I wake up to find myself wrapped in his arms, even as he laid on his back, bare chested and my form slouching over him halfway away from his stomach and yet glued to his body. His breathing is peaceful, steady, easy..
I stare at him as i raise myself up and peer into his face, his lashes too long for a guy’s, his very kissable lips, his handsome face, who would have thought I would be smiling just staring at Brian’s face. Brian, the one I hated as soon as we met, and it easy, we were like polar opposites,… like sparks flying against each other when we come in contact; the shouts and insults flying, the threatening and wanting to be rid off, all those …right now, just seemed like a joke.
Now, a few weeks later, this same one I hate, is lying on the bed with me, wrapped me in his arms as we slept, blew me away with his mouth last night..
I blush as I feel heat rising between my thighs, I bite my lips..
Yes!! Who would have thought that I would be yearning to be kissed again and again by those same lips and just right there he made me scream out his name…
And I wonder, if his mouth and tongue and whatever it was he was doing down there could be so good, I wonder how all of him…him and that..
I stare down at him..
That big boy down there would feel…
I bite my lower lip and close my eyes, just imagining what having all of Brian would feel like. And I know I would like it, I would like it a lot.
I open my eyes..
And two pairs of eyes is staring back at me.. , I give a tiny gasp, he smiles..
”I didn’t think I was so hot that I would have a lady admiring me in my sleep, is that how much you want me Miss Adora?”
I clear my throat and frown ”I don’t know what you are talking about “‘ I begin to roll away, pulling his shirt tighter round me..
”Hey, who says you should get up from the bed” he reaches for me, but it is only so far he can reach ”Oww” he exclaims holding his tummy
I turn quickly, moving to him ”Are you okay?”
He shakes his head as he grimaces in pain ”I think I ripped it with my excessive movement” he squeezes his face
I am kneeling on the bed, next to him, peeling his hands away ”Let me see”
He shakes his head holding his tummy tight ”No, it hurts, I can’t breath..my head, my chest, my tummy….oh damnit” he struggles
I panic ”Brian, Brian are you okay, what do I do? Tell me what do I do?”
”Come closer, I cannot breath Adora, help me..please ”He chokes as I bend to him, my heart beating fast, fear filling me, I shake him a little as I lean further to him, trying to listen to what he wants me to do..
”Tell me Brian, what do I do..i don’t know what to do if you don’t tell me. You want water, should be go back to the clinic, should I call Ikena, oh Brian, please ..tell me what to do” I plead
He whispers, mumbling something, I lean closer, ”Brian please talk to me, please..oh God please Brian” I hold on to him, his lips move again against my cheeks, then to my ears
”A kiss, a kiss please…”
It takes a micro second before it registers, then I see the mischievous sparkle of his eyes as I turn to stare at him. I hit his shoulders ”’D**k” I shake my head pulling away ”that isn’t funny Brian, you scared me for a second there, don’t joke like that”
He pulls me by the hand laughing as he drags me down, his hands placed on either side of my face as he brings me to stare at him..
”Sorry babe, I just wanted a kiss” he pouts blinking his lashes rapidly, the gesture was annoying as it was cute
”You should have just asked for one instead of pulling a stunt, and I was freaking out, now I wouldn’t know if you are really in pain or not because you like d**king around”
He bends his mouth to the other corner as he raises up his left eyebrows
”That is the second time you mentioned d**k this morning Miss Adora, is that your way of telling me that you thought a lot about D**k last night or this morning or even now?” he squints his eyes, I blush again as I stutter
”I ..didn’t ..i wasn’t…I was just…” I trail off
He laughs ”Look at you squirm, so cute, come here” he pulls me down further to rest on him, he caresses my face as my blush refuses to go down ”I told you, you can be as crazy as you want to be, think of the unthinkable with me, say it as it is..i don’t mind, so if you were thinking about sex you can just say so, I won’t judge you…I will tease you but judge you I won’t babe…so hot seat, I am frank Idoho on who was thinking about sex; Miss Adora Chime, were you or were you not fantasying about my boy this morning, or last night or within the past twenty-four hours, and before you lie know that I see the way you are shivering in my arms, and I see the way you bite your lip when I was staring at you this morning while you had your eyes close after you took a good look down below…so Miss Adora, were you or were you not-”
My phone rings, I reach for it…
”Ha, saved by the phone” I squeal in delight and jump out of his arms and the bed, I scurry out of the room
I hear his laughter as I shut the door behind me ”You can only run woman, you cannot hide”
I smile as I put the phone to my ears ”Yes, this is Adora”
”Miss Adora, goodmorning, this is Tina”
I frown ”Tina, how are you?”
”I am good Ma’am, and you?”
”Great!! Why are you calling me on a Sunday morning, is everything okay?”
”I am so sorry Ma’am, but there is someone who came by our Lagos office and was looking for you, he said he is part of the Maylekan projects and that you handled their company profile sometime In July last year”
I think for a bit, ”Yes, the food processing company in affiliation with Bronxe, yes. What did he want?”
