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Jide laughed mirthlessly. ‘I should be the one to ask if you now want to leave me for him. As for me, there can’t be such a thing.

Why should I leave you to an unfeeling, selfish guy?’

She hugged him as if her life depended on it. ‘Oh, Jide, I love you so much. I don’t ever – ever – want to lose you.’

‘I’m for you for better or for worse,’ he reassured.

They were still entangled. She felt vulnerable, with things around, but not with Jide. He made the difference. He was still her love and he would never abandon her.

He would love her until the end. Her sleep that night was blissful.


* * *


The lady in tight-fitting mini skirt standing seductively at the point where Allen Avenue linked Opebi Road in Ikeja attracted him. He stopped the car and reversed.

‘Hello, babe. You want some fun?’ he said as a way of greeting. Of course, that was what he wanted. Why else must a lady stand alluringly by the roadside in the night and looking so coquettish?

‘Yeah, if you can pay my price,’ the lady replied.

Biyi chuckled amusedly. A down-to-earth sex-hawker this one is, he thought.

‘Come in.’

She did. ‘You didn’t even ask how much it would cost you.’

‘How much did you say?’

She told him and he grinned and nodded. No raise of the eyebrow, no argument. Biyi studied his companion.

She was a light-skinned beautiful one who couldn’t be more than twenty-two. She had starry eyes and in Biyi’s opinion, they made her even more desirable.

‘What’s your name?’ he asked.

‘Call me Rose.’

He suspected it wasn’t her real name, but to hell with that. He was soon driving his car towards Ikorodu Road.

The digital clock on the dashboard showed the time to be some few minutes to ten o’clock. It was really the hour of night crawlers to enjoy the ultimate in pleasure.

He slotted in the CD of Celine Dion. Biyi liked old school music and movies. It appeared he shared that passion with his companion.

As soon as the Celine’s voice filled the space, Rose looked delighted.

‘I like Celine,’ she said half to herself.

Biyi nodded. ‘I like her too. Have you ever watched her sing on stage?’

It was a preposterous thing to ask. Rose shook her head.

Once in a while, Biyi was given to making some boastful things about himself. He was in the mood right now.

‘I watched her perform on stage,’ he bragged. ‘In California and Quebec. But I still prefer Janet Jackson. The old gal is my choice any day.’

‘She’s quite good too and I liked her also,’ she concurred.

‘Janet’s performance used to be very thrilling,’ he went on as if he hadn’t heard what she said. ‘Talk about those gigs and dancing. My oh my. She’s one lady I’ll like to spend the night with, old or not. Bad luck, I’ve not got that opportunity.’

Rose giggled. This Nigerian with an affected American accent was certainly an interesting fellow, she decided.

‘You were in America before?’ she asked.

‘Yeah, I was born there,’ he lied. ‘I grew up in California but pop took me to school mostly in New York. I crowned everything up by going to Harvard.’

She was obviously fascinated. ‘So, what are you doing in Nigeria? Have you come for a vacation or what?’

‘Something like that. I’ve never been home before, so I thought to myself, why not take a couple of weeks from my busy schedule to visit Nigeria and know what things look like? That’s why I’m around now.’

‘You’ve been around for long?’

‘No. just three days ago. This country is damned interesting, isn’t it? I’ve been enjoying myself.’

‘Yes, Nigeria is interesting.’

Something struck him about her. Her English was good. She must be one of the educated ladies that found themselves enamored to the sex trade.

‘All the same,’ she was saying, ‘I wouldn’t mind going abroad and probably living in Canada.’

Yeah, Canada, he thought grimly. That was the new destination, right? Many Nigerians now preferred the North American country to the no-longer-friendly U.S.A.

‘If you prove to be a very good girl,’ he said, ‘I may decide to work your way there.’

‘Really?’ there was a sparkle in her eyes.

Biyi could not recollect seeing any lady this zealous.

In her mind, Rose was imagining and thinking up so many things. Was this handsome and seemingly gentle man, serious or was he just pulling her legs. Time would tell, she decided.



