Infinite Love 35

The Only One He Ever Loved

Their grandmother walked in shortly and they both greeted her.

"Welcome, Mama."

"Yes, thank you my sons. Michael how are you?"

"I'm fine, Mama. Hope you're well?''

"I am well, my son. These bones of mine may ache but they don't stop me. How is your mother today?"

"As you can see! Mama, is resting, flexxing and chopping all my money!" Johnny chipped in happily.

"Me tchonu nso, will you be quiet! How much money do you have?" Michael scolded.

"Ah, he has a lot of money o!"

"Yes, mama tell him."

"How else would be able to keep all those girls of his?"

"Mama, you know about them?" Michael asked shocked to hear.

"Of course, he tells me everything."

"I have money! Na me be itego (money man) of Africa!" he thumped his chest boasting.

"Come on shut up. Go and start preparing the food."

And with that Johnny took out the kerosene stove to start a fire in the main corridor where do usually do their cooking as the communal kitchen was almost always overcrowded with people as with most houses that have rooms built in two rows of six rooms opposing each other popularly called face-me-i-face-you. The only kitchen is at the end of the last row of rooms with the disjointed toilet and bath in the small backyard.

Michael and his grandmother sat quietly watching his mother sleep after their banter when Michael remembered something that his mother said while in her hallucination.

"Mama?"

"Yes, Michael?"

"Is it true you didn't like my father?" Her initial reaction was that of mild surprise and then a smile before she answered.

"Yes, my son. I never liked your father in the begining. Like your father you say? I didn't like him one little bit! Everything about him repulsed me and sometimes I even felt like shooting him when he came to our house when your grandfather was alive. Thank God we never had a gun."

"Oh my God, grandma! Why didn't you like him?" Michael asked and Johnny crept back into the room to hear better and Michael signalled to him to go look after the pot but he in turned just nodded and mouthed "it's fine" quickly glancing back to the stove.

"You see my children. In those days when we married your grandfather and I. We didn't know that we would be susceptible to have a sickle-celled baby. It wasn't such a thing that you go check or think as it is done today. And thank God, we have our first child your uncle, Ifeanyi, then your aunty Juliet and they were fine. They were carriers but they weren't sicklers. Then we had your mother and then everything changed. She was born a full sickler baby and with complications too. She was premature and I almost lost my life during the birth. But we thank God."

"Ah, yes thank God." said Johnny gratefully.

"Doctor first told us that she might not survive one month. So we stayed at the hospital. Then he said she might die before three months. And after we left the hospital and brought her home, he told us she might not live to her first one year birthday but she did. Everytime they told us she might die she didn't, she always survived. You see my daughter is a fighter."

"My mother the heavyweight fighter." Johnny hailed.

"Yes, she is but oh... it wasn't easy! Your grandfather and I we didn't sleep for once. She was sick almost everyday headaches, body pains, asthma, aneamia, malaria she had them all every time and sometimes... she even had them all together at the same time."

"GOD!" Johnny exclamed.

"eh hen. Everyday, it was pains for her and who could bear to see their baby in pains? Every night, she was crying that even the neighbours wouldn't sleep not to talk of us. We spent money on so many drugs tablets even the hospital staff knew us by name. Your mother grew up with much difficulty. But she grew despite what everybody said she grew. And your grandfather and I knew that she would not die after she became three years old.

The few times that she was well she was just wonderful to be around and beautiful too! We loved her dearly which is why it always pained us so much to see her in pains. But we knew that God would not kill our daughter before our time. We knew. Your grandfather always told me that and look now... her father is no more and she is still here."

"And then your grandfather and I always worried about her future. Who will want to marry her with her recurring illnesses? The world was waking up to sickle cell and people were now trying to avoid it because they either die or you will spend a lot of money taking care of the sicker all your life.

So your grandfather came up with a plan. He planned that we will introduce her a wealthy cousin of his. He was a little old for her but at least he had the money to keep up her medical bills in case anything happened. You know him, don't you Michael? Chief Chibuike."

Michael recalled his father once asking him to greet and older man with big belly and thicker hands whose palms felt like his small hands were being clasped in the thick arm bands that the hospitals used to check blood pressure. He remembered feeling his hand pained him when held by Chief Chibuike and that he was too rough when he playfully slapped him on the back and grabbed his shoulders telling him;

"Stand properly, you're a man!"

"Wait! So you wanted mom to marry him? That man? Chief Chi..." Micheal asked interrupting for the first time.

"Chief Chibuike! Yes!

"He just got the Oshmiata title in our village then and your grandfather knew him well to be someone who like women. We didn't like him much personally but He thought if we got her married to such a man at least her future would be better with him."

"Wow! So we could have been princes then?!

Michael wanted to point out to him brother that a chieftancy title doesn't grant you royalty but they would have been merely the sons of a chief and that they wouldn't have been born in the first place but he instead just said.

"Johnny, go check on the fire." and his brother went out and dashed back in again when their grandma continued.

"So we; your grandfather and I took your mother to visit the Chief at his home on the Island then and immediately she saw him... we knew she didn't like him. But what could we do? We needed her to marry a rich man. And luckily the Chief liked her and he always had a number of people around him. You know people would stick to money like ants to sugar cubes. There were peope who wanted him to marry into their families too so that he would take care of them. And many boys who worked for him as drivers, cleaners, shop assistants so many and some just came for help from him. He was a very big man in everyway very influential. But my Olanna didn't like him one bit. Every time we asked her about him she would only wrinkle her nose and say that he was too loud and his hands were like sand paper."

Johnny laughed. "His hands really were like sandpaper and he was very loud." Michael agreed while Johnny doubled over and their grandma paused to smack his bum.

"Sorry, Mama." He said composing himself and wiping away a tear from his eyelid with his index finger. "Please continue."

"But the funny thing that happened was that even though we knew that she didn't like Chief we noticed that Chief's driver would come around to pick her up and she would go for long hours only to come back home late and happy."

"I don't understand, Mama." Johnny said. "I thought you said that she didn't like Chief?"

"Yes, that's what she told us. She said that she didn't like him but everytime Chief's driver arrived we saw her going out and coming back late in the Chief's car."

"See, Mama I told you your daughter likes to flex!"

"Let me hear word biko nu please. Mama, please continue."

"Yes, Michael and so after a while we broached the subject of marrying Chief to your mother and we were shocked to hear her refuse."

"She refused?" Michael asked.

"She refused!" Mama replied.

"She refused?" Johnny asked.

"She absolutely refused." Mama replied again. "She said that she couldn't spend a day with that man not to talk of marrying him."

"Your grandfather and I were confused. How can you say that when you have been spending all these days with the man? But she kept quiet and refused to explain anything only that she will never marry chief. So your grandfather went to see the Chief to know get to the bottom of the situation. When he got to Chief's house, the first thing the Chief asked him was how is your beautiful daughter you haven't sent her over like you promised?"

"Your grandfather said: Ah Chief, what are you saying? You have been sending your driver to picker up all these days and she has been coming to see you. Somedays she arrives late too. But the Chief denied seeing Olanna at all."

"Mama, was the driver's name: Gabriel?" Michael asked.

"YES!" she replied.

It took him a second but eventually Johnny realised it too.

"Ooh! The driver was daddy! I knew it! I knew I had a sharpman's blood in my veins." he exclaimed.

"Yes! Your mother and father were making fools of us and Chief. Pretending to take to her to Chief while they would were spending the day together."

The boys were laughing now.

"See you can laugh now but it wasn't very funny back then. We shouted at your mother, commanded and sometimes begged her to leave your father a man who was still finding his feet under Chief and rather go for Chief himself an already made big man. She refused. If not for her condition I have slapped her severely. I didn't find it funny at all. I told Chief about your father's doing and he had your father flogged! He even dismissed him as well and your grandfather and I thought that would be the end of it but it wasn't so."

"We did everything to frustrate their relationship."

"Really? Grandma?"

"Yes, Johnny. Especially me. I took it upon myself to chase your father away from her."

"But why now?"

"Well, because your father to me was the one standing in the way of my daughter having a good future. And a good future to me then meant marrying a rich man to cater for her hospital bills."

"So at first we never let her see him whenever he came around and thats when your mother had one of the longest sicknesses of her adult life. She was sick but we only thought it was one of her regular short illnesses.