”He said that his company has been following the online designing with J.k Design and Constructions Company and that they are looking to build a plaza, in Port Harcourt and they would like the designer to come up with a blueprint for that ..and he wanted to speak to you directly but I told him that you were already working the J.K D AND C profiling and managing in Port Harcourt. But he requests an audience with you and the designer, he says he would be in Port Harcourt within the week, and because they are looking to open the plaza before the festive periods they do not mind the express work…”
”Express? Does he know that he would and might be paying double for that?”
”From the impression I got, he didn’t seem to mind.”
”I see, But Brian isn’t done with the clients housing Design, and with this new temp job he has at that IT company, and with his injuries, I wonder how he can be able to divide himself ” I say more to myself than to her
”Brian?” she asks, I hear the surprise in her voice
”What, yes Brian, that is his name”
She laughs ”’Oh I know that Ma’am, but it was the way you called it that got me surprised”
”what do you mean?”
”I mean, with no offence Ma’am, it’s just that the last time you spoke about your PA Brain, you seemed bent on getting rid of him and if you had a choice get rid of him in a body bag, but Brian? The way you called his name was too soft, even..with a touch of emotion in it, as though you are worried about him and how he intends to pull his job, as though you sort of like him Ma’am”
”Tina ?”
”Yes Ma’am”
”Where you in anyway given the liberty to analysis how I call someone’s name or not?”
”No Ma’am”
‘Did your job roles switch while I have been away from the lagos office?”
”No Ma’am”
”Okay, so why the analytical view of how a name is called and what not?”
”I am sorry Ma’am” she says
”Good. Give him my details and when he gets into Port Harcourt, we would arrange a meeting with him and Brian Andrews, is there anything else Tina?”
”No Ma’am, that would be all”
”Thank you, and ….do have a blessed Sunday Tina, and hope I wasn’t too harsh on you? If I was, I am sorry”
I hear her gasp ”Harsh? Ma’am since when do you apologize?”
”Will you take the apology or not?”
There was a laugh soaked with disbelief ”I accept it Ma’am”
”Good, take care Tina, thank you”
”Thank you”
I cut the call to find him staring at me…
”Okay, do you enjoy creeping up on people Brian?”
”No!! just watching you talk. I bet your Tina didn’t like you very much when you were her Boss in Lagos” he says it as a statement
”She liked me alright” I affirm
”Not so alright princess, you may have been one feisty stuck up Boss, see, it wasn’t my fault I got the vibes and rebelled against you”
”No you were a hot head, ” I point at him as I leave where I was standing and head to the kitchen, I hear him walking behind me slowly
”No I wasn’t, okay maybe a little but you were worse..” he says standing inside the door and resting his back to the wall…
I am looking around, I grab the brusher and I walk past him..
”what are you doing?”
”Well, aside as this place looks like a mini palace, it is dusty and it sort of makes me uncomfortable and I know you wouldn’t be able to do anything like bend and clean for a few days, just thought to help you with it..that is what I am doing”
”You don’t need to….”
”Right” I ignore him..i start brushing the sitting room
”Please don’t, you aren’t my maid”
”Ofcourse I am not, but, it’s a force of habit, if I am in a place that is dusty or slightly dirty I want to clean it, so it is not me signing up for maid duties….nooooo. it is just me helping out to make things easy for you and besides, if I were incapacitated I am sure you would do the same thing yes?”
He chuckles … that’s after I learn how to do domestic duties you mean
”Why you chuckling, avoiding an answer?”
”Well, nope” he says with a slight glint in his eyes
”You do know how to do domestics right?”
”Ofcourse ”He lies
”Okay, because for a second there it felt like either you didn’t know how to or you just one of those who wouldn’t lift a broom to save his life..”
He scoffs ”Ofcourse I can lift a broom”
”I meant that figuratively” I raise an eyebrow
”Ofcourse I know what you mean ”He perches on the chair
”Right. Just so you know while we are doing this boyfriend-girlfriend thing, I won’t be your maid and picking after you” I wanted to make it clear. I hear of relationships when the men basically cross their legs and have their girlfriends/ wives practically do everything while they eat, sleep, piss…heh…well, the bedroom and if he has abit of potential, goes to work but..i wasn’t practically interested in a man who waves the patriarchal flag over my head like an achievements.
A relationship is about giving and taking, it takes two , and if both of them have come together for a relationship there should be peace and understanding and commitment and shared obligations and objectives…
There is no way I would be with a man who wouldn’t want to help out, by virtue of ”Men aren’t supposed to do with domestics in the house”
I would rather he knows how to, and helps around once in a while, ..bring me breakfast in bed, help me take out the trash, help me in the kitchen every once in a while, and when I am under…take over and take charge, and when I am not…still offer to help. It would be sweeter and loving to have someone like that..
And when you both get dirty from working the domestic, take a shower together and getting all mushy-loving …
I smile as heat rises up my body again..
”I swear you are really thinking of something naughty, look at the way you are smiling, . Miss Adora is a naughty gal” he laughs as I force the smile away from my face and curse my burning cheeks
I clear my throat ”Since you are incapacitated in doing any chores, can you go back to the room, go take a shower or something …..or hide under the covers where I don’t see your face”
”Unless you are coming to find me under the covers I don’t think I want to play home alone hide and seek” he is still laughing, but he turns and walks away as he does so, walking slowly as I notice he still winces from the pain.
