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- 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)

Lookout for Miss Right – 12

All my life, I had seen someone faint only twice. The first had been my immediate younger sister who had suffered through leukaemia for years before finally being miraculously healed. Till this day, her surprisingly good health was a mystery to us. She was now married with a child of her own. The second time had been when my mum was having our last born… I was twelve years at the time and had been privileged to ride in the car with them to the hospital. When we got to the hospital, my dad had insisted on going into the delivery room with my mum, which was ultimately against the rules. But he had managed to convince the doctor who was a friend of his to let him in, approximately five minutes later, I heard a scream and the next thing I saw were two male nurses carrying my unconscious father out of the theatre. I was told he had fainted the moment my mum began screaming. Till this day, that story always made me laugh.

So, there I was, with an unconscious woman on my hands, in my friend’s kitchen! Naturally, I panicked. This wasn’t America where I could just dial 911 and have an ambulance at the door in ten minutes, this was, well this was…Nigeria.

I dialled the next number that came to my head- Oscar’s. After all, she was his fiancée and he would want to know what happened. He came on the line almost immediately.
“Where are you?” I asked, without exchanging pleasantries
“I’m about leaving work, what’s up?”
“Get here now. I’m at your place…and Abbey just fainted. I don’t know what to do,” the fear must have been contagious because Oscar’s voice instantly took a worried tone.
“Wh…What happened?!…I’m on my way now!…Use water and try to revive her. I’ll be there soon,” he was talking rapidly
“Okay. I will,” I replied. One last thing before I hung up, one could never be too careful. “Oscar, drive safely please. You won’t do any good to her dead.”

But he had already hung up. Knowing Oscar, he would drive like a maniac to get here.
I turned to Abbey and gently moved her to the couch in the living room. Then I got a bowl of water and splashed it on her. She didn’t even twitch an eyelid. I began to panic again.Hey… I was no doctor, so don’t blame me.
I tried again, still no move. I looked at her chest to make sure she was still breathing. She was.
I tried again, this time she moved and very slowly she regained consciousness. It was at this point Oscar burst through the door like an insane man.
He was by her side immediately.
“Baby… are you okay?” He asked softly, stroking her face.
There was still a dazed look in her eyes, but she nodded and tried to sit up. He restrained her.
“I’m fine, sweetheart. I must have been tired.” She said softly without looking at him.
Oscar was studying her with a frown on his face. “Tired? Baby, that’s how you explain all your fainting spells and this time, I’m not buying it.”
I didn’t like the turn this was taking, I thought they both needed some space, so I decided to excuse myself.
“I think…I should go,” I began
“No,” it was Abbey that protested, albeit weakly. “Stay…I’ll be going soon. My mother wants me home soon.”
“You’re not going anywhere in your condition. Look at your face, you look so pale,” Oscar said. “C’mon, I’ll take you to the hospital…let’s find the root of this thing.”
“Oscar…I said I’m fine. Really, sweetheart…don’t worry about me.” Again, she made to stand up but Oscar restrained her again.
“Oscar…let me leave you guys. Uh…I’ll come by later.” I shifted uncomfortably, I didn’t want to witness a lovers’ spat.
This time, Abbey raised herself up despite Oscar’s restraint. “No… I won’t let this little incident spoil your weekend. The other guys will be here soon, you guys have your fun.”
“You know… She’s right, Jake. You stay here; we’ll go into the bedroom.” Oscar said and they left me in the living room. I was alone with the TV and my stomach rumbled, it was then I remembered my forgotten meal in the kitchen.