Your father had been fired then and I don"t think he even had a job so I don"t know where he got the transport money from. But he always found a way to come and see your mother but of course I would chase him away with curses and I sometimes poured water on him. But he came back. I once got Uncle Ifeanyi to beat him away too. Still he came back. When one day we had gone out leaving your mother home alone. We came home to find them together, happy and smiling. The look on your mother's face that day was better than seeing a blue moon and it was just as rare. She had been bedridden but here she was smiling as if she had never been sick in her life."

"Wow. So she was actually sick because she missed him, right?"

"Yes, I knew it, your grandfather knew and he gave up trying to separate them that day but not me o. To me he was not good enough for her. So, since your grandfather had forbade me from chasing away your father but I wasn't still giving up. I still went to meet Chief Chibuike and promised him that Olanna would marry him in due time."

"Really?" Johnny interrupted again.

"Yes o! You don't know me. I can be very stubborn o! I put in special plans to chase in away. I was nice to him on the outside but I was quietly wicked to him. I wanted everybody to see that when he eventually left Olanna. That it wasn't my fault, that he was just not serious about her in the first place."

"Wow! Granny! What did you do?" Michael interrupted again.

Grandma shifted in her seat thoroughly enjoying the attention.

"I did many things to your father. Oh, God bless I did many things to that man."

"What did you do Grandma?"

"Well, I hope I can remember them all right now. But... yes there was the time he came and I knew he always sat on only one particular chair then. So when he came that day I had put pins quietly under the foam material and so he came and I welcomed him very nicely and sat him down there. I heard him say 'uhunh' when his buttocks landed where the pins are."

"Ah, daddy must have ran out!"

"Did her run out, Grandma?"

"No, Michael! To my surprise he didn't. I watched him very closely but he just sat there gingerly all day even though it must have felt like five long injections at the same time but he just sat there uncomfortably all day. Your mother noticed something was wrong and asked him but he said and just sat there."

"So did he come back?"

"He did. But he was always careful to check properly before sitting down in our house ever again."

"What else did you do?"

"Well...let's see. Yes! There was the time your mother cooked for him. She said that he had finally gotten as she wanted to surprise him with food to celebrate so she cooked. Your mother is a very good cook but that day nobody could eat the food she cooked for him."

"Why? Did you put poison in it?" Johnny asked.

"No!" she replied.

"Whew!" he whistled. "For a moment there I was afraid we wouldn't have been born."

"I put salt in it!"

"WHAT!" they exclaimed.

"Yes, a cup full of salt. I added it when she dished it on the table and I covered it like I never touched it in the first place."

"ah ha, Mama!"

"Yes, that's me. Your father came in took a bite of it."

"Then what happen? Did he spit it out?"

"His face lit up like he was on fire and when your mother noticed that and wanted to try it. He said 'No. This is my food. My future wife prepared it for me'. So she smiled and just watched him eat. And I watched him too. He rolled the food in his mouth for a few seconds and then swallowed. Then he took another mouthful and swallowed. Then another and another and so on. He finished the whole thing and it was delicious."

"Oh my God!"

"Wow! Dad did that?"

"He did! He cleaned the plates with his fingers and I doubt he ever liked salt in his food ever again. That night he asked for her hand in marriage and I just gave up!"

"You did?

Thankyou for this piece....

My pleasure. Glad you liked it boss

youngking22:
Thankyou for this piece....

Infinite Love 36

Love & Loss
"I did and I cried. I cried because I was afraid for my daughter and the kind of future she would have. I also cried on their wedding day the small one we had in our home compuound in the village.

I feared that she wouldn't properly be taken care of but I gave up on trying to break them because it was impossible. He loved her enough to patiently bear all my antics and she wanted him over a rich man. Because of my fear for her I always kept a close eye on them for any signs of problems or wrong doings but apart from their initial money problems which most newly weds had, they never had any serious problems.

Your mother's health improved greatly and I cannot attribute anything to that except that she was just happy. Your father made her very happy even though they both had very little and because of that she only minor health incidents. It was never the serious kinds that she had when she was younger and your father made sure to always be close by. He turned out to be the best man for her. He tended to her like husband and a father. He never allowed to feel any want, he gave her everything she ever wanted and I was shocked to see that. But I never told him and I never showed it because I feared that if I became softer with him that he would relent being the perfect husband. As for the Chief Chibuike that we wanted for her, he turned out to be a brute! He is currently on his third wife and I hope that one lasts. But, oh Gabriel! If I could I would give my daughter to you in marriage again and again.

Look at how she misses him! All her health problems are back because she misses him. That's how much she loved him. In his own way, your father was a great man, indeed!"

They all sat there quietly reminiscing about him and how much they missed and how different their situation if only their father was still alive then Michael said;
"Johnny...?

"Yes brother?"

"... the food is burning."

Infinite Love 37

The Actor Formally known as Princewill

“Charming, my darling. I can’t bear to be apart from you. Please don’t send me away. I would be lost without you.”

“Sarah, my love. Don’t say that. You know our love has been considered a taboo by my father. If we are to live together for the rest of our lives. It has to be away from him which means away from here. But you have to leave first and wait for me my love. I will have to come after you. I have to make sure that you have safe passage from here and when it is safe I will come. I promise you my love I will come. I will never abandon you. I love you.”
“Oh, Charming. I love you so.” And with that the two kiss passionately and after a few minutes the director said “… aaand CUT!”
“Okay. That was a good take. You two nailed that scene. So now, let’s take twenty and we will come do the next scene.”
“Really? Are you sure it was a good take? I thought Angel was a bit slow with the dialogue and the kiss.” The male actor said going after the director leaving Angela indignant.
“What’s your problem, he just said that it was a good take?”
Turning back asked “Are you okay.” Eyeing her suspiciously.
“I’m fine.” She said sourly regretting her rude outburst.
“Is it that time of the month again?” he asked again and she quickly blurted out again
“NO!” embarrassed.
“Then what’s the matter with you? Why are you so slow today?”
“Nothing.” She shrugged “I’m fine.”
He came closer until they were a hair’s breath away from each other.
“I don’t have to tell you how important this is to me. I need everything about it to be a hit especially with the soap awards so close.” He glared with his bright brown eyes boring into hers
“I know. I’m sorry I’m just a little tired today but I’ll pick up again in this next scene. I promise. So don’t worry.”
“That’s all I needed to hear.” He said with his face breaking into a bright smile and his face suddenly became less intimidating and more breathtakingly handsome. He left her without another word.
“What is his problem?” she thought and exhaled fanning herself with her script paper even though the air conditioner was working on full power. She sat down and began skimming through her script. She had already committed it to memory but after being so close to Will like that she needed to refresh her mind to make sure her brain was still working properly. She glanced casually towards him but instead their eyes met, flustering her, forcing her to excuse herself, anything… to get away from him.
Watching her leave. Princewill Ofonime couldn’t help smirking. He was well aware of the king of effect he had on his soap opera co-star. Hell, there was no woman alive that he couldn’t charm or fluster with his raw sheer magnetism. He was after Princewill and he involuntary arched his shoulders in unashamed confidence.
“Hey, you! Make up girl! Come and touch me up fast.” And the young eager-to-please plump girl jumped and skirted over to him in two seconds as he stared into his make-up mirror. His side of the set was complete with the full beauty regiment of a superstar. The crew initially hadn’t set up a beauty station for him claiming most male leads just didn’t request such but he wasn’t a fool. He huffed and puffed and raised enough drama until he got his full beauty station just as extravagant or even more so than that of a heroine.
“If I go through the reels after wards and sea any pimple exposed then you should know that you will be in big trouble.”
“Oh, no sir. I covered it all. All of them sir. I even went and got the expensive cream that can cover zits best. You have nothing to be worried about sir.”
“Good. Good. For your sake I better not. Now go away and call that cameraman for me.” He said. Princewill’s favorite past time on set is intimidating interns and new crew members. His family was funding this set and he was going to let everyone know who the real boss is around here was. When the cameraman arrived he said.
“I better not see in editing that you filmed my right side again. I have told you many times that my left side is my good side.”

"Yes sir."

