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Ben had been tasty of Emelda and since he was back from his travel, the first person he thought of visiting was her. He had tried to disembowel the memories of the last kiss he involved her but to no avail.And this made him think of approaching this relationship differently. He had known her for seven years, and it had been asexual, deeply platonic. And why would it stop there?He couldn’t have forgotten so fast how she took offence at his misdemeanour, something he said wasn’t intentional, and something he said was beyond his power to withhold. Was it really true or he just made up the lie to excuse himself?He didn’t even know what else to say, but lying within his heart now was the desire to transport the relationship to where it should be. He now longed to be his partner…romantic partner indeed. There was something about her –he realized this part the day he kissed her—that made him go gaga.Was he being driven by lust now or what? Whatever she might call it was none of his conce
Donald sat with his friend and listened to him with rapt attention.But he paused when he saw a lady sitting beside them, alone. He gave Donald a sign, pointing out that she looked beautiful and he would convince her to join them in a jiffy.Donald didn’t argue with him and said he had mastered how to persuade a girl…that he was the one that taught him. They laughed and made more jokes. “Hi, Pretty. I am Stan”“Ella”“Ella. You look sweet”“Thank you” “Uh. You came alone?”“Yeah”“Can I introduce you to my friend?”“I came alone because I wish to be left alone”“I am invading your privacy?”“You said so”Stan thought of the next thing to say that wouldn’t sound stupid. She looked very smart and one had to choose one’s words with care. “Stan, what can I do for you?” she said after waiting for him to utter his intention. “Many things”“Like?”“Your company,” he smiled. “Did you know why I am here?” she said. “Not at all”“Because I don’t need any company,” she said. “Oh. You don’
Ben heard a sound on the door and listened again. This time more carefully. The person knocked the second time. He wasn’t expecting a visitor this Sunday morning. And no one had visited him before on Sunday morning if he could remember. People went to church at this time and there was nobody he could imagine behind the door; oh, he just remembered, he could imagine his neigbour knocking on the door. She just packed in a few days ago, and to his surprise, they had been tagging along. Unlike before, he didn’t have time for women and would find it difficult to make friends with them. After some pressure from his family regarding marriage, he decided to be less focused on his job and have more time for life and its pleasures. But he should be the one to find this treasure, not the other way around. Ever since this lad parked in, she had been looking for his trouble. Wearing skimpy clothes around as if she was intending to seduce him. And he wouldn’t be surprised if she was the one
Emelda made a new hair and looked very much different. She was walking with unusual confidence. Now and then, she looked at herself from toe to chest as though she was going for a beauty pageant and needed to validate herself before anybody else. She fixed long nails, something she rarely did; was it why she didn’t feel comfortable wearing it? As she walked down the market, she would always look at her nails and feel it didn’t just synch with every other opulent fitting in her body. Ben, Obinna or Donald would be wowed to see her new look and she could imagine them shower her some compliments and she would smile and do inyanga for them. She had done it intentionally, at least to attract more eyeballs on herself. For it was the desire of every woman, most women she would rather say, to look attractive and be able to get attention, men’s attention. This new look, she thought, she overdid it. Even her boss would not recognize her for she looked less simple than she ever did. Deep
Emelda ran into an old friend and was amazed at him. He looked younger than even when they were in College. Had he always looked like this? She was battling with this thought when the young man said “How are your children and hubby too?” Her spirit suddenly became dampened and she could not find the right words to answer him. Whatever that made him think she was married, she could not tell. The thought that she was aging or looking older enveloped her psyche and for the first time this week, perhaps, she faked the most tactical smile and said “Michael, we are getting married soon” “I am so sorry, Eme,” he looked remorseful as the sinner who was going to confess his heinous sin before a priest. She told him there was nothing to be apologetic about before asking him too if he had married. “Not at all,” he said. Emelda traced a drop of enthusiasm in his tone but could not see. What she saw instead was a tired bachelor parading the town with his car and the big boy title; she saw a
