Episode 19
Written by Oluwatosin Odebiyi
‘’What is it you wish to tell me?’’ I asked Pamela, sitting up quietly. She breathed deeply, left her eyes on me for some seconds, shook her head and looked down.
‘’I want us to leave the country together. I want us to start a new life in the states. I have enough money ‘’ she breathed softly, leaving me gasping with disbelief. I just couldn’t believe my ears.
‘’you are not well’’ the words escaped from my lips without warning. I never meant to use such unfair words on her but it was exactly how I felt about her that moment. She was definitely sick to come up with such an idea. She instantly gave me a look that told me she felt insulted by my words.
‘’I have a life in this country. My education, my root, my future belongs here’’ I replied, softly drawing close to her in an affectionate manner. ‘’you are not really okay to me and the painful part is that you really find it difficult to confide in me. It means you don’t trust me. That’s far from fair and you really need help’’ I said softly.
‘’what kind of life could you possibly have in Nigeria?. The highest you can get here is a high paying job which won’t even be up to what a laborer earns in the states. Moreover I have enough money for us. Many guys would kill to be offered this opportunity I’m offering you. It’s not as if I’m old or ugly. I can even help you trace your mother’s family. I have a lot of good plans for you’’ she pushed on and on, getting on my nerves with every word she said.
‘’I beg of you stop. Please just keep quiet. I’m not going anywhere with you. I can’t be your accomplice in this. I know what women are capable of doing and I don’t want to end up like my father.’’ I said strongly. ‘’I like you very much. I adore you. You are a wonderful lady but I can’t continue with this. I can’t aid you in cheating on your husband anymore. It’s over between us. I’m sorry. It really pains me to say this before you’’ I added, pulling away from her.
Her face colored up with great disbelief. She stared at me with fire in her eyes. She couldn’t even say a word for a minute.
‘’that’s it. It’s over. I have a conscience and I have a girlfriend’’ I muttered seriously.
‘’things are not always as it seems Jude. You can’t abandon me in the middle of nowhere when we are in this together’’ she muttered like a warning.
‘’we are not in anything together. I feel nothing anymore. I don’t even know much about you’’ I replied, got up from the bed and headed to the bathroom to cool my nerves. I really couldn’t believe I was able to pull it off so effortlessly and I prayed for more strength to survive the rest of the morning because dawn was still a bit far away.
Pamela on her own part never said another word to me. She simply sat quietly on the bed like someone under meditation, like someone under the influence of drugs. There wasn’t any doubt She had a lot going on in her head and I really had the mind to break up with her because she found it hard to confide in me which to me showed lack of trust.
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Kelvin’s side of the story continues
I patiently sat on the floor, waiting for something to happen but nothing whatsoever happened for about five minutes. It was as if the hoodlums were all dead or had disappeared the way they appeared but I still couldn’t get myself to check out things until I heard the sound of a police siren coming from my gate.
I nervously returned to my room, hid my gun and headed to my sitting room as I heard knocks on my gate. The policemen who just pulled up were calling out for the gate to be opened. I opened the gate to see about five armed policemen staring at me.
‘’what happened?, who fired the shots we heard?’’ one of them asked.
‘’armed men broke into my house, but couldn’t get access before you guys arrived. I think they have fled’’ I nervously explained, leading them to my kitchen where I was shot at. Together we headed to the backyard to check out where the hoodlums gained access into my house and discovered that a part of my fence was almost brought down by them.
‘’they have fled. Anyway we will still keep an eye on your property’’ the leading officer assured me and left with his men. I really was glad they showed up on time but I equally was disappointed that they made no form of investigation. I simply returned to my room after they left and spent a great deal of time thinking about my life and how lucky I was to survive the attack.
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Joe showed up at my apartment by 9am full of concern. I narrated everything to him while he listened patiently.
‘’do you think they were after my life?’’ I asked when I was done with my story.
He shrugged and breathed deeply.
‘’hmmm that’s a very tough question but I think if they were actually after your life, there are many ways to do it than sneaking into your house in the middle of the night. Perhaps it could be nothing but plain robbery or maybe they came for something you have in the house’’ he said intelligently, leaving me in deep thoughts.
Just that moment, my phone rang and it was no other person than Jessica calling me for the first time.
To be continued
SHADES OF LUST