"You can go." And with that Princewill went on to observe himself in the mirror again as he often did when he was alone. He checked to make sure his frown lines the ones he got from his frolicking days were staying put. He checked his hairline an noted the recession in millimeters and that dark patch under his eyes barely noticeable to others but himself was not clearing off not matter how many avocados and lotions he put on it before bed. But overall he still got it. In some ways he wasn't as drop dead gorgeous as he used to be in his University days when his looks were that of a stunning slim Versace model with perfect features. But he still got it. He thought about when all he had to do to get any girl he wanted was to simply look at her. That's right. Back then all he ever needed was a simple look and a girl would abandon her boyfriend and be over his side in two minutes. He flipped open his wallet and glanced at his picture in the NYSC ID. He didn't need to carry it around. The ID had already expired and he had plenty of others he could easily use in its place. But that youth corps ID is the last one he took right after finishing school and the last he had his golden boy look. He careesed his old face adoringly with his right thumb. The easy taut skin without blemish shining regardless of the weather or lotion and the full hair and hairline that made him look like a member of the boyband NSYNC was just too pretty. A pity really he sighed remembering how he lost it all.

He had always been a fun seeker easy with the booze and the ladies everyone in UniPort knew that. He came from a wealthy family, oil money. His uncle had a few oil blocs that his father was managing so he always had money. He did well in school but he never really pushed himself since he was always comfortable and school was a mere formality anyways. He didn't really need to be a scholar a job was already waiting for him as soon as he graduated. So he was always out to have fun and never really strived for excellence like his mates did. He just passed his courses so that his family wouldn't have a reason to complain about him. But then he graduated and man. That was when he took things too far. He partied and he drank at the parties and slept with all the girls he could handle and when that didn't give him ay more highs he turned to drugs, all in a short space after his graduation. He painted the town red. Port Harcourt girls would never forget him.

It was one of such parties that things went over board. He had been drinking and spending his parents money more and more and his friends introduced him to a new kind of drug. A stronger one, not that sissy pot stuff. All he remembered last was that the lights of the party suddenly grew unbelievably large and bright and started spinning around him and so he ran. He was running until he heard some people yelling his name and then he was suddenly flying through the air. He woke up three days later in a plastic bed with white sheets instead of the designer ones that he picked out for his apartment or the blue floral ones of his regular hotel room. He was in a hospital. His parents were soon informed and they sent down his sister who met the doctor and was told that Princewill's stomach had been pumped to remove all manner of exotic drugs from marijuana, ectasy and even traces of cocaine. He had brought shame to the family name and was cut off for a time and sent to rehab. But what really shook him to his core was his appearance. In a matter of a few day he went from being the golden boy to looking like a bag of dust.

After a few weeks in rehab he recovered and saw the light and swore never to indulge in drugs and alcohol ever again. His appearance improved greatly but it was never quite the same and then he suddenly decided to become an actor. His looks had to be shared with the rest of the world. It was the first thing that he was passionate about.

Infinite Love 38

Mirror Mirror

She was staring at herself in the mirror and feeling guilty. She had plenty of opportunities to reach out to Michael in the past. She did. She knew she did. But she hadn't done that.

"Why exactly?" she couldn't remember exactly.

But she vaguely recalled hoping to do well in her career so she would be able to say; 'Hey Michael, I finally did well for myself'.

She didn't want to be the helpless wreck she was in her younger days. If it wasn't for the support she had from her Aunt and especially Michael and his friends, her life would've turned out completely different and not in a good way.

She never forgot about him. Not once. Whenever she was in class and trying to focus; he was there by her side. Whenever she was studying late nights she never felt alone because he was there, around her neck she kept him, a pendant in the form of an eagle that she hung loosely on her neck chain. It was the wings clip that he gave her when they last saw eachother. It was never far. Always around her neck like a good luck charm and she traced it with her fingers constantly.

And when nursing school wasn't working out it wasn't disappointing her mum that made her cry, it was disappointing Michael. So when she finally found her passion in acting she could reharse line after line, hour after hour because always imagined he was going to be there in the audience applauding her. She never wanted to be a star, she just wanted to be his star.

She wanted to make him proud. So she stayed away hoping to be big enough to make him proud. But when she saw him that day on the highway. In worn clothes and tired shoes her broke a little. The Michael she knew shone like fine polish on a jet black shoe. His parents gave him everything to make him comfortable and to look good so when she saw him, she knew things were bad before he even mentioned that his father had passed away.

But it wasn't just the sympathy that she felt. It was the longing too. And the yearning and heart thumping blood vigorously through veins so forcefully and suddenly like her veins had dried up all these years and seeing him just kickstarted her heart again. It was beating again so fast just thinking about him. She sighed. She would never be able to get him out of her skin. He was flowing in her very veins.

Princewill was being overdramatic. It was true that she wasn't exactly matching the tempo of their usual dialogue but she was still present and performing well. Otherwise Mr Adebayo, the director would have criticized severely for it. The days that Princewill wouldn't learn his lines fast enough she would be patient or when he had to be coached by Mr Adebayo through a scene it was also her time that was being wasted but still she never complained. But he wouldn't consider that. The man only cared about himself and she often doubted how anyone would believe him as a romantic male lead but the numbers never lied. They were good together onscreen and the show; Charmed was pulling viewers daily.

Another thing that bothered her mind was exactly; Princewill. How was she to tell Michael she and Princewill were dating? Somehow, Mr Adebayo felt their onscreen chemistry may improve if they went on a couple of dates but nothing seemingly romantic happened that could help their performance on set. Sure, Princewill was handsome and he had those eyes bright brown that were so intense that whenever he directed it to her she felt weak in the knees. But still, she could tell he was unavailable emotionally and he seemed a little too much obsessed about his own looks. On one of their dates he actually had the waiter return their cutlery because he said he didn't trust any silverware that he couldn't see his own reflection properly. Who does that? He was only used to easy girls and easy, she was not. But somehow, he got the idea that they were a couple and so did the rest of the cast and crew and even her own mother. Especially her mother. She would be fussing and pampering Michael in a shameless attempt to force him to marry her. She meant to have a serious talk with Mama about the way she treated him like royalty whenever he was around. It was embarrassing.

She imagined it was Michael that everyone thought she was dating and smiled at herself. She thought about her mum fussing about Michael to marry her and admitted that she wouldn't mind at all if her mum did so.

"Mrs Michael Osu" she murmured at the mirror and stood up straighter and smiled broadly.

She opened the faucet and splashed water at her reflection for being silly. No, she wasn't Mrs Michael Osu. Not yet anyway. For now she was Miss Angela Nwolisa and she had a scene to complete.

"Well, back to the set." She signed.

Infinite Love 39

Angela walked out of the women's room to find Will still in make up. She exhaled. He did it every single time. Filming scenes can get tedious and breaks are needed yes but not when the actor keeps demanding twice as many breaks as is really needed.

And usually they are quick breaks meant for restrooms and sipping water to keep fatigue at bay but Will always takes twice as long. At every single break he would either dash into the loo for a quick pee and then sit in for a long makeup session or he takes a quick drink of water and then gets a long make up session. There was always a sweat that needed to be wiped off by his make up artist or another round of powderfor his face or his hair would need recombing. The man was beyond being a stuck up diva, he was simply narcissistic. Right now she found him with his face turned up and his nose hair was being trimmed by his assistant (eww) Angela felt sorry for the assistant. Handsome or not, trimming another man's nose hole must be gross.

Luckily, the director saw her and yelled at him.

"Hey, Fresh Prince! Can we get back to filming please?"

So Will snapped his fingers impatiently as if the assistant was the problem who said.

"It's done, sir".

And he got up, straigtened his hair and rebuttoned his jacket which made Angela swallow hard. She hated to admit it; but Will was fine. That skin, those lips and the face, they're all enough to take any girl's breath away. His walk towards her was deliberate as if he wanted her and everyone else watching to take him in one-animal-magnetism at a time and the cameras hadn't even started rolling again and slowly as if he was the boss and she didn't matter in the least. It was always like that with him. She always felt that he was constantly condescending her and at the same time trying to seduce her.

Suddenly, she felt the sudden urge to contact Michael, the one man she felt special around without complications and uncharacteristically, she took out her phone and dialed his number just as they were about to shoot.

"Seriously?" Will said on finally getting to her after his slow strutting.

"I'm sorry.... I'm really sorry." she mouthed to him and the baffled look of their director.

"Hello?" Michael picked up after the first ring.

"Hi! Hey, Michael its Angela."

"Yeah I know. Hey, how are...?"

"I'll be quick" she saw the scowl on Princewill's face and covered the mouth piece with her hand "do you want to meet up tomorrow morning?"

"Ur... yea. Yes um... where?"

"My place."

"Your place? Oh erm..."

"Yes, my place. In the morning but very early."

