COMPLICATIONS: Episode 4

  COMPLICATIONS

By Onyekaba N. Charles

EPISODE 4

“I don’t want water” She murmured. “please sit down” As I took my place close to her on the bed, She wiped her face thoroughly with a white handkerchief she squeezed out of her hand bag. After which She held my two hands closely, and said with a firm voice; “Ken, Emeka proposed to me last week”

“Emeka!  Do I know him? “Yes you do!” She replied almost immediately. I could already sense some panic from the warmth of her hands.

The only “Emeka” I remember Shantel and I have a common knowledge of, is my erstwhile best friend in my university days, whom I have since lost communication with. The last time I checked, I heard he now lives somewhere in Benin. “Hmmmmmmmm, wait a minute, is it Emeka Okoye, my……….”
She cuts in before I could complete my sentence. “Yes, it is Emeka, your best friend.”  She said, as she began another session of sobbing. My head sunk and the wind was knocked off my sails, immediately she confirmed it was Emeka. I was so shocked and confused that I gently pulled my hands from hers, stood up and wandered around the room. I just couldn’t fix my thoughts on one direction. Many unanswered questions kept coming up in my mind; “Does it mean Shantel was cheating on me while we were dating?” “If not, where on earth did she meet Emeka?” “How long have they dated to have considered marriage?” “Why did both of them keep me in the dark all this while?” I paused for a while, turned around to observe Shantel’s reaction. She was still sobbing quietly and was so shy that she couldn’t even look into my eyes. She probably feels my disappointment and knew I needed her to make some clarifications, but Instead of attempting to straighten out things , she turned her left wrist, checked her time and whispered;
“Ken, I have to start running home, it’s already 6:30pm”
“Go home? You aren’t going nowhere, I screamed!” as I pulled her up rather violently. At this point, I had obviously lost my cool. “What gives you the impression that you can come to my house and announce your years of unfaithfulness without even an explanation?” I continued. “You are hurting me Ken. Let go of me!” She screamed. The atmosphere of the room was so tense and moody that one wouldn’t believe it was an amicable one just a while ago. “You were cheating on me, Shantel!” I said quietly. “I didn’t, I never did” she said emphatically. “You should know me better than that” She continued as she picked up her bag from the edge of the bed and prepared to leave. “Then what happened? Why Emeka of all men?” I asked curiously. “Because I love him” She managed to say. “Oh really? You love who……………………?” I was interrupted by the ring tone of my phone. I paused for awhile and was in two minds whether or not to pick the call. “Won’t you pick your call?” She asked. I made my way to my reading table, picked the phone. It was Timi, my neighbour but as I attempted to pick the call, but it dropped. I waited awhile hoping he will repeat the call and within seconds, he was calling again. This time around, I picked the call almost immediately.
“Hey, Ken! you dey house?” “Yea boss, you don come back? I replied. “Yes oh, I dey your flat door” he answered. “I will be there in a jiffy” I said as I cut the phone and turned back to face Shantel who was now set to leave. “You have to wait Shantel, don’t go leaving me in the dark again. I have been there for too long that all I demand at this moment is just the truth.”
“Its 7pm Ken! I’d rather go and see you some other time. You know Lagos traffic na?” She replied, as she tried dodging me on her way to my room door. “Okay! No problem” I accepted reluctantly ” I’d call you”. She nodded her head in agreement as we both made our way to the entrance door of my flat. I opened the door and a man in his late thirties, of average height and medium complexioned was already waiting at the landing of the stair hall. “Good evening Ken” Timi said as we quickly exchanged pleasantries. “Timi meet Shantel, my friend. Shantel meet Timi, he stays in the opposite flat.
” I quickly introduced both of them and Shantel who already had one foot in the stair hall had to come back up, to shake hands with Timi. “Timi, i dey come abeg. Make I quickly see her off” I said.
“Okay! No wahala, he replied with a smile and face gesture which suggested that I should enjoy and take my time. Timi made his way to the seat on my balcony while Shantel and I went down together. “Ken, I didn’t know it was this late oh. Am sure, my dad will be vexed at me” She said, as she looked up to the already darkening skies. “Oh sorry!” I sympathized with her. “Oh shit, there are no bikes around”, she said immediately she made her way out of the blue gate of my compound. “I’d rather pay a taxi to take you home direct, since you are already late” “That will be nice, thanks!” She said with a fake smile. We continued chatting but albeit in a sour manner. The pleasant mood we enjoyed when she arrived had since changed with the news of her getting married to my friend. I was sad, but couldn’t pick out the specific reason why I was. She didn’t help matters too by deliberately avoiding my questions. That alone, made me very strong in my resolve to get to the root of the matter. “I don’t understand how you can keep your relationship with Emeka secretive for this long?” I said bitterly but she halted me with a hand gesture almost immediately. “Ken! I thought we had agreed to discuss this later” She said rather rudely. “What a pity! I felt we were enjoying ourselves until you came up with this news of your mysterious plan to marry my friend” “I beg your pardon Ken!” She said with a very stern voice. “You are beginning to get on my nerves please” “Sorry” I sheepishly apologized for my rude remarks. There was a moment of silence as we strolled down the street until she spotted a taxi. “Taxi! Taxi “we both screamed and waved at the taxi. Eventually, the taxi turned up and she got in after the rather long negotiations. “Can I see you tomorrow after church? I asked as I brought out #2000.00 from my wallet to pay the driver. “Let’s see how it goes” she murmured. As the 1999 model Camry sped off, I could clearly see her sticking her head out of the back window with her right hand on her cheek. A gesture which probably suggested that she will call me later.    ——————————————————————————————————————————-JOIN ME NEXT WEEKEND FOR EPISODE 5    

