’t a womaniser; that I knew. I liked the ladies, alright…but I didn’t thrive on them like Femi did. I had never even dated more than one girl at a time.
I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t see her until she tapped me gently on the shoulder.
I looked up. It was Barbara.
I groaned.
“Hi,” her smile lingered.
“Get lost and get a life,” I said in a grouchy tone.
She laughed, “Seems I caught you in a bad mood.”
“Yea. So leave me in peace.”
“May I sit? I wanna talk to you,” she was deliberately ignoring my attempts to get rid of her.
“I don’t want to talk to you, Barbara. Isn’t that obvious?”
She sat opposite me. “Get off your high horse, Jake. We need to talk.”
“About what? Last time I checked you kept a million secrets, I don’t even know who you really are.” I said, irritation evident in my voice.
“What if I told you I had answers?” She asked.
“I don’t believe you.”

MIMI .A © 2013

Lookout For Miss Right -13

In my family, the only one who had gone through a terminal illness had been my younger sister Josephine. Her leukaemia had given us concern for a long time, draining my parents of so much money, before she had finally been cured. Of the five of us, Josie was the most gentle and was quite spiritual; I usually thought her illness had made her see a part of life the rest of us couldn’t see.
Now hearing Abbey’s condition, brought back memories of my sister. I didn’t know how to comfort my friend; I could see he was hurting.
“How could she keep such a thing from me?” he asked no one in particular. “We’ve been dating for three years. How could she not tell me this?”
I had no answers, I knew that Oscar needed to vent. He rose to his feet and I could see the tears pouring down his face. I wished I could do something to alleviate his pain.
“What am I going to do now? Tell me, Jake. Where does this leave me?” He turned to me.
“Calm down, Oscar. I’m quite sure Abbey had a good reason for keeping it from you. She loves you. She won’t hurt you on purpose,” I said.
“If she loved me, she won’t have kept this from me. Jake, all this while she’s known! She’s been lying to me all along!”
For the first time in a long while, my calm friend lost his cool.
“I don’t know what to tell you, Oscar. Nothing I say will make this go away. I don’t know why she kept it from you but… one thing I do know is; that woman loves you. Whatever she did, she did out of love. Maybe she made a mistake… but who doesn’t?” I stood to face him. “So, instead of being selfish and thinking about how she lied to you, let’s think of her life that’s on the line and the possible solution.”
He looked at me sadly.
“I…” he began, but a knock on the front door cut him off.
“That has to be Flores or Femi.” I said. “Hey… we can cancel this weekend if you’re not up for it. If you need some time to think…”
He shook his head. “That’s precisely why I need to spend the weekend with you guys. I can’t think right now. I don’t know if my head could take it”
“You sure?” I asked
The knock came again. I began making my way to the living room.
“Yes.” He replied. “Jake… just one thing.”
I stopped. “Anything.”
“Don’t tell the others.”
I opened my mouth to protest but he cut me short: “Please. Let it be between us for now”
Even though I didn’t like the idea, I nodded. We had all been friends for a long time and had learned to share each other’s hurt and pain. It usually had a good therapeutic effect on us. But if Oscar wanted to keep this one on the down-low for now, who was I to object?
When I opened the door, Flores stood there. Seeing her with her lovely smile made me realise how much I had missed my friends these past few days. I let her in and we hugged.
“Hey, lady,” I said with a small smile
“You… have fallen off the grid these past few days. No calls or texts. Where have you been?” She asked, strolling past me into the kitchen, “and where’s Oscar?”
“What’s in the flask?” I asked indicating the flask she was carrying.
“Pepper soup. Specially made by me.” She beamed at me. “So…tell me what’s been happening.”
“You and gist. Wait first. I’ve got plenty to tell.” I said
“And…Where’s Oscar? He isn’t back from work yet?”
“He’s in the bedroom. I think he’s taking a bath,” I lied, buying more time for him.
“Oya, start the gist before the others come. I’m dying to hear it. Did she call you after standing you up that night?”
I grinned, so much had happened since that night; it was beginning to seem like ages ago.
We moved to the living room and Flores settled on a couch.
“I know that look. A lot has happened! I’m all ears,” she said
And so I began my tale. I was halfway through when Femi arrived. By that time I was beginning to wonder why Oscar was taking so long to join us.
“Is he gisting you about Sonia Odeniran?” Femi asked as soon as he was settled
“Yes…and it keeps getting interesting.” Flores was laughing. “Your friend here has a stalker.”
“If that chick is the stalker, then I’m ready to be stalked by her,” Femi replied
“As always,” Flores hissed at him
Femi laughed. “She set ooh. Flores no talk that kind thing. Did he tell you I saw them in the hotel room yesterday?”
“I haven’t gotten to that part of the story yet, Femi,” I said
“Hotel room ke?” Flores turned to me. “Oya…tell me that part.”
And I did.
My phone rang while narrating my story, I checked the caller ID. It was Abbey.
I excused myself and moved away from my friends.
“What’s up?”I asked as soon as I picked the call.
“I’m sorry to bother you, Jake…” She was crying.
“No problem, Abbey. What’s wrong?”
“Did…did…he talk to you?” she asked
There was no need lying, so I told her the truth.
“I didn’t know who else to call… he doesn’t understand why…I…” she broke off crying
“Abbey… it’s okay. Calm down. I’m sure he’ll understand later when he’s thought about it.”
“No… Jake,” she paused again and I could hear her whimpering on the other end of the line. “He just called and broke up with me.”
“What?” I asked in surprise.

To be Continued…

Mimi .A. (C)