"Oh, yeah, yes... um but I don't know your address."

"I'll send it to you. So early tomorrow morning, yes? But dress casual okay?"

"Okay. Got it!"

"Bye."

"Bye bye."

She hung up to find Princewill staring hard at her.

"Who was that?" He asked pointedly.

"A friend. Can we start filming again now?"

"Well, of course! Some of us take our job seriously!" He snapped.

Pained. He had delayed them countless times before but she'd never complained. She whispered a quick apology to the director and said quietly to Will.

"I think you need another touch up. I can see a huge pimple popping right out of your forehead." She pointed and saw the look of horror on his face. She spent the afternoon enjoying his awkward attempts to hide the imaginary pimple during the shoot.

Infinite Love 40

Nerves of Steel

Michael was nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. Meeting Angela again was going to amazing but he still wasn't sure who she was.

Was sbe the old Angela that he went to school with or was she... different. She was afterall a soap opera actress now and who knows what kind of complex actors have. The jeans he was wearing was a little tight. They were Johnny's is brother had insisted he wore his clothes saying that Michael's weren't exactly diva hip. And his brother went on to give him unsolicited advice on how he was to act and react to a famous lady. Most of which were unhelpful and bizarre.

"No matter what don't eat her food. Rich people never finish their plate at parties, so don't it too much. At most, take one or two spoons and leave the rest. Say you're okay, no matter how hungry you are or how delicious the food is."

"That's ridiculous!" Michael said.

"That's the truth, bro!" Johnny stated matter-of-factly and then Loveth added.

"And also brother Michael, always hold her hand and open your car door for her. And hey if you get the chance...sweep her off her feet. She likes that a lot." another unhelpful advice from Johnny's current girlfriend. Johnny had unwisely bragged to her that his brother Michael was dated her favorite soap opera star and now she seems to live in their house asking Michael all sorts of questions.

"Thank you very much" Michael said not meaning a word of it.

"And above all. Don't tell her anything about yourself and where you live because rich people are snobs. If you do she will lose the little interest she has in you."

Johnny added taking Michael by surprise. It felt as if his own brother didn't understand why someone like Angela would be interested in him.

"So, just lie. Lie, lie and lie. Say that you're a big business man but your container is lost at sea and you're waiting for it to get back on your feet." He continued astounding Michael even further with his quick mind.

"Nice one, J!" his new girlfriend added giggling irritating Michael a bit.

"Thank you, Love!"

Suddenly, their puppy was a bit too much for him.

"You know what? Thank you both but go away now. I have to get ready for my date."

"Yeah, baby! That's my brother bagging an actress." Johnny beamed and Michael couldn't help grinning. Johnny's boyish smile was too darn adorable for anyone to resist.

"Just remember, you're also a rich man, you're just broke at the moment."

"Ugh" Michael exhaled. "Get out."

"And you can tell her to give you money to clear your container at customs that you will pay her double after your goods clear."

"OUT!"

That was earlier. But J and Love as they called themselves only managed to make Michael really nervous.

"Were they right? Would Angela lose interest if she knew exactly who he was?" he thought.

He called Dayo for some advice but all he got was the standard indifference from his best friend.

"What's the problem? You like her then go and see her. She is not going to eat you now."

Dayo was never a good emotional support. Ever since they graduated his only emotional goes from bored to indifference. Michael was very worried about him.

He tapped on the door and for a brief moment contemplated running away.

"Coming!" someone answered.

"Too late!" he thought

Infinite Love 41

The Hot Seat

The door opened and voila! There she was! Standing in front of him was the only girl he'd ever had feelings for. She was definitely a morning person. Her hair and face were radiant. Even without the makeup she was bedazzling. It's easy to see why was successful on screen. In real life, was stunning with her pale green v neck t-shirt and her light blue shorts.

"Michael! Hey, good morning!" she was definitely happy to see him.

"Morning. How are you?"

"I'm good. Hey, come in please."

He stepped into her apartment and any ounce of courage he had just vanished. Her apartment, even though it was moderately furnished and in size. It still had a quiet ambience of "money". The type of money that Michael didn't have and didn't know how to have.

While he lived in an old fashioned face-me-I-face-you compound sharing tenement with about a dozen other families, she was in a spacious apartment with a parking space. While the familiar sounds in his compound were those his cotenants fighting over the single bathroom. He could hear doves cooing softly outside in her apartment. Her place with its complete dining area with nice dining set and front lawn with a garden was a stark indication of how different they were. And suddenly, he felt out of place like an old rag placed amongst a freshly laundered flower scented designer fabrics. He wanted to leave.

"Good morning, Michael." Mrs Nwolisa, Angela's mom greeted him. He hadn't noticed her as he was busy admiring her house and feeling sorry for himself.

"Good morning, ma." he got up to be more respectful.

"Oh, how are you dear?"

"I'm fine, ma."

"Long time no see."

"Yes ma."

"How are your parents? Hope they're well?"

"Fine ma, thank you."

"Oh, my Lord. When was the last time we saw each other? That was about ten years ago right?"

"Yes, ma thereabout."

"That was a long time ago. Back then you were just fresh out of secondary school young things and now look at you two, all grown up. And my dear Angela is now a world famous celebrity making it big in the television business. Wouldn't you say so?"

"Oh, yes ma."

"Yes and you are... erm whatever exactly do you do?"

She asked and in that moment, Johnny's words rang in his head "Lie, lie and lie. Tell them you're a rich man."

"I am a businessman." he answered plainly but honestly hoping she'd drop the subject. He couldn't bring himself to outrightly lie. He decided that no matter what, he was going to be honest and tell the truth.

"Oh, nice! What kind of business?" she pressed and suddenly Michael was no longer comfortable in his seat. He saw her eyes fixed on him hard with a frozen cold smile. She looked like a wicked stepmother in a disney cartoon. He could pick up that she wanted to value him, to measure him up financially. She wanted to know if he was worth her time or her daughter's time.

"So, Michael what type of business do you do?" she continued. The woman was relentless.

"Laundry business. I am into the laundry business."

"Oh, that's good." she said with visible disinterest. Her smile immediately faded away. Johnny's words rang in his head again "Lie, lie, lie". So, he decided that maybe stretching the truth a little bit was allowed.

"Do you mean you're a washerman?" she asked plainly with so much spite that he found himself denying it.

"No, um... I mean I own my own laundry business or a washerman business with... erm employees ... working for me (if you count Dayo and Johnny who often assist him) and machines (he meant his standing fan, his iron and stuff)... and a building." he said hoping she would stop scowling her glare remain fixed.

"I see, so how people are working for and how many machines do you have?"

"God, this woman is relentless! What is this an interrogation?" and so he readjusted himself in his seat for the umpteeth time thinking of a way out of this awkward disconcerting position.

"You see erm...ma when I said... um that I have people working under me I meant..."

"I see you've met Mama. Do you remember her?" Angela asked suddenly emerging from nowhere bearing a bottle of malt and fries.

"Ah, yes of course." he said easily suddenly wiping off sweat off his forehead.

"Michael was just telling me about his business." she said casually springing out her smile again. The woman was a magician.

"Ah ah, Mama. Please don't bother Michael about that. Today, I just want to hang out with my friend."

"But I am not bothering him now... erm Michael am I bothering you?

"OF COURSE YOU ARE!" he thought "Erm, no." he said.

"You see! We were just catching up, dear, nothing serious."

"hmphf. You were serious grinding me just now." 

"So, Michael you were telling me..."

"Mama, it is okay!" Angela interrupted.

"Umf, okay. If you say so. Michael I will see you later."

"Erm yes ma."

"Ah, how I wished you had been around when Angela brought home her costar; Will. Oh! Such a handsome young man, talented and rich. And the two of them look so good together. Don't you think so?"

"Mama!" Angela exclaimed exasperated.

"Okay, okay. I'm leaving, i'm leaving." and with that Mrs Nwolisa retreated inside. She was always overprotective of her daughter and her success. Too many gold-digging young men out there wanting to use her daughter for her money. But as long as this one is just an old friend she wasn't so worried. But later on she would make it clear to him that Angela was not for him.

"I don't know why Angela is refusing to pin down Princewill. Princewill for that matter!" she pondered as she went into her room.
"The young man has everything; goodlooks, money, charisma. Why is she wasting time with this streetrat? Hmphf! Businessman indeed. Businessman who looks like he walked all the way from his village to get here. No car. Not even a mortorcycle. God forbid, she gets serious with this one. Well, as long as he is just a long lost friend. May be he will get lost again like one of those stray dogs. Hopefully, she hasn't fed him yet."