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Hmmmmm Biyi!!!!

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Welldone, sis.

In her mind, Rose was imagining and thinking up so many things. Was this handsome and seemingly gentle man, serious or was he just pulling her legs? Time would tell, she decided.

‘Small deal,’ he went on, bragging. ‘I can do it. With your body, you can be a model over there. Who knows you may even strike gold and become an international figure?’

She laughed shortly and pleasantly. Those were fantastic dreams, which seemed so out of reach for now. She was bemused.

‘You haven’t told me your name,’ she prodded.

He smiled easily. ‘Call me Eddy.’

‘Hmn, which part of Nigeria were you – was your father from?’

Again, he lied: ‘Lagos state.’

‘Can you speak Yoruba at all?’

The bitch, he thought savagely. Must she interrogate him? He however kept a cool countenance. She would pay for this.

‘Not at all.’ Another lie. ‘We never spoke it in America, you know.’

She nodded as if she knew. ‘So, when are you going back?’

‘In a week or a couple of weeks’ time. A lot of work will be waiting for me and I can’t really afford to overspend my vacation.’

‘What d’you do for a living?’

He was smooth and glib. ‘I’m an engineer. Computer engineer.’

‘That’s good. You must be making a lot of money.’

He shrugged and feigned modesty. ‘I manage to get by.’

They were now in Ketu. The traffic was light at that hour so the trip was smooth.

‘Where do you live?’ she wanted to know.

‘A bit off Ikorodu. We’ll soon get there.’

She relapsed into silence and he was glad that the questioning session was over, at least for now.

He could have asked about her background too, and asked how she came to be involved in commercial sex hawking, but he didn’t give it much thought.

There was no need to be sentimental with a sex hawker. Tell her as many fascinating yarns as possible, but don’t get emotionally involved.

He decided to stop the music of Celine, so he ejected the CD. He slotted in another old-time music, this time around the music of Kenny G. his partner remained silent and impassive.

He whistled softly to the music and accompanied it with nodding his head. It wasn’t really a passion listening to music but he did it all the same, at least to while away the time.

It didn’t matter if he gave much thought to the lyrics or it they really made sense or not. What mattered was playing the music.
Several minutes later, he slowed down the car.

'Here we are.’ He veered off the main road and drove on an untarred road.

He soon got to the entrance gate of the duplex building. He got down from the car, unlocked the gate and threw wide open.

He drove in and locked the gate back. Rose appraised the building and the environ. Everywhere was quiet.



You can download complete story @ https://publish.okadabooks.com/book/about/above_the_shadows/29529

Thanks for the update.

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op well done, u are doing a great work

Nice work.

Interesting.

Several minutes later, he slowed down the car.

‘Here we are.’ He veered off the main road and drove on an untarred road. He soon got to the entrance gate of the duplex building. He got down from the car, unlocked the gate and threw wide open.

He drove in and locked the gate back. Rose appraised the building and the environ. Everywhere was quiet.

‘You live here all alone?’ she asked.

‘Yes. One of my uncles put me up her, for the time being.’ It was like an off-handed answer.

‘Come on.’

He steered her inside the building to the staircase and to his bedroom. He motioned her to a sofa in the room.

‘I wouldn’t mind if I can have anything to eat,’ she requested. ‘I’m quite hungry.’

‘That’s a pity. There’s no food in the house.’
‘How do you eat?’

‘I eat out. However, there are some drinks in the house. Won’t you have some drinks?’

She thought only briefly. ‘That will be fine.’

He went to the kitchen where he removed plastic bottles of malt from the refrigerator. He was soon back in the bed-room.

‘Here we are.’

He put the plastic bottles on a stool, moved it close to the sofa and sat next to her. She could have as much drinks as she wanted.

The bedroom was large with a king-size bed. There was a twenty-eight inches flatscreen and a DVD player connected to it. He stood up to the television and switched it on.

The video inside the player started playing immediately. He made it to start at the beginning of the story. It was a Van Diesel movie. They watched in silence for some time.