I went into the kitchen, and rounded up the meal. It was nothing super, just noodles and sauce.
I had finished eating when the bedroom door opened and Abbey emerged.
She was clutching her hand bag, and I noticed tear stains on her face.
“Abbey… are you okay?” I asked, going to her
She sniffled, trying to hide the fact that she had been crying. “It’s nothing, Jake. I’m fine”
That seemed to be her anthem that day. But I didn’t believe a word of it.
“I have to go. Thank you for today,” without waiting for a reply, she practically ran out of the house.
I was puzzled by her behaviour. Something was wrong.
I decided to find out from Oscar. I met him sitting on the bed with his head in his hands.
“Oscar?”
He didn’t look up.
I sat down beside him, and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Oscar… what’s wrong?”
He raised his head and looked at me. His eyes had a watery sheen over them.
“What is it?” I asked again
“It’s Abbey,” he began. “She has kidney cancer.”

To be continued…

Mimi .A. ©

Lookout For Miss Right – 11

Dear readers, I searched for the Episodes 1-3 of the series and found them on my former blog site that was on Blogger. Here are the links:
http://mimiadebayo.blogspot.com/2013/12/lookout-for-miss-right-1.html?m=1
http://mimiadebayo.blogspot.com/2013/12/lookout-for-miss-right-2.html?m=1
http://mimiadebayo.blogspot.com/2013/12/lookout-for-miss-right-3.html?m=1
Your comments are welcome as always.

*****
I began playing along, plastering a horrified look on my face to convince Sonia.
“Is she okay?” I asked Femi
“We are not sure. We think she had a heart attack. She needs you” He said
I turned to Sonia, a pleading look in my eyes. It was then I noticed she was still dressed in her half naked attire.
“I’m sorry, dear. But you understand how important this is, don’t you?” I asked in the most sincere voice I could muster.
From the look on her face, I could tell she wasn’t happy with the new development, but at the same time she didn’t want to look like a witch. She folded her arms across her chest.
“I’ll go with you. If she’s that sick, you’ll need all the help you can get,” she said
I held her shoulders and looked into her eyes. “I’m sorry… but I have to do this alone. I don’t want you to meet my mother like this.”
“But…but…” she stuttered
“We don’t have much time, please. We have to go now,” Femi interrupted
“I’m sorry” I said again. I didn’t know what I was apologising for, that I had to go? Or for lying to her?
I felt a small pang of guilt as I left her standing forlorn in the doorway.
Femi and I didn’t say a word to each other until we were out of her line of sight, then Femi started talking;
“Guy, you get lots of explaining to do. You know abi?” He was back to his less- serious self.
I nodded. “There’ll be time for that later. Now I just want to get out of here.”
“Who’s the babe? She’s hot! Did you see those boobs? So succulent…abeg wetin happen dere?” He was rambling on as we got to the parking lot.
“That was Odeniran’s daughter.” I replied. “Sonia”
“Serious?!” he exclaimed. “Guy, we have to talk. You must tell me what happened there.”
“I will see you guys this weekend and tell you everything. For now, I need to get home. I came with my car.”
“Okay. See you later then.” He patted my back lightly
“Femi…” I began. “Thanks for today. I really appreciate,” I said quietly.
He winked at me. “Don’t mention. What are friends for? Besides, it’s not every time I get to see you in scruples. It was fun watching you do like pikin under her eyes. That babe must be something,” he laughed as he saw the look on my face. “Go home, pal. See you tomorrow.”
We bade each other goodbye, and went our separate ways.
The drive home was risky because apart from being tired to the bones, I was damn sleepy. My eyelids were heavy. My brain refused to compute the events that had taken place that day, I just needed to shut down and get some quality rest.
By the time I got home, it was well past nine pm. I fell into bed after locking up.
The next thing I heard was my alarm ringing rudely. I almost flung my phone away, it seemed as though I had been asleep only a few minutes. I slowly dragged myself out of bed, did all the necessary things and got ready for work.
Ever since this Sonia saga began, I woke up expecting to have an eventful and unexpected day. Normal was no longer part of my routine. Today was no different, I went to work, wondering what awaited me, maybe another visit from Chief Odeniran .
Surprisingly, there were no strange occurrences at work. Everything seemed normal, and by the time I was closing from work, I was sure that my good karma was back. Maybe, just maybe Sonia was finally out of my life for good.
My friends and I were spending the weekend at Oscar’s. It felt good to be away from the tension of the Odenirans and just spend time with my favourite people.
Abigail opened the door for me when I got to Oscar’s house. She looked great in jeans and t- shirt. Her slim body fit well into the jeans. She smiled at me as I entered.
“You’re early” She said, ushering me inside. “I was just about leaving”
“Don’t mind me, just couldn’t wait to leave my house. Oscar is still at work?” I asked
“Yes. He’ll be back soon, hopefully,” she replied
For the first time, I noticed she looked a bit pale. Make- up had done a good job of hiding the paleness, though.
“Are you okay?” I asked. “You look a bit pale.”
She gave me a smile which resembled a real one, but somehow I knew it wasn’t. This wasn’t the same bubbling woman Oscar had introduced us to.
“I’m fine, don’t worry about me.” She said finally, “You must be hungry. Come into the kitchen while I fix something to eat”
I declined politely, although she was right about me being hungry.
“Oh…please. This is your home too. Stop forming for me jare. You think I don’t know how close y’all are? I actually like it.”
I didn’t need any more persuasion; I followed her to the kitchen. We talked as we fixed the meal. Everything seemed to be going well, until I suddenly heard her gasp in pain.
“Are you okay?” I asked, worry creeping into my voice
She nodded. “I’ll be fine; I just need to sit down a bit”
This time I didn’t believe her, I could see the pain which she tried to hide, etched in her face.
“Abbey, what’s wrong? I know everything isn’t fine,” I went over to her. “Do you want me to call Oscar?”
Her answer was instanteous, a vigorous shake of the head.
“You sure?” I asked
This time, I got no answer, because the next thing I knew she was lying on the floor in a dead faint.
To Be Continued…