Shaking my head and asking God a thousand reasons why I suddenly like Brian. But I smile.
******
Juliet opens the door leading to the prayer room and enters, she needs to make sure it is cleaned and bibles on the chair and the incenses candles burning and the rosary placed in the hand of Jesus before people begin to come to church.
Walking fast she opens the windows and let the fan turn, checking to make sure everything was in place for a Sunday service, she knocks on his door..
A faint come in ushers her in, she stands on foot to the door, ”Good morning Father and Happy Sunday, the prayer and service room is ready, should I pray a congregational hymn for last Sunday and the word as people begin to enter and take their seats?”
He is backing her as he is getting dressed, he grabs his glasses and wears it, places the priest cap on his head and adjusts his priestly gown, he nods as he eyes her from his mirror..
”Yes do that, but before that, make sure you put on some mild makeup, I don’t want anyone asking me stupid questions as to why your face looks like some truck ran over it because if they do, I would use a plier on your face first when church is over.”
”Yes Father” she says bowing her head. This morning, her nose had been blocked with congealed blood, her eye blacked from his constant punch to her face and her lip was cut at the side. It would definitely cause people to be curious. She would have to do what he says before she receives more damage to her face.
Her heart bleeds, who would save her from this monster who have subjected her to the life of misery, forcing her to sell her body for his benefits, using her whenever his libido feels an inch and he becomes an animal pounding into her like she was a dog, and when he has business to do, he would send her out to clients to pay off debts and on other times use her to smuggle drugs, …one time she was caught by corrupt officials who kept her and raped her for two days until she was released, …
She ran, but Vampire, like the devil he sort her out , beat her, put her in chains for days and only agreed to release her if she never runs or betray him. She had no choice; she was starved and raped on a daily.
She agreed.
It’s been three years since then, and other girls have been kidnapped and brought under him, sent to different houses and placed in camps where they are being used for drugs, prostitution and pleasure…
Vampire was the devil, and no one can safe them. No one can save her.
But this Ikena says he would safe her, what if he can’t? What if like the other one who tried to is caught and killed, what if Vampire sends her to the den, below, under like he sent five girls last year who wanted to give him up to the police.. what if he does to her what he did to them, crushed them under the tyres of a truck, dismembered their bodies and buried them under the foundation of this church..
No, she doesn’t want to die,..
But yet, she cannot remain in this hell for ever. maybe this time, she can be saved…
Or maybe, this time she would eventually stop fighting and let whatever happen to her happen… she was better dead than alife anyways…
No one would ever want her after the damage vampire had caused on her..
Maybe, if she can help him, this Ikena, and even if he can’t safe her, he can be able to save the other innocent young girls, and the boy he wants to protect too from the client who hired Vampire.
Just maybe, she can do some good before the devil takes her life too.
”Why are you still standing there?” Father Cosmos turns to her startling her
”I want to clean your room, that is why, or I do it after the service?”
He sighs looking around, then he checks the time, ”Another hour before the mass starts, okay, go ahead, I am going across the road to bless that family that their child died, and take my money from the fool who is owing me, I would be back before the mass, and when I come back, make sure you are seated at your place ready to take offerings, give holy water and that left over bread from last Sunday cut it up and place it in the tray as the lord’s body and the caparison juice fill it in the small cups,.. that bread might be spoilt but who cares, the body of Christ is over a thousand years old, thousands infact; what did they expect to eat, fresh bread? If they were actually supposed to eat his body they would be eating maggot infested flesh or bones…so this bread is a literal personification of the dead Lord” he throws his head back and laughs as he walks towards her, her face is passive, he stares down at her, he stretches his hand and grabs her breast…
”Have you forgotten that you are supposed to worship me every Sunday morning?” he pulls down the strap of her bodies and also the bra, he fondles her breast, she says nothing but shakes her head.. he smiles ”You know that when I get worshipped I am able to give those ignorant fools some inspiration from the Lord Juliet, you know right?” he squeezes her breast, she nods.
”Good good, turn round Juliet and grab that table, first open the draw and get me a rubber, a quick worship would be best since there is no time, ” she does as she is told, she turns around as she raises up her dress and holds the table. He had told her never to wear an underwear so that it is easy for him to take her whenever he wants, where he wants without having to have the obstacle of taking off her underwear, the last time she did, he flogged her with stringed wire and she bled for days.
As she holds on tight to the table, she hears him raise up his gown and unzips his trousers and tear out the rubber, she could hear the slick sound as he wears it over his member. Closing her eyes tight, her heart bleeds for the pain she is about to receive as he forcefully enters her, and with quick thrusts he begins to slam into her, grunting like an animal, groping her breasts, and with each thrusts he goes deeper, letting out groans and uncaring how his force would hurt her, she covers her mouth with her hand from screaming while the other one she places at her back, on his stomach trying to lesson his hit to her center, he slaps her hand away and goes even deeper, increasing his intensity..
