PART 42
We drove down to the mainland. We drove through third mainland bridge towards the toll gate. We continued down the expressway until we got to a turning on the right and then a gate. We drove in and met security personnel at another gate. Dubie pointed at his sticker and we were let in.
“Is this where the hotel is?” I asked. Even though it was a nice location it looked more like a residential estate.
“You can’t come to Lagos and stay in a hotel when I have a house” Dubie replied.
“I don’t want to stay in your house?”
“Why? I won’t bite you. I won’t do anything to you. You have to ask before I do anything”
“What do I have to ask for?”
“You will see”
We drove out of that estate, followed a road to the right and went through some busy roads until we got into another estate. I saw Welcome to Magodo Phase 2. As we drove in, I could feel the tranquility of the environment. I loved the houses and how well organized they were. He entered a street and stopped in front of the last house on the right which was a corner piece. He blew his horn and the gate was opened for him.
“You are welcome to my home”
“Thank you”
A boy ran out and helped carry my luggage in while greeting me ‘Good evening ma’. I laughed. Why would he call me ma?
I observed the house had two entrances. The buildings were like twin duplexes but he later explained to me the other building were two flats. He owned the two buildings. I was impressed. I came into a beautiful sitting room. All I saw were
leather and glass. He led me upstairs. There was a gate at the top of the stairs. We went pass it to a different world. I had to take off my shoes to enter the living area. The floor was covered with very fluffy white rug. There was a 62” television on the wall with a big home theatre attached to it. There were four black bin bags on the floor and a maroon love chair. There were two very low side and wide side stools and a normal sized side stool.
“Come into the room, I am sure you would want to take a shower and change into something more comfortable. Let me see to the food” Dubie offered.
He showed me to the room. It was very chilled. It was big, painted off white, with green and gold coloured Jaccard curtains. He had a big tall bed with bedside stools and lamps on them. There were two doors. He opened one to show me the toilet and bathroom and the other was the walk-in closet where my luggage was. The bathroom and toilet were better lit than the room. He left. I took my change of clothes from my bag and my toiletries. I went into the bathroom to take a bath and dress up. I wore a simple short gown. I used the body mist Emeka brought for me and found my way to the sitting room.
He was there lying on the floor watching football. When I came out, he said, “this looks more like you. I have to be sure it is you I am dealing with”
“You don’t like me wearing makeup?”
“It’s not that. I like the natural you more. I want you to reserve the s£xiness for just me. I can’t stand other people lusting after you”
I laughed. His boy came with the food and set it on the low side stool. The food smelt very nice. It was pepper soup with yam. The pepper soup had snails, prawns, shrimps, stockfish and dried fish in it. It tasted very nice. We ate together. I felt very comfortable with Dubie. After eating, I wanted to clear the plates but he stopped me and pressed a bell. The guy came to clear the place. He continued watching his match while I scrolled through my phone.
I saw messages from Emeka. I wasn’t surprised.
Do you know you embarrassed me? You brought your lover to a family event?
Why did you do that Akwa?
How can you allow another man touch your body?
How can you be seen with another man?
I don’t deserve this treatment you meted out to me.
We need to talk.
You are not responding.
Whatever you do, I beg you, please don’t let him touch your body.
I almost laughed out loud. Emeka believed I would wait for him. Why would I? the scornful way his sisters treated me was enough for me never to go back. I was glad they all saw me with a good looking guy. I had moved on. I keep wondering why Emeka was adamant about us coming back together. We hardly have any reasonable conversations when he calls or chats; it is always the same.
I also got messages from Uju. She said the family couldn’t stop talking about me and my new lover. I was the topic of discussion at the after party. Emeka’s sisters couldn’t believe I could hit a guy like that. They couldn’t believe I could be that amazing. Well, I was glad I had moved on.
Nothing else of importance was on my WhatsApp. Then, I got a call. I didn’t want to disturb Dubie’s match so went into room to take the call. It was Emeka calling with a Nigerian number.
“It takes you hours to read my chat and you don’t respond?”
“I found it funny”
“What is funny about my feelings?”
“The fact you are hanging on to what doesn’t exist”
“Akwaugo, why are you doing this? Let’s wok this thing out”
“What happens with your sisters?”
“You are rounding up soon. I will get you a visa for you to join me in Spain”
“Without marrying me? I want a wedding like Uju’s. I want you to pay my dowry and also wed me in the church. After my housemanship, you can take me to Spain. In the meantime, you will rent an apartment for me to live while I wait for the visa”
“So that this guy will be visiting you there? What happened to the village house?”