Mimi .A ©2012

Lookout For Miss Right – Episode 9

So, this was the scenario; I was being held hostage by an unarmed woman, and the key to my freedom was in her bra. If I
wasn’t in the situation myself, I honestly would have laughed. How on earth had I gotten myself into such a situation?
     I glanced at Sonia, obviously she wasn’t giving up; she had struck a seductive pose on the bed, the smile on her face was an odd mixture of feral and frightening.
     Another thought began to fill my head, what if she had AIDS? Or some kind of STD?
“Jake…I’m horny,” She cooed, batting her lashes at me, “Stop thinking for a moment and come here.”
I didn’t look at her, couldn’t look at her. I had never been this disgusted by a lady before and I wondered where my earlier attraction to her had gone.
“Your dad came to my office this morning. He was looking for you,” I said, making a last effort to change her mind, “he warned
me to stay away from you.”
“Leave my dad out of this, darh…ling.” She stressed the word. “He thinks he knows what’s best for me, but he doesn’t.”
“Maybe he does.” I said lamely. “Sonia, this is madness. You can’t force me to…”
“Are you gay?” She interrupted.
   I stared at her incredulously, not saying a word.
“I know you’re not.” She said. “There’s nothing crazy about this. I love you and I want to be with you. And you feel the same way too, you’re just denying it.”
“Why do you assume I feel the same way?” I asked, stalling. I needed time to figure out a way out of there.
She stood up and walked towards me. “I see it in your eyes. I see the way you look at me, Jake. I know.”
What you see is disgust not desire. I wanted to say.
She placed her hands on the side of my face and looked into my eyes. “I know you feel the same way. I know it! I know it! So
don’t tell me you don’t!” She was screaming now.
I was perplexed at the sudden mood change. One moment she had been calm and collected, the next, she was hysterical.
  I took her hands away from my face gently, they were shaking.
“Sonia… calm down.” I spoke gently, wondering how to convince her to give me the key.
“No! I’ve been calm! You keep rejecting me!” She pulled away from me and began hitting my chest. “Why won’t you love me? Why?!… Why?! Aren’t I good enough for you?!” She was yelling now, tears
streaming down her face.
I pitied her. She was like a hysterical child throwing a tantrum. I seized her hands again, momentarily stopping her tantrum.
She collapsed against me, sobbing. I held her, trying to sooth her.     
    Obviously the girl had emotional issues. Her tears subsided and she clung to me of her own volition.
“Please don’t leave me.” she pleaded in a
tiny voice.
How could I tell her that no matter how much I pitied her, I didn’t want to be there? That I had promised her father to stay away from her?

