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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
Charleyrosu 