He enjoys it, the pain he metts out, he says it’s his high to see others in pain, especially when he is sexually interested…he loves to see them bleed when he is done and that was his aim..
Juliet felt the light liquid trek down her thighs, as the pain shoots through her, it felt as though every thrust pulls at her skin, tearing her vaginal walls and her labia until it bled. She muffled her screams and prays he comes soon.
It takes another few minutes when he slams in deep into her, quakes and ejaculates and then with a satisfied sigh, he pulls out, cleaning the beads of sweat from his forehead, he pulls away the rubber, throws it on the floor.. as he calms himself down.
”Clean that up too,” he says putting to the floor as the blood drips from her legs… , ”I don’t want you soiling my room” , he zips up, puts down his gown and slaps her bottom hard in passing and leaves the room, as he begins to sing ”You are the Lord, that Is your name, you will never share your glory with any man, you will never share your glory with any body..oooooo you are the Lord, that is your name…Chineke Igwe!!!” his voice fades out as he shuts the door, she hears him leave..she hears nothing more.
She stands there, holding hard to the table and sinks to the ground and cries, crying her heart out and wishing to God she could burn the church with him and herself in it. Maybe hell would receive it’s child ”Vampire” sooner than later and maybe this life would free her from it’s torment.
Spent from crying, she peeps through his window and sees him crossing the streets to the other side, as people greet him, his bible to his chest and his hands doing the sign of the cross.. she turns away.
Quickly she goes to the Unicorn and uncorks its horn, she presses it as the book shelve swings open slowly, she runs back to go check.. he is still there. She runs into his room..looking for anything, anything she might think might be useful for the Ikena man.
Unsure of what he wants, she opens draws, closes it, after a few seconds she runs out of the room to check… he had disappeared into the bereaved home, she could see his shoes outside.. and a few people trouping into the house as well. She runs back..
Looking around again her eyes rests on the phone on the desk.
She remembers that day, he was busy chatting on the phone when she mistakenly poured hot contents and ruined the phone, just maybe there would be information there. She grabs it, but stops. What if he looks for it, what if he realise that she was in here..
The service takes about five hours, so if she sees the Ikena person during the service, she could give it to him, if he is a police man as he says, he can be able to get out information from a device can he not, a ruined device.
She puts the phone in her bra, she opens another set of draws, where she finds diaries.., she grabs one, she opens another drawer where there are envelops, she opens it, and pulls out one..
”These are his location of his different operating centres and names of people, ” she says ”This one is just a list of names” She looks at the other one, there are others
Thinking she places one of the dairy into the file, she folds it and puts it under her dress, looking around once more, she backs away from the room, shuts the door and watch it close up slowly, replacing the horn to it’s cork. She tidies up his room and then leaves.
She would go outside while the service is yet to start and Father yet to return and look for where she can make a call or text the number the Ikena man gave her and hopes he comes to take this, do what he wants with them, search if he can find anything useful about the client who wanted to harm the boy, and use the others to get to the police and return them to her before Vampire realizes that somethings are missing.
She opens the door leading to the streets after entering her room and digging out the card she hid behind biles of books.
Taking a look across, she noticed that he was still in the house across, looking right and left to make sure no one sees her, she runs round the house, bending under the fence through thorns of leaves, goes across the road and approaches a small girl pressing a phone under a shed,..
”Hello, how are you?” she breathes looking around
”I am fine aunty, good morning, weitin you won buy?” the girl drops the phone and stands up, it was a small kioks without a shed where they sell little condiments for food
”Onion and Maggie..” Juliet replies
”Okay, how much own?” she grabs a small bag and touches the items
”20 naira each”‘
”Okay, you get change? I do not have change, you know aunty this is Sunday morning”
”Don’t worry about that, just give it to me, ehen, do you sell recharge card here?”
”Yes, which network?”
”Anyone”
The girl frowns ”Anyone?”
Juliet realizes why she is frowning, ”Okay, give me mtn 100 naira own, please can you hurry?” she looks around her, passerbys were few and none paid attention to her, she prays to God Vampire wasn’t back in the church just yet.
The girl hands her the items, she takes them and pauses ..
”Oh snap, I forgot my phone in the house and it is far, please can you help me?” she tells the girl
”With what?”
”I need to make a call or send a message, can I use my your phone, I promise I will be quick, I swear it” she hands her 200 naira for the money she owed for the items, the girl looks through her pause she had around her waist and shakes her head ”I told you I don’t have change ” she tells her
”Forget about the change, if I can use your phone you can keep the change and the remaining units in the phone if I load, yes?”
The girl looks up at her, curious ”I can keep the fifty naira change and the remaining credit?” she changes from pidgin to English
”Yes yes, can I use your phone please?” Juliet is impatient
”It”s my mother’s phone and if she comes out and see it with a stranger she would be angry and she would cane me”
”She won’t, you just makes sure to tell me when she is coming, I will be quick I promise”
The girl grabs the phone from the chair nodding and giving it to her; she disappears into the house and was back in a second ”Oya do fast before she comes ”
Juliet nods whisking out the card she hid and begins to type a message.
*****
Ikena is standing in his kitchen drinking a cup of tea when his phone buzzes as a message enters..