Emelda was having a good time with her younger sister when Donald badged in with bunched brow. When he saw her with Favour, he tried to control his temper not to utter anything obnoxious until later.But Emelda was already alarmed. She got up immediately and approached him. Held his hand and asked what was wrong. He said nothing and smiled wryly. Turning back to leave as soon as he had come, he said they would talk later. But on reaching the door, he paused and turned back; Emelda was standing, speechless, staring at him.“Why can’t you admit that you like him?” Donald said finally without intending to. He looked at Favour instead of her as though he was reporting her to the sister. He wanted to see the shock Favour would express in learning that her sister cheated on him.But all Favour saw was someone who would agree that her sister was a cheat and should be punished severely for that. Favour wasn’t moved; he would repeat himself several times and she would still not be shaken.Why
When Emelda entered the line that demarcated her village from the other, she knew it was time to brace up for greetings. One reason she had told the Okadaman to drop her at her father’s compound. Not before, not after. But straight to her father’s abode. The Okadaman refused. And watched her eyes sag in frustration. He could see the loads she would carry all by herself. He looked at her and looked at the load, and urged her to carry them as they were only a few clothes in the luggage. What of those older women that carried heavier loads on their heads? Were they stronger than her? He turned his engine on to leave but stopped to hear her last words. Again. She implored him and promised to pay him better but he still refused, saying that the road was bad and the wheel of his motorcycle was shaky and blah blah blah. Emelda wondered why he had said that. Did he think she would believe him? He just didn’t want to drop her at her destination. She might believe the road was bad, anyway, b
“How long would this leave last?” Papa asked, while sharpening his cutlass against a nearby stone. The scrape of metal against stone produced tiny sparks that flickered briefly before they disappeared. “Seven days, Papa,” Emelda said, while washing her face. The dawn was cold and Emelda was almost freezing; it was the kind of weather that pushed her to drink tea whether she wanted it or not. But she was not in town and was contemplating going out to buy one. She could see why the cold was more intense in their compound. There were trees and flowers in and outside their compound. The orange tree in the middle, the seed so close to the ground that one could pluck it without even jumping. The mango tree at the entrance, so tall that children preferred to stone it instead of climbing it, and the hedges before their corridor, rarely trimmed by Papa. And she could feel the air oozing out from them. Sometimes, she heard the crispy noise of some leaves as they fell. “Okay. That means w
She sneaked into their room and discovered he had left. Just as she turned to leave, Donald hurried in to take what he left on their cabinet. He bent down and without intending to, threw her eyes on the standing mirror fixed beside him. His new hair spray was gorgeous, and he nodded absentmindedly before he said “You are supposed to leave today, Favour. Aren’t you?” His unfriendly tone was obvious so she would get annoyed but she kept her cool. “Why are you looking at me like that?” Donald said as he searched for the documents. Favour walked to the door and clipped it. “What are you doing?” Donald said, dumbfounded. She came so close to him that her body was almost pressed against his. Donald was speechless when she yanked off her top dress and began to smooch him. But he pushed her away. “Do you realize what you are doing?” Donald said while wiping his lips. “You want to ruin your sister’s marriage. God!” “Have me Don, I can’t stop thinking about you” “Are you okay?”
“What do you want from me?” he shouted.“Marry me; because I have your baby”“You have what?”“Your baby”
Fully back at work after a sweet honeymoon in Gold Coast. She was back with energy and excitement. Obinna had missed her and had tried calling her when they were at Accra; her fans had missed her too. She was going to begin her programme today, and she would tell them how much she had missed them too. Emelda was extremely happy; Donald had treated her like a queen at Accra. He would always be the one to wake her up in the morning and serve her breakfast while she was still in bed. Each time they went out, he guarded her jealously. Some of these men didn’t give a hoot about her marital status. She was embarrassed to see them come up with their advances even when they saw a ring on her hand. When would men respect the sanctity of matrimony? She wondered. It was common knowledge that one should not cross a boundary but not for these guys. They chased anything under the skirt of a woman. Obinna listened with full concentration as she swooned into the deeps. Gesturing as she spoke.