"I'm sorry about her." Angela said trying to dismiss her mother's words.  "She gets a little overprotective sometimes." she continued.

"It's fine." Michael said hoping he sounded nonchalantly without the heaviness that has befalling his heart.
"It's alright that she's overprotective of you. She's your mom."

"Alright, so, eat and drink up. I made it for you." she edged the fries and the malt drink closer to him. But his brother's words resounded in his head again.
"Rich never finish their food, so don't eat anything."
And with that he took one small fry and then a little chug of the malt, put it down and said;
"I'm fine, thanks." and folded up, unconversational.
"Oh, dear." Angela thought.

Infinite Love 42

It was awkward. It was awful for Angela. She couldn't have known what it was that her mother said to Michael. She just knew that there was a wall between them that was never there before, not when they were younger and in school or when they reunited two weeks ago.

"So, Michael. I hope you didn't have a hard time finding this place?"

"No, not at all. I found it quite easily." he nodded earnestly and became quiet again. More awkward silences.

He wasn't sure why he was there anymore. Or what he was doing there. But after her mom's interrogations he had to face it.

"What was he doing there?"

He thought he had only come to see his old friend again. But her mom had seemed to think he was out for something else.

"Was he really out here because Angela was successful?"

Even Johnny seemed to think so a little bit.

"You haven't really eaten any of the fries I made you. Don't you like them?"

He looked down at the fries, flattered that she had made any kind of effort for him. He took another and ate it slowly.

"They're nice. Thanks." and he took another.

"Does she think so too?" Now he was tortured. He could bear anyone else thinking less of him but not her. She was different. She was Angela. The one he stayed awake thinking about in high school. The one he fought for. The only other person he went against his father for. She was his third best friend other than Dayo and Onos. He knew her and she knew him. She was one of the few people who truly knew him. He cared about her deeply. And when they had to part all those years ago, and she kissed him. He knew her could never forget her. He carried her with him since. She was with him all those years ago, at the university, when his mom was sick and we he was working late at the laundromart. No, he couldn't stand it if she thought less of him. He thought the world of her. She was his Angela. and he had come here, hoping, if he was being honest with himself to win her over in some way. But, now he wasn't sure if he had a right to do that. He edged in his seat once again. He was so uncomfortable. He wasn't sure of himself anymore. He was out of place and wanted to leave. Coming there was a mistake.

She sat across from him and wanted their old connection back. She needed it. Those were the best times of her life and she hate to think that time was gone. Then she looked out her window and saw them. The early morning fishermen were passing by her window and going out to sea again.

"Mike, it's time! We have to go!"

"Wait... what?" he had been deep in thought and hadn't heard her.

"Wha... what are you?" He was confused as she was putting on a floating vest and a widebrimmed fibre sun hat. She tossed him a floating vest and a pair of flip flops.

"Put those on! We're going fishing!"

"er... what?"

I'm enjoying this

Your website is not opening,been trying to access it for days now Mr Abdul.

I'm sorry boss but you can't access it usung the links on Nairaland anymore. For some reason the links have been tampered with so you just have to use Google and type my website directly for access.

Just type it in your browser

adeabdul2:
I'm sorry boss but you can't access it usung the links on Nairaland anymore. For some reason the links have been tampered with so you just have to use Google and type my website directly for access.

Thanks boss.You are really good at what you are doing.keep on keeping on.

Crabs

"Will you get back here?" she called, running up to him to pull on his arm.

"Nope! If I, a man can be afraid of a canoe while you a woman, were simply excited about it then I should go drown myself."

"Get back here. Don't even play with something like that." she giggled finally pulling him aware from the shoreline.

"No, leave me." though he followed her. "My ancestors would be ashamed of me right now."

"Come on. Stop it besides, there are lots of brave and chivalrous things just waiting for a brave knight like you to do on this tiny island."

"Really, like what, dragons?"

"Well, all the dragons are taken but...some equally dangerous but delicious orange shell crabs are burrowed deep within this beach sand and only a daring and brave knight can help me conquer them for me so I can cook them."

He looked closer to sea orange and brown shelled crabs of different sizes feeding on the water hyacinth and seaweeds on the beach and decided to go after them.

"Say no more, my lady!" he saluted with his best old English impression "I, Sir Michaelot, will aid thee on such a dangerous quest. Your belly shall be filled with delicious crabby seafood before this day is done." he saluted again and charged ahead at the nearest crab but that only scurried into his hole and so he charged the next and the next but he only successfully scared them all into their holes.

"My hero" she gushed and abruptly stopped him as he was about to stick his hand into a hole. "Hey, hey! Hold on tiger, we don't stick our hands into the holes."

"oh, why not?" he asked stumped in his regular English.

"Well, because if it is a crab that is in there then you would recieve the pinch of your life. You could even lose a finger."

"Oh!"

"That's if, it is a crab inside there. Sometimes it could something much worse like..."

"...a dragon?"

"Exactly!"

"Got it! No fingers. So what do we do?"

"We...will use this!" and she brought out a stick that is more like the stem of a small plant. "It's a pawpaw leave stem. These crabs can't get can't resist it. So we stick it into the hole and once a crab grabs a hold of it, we will yank it out and put it in the pail."

"Brilliant!"

"Yes I know. Let me show you how it's done." and with that she gingerly stuck the pawpaw leaf stalk into the hole until she felt the end of it and poked it. A minute later she quickly yanked the stalk out of the hole and a crab was hanging onto the end of it.

"Woah!" Michael exclaimed and before she could dunk it into the pail, the crab let go and tried to escape back into its burrow. So she quickly reached into her pail for a spoon and whacked it on the head to daze it a little before picking it up from behind safely away from its pincers and dropped it into the pail.

"See? That's how you catch a crab."

"Awesome! Can I try?"

"Sure!" and she handed him the stalk and after dropping one or three crabs and getting pinched in the once he was finally getting the end of it and their pail was halfway packed with crabs already.

"Oh my God! This is so much fun." he exclaimed as they ran scampering after yet another crab that he dropped.

"Really? Are you having fun?"

"Yeah, I'm having the best time!" he said dunking another crab into the pail. "This is so much fun and...I haven't embarrassed myself one...bit."

"Oh, come on, Michael. You can't be afraid of being embarrassed around me, its me...Angela! Remember? We went to high school together and hung out everyday until graduation? We're friends."

"I know. It's just that it's been after so long and I wasn't sure if you were still you and besides you look so different on TV, so glamorous."

"That's TV" she protested. "Hey! Look at me! I'm still the same girl." and she stopped to gesture to her body barefoot in the sand and smelling of crabs.

"But come on, are you still the same Angela?"

"Yes, of course!"

"Really? The same Angela who used to sell fish and clean out fish guts in her mom's small fish shop?"

"You better believe it! How do you think I found this Island? I used to buy fresh fish from those fishermen and I used to get a really good deal from them and over time I asked them to take me along on their fishing trips and they also showed me this island were their women and children used to catch crabs. The government is currently not allowing people live here but they allow the fishermen to fish and catch crabs here and the fishermen let me come here whenever I want because I am such a good customer."

"Wow. You're amazing."

"Thanks. So you can tell me anything. I'm still the same old Angela."

"Okay. I'll keep that in mind."

"No, start right now. Tell me something anything. Oh...tell me one of your most embarrassing moments."

He regarded her for a moment and then said.

"Okay, alright. Ah, yes! One of my most embarrassing moments happened in the university."

"Oh, tell me please. I won't laugh. I promise."

"Okay, so, it was during one of my first semester exams...and I was in the exam hall seated right in the front on this very uncomfortable rickety seat. The seat kept swinging side to side to and uncomfortable position but I tried to hold it steady with my butt until I got tired of it and the seat swung to the left again and then it made a sound like someone farting, passing wind."

"Oh! What?"

"Yeah, and it was doing that a couple of times so people were thinking that I was farting the whole time, meanwhile it was the seat that was making farting sounds."

"What!?"

"Yeah, don't laugh and it got so bad that people were starting to laugh at me in the exam hall and so the invigilator approached. And, get this. When I got up to try to explain that it was indeed the seat that was making farting noises and not me. Get this, that's actually when I farted, right next to the invigilator standing next to me."