He ignores it, today was Sunday, he would like to forget about the world for a minute, but on second’s thought he frowns and picks it up.
”Ikena. I have his bad phone, you can maybe find something in it, I have some other documents too, pictures. I will give you in the house church, but you must get it back to me before service is over. He will kill me if he finds out. Back roll, 6th chair close to the door, beneath the chair, brown envelop. Service starts now, ends in a few hours, and must be returned before then. Juliet”
He reads the message again, his frown deepening, too much information, if anyone gets a hold of that message she is done for, a code, he told her to use codes.
He checks his time; he needs to hurry down fast.
He rushes to take a shower, grabs clean cloths and puts one, before leaving the house he searches for a bible he used to have, it was dusty, he cleans it and puts it in his car, making sure he looked nothing other than a family man, he enters his car and begins to head down town to the church-house where the devil is the light.
Fxxking irony, he shakes his head as he dials a number..
It was picked on the fourth ring ” Dude, it’s Sunday, it is called a resting day, even the mighty God of valor rested after six days, don’t let the devil use you ..” Teka sounded grouchy, Ikena smiles
”It is the devil’s business I am up and about for ”
”What has the devil got you doing this time?”
”Metaphorically speaking, I think she got something that might be useful for both of us to send him back to gnashing of teeth in the lake of burning furnace”‘
”Who?”
”Who else needs to help us put some certain devil away?”
Silence
”Oh, Vampire, your girl Juliet?” Teka asks
”Yes!”
”okay, so what does she have?”
”On my way to take a look at it, but I would need you to be on standby, I have a scanner in my car because she mentioned something about documents, and a phone, I also carried an extractor for devices, it would clone the damaged memory board of it once I connect it, which is what I would send to you to try and fix it up and get any information you would need from it.. and well, anything else I find..”
”Great great, anything to put that devil back in hell, I am up for it, then I would alert the team on what I get?”
”Your jurisdiction son”
”Okay grandpa, let me know as soon as you get it”
”Good”
Line dies, Ikena drops his phone and speeds down.
He needs to get those things and return them back to Juliet before vampire notices and teach her how to send coded messages, it would be for her safety if anyone comes across the message and won’t be able to understand what she means…but with the message she sent this morning, a dog from far away can sniff it and she wouldn’t be breathing..
He rubs his head; he wouldn’t want some innocent girl dying on his account, No.
He swerves pass a trekking driver who was more interested in checking out a girl with big behind than moving his car,…
He needs to get there on time.
*****
John yawns as he turns to the other side of the bed, sleep leaving his eyes when he notices that the bed was empty..
He opens one eye and peeps, the bed was indeed empty, opening his other eyes he turns and looks around…
He sits up rubbing his eyes, maybe she was in the toilet, and he smiles as he gets up going to knock on the door. Crap, what the hell was her name again? He thinks to himself, and then he laughs at his stupidity.
He never got around to asking her name. Whoever wants to know the name of a prostitute you may likely never meet in your entire life again?
No one, not even him.
Smiling at his silliness as he knocks on the door ”Ehe…are you in there?” he knocks
No answer.
*Knock knock knock!!!*
”Eyeisss!! Are you inside bathing or what?”
No answer, the room is silent safe his voice as he calls out again, frowning he places his ears to the door, it’s quiet inside, he turns the door knob and releases it is open, pushing it in he enters and sees that it is empty.
He shouldn’t be worried but he is, she was supposed to stay the night, and well..
He turns to check the wall clock, it is past nine already. She must have left early in the morning. Scratching his balls and yawning he goes back to sit on his bed..
Well, good thing she left early this morning, if not he would have been tempted to go another round this Sunday morning, they can do their prayer and praises session in his house…he laughs
Ha!! He really handled her well last night eh, see the way she was shouting ”OH AH YES YES DO ME WELL! OH DADDY DO ME WELL! EH I DON DIE YEPKA! YOUR THING..HE BIG, HE SWEET, HE…AHHH YES YES YES!!” He mimics her and laughs hard grabbing his member as he strokes it, oh, it would have been nice to go another round and pound into her again..
He was getting even excited thinking of how sweet she was, he stares down at him as he became hard even for a little man…
He turns to the table, that is when he suddenly realizes that something was wrong..
His phone, his phone wasn’t there, neither was the money he kept for her…
Okay, maybe she took her money for the night, but what about his phone, his wallet? He jumps up from the bed and begins to look around, and his hard member suddenly deflates to a dangling periwinkle.
He checks the room, his drawers.. his phone was gone. Grabbing his work bag he is alarmed as it is empty, his laptop.
He drops the bag holding his head ”Hey KPAMI!!” he exclaims ”I DON DIE!” He turns around searching his entire room, he finds his wallet as he raises up the covers from the bed…
He breaths a sigh of relief, but then again, his phone and laptop wasn’t here.
