Richard walked into the bar- a dusky and dank place filled with best friends, lovers or maybe ex-lovers. As he walked in, he amalgamated the smell of drinks and various sweats that outraged his nostrils as he inhaled deeply. As he motioned further, his eyes were already adjusting to the imminent darkness. He turned his head and looked round, he could see seats that had been filled up. He walked with his friends to the empty barstroll in a corner where there were bright spots on the wall, illuminating faces and people in there.
He could then see that it wasn’t totally dark, it was his first time. “As usual.” Jay said as he smiled at the bartender and sat down.
“As usual?” Richard muttered under his breath and took his seat. He placed his wounded hand on the table and continued looking around the bar, it seemed someone was smoking there. He finally found the lady and shook his head. “I think meandering is far better than all these things.” He tapped Uche as he spoke.
“Abeg oh, Richard! Why would you meander? Let’s drink and return home, this is the only way you can forget things easily.”
“Really? Drinking? All about forgetting all the bad things, right?” He smiled faintly.
“Yes, it will wash down your worries.” Jay cooed.
Richard smiled faintly. “Red wine.” He told Jay. “And, what’s your usual?” He asked.
Jay grinned. “You know say you be small boy, I take gin and tonic.”
“He’s new in the game..” Uche chimed in, smiling.
“Anyhow.” He hissed faintly and smiled.
As he smiled, he looked down and started thinking again. He was muttering in a way no one would hear him, wondering if God really existed. If he did, why would he give some people long life and even prosperity and on the other hand, give some people a short time to live on earth. It was pestiferous! Some people would be filled with mirth, while other people lachyrmose.
He was in a flurry state. He was melancholic. It was usually a thing of great fear whenever he remembered his sister- Christina as an anemic patient. He had heard many people who did eventually die after all the struggles and pains.
He had always asked himself if Christiana wouldn’t end hers in the grave. He had head of testimonies likewise, he had heard people who scraped through and made it, but they’ve just been ten out of a thousand! Would Christiana be part of those that would scrape through it?
He didn’t know he had started crying again until he was tapped by Uche. He then raised his head and wiped his tears. He had been served the wine then and his friends had started drinking.
“A skunk can’t bite and give off it’s scent at a time! Either you drink or be depressed! For God’s sake your sister is still alive, she’s not dead. You should be happy concerning that, if she sees you like this do you expect her to be happy? You’ll even make her sadder because all she’s going to be thinking of would be death! Man, be serious!”
Richard sighed. “I believe all is well.” He said and started drinking.
They were the three young guys that worked with Maverick Company and had been friends since their tertiary education. The three were employed into the big company and decided to live together.
“So how’s Debbie?” Uche asked Richard.
Richard stroked his beard. “We broke up.” He hissed and picked up his drink again.
“You broke up?” Uche asked again, this time surprised. He kept his eyes on the overwhelmed Richard and shook his head continuously. “This will be the third lady… I don’t even know, I think fourth.” He tried to remember as he closed his eyes. “Yeah.. four of them.” He clinched.
Richard chuckled softly. “They’ve been frustrating.” He said as he stared at Jay who discussed with the female bartender.
“I don’t think you still follow your popular heuristic rule, this is annoying! When will you settle down? Guy, don’t let your sister’s health turn you to something else!”
“I don’t think they have true love for me.” He smiled faintly and drank from the cup.
“Is it that they don’t have true love for you or that you an unrequited love for them? Guy, wake up!”
“I love them, they’ve always tried to be rivals between my sister and I.”
“You should be optimistic concerning your sister, don’t think otherwise. Try to calm yourself down, life is not a bed of roses, I have my own problem too.” Uche said passionately.
“Yes, you do! You’re even wrong, you were meant to say that you have your problems too, oral diarrhea that won’t make you keep shut!” He hissed.
Uche was tight-lipped for a moment as he stared at him. “You still have a lot to work on, your sense of humor is really.. I don’t know!”
Richard laughed. “You won’t know. I love my sister, I love Christie, she’s my life.”
“It’s not your fault.” Uche started drinking.
Richard swallowed. “It’s my parents’ fault! If the didn’t marry each other, would they put my sister in such a menacing situation? I wonder what brought them together, I wonder why they deliberately married just to make themselves happy and make us unhappy. It’s sad.” He placed his head on his hands as he started weeping again.
Christina was all he had. To him, she was the best sister in the world. She had a bad state of health because she was anemic, hardly would there be a month that she wouldn’t be rushed to the hospital. He had fought his parents because they got married to ruin their joy, he had been an unhappy guy since his sister’s sickness got worse. He wasn’t chirpy any longer, he had developed hatred for ladies because they always caution him to take things easy. He’d say- they don’t have true love, if they did, they would cater for his sister.
“Guy! We aren’t at home oh, we are in the public.” Uche said softly as he tapped him.
Richard wiped his tears and raised head again. “One thing about me is that I can’t keep my characters for a lady. I love my sister, fine! If she loves me, she’s going to stay and if she doesn’t, let her go!”
“Alright, that is if you’ve not been bad to these ladies.”
“If they see it as a bad thing, fine! I’ve always tried to clear my conscience, you know I’m guileless.” He said and continued drinking.
“Alright… alright.” Uche gave an awkward grin and squinted his face.
Richard and Christina were like two peas in a pod.
*******
