Iphey got back from work that day sweating heavily and knew she was going
to be very late for her date. It had been a hot and humid day and she had been
caught in the rush hour traffic returning home from the office. She now rushed
about her apartment like a headless chicken putting her stuff together for the date
when her phone rang.
“Hello?” She panted struggling into a deep purple skirt.
“Hello, my daughter is that you?” It was her mum’s voice.
“Yes mum, it’s me.” she replied with a bitten off, “who else could be
answering my phone?” under her breath.
“I just heard from your sister. Her son is in crisis again and they are at the
hospital.”
Her heart sank and the wind was knocked out of her sails. She had thought
this was one of those her mum’s infrequent marriage badgering calls. The sister
her mum mentioned was her elder sister who had a 6 years old asthmatic son. He
had often got this sort of crises during this period but it had seemed to subside in
the past year. However, this was the second within the same month this year.
“Mum, I have to go out this evening and I‟m already running late. I’ll call her
when I get back and give you feedback later OK?”
“That’s fine, talk to you later dear. Take care of yourself and be careful.”
Yes mum,” she replied as she pressed the end button.
She wanted to continue getting ready but the “be careful” from her mum got
her thinking of the stormy events at the office today.

She had just returned from seeing one of her clients about an overdraft facility
he wanted on his account, and was walking back to her office when her manager
beckoned her into her office.
Funmi gestured to a seat. “Good morning, Iphey. Please shut the door – this
won’t take long.”
Iphey sat down, wondering what was up; she got on reasonably well with her,
so she couldn’t figure out why she sounded unusually curt. Her apprehension
mounted as Funmi went on to talk about the unprofessionalism she said she had
observed in Iphey’s work, and how she preferred to let her know about it first
rather than writing a query. Iphey was quite shocked; she tried to ask her to be
more specific, but Funmi cut her off
She had also agreed because of the impression she had got when her date
called to set up the time and venue. He had appeared charming, intelligent and
well-spoken – definitely no red flags. He seemed a bit reticent to give more
information about himself, though. All she knew was that his name was
Chinedu, and he “ran an engineering business”. Well, at the very worst, it
sounded like she might have a more interesting time going out than staying in,
even if nothing happened.
******************
The skies were already darkening when she stepped out of the cab in front of
the restaurant that they’d agreed to meet at. She looked around, wondering if he
might be waiting outside, but she didn’t see anyone who looked like they might
be him. Maybe I’ll have more luck inside, she thought as she walked in. Again,
she scanned the dark interior.
“Is he late?” she wondered aloud. She hoped not; one of her pet peeves was
people who disrespected others by not keeping to time.
“No, he’s not. In fact, he’s been watching you since you entered, and he’s
quite impressed by what he’s seen,” she heard a voice say in the same deep
baritone she had heard on the phone.
She turned round, startled, and saw someone who looked to be in his early
thirties, of average height, a bit slim and medium complexioned.
He smiled at her and continued, “Sorry for the unusual introduction… I
shouldn‟t have chosen a table out of sight, but I usually find the view outside the
window provides interesting things to talk about. I don’t think that will apply this
evening, my eyes will be taken up with a much more beautiful spectacle.”
She smiled back. “Thank you, Chinedu – that’s a very nice compliment.”
He led her to her table, and they ordered their entrees straightaway. The
evening passed pleasantly; she told him all about herself, her schooling, how she
got a job at Diamond Bank, what she would really like to do if she had the
money, places she would like to travel to, her views on the different places she
had been to, and so on. Chinedu seemed genuinely interested and impressed by
her ideas and her views; the more she talked, the more he wanted to know. She
was definitely enjoying herself.
Iphey leaned back and smiled at him. “You sound like a very interesting
person. I’d like to hear more of your views on the world; you’ve not talked a lot
about yourself.”
Chinedu smiled. “What business does the moon have in the sky when the sun
is out shining? My life these days is not that interesting; you’ll agree that we’ve
both enjoyed ourselves listening to you talk.”
“But what if we could enjoy ourselves even more by listening to YOU talk?
Oya… spill the beans!”
He made an expansive gesture. “OK, what do you want to know?”
She grinned back mischievously.
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2
Cucku-roo-koo!” 6 am, and the rooster had barely finished crowing as Iphey
walked into the bank premises. „Click-click-click‟ as her heels hit the concrete.
Truth was, Iphey was nervous about meeting with her boss Funmi again,
which was why she was at the office early to take a closer look at her work. She
had no idea what she could have done. Funmi had called her „unprofessional‟.
Why? She couldn‟t think of a reason. Since she started at this bank, she has
consciously been professional about everything.
She hurried to her desk in the common office and began shuffling through
files and to-do lists making sure she had left no stones unturned. As she began to
work, she turned on some music to keep her company. She had another hour or
so to herself before the first set of bankers began to arrive. The crooning voice of
Michael Buble will work wonders to calm her nerves.
“..Somehow I know that it‟ll all turn out, You’ll make me work so we can
work to work it out, And promise you kid, I’ll give so much more than I get,
mmmm….I just haven’t met you yet..” she sang to herself, bobbing her head to
the music.
“Well I have certainly met you.” A voice said behind her. Startled she
dropped the file she was holding.
“Oh I didn‟t mean to startle you” It was the bank manager. Her bosses‟ boss,
Ayo.
“Oh its not problem sir. I wasn‟t expecting anyone to be here. I‟ll just turn the
music off”. She replied. She was a little uncomfortable being in the same room
with him.
“Ah, but I didn‟t ask you to turn it off.”
“No, its ok. I will turn it off. I have to run to the basement anyways.”
“Why are you avoiding me, eh Iphey?”
“Ah no it‟s nothing sir.” She got up to put the files away. As she walked by
him, he grabbed her by the waist and held her close to him.
“I don‟t bite.” he whispered in her ear.
“Ahem!” A voice said behind them. It was Tunde, her colleague. She
hurriedly released herself from Ayo’s grip.
“I will see you later, OK Iphey?” He smiled at them both. “Good morning
Tunde.”
“Good morning sir,” Tunde eyed their boss as he strolled out.
“There is nothing going on, before you start to accuse me abeg!” Iphey began
defending herself.
“Have I said anything?” Tunde laughed in her face. He ran a finger down
Iphey‟s arm and caught her palm in a lingering handshake.
“Now if only you will agree my own….” He let the words hang and then
turned away. “See you at lunch?”
He smiled on his way to his office on the other side of the hall. He was in
marketing where as she was in clearing operations. Oh lawd. Why did she attract
all these men? Chinedu, Ayo and now Tunde. The latter was her friend but he
would get her in trouble soon if he didn’t stop.
Tunde had just gotten engaged but would not stop his flirting with all the girls
in the bank especially her. Other staff began to arrive including those who shared
her office and they all settled down to the day’s grind.
Knock knock! She spun on her seat. It was Funmi. “Meet me in my office in
10”.
Great. The day just got worse, Iphey muttered under her breath. She tidied
her desk, as she got ready to head over to Funmi‟s office. What could I have
done? She wondered to herself trying to figure out what it was. As she
approached Funmi‟s office, she heard voices, so she stood outside waiting.
“Why did you call this meeting Funmi?”
“This girl is not doing her work Ayo! Her work is sub standard, not up to par.
She needs to be taught a lesson.”
“But you know this is not the company policy. You need to tell her privately
first before bringing me into this.” Pause. “ Are you doing this because we are
not sleeping together anymore Funmi?” He queried her.
“What we had was more than sleeping together Ayo and you know it!”
Funmi yelled.
“You’re married now, Funmi. YOU went and got married but decided NOT
to tell me…”
“Did you tell me when you got married three years ago? And did that stop
us?”
There was silence in the room and the sound of Funmi’s heavy breathing.
“Funmi, I believe you’re being harsh on your staff because you’re frustrated
more than anything else. So leave the girl, she has done nothing wrong. You
know, the transfer offer to be with your husband is still open. I think you should
consider it. Me and you are finished.”
The door swung open and Ayo nearly ran over Iphey in the doorway. Iphey
avoided meeting his eyes. He smiled at her.
“I‟m guessing you heard all that then?” he asked her. She looked everywhere
but at him.
“It was bound to come out sooner or later,” he muttered, almost to himself.
“But you should keep it to yourself.” Ayo gave her a look-over, with a knowing
twinkle in his eyes as he walked away.
Iphey rubbed the back of her neck feeling very uncomfortable. Just then, a
visibly shaken Funmi opened the door.
“What are you standing there for?” she snapped.

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3
“What?!” Iphey spluttered.
She could have sworn that she just heard her supervisor tell the entire
operations staff and their managers that the procurement schedule template
would be available at the armed robber meeting.
“I said it would be available at the advisory board meeting,” Funmi spat at
her.
“Yes ma,” Iphey responded, suddenly finding something very important in
her notebook. She wiped at a bead of sweat that wasn‟t there, trying to relax. She
passed her notebook to Bisi who was seated next to her, “Please, help me take
notes. I‟d be right back,” she whispered and she excused herself.
She didn‟t exhale till she had shut the bathroom door behind her. “Oh dear,
I‟m losing my mind!” she said to the empty bathroom with her hand on her
chest. She walked up to the sink, and washed her hands though they weren‟t
dirty. The running water provided some kind of solace.
It started when Funmi called on the intercom at about 10am, asking for a
client‟s armed robber, which was actually the client‟s asset report. She felt like
her mind was playing tricks on her. It had been a few days since she met with
Chinedu, and she thought she had wiped him off her mind; only, to wake up this
morning and find him sleeping peacefully next to her. She screamed and then
woke up, and realized that the first wake-up sequence was only a dream.
She didn‟t understand why this thing with Chinedu bothered her so much.
After all he’d said it was in the past. Could it be that this hit so close to home
because she refused to accept she was attracted to him? The finely chiselled frame
of his face fluttered in her head as it had done every so often since her date, and
gave her an instant thrill.
“But how could someone with such an honest demeanour ever have used a
gun in his life?‟ she thought. She shook her head rapidly like it was the proven
method of clearing ones thoughts and winced at the headache she gave herself.
“OK,” she spoke to the washbasin this time, with new found determination,
“I‟ve had enough of this. I have a job to do.” She straightened her empire waist
dress in front of the mirror and looked herself straight in the eye. “You can‟t let
this worry you. He‟s not important. You‟re probably never going to see him
again.”
She looked around to ascertain that no one else was in the bathroom, ignoring
what it seemed her conscience was saying to her. She didn‟t want to become
„office gist‟ for having a nervous breakdown in the bathroom.
She pulled open the bathroom door holding her head high with square
shoulders, but weary about how far the pep talk she had just given herself would
go.
* * *
She got home that evening and finally decided to return Aisha‟s missed calls.
Her friend had tried to reach her non-stop since the night of the date, and she had
ignored every one of the calls, because she couldn‟t decide what to tell her. What
if her well-meaning friend didn‟t know of Chinedu‟s past? What if it turned out
that Aisha‟s brother had a history of armed robbery as well, since they were so
close?!
Her friend picked up on the second ring and didn‟t bother with the
perfunctory pleasantries. “I know what you‟re trying to do,” Aisha started with a
tone that made Iphey feel that she was furious, “you want me to drop dead in
suspense!”
Iphey managed a believable chuckle before responding, “No be so now. I‟ve
been busy. How body?”
“Body dey as you leave am. No use that one waste time. Give me all the juicy
details. Did you guys hit the club after dinner? Is he a good dancer? More
importantly, is he a good kisser? Did he take you home? How was it?”
“It was nice,” Iphey replied. The silence that followed hinted that Aisha was
waiting for more.
Aisha spoke up when he friend said nothing else, “Come on! Who do you
think you‟re talking to? Your mum? I‟m asking for gist, you‟re giving me the
version for the people who still believe that you‟re a good girl.”
“It was just a regular date now, abi?” Iphey replied, “I met him at the
restaurant. We talked about our backgrounds, our families, secondary schools;
etcetera. The food was good sha.”
“Ehen?”