COMPLICATIONS – Episode 3

If you missed last week’s episode, kindly check http://www.charleyrosu.wordpress.com. Enjoy and please don’t forget to leave your comments. Cheers!
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COMPLICATIONS
By Onyekaba N. Charles
EPISODE 3
For a moment, she loosened the grip, removed her eyes from mine and looked admirably at my tanned skin. she had always told me how she admires the texture of my light complexioned skin. She let her gaze slip lower to the rest of my body, and by this time could carefully notice the goose bumps all over her body. Simply put, she was terrified.
What are we doing Ken? she said as I tried to wrap her waist with my arms.
We shouldn’t be this close……………………..No! I can’t do it
Do what? I replied in a rather embarrassed way.
But she cuts in, “I actually came to tell you about …………(she paused and sighed).
About what? I asked with such curiosity, that she was suddenly feeling very uncomfortable.
Won’t you at least offer me something Ken! She said as she pulled herself away from my grip almost immediately.
Oh sorry, I murmured with such a feeling of dejection, like that of a child who for no reason has just been told by his mates that he can’t play with them. I made my way to my I.5 meters high Haier Thermercool Refrigerator.
Will you take malt, Juice or soft drinks?
None of that!, she replied. You didn’t answer me Ken! she continued
Answer what? I replied, with my hands still on the open door of my refrigerator
“I had asked you if I changed and you didn’t answer me” She said gazing at me as she stood up.
“Yes you did” I answered almost without thinking. “You look more beautiful, finer, prettier, thinner………” At this point I was indeed running short of comparatives to describe how much Shantel had evolve into an ” angel” since we last met.
“Thank You!” she said confidently as though I hadn’t said anything she didn’t know. ” I changed my diet completely and worked on my weight immediately after school”
“wow” I said astonishingly, as I close the refrigerator and moved closer to her.
“Yea, you needed to see me, I was Obese and in fact it was getting out of hand. I had to take to my doctor’s advice. This is the result!” she said as she turned around, as though she was a model taking her turn on a red carpet.
I applauded her loudly and we both smiled while the applause lasted.
“So you see!…………I can’t take any of the things you want to offer because they are in my list of ‘Don’t(s)’. I’d rather take water” she said as she made her way to the fridge.
She brought out one of the “Lasena table water” bottles from the fridge, picked a glass cup and moved over to the edge of the bed where I was already sitting.
“Seriously Ken, I want us to discuss about something important” She said as she poured the water into the glass cup.
“I’m all ears” I said as I watched her gulp the water.
She dropped the glass cup and the remaining water close to my bed lamp, looked at me shyly me and said gently: “Am getting married soon”
I was not sure I completely heard her sentence in full yet I just couldn’t deny I didn’t know my heart just skipped. I turned to her immediately and screamed: “you said……..?”
“Am getting married soon”. This time she repeated rather loudly that I couldn’t help it but to look away from her. The room was very silent now that at that moment. We were so both so moody as though we just got a sad news.
“Congrats!”. I managed whispered
“Don’t be nice please”, she pleaded. “I can’t take it if you’re nice”.
To my utmost horror, she began to sob. The sound grabbed my heart, that I pulled her into my arms while she wept it out. To think that, it’s the first time I’m seeing Shantel weep, saddened me the more. Even though I can’t place what exactly is the cause of her perceived sorrow. After awhile, I pulled her away from me and guided her to sit upright.
“First you’re going to sit down, then I’m going to get you some water and we can talk.” I said with my emotions in check.
“You have to be strong, She mustn’t know that you are sad” I could hear my mind saying to me. So I tried not to allow her know her see how weighed down I was at the piece of news she just gave me
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JOIN ME NEXT WEEKEND FOR EPISODE 4

