A Dangerous Glance (ctd) - Short Story

Dele saw her smile at him across the room. He should have looked away but he didn’t. In a split second, he recognised that she was pretty in a homely way, had a beautiful figure and wore her braids elegantly.

He didn’t know her name but became pleasurably aware of her. However he wasn’t going to do anything about it because he was happily married, content and loved his wife dearly. He had been married for ten years and had never slept with another woman since then.

He left the restaurant and went back to work. As he lay beside his wife later that night, thoughts of her attacked and penetrated his peace. That smile, those braids, the pretty face, the slim figure! He indulged himself and let the thoughts roll. He slept off much later with a happy smile on his face.

Two weeks later, he sat at an empty table at the same restaurant enjoying his lunch. A shadow fell across his meal. “Do you mind if I join you?” she asked in a most sonorous voice. He couldn’t say no. He reveled in their short chat and wished he could prolong the lunch hour.

A month later, they had dinner together. If she had been a hunter, clingy, or demanding in any way, he would have found it easy to resist the attraction. But she was nice, selfless, submissive and pleasant and he often wondered if she was innocent.

During the next 3 months he spent all of his free time with her. It was just like a dream. He loved his wife but he enjoyed her company. An expensive indulgence; but he allowed himself to enjoy it.

Then one day she confronted him. He was responsible for her pregnancy. It was a mistake. She wanted an abortion. Could he please give her some money so she could do it at a professional hospital? He remembered he had always preached that - abortion is a sin against God. What was he going to do??

At that moment, his thoughts were with his wife. He loved her deeply and didn’t want anything to come between them, ever! How would she feel?

The joyful memories of the past 3 months instantly faded away. He held his head in his hands.

He remembered his mother's favourite proverb - "Don't smell what you know you shouldn't eat."

How he wished that three months ago, he had looked away.

Lovely development. Taut, straight to the point and clear as hell.

@ Orikinla
You know, the way the American society brandishes unfaithfulness, one might begin to wonder if there's anything awfully wrong about it. And of course, the social lives of majority of Nigerians is daily being tuned some more toward the Americans'.

I'm glad to know reason and virtue still lie in some heads and around too.

I think we romanticise infidelity. There's no lasting joy in it and we keep marketing it to lure more victims. People always get hurt and it's only borne out of selfishness on the part of the participants.

Continued

Dele's phone rang as he sat at dinner with his family that evening. He picked it up and the code name he had coined for her – EBONY, appeared. The sight of those five letters made his heart shudder and his hands tremble. This must be urgent; he had warned her never to call him at home.

“Hello, who is this?” He pretended not to know

“Sweetheart, it’s me. I feel so alone and desperate. What do I do? This baby grows by the minute and you are not doing anything?”

He stole a sideway glance at his wife. God forbid that she even knows about this conversation. He had to find a way to settle Ebony to permanently cover his stupid recklessness.

“I’ll see you tomorrow. I’ll give you a feedback then.”

“Make sure you do” Ebony dropped the call before he could blink. 

His heart pumped harder as his wife asked ever so casually, “Who was that?”

“Nothing. It’s official.” He picked up his glass of water and drank long and hard.

The next day at her home, she gave him an ultimatum. “I’m not taking this any longer. I don’t like the way you are taking me for a ride. You either give me enough money to have an abortion in a proper hospital or,” she paused, “ …. you marry me.”

The accumulated apprehension of the last few days erupted in his throat as a croaky laughter. “Marry… what? You must be joking.”

She eyed him and sneered. “It’s not marry, what! It’s marry me.”

“Don’t even think about that. It’s not possible. I love my wife, I love my kids, I am not going to disrupt their lives because of my foolishness. No way! You had better get that evil idea out of your mind.”

“The idea doesn’t sound evil to me, but if you think it is, well - no problem. I will not argue with that. It just makes things much simpler - give me a hundred and fifty thousand Naira for an abortion and we part ways.”

He was silent for a while. “I can’t do that either. I believe abortion is murder.”

It was her turn to laugh. “My dear lover, you are an intelligent man and that is why I respect you. You must know that can’t eat your cake and still have it. Even the bible asks, ‘Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?’ Just listen to yourself, you are not making sense at all…”

He wondered about her quoting from the scriptures but then he had to make her see things from his point of view. “Look this is what we will do. You will have the baby. I will take care of you and the child. I will pay for your rent, school fees, hospital bills, and upkeep, anything you want.”

“No way. I won’t mortgage my future for you or anyone. Who will marry me if I have a child and keep it’s father in tow perpetually. You are happily married, what makes you think I too don’t deserve a home some day soon. Abortion or Marriage and that is final”

He was confused. He had not bargained for this; all he had wanted was a little fun. There and then, he took a decision. He knew what he must do next. 

Oops.  If it's newera, it must be good, but it's not a comedy, so um I'll be back to read it.

Story filled with suspense. Keep it up.