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4
The day after the date, Chinedu called his friend Habib, Aisha‟s brother, as he
walked to his car after work. Habib picked up after the 6th ring. As he waited for
an answer, Chinedu recalled how he stood there staring as Iphey‟s taxi sped off.
It wasn‟t hard to figure out what went wrong with the date. Why had he blurted
out that he was an armed robber? That was certainly what made Iphey‟s attitude
change.
“Hello?”
“Hey Habib, what‟s cracking with you and where you at?”
“Hey „Nedu, am good. What‟s the deal?” Habib answered grudgingly.
“What you up to over there „cos you sound like you kina busy or something.”
Chinedu asked.
“Nothing much dude, just doing some overdue laundry over here at the
moment, but I can talk” chimed Habib.
“Anyway I had an incident with your sister‟s friend yesterday, the one that
she setup with me for the blind date? I think I might have spooked her.”
“What happened” Habib asked.
“Well, we were just rambling, you know trying to know each other. She
insisted I talk about myself, so I thought why not? You remember I told you
about the crazy things I did when younger, the stuff with the street gangs that
almost destroyed my life. Well I told her that I used to be an armed robber,
which isn‟t far from the truth really. Shey you get my drift?”
“What did she do?” Habib chuckled.
“I think she got the wrong impression. She ended the date before I could go
into details or say any other thing.”
“You sef, how you go talk that kain thing? Of course she ran away!”
“Well…” Chinedu stuttered. “She asked didn‟t she?”
“U don kolo sha! You like the girl abi na to move on be this?” Habib queried.
“Well it seems like there might be some potential there…”
“Then you need to apologize dude, and in a big way too. Chicks like that sort
of thing, like flowers saying you are sorry…”
“But dude, did I do anything wrong?”
“Then call her and say you were just trying to make conversation.” Habib
suggested.
“OK. Fine. I will think of something but I‟ll wait till Aisha gets back to me.
She was the one that arranged this so I‟m sure Iphey will tell her how it
happened and she‟ll come blasting me.”
“If you say so…” Habib concurred. “In the mean time, we go still see
tomorrow night?
“I‟ll meet you at the SWE bar by 10pm if that‟s OK.”
Habib was already on his second bottle of Gulder when Chinedu walked in
the next day.
“My guy why you dey always late?” Habib queried him.
“I like to move by night, thought you already knew that?” Chinedu joked and
both of them laughed it off.

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5
Chinedu watched her as she slept, taking in the delicately curved lashes, the
slight upturn of her nose and her long, tied-back hair. As he did, once again he
regretted the reckless streak that had made him tell her that he was an armed
robber during their previous encoun
Chinedu nodded. “I completely understand. Was it very shocking to hear the
news?”
“He‟s had asthma attacks before, but nothing like this…” Her voice trailed
off.
“I hope he pulls through; in any case, he‟s in good hands now. There‟s not
much else we can do except pray”.
They sat together for a while, each lost in thought.
Iphey broke the silence. “Oh, I feel so bad; you‟ve been so kind. I am a bad
host. Can I get you anything?”
Chinedu laughed. “This isn‟t a proper visit; I only came over when your mum
told me about your nephew’s crisis. I’ve put some Indomie in the microwave for
you; otherwise, I’m happy to just talk. Like I said earlier, once I heard from
Aisha, I was hoping we could set another date. “
Again, Iphey felt herself torn apart by the self that said “go for it, he‟s a great
guy” and the other self that said “watch out, he used to be an armed robber!”
The cautionary self won out. “Well, I don‟t know… right now, my mind is
not settled enough to think about that.”
“I understand, and that‟s why I‟m not asking you for anything immediate. I
only want to know if you would like to meet at all.”
Seeing her hesitate further, he added “Think about it. You‟ll get the chance to
hear about my adventures during my life of crime.”
At that remark, all her apprehension boiled over into indignation. “How can
you be so callous and talk about it as an adventure, as though you had been on
holiday? Don‟t you even feel any remorse?”
Chinedu nodded his head. So it was the armed robber thing; he had thought
as much. “I regret what I did then, but that doesn‟t mean that I cannot describe
some of them as adventures. Or do you want me be to lie about my past to you?”
“I‟m not asking you to lie, but please show a sense of shame! Why should I
want to hear about the adventures of an armed robber on a date?”
Chinedu began to feel irritated; he had meant to bring the issue up in a lighthearted way to diffuse any possible tension, but that sure wasn’t working.
“OK, I‟m sorry that I‟m not perfect. I‟m sorry that my life has this smear you
disapprove of. But at least, one good thing is that if I meet someone who made
mistakes and turned their life around, I‟m less likely to judge them harshly.”
Iphey was defensive. “I‟m not judging you; I‟m just saying that you shouldn’t
take it so lightly.”
“Really?” Chinedu smiled bitterly. “Avoiding Aisha’s calls and not even
calling me to say thanks all this while has nothing to do with me being an armed
robber before? Do you remember the anger and force with which you responded
to the revelation?”
Seeing that Iphey had been embarrassed into silence, he continued in a softer
tone. “I don‟t blame you; others have judged me before too. I found it wiser to be
quiet about my past. Even now, I don‟t tell everyone. I only tell people I‟ve
known for long enough to trust.
“But sometimes, I take a chance, follow my instincts and tell people who I
feel I have strong connection to, even though I‟ve just met them; people who I
feel will be willing to listen more and judge less.” He looked into her eyes, and
continued. “The trouble is, sometimes, my instincts are wrong.”
Chinedu rose and stretched. “It‟s getting late so I must head out.” At the
door, he stopped and turned. “My instincts may be wrong sometimes; but
somehow, I don‟t think this is one of them. How do I know? Maybe it‟s my
instinct telling me.”
He smiled wanly and added. “I really hope your nephew makes it out of
intensive care. Please let me know if there‟s anything I can do to help. Have a
good night, Iphey.”
She listened to the door latch slowly, her head bowed in thought. The ping of
the microwave brought her out of it.

Bisi was on her BlackBerry as she stepped out of the bank‟s official car. Her
last marketing call had been very successful indeed. She was smiling as she
walked into the closed banking hall from the back entrance.
Iphey and Jane were at the front desk. “Welcome back.” Iphey greeted.
Bisi nodded. “Follow me,” she mouthed since she was still on the cell phone.
She walked into the marketing office which was empty, all her colleagues
must have left for the day, and settled into her swivel chair. “I will see you once I
get off here…ok bye bye.” She pressed the end call button and turned. Iphey was
leaning on the door looking at her with a smile.

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6
Iphey got home early from work and dressed to go to her sister‟s house. She
had had a fair enough day but wasn‟t to be pushed…she was almost at her limit.
Her mom had been in Lagos for the past couple of weeks. Though their
mother was staying with Ngozi to help take care of Obi, her presence still
weighed heavy on Iphey. The bright side was that her nephew had been released
from the hospital two days ago. They had all been surprised, considering his still
weakened condition but the doctors said he was stable and would bounce back
faster at home.
“Mum, how can you have a party for Ngozi and Obi? Shouldn‟t they be
resting and besides, how come I’m just finding out about the party?” Iphey
recalled her conversation with her mum just last night.
“My daughter, I‟m sorry but seeing as you are a very busy lady, I didn‟t want
to stress you more than you are. I know the few times you could come to the
hospital. This is also my send off, I’m returning to Port Harcourt on Sunday.”
That was the only excuse she got from her mom. An excuse that raised
suspicions that didn‟t sit well in her stomach. Though her attempts to find out
who the other guests were from her mom seemed futile, she was so relieved her
mum was finally leaving that she let it slide. Her mum had visited her office
twice and she’d also caught her going through her phone. Iphey was beginning to
feel like a third wheel with her colleagues and friends where her mum was
concerned.
Oh well, she didn’t want to overdress so she wore a pink, light sweater on a
faded, deep blue jeans and a black, sleeveless leather jacket over that. She wore
no make-up that evening. Looking into the mirror to make sure that her curves
were not too pronounced, she stepped out of her apartment.
************
Chinedu parked his car on the street his heart beating a little bit faster. He had
taken a chance to accept the invitation from Iphey’s mother. He and her daughter
had not spoken in nearly a week. Aisha had asked what he did since Iphey didn’t
want to talk about him though she had tried several times to find out what was
happening. He was of half a mind to give up but something told him not to.
He had never had it this difficult with a girl. He had the looks, the money, and
the charisma. She was different…he suspected that she was not swayed by
frivolities but was more interested in his personality. If so, he‟ll take things slow.
He walked into the house and saw other guests that had been invited, holding
drinks and making conversation. He scanned for Habib but first found Aisha and
her husband in a corner of the room with the lady who most definitely made his
heart stop. ONLY ONE WOMAN MADE HIM FEEL THIS WAY! He took
charge of him emotions, mustered a bland expression and walked up to them.
Before he got there something unexpected happened.
A tall, well dressed man joined the group, greeted them and hugged Iphey
with familiarity. Even Chinedu couldn‟t deny that this new man was very
attractive and he looked like he‟s got money as well. He felt a stab in his chest
and his face betrayed his cool demeanor. He was full of jealousy in a way he had
never been, especially as the stranger’s hand was still resting on her hips.
“It‟s not that she‟s my lady but I know I can‟t stand her with another man…”
A voice broke into his thoughts. It was Habib, “Why you stand here, come
on…”
Chinedu walked with him to say a very brief hi to everyone. He saw an
expression of guilt on Iphey‟s face…this made him a little happy. He walked
away after a muttered excuse to get a drink.
“Chinedu, Chinedu…hold on. Stop! Please…” Ipey called out. She had left
the man she was with and came after him. He smiled.
He turned around so suddenly that she ran into him and almost fell. He
caught her on impulse and held her close. His heart raced and seemed to beat
twice as fast. He looked into her eyes as the adrenaline pumped through his
veins…and drowned in the beauty before him. A thousand years could have
passed and he would not have traded that moment for anything. He stood there
oblivious to his surroundings and wondered what was going on in her head. He
wanted to know.

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7

Iphey was having the worst possible Monday in the history of Mondays.
To begin with, she didn‟t hear her alarm ring at 6am and flew out of bed at
6:43 instead. Rushing to get ready and stepping out of the house within an
impressive 35 minutes, she was beginning to have faith that the day could still be
salvaged when her car refused to start. Her mallam-cum-makeshift-mechanic
insisted he could fix the problem in “pife” minutes. “Madam, only pife minutes I
need,” he declared but Iphey had neither the patience nor the mood to wait and
angrily stomped out into the sunless morning to hail a taxi.
The rapture or something like it must have occurred that morning – that was
the only explanation she could think of for the practically standstill traffic, and
she spent many angry minutes uncharacteristically cursing the taxi driver, the
other drivers, the okada riders, the Lagos state government, the Nigerian
government, and every other entity she could think of.
Walking into her 9am meeting at 9:26, she fumbled into the nearest empty
seat, muttering a breathless “Sorry I‟m late. Got caught in traffic.”
“And they say you’re professional,” Funmi muttered. “Do you have the
report?” She snapped more loudly.
“I‟m really sorry,” Iphey said, shuffling through the papers she held in her
hand. She picked out a couple and asked Bisi to pass them down. “Here they
are.”
Funmi shot her a withering look before resuming her presentation.
Iphey could not have been more embarrassed. It‟s this stupid Chinedu, she
thought to herself. She had gone home fuming from the party, thinking she‟d
made a huge mistake. She didn‟t even know what made her kiss him; it wasn‟t
like her to do so. She was never quite the forward type, but somehow Chinedu
had waltzed in on his high horse and messed up her rhythm. She hadn‟t been
able to get much sleep the past few nights, tossing and turning and staring at the
pitch-black darkness way into the early morning.
Feeling cranky from lack of sleep, she willed herself to disappear in her seat. It
didn‟t seem like she was doing a very good job because she caught Ayo winking
at her. Suddenly she was very annoyed. What was wrong with this man? He’d
shown up to a party on her mum’s invitation as her boss but then proceeded to
get chummy at every chance as if he‟d just proposed. Had he no shame or sense
of decency? Did he not care about his wife? What‟s wrong with men these days
even? It‟s like they don‟t know what they want.
She didn‟t realize she‟d hissed out loud until all eyes in the boardroom turned
to her.
“Excuse me, did you have a problem with something I said?” Funmi asked,
sounding irritated.
“I‟m-I‟m sorry,” Iphey stammered and for lack of a meaningful explanation to
give, reorganized her papers and tried to look busy.
That was her Monday so far, and it wasn‟t even 10 o‟ clock yet.
Determined to make up for her double strike at the meeting, she decided to
skip lunch and use the time to put in some extra work. Iphey felt upset with
herself for being so careless, and she reminded herself that now was not the time
to slack off. The recent spate of terminations all over the banking sector was
nothing to joke with, especially now that she was due for confirmation.
Around 12:30, Bisi and one of the girls from Accounts Reconciliation stopped
by to ask if she would join them for lunch.
“Oh, thanks for the invite,” Iphey smiled, “but I really have to finish all this
work.”
The other girl excused herself for a phone call, and Bisi waited until she was
out of sight before saying, “So when are you going to gist me about you and youknow-who at your party on Friday?”
“I don‟t know what you‟re talking about,” Iphey laughed nervously, she
didn’t want to talk about Chinedu.
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8