”I have been robbed. The slut fxxking rubbed me, my phone and documents, important files, numbers, work stuff, fxxk!!!” he exclaims as he reaches his door to run outside, he opens it, someone screams, he covers himself with both hands and he enters back and rushes into his room, he grabs his shorts and wears it, puts on a singlet and opens the door to peep, he sees his neighbor as she covers the eyes of her little daughter
”John, na God go punish you for this life wei you come so. How can you come out of your house with that tiny pushy thing without covering it. You want to blind the eyes of my child” she shouts at him
”Madam relax, na mistake ” he says closing his door and heading to the gate
”You dey mad, which mistake, you want to entice small girls? You pervert!!” she spits
”I say na mistake sorry” he throws back
”Your prxxk there! Waka!!” she spits again as she shows him her left five fingers spread apart as a way of cursing.
John turns in anger ”You dey craze? I said sorry. If it bothers you a lot why didn’t you close your eyes too na only your pikin eyes you close and you con dey view my package. If I tell you come make we enter room na let me show you how e dey sweet na you go rush me finish. You think say I no sabi say you dey follow small small boys dey play ”tinko-tinko, mummy and daddy and touch-me and eyeiss oh-ah-ah e dey pain me oh! Do am small small” inside room for night.. wei oga no dey? See, don’t provoke me this morning, I am already mad, no make me join you put for gutter because I will run you to the ground you no know me” he warns her by pointing an index finger at her as he shakes it
She covers her child’s ears now
”Hain bros John, person no fit play with you again? Talk small small abeg, he never reach for quarrel” she pleads lowering her voice and looking around, someone is strolling towards them
”Ha, Papa Christy ” she greets her husband
John eyes her ”Oga John, what is the matter, I was hearing you and my wife’s voice from the gate, what is the issue ?”
”Ha!! Papa Christy, nothing oh we were just talking about film, Nigerian film that we didn’t like, abi Oga John?” she pleads with her eyes, beads of sweat breaking out from her forehead, her daughter looks up at her.
He turns away from her; he is angry and pissed as hell. One for the fact that that cheap slut stole from him and two for this stupid woman who decided to pick the wrong time to have at him for nonsense, why should he be the only one suffering … she should too, atleast he may not get his items back but, he would derive joy to see her downfall, afterall, she refused to allow him chyke her niece with the round bottom that is in secondary school after soiling his name in the compound and the girl stopped talking to him. That was one year ago, he hadn’t forgotten. He told her that one day he will pay her back, and today was the day he does a good payback and it would be epic.
He turns to her husband
”Oga Christy, when you are away doing the lord’s work, mama lets the boys to see her punani” he points to her area, she gasps, an evil glint in his eyes, he continues “.. and play with it, if you think I am lying, go and ask the ejimas (twins) na them they take turns every weekends plus that papa for opposite gate with big belle, if you still no believe me…ask your daughter why they always send her to go and play when she comes back from school and gives her sweet and biscuit ” with that he walks away as Papa Christy’s mouth drops, so did his wife’s, she begins to shake her head and waving both hands…
”Papa Christy!! Lies!! All lies!!!” she began wailing, ”Lies, John you liar , you devil!!! You lair, Papa Christy, do not listen to him…see Papa Christy, you know me…I am a good and faithful wife , Christian .. I am-” she trails off as he cuts her, her eyeballs grows big
”Hey!! So it is true,” He shouts as he places a finger to his lips, his other fist folded ”So it is true what they have been saying…you…you ashawo!! Hey I will kill you today, and then I will kill all of them too…” he screams as he rushes to his wife with his fist in anger.
John laughs as he begins to hear slaps and kicks and the daughter screaming for her mother as Papa Christy descends on her, people rush out of their houses to look, separate or gloat, John smiles even more.
He gets to the gate and approaches the security ”Musa, did you see that girl I came with leave this morning?”
Musa is straining his head to look at the commotion happening behind him, ”Musa?” he taps at his window
” hmmm Oga, me I no see am” he says in his hausa dialect, still distracted
”So you didn’t see the girl wei I carry for night leave this morning with bag full? So a thief can walk into this compound that has security and leave and yet you wouldn’t know?” he shouts at him, now he has Musa’s attention.
”Oga no vex, I no see am for eye, na night she go…no be this morning, na her bag she carry I see am go fast fast, I no sabi weitin she thief, I no no oga ” he says frowning looking at John
”You are a fool, I will make sure you are sacked, if you were doing your duties you would have searched her well and realized she stole, now she has taken my phone and work laptop, she thief me for night run and you stupid security had no idea” he flares up
”Sorry Oga”
”Sorry for yourself, I will not pay security bills to you again, again!! Go and call police and you explain to them how you neglect on your duties. Imagine!! Worthless he-goat!!” he spat walking away and cursing.
Musa frowns grumbling ”Na me go bring woman for night come do?…Na na me go pay for phone wei I no thief, waka-shakei dey!!” he curses John’s back with his five fingers spread out , still grumbling as he goes to sit inside his booth, his frown deepening.
John enters his house as the commotion continues, pacing the length of his room. What should he do?
Should he go and look for her, report to the police of his missing items? But they wouldn’t take him serious, they might even laugh at him that he went to ”DO”
He kicks the chair in anger, the noise outside continues.. he shuts his window to silence the noise.
”Damnit!!!” he exclaims, at loss of what to do, he flings himself on the chair.