‘Are you really serious about helping me to abroad?’ The matter had been agitating her mind and she was compelled to ask him. Perhaps, the break-through she had long been waiting for had come at last, she thought.

‘Of course, I’m dead serious.’

As she searched his face, there was that half-serious, half-mocking grin on his face. She didn’t know what to really make of it.

‘Do you have a passport?’

She nodded.

‘That’s good. I’ll have to get your personal data when I’m returning, ti start work on getting visa – a visiting visa to start with.’

‘Oh, I’ll be so glad,’ she gushed. ‘You don’t really know how life could be so harsh. I have to do this to survive.’

The words, ‘do this’ had been emphasized. Biyi nodded understandingly.

‘I can imagine. I’ve watched the faces of some folks and what I’ve seen is deprivation and poverty.’

She nodded. ‘That’s right. Many people are only managing to survive. The odds are certainly too many and it’s so perplexing.’

‘Don’t worry.’ He held her hands. ‘I’ll definitely do what I can about you. A beautiful one like you shouldn’t suffer.’

‘Thanks so much. I’ll be grateful and I’ll pay back.’
In what way? He asked in his mind.

They watched the movies for a long time, sipping their drinks intermittently. He finally stopped the DVD player and switched off the television.

‘Time to get down to business,’ he announced.

Rose had long been expecting that and had been wondering why the move was coming quite late.

‘How d’you want it?’ she removed her clothes and was now only clad in her seductive, black, lacy under-wears. He couldn’t help whistling at her near-nude body.

‘You’ve got a great shape, dear Rose.’

She smiled briefly. The fact was she had heard a comment like that too many times and the compliment no longer meant much to her, if at all it meant anything.

He brought out a midi sound system from the wardrobe and plugged its wire. The audio CD inside was played. The music sounded like calypso, but she wasn’t sure.

‘All you’re going to do,’ he informed her, ‘is to dance. Just as you are, I want to see you dance.’

Thanks for the update.

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Interesting story. Ride on.

Nice one.

well done op

Kaycee9242:
well done op

Thanks.

She smiled briefly. The fact was she had heard a comment like that too many times and the compliment no longer meant much to her, if at all it meant anything.

He brought out a midi sound system from the wardrobe and plugged its wire. The audio CD inside was played.

The music sounded like calypso, but she wasn’t sure.

‘All you’re going to do,’ he informed her, ‘was to dance. Just as you are, I want to see you dance.’

‘Dance?’ Rose wasn’t sure she had heard him right.

‘Of course, dance,’ he said, almost in a snap. ‘That’s all you’ll be doing.’

She stared at him in puzzlement. ‘I do not understand, Eddy. You mean you brought me here just to dance?’ It looked so ridiculous, or crazy, or both.

‘Yes, I brought you here to dance for me. That’s what I’ll be paying you for.’

But she wasn’t still sure. ‘You mean it, or are you just joking?’ she asked further.

She couldn’t simply believe her ears and she need an assurance that she wasn’t dreaming about what was happening to her now.

Although in her line of business, she had come across different kinds of men, this was the craziest of all, so far.

Rose remembered a time out that shat she had with a man in his early fifties. It almost ended tragically and the mere recollection of that made her skin crawl.

The man had a fit after the very first act and had been jerking his body as if he had a bout of epilepsy. After some time, he had remained still.

Rose was scared to hell and had thought the man would die. Finally, after what looked like ages the man had finally opened his eyes and sat up. He had paid her off immediately.

She too had been more than glad to leave the awful customer.

Now, this. This was the weirdest of them all.

'Listen, I’m going to pay for it, okay?’ Biyi was saying. ‘You’re going to earn bucks. Just do it or get the hell out of here.’

He was serious. Rose thought of all the promises he had made, and the price she had given him, which he didn’t argue about.

She shrugged. Maybe her dancing would set him in the right mood and he always needed that to turn him on. Since he was going to pay for, what was so difficult in obliging him?

She began to dance. It looked somehow preposterous, somehow dehumanizing, but he had said that was what he desired.

He watched her and she was surprised he looked excited as he watched the show. After dancing for about ten minutes, she stopped.