What are you doing here!?” Iphey screamed.
“Please let me come in, I have to talk to you.” He pleaded.
“You!?” He looked the same as when she‟d seen him earlier in the cab but
now his face was softer, more like the brother-in-law she‟d known. He was
James, her sister‟s husband.
Not knowing how to process the information her eyes were feeding her, her
first impulse was to choke him by the collar and demand reparation for all the
pain he‟d caused her family. Since she couldn‟t do that, the next best thing was
to slam the door smack in his face. She did just that but James caught the door
with his foot.
“Iphey! Please wait!” He begged again.
“Are you James or not?”
“Yes…” He breathed with downcast eyes.
“I knew it! I knew it was you.” She opened the door wider. “How did you
find me?”
“I knew where you lived…”
“Damn you, James! Damn you to hell!” Iphey cried hitting his chest
repeatedly with both hands till he caught them in his.
“Iphey, please calm down… listen to me!”
“Please, shut up! Shut the hell up! Why did you deny it when I called your
name in the cab?”
“Iphey…I‟m sorry but I had to…” He pushed her back into her apartment
and closed the door. “I was shocked as much as you were, Iphey. I needed time
to put myself together…”
James had managed to push her into one of the living room chairs at this time
but remained standing. A tense silence ensued.
“Where have you been all this while?” Iphey asked in a low voice. Her hands
hung between her knees.
“I‟ve been here in Lagos…”
“My God! James, you live here? Ngoo waited…she pined for you all this time
and you live here in Lagos?!”
Pictures of her nephew in his bed during the most recent stay in the hospital
flashed before her eyes…Her sister‟s depression…The fear in her mother‟s
eyes…Her own tears.
“Please Iphey, You need to relax…hear me out at least…”
She sprang to her feet. “How dare you come here after all these years and tell
me to relax?! Why are you even here? What am I hearing you out on? That you
abandoned my sister and her child, YOUR SON!?”
Iphey knew she was getting hysterical but couldn‟t stop it. “How am I going
to break this to Ngozi? How will I tell my sister that her long lost husband is
infact alive? That he has lived in this same state all the while she was crying
herself to sleep?” Several thoughts ran through her mind at once.
James came to stand before her. “See, I had to do what I did…I didn‟t want
to but it was the best thing I could‟ve done at the time.”
Iphey was confused. She hadn’t thought there was a happier couple than her
sister and James at the time. She‟d just gotten into university when they got
married seven years ago. A year later Obi had been born and everyone had been
overjoyed. He was three when to everyone‟s shock, James had gone missing.
James went on…”Almost four years ago, something happened.”
Iphey‟s shook her head vigorously. “What is it, James? What happened?” She
cried, perplexed.
James breathed out and turned around. “I lost my job.”
“What?? What are you talking about?”
“You see Iphey; two years after we got married, I lost my precious oil
company job.”
“What does that have to do with it?” A shiver went over Iphey. The talk of
job loss was a bit close to home with the recent spate of lay-offs in the banking
sector.
“I never told your sister. I kept going out to work for nearly six months
afterwards and never breathed a word of it to her. I looked for other jobs,
gambled, took to drinking, chased other women. Nothing helped.”
Iphey found the sofa. This is only a bad dream. If I shut my eyes, it will go
away.
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Episode 9
Both stared at the phone and boy was it a tense moment “Well? Answer it.”
She gulped, “No I’m not going to. I want to know what you did.”
“You don’t even want to know who your caller is?”
Iphey snatched up the phone and checked the ID. Her stomach plummeted
when she recognized it but she wouldn’t allow herself to be deterred. “Look,
don‟t change the subject.”
James remained silent and she summoned all the firmness within her, “James,
what did you do?”
“Iphey I- It was- I had to -for the sake of my family. I borrowed money…” He
was stammering in anxiety, nonetheless his eyes held a mysterious glint, one too
dangerous for comfort.
“That doesn‟t sound too bad,” she shrugged, regaining her composure.
“Iphey, stop interrupting me please, just listen…” demanded James. “At first
it was from the bank but when their payments came up, I couldn’t make it. And
the last thing I wanted was for them to start sending letters to my office or the
house. I had to find somewhere else to get the money. Look, it was my only
choice; either that or the bank would sue me or Ngozi would find out. I wanted
none of that to happen”
It began to dawn on Iphey what might have happened. The suspense was
driving her insane. She wanted to wring his neck to get the truth out but simply
gestured for him to continue.
“I had been gambling heavily, losing a lot of money but still hoping for my big
win. Luckily the owners of the place agreed to loan me money in advance to pay
off the bank. I would then owe them…wait before you say anything!” Seeing
Iphey about to talk, “I now know I was stupid, but then I was like a man
possessed. I won a little sometimes, and it felt good at that time because I could
pay off some of the debt, I could buy stuff for your sister and pay my son’s bills.
It felt like I was working again, like I was a man…” He leaned back with a
faraway smile on his face.
Without warning, she sprang from the sofa, towering over him. Iphey‟s mind
raced a hundred ways and her heart pounded with seething ferocity. This was too
much too bear. “Of all people James, you should know better than to stoop so
low. How could a man in his right mind abandon his wife, and don‟t let me get
started about Obi. You allowed yourself to be sucked into gambling? As a man
my dear in-law, family must always come first, regardless of any financial woes
you may have incurred.”
He stood abruptly, fuming “What would you have done in my shoes? Gone
to church to pray for your debts to be cleared in an instant?”
“You abandon your loved ones and you stand before me expecting pity? So
now, have you paid off your debt? HAVE YOU?!” Unable to control her
thoughts, the damage was done as the bile spilled out.
“DON’T YOU DARE JUDGE ME!” His voice was raised to match hers.
“Tell me what to do because I have waited for God to send money down and it
hasn’t happened. He may have answered your prayers but not mine. So NO! I
have not paid it back.”
She backed down shaking, however, he had set her mind in motion; she had
judged Chinedu too. Acted as an arbiter and almost written him off because of
his past. And here she was doing the same to James, will she never learn?
He began talking once again “I messed up big time, borrowed more money
from the group and couldn’t pay because I kept losing…”
“That’s still not enough reason. James…” She began more gently, “Whatever
action you took in the past is in the past. I‟m not in the position to blame or point
a finger at you, but please let’s go see Ngozi…”
“Iphey the people I owe are after my family. I owe them millions! The gang
are after Ngoo and Obi. That’s why I had to leave, for the protection of my
family. “
Her mouth fell open. “Oh my God…”
James turned sideways and glared at her with dark eyes, coming closer till
they were an inch apart “You see why I left them? Why I cannot go with you?
Not this time and not ever. You never saw me, I was never here and I don‟t
exist…are we clear on that?”
Iphey nodded vigorously. He‟d changed. She was right, the James everyone
knew, the kind-hearted one who humbled most with his modesty, was gone and
so was the spark in his eyes, in their place was the remnants of a wounded man
and shattered dreams.

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EPISODE 10
Iphey shook her head not quite looking her in the eye, “Is Obi sleeping?”
Ngozi peered at her closely as though she could read something off her face
“Obi is sleeping. Iphey, please go on. O gini?”
Iphey sighed, “Ngoo, I don‟t know how to say this…”
“I don‟t like all this suspense o. Whatever it is, just say it.” Ngozi snapped,
her patience running thin.
“James came to my house.He‟s alive and has been in Lagos I…I bumped into
him…in a taxi. Ngoo he looked different but I confronted him, initially he denied
it but later he came and…”
Nothing could have prepared Ngozi for those words; she stiffened barely
allowing herself to breathe. In silence, her eyes willed Iphey to continue.
“I told him I‟d have to tell you, I even suggested we come together but he said
he couldn‟t face you after everything that‟s happened.”
“Where is James?” her voice was surprisingly calm and sounded strange to
her. “Is he here? Outside?”
“No, he was gone before I could convince him…” Iphey leaned towards her,
“Ngoo, it‟s a very serious matter…infact we have to….”
Iphey was still talking as she rose to her feet and started walking towards her
room.
“Sister, where are you going?”
Ngozi turned and smiled at her, it was a bitter smile that left her eyes cold and
empty “Iphey, you just told me that my husband who has been missing for three
years is alive and well. And not only has he been in Lagos the entire time, he‟s
also not here to tell me himself. I‟m going to bed and maybe tonight I won‟t
dream of him or wake up in tears and cry to God for him…”
Iphey stood up, “Sister, you have to hear what happened…”
That was the trigger, it was enough for her to lose it and for all the emotions
that had been locked up inside her to burst forth like a broken dam. She threw
the mug she had been holding against the back of the settee. Iphey cringed as it
bounced and then fell to the ground. Water splashed all over the light blue fabric
sofa and the matching floor tiles as the cup rolled to a stop.
“Hear what?!” Ngozi tried not to scream, to keep her voice low for Obi‟s sake.
“When he doesn‟t want to see me? I have cried every night for the past three
years! I fought off his family who wanted to declare him dead! I held our son at
night watching to make sure he‟s still breathing! And James is not here. He‟s
alive, not decaying in a grave, he can walk and he can speak so why isn‟t he
here? Iphey why isn‟t he here? He left us, he left me….” She let herself crumble
to the floor as the sobs filled her throat.
When Ngozi looked up, tears had started to run down Iphey’s face. She hated
her sister seeing her like this, so broken. She was supposed to be the older one.
Iphey crossed the distance between them, sat down and wrapped her arms
around her.
“I have to see him Iphey, I have to see him.” Ngozi mumbled into her
shoulder.
“You will, we‟ll find him” Iphey said firmly.
After she left, Ngozi watched as Obi slept, noting the rhythmic rise and fall of
his small chest. She remembered the scare when those doctors had told her to
prepare for the worst, when she thought that her world was coming to an end. If
she had lost Obi, she would have had nothing left to live for. Luckily they passed
through it. Obi slept now his face creased into the deep frown that signaled he
was in deep sleep. These days he insisted on sleeping only in his pyjama bottoms
and though he had been asleep for just a few hours, his small bed looked like a
riot scene with his tiny frame sprawled diagonally across the bed.
As she wandered into the kitchen to fix herself a cup of tea, she tried not to
blame James but it was hard, especially having had to bear this burden of
worrying about their child alone. After James had disappeared, their friends had
been supportive, offering words of comfort and prayers but after a year the tune
had started to change. No one could explain why he abandoned his wife and
child leaving them in such financial insecurity. They said he was dead and
advised her to remarry while she was still young, while Obi could learn to accept
another man as a father. She had refused and slowly one by one the friends grew
tired and began to keep away.