Like I promised, here is the second Episode of the short story I started last week. If you missed last week’s episode, kindly check http://www.charleyrosu.wordpress.com. Enjoy and please don’t forget to leave your comments. Cheers!

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COMPLICATIONS

By Onyekaba N. Charles

EPISODE 2

In front of me was a damsel, in her mid twenties. She was in her characteristic cheerful character, voguish-ly dressed albeit in a rebellious way. She wore a pink, light sweater on a faded, deep blue jeans and a black, sleeveless leather jacket over that. Her dark hair tumbled over her shoulder, while her eyes were rapture blue, with its brows slender, but what stunned me was her imp-thin figure. The last time I checked, Shantel was plump. I could vividly  remember how Florence (Shantel’s elder sister)  and I used to tease her about her weight.

“Shantel you too big, help yourself jare! you no sabi say you be woman sef?” Florence will say and Shantel will always shrug off the issue nonchalantly.

“Ken! won’t you at least let me in! she screamed with a wide smile as if she knew I was completely lost in thoughts. So, like a stupid child who just found out he went to school without his school bag, I quickly opened wide my door and welcomed her.

” Forgive my manners Shantel, long time!” I said.

“yea, what were you thinking?” she said as she gave me a quick warm hug.

“I know you are surprised I found my way to your place without calling you”

“Yes, in fact I was about calling you to know if you were still coming” I replied as I led her into my sitting room.

She smiled with mirth, ” The moment I saw your address, I knew locating here won’t be difficult because my  uncle lives in the next street.

As we made our way to my room, I noticed she was looking at almost everything in my sitting room but gazed seriously at my big framed family portrait on the wall that leads to my lobby.

“Do you stay here alone?” she asked

“For now, yes!, but later…………….” I replied but she cut me short as though she was not surprised at the rationale behind a young bachelor staying alone in a 3 bedroom apartment.

“Why here?”, she queried

“The proximity to my new office and it’s  relatively a cool area” I answered,

“Nice choice” She chuckled and continued almost immediately : “but why haven’t you furnished your living room?”. I shook my head vigorously, breathed and turned around, ” won’t you at least seat down before you finish me with your questions?

“Hahahahahahahahhahaha!, Ken you have not changed oh, you’ve always complained about my curiosity”

“Na you wey don change abi?” I said ironically. I have always known Shantel as a  very curious person who will go extra length to find answers to her questions. I remember I used to tease her back then that she would have made a good lawyer rather than wasting her talent on microbiology.

She walked into my Kitchen as though she was a police officer doing some kind of inspection, looked around, checked the cabinet and peeped into the adjacent balcony before finally following me to my room.

” Ken!, longtime!, she said as she sat on my bed. “you didn’t change at all; same face, same body build-up, same character…………….” she continued humorously.

“how I go do now? ……..you changed a lot babe that I could hardly recognize you when i opened the door” I replied as I made my way to the bed to sit close to her.

“I saw the way you were gazing at me as though you saw a ghost,…………..Did I change that much to have kept you in a trance for that long?

“Trance for that long…… ?” I humorously repeated after her as we both laughed for a while.

“Seriously Ken, did I change? She asked again with a stern look.

In response, I moved close to her, held her so close that her heart raced and seemed to beat twice as fast as it did initially. She looked into my eyes and managed a nervous smile. I was completely lost in her magic and wondered what was going through her head.

I felt the tremble in her chuckle, a low, throaty sound that vibrated through her neck as I kissed her forehead. I loosened my grip on her a little, turned her face to meet mine and carefully placed her arms around my neck. I leaned in, my gaze so full of heated passion that she nearly melted right then and there.