‘Tired?’ He looked disappointed. ‘You’ll have to do that for about twenty more minutes.’

‘Twenty minutes!’ it looked like eternity to her. He went to the sound system and changed the disk. It was another calypso music.

She was back to the act, this time closing her eyes. Several minutes later, when he finally stopped the music, she felt tiredness she had not felt in ages.

‘Alright, you can rest for now, but tomorrow morning, you’ll have to repeat the act. And, of course, you’ll be paid.’

She nodded and collapsed on the sofa, next to him. They slept on the bed, but he never touched her through-out the night. To Rose, that was very weird.

True to his words, when it was about five a.m., he woke her up to repeat the dance act.

‘You will have to remove all clothing now,’ he said. She stared at him.

‘Oh, come on. What difference does it make? You’re not shy about being naked, are you?’

This time, she did it with a kind of numbness that defied feelings. It was very mechanical but she could see that he looked so pleased.

Strange. She had never done anything as strange as this before. First, dancing almost naked in his front; and now dancing completely naked, while he looked as if he was watching the most interesting movie of the millennium!

At the end of the show, she went for a shower and dressed up. He paid her the price they had agreed on.

Thanks for the update

Interesting one.

nawaooooo this guy is more than crazy. thanks op

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Strange. She had never done anything as strange as this before. First, dancing almost naked in his front; and now dancing completely naked, while he looked as if he was watching the most interesting movie of the millennium!

At the end of the show, she went for a shower and dressed up. He paid her the price they had agreed on.

‘When will I see you again, Rose?’ he looked smug as he grinned at her.

‘When do you want me to come over here?’

He appeared to think over that. ‘Today is Thursday. What about Saturday evening?’ he patted her buttock.

‘That will be okay. I’ll be here. Meanwhile, let me get your number.’ They exchanged telephone numbers.

It was still slightly dark but she was ready to go.
‘I’ll drop you at the main road,’ he offered.

He drove her to the main road where she could easily get a bus to Ikorodu round about.

‘On Saturday, come in the evening. Come about seven p.m.’

‘Alright.’ She got down from his car and waited for a commercial bus. Would she come back to see him again?

She wasn’t sure about that. There was something queer about him, she decided. Must she take his words for it concerning the promise he made on getting her to the American continent?

She shrugged. She wasn’t really sure about him, about what he had said and about seeing him again or not.

Whether or not she saw him again, one thing was certain: she would never forget him for the rest of her life. Certainly, the previous night would be a night to remember.

As soon as he returned to the house, Biyi went to the hidden camcorder on top of the wardrobe. He removed the gadget, connected the USB cord to the flatscreen and played the recorded scenes.

The picture was sharp and clear, and so was the sound. It thrilled him a lot that it was a successful venture. There was a sadistic grin as he kept the camcorder where he normally kept it.


* * *

Saturday was the 15th wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Alex Fiberesima. Jide had promised to be there with his wife and hadn’t failed to keep his promise. Yeni had been told and she looked forward to the day.

She also looked forward to the day she and Jide would celebrate their own 15th anniversary. And the 25th one. And even the 50th one.

That Saturday afternoon, Jide had already dressed up.

‘Hurry up, for God’s sake. We’re almost late for the event,’ Jide yelled at her from the living-room downstairs.

She was still holed up in the bedroom, still gazing at herself before the giant mirror by the bedside.
Yeni was trying to look her best. An occasion like this was an avenue to look flamboyant and she wasn’t going to miss the opportunity.

After all, she was the wife of a top shot in an oil company.

She was decked in traditional organza lace iro and buba with a matching head gear. No expenses had been spared in making the purchase for the clothing materials.

This was the second time she would be wearing the them out. The first was when they attended a gala night organized by the Israeli ambassador to Nigeria at the embassy. With her figure, she had been a cynosure of all eyes.

She finally decided she was okay as she looked and left the bedroom. Jide was waiting for her quite impatiently. As soon as he saw her, he broke into an easy smile.

‘You look gorgeous, baby,’ he complimented. ‘God, aren’t I lucky with the lady I married?’