“It will have negative memories”
“Move beyond that. It has happened it has happened. Forgive and forget”
“I have forgiven but I can never forget. Never. If you agree to my conditions, I will reserve this body you want so much. But if you don’t agree, it is all his tonight”
“I agree. I want you back”
“Let Adanne call me and ask me for forgiveness and I should come back home”
“Why this condition”
“That’s the final one”
“You know she wouldn’t”
“Then there is nothing I can do. I will not be found hiding around in hotels with you just because you say you love me. Once they all agree to me coming back, I will be in your arms first thing in the morning. If not, I will be in his arms all night”
He dropped the call. I knew they would never call. It was definitely going to end there with him trying again the next day. I stood up to leave the room and Dubie was leaning by the door. He was not his smiling self; his face was serious and his eyes dark. I took two steps backwards.
“So, you are using me to threaten your ex. Still f**king him?”
“I have told you I am not”
“What’s the catch? Why does he call you so often? Why does he want to be with you if it is actually over? Are you deceiving me?”
“We are friends Dubie. We agreed on that”
“So, after he makes his family reconcile with you, you will leave me for him?”
I didn’t like the tone of the conversation. I didn’t feel comfortable. I said immediately, “Maybe I should leave. I don’t feel comfortable”
“Where do you want to go? I will take you. Just mention it”
“I will call Uju ….”
“You want to go to him? I will take you back to the hotel or better still I will get a taxi to take you to meet him. I have never been this disrespected in my house”
“Dubie, I am sorry. I don’t know from where you heard the conversation but this has always been our banter. It took a different tune because he saw you today. I am sorry if you feel disrespected, it wasn’t my intention. Please, let me go over to Uju’s and leave for Enugu tomorrow. I don’t think I should stay here”
“Like I said, you are free to leave” he walked out of the room.
I called Uju but she didn’t pick up. I couldn’t call Emeka. I didn’t feel comfortable with Dubie snooping up on me. I continued trying to reach Uju but couldn’t. I had my ATM card and decided I would lodge in a hotel. I changed my outfit and came out of the room.
“Dubie, Uju is not picking up. Please drop me off at any hotel so I can spend the night and leave tomorrow” He ignored me and continued watching what he was watching. I decide to take my box and bag towards the stairs and he said, “Stop there. Where do you think you are going?”
“Dubie, you said I could leave. I don’t understand you”
“You made me angry. You wouldn’t like to see me angry. You are lucky I have a soft spot for you. Why in the world would you be talking to your ex-husband in my bedroom? You shouldn’t have picked up. Other girls will block their boyfriends on all their apps before coming to see a guy but you didn’t”
“I don’t have anything anymore with him”
“Did you see him last night?”
“I did. He came to see Uju and saw me”
“Did you go out with him?”
“No, I didn’t”
“Did you f**k him?”
“I said no”
“Block him on everything while you are in this house. Don’t pick any of his calls or answer any of his messages. When you leave here on Monday, you can continue with him from where you stopped. Take you bags in, this never happened”
I took my luggage in and wondered at his behaviour. Why did he react like that? He also liked to sneak up on me; I didn’t like that. I stayed back in the room feeling uncomfortable. He came into the room and told me he had finished watching the match. I had to television all to myself. I told him, “no, thank you”
“Why?”
“I am not really a tv fan”
“Then let’s do what we both enjoy doing, talking. Let’s go to the sitting room”
We sat down in the sitting room and we talked a bit. While engrossed in our conversation, we were informed he had visitors. His friend came in with two girls. The girls were both very fair, slim and shapey. One of them had big boobs and exposed them abit while the other had a fat ass and nice hips. They were quite pretty and looked somewhat classy.
They sat on the love chair while we were on the floor. Dubie introduced me to his friend Nnamdi and the two ladies as his friend. The friend called Dubie aside. I could hear their conversation as Nnamdi had a loud voice. I strained to listen to everything
“I no know say you get parole, I no for bring them”
“She is my friend. She came for a wedding in town so I decided to accommodate her”
“Where she go crash?”
“My room”
“Where you go crash?”
“Maybe sitting room”
“Make I leave ass or boobs for you?”
“I no want anyone”
“Wetin you dey talk? Or the babe na prospect?”
“Na that babe be that. The one wey dey Enugu”
“Serious? Na she? She fine o. She come clean. She never drop?”
“I wan marry am”
“You, Dubie, marry? Na joke be that”
“I serious. I be only pickin, I need marry quick born quick”
“You don tell am?”
“We still dey friendship level”
“No wonder. I for say. I dey check why you de slow for her parole. She be good girl abi”
“I think so. She never spoil”
“I go carry them go house. I think say you go dey interested in the parole”
“I no dey interested”
“Me too, I no go dey interested when I get better food for ground”
I adjusted when they came back. Dubie entertained his guests with drinks and meat. He mixed fresh palm wine, American honey and some rum for us to drink. I took some and felt light headed so I stopped. I took only palm wine afterwards. We were offered peppered friend meat with it. They drank and almost emptied 10litres of palm wine.
Nnamdi left with the girls. Dubie went to see his friend off while in stayed back upstairs. I received messages from Uju. I sent her a description of how I got to Dubie’s house from the Welcome to Magodo Phase 2 sign. I told her to keep it in case I come up missing. I would have loved to leave instead of staying. AKWAUGO