“I have to go, Sonia. Please. Your father would kill me if he knows I’m here.” I tried to rationalize with her.
  Instantly, another mood swing. She pulled away from me like she had been stung. Her anger had returned.
“You’re not leaving me.” she said. “Not until I’m satisfied.”
Oh God. I prayed. Save me from this woman. Why couldn’t I reason with her?

She thrust her tits at me, I couldn’t help noticing how they danced voluntarily…like her own personal cheerleaders. I think my
disgust overrode my desire because I found I wasn’t aroused.
“I know you want me. Stop fighting it.” She trailed a finger down my chest.
   I stepped away from her. “I have to go to the bathroom.” I said and without waiting for a reply, I made a beeline for the
bathroom. On getting there, I locked the door behind me.
Now I had to think of how to get out from this situation unscathed; without awakening the demon in her or alerting Chief Odeniran.
  The bathroom was fairly big and comfortable,most importantly it was clean.
I began brainstorming…I knew I could overpower her with little stress but I also thought of the consequences.
    She might make the allegation of assault or rape, and no one would believe my story.
“Jakey… don’t keep a lady waiting.” I heard her say.
“I’m taking a bath.” I lied and immediately
turned on the tap.
“Aaaaw… you don’t have to do all that for me,” she said. “Know what? Why don’t I join you? It’ll be fun.”
I groaned inwardly. Didn’t she know when to quit?
“No need. I’ll…uh…we’ll do that later.” I said, increasing the tempo of the faucet to block out her voice.

I sat on the edge of the bathtub, trying to figure out what to do. Guys help me out here. If you were in my shoes, what would you do?

And then I remembered I had my phone! Why hadn’t I thought about it before?
     Immediately an idea began to form in my head…
       I took out my phone and began typing.

To be continued.

Lookout For Miss Right – 8

Immediately I wished I hadn’t picked the call. Sleep disappeared from my eyes.
“Jake, where are you?” She asked without any preamble.
I hesitated. “Why are you asking?”
“You were a naughty boy last night, you know.”
Almost immediately I remembered Chief Odeniran’s threat and my promise to avoid Sonia at all costs.
“You there, Jake?”
“I’m a bit busy right now Sonia. Sorry about last night but I had to go to work this morning.”
“Well I’ve forgiven you already but I need your help.”
I groaned inwardly. What could she want this time?
“I’m sorry but I didn’t know who else to call.” She continued.
“What is it?” I let the impatience show in my voice.
“I’m stuck somewhere right now and kinda need your help. I just realised I don’t have any money on me and I need to get home. Can you come pick me up please?” She cooed.
I knew she was lying. This was another ploy to get me to see her and I wanted no part in it.
“Call your father.” I said curtly.
“Oh my. Has he come to see you? Is that why you’re being so harsh? Jake please come pick me up, I can’t call my dad; he’ll kill me.”
And what about me? I wanted to ask.
“Then call someone else, I’m busy.”
“I’ll call my father,” the tone of her voice changed. “I’ll tell him you tried to rape me yesterday.”
“What!” I couldn’t believe my ears. What exactly was this girl up to?
“I’m sorry Jake. Don’t make me do this. I just need you to pick me up.”
“Why me? What do you want from me? Why are you doing this?” Frustration echoed in my voice.
“Jake darling,” the words rolled off her tongue. “I don’t want anything from you. Don’t you understand? I just want you.”
Her words resounded in my ears. I want you, I want you…