Donald’s mother noticed they had been beefing about each other. She heard Emelda accuse him of cheating on her, and her son had said the same thing. She called them together this Saturday morning and told them that if they were ever going to get married and stay married, they should trust themselves. “None of you have concrete evidence to prove your suspicion true,” she said. “Hence, all accusations are watery” “But mum, I was told she kissed Obinna in public. From a reliable source,” Donald said as he crossed his leg. “Will you shut up and listen?” his Mum howled and stood up. He had been the only one interrupting her and this made it look like he was innocent. “You are such an ingrate, son. And I am disappointed in you,” she was still standing, glaring at him. “Aren’t you tired of fake, worthless women around you?” “You have a real woman right before you, and you can’t appreciate her. All you do is come up with stupid allegations so that she would get tired and leave you…so t
Donald waited until he was sure he had settled in his office.He stepped in at the right time. No client was on his desk and his colleagues were not around, Emelda included.On entering his office, he looked around and saw three portraits. They were unknown to him but he was sure they were public speakers, famous for their achievements in the media industry.He was nodding and pacing around. And yet hadn’t uttered a word. Obinna was speechless and somewhat scared; there was some vibration in his heart. What was he doing? “Please, how may I help you?” he began. He would blame the gatekeeper for allowing him entrance. Didn’t he see how rugged he was dressed?Some musicians dressed like that, anyway, Obinna would have said, afterthought. As numerous of them had trooped in to place an advert for their songs on the radio. Don removed his eyeglasses and sat down without being asked to. “Leave her alone before you get into trouble,” he said in a very low voice. “Who are you?”“I won’t re
Donald was reading a newspaper with his legs straddled on a stool when he saw the call. He contemplated for a moment if he should concentrate on reading or give the call an answer. He picked up the phone, put it on silent, and dropped it. It was a strange number, but he guessed who was calling. “Samson,” he called one of the gardeners. “Sir,” he answered where he was trimming the flowers. “Come and see” Samson was surprised at first because he was at home today, sitting around, and second, because he lowered his voice instead of choosing to shout. “Have you read today’s paper?” “No Sir,” he said. He couldn’t remember the last time he was given the freedom to relax and read anything in the palace. The last time? He didn’t think he had ever done anything like that, not in this palace. His job had always been to cut overgrown flowers and leave. Sometimes sleeping in the boys’ quarter if need be. “Look at what they are saying; go to the advert section instea
For a moment Donald looked up in the air while she lapsed into reflection. The silence created a distance between them so that they looked like two strangers clumped close together. The earth was humid, making the orchard more freezing. “Are we sure this will work?” Donald said. “If you are committed to making it work, why not…” Donald cut her short and raised his voice “Then tell me who he is. Tell me!” “What else do you want to hear?” Emelda thought he had forgotten all this the day he called her and inquired her whereabouts. And she had simply told him that she went out with her colleague in the office for a brief chat over the celebration of her new job. “I want to hear the whole truth. The story is incomplete” “How can this work if there is no trust” “I trust you, Eme,” he said and faced her, looking straight into her eyes. “Then believe me. There is absolutely nothing between us. He is my very good friend. I met him the day I went for an interview some years ago” “
Ben’s tallness attracted massive eyeballs as they passed by to a more secluded place. What was this tall guy doing with this short lady? The inquisitive eyes must be wondering. He hadn’t prepared for this outing but had to agree because she had been forcing herself on him somehow whereas the person he needed had been forcing herself on someone that didn’t deserve her, he thought. What a life. Where mystery and reality were intertwined. And one had to wonder now and then. It was Emelda that occupied his mind even while they sat close to each other exchanging words. “So, are we officially dating?” Evelyn said but would have withdrawn her words on discovering that it was not a smart question. If she thought they weren’t dating, she should make it look like one and that was a similar thing to what she had done. By convincing him to go out with her. So why the hell was she asking? She felt defeated. “Do we look like we are dating?” Ben asked. He loved that she was good in bed; h
Emelda smiled as she finished reading the letter. How did he do it? No interview was conducted. No portfolio was submitted. Even no one’s ass was licked to fetch this job. And she did not have to be used by some boss to be able to get it. Wonderful. She thanked him for working it for her. How life brought people together. Everything was still afresh in her memories. How she met Obinna the day they went for an interview. He was jovial, and he was the only person that looked beyond the fear of facing the panel to talk with her.Others were so much serious with either their phone or their mind. It was he that admired her and made her feel her presence mattered most in the room. It was he that engaged her in a conversation so that she would not be too anxious about the interview.That was too much from a stranger and she was thankful even though she didn’t mention it. And though, he was the youngest person in the room, she saw a responsible person in him. All was crystal clear from his c