Gently please” Gabriel said to Nkechi as she helped him leave the scene. Queen stood still at the spot staring at them as they walked away, she had tears in her eyes but she quickly wipe them off before they fell from her eyes.
“I didn’t mean it” She said to herself. “Who asked you guys to beat him up?” She shouted angrily, she was asking no one in particular. She stared at the spot for bout some minutes before walking away, she didn’t go back to the ATM queue, she went directly to her hostel.
“Gently” Nkechi said to Gabriel as she helped him into a Tricycle, he found it difficult to enter into it because of the pain he was feeling all over. The driver to the Tricycle drove gently as Nkechi had instructed him to, he also had to drive gently because of the badly injured guy. They finally got to his junction and like they had entered, they alighted gently. She led Gabriel to his house which was the second in the street.
“Jesus Christ, Israel” she shouted immediately she got into his room, Israel sprang up from the bed immediately he saw how badly injured Gabriel was,
“What happened to him?” he asked angrily like he was ready to beat up whosoever had done it to Gabriel.
“He was beaten up by some boys, they thought he was a thief” Nkechi explained as she helped Gabriel to the bed.
“Gabriel what really happened?” Israel asked Gabriel,
“That foolish girl that accused me of sleeping with her did this to me” he said,
“Hmm, do you need to go to the hospital?” Israel asked him but Gabriel shook his head negatively,
“I will be fine” he said.
“Nkechi, how are you now?” Israel asked hugging Nkechi briefly,
“We thank God o, just look at you” She smiled checking him out, “You have grown o” she complemented and he laughed,
“Look at who is talking, you have over grown all round, both in the front and back aspect” Israel said and they both bursted into laughter, even Gabriel smiled.
“Israel, you still haven’t changed bah?” she asked him in between her laughter,
“I can’t believe this is the same Nkechi I know” Israel said turning her around and looking closely at her.
“Oh, am blushing” she said and they laughed again.
“Forgive me dear, please sit down” Israel told her and she sat on one of the reading chairs in the room. “So tell me, how has your life been?” He asked her.
******
Queen barged angrily into her lodge, some of her roommates were around and they were sure surprised the way she came in.
“Queen what is it?” One of the girls asked her,
“Just let me be” Queen shouted her down and laid facing the other side of her bed. “Am sorry” she murmured to herself like she was apologizing to someone she was seeing, she soon drifted to sleep with tears in her eyes.
*****
“Israel please leave me alone, stop flattering me” Nkechi laughed and hit Israel playfully.
“Am serious now, look at your back and front, all set” Israel laughed and Nkechi laughed the more, Gabriel was sleeping now. “Hope you don’t have any class?” Israel asked her,
“I have classes this morning but I have to stay here because of Gabi” she said and Israel gave her a kind of funny eye,
“You guys want to bring your secondary school love down to the University bah?” he asked but Nkechi didn’t answer him. They talked for about some minutes before Israel suddenly got up, “I have some kind of test today, please take care of Gabriel. There is enough food in the house, you can cook something for yourself and him” Israel told her and she nodded,
“That will be my pleasure” she said. Israel got dressed up and soon left the house leaving Nkechi with sleeping Gabriel.
As soon as Israel left, she went into the kitchen and made to prepare something for herself and Gabriel. After about thirty minutes of sleeping, Gabriel woke up.
“You are awake” Nkechi who was sitting beside him on the bed said,
“Yes, thank you very much for everything” he appreciated and she nodded,
“If I don’t do it, who will?” she asked him and he smiled.
“What aroma is that, it is making me hungry” he told her with a smile,
“Don’t worry, it is all for you” she said as she went into the kitchen and dished for him a plate of spaghetti, well garnished.
“If Nkechi does not kill me, who will?” he asked laughing,
“I can’t kill you my dear” she said and they both laughed.
Two days later, a Wednesday of the same week, Gabriel was still in his lodge, he was still recovering. He was alone at home this particular day, he was sure Nkechi will soon come, she came the day before and she promised she will come today to see how he was doing. He was already a bit fine only that he still felt some slight pains around his body.
He was busy with his phone that morning, he was going through his department chat group to see if he could beg anyone for the past two days note but no one was offering to send them to him. He soon dropped the phone and headed towards the kitchen to cook some noodles because he was very hungry. He was still busy trying to put on the gas cooker when he heard a knock on the door,
“Thank God, Nkechi is here” He smiled happily as he quickly put off the gas, she would cook for him. He walked slowly to the door and gently unlocked it, it wasn’t Nkechi standing there, it wasn’t Israel, it was Queen.
“What are you doing here?” He asked trying hard not to shout although he had an angry look on his face. She was putting on a blue gown and she had a school bag on.
“Can I come in?” she asked him,
“No, how did you know here?” He asked her,
“Remember I slept here when you picked me from the party, please let me in” she begged with a teary eyes.