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Episode 11
Bisi drove away smiling but she had not smiled over her glass of vodka at
SWE Bar that night. vodka wasn‟t really her thing, but the way her life was going
these days, a daiquiri didn’t cut it.
When everyone had gone from work earlier today, Funmi had called her in to
say that her name was on the list of those to be fired soon. Iphey was to have
been laid off due to lack of experience but Ayo had exchanged their names.
Imagine! She tossed back her drink and gestured the bartender for another. Look
at that „miss goody two shoes‟, the small girl had scattered her life.
Bisi remembered the party last Friday and it pierced her heart. First Ayo and
then Chinedu fawning over that small girl! Both men could have been hers. She
had slept with Ayo a few times soon after getting her job but he‟d dumped her for
Funmi. She had got her own back when he married someone else. And it helped
that Funmi was on her side. But now for the bank manager to put her job on the
line for Iphey.
“Damn!” Bisi tossed back another drink.
Then Chinedu. They had met at Cubes Lounge and he‟d been paying her
some good attention. They‟d talked, they’d danced, they’d laughed. And then
he‟d asked of Iphey. From then, he was no longer looking into her eyes, no
longer flirting, no longer touching her hips, no longer wanting her. And why?
Always Iphey, Miss‟oh look at me, I‟m all innocent, I don‟t know why men run
after me.‟
The bartender shoved the drink into her hand and walked away. First vodka
and coke, now strawberry daiquiri. She‟d asked for a vodka! Bisi hissed and
wished she could throw the glass at his thick head, but knowing Lagos clubs,
she‟d hit someone else and the end wouldn‟t be pretty.
Bisi hissed again and walked to the opposite end of the bar.
“Vodka.”
“What would you like that mixed with ma‟am?” That bartender replied.
“Just give me vodka jo!”
She‟d been about to gulp it down when her phone buzzed with a new text
message. It was her nemesis, Iphey. “I‟m on my way to Chinedu‟s place just in
case. Call me in thirty minutes.” Bisi shook in shock and horror.
“Oh, no.” She gulped her vodka and stormed out.
“You‟ve taken over my work, everything that‟s good, but you won‟t go scot
free.” She knew Chinedu‟s address, had asked that first night. She was closer and
would get there first.
“Danladi, I won‟t need you tonight.”
“Eh, Madam.”
Bisi hissed, slow people irritated her and this old man was painfully slow.
“Go home Ladi, I‟ll drive myself.”
She got there fast and pressed the doorbell. She heard a crash followed by a
curse and there he was.
“Hi, may I come in?” she said.
“Sure, come on in.”
Bisi chuckled knowingly. Her blue camisole always did that. She dropped her
jacket and sat down uninvited. “I know I should have called first, but…”
“It‟s no problem.” He cut her off.
“Are you okay? You seem aloof.” He was still standing.
“I‟m good. How may I help you?”
“I would you like something to drink.” Bisi smiled, “A glass of you would be
nice.”
“Excuse me?” Chinedu jumped a foot as though burnt.
“See, I don‟t usually do things like this but I really like you and…” Bisi got up
and placed her hands on his chest. “…I find you attractive and I…”
She kissed him slow at first, tasting, savouring and then hot, passionate like
he was her sustenance to life.
The alcohol fueled her ardor till there was no possible way to turn back. She
played the imaginary encounter, conversation and well, the aftermath until it
seemed to materialize itself before her. In her mind, he deliciously responded in
kind. She could feel his muscles tense as he made intense love to her.
“Blood of Jesus!” He shoved her so hard she toppled over the futon.
“Ouch! Hey…”
“I‟m sorry Bisi. But what are you doing? You know I like your friend. I don‟t
want this. I want Iphey.”
It wasn‟t like her thoughts. There was no Iphey in her thoughts.
Bisi shook in pure rage.
“Ha!” she spat. “Iphey? You want Iphey don‟t you? Ha!” She exhaled in pure
anger.
“I‟m sorry. Bisi, I really-”
“Shut up! You‟re not sorry, not as sorry as you will be when I walk out that
door!”
“Now Bisi, I don‟t understand-”
“I said, shut up! You want to be with Iphey huh? Ask her about the bank
manager.”
“Bisi what is wrong with you?!”
“Aw, baby, I love you too.” She hissed and stormed out.
Now she smiled as she recalled the expression on Iphey’s face. Served her
right!



“Damn! My fist is bleeding.”
Chinedu had hurt himself while trying to “express his anger” about Iphey
leaving like that but hadn’t even noticed until his eyes caught the blood on the
floor.

Continue reading: https://ugobestiky.tk/2019/01/05/how-i-met-my-love-11/

EPISODE 12
Over the years in his life, Chinedu had learnt one policy. He never pursued
something he couldn’t let go of whenever the moment demanded it. So now he
scrolled to Iphey’s name and chose the option to delete. He hesitated, and then
he pressed on the button. The phone asked him if he was sure he wanted to
delete that contact and all their details. He closed his eyes and…
The ring tone to his phone startled him and had his eyes flying open to the
phone in his hands. Chinedu glanced quickly at the screen, his heart beginning to
race once again. It was Habib’s new number.
“Hello?” His tone was dull.
“Hey Nedu, what’s up my guy?”
“I’m at home, where else do you expect?”
“Dude!” Habib’s voice was surprised. “What’s the deal? Wetin I do you?”
Chinedu forced himself to laugh. “Sorry dude, na just some wahala with
Iphey.”
“You and this Iphey babe. It’s nearly three months since you start to chase
that girl.” Habib laughed, “always one palava after the other. You go out today,
tomorrow you’re not talking. If it’s not your past, it’s her boss. What is it this
time?”
Chinedu laughed at himself and the situation. It really was funny. The truth
was that he’d had relationships – if he could call them that – that lasted less than
three months. This thing he had with Iphey had just been messing with his head.
He determined to delete the number immediately after this and he would tell
Aisha it was over if she ever asked.
“Let’s not talk about it, I think I’m done.” Chinedu sank down on the sofa
behind him and leaned back against it. “What did you call to tell me?”
Habib paused for some seconds, “Are you sure, dude? I can talk if you want.”
“No no…it’s fine. I don make my decision.”
“OK…” His friend drawled and Chinedu visualized him rolling his shoulders
in his typical shrug before he continued. “Did I mention I am now embedded in
your old area?”
“What are you doing in Ajegunle?!” Chinedu sprang up from the sofa as
though burnt. That part of Lagos did not have very good memories for him. His
parents had moved away more than ten years ago and he had not been back
there since. He missed some of his old friends but the thought of the people he’d
pissed off kept him firmly away.
“Relax dude, I’m not asking you to come down here.” Habib chuckled. “It’s
part of the job I told you about and nobody knows of the connection between
us.”
Chinedu breathed easier. Habib was his closest friend and know more of his
past than any other person. He also reminded himself that Habib was a trained
operative of the EFCC and could take care of himself. Still he couldn’t shake the
dark sensation that crawled over his skin.
“I thought you said it was Mushin?” he murmured. “Anyway, promise me
you’ll be careful.”
“Of course I will dude.” Habib laughed. “I’m not so sure about this new guy
I’ll be working with sha…”
“You got a partner?”
“No, I just met this guy. He was introduced as my neighbor and it turns out
he knows some people I’m working on. Some illegal gambling and loan networks
on the Island. This is sure going to be interesting.”
“Habib, I know you live for such thrills but believe me, you don’t want to get
on the wrong side of those kind of people.”
Habib laughed. “I know and that’s why I called you. I want you to be more
careful now so you can remain in the loop. The information you continue to give
us is very useful. And keep an eye on Aisha for me OK? “
“No problem. She actually called tonight to complain to me about you.”
“Well dude, call her more often because I don’t want her number on this new
phone in case it falls in the wrong hands.”
Chinedu sighed, “I will sure breathe easier when you guys complete this job
successfully.”
“With this new dude, his name is James, it might take less than the expected
six weeks.”
“Keep me posted, and be safe.”
“Roger, will do. Over and out.” Habib hung up his end.
Chinedu shook his head as he pressed the exit call button. Habib will play
cops and robbers even on his deathbed. He looked at his screen and it had gone
back to delete number. He pressed yes.

Iphey opened the fridge and stared into it like it was a strange being. Finally
she reached for a bottle of water. As she poured it into a glass, she looked at the
clock. The time was4:32am….strange! She’d never woken up this early before.
Well at least for once she was following her doctor‟s orders.
“You should drink a cup of water when you wake up every morning…”
She smiled as she remembered the way he’d said it and then was brought back
to her dreams. They were strange and she couldn‟t understand them. She’d never
been one to put much stock by dreams but these ones were beginning to freak her
out. The latest one felt all fuzzy as she tried to remember the details.

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EPISODE 13

“Some people jealous me, some people jealous me…”
Bisi sang as Iphey walked into the Ladies Room. They had both been
avoiding each other at work and so far, there had been no confrontation. Iphey
blanked Bisi and acted like there was no one else in the toilet as she freshened up.
It was already almost six and time for her date. Thinking about the date gave
her the strength to totally ignore Bisi but it also brought thoughts of Chinedu to
the forefront of her mind. She had tried to stop thinking about Chinedu since
she‟d spoken to Dapo and his sister but it had been impossible. She just couldn‟t
stop thinking about him.
“Well, all that will end now,” she whispered to herself.
Bisi stopped in her tracks as she walked out of the toilet and turned to Iphey.
“What did you say? Were you talking to me?” she asked.
Iphey pretended not to hear her, finished applying her lip gloss and brushed
past on the way out.
“Nothing, nothing whatsoever will spoil my joy this evening,” she kept saying
in her head.
The sound of her phone ringing startled her. Iphey picked it up expecting to
see another caller id but instead she saw Aisha‟s name on the screen. She was
slightly irritated that it wasn’t the number she was expecting but she took the call.
“Uhum…”
“Ah ah, are we fighing? You can‟t even say hello, all you‟re saying is
“uhum”?”
“Sorry jare, just that it should be Dapo‟s sister calling me. It‟s almost six thirty
and she said she would be here by six, what do you think could be wrong?”
“Hehehehe haba babe, take am easy o, someone will think it‟s even a guy you
have a date with, they won‟t know it‟s his sister. Anyway sha, I assumed she
would have come so I called to know where you guys decided on, you know I
too like gist.”
“Gist monger!” Both girls laughed. “I will call you after I see her. At least
make she first show cos me I dey hungry o. I go just vex go house…”
“Hahaha girl, why you dey deceive yourself? We both know you won‟t leave
there so sit your butt down and wait for her. Talk to you soon. Take care and
have fun.”
Aisha hung up and Iphey continued browsing on the internet, all in a bid to
while away time. Her mind began to drift and she recalled how excited she‟d
been when Dapo‟s sister told her she would be coming to Iphey‟s neighbourhood
to pick up a delivery from someone. She had further said it would be nice to hang
out and Iphey had said yes immediately.
Dapo‟s sister had joyously said, “so it‟s a date!, cooool.”
Iphey wanted to hear all about Dapo. She was already anticipating his arrival.
She was not sure how he would react to her so seeing Dapo‟s sister would give
her a heads-up on the situation. Now she could not help but think it might have
been a test, maybe she‟d been too hasty in her answer and had seemed desperate.
Well the deed was done and she just had to live with it.
The truth was that she needed some distraction. On her own, she would think
too much and the issue of Chinedu would crop up if she hung out with Aisha.
She surely didn’t want that. Iphey looked at her wristwatch, it was a quarter to
seven already. She made a mental note to leave the office at 7:00p.m.
“Somethings are not just meant to be,” she told herself.
She decided to try Dapo‟s sister‟s number one more time. She had been trying
it for over an hour now and it was switched off. She tried it again and got the
same response, it was now a minute after seven. She was livid. She grabbed her
bag and left the office.
As soon as she she got home, she went straight to the kitchen to make some
Indomie chicken noodles. That was the fastest meal she could think of and she
had barely eaten all day due to the excitement of the date with Dapo‟s sister.
“Don‟t break what‟s left of my heart” by Banky W was playing on the
television. She just smiled. She remembered Dapo singing that same song to her
years ago. She asked herself now why she had never dated him but couldn‟t find
an answer. Her younger self had been playing hard to get unnecessarily.
The last memory she had of Dapo was of him walking out of her room. He
had come to beg her that day as usual and she had once again said no to him. It
was Valentine‟s day and he had come with flowers, jewelry, a teddy bear and
chocolates. She remembered the look in his eyes and the unspoken words they
relayed. A familiar smell drew her out of her reverie.
“Oh no!” She jumped off the kitchen stool and took the lid off the pot. The
noodles were burnt to the bottom of the pan. She just went to bed. Her phone
rang, it was Aisha. Iphey couldn‟t bear talking to her now as she felt like crying.
She put her phone in silent mode and shut her eyes. Sleep proved difficult, and
when she finally drifted off, the recurring dream came back.
This time, she looked right into the eyes of her mystery man.



When Iphey woke up the next morning, she promised herself she was not
going to bother about Dapo or his sister. They could call if they wanted but
Chinedu was on her mind now. From the way Bisi had been behaving the last
couple of weeks, Iphey realized that it was entirely possible that she had gone
over to the Chinedu’s house after getting the text from her, but why did he even
open the door to her? What she felt right now was anger at herself. How stupid
and naïve can I be? “I am a grown woman and I know better than to make
childish mistakes like I did. Sending a message telling Bisi I was going to
Chinedu‟s house was probably the dumbest mistake, if there was ever one.” she
murmured to herself as she got ready for work. She was hoping she could
continue to avoid Bisi at the office.