Wordless, I hung up; not to spite her but because I was confused. I didn’t know how to respond to that confession. It was weird. I had met this girl once last week and since then my life had become a nightmare.
My phone rang again, this time I checked the caller ID, it was a different number from the one she’d used  to call me. After debating whether or not to pick the call, I decided to ignore it.
When the ringing finally stopped; my phone beeped signalling an incoming text message. By the time I read it I was convinced the girl was crazy.
The text said:
“Jake, I have the Commissioner of Police on speed dial and I won’t hesitate to use it. I don’t think you want to sleep in a cell this night. Baby, please don’t make this difficult for me. If you don’t call me for the address within five minutes, I’ll be forced to use this number. I’ll be waiting.”
I’m going to admit I was nervous. I had never encountered such a lady before and somehow I believed that her threats were not empty. As I pondered on what to do, I was very conscious of the time. She’d said five minutes. Only five damn minutes to decide whether to risk spending the night in a cell for a fabricated crime or to pick up a wacko girl from wherever she was.
I made a decision. She was the one calling the shots here, I couldn’t deny that. I dialled her number and took down the address.
When I arrived at the hotel, I said a small prayer as I got to  the door of her hotel room. I hoped to put an end to this nonsense.
“Who is it?” She asked when I knocked
When I identified myself, the door opened immediately and she stood there with a big smile on her face.
She looked every inch the woman she was. She’d overdone it a bit, though. Everything about her reeked sensuality. She was dressed in a sinfully short black gown that hugged her body and showed off her contours. The first thought that came to mind on seeing her was the book titled ‘The devil wears Prada’
“You came!” She looked delighted to see me.
“I didn’t have a choice, did I?” I snapped.
“Oh, don’t be like that darling. Come in.”
Just seeing her, I knew what her mission was already. This wasn’t going to be a rescue mission. In fact if anyone needed rescuing it was going to be me.
I found my eyes straying to her exposed chest and I berated myself.
“Sorry I had to do it that way, darling.” She slipped her hand in mine and pulled me fully into the room.
So here’s the thing; I’d never had a woman have designs on me like this one did. She’d created a very romantic and tempting setting and if I hadn’t been suspicious already, I won’t have minded one bit.
The room was dimly lit with scented candles, the blinds were drawn. There were red rose petals sprayed on the pathway leading to the bed. The bed itself was clothed in white linen sheets with rose petals decorating it. A bottle of wine stood on the bedside table.
“You like it?” She asked.
“It’s okay,” I replied, unenthusiastic. “What exactly is all this?”
“Don’t be like that, my darling. I wanted our first time to be special.” She placed a hand on my chest.
Blood of Jesus! I wanted to scream.
What on earth had I gotten myself into?
“Sonia, let’s get something straight here…” I began. “The truth is I don’t know what I’m doing here but get this; there is no ‘us’.”
Her expression underwent a change rapidly. She took a step back and stood with arms akimbo. A woman scorned…
“What the hell are you saying?” She demanded.
“I’m saying you’ve got it all wrong. There’s nothing between us and there never will be. I don’t even want to be here.”
“But…I love you Jake.” She was pleading now. “I love you and I know you love me too.”
“Sonia that’s….”
“Shut up Jake. Listen to me, I’m in love with you and I know you feel the same way too.” She pressed herself against me. “I will go to any length to have you. Read my lips.”
I suddenly had the intense need to run as far away from her as possible. Everything was getting out of hand.
“I’m sorry Sonia but I have to go.”
She stared at me for a second and just when I thought I’d finally gotten through, she stepped away from me, went to the door and locked it. And then did something strange.
She tucked the key into her bra. There was a mischievous glint in her eye.
“You wanna leave?” She asked. “Then come get it.”

At that moment I knew was screwed…

TO BE CONTINUED.