"No!"

"Yes! I guess I was so nervous that my body just let one rip. The hall exploded with laughter and the lecturer simply walked away. And I had to finish the remainder of my papers in deep embarrassment."

"Oh my God!"

"I prayed that I never had to see the lecturer again for the rest of my time there but guess he turned out to be one of my departmental lecturers later and even became my final project supervisor."

"Wow."

"Yeah, he called me fartman for the rest of my time there whenever he saw me."

"Wow. That is insane." she said trying her best to stiffle a laughter and failing before finally;

"Ha ha ha ha."

"Hey, you promised not to laugh!"

"But it is just so funny. Ha ha ha. I can't help myself. He he he. And he called you fartman...ho ho ho."

"Yes and it wasn't a laughing matter. Whenever I entered his office he would go 'Hey, Fartman' and then anybody present would hear the story of me farting in the exam all over again."

"That is awful."

"Yeah, it was so stop smiling."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm just nervous. I wouldn't want to...fart."

"What!? I'll get you for that!" and he picked up a crab and chased her around the beach with it.

"Oh, no! I'm sorry I didn't mean to, fartman, I mean Michael. Ha ha."

He chased her playfully teasing her with a crab and she ran and dodged and pleaded until they both collapsed on the sand exhausted side by side. Lying there, under the shade of a coconut tree, with the cool ocean breeze in their faces and the sand on their feet. Watching the silhouette of the fishing boat across the ocean against the rising sun was a scene worthy of a portrait. It was beautiful. It was perfect. And they both laughed and laughed until he looked at her deeply and realized how her hair and shoulders had a little sand in them. He reached out to swipe them away and...maybe it was the beautiful ocean view or the sea breeze or it could have even been her mind playing tricks on her from all the running... but upon impact with her skin, his hands sent ripples of electricity right from her shoulders down to her very toes. He found herself flexing her toes to get back some feeing into because she was feeling numb all over and glanced up to meet his gaze. She promptly looked away the intensity in them was too much for her to bear and...

Thanks a lot boss

crossfm:
Thanks boss.You are really good at what you are doing.keep on keeping on.

Infinite Love 45

Porn Star

Suddenly, she felt a churning in her stomach, a tightening yearning that moved up her throat and into her mouth onto her tongue. Her lips were burning to be kissed.

Not the scripted ones that she’d had with Princewill on numerous occasions on set, performed with a lot of skill but zero feelings. No, her upper and lower lips craved on of those tightening squeeze of a kiss that sucks the breath right out of you and made you feel faint, close to death from passionate overdose and yet so alive at the same time. The only time that she felt such was a kiss over a decade ago with him, when they parted and her emotions overwhelmed her. But now that she had such a feeling again after so long a time, how would she make it happen?

She looked up to him and tried to tell him this to say it to him. But wait…he just said something but she hadn’t heard.

“Wha…what did you say?­”

“…your turn.”

“huh?”

“I said your turn. I’ve had just told you my most embarrassing moment and now, it’s your turn.” He said with a grin.

“Alright, fair enough. Umm…let me see. Oh, I have one!”

“It better be good!”

“Trust me. It’s a good one. It’s so embarrassing!” so he shifted to his left side to face her fully and listen attentively.

“Great. Spill it!”

“So, it happened in the early days of the show with Princewill and we we’re camped out at a hotel, all of us, the cast and crew, everyone. And one night, Prince and I had scheduled to rehearse lines in his hotel room and so I went there and knocked on his room. By the second knock I thought I heard some strange sounds or noise coming from his room and I thought maybe he had company but when he opened the door he was alone. He just had what do you call it…that video game that guys have? Something station?

“A playstation?” he offered.

“Yes, it was a playstation. A playstation 3 yes! I remembered. So, while we were reading lines I noticed that he was extra frisky that night. Sitting way too close, a brushing my hand more often than he needed too and at one point he changed to boxer shorts and a singlet and had put on cologne.”

“What..?”

“Yeah, I mean even for him that was overkill. The guys is handsome but he wasn’t that irresistible. So, eventually I felt he was frustrated with all my rejections and eventually said he needed some air. So, he left me alone in his room for a while and while I was waiting for him to come back I decided to play something on the playstation thing to relax. But, when I turned on the TV, guess what I saw?”

“Grand Theft Auto?”

“What…? No! I saw porn! Pornography! Like in­­­­-your-face-high-definition-blue-movies. And it was already playing! It took me awhile to get what was going because I was taken aback. I even had the game control pad in my hands. I should have just taken the TV remote control and switched it off again but I was actually pressing buttons on the game pad thinking it was part of the game. By the time I realized that it wasn’t part of the game it was too late and the porn was in high gear like the sex was getting noisy and I was embarrassed and quickly tried to reduce the volume but the hotel’s TV remote had some crazy buttons and dials on it that I ended up increasing the volume and I was sure by that time that anyone in the hallway would definitely know what I was watching. And as I was panicking, guess who walked and saw me?”

“Who…prince?”

“Not just him! It was Prince, my director Mr Adebowale another producer and some other members of the crew, standing at the doorway and stunned seeing me watching porn!”

“Oh my God!” Michael guffawed

“And to make everything worse, do you know what Prince that idiot who was watching the porn in the first place said?”

“What did he say?”

“He looked shocked, with bad acting by the way and said: ANGELA, WHY ARE YOU WATCHING PORN? In front of the entire crew I WAS SO EMBARRASSED.”

Michael was now in stitches rolling in the sand next to her.

“Hey, don’t laugh so loudly! I couldn’t look my director in the eye for weeks.” But he just went…

“He he he… I don’t blame you… Ho ho ho.” Holding his ribs and laughing heartily. “and you call yourself a soap opera star, more like porn star!” and with that she nudged him and they both collapsed in laughter.

After a beat and they had wiped the tears from their eyes. Angela found inner peace. She had her best friend back. This was her Michael again. The one she could tell anything and the one who told her everything. But…he hadn’t told her about his father. She’d hate to ask because she didn’t want to hurt him by making him recount old painful memories but…she felt that she couldn’t put it off anymore.

“Michael…?”

“Hmm?”

“Can you please… tell me about what happened to your dad? I would like to know what happened to him.”

He looked at her and the carefree was gone. It was suddenly replaced by a grave seriousness in his eyes.

“If it’s not too much trouble.” She hesitated. “I don’t want to make you feel bad or anything I just…thought that…”

“It happened very early in the morning.” But he had already started. “My mom couldn’t sleep. My dad had told her that he would by home late but he never came so she was beside herself with worry. In fact, she was hysterical. My father had never gone back on his words with her. Never! So she knew that something terrible must be wrong when he hadn’t come home. My brother and I tried to calm her down but she just wouldn't listen. She was hysterical. It was as if she had sensed it before she even knew it. She knew her husband was dead. She cried and we had to wake up a neighbour to help us somehow to get in touch with dad to find out if he was okay but instead, all we got was the airline telling us that he left work hours ago and that he should be home. So the search began. And then, we got the news. My dad was dead some drunk guys had run a red light on the traffic light and hit my dad's car. He was the only one that died the guys only sustained injuries. And..." his voice cracked as he choked up emotions. Angela leaned over and tried to comfort him.

"Shh...it's okay. You don't have to say anymore. I'm sorry for bringing it up. It was wrong of me to have asked." but he wouldn't stop.

"And my mom just became sick after that, really really sick. We always knew that she wasn't always in the best of health because growing up, my Dad and I, even Johnny, we would do a lot of the chores in the house while my mom rested. It was just the way we were taught since forever but we...but I never realized that she was really sick. I never realized the extent that my dad had been caring for her until he died. She was a sickler with acute asthmatic symptoms but I never for once knew that until he died. I was a bad son."

And he broke down and sobbed uncontrollably.

"No, no Michael. That is not true!"

"What kind of a son wouldn't know about his own mother's health? All the signs were there. How she was always tired. How we always seemed to have inhalers in almost every room in our house and there was always one lying around somewhere close by; in my dad's car in her purse. How often she went to the hospital but we were told that she was just visiting her doctor friend. I was so terrible..."

"Shh...stop it. Come here." and she held him tightly, protecting him. She hadn't wanted him to breakdown. She felt responsible for his anguish. She didn't like seeing him in pain.

"He did so much for her. For us. And I gave him a lot of stress about pushing me so hard. If only I had paid attention to what he was going through, I would have helped him. I... i would have been there for him."