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EPISODE 14

Ngozi still didn‟t get it!
It had been two weeks and yet, each time she came back to it she was baffled
all over again. She wanted to respect James wish to stay away but anger burned
within her. What would make her supposedly loving and caring husband, to
abandon his family for this long? Did Iphey leave out something? Because it that
was all there really was to the story, then she was disappointed. She thought their
relationship was better, she felt the bond was strong enough that he could confide
in her. But instead he’d lied to her for months, even before finally disappearing.
The memories of her sick son having a brush with death made angrier at
James…the way she had suffered, running from place to place to make ends
meet. The showdown with his family, the nights she had cried herself to sleep,
the nights when she found solace in looking through his stuff; some documents,
his TM Lewin shirts, his shoes. She always believed he was still alive somewhere
and that he would surely come back for her. But now that she knew he had been
in this Lagos all this while, she was beginning to think that she was mistaken
afterall.
“Mtsssss,” she hissed with all the energy in her. She sank into the cream sofa
in her living room, still lost in thought.
She caught an image of herself in the adjourning mirrored wall.
“So, this is how I‟ve become,” she said out loud as she looked closely. There
was definitely a look of sadness in her eyes. Her once-upon-a-time model’s body
had shrunk with time. She was slimmer and looked darker. She noticed
something in her eyes, stood and moved closer for a better view. She just
couldn‟t believe it but yes, there was a blood spot in her right eye. That was a
new one.
“James, how could you?” she wailed in anguish, and then the tears came
again. Just like the night with Iphey, she broke down, and let it all out. She
sobbed uncontrollably for a while with her hands covering her puffy eyes and
then she told herself to stop!
She wiped the tears and said “Ngozi, enough!!!” At that moment, she made
up her mind. James wasn‟t doing this to her anymore. She was a successful
“single” mother, and a force to reckoned with when it came to gourmet cake
making in Lagos. Her shop which was her garage was always bubbling with the
high and mighty trouping in to check out her latest cup cake designs.
She had always loved baking and so her business was more like a hobby for
her. She made sure she had the right things at affordable prices and she was
supplied directly from the wholesalers which made her shop even more unique.
Her mind diverted to Otunba‟s side. Hmmm…that man was just too good to her.
A superior at her former office, he had stood by her through it all. James
disappearance, her son’s illnesses, her business. Otunba had really done well to
help finance the expenses to start her up, but she had refused to remain indebted
to him. She had insisted and actually paid up just a year after she started. That
hadn’t stopped his friendship. In fact, after Obi’s near shave with death, he had
proposed. He said she was the first woman to have ever made him feel this way
since his late wife, but she thought his marriage proposal was just a way to entice
her into an affair. Alas, she couldn’t bring herself to ‘cheat’ on James.
To now find out that the man she had been keeping herself for did not even
want to return to her. She shook her head vehemently and strode back to the
sofa. One man couldn’t do this to her. As much as she thought he was worth it,
she had mourned him enough. If he didn’t want her, it was time to move on.
She walked into her bedroom and hurriedly reached for her Louis Vuitton
bag. She ransacked its contents for her W90i…her resolve began to weaken, but
she caught herself, and dialed the number instead.
“Hello,” the masculine voice on the other end supplied.
“Hi,” she replied almost regretting the action, short of words.
“Are you still there?”
“Ehmmmmmm, yes…I…” her voice failed her again.
He must have decided to take over the conversation even though she had
made the call.
“Ngozi, how are you?”
“Otunba, I really need to talk to you,” she said, hitting the nail on the head.
“Is anything the matter?” he asked with worry in his voice.
“No! but its important, I need to see you…..are you free this evening?”
“I am not even in town at the moment. I‟m in Abuja for a business meeting,
but I‟ll come over once I get back.”
“When will that be,if I may ask?” she was getting impatient, and she just
couldn‟t hide it.
“I‟m taking the last flight back today.”
“Okay, I guess it can wait……see you then.”
“Alright and please don‟t panic. Whatever it is, we can handle it,” he replied
affectionately.
She ended the call still not satisfied. Her thoughts just seemed
disjointed……she wanted someone to convince her that this wasn‟t happening.
Afterall she had been through? James had shown no remorse, had not even
wanted to see her or talk to her. Her mind played back that fateful night on its
own………
“I have to see him Iphey, I have to see him.” she had mumbled into her sister’s
shoulder.
“You will, we’ll find him” Iphey had said firmly.
But did she really want to find someone who didn’t want to be found. Maybe
it was time to start divorce proceedings and accept Otunba’s offer. “It’s just that I
don‟t want wahala with those his ajebo kids sha,” she thought to herself.
She was brought back to the present by the shrieking sound of the doorbell.
Reluctantly, she walked to the door and peered through the peephole. She was
taken aback by the sight of her mother on the other side of her front door.
“When were you going to tell me, eh?” Her mother charged at her with eyes
filled with annoyance once Ngozi let her in. She dumped her overnighter just
inside the door and marched to the sofa.
“Mama, please let me call Iphey. She’s in the best position to tell you about it.
She was the one that talked to him.” Ngozi dialled her sister immediately.
“Iphey, Mama is here. I think she’s heard about his return…” She stumbled to a
stop as she noticed her mother looking strangely at her.
“What has Iphey got to do with Otunba’s proposal to you? Who did she speak
with? Whose return?” The older woman walked back towards her in measured
steps.

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There he was. The man who had refused to call. The man who had made her
feel ridiculously foolish and yet made her want to try again. Iphey was shocked
to see him after so many weeks! She had to blink to be sure that this was not a
trick her eyes were playing.
“Chinedu, what on earth are you doing here?”
As the words left Iphey‟s lips, realisation hit her hard. MAMA! She had been
right all along. The woman HAD been expecting someone else when Otunba
appeared on the scene. She glanced back and the look of ultimate satisfaction on
Mama‟s face said it all. Right in the middle of this storm in Ngozi‟s living room,
Mama was grinning from ear to ear. The smile of a woman whose mission had
been accomplished. Unbelievable. Iphey tried to caution herself from jumping to
conclusions but Mama‟s voice sealed her suspicions.
“Oh Chinedu. I have been expecting you! How are…”
“Wait, you were expecting him?” Iphey turned to her mother. She knew
Mama was a match-maker but did not believe she would go that far. So all that
delay asking for details about James was just to buy her some time so that
Chinedu would meet her here? As Iphey extricated herself from the confused
web of emotions that her mind had become, she realised Chinedu was
explaining.
“Yes your mother called me here… she said she wanted me to come help her
with something.”
“So you’re not here to see me?”
“Yes…Erm…No… Your mother said…” Chinedu stuttered.
The funny thing about shock or stress is the disconnect between thought and
speech. His words were as eloquent as those of a teenager asking for a first date.
What Chinedu was thinking was, “How dare you? I am the one who should be
demanding explanations here. YOU made up your mind without hearing my
side!”
These thought flitted through his mind, yet, the exasperation he felt was far
outweighed by something else he couldn‟t explain. Like why he could not erase
her from his thoughts like he did with his phone. She had a hold on him and he
didn‟t like it. He realized that she had also gripped his arm literally.
“If you would excuse us,” Iphey said to everyone. All eyes were fixed on
them by now. “We need to talk,” she whispered to him.
Chinedu was as surprised to see Iphey as she was. He did not know her
mother was playing one of her tricks again! The woman had called him earlier to
come and help her out with “something”. She said it was an emergency and
something she could not talk about on the phone. God he had so NOT planned
on seeing Iphey! It was the middle of the afternoon and she was supposed to be
at work. Now all the emotions that had seemingly been buried were rising from
nowhere. His thoughts were paused by the sound of her voice… he had almost
forgotten what listening to her was like.
“I‟m talking to you Chinedu! Did you know I’ll be here when you agreed to
Mama’s request to come?”
He pretended nonchalance. “I came to see your mother; I honestly did not
plan on seeing you.”
Her next words came out of nowhere. “That‟s not even the issue! How dare
you ignore me since? After that episode with Bisi, you did not even think of
calling me to explain. You completely blanked me and acted like we shared
nothing…. like I did not mean anything to you! How could you let me go?
Why?”
First, it was his past. Now she wanted an explanation for Bisi. Iphey wasn‟t
even his woman so why was she angry at all? How could she be so worked up
when they were not even together? He wanted to tell her he was sick of her
excuses. Instead, Chiendu remained calm…
“They say if you love something you should let it go and if it comes back then
its meant for you.”
Iphey hissed, “Oh don‟t give me that! You did not even act like you were
hoping I‟d come back! Aisha said you never brought up the subject after that
day.”
“I was giving you space, you needed to sort out your feelings.”
“I don’t blame you.” Iphey rolled her eyes. “Am I not the one that drove all
the way to your house to tell you how I really felt but you happened to be with
SOMEONE ELSE?”
At her rankled tone, he began getting worked up too. “Iphey, I‟m trying to be
as civil as possible but you are not making it easy! For Pete‟s sake I‟m the one
meant to be pissed here. I do not deserve this interrogatory process that‟s going
on here! In fact, I did not deserve the show you put up that night. YOU came to
my house and I had a visitor, SO WHAT? YOU chose to walk out without
giving me a chance and YOU chose not to pick the calls I made to you that
night!”

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After her outburst, the silence lengthened between them.
“Ifeoma!” Her mother’s scolding voice cut through the charged atmosphere.
“Is that how to greet your mother’s guest, ehn? With confrontation?” Letting
out a loud hiss, Mama came to Chinedu‟s aide, stopping what was about to turn
into a train wreck.
“Don‟t mind her, my son. How are you?”
If she was a meddling mother, he was gladly an enabler. At least, she came
through for him. Guy! You Bleep up. Why did you have to go telling Iphey you
deleted her numbers? Dear God… Smiling sheepishly, he could have kicked
himself for the nearly perfect impression of the awkward teenager he was putting
on show. Cupid was surely having another laugh at him.
Highly irritated, Iphey cut Mama’s bonding session with her perceived
potential son-in-law short. “OK… I really don‟t have time for this. I have to get
back to work.” She stormed off, leaving Chinedu with Mama. At the door, she
hurriedly mumbled some awkward but polite goodbyes and “nice to see you” to
Ngozi and Otunba. In truth, she wasn‟t totally thinking about her job after that
last tidbit about deleting her details. She would have agreed to jump on to a bed
of hot coals if it meant avoiding Chinedu.
The man might have been shaky with his words in the beginning, but he
definitely wasn‟t playing at the end. Even when caught off guard he exuded a
natural confidence that couldn‟t be taken away from him. He had just told her he
had been ready to throw her over and here she was still salivating. The fact that
he was just as gorgeous as the last time she saw him wasn‟t helping either.
“Iphey…”
She looked up and Chinedu was in front of her. His eyes looked straight into
hers unflinchingly. This was not the right time to be gazing into the eyes of an
alluringly attractive man. Sanity had to be preserved. Brushing past him, Iphey
dashed into her car.
Let him stew in it. Leaving him like this made her heart ache, but she was too
proud. The high of their reconciliation had been dented by finding out that it had
been so easy for him to forget her. And it seemed that the pride of her car had
been dented as well, her engine spluttered and died when she turned it on. She
couldn‟t believe what was happening right when she needed to escape the most.
Again and again, the car refused to start. When she turned the ignition, the
uncooperative engine made a sound that seemed to be laughing at her futile
attempts to get it to work. Iphey felt herself on the verge of explosion. Surely, this
much exasperation couldn‟t be contained in one body… She was one second
away from bursting into a torrential flood of tears when a deep soothing voice
came through her window.
“I‟ll take you.”
Iphey decided to play the hand fate had dealt her. Whatever her beef with
him, the fuming Funmi still waited in the office. She didn’t even want to fight
him off any longer. She was in Chinedu‟s car with all her stuff before she knew it.
As they drove in silence, she noticed he was smiling. Out of amusement this
time, not awkwardness.
“What is so funny?”
Chinedu let out a quiet laugh. It was that of a confident and mildly amused
man. “So you sabi Igbo like that?” Iphey hadn‟t realised she had been cursing in
Igbo at her choppy day, her manager and her car. They both burst into laughter.
The tension brewed by all the day‟s previous events melted into oblivion. There
was something about him that always put her at ease. It was the same calm she
felt when he comforted her during Obi‟s hospitalisation. Her mind drifted,
envisioning being held in his arms, totally at peace without a care in the world.
“You always know exactly what to say or do. When you aren‟t having
strange women over or robbing people at gunpoint, of course.”
The laughter died at once. A feeling of intense stupidity enveloped Iphey. She
had no idea why she had said that. Before she could take it back, Chinedu had
veered off the road, stopping sharply by some roadside stalls. He was visibly
angry.
“Who do you think you are? You no get secret? You no get past? The fact that
you know mine does not give you the right to throw it in my face all the time.”
He threw his hands up. “Women! You say you want honesty, then you run
when you hear the truth. You say you are not interested in me, then you freak
out at the sight of another woman. What the hell do you want from me?”
Iphey was dumbfounded. He was irate. She couldn‟t bring herself to look at
him, reverting to a childhood habit of playing with her fingers when nervous. She
now looked down at them.
“Answer me! Answer me now!”
“A chance?” she whispered.
Chinedu thought he was hallucinating. He could feel everything inside him
softening, turning to mush. “What?”
“I said…a chance. I‟m sorry for joking about that. It sounded funny in my
head.”