‘Thanks for the compliment, darling. You look gorgeous too.’

He was also wearing native attire – in guinea brocade with the babaringa patterned generously. The two of them made a wonderful couple.

They went in his utility car. The part was in full swing by the time they got there. Alex was very glad to see him.

‘I was almost thinking you wouldn’t make it,’ Alex remarked.

‘I hope we’re not too late,’ Jide replied in a kind of apologetic way, grinning broadly.

Alex looked around and beckoned at his wife who was attending to some guests.

She instantly came to join her husband and to exchange pleasantries with Jide and Yeni.

Jide was always impressed with Anita Fiberesima. At fort-four, she looked much younger than her age, and certainly very beautiful and adorable.

He secretly hoped Yeni would be like that too, maintaining the beauty and the glamor. Anita was such a swell sight.

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Jide was always impressed with Anita Fiberesima. At fort-four, she looked much younger than her age, and certainly very beautiful and adorable.

He secretly hoped Yeni would be like that too, maintaining the beauty and the glamor. Anita was such a swell sight.

The couples smiled and laughed at jokes and banters. Jide and Yeni were led to a table, while the Fiberesimas moved on to exchange pleasantries with a new couple that just walked in.

‘A grand party this is,’ Jide commented as soon as he sat down. His wife nodded agreement.

‘Some day, we’ll have our own celebration in a very big way,’ he added wistfully.

The uniformed waiter brought them delicious meal. Thereafter, wine was served. Some music played in the background while guests sipped their wine, brandy, champagne or whatever drink they had ordered for.

It was soon dancing time. The celebrating couple first had the dancing floor to themselves. They were cheered and hailed on by the festive guests.

Thereafter, the floor was open to everybody. Yeni loved to dance but the same could not be said of her hubby. All the same, she urged him on – as she always did – and they took good dancing steps.

It was a blissful affair. The couple forgot whatever worry – immediate or remote – that they might have. At the end of the party, Jide and Yeni agreed that it had been a pleasant evening.

They didn’t return home until some minutes after nine.

‘I hope you remember that Nike’s birthday is next week,’ she informed her husband.

Without doubts, he remembered. She had already told him not less than three times, so there was no way he would not remember.

‘Of course, that’s one thing I will not forget.’ He knew that Nike was a very close friend of his wife, and that they held each other in high esteem. Although Nike was single, the two friends were almost the same age.

The duo of Yeni and Roli had been teasing Nike about when the wedding bell would toll for her.it wasn’t her own making, Nike had explained the delay. She laid it on the lap of her pilot fiancée, Captain Henry Damanchi, who had been having such busy schedules flying across the globe.

It was a hell of a work that took a great deal of time, he had said. But then it was also bringing a lot of money. Very soon, he had promised her, he would be grounded enough to her to the altar.

The big question was how soon would that be?
Henry had already done things to make Nike believe that he was serious and committed. Right now, the two of them were living together in his Ikoyi flat.

Although he was not always around, she used to hold forte for him at the home front, as if she was already his missus. In spite of all these, Nike wasn’t entirely rest assured that all was well.

Many pilots had the terrible reputation of easily falling for anything that looked good in skirt. What was the guarantee that Henry wasn’t having a good time with one of those flirtatious flight hostesses or any girl he had fancied during a stop-over in one far-away city?

Yeni had laughed it off when Nike expressed her reservations. Pray for him and hope for the best, Yeni had, in her characteristic manner, counseled her.

Nike had thanked her with a smile. That exactly was what she had been doing, hoping and praying for the best.

Jide and Yeni were soon back in the house. Being a Saturday evening, the traffic had been very light and the drive was smooth.

Besides, Ilupeju, where the Fiberesimas lived, wasn’t too far away from the Ikeja G.R.A residence of Jide.

‘Mama has come from home,’ Alex, Jide’s younger brother, came to inform him as soon as he alighted from the car. She arrived not more than five minutes after you had gone out.’