He can’t even call the office and tell them, he would have to do it tomorrow morning, first thing get to the station to report his stolen items, then go to the HR’s office and complain for his work laptop given to him by the company, …
Oh but he had so many important things in there that is all gone now. Maybe the slut would have sold it since last night, …”Damnit!!” he exclaims again..
Tomorrow, he would deal with it tomorrow. But this night he would go round to where he picked her up from last night and see if he finds her and if he does, she would be sorry.
*******
”What?” Brian is staring at me. He is sitting on the bed, showered.
”What do you mean what?” he smiles ruefully
”I mean why are you staring at me?” I ask him
”Well, you want to shower yes?”
”Yes”
”And what is the problem?”
”You are staring at me” I tell him
He laughs ”You do realize that I have seen you naked already and too, kissed you all over, so why are you shy still”
”Because you are staring at me and I can’t have you doing that when I want to go into the bathroom” I say clutching the shirt to me, he shakes his head turning away
”Okay, my eyes are closed you can strip and enter the bathroom” he closes his eyes
”I would not strip here, but in there and don’t come peeping like a perv” I walk in and close the door as I hear him laugh, I smile.
*
He isn’t in the room when I come out, nor in the kitchen, I find him in his living room, seated on the chair where he has his mini design studio made, he has a pencil in his hand…his face serious.
I walk to him ”What are you doing?”
He covers the page immediately ”Nothing!!”
”Really” I try to look, he stops me taking my hands
”Yes really”
”No you were drawing something just now, let me see?”
He shakes his head as he stops me again from opening it ”I was just retouching the drawing for the house for that client, nothing more”
”Oh speaking of design ” I remember ”apparently you might be getting another client, he is an old client of mine, I did a profiling for their company something last year. My PA-”
”EX-PA you mean ” he corrects ”You have a sexy hot PA now have you forgotten?” He says pulling me to him and makes me sit on his legs as he pushes out, I do, liking the way he suddenly begins to caress the inside of my palm and pays attention to me, I swallow before I continue
”My ex-PA called me to tell me, they have been following the live feed of the designing and they want to meet you. It’s for a plaza in Port Harcourt and it looks like it would be express and that would cost because they want it ASAP”
”Really? ” he smiles shaking his head ”Unbelievable”
”I know right”
”I mean, it was just for our own company’s client now someone else wants it?”
”Yes, and they are definitely going to be paying more because it is expressive”
”How does that work really?”
”Well, the company gets its major money from this definitely but the designer gets his own pay. Like, for the one you are doing for the company, your pay is nothing less that 400 thousand naira, the design is pegged for 1.2million, and the construction departments takes a large some of 20-35 million to get the house down to the capacity the client wants, and since you would be the one spearheading the construction and the supervisory on that, your take home should be about 3million put together ” I am thinking, i saw the budget in Emeka’s office , ”And for this express job, your take home might be more, and the company takes it’s major quota ofcourse”
”Damn!!” is all he mutters, he can begin a life, he can stand on his feet, be better..things would be different. It does feel good to do something with your hands and having to be paid for it. Brian thinks to himself as he stares at his hands.
”Nice huh?” I ask him
”More than nice ” he says smiling ”Papa would be proud, mama too, I did something with my hands and get paid for that…it is more than nice”
I stare at him as he looks away
”You seem like you really want to impress your mum and dad a lot?”
He shakes his head
”Not really, just think that every parent would want their children to excel at what they are good at and be someone in life, I just think this would please them, knowing that I am walking towards the path they wished for me”
”Were you always rebellious, you sound so”
He laughs ”I was a goathead, a terrible obnoxious one at that and gave them one two problems one too many at times, thinking about it now, I regret it…I shouldn’t have laxed in what I think I had and should have been more responsible. Glad I am learning now to be better now, more for me than for them…parents really do know better” he says
”you lost me there, it sounds like there is something more to this”
He smiles up at me
”You are very intuitive Miss Adora”
”That should be a good thing” I smile back
”It is, very. But..well…one day I will tell you all about it”
”Second time you are saying so” I bend my lip to the side
”Don’t worry, it isn’t what you think, it isn’t anything bad…well, not bad. But it is sort of good-bad”
”what does that mean?”
He stares at me, like if I tell you I am the son of the owner of the company you work for wouldn’t you jump up from my legs and begin to call me Sir and treat me like I am way up there? Would you want me to still kiss you and call you by girlfriend, wouldn’t your attitude to me change? Brian thinks to himself.
He really likes this now, where she gets to know him for him not for the title he owns being his father’s son. One day, when all the dust settles, he will tell her, by then, she would realize that he wanted to be with her for him, and he wanted to grow and be better and become a better man for him, then his parents, that is the man he wants her to know first.
He sighs, ” Soon babe” he holds my hands ”Thank you!’