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EPISODE 17

The car pulled up just outside the bank, and Iphey stepped out, anxiously
glancing at her watch again.
The window on her side slid down, and Chinedu peered through it. “Are you
sure you’ll be OK? I hope your boss won’t eat you alive for this,” he asked.
“I will be a few minutes late, but I should be fine; I’ll find an excuse that will
work. At least, as far as I know, there’s no meeting that I need to be present at.”
Iphey still wondered whether Funmi had a nasty shock waiting for her when
she got back, but that was something she could worry about later. Right now, she
felt so happy at the prospect at starting something really solid with Chinedu that
everything else paled in comparison.
“OK. Oh – before I forget – can I get your number? You can be sure that I
have no intention of deleting it this time – but I’ll make up a song with the
numbers in it, just in case I lose the phone,” he joked.
Iphey laughed as she gave it to him. “Please call me, and let’s set something
up.”
Chinedu smiled back. “Yes, let’s see if we can start afresh. Actually, I just
remembered that you don’t have your own transport to get back. How about we
kill two birds with one stone? I can pick you up this evening, we can go
somewhere nice and then I can drop you off at home.”
“That sounds like a great idea.”
“Yes, I thought so too. OK, I’ll see you later.” He waved at her, and watched
admiringly as she walked towards the bank entrance. Then the window slid back
up, the engine revved and the car took off towards his office.
****
As he drove, Chinedu was lost in thought. He really wanted to make things
work with Iphey, and he was glad that he had this chance… but he recalled her
unease about his history as an armed robber.
“Sometimes, I wonder why I had to go and say that. Perhaps things would
have been better if I had kept this close to my chest,” he mused.
The more he thought about it, the more he felt it would be better to make a
clean breast of things and tell her what had happened in his earlier years…
Chinedu and his four younger siblings were had grown up in Ajegunle, where
their father worked as a clerk in an office and their mum sold provisions in a
small store. But it was not a happy marriage; the money both their parents
brought in was rarely ever enough to feed them all, so there were always rows
over why the children did not have school uniforms and books, or when the rent
was going to be paid so that the landlord would stop harassing them.
Chinedu remembered those rows with a shudder; they were violent, searing
affairs that left him with ugly memories. He also remembered his father often
saying to him and his siblings in a bitter voice: “See the suffering that being poor
can bring. If you know what is good for you, make sure you study well so that
you can get a good job and live in a big house, not this..” gesturing around their
cramped one-bedroom apartment. So he coped in his own way by immersing
himself in his studies; perhaps he could spirit them away from this miserable
existence if he became a doctor, or an engineer. Fortunately for him, his ability
matched his desire, and he excelled at school, so it looked like his hopes might
become reality.
Unfortunately, at the end of his second to last year in secondary school, his
parents separated. His father was tired of being belittled by his wife and left to
stay with another woman he had been having an affair with; his mother was only
too glad to see him go, as it would mean an end to the endless beatings and
abuse. But that meant that the burden of looking after the five of them weighed
even more heavily on her, and in the end, this meant that Chinedu had to help to
augment the family income by acting as an Alabaru, a load porter at the local
market. Needless to say, this meant an end to his studies.
Chinedu recalled his time at the market with mixed feelings. He missed going
to school; in addition, the work was hard and competition for customers was
fierce. However, he soon realised that the place was alive in a way that he had
never experienced as an ordinary market-goer. There was always something
going on; in addition, there was a whole underside to life in the area that he had
never realised existed until he started hearing stories from the sellers and other
regulars who frequented the place.
He soon made two friends, Polycarp and Gbenro. Polycarp was a friendly,
rather quiet boy who had also been working at the market as a porter for two
years. But Chinedu was more more drawn to Gbenro, a much livelier person
who always seemed to have a ready jest on his lips.

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EPISODE 18

It was the evening of what had been a dull and rainy day. Chinedu was
waiting in a room with two other men; he had been asked to ‘report for duty’, as
an operation was scheduled for this night. He was nervous, because unlike the
past few operations, he had not been given any details. While he waited, he tried
to pry information from the other two men. Serubawon, tough and surly, ignored
him altogether; Chancer, quiet and tense, told him to wait for their leader,
Dabaru, to come – he would tell him everything. Chinedu was edgy because the
people he was more familiar with, Gbenro and a few others, were not there.
About an hour later, the door opened, and Dabaru entered, followed by Okey,
another member of the gang. Dabaru was a tall, rangy man who had the air of
someone scenting for danger around him. He had been involved in armed
robbery for over five years; more than once, his sharp instincts had helped him
evade capture. He called them all to gather round so that he could explain the
night’s operation.
“We are going to this address in Lekki tonight. I hear that someone there is
keeping some money there this night.” He stared fiercely at one of the other
boys, “Okey, you know the place, right? The place I showed you when we were
driving in the area the other day.”
Chinedu was puzzled. “Is Okey driving tonight?” he asked.
Dabaru turned to him and smiled. “Yes, Okey is driving instead of you. I
think it’s time that you took part in a actual operation.” He turned back to the
others and continued explaining details of the operation, but Chinedu’s mind was
elsewhere. He knew that this day would come one day, but he hadn’t thought
that it would come so soon. His heart beat faster as he thought of what would
happen. He had gone on shooting practice sessions with the gang before, but
practice was one thing; real life was something else.
Eventually, Dabaru finished with the explanations and told them all to get
into the car waiting outside; the guns they needed were already in the boot. As
Chinedu passed him, he put his hand on his shoulder and said “We will make six
million naira from this operation; I know you will not disappoint. Just be strong
like you were in the last operation.” Then he followed them out and entered the
car, which promptly revved and sped off towards Lekki.
Chinedu shook his head as he recalled how horribly wrong the operation had
gone. His role had been to climb over the wall of the compound at the address,
then threaten to shoot the compound guard if he did not open the gate for the rest
of his colleagues. Unfortunately, the guard had panicked and run towards the
house, raising the alarm. Chinedu had him in his sights; but he found that he
could not bring himself to pull the trigger. He stood there, sweating and
trembling, as the rest of the gang shouted at him to let them in. Suddenly, there
was a gunshot, and he felt a sharp pain in his leg. The robbers heard the shot,
and that was their cue to flee. Chinedu collapsed and as he lay on the ground,
blood seeping through his jeans, he heard the wail of sirens in the distance
growing louder.
He woke up the next day at Apongbon. Five days later, the police doctor had
bandaged the flesh wound on his leg inflicted by the house owner’s pistol but the
pain in his heart went deeper. While his answers to the interrogations had saved
him some beating, he had been charged for armed robbery. His mother had
visited once but there was nothing she or anyone could do. He was not up for
bail and the police were were almost ready to transfer him to Kirikiri. He was
sitting quietly while the other inmates raved and ranted, when a couple of prison
guards approached his cell and unlocked it.
The prisoners began to chant at the guards, but they glared fiercely back and
pointed to Chinedu.
“You… come with us. Oga wants to see you.”
Which oga, and why does he want to see me? Chinedu wondered, as they
walked down the dark corridors that led to the prison‟s chief superintendent‟s
office.
The guards knocked and entered. Two men were sitting at the table; one was
dressed in uniform – Chinedu guessed that he was the superintendent – and the
other was tall, dark and wore an expensive babanriga.
“Is that the boy?” the tall man asked, pointing at Chinedu.
“Yes, sah,” one of the guards replied.
“Hmm…” The man stroked his chin for a while, and then he spoke. “You…
you were brought in from an armed robbery, right?”
Chinedu, staring in astonishment could only nod his head.
“I am Alhaji Galadima,” the man continued. “I am here to talk about the
gang that you were part of…”
It turned out that the Alhaji, who was a police officer, was looking for
information that would help him end the operations of Chinedu‟s former gang,
who were still active in the area. On inquiring, he learnt of Chinedu who had
been part of the gang, but was now in custody. Galadima realised after talking at
length with Chinedu that he had no great loyalty to the gang members, as they
had abandoned him the moment he had been caught, and had not contacted or
been to see him since. Chinedu said he would co-operate with the police in
supplying information. Galadima also saw from the conversation that Chinedu
was quite an intelligent person, and soon teased out the circumstances that led to
him joining the gang.
His co-operation led to two members of the gang, Serubawon and Okey,
being caught. It also meant that the Alhaji was able to arrange for him to be
released sooner, and in addition, he volunteered to fund Chinedu‟s education to
university level “because it would be a shame for such a fine young mind to go to
waste.” Chinedu‟s eyes misted over as he remembered the Alhaji‟s benevolence,
but he quickly wiped the wetness away, as he slowed down his car to park at his
office.

He sat behind his mahogany desk starring into space, his chin nestled in his
palms. His eyes were wide open but his vision was nil; he was lost in dreamland.
He could see her; young, beautiful and promising. Everything about her
enchanted him. Her smile was unique and different from what he‟d ever seen on
the other women a
He got up and strolled to his door and peeped through the pigeon hole. There
was a gorgeously dressed woman standing at the secretary‟s desk but he could
only see her back view.
„Sir? Are you there?‟ The secretary‟s voice came through the intercom again.
He hurried back to the table and tapped the intercom button.
„Let her in.‟
He couldn‟t tell who she was but from the „good look‟ of things through his
pigeon hole, he was willing to take the risk.
The door swung open and Ayo was awed as he beheld the feminine spectacle
that waltzed into his office.