"Shhh...it's okay. You were young."

"I never even told him. Thank you...I never even told him how much I... how much I loved him."

He cried and cried. In her arms he cried like a baby. Something, he would never do otherwise. The past couple of years had been about him being strong. Being strong for his mother, his brother and even his grandmother. He was the man of the house now.The past couple of years had been about him being strong. Being strong for his mother, his brother and even his grandmother. He was the man of the house now. He had to be strong. He couldn't for once get emotional. He was the one holding their family together now. He had to be strong. Which is why he could cry with Angela. He could be himself. It was easy to be himself with her. She didn't need him to be strong. She just needed him. She knew she couldn't do anything else but hold him as he cried, though she wished she could do more. But she was glad to be there for him. Glad to be the one holding him in his time of pain. She wanted to be the one to do that all her life.

And after a beat. When he was all cried out. Their embrace softened a bit and he looked at her and she looked at him. They looked at each other deeply. And that's when they kissed. Naturally, emotionally and without a script.

Infinite Love 46

Zen

In that moment, with their lips interlocking and their arms wrapped around each other, their hearts locked as well. Neither could feel or hear anything except the thumping of their hearts and the melody of the sea. It was a moment of nothingness,

they felt nothing of the world around them as it all just melted away. Nothing else existed, nothing else mattered, nothing... except for the satiation of their overwhelming need for each other which had been built up for over a decade.

Angela was wrapped in a cocoon of Michael. She was a caterpillar all these years crawling with gaping hole that nothing not her family or her career could fill no matter how hard she tried. And now, in his arms...her very soul was being nourished, her body was whole and she could feel something...someone emerging from underneath her skin like a new butterfly.

But first she felt a tingling sensation on her hair like a big spider's legs but with needles for legs and her mind couldn't be bothered with such strange feelings from the outside world. Nothing else mattered except Michael's lips. Then the tingling needles reached her scalp and the she freaked out because it was almost to her face.

"Ekkk!" she swatted at it and a crab, the one Michael had been using to scare her fell onto her stomach and she jumped up at the feel of it. "Ahhh! Get off! Get off!" and the crab scampered off away from her trampling feet.

"Sorry, sorry it's off now, calm down." he reassured her and then held her again trying to continue their kiss. But she had looked towards their pail of crabs and saw that the waves had just tilted it over and their catch of crabs were escaping.

"Ekkk!" she freaked again.

"What! Is another one in your hair again?"

"No, it's all of them! They're escaping, come on!" and he ran after her as they both had to recatch all their crabs again as quickly as they could. Even the few ones that were at their entrance of their burrows, Michael yanked at them and quickly dunked them back into the pail. He was becoming an expert at crab fishing. They were just about catching the last of them when the canoe arrived to take them back. The fishermen had caught a bucket of fresh fishes and a few prawns and the canoe had very little space for them leading many to think that Michael could cause another scene in the canoe. But as he entered it and sat gingerly trying unsuccessfully to avoid the fish. He was surprisingly calm, zen even.

He didn't complain about being ankle deep in fish. He didn't complain about the extra splashed of sea water that were wetting him due to the fish load. He just sat there stroking the wriggling fishes and felt the cool breeze on his face. He glanced occasionally at Angela smiling, who had her hand in the passing waves but otherwise sat there calmly and peacefully because he was happy and nothing could ruin it.

When the canoe ride was over he was almost disappointed it was over. He watched her pay the fishermen and helped her carry the fish back to her apartment. As she took the pail and everything else inside he felt in a daze even after she came out again.

"I will just be a minute to... prepare breakfast."

"Right." he said short of words, he was still in a daze. They both were. They had never shared their romantic feelings for each other before and now they were moving gingerly like flowers being blown by the wind. Until, the wind blew in a locust to ruin the mood.

"ANGELA! LOOK AT THE TIME!" her mother said emerging out of nowhere. "I was worried sick! I have told you many times that I don't like you going to that island it is not safe and who is there to protect you?"

"I'm sorry Mama but it was fine. I was with Michael."

"Good afternoon, ma. I'm sorry that we got carried away and forgot about the time."

"Yes... well, come with me. We have a lot of work to do today." and she sent Michael a look that clearly meant 'go away' and went back inside.

"I'm sorry about her." she said again for the umpteeth time.

"Oh, it's fine... but um... i better go now."

"Oh, you're not staying? You're going to love the food I'm about to prepare. I promise the crabs won't pinch anymore."

"I don't care about that, I'd face off a shark for you."

"Oh!" she was stunned. They hadn't been expressing their emotions so plainly before. "well...in that case." she edged closer to him, closer until...

"eh hem!" her mom from behind had coughed to ruin the moment...again."Angela, i'm still waiting."

"I should go. See you soon."

"Yeah" and she walked him to the door and stayed longer saying their goodbyes. "I guess...i'll call you."

"Okay." and they both stared at each other again before he walked away from their perfect day. She turned back to see her mom staring hard at her.

"What? I'm coming!" and she walked into the kitchen. While her mom watched her deeo thought about her daughter's expression. The expression women make when they are about to do something stupid like falling in love. She was not having that of her daughter.

Infinite Love 47

The Mantra

Princewill was thinking, shockingly about  person for once as opposed to himself or his looks or his career. He was thinking about Angela. She was acting strange. He had noticed.

As a self-proclaimed, connoisseur of women’s behaviour, he was definitely sure that she was acting strange. Her mood was good, high even. She was happy! All the time. She was always on her phone texting and chatting with someone during which she would giggle quietly but he’d notice. During script readings with him or rehearsals she would smile or giggle at even the lines that were not funny. He’d ask her but all she’d say was a simple “fine!”. That was all she’d say no matter how much he’d pry. She was definitely acting weird. Even after he’d take more breaks than usual or gone off script, she was just patient and understanding about it all. She’d never even roll her eyes in that quiet way that she usually did when he’d gotten on her nerves. Her happy mood was unshakeable. All she’d say was “it’s fine.” She was completely unbothered by him. He hated that. He was stunning, he was rich (moderately) and he was a prize winning stud. The least any woman could do was be affected by him in some way even if she wasn’t falling under his spell. But to be completely indifferent to him? That was unacceptable.

Angela Nwolisa had always been a strange one to him. She was about the first girl to actually be difficult and not just hard to get. In his career history whenever he was assigned to a female co-star even if he wasn’t the lead. Usually, they’d be sleeping by the end of the week, tops, if not by the third day. But yes, she was attracted to him. That he knew that for sure because she affected by his smothering heat stares. One of his trademark sexy moves. He had about a dozen of them but his top three were The Heat Stare, The Pursed Lips and The Love Trance. The pursed lips was him making a side smile with his lips pursed like LL Cool J. That move got him a lot of tongue action in school. The love trance was him smiling cutely while raising his right eyebrow slightly like Boris Kodjoe. Lots of girls have falling for him over that one. But his most powerful arsenal was; The heat stare. He had developed it after seeing a picture of Shemar Moore in Ebony Magazine. Even in the picture he could feel the raw sexuality the photo was exuding and so he developed his version of the look, and after numerous practices in front of a mirror and many times with the ladies he had perfected it. That was him making a straight face to a woman but focusing all his intensity, all his energy into his eyes while squinting a little. It was his most powerful seductive move. He had managed to focus his raw masculine magnetism into a force that would ensnare his target and wrap around her in a cloak of desire of raw heat for him. His victim would then of course show signs of discomfort;a such as fidget in their seat or fan their selves with their hands no matter the air conditioning and after that all he would need do was go over to her and the rest behind the closed doors of history. The heat stare was his most powerful arsenal; it had never failed…well except with Angela. On numerous occasions… over their past few months. In fact, all of his seductive moves had failed and his easy but affecting charm. Well, that just never worked with her.

But seeing her these past few days was off-putting for him. He wanted to put it all on drugs. That was easier for him to bear.

“She’s on drugs.”

He thought and/or hoped. Drug abuse is common in the entertainment industry so it was easy to explained all her weird behaviour on drugs. Because the other explanation was just absurd. It was possible and it even made perfect sense that Angela was under the effects of well…love. But…

“That’s impossible” He thought again “because Angela has no real feelings like other women do. So couldn’t be under the effects of love because she never fell for me. She must be one of those women who love only their cats.”

He reasoned very wisely and stubbornly. And really, what was the alternative? Because to accept that Angela was in love was to accept that a man somewhere managed to do what he couldn’t do all this time.