”For what?” I frown
”For being you, tempermental, annoying, witchy-”
I gasp , he laughs ”I mean beautiful, amazing goddamned sexy..and being my girlfriend and taking care of me, I enjoy you being here, I enjoy this…” he touches my face, his eyes softens, pulling me in
”You would have done the same thing if I were hurt”
”You think highly of me” he scoffs
”Just a presumption”
Silence
”I would do more than take care of you. I wouldn’t let anything hurt you, and if you get hurt I would find who did it and run the person to the ground. As of today, I am your shadow, your shining armor to protect you, and when I sign off from protection duties….i can do other duties” he winks pulling my face to his by placing his hands to the back of my head, I don’t resist as I smile
”What other duties ?” I breath
I thought he wants to kiss me, instead he turns his lips to the side of my face and goes to my ears as he whispers
”You know, make you squirm in helpless delight, tickle your toes, watch you sleep, kiss you while you do that, love your body, your mind.. have you all to myself, and be anything you want me to be and do anything you want…those other duties” he says as he nibbles my ears, I lean closer to him licking the sensation it sends down my spine, I hold on to him
”I like that, I like that a lot” I whisper against him, I feel his smile
”I like that too” he pulls away briefly, staring at me ”My beautiful witch”
I smile.
I swear something was wrong with me. Before when he calls me ”Witch” I want to kill him, now he calls me ”Witch” and I am smiling like a fool. Like a someone whom they are pressing her mumu-button.
Oh, Brian, you are the wizard, you may have cast a spell on me yourself.
Damn those lips.. , I bite my lower lips
”Damn it Adora,” he says staring at my lips ”You make it hard to resist the temptation of having all of you”
”Who says I want you to resist” I find myself saying
”Careful baby, you might get what you wish for and the little guy got antenna ears ” He smiles, I smile back
”He isn’t a little guy” I lower my eyes..
”Look at me, ”
I do ”You don’t need to be shy around me, ever. say the ranchest thing or the naughtiest thing to me, good or bad…I want to know all about you Adora…never be uncomfortable around me, say It as it is and if I make you sad..tell me. I never want to hurt you, ” he says caressing my cheeks
Damn Adora! He says as his chest tightens as he mentally rubs it…
What are you doing to me?
I nod my head, then smiling I lean him and kiss him, he smiles back against my lips, I wrap my hands around him and deepen the kiss, he pulls me closer as he savours mine.
”I would have to go home soon, ” I whisper
He shakes his head ”No, tommorw” he says kissing me
”I have to go prepare for work tomorrow ” he shakes his head, ”No, I will tell Ikena to come early in the morning, we take you home to get dressed for work. Today you are staying, we watch movies, eat, talk…about any damn thing,… stay please, I miss you already thinking of you going”
I smile again, ”Okay” how could I say no to this delicious goodness before me?.
”Okay princess, kiss me ” his eyes twinkles as his hands move against
mine and heading back to pull my jaw towards him.
”Yes baby” I say, he laughs
”I like the sound of that”
”Me too” I nibble his lips, trailing my tongue over his, loving the way his mouth moves against mine.
We kiss for a long time, just seated there, enjoying the moment…
At the end of the day, it was my best weekend, being with Brian.
*****
Ikena walks into the church, a few dozens of people were already seated, the devil was at his place, singing the hymn as the others join him.
Ikena looks around, searching for her face, then he sees her, she looks at him as he enters through the door..
She walks towards him
”God bless you sir, please take your seat” she says putting to a seat close to the door.. he noticed some other seats was occupied but where she pointed was vacant, that meant it is under that chair she kept it.
”Thank you sister, God bless you” he sits down, dropping his bible to the floor, he reaches under him and then touches something there, he stretches up and picks up his bible, joining in the hymn. He notices her ushering a few others in and giving them chairs to sit.
After a few more minutes, the service begins and Ikena was marveled at the profound knowledge he had of the word.
Even the devil could be cast for Jesus..
*
While they all knelt for the first prayer with heads bowed, Ikena reaches under for the package, peels it out slowly..folds it while making sure eyes were closed, he stuffs it into his shirt and covers it.
As they get up again to sing another hymn, he leaves his seat but is stop by Father Cosmos voice as he looks up at that moment..
”Sir, are you leaving the sanctuary of the Lord’s so soon? Come knee before me so I can bless you and touch you with the blessings of the Lord”
Ikena pauses and turns..if he goes right to the front and to the light, he would notice the bulge to his chest..
”Sister Juliet, please bring him further ” Father Cosmos says as everyone turns, she is reluctant as she hesitates ”Sister Juliet?” he calls her
She walks to him, as she comes closer he fear in her eyes and reads her lips ”Run” She whispers ”Please run, he would catch you…” she begs again as she says loudly
”Sir, Father Cosmos needs you to come forward and be touched with blessings from the Lord” she touches his arm and lowers her voice to a whisper again, and when he looks closely at her, he could see that her face was different…
She had been badly bruised, despite the makeup used to cover the damages. He had been in this long enough to notice the patches when someone wants to hide it…
”Run Sir, Run”’ she begs again
”Sir Juliet, bring him further please, Sir, do not resist the calling of the Lord” Father Cosmos beckons as he waits..
Ikena whispers to her ”Did he do that to you?”
Her lips quivers as she shakes her head, her eyes pools ”Run!!”
Ikena turns instead to face the reverend, his eyes cold as he says…
TO BE CONT.