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EPISODE 19

“So where were you?” Funmi bit out striding angrily out of Ayo’s office. I left
a file on your desk earlier this morning and now I cannot find it!”
After the discovery of Funmi and Bisi’s alliance this morning, it was easy to
guess how the missing file and all the other ones in the past including other
different things that should have gotten her into trouble happened.
“I did not see any file on my desk,” Iphey replied as she fell into step behind.
“How will you? Going out for lunch and staying two hours!” Funmi turned
around and glared at her. She felt like throttling the other girl’s neck. Bisi had
given her the lowdown on their confrontation and she was mad as hell. Imagine
the small girl, after displacing her friend, she had the guts to stand up to her!
Well Bisi could blame herself for trying to befriend her in the first place. See
where that had gotten her.
“It wasn’t like…” Iphey began.
“Pschewwwww,” Funmi hissed. By now they were standing in front of her
office. “Just find that file!” She snapped testily and then left Iphey standing there.
She stalked in and slammed the door behind her.
Iphey walked to the water dispenser and pressed out some water in a white
plastic cup and headed to her desk. She walked gingerly since it seemed even her
steps annoyed some people to no end. Iphey laughed inside, her time in the
ladies before searching for Funmi showed that she was still looking great. But
more than that she felt great inside. After the last few hours, she was in no mood
for more drama today.
It was like the day had flown by, so many things had happened, one
revelation after another. After Bisi, she had shrugged it off to focus on better
things and something beautiful had really come her way. She sashayed as behind
her mind‟s eye she could see Chinedu, tall, dark and handsome. Such men were
a dime a dozen, but Chinedu stood out from the rest, his features were imprinted
in her head so even if she closed her eyes, she could still see him and it was weird
but it seemed like they were connected.
Iphey smiled. She was working alright, but only just managing to concentrate.
Half of her mind was on Chinedu. She could not even remember what the
reasons for her not wanting to go out with him in the first place were. Yes, he
had a shady history but he had showed himself to be an honorable man so far
and those were the qualities that really mattered to her.
“A penny for your thoughts,” Tunde from marketing teased her, you are
grinning like the cat that got the cream.”
Iphey laughed. Tunde thought it a contagious laughter that demanded for all
who heard it to laugh also. He grinned widely at her.
“Are you sure you are not getting it somewhere?” he finally asked a quizzical
look on his face.
“I don‟t do premarital sex if that‟s what you are asking?” Iphey laughed
again, “I just don‟t see why you can‟t be happy and in love in a relationship
without premarital sex?”
“You look like someone has given you some good loving,” he insisted with a
wink.
“Actually I am just happy o, no particular reason, God‟s been good.”
“Uh hmm…tell me…”
Funmi was passing by and gave them a dirty look. “Tunde, Ayo wants you,
now!”
Tunde stood to attention, blinked at Iphey and marched off.
Funmi did not pause in her tracks. She was walking with Bisi, who kept her
face strictly ahead. A few paces behind them, Tola for Master Card section gave
Iphey a smile and a wave. Iphey smiled back and went back to the files before
her.
Iphey smiled to herself as she relived the kiss with Chinedu in the car. Her
toes curled in her pumps and began to tingle. She considered whether to call him
or wait for him to call first. She didn’t want to make any hasty decision but it was
not as if she was planning to marry him in the next month, she was just going to
give him a chance to see if they could make it work between themselves.
She remembered what she discussed with Aisha a couple of weeks ago. After
they had discussed finding Bisi in his apartment, the conversation had diverged
to general talk.
“Aisha, most girls are hasty to get into serious or permanent relationships.
For me, I have now decided that I’ll give the guy a test-drive…”
Aisha‟s eyes went wide, “Do you mean…?”
Iphey grinned mischievously, “No, not the way people usually mean a testdrive. I mean a time frame in which I check out the guy and see if I like him on
all levels and can check if we are on the same levels when it comes to values and
compatibility of personalities.”
Aisha smiled and said, “That‟s what most people do but they define it with
different terms.” They both laughed before Aisha continued. “As long as you
don’t end up in a marriage of convenience.”
Iphey sighed and said, “I could never do a marriage of convenience, I would
drive someone crazy.”

Continue Reading: https://ugobestiky.tk/2019/01/06/how-i-met-my-love-19/

EPISODE 20

Chinedu picked Iphey up at seven after work on a Friday evening. Iphey wore
black pants, a burgundy camisole and black short sleeved classy jacket. Today
was special and so it deserved special attention. It was three months since she
had got together with Chinedu and everyday was a revelation of how good they
were together. She smiled to herself as she went to the ladies and slipped on
silver filigree earrings, slid on some gloss and did her eye makeup sprinkling
loose powder sparsely on her face.
Chinedu waited for her downstairs and she traipsed down in her heels and got
into his car, smiling a hello and buckling her seatbelt as they headed for Surulere
to one of the tasteful fast food places on Adeniran Ogunsanya way. They ordered
and began chatting idly about their families, careers, hobbies and values, Iphey
chatted on with no guile and Chinedu listened enraptured.
He murmured and added words that showed he was focused on the
conversation as opposed to some of the other guys and rich wannabes she had
been out with. He was not like most guys; he did not pretend to hear what she
was saying and then launch into his own project and he actually listened to her.
He must have a lot of practice she thought and then she stopped talking as
she noticed he was watching her intently, different emotions moving across his
face, too fast for her to decipher.
She stopped talking and laughed at Chinedu.
“What‟s up? You are staring at me like…” she shook her head then waved her
hand in front of her face “…I can‟t explain the look.”
Chinedu glanced at her his gaze open and his look sincere.
“I am looking at you because…” he pausing swallowing, an Adam apple she
hardly saw bobbing at his throat “I am humbled because I know that I could
never have met you in twenty lifetimes if God did not lead you to me”.
Iphey looked her Chinedu, blinked, looked at him again, she couldn’t stop the
tears that came to her eyes. She wanted to laugh but instead she just said, ”you
know you drive me crazy right?”
He just stroked the hand she laid on his thigh.
She smiled through the tears and blubbered, “when I think I have you figured,
you find a way to break my defenses however small they are…”
“Iphey…”
“Wait, let me finish…” she blinked to clear her eyes. “I wanted to give you
a chance but I needed to do it on my own terms…” she looked away like
he caught her in a lie or something, “…with barriers so I could maintain
a resemblance of safety. But every time I think I am safe, secure, you slam
through my defenses like they’re a pack of cards, disarming me with simple
gestures, simple words.”
“Listen to me…”
“No let me finish.” Iphey shook her head. “I can‟t but reveal all of me to
you…” she sighed in exasperation “…you make it impossible for me to
hold anything back from you”.
“Iphey…”
“Please, let me get it all off my chest, I have feelings for you. I fought it with
all I had like I do everything else, I looked for everything, every reason why I
couldn‟t be with you, I counseled me, gave me all the logical equations that
should make sense but it all failed and I am afraid…” she shook visibly “…I am
in love with you.”
Chinedu could not keep quiet after that declaration. “Iphey, I love you too.
Sometimes I feel it so much it scares me. That was what kept me coming back to
you even at those early stages you were so busy pushing me away. I am in love
with you too and I promise to do everything within my power to keep your heart
safe.”
Iphey wiped away the tears that had started dripping again. “Every passion I
feel is reserved for you alone,” she murmured her eyes glittering, her gaze was
trapped in Chinedu‟s.
Chinedu laughed and said, “Iphey, I want to grow old with you, I may not be
perfect but be reassured that I love you more than my life.”
Iphey laughed and then she murmured “I can be so silly and
fussy sometimes…” she muttered looking down and then she gazed into his
eyes. ”I am not usually like this, you bring out the unusual in me.”
“No Iphey…” Chinedu protested as he gazed into her eyes reassuring her ”I
love you cheerful or crying, it‟s an adventure getting to know you and love all the
different parts of you.”
“Chinedu…”
“Iphey”
Iphey turned her gaze on Chinedu and he froze in place, her heart slammed in
her chest as she noticed the effect she had on him; and she wondered at the
power he had over her. There was this great upheaval inside her and she knew
that come what may, she would always be connected to Chinedu. There was no
stopping this and no running away any longer; it was time she faced up to it.
“Chinedu, everyday with you is an adventure and it‟s the ride of my life, I
don‟t know what tomorrow holds but I know this, God has got us…”
“Iphey, the first day I saw you, I knew you were meant for me…” He paused
as he saw Iphey frozen in fear, visibly shaking, he drew in a sharp breath and
“…I know it has taken a while, me getting you to believe in me and what I am
about…” he gazed steadily into her eyes, ”…but even though I am not certain
what the future holds, I know great things are in store for us, there is so much
promise and so much greatness ahead of us, all we need to do is take each day as
it comes trusting ourselves and trusting in God.”
Iphey smiled and seemed about to speak and then thought to herself, „This
man is the man of my dreams, I am in such a wealthy place, my fears still speak,
they tell me if I ever lost him, but would fall; my faith though speaks louder, it
tells me this man was created just for me and that if I can just take God‟s hands
and trust him, we are in for the greatest adventure ever lived‟
Iphey smiled and hugged Chinedu with everything she had in her
slight frame.
He pulled away slightly after a short kiss and looked into her face. Iphey
noticed he was avoiding looking into her eyes.
“What is it?” She asked.
“Nothing.” He hedged.
“Nedu spit it out,” she laughed. “I know you too well. What are you trying to
hide from me?”
He laughed and finally met her gaze. Chinedu took a deep breath and took
both her hands. “I did not plan to say this today or here or even this way…”
Iphey was confused. Was this the end? After the happy declarations of a few
minutes ago? “Chinedu, what is it? Did I say something wrong?”
“No, no, of course not!” He moved closer. “You said and did everything
right…” His phone began to ring. He did not even look at it before switching it
off. He paused again.
“Chinedu, please tell me. Whatever it is, just say it!”
“OK, OK.” Chinedu took another deep breath. “I want to marry you Iphey, I
want you to be my wife…”
Her lips were rounding open by this time. Iphey’s breath came quick and fast,
and she pressed both their hands under her breast as if to stop her racing heart.
“Iphey will you marry me?”

Continue Reading: https://ugobestiky.tk/2019/01/06/how-i-met-my-love-20/

EPISODE 21

Did all that really happen, Chinedu thought as he drove away from Iphey’s
place, who would have thought I could get so lucky today, all thanks to Iphey
herself though. He loved her with all his heart and right at this moment,
considered himself the luckiest man alive. That woman is really the best for me,
he grinned to himself as he drove. The strains of Celine Dion’s have you ever
been in love filled the car as he switched on the radio, could not have imagined a
better suited song for the moment, cupid is really up to something.
He started thinking, where can I take her to for a real proposal? It was great
that she had accepted his mother’s ring in a small eatery but he wanted to do
more for her. She deserved the best of him and more. Just as this thought was
playing in his head he heard his phone ring. He ignored it till he got to his street,
then he quickly pulled over to pick the call thinking it might be Iphey. It turned
out to be an unknown number, but since he had parked the car he picked it
anyway.
“Hello,” he said into the phone as he set up his brakes.
“My guy where you dey?”
It was Habib at the other end. “Oh Habib, this dude you no go kill me o. This
is not the number
you talk say I fit reach you on now?”
“Nedu wait, just listen to me. Where are you? Are you sitting down?”
“Habib you are scaring me now, what is it?”
“Iphey is in danger,” Habib said, “I know you’ve said I should leave you out
of this one but…”
“Dude forget that, tell me what is happening, what’s wrong? I just dropped
her at her place now I’m even not yet home,” he had subconsciously headed
home based on the plans he was trying to make for another evening with Iphey.
“You remember the contact person I told you about sometime ago,” Habib
asked.
“One James person,” Chinedu interjected.
“Yes him,” Habib confirmed. “So it turns out he was at Iphey’s place some
months ago…”
Chinedu swore under his breath, “to do what, does Iphey know him?” All
these Chinedu asked all at once. His mind was already joining the dots together
but he did not want to see it. This was the woman who owned his heart dammit!
“Damn, damn, damn!”
“Calm down,” that was all Habib could get into the conversation as Chinedu
was on an overdrive worked up about danger to Iphey.
“I swear Habib, if anything happens to Iphey I will kill that guy, who is he by
the way?”
“Will you just hear me out,” Habib shouted. “My James is the same as her
brother-in-law,” Chinedu heard faintly as he put on his ear piece.
“Iphey’s brother-in-law is the same as your informant?” he asked Habib to be
sure.
“Yes he is. I only found out the other day when he mentioned his family for
the first time. His wife is Ngozi and he is scared for them. Things are beginning
to get ugly.”

Continue Reading: https://ugobestiky.tk/2019/01/07/how-i-met-my-love-21/

Episode 22

Shit,” Chinedu said when the converstion with Habib ended. If his hands
were not on the steering wheel, they’d be clenched at this point.
Why now? Now that everything was fine and somewhat dandy. Why now?
Now that he was irrevocably hooked on her. Now that he had pledged to love
her. Now that he had asked her to marry him. Now that she had accepted. Why?
Poor Iphey. He couldn‟t even warn her of the danger that was brewing…Oh
God. How he loved her and wanted to protect her. They couldn‟t run away. No!
he wasn’t just going to up and run like some chicken. Run from who? He didn‟t
even know who they were up against.
That’s the question that should be on your mind, Chinedu.
This thing reeked of cat pee. Acidic. Could it be just a gambling debt? Or was
there something James wasn‟t telling even the EFCC?
He had to do something… and real fast too…
Bob Marley‟s Stir it up was playing in the background…Damn. Bob used to
help him think straight…and…OH! A Plan began to form in his head.
“Why didn‟t I think of that….” said Chinedu, as he dialed a number.
A part of him admonished him…begged him not to call the number…told him
to think hard before…it was too late…
“Ehen??” said the voice on the other side, “who be dis?”
“Ahn ahn! Gbenro, ta lo ji pata re? Who don go vex you today?”
“Tani yii? Who dey talk…who‟s this?”
“Chinedu ni…”
“Ah ah! Tuale!. How you dey na? Na wa o! E don tey oh…”
Chinedu and Gbenro had remained friends. Their friendship had remained a
secret. They were never seen together when they did have to meet. Gbenro had
come to Chinedu at a low point in his life and so had started their unlikely
alliance. Chinedu helped him in cash and Gbenro becaame Chinedu’s eyes and.....