“That’s insane! Angela is NOT IN LOVE! No man can make her fall in love because no man is better than me. I have stunning good looks! I drive an awesome car and I am rich! Go through the streets of Lagos and you won’t any man as eligible as me! She’s not in love. She’s just on drugs. It’s okay. You’re okay. You’re still the hottest guy in Lagos, hell in Nigeria! She’s not in love, she’s on drugs and you’re still hot! She’s not in love, she’s on drugs and you’re still hot!”

And he looked away from Angela and he faced his reflection in his onset mirror for and repeated the words like a mantra as most people with fragile oversized egos do. He caught her in the corner of his eye talking on the phone and that silly schoolgirl way and his mind nudged him.

“That’s how most girls talk to you on the phone when they have fallen for you.” He panicked again “No, NO! She’s not in love. She’s just on drugs.” He repeated “She’s a stupid girl, she got herself caught up in drugs and she’s probably talking to her drug dealer.”

“Oh, are you close by? GREAT!” Angela said to the phone.

“Silly girl. Her drug dealer is coming to bring her more drugs.” He assumed incorrectly.

But, ego or not Princewill was not a stupid man. He knew that at the back of his mind, some guy was behind his co-star’s recent happiness. And he wondered briefly about such a man. He definitely must be handsome, handsome enough to sweep Angela of her feet. Rich too! He was rich (moderately) but this guy had to be seriously wealthy. Like a millionaire close to being a billionaire with strong political connections. Owning top of the line exotic cars or maybe even a yacht! Yep, nothing less can interest Angela Nwolisa since she didn’t fall for a guy like him. So, she must definitely be a top class gold digger!

“Alright then. See you soon, Michael.” She said on the phone.

“Michael! Did she say Michael? She said Michael. What millionaires have Michael as first names in this country?” and he thought about it.

But aside Michael Ibru who was dead, he couldn’t think of any other millionaires with a first name Michael. The rest were Michael Jackson, Michael Jordan and Michael Bolton. Angela was hot but not that hot! Anyways, the Michael was coming. He was on his way, whoever he was and so he called on his makeup and intern to do a quick touch for him. Both were confused as shooting was done for the day but they knew better than to point that out and just pampered and primed him like he wanted before he dismissed them and waited.

“Maybe the millionaire would be able to spot a few hundred or maybe a million.” He hoped “And then I’d get a new car.”

He would never admit it to anyone but his latest model Mercedes Benz was not so latest and the car had been causing him to many visits to the mechanic lately and he had been thinking about getting a new one. But he’d squandered his contract cash too early on his lavish lifestyle and another one was not forthcoming until they were renewed for another season. And his family were definitely not sending a lot of cash to him these days, on account of his lavish spending. He was short on cash, though he’d never admit it.

“So, maybe Angela’s billionaire boyfriend is the solution.”

He was now hoping it was a billionaire and not a millionaire. He rubbed his hands together in glee and suddenly felt excited and also…hungry. But his lazy assistant and that makeup artist had left too early again. He was going to have words with them tomorrow. They should only leave after he had left, regardless of whether or not filming had ended. Luckily, he saw someone enter the shooting area. A stranger. Scrawny and with simple clothing.

"He must one of the messenger guys that use on set or a delivery guy."

"Hello, guy! Come here abeg. Are you one of our errand boys?"

"Oh! No, sir. I came here to meet someone."

Really? Well, I'm hungry can you go get me rice and chicken from the confectionary by the corner? Right! Fried rice or Jollof rice is fine, i'm starving. Here's the cash. You'll get tips only when you do a good job."

"Erm, I'm sorry sir but I can't... like I said I'm meeting someone here."

Princewill regarded the man properly for the first time and asked.

"Who?"

"Oh, Angela! Your co-star. My name is Michael."

"You're MICHAEL!"

Princewill couldn't, wouldn't and didn't want to believe it. The guy standing in front of him wasn't nothing like the billionaire boyfriend he had imagined. The guy didn't even look like he had a few thousand nairas in his life and He is the guy she was in love with?

"Impossible!"

"Michael! You made it!"

"Hey! Of course I did."

And the two met and stood awkwardly in front of each other and in that moment Princewill knew that they were in love. They would have embraced or even kissed but for his presence there.

"Oh, I see you've met my co-star."

"Um...yeah!"

"Prince this is my friend Michael."

"This is Mi...Michael."

"Yes this is Michael."

"Oh, I see!"

"Nice to meet you sir. I'm a big fan."

"Pleasure." he said condescendingly.

Anyone present could tell that he was feeling anything but pleasure. He was annoyed, galled even that Angela would choose such a low class guy over him. He was right. She really was on drugs! How could she not be if she was going for such a guy clearly beneath her. He stood there silently fuming making everyone awkward until she said.

"O-kay! Shall we go?"

"Yeah."

"Great! Goodbye Prince."

"Goodbye sir."

"Humphf" was all he could muster and he followed them outside to see what type of rickety car this Michael brought. But to his horror it wasn't a car. It was a motorbike. An Okada. And she happily jumped on behind him. She had lost her mind! He had to say something to bring her back to her senses!

"Um...Angela? Is that thing safe for you?"

"Sure! I've taken one lots of times." she said obviously not getting his drift so he tried again.

"Yes but is it safe for you, right now?"

"I'm fine, Prince. I'll see you tomorrow, okay? Bye!"

"Okay!"

"Goodbye sir."

"Hmphf" he was not going engage in a conversation with this Michael fellow who had swept Angela off her feet, something he hadn't been able to do. It was easier to accept another man having her if the man was rich but now that he wasn't rich, he wasn't handsome (moderately good looking at best) and , and he couldn't even afford a proper vehicle. His pride was shattered and his ego was in pieces. He didn't like Michael one bit and he blamed Angela too. In that moment, suddenly hoped their bike would tip over and fall. But the bike just reved up and took off blowing dust in his face.

"How could she go with him when I have a car?" he wondered.

"She's a stupid girl. She must be on drugs and I'm still hot!"

Dayo my man.His stoic approach to life should be a case study.

Thanks Mr Abdul for this great piece of art.

I'm glad you like him. He is based on a best friend of mine.

Infinite Love 48

Puff puff Festival

Michael was having the time of his life. He felt so at peace so calm and so happy. Life in that exact moment was simple perfect.

He wished the ride wouldn't end but alas in a few minutes time, they will arrive at their destination and she would unfurl her hands from embracing him, move her body away from his back and get down from the bike. A simple move really but he hated to think about it. Not at all. He felt as if his life itself would end if she let him go and move away from him. So instead, he just calmed down and focused on riding the bike with Angela behind him, her arms around his waist and her body resting slightly against his, it was heaven for him.

He was glad he brought the bike even it wasn't his. It belonged to Lukman, his neighbour a commercial bike man (okada rider) who owed him a favour. Officer Martins had accosted him and as usual tried to force out a bribe as he usually did but Lukman was just staring out that morning and he hadn't made any trips and so he was penniless. But Martins didn't hear any of that nor did he care. He was going to collect his due or he was going to impound the motorbike. To have a bike siezed by the police is the worst thing that could ever happen because the police station didn't have enough parking space for impounds and so in a short time whatever is impounded would be sold for a paltry sum.

So Lukman begged and pleaded and he promised to bring the money to Officer Martins at a later date but all fell to deaf hears. Lukman was even more shocked because he knew Martins well from having come to their neighbourhood and he had hoped that the familiarity would haved at least brought him some liniency but it didn't,

"Whether you know me or you no know me, I don't care. Just settle me." he'd said. And so Lukman had to run to Michael for assistance with Martins. It was after much pleading and of course an offer of free drycleaning for a few days before Martins released Lukman's bike to him. But he still had to settle Martins as soon as possible.

Michael had only wanted to rent the bike for the day to treat Angela but Lukman's only asked that he fueled the bike and refused to collect any money from him due to the favour Michael had done him in the past. He was also the one who taught Michael how to ride the bike. His brother John already knew how to ride one and it was his idea that Michael learned as well because the day would be more special if he drove Angela himself. And after a few bruised knees and a near collision to a light pole he had mastered it. As long as he drove under the speed limit and paid attention to other road users and he didn't try any stunts he was good.

Johnny was right. The ride was more special because it was just the two of them. Eventually, they arrived at the already crowded venue and as she got off the bike she asked him.

"Okay, so