With my lips close to hers, she couldn’t stop the trembling that shimmered through her body. She hung on tightly as he nibbled her mouth, barely registering his fingers at the waistband of my boxers.

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IT CAN ONLY GET BETTER, JOIN ME NEXT WEEKEND FOR EPISODE 3

COMPLICATIONS (Episode 1)

HAPPY NEW MONTH FRIENDS. I am using to this month to get back to my hobby (writing). I had pondered seriously on what to do to rejuvenate my lost appetite, so i thought about doing a series. I just want to try my hands on PROSE. I called this short story:  “complications”. Let’s see how it goes. Please don’t forget to drop your comments. Cheers!

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COMPLICATIONS

By Onyekaba N. Charles

EPISODE 1

Bang! Bang!! Bang!!! the knock on my door sounded just as i was about to press the call button on my phone. I had wanted to call “Shantel” to ascertain where exactly my supposed visitor was. In fact, i was pondering if she was already on her way, only for my thoughts to be interrupted by the bang on the entrance door that leads to my 3-bedroom apartment. I had just finished taking my bath and had just my boxers on. So i needed to cover my bare chest before checking who it was. I quickly dropped my phone on my reading table, stood up and took some few steps towards my left to my elegant wardrobe. As i was putting on my one of my BYC underwear shirts,  i noticed that  the frequency of the knocks had already multiplied that as i made my way out of my room to the dark lobby that connects my scarcely-furnished sitting room, my thoughts could not help but to wonder who could be at  my door.

Shantel is my ex-girlfriend. We met online four years ago and started dating two years later after two adventurous years as friends. In all the years of my close association with her, I never knew her as someone who is vocal or aggressive. On the contrary, she is too gentle to a fault. She had always appeared to me like someone who is humble, intelligent and level-headed. In fact, she truly was!,  at least, while our relationship lasted. Sometimes when I think of her, I still could not believe we had gone our separate ways. She was every man’s delight and we were so fond of ourselves that none of us envisaged that a day like this will come when we will refer to each other as “ex’’ . To make matters worse, we have not even had time to sit, discuss and reflect on the circumstances that abruptly ended our relationship, partly because of the seemingly distance between us then and largely because of the perceived bitterness she still feels towards me. While chatting on blackberry messenger yesterday, we finally agreed to have a date and my house was chosen as the venue . I had tried to convince her about doing a cinema or a beach but No! Shantel is not someone for public places when there is a serious business to discuss. She had made it clear to me that she was coming for us to discuss something very important and that she would prefer we meet in my place. So i sent her my address and she promised to come today but i slept off last night in the middle of the conversation and woke up this morning not knowing when in the day to expect her.  My mind quickly drifted from her because I just couldn’t imagine Shantel knocking this aggressively on my door besides, I expect she will call me at one stage on her journey to perhaps, seek for clarity on the address I gave to her or at least tell me that she is now on her way. My mind also went to the Obi, the plumber , I had indicted him yesterday on phone for not properly fixing the leakages he worked on in my bathroom last weekend and he promised to come and re-fix it today after apologizing. Almost immediately I decided it was not him because i remembered him saying  he was coming in the evening even though i had wanted him to come earlier in the day. I checked my wrist watch and its only past 2pm. Suddenly, I sighed  as if to say I just remembered something: ‘’oh! It should be Timi’’ I heard myself saying aloud. Timi is my next flat neighbor who is hardly around. He visits Lagos say, once in a month since he was transferred to Abuja. He’s an Engineer and works for one of the big engineering firms in Lagos. He called me only two hours ago to complain that he came in last night and was knocking on my door, thinking he could see me but to no avail and I had explained to him that I had slept and couldn’t even hear him, mostly because it’s a bit of a distance between my room and the entrance door to the flat. I just remembered he promised to repeat his visit immediately he comes back home this afternoon.

‘I dey come oh Timi’ I screamed as I reached for the door. I supposed he was deliberately knocking aggressively this time in his bid to get my attention. Convinced it that it was him, as I inserted the keys i humorously said ’Timi’ na you wey won break my door? But by the time I opened the door, I was completely taken agape by who I saw.

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IF YOU ENJOYED THE STORY, JOIN ME NEXT WEEKEND FOR EPISODE 2