‘That’s good.’ He nodded. Mama was found of doing that. She would just come to them without even giving a hint that she would be arriving.
Yeni did not particularly feel good about it.

Although she tried as much as possible to look affable and to behave pleasantly any time her mother-in-law was around, the fact was she wasn’t feeling good about it.

Mama was very fretful besides having a very sharp tongue.



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well done op

Kaycee9242:
well done op

Thank you.

Nice update.

Yeni did not particularly feel good about it.

Although she tried as much as possible to look affable and to behave pleasantly any time her mother-in-law was around, the fact was she wasn’t feeling good about it.

Mama was very fretful besides having a very sharp tongue.

Jide was her first son, her ‘beloved son’, to use her words. As a kid, she had over pampered him and had Made him believe no one else other than him could be the apple of her eyes.

Yeni had learnt that mama had to approve of her before Jide could even venture to propose to her. It also didn’t take her long to realize that he was always influenced and controlled by his mother.

She had pointed this as a shortcoming to her husband, but he had promised that mama could never be a stumbling block to loving and adoring his beautiful sweet heart.

Mama was a retired nurse who had married a very successful obstetrician. Now, in her sixties and having lost her husband about a year ago, she concentrated her energy on ‘dotting on’ her first son and making sure that all was ‘well with him.’

She was thus a potent threat to any woman who shared love with Jide. Yeni knew this fact very much.

Yeni and Jide entered the sitting-room to greet their ‘guest.’ After exchange of pleasantries, Yeni went upstairs to their bedroom, while Jide continued to chat with his mother.

‘So, how far?’ mama asked him.

‘How far with what, mum?’

‘How far with her?’

Sometimes, mama found it difficult to even refer to Yeni as wife. That was all as a result of Yeni’s inability to conceive and deliver a baby for her son; a failure which mama totally blamed Yeni for.

Jide didn’t like the caustic reference mama made to his wife. His mother was always like that. However, he had developed a kind of maturity and tact, which his father too had used, to deal with mama without raising dusts.

‘She’s still taking her medication and very soon, things will be alright. There’s absolutely nothing to worry about, mum.’

‘Hmn.’ It was a meaningful grunt. ‘I thought by now, she would already be carrying your baby.

That was the good news I expecting to hear from you, not that she’s still taking medicines.’

‘But she has to take the medication first. For God’s sake, mama, give her a chance. It’s only two years since …’

‘Two years!’ his mother interrupted. ‘You called two years only? Listen, by the time I was married to your father for two years, I already had two children for him.

It’s getting so long, dear.’

‘Not too long, mama. Things have changed. I mean in your days, having children was highly esteemed. But now, things have changed, and are still drastically changing.

There are even couples who that are married and have decided to put off the idea of having of children for now. Some even decide not to have children at all.’

‘Over my dead body!’ she swore. Then, she looked at her son critically. ‘Jide, I hope you’re not nursing any of such evil idea. It’s okay for those couples in Europe and America to decide not to have children, but here, never. Certainly, my son would be the last that would allow such an idea to enter his head. You’re not thinking of such an evil thing, are you?’

He chuckled over her agitations. ‘Relax, mum. I didn’t say anything like deciding not to have children. All I’m saying is that one should not make child bearing such a supreme, ultimate issue – ‘

‘It is,’ she interrupted, this time vehemently. ‘That is where you’re so wrong. What is the essence of marrying, if not for procreation? Tell me that!’

‘Cool down. Mum. First and foremost, marriage is for companionship between the man and the woman and …’

‘Again, you’re wrong. The first reason is companionship, but the second one which is even more important than the first is procreation. Didn’t God instruct Adam and Eve to multiply and dominate the earth?’

He suddenly felt exasperated. He knew he could never win an argument with his mother. ‘Okay, mummy. You’re quite right, but give us a chance, please.’

She snorted. ‘Yeni must really pray to God to do it for her. Just as the Bible says, long expectation can bring about the dejection of the soul. Tell her to pray seriously to her God and ask for a miracle. She needs it.’

‘Oh, we’re praying alright. I believe it’s a matter of time.’


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Thanks for the update