Continue Reading: https://ugobestiky.tk/2019/01/07/how-i-met-my-love-22/

EPISODE 23

10.00pm
Iphey closed the phone and glanced around her. It was a bit dark and smoky
in the bar as most of the guys in the room had a cigarette. It was either hanging
from their lips or wedged between index and middle finger. A number of the
ladies were smoking too. She sighed deeply and looked across at her brother-inlaw.
“You were late.” She blurted the first thing that came to mind.
“I have apologized for that, haven’t I? I just had to make sure all was well.”
He glanced around again, eyes darting into the corners and jabbing at the door.
“Are you expecting anyone?” Iphey asked. She couldn’t deny the
suspiciousness that clouded his every move.
“Not really.” He replied.
James had on dark clothes and it began to dawn on her that what Chinedu
said might be true after all. Maybe she should not have come out here to meet
James.
“Who was that on the phone?” he asked.
Iphey thought fast as the words began to leave her lips. “Oh, just a friend. She
wants to talk and I promised to meet her after this. I said I’ll be around in a
few…”
“You mean you have to leave?” He interrupted, “but you barely got here.”
“I know,” Iphey sighed again. She was acting for her life here and didn’t care
how good or bad she was. “But you gave me such short notice, and then…”
“Anyway,” he cut her off again, “maybe it’s even better that we have just a
short time together. I’ll go ahead and explain why I called…”
“Yes I would like to hear that.” Iphey interjected.
“Well the thing is this. I told you the last time that I left Ngozi and Obi
because of issues I was having?”
“Yes, you did…”
“Well, those issues are being untangled as we speak. See, I met this guy. He
lives in a room at the place I‟m staying at. We became friendly and began to talk.
Along the line, when he mentioned the gang and their activities on the Island, I
opened up to him.” James raised pleading eyes to her.
“Go on,” Iphey encouraged. She wished she could cut it short. Chinedu‟s
warnings sounded in her ears. “Look babe, some people are watching you. Some
very bad people…I thought I wouldn„t have to tell you but…there.” She shook
her head as if in sympathy to what James was saying ads he continued.
“I had been keeping to myself so much and after my run in with you, I
became even lonelier. So it was a relief to be able to unburden myself to this guy.
But things have become more complicated now…”
“Don‟t tell me the guy turned out to be a criminal too?” Iphey cringed in her
mind. That would explain the urgency with which Chinedu had warned her to
leave. Her heart began a slow pound as she her gaze involuntarily went round
the small space.
“Nothing like that at all,” James said. He moved his chair closer. “He actually
works for the EFCC and they happen to be on the trail of the guys that want me
dead. The gang has been threatening my life till now but the police are on to
them.”
Iphey mulled his words in her head. When he had told her this six months
ago, she had not believed it but now, with the aura of danger all around, she had
no other choice than to.
James was still speaking. “The guy I met was a mole, sent to penetrate a
group they had in Ajegunle. I didn‟t even know they were so close to me but I
managed to keep out of their way. However it seems I was not careful enough.
They have found me…”
“What!?” Under the table, Iphey squeezed her suddenly sweaty hands. This
was beginning to sound like a movie. She didn‟t think before now that such
things happened in real life. Men on the run, undercover moles and criminal
gangs…those were so not a part of what she was used to.
“James, I have to go,” she declared. Iphey clutched at the package Supo had
given her from Chinedu and began to get to her feet.
“OK, OK…” James was trying to pacify her. “But you have to pass this
message to Ngozi for me. It involves you too.”
Iphey paused, half on and half off her seat.
“The EFCC are ready to put all of you in a safe house pending when all this is
sorted out…”
Iphey sat down abruptly. “Why do we have to do that?” she asked in a harsh
whisper. Sweat was gathering under her arms, she shivered as a tickle made its
way down her side. “Do these people know us? We have been living peacefully
all this while.” Her voice rose in the hysteria that swirled around her but she was
powerless to stop it. “What have you done?!”
“Iphey calm down, breathe…”
She realized she was panting in short bursts and tried to get her breath back.
She exhaled through her mouth and dragged in air through her nose. You are a
strong woman, she repeated to herself.

Continue Reading: https://ugobestiky.tk/2019/01/07/how-i-met-my-love-23/

How I met My Love 24 (EPILOGUE)

From Our Contributors

James…Thanks to Chinedu’s efforts he has finally been freed to the ghost
of his messy past. He finally worked up the courage to return to his
family. He pleads for his wife’s Ngozi’s forgiveness and promises to never
let her down again.

Ngozi…Her husband finally returns home after 3 long years and she
doesn’t know what to do or think. After going through a whirlwind of
emotions, some advice from her sister Iphey and her mendling mom she
finally agrees to take him back; especially for her son Obi’s sake.

Obi…After being reunited with his father James, Obi suffers another
illness and is admitted to the hospital for treatment. Unfortunately he
loses his life after a week of relentless efforts of the medical staff.
Iphey…After various events (the run in with the gang, Obi’s death,
etc)and confirmations in which Chinedu has proven his love for her,
Iphey agrees to spend the rest of her life with Chinedu. They go on to set
up a foundation in the memory of her nephew and a job
development/scholarship program to keep young men off the streets and
aid them in building solid foundations.

F says:
Iphey and Chinedu: After the dramatic events of the kidnapping, our love
birds decide to postpone the wedding, in order to get their bearings. They
are still together and even more in love than ever before.
Ngozi and Otunba: Following James’ death, Otunba is of great comfort
to Ngozi. A relationship bloomed and they are currently engaged.
Otunba is currently trying to beat Obi on their new Nintendo Wii. �
Mama Iphey still wants more grand children, especially from Iphey. �
Aisha and Habib remain good friends of the family.
Ayo and Funmi: Both are implicated in the mass-sacking of bank officials
by the Nigerian Central Bank. They are currently unemployed but
working through their relationship issues together, trying to see where it
takes them.
Alhaji Galadima and Gbenro continue to work with the authorities to
uncover criminal activity in and around Lagos.

Isha says:
Gbenro: gets a get-out-of-bondage free card for helping Chinedu, and
since his greatest fear is facing eternal jail time. He is able to get his act
together; he gets polished and lands a job as Alhaji Galadima’s high-class
chauffeur and personal assistant. It’s only the beginning of his great life.
Bisi: proves herself to be a conniving bitch and steals Otunba from Ngozi.
By the time Ngozi finds out that Otunba has been stepping out on her,
Bisi is 4-months pregnant with Otunba’s child. Ngozi is heartbroken
(Mama Iphey is not), but she finds solace in the unlikely arms of Habib.
James: gets his debt forgiven, and is able to live a normal life again. He
decides that he has put his family through enough, and gives Ngozi space
to live her life as she pleases. He and his son, Obi develop the best fatherson relationship he could have dreamed of.

2cute4u says:
James, does not die but is gravely injured, is hospitalized and from there
reunites with his family after apologising and explaining himself
Chinedu- gets to marry the girl of his dreams, Iphey
Iphey- marries Chinedu but stops hiding her feelings..
Alhaji Galadima- it is seen though a policeman is actually a kingpin of
another gang and wants to centralize the hierarchy so that he becomes
the one and only kingpin with eyes and ears also in the police force, he is
exposed by Dabaru and is arrested and confesses. Saving Chinedu was
just his only good deed.

Continue Reading: https://ugobestiky.tk/2019/01/07/how-i-met-my-love-24-epilogue/


New Love Story Will be here: Titled Shattered Hopes

Shattered hope
Episode 1


Stella watched sadly as her husband packed his suitcase. He just arrived home two weeks ago and he was already leaving again. Even though she didn’t like his job, there was absolutely nothing she could do about it. Not unless she wanted to starve. His lack of education was one of the primary reasons he couldn’t get a good job.

Things hadn’t been this bad when they first got married. She met him where they both worked as teacher in their local secondary school. Though life had not been rosy for them, she preferred his previous job to this one.

If the management hadn’t laid off some workers, he wouldn’t be embarking on this trip neither would she feel so helpless. Now she barely got to spend time with him since he served in the military and like he always said duty came first.

“I need to get a glass of water” she mumbled to him and headed out

Her two years old marriage had gone a true whole lot more than other marriages. She really hoped they survive it. Communication between them was pretty strained with all the tension in the air.

God please help me… she cried as she rubbed her protruding stomach. Several thoughts raced through her mind as she re-entered the bedroom. But one among them stood out most

What if he doesn’t come back…

She was lost in thoughts so didn’t know when he packed his last stuff and came to her side

“Stop over thinking it” he told her as he slowly rubbed her stomach as if memorizing it

Continue Reading: https://ugobestiky.tk/2019/01/05/shattered-hope-contemporary-romance-1/

SHATTERED HOPE 2


The months following her husband’s departure passed in a blur. Every morning since he left, Stella felt the same desire of not leaving the bed. She got up only for the sake of her baby knowing that if she didn’t eat and sleep well, she could be risking his/her life.

About two months had passed since his departure and in those two months, she heard from him just once. According to him communication from the war zone was not really easy. Stella wondered why they couldn’t just sign a peace treaty and end the war. She felt disgusted at the greedy and selfish nature of the government. They wanted to win the war at all cost and didn’t mind the fathers, husbands and sons that would die in the process. Unfortunately for Stella, her husband was among the men risking their lives for the country and all she could do was pray daily for his safety. She decided that once he came back this time around they would have a long talk and hopefully he would put in his resignation.

*******
Stella woke up that morning a bit disoriented. After saying her morning prayers she got ready for work. After the previous school were she and her husband worked had laid off some workers, she had applied for another job in a primary school. Although her salary was really nothing to write home about but it was better than nothing at all.

When she left the house that morning, she had a nagging feeling at the back of her mind. She couldn’t help but feel that something was really wrong. Her mind immediately darted to her husband and she said a prayer for him as she hailed a cab.

After teaching the second period, she couldn’t concentrate again as the feeling had increased. So instead of moving on to the third period, she assigned task to the children to keep them busy and then bowed her head on her desk to pray for her husband. She didn’t even want to think of anything bad happening to him. She had faith that God will not disappoint her or allow her cry at her favorite time of the year.

Right from time Stella had always loved Christmas. She saw it as a time to really go out of your way to prove your love to someone. Since she got married, she had never celebrated Christmas without her husband and she wasn’t about to start now.

Feeling a little bit at peace with herself, she continued with her other periods. She loved the children she taught at school. They inspired her and the zeal to make them better kept her going.

As soon as the bell rang Stella packed her bag and headed home. She got to the school’s entrance and wondered why she couldn’t spot any taxi there. They usually lined up at the closure of school to convey students and teachers home. But today there was no one in sight. She could see some people already making use of their legs. Deciding to wait a little longer for them, she sat down under the nearest shade. After waiting for like thirty minutes, she was getting frustrated.

Continue Reading: https://ugobestiky.tk/2019/01/05/shattered-hope-contemporary-romance-2/

It was just a couple of weeks to Christmas and preparations had already begun. Everywhere Stella went she saw smiling faces, people buying presents, Christmas decorations and many others. She really wished her husband was with her. Her parents had invited her to spend the holidays with them but she declined. It wouldn’t feel the same.

She tried to avoid going to places that reminded her of the beauty in Christmas. She couldn’t wait for her husband’s return. She believed there will still be time for them to decorate their own tree since he promised to come back a week to Christmas.

Stella woke up on the last day of the week feeling a bit weak. Few days left and her husband would be home so why couldn’t she shake off the feeling that something serious was going to happen though she didn’t know whether it was something good or bad. After saying her morning prayers she went to the kitchen to fix herself breakfast. The school where she worked had closed for the Christmas break a week ago so she had too much spare time on her hands these days. Deciding to put her time to use she started decorating her baby’s nursery.

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