Brian arrived at Beckwise stores later than Mike. Mike had been there for over an hour waiting for him. He was almost giving up when Brian walked in.
Brian looked in different directions and saw Mike waving at him from a secluded corner. He walked towards him and sat on a chair.
"What's up?" Mike asked stretching forth his hand for a handshake. Brian gave him a curt shake.
"It's almost 6:PM, so you need to be snappy. Gabrielle is alone in the house."
"Did she know you were coming to see me?" Mike asked.
"Of course, you reminded me in her presence before leaving her house yesterday. She is aware." Brian responded.
"She has told me everything and I decided I must see you.
Her sister is my friend even though we did not go beyond friendship. I promise her that I will take care of Gabrielle.
You are a man and I'm going to be honest with you. I love that girl and seeing you around her makes me uneasy.
I want to politely ask you to stay away from her. I can protect her."
"She told you everything?" Brian asked.
"Yes, she did."
"Now I know who told her lodge mates that we are faking it. I don't trust you. If you really loved her, you would have played along."
"You and the caretaker made her believe you are gay and I'm playing along. I know what you did to her sister. It is still fresh in my memory like it happened yesterday.
She is not safe with you and I'm going to ask you for the last time, please stop going to her lodge. She would never date you!" Mike said and Brian laughed.
"Who is talking about dates? If you want to help her, take her to another lodge. If I had the money, I would have done it since and focused on my work. Mike, take her out of that lodge," Brian said and stood up to take his leave.
"If I take her out of that lodge, would you stay away from her?" Mike asked.
"I see no reason why I shouldn't?" Brian responded.
"One more question, and I just need an honest answer from you. Are you sleeping with her?" Mike asked. Brian looked at him for some seconds, sighed, and walked out of the store.
There was a shelter at the bus stop beside the University's second gate. Brian's friend gathered there every Sunday evening to smoke and drink. They sighted him when he came out of the store and began to hail him. He grinned and walked towards them.
Brian began to shake hands with his friends. When he got to the last person, he took a wrap of weed he was smoking and continued from where he stopped.
"Manga, you have been scarce these days, what is going on? Your sisters came to my house the other day, looking for you," his best friend known as Warlick asked.
"I'm here now," Brian responded.
"I also heard you are now putting soul and body together with one babe like that," Warlick said and his friends burst into laughter. Brian sat down with his friends and soon forgot Gabrielle was waiting for him.
Mike left the store and walked down to Bangkok lodge. Gabrielle was happy when a soft knock came on her door. She was expecting Brian however, she was surprised to see Mike standing on the doorway with smiles on his face. She shrugged and gestured to him. She looked at her wall clock, it was 7:30pm already.
"Where is Brian?" Gabrielle asked, still standing beside the door.
"I don't know," Mike responded.
"He said he was going to the Beckwise store to see you. Did you see him?" Gabrielle asked.
"Yes, but he left the store about an hour ago. He should probably be with his useless friends at the gate now," Mike said. Gabrielle shut the door and sat down on her bed. She was very sad.
"Smallie, don't worry, I'm going to stay with you tonight," Mike grinned.
"No, I…I...mean you can't."
"I can, but if you are not comfortable with me staying with you, you can come over to my lodge," Mike said.
"Mike, please I'm not comfortable with you staying with me, and you know your lodge would be the last lodge I would like to spend the night in. If Brian doesn't show up, I will go to the hostel and stay with my friend," Gabrielle said.
"Why are you more comfortable with a smoker, an illiterate that once tried to abuse…never mind," Mike said.
"Abuse what?" Gabrielle asked. Mike lowered his head and rubbed his fingers on his head.
"Mike, Brian doesn't look at me the way you do. I can comfortably change my clothes in his presence because he doesn't care if I'm naked or not. The way you stare at me makes me nervous. Honestly, I can't stay here alone with you."
"Smallie, I stare at you because I'm in love with you. Each time I look at you, I feel like having you in my arms. I crave for your hug every day. Don't compare me with Manga, he is not feeling what I feel for you. Let me stay with you, I promise to take my eyes off you," Mike said.
Gabrielle looked at him for a few minutes, he was quite handsome but she had not really taken out time to notice how handsome he looked.
Gabrielle sat on the floor of her room, Mike sat beside her and entertained her with funny jokes. Gabrielle continued laughing until she began to feel heaviness in her eyes. Mike helped her up and lay beside her.
He promised he would never look at her again, however when he saw she had slept off, Mike turned and fixed his gaze at her.
He began to fantasize about a beautiful life with her. He imagined himself holding her hands as they walked through the departmental blocks. People would be staring at them.
He imagined being the first and only man in her life. He would pamper her and handle her like raw egg.
Mike made up his mind to meet Jane and ask for money. He needed to take her out of that lodge so Brian would never be seen around her again.
Jane was the only daughter in the family of five. Three of her brothers were Reverend fathers. They gave her any amount of money she asks for without trying to know what she does with the money.
She had been the one paying Mike's rent and school fees. She needed just one thing from Mike; his love. She wanted to be his only girlfriend.
Plans to take Gabrielle out of Bangkok Brian felt a gentle tap on his back. He turned slowly and was surprised. Uka, one of the twins in room 4 was standing behind him smiling seductively. He looked around, searching for a free seat, however, all the seats were occupied. He stood up and gestured to her. Uka sat down and grinned. One of his friends who was sitting close to him created a space for him. Uka took the wrap of weed he was smoking from him. Brian rolled another weed. Placing the wrapped weed in the corner of his mouth, his long fingers then searched the pockets of his brown tweed jacket and finally emerged with a match. "Uka is Meche out of town?" Brian asked. Uka nodded with a grin. Meche, her boyfriend, had warned her to stay away from the group. He once fought the gang for giving her weed to smoke. "His mother invited him over. He is going to stay with her for a whole week," Uka said. Meche was the son of one of the University lecturers. People wondered why he k
"His name is Ernest. He owns about five oil wells in and out of the country." "I don't believe you, do you know what oil wells are?" Brian asked. "He inherited them from his late father. He is the CEO of Nexoil. Do you remember the one-year strike that took place during the David Martin administration? All schools were shut down for a year?" Gabrielle asked. Brian nodded. "I took up a job as a salesgirl in one of the shops around our house. He came around with his bodyguards and declared surplus. I served them diligently and he picked interest in me. I turned him down because I was just sixteen and marriage was the last thing I was thinking of. He stood up and walked into his car without paying for the drinks. I followed him immediately. He wound down the glass and flung a paper. I hesitated because he was there. When his driver drove him away, I picked the paper up. It was his residential address. I folded the paper and tossed it in the trash. My boss came and insisted
The nurse Jane and Mike were waiting for came later that day. Jane gave her the money. The nurse went back to the maternity home after giving Mike the second injection. "Thank you, Mike said. Jane smiled and nodded her head. "Honestly, Jane, I'm nothing without you. You are my world, my everything. Thank you for being there for me always," Mike said again. "I did it for us, Mike," Jane smirked. "If anything happens to you, I'm finished. My love for you is beyond explanation. I love you so much, Mike." "I love you too, honey," Mike said, clenching her left hand. "Please Jane, I need one more favor from you today, would you help me?" Mike asked. Jane nodded happily. "I have an assignment I wrote for one of my friends in hostel ten, would you help me deliver it to him. It will be submitted tomorrow morning, please," Mike pleaded. "Mike, I will deliver it before 6:am tomorrow. It's almost 8:30 and the second gate closes at 9." "Please, Jane, he paid for it already and would d
The next day, Mike woke up very early. He knew Jane would be there any moment so he dressed up and ran out. Bangkok lodge's gate was still locked when he got there, so he went to a nearby store and sat on one of the chairs. The owner of the shop fixed his gaze at him, probably wondering why he left his lodge so early. "Do you want to make a call?" The shopkeeper asked. Mike shook his head and looked away. The caretaker of the lodge came out of the gate holding a filter end of a cigarette by the corner of his lips. Obviously, his wife had refused to give a match to light the cigarette. He began to walk towards the shop. "Ojo, I need a box of matches," the caretaker said. The shopkeeper gave him a general lighter instead. "Hei, Mikeo, what are you doing here? I hope we are safe this morning?" the caretaker patted Mike on the shoulder. "I want to see you," Mike responded. Pa Uzo feigned him and focused on the cigarette he was trying to light. He ignited the lighter and held t
Jane, who had been searching everywhere for Mike, saw him coming towards Hall A, holding Gabrielle's hand. Fury began to choke her. She stared at them with burning reproachful eyes. Mike let go of Gabrielle's hand and walked towards her with smiles on his face. Jane turned and began to walk away angrily. Mike ran after her. He grabbed her hand, Jane tried to free her hand from his grip. "I searched everywhere for you. I went to the clinic, you were not there." "You went to the clinic? Did you see nurse Rose?" Mike asked. "She is on night shift," Jane said. "I met her before she handed over to those on the morning shift." "You went there?" Jane asked. "Yes, I woke up this morning and was feeling nauseous, I have to rush to the clinic to see her before she hands over. All the nurses I met must have gone before your arrival," Mike said. "How do you feel now?" Jane asked, lowering her gaze. "I'm fine, sweetheart, thanks to you," Mike grinned. "What are you doing with tha
The next day, Mike rushed down to Gabrielle's lodge to make sure Brian kept his promise. Jane was still sleeping when he sneaked out. He ascended the stairs hurriedly when he entered Anarchy Lodge. The students went to bed very late so they were still sleeping and everywhere was as silent as a graveyard. Gabrielle was awoken by the sound of her doorbell. She rolled on her bed, her friend who slept in her room was nowhere to be found. She sluggishly walked towards the door and opened it. Mike grinned and held her waist so tight as they walked inside the room. Mike quickly let go of her waist when he heard the sound of water splashing on her bathroom floor. He stared angrily at Gabrielle. "You...you...you...invited him right?" Mike stammered. There was a critical tone in his voice. "No, I did not," Gabrielle said weakly as she moved towards her bed. She was very tired. Mike was very annoyed but he did not want to show her how angry he was to avoid scaring her away. He clenche
Brian ran into Mike and Gabrielle again as they were coming out of the gate after the evening games. Gabrielle was dressed in a crop top, a quilted black bomber, and tight-fitting stretch denim shorts. She also had a snapback on her head. Her simple dressing made her look sporty and sexy. The short denim perfectly showed off her thighs and her famously long legs. Brian quickly walked into a nearby store the moment he sighted them holding hands. Mike, who was bouncing a ball with his left hand, gave out a loud laugh that rippled through the air. Gabrielle also grinned. "I'll be right back," she said, trying to free her hand from Mike's grip. Mike held her tight and would not let her go. "Smallie, no, you are not going there." "I want to know what is wrong with that guy. I think he is mad at me," Gabrielle said. "Why do you think so?" Mike asked. "He ran away when he saw me in the morning. He is mad at me and he is trying to avoid me." "Please, don't give him much of your
Brian woke up in the early hours. He glanced down at his wristwatch, it was a few minutes past five. He wanted to wake his friend up and then he remembered the last warning he gave him before going to bed. He bathed, put on his clothes, and took his box of weed outside. He wrapped some weeds and began to smoke. Warlick came out of the room, adjusting his trousers. His head was still wet. Brian smiled and stood up immediately. It was almost five-thirty. "Before we leave, I want to know why you don't want to pay her a visit since you know where she lives. "I told you yesterday; I don't want her to hate me." Brian said. His friend continued standing. "Warlick, let's go." "You haven't said anything," Warlick said sitting on the pavement. Brian sat beside him. "Her new boyfriend knows what I did to her elder sister, and he would not hesitate to tell her everything." "Her sister was a student at this school?" Warlick asked. Brian nodded his head slowly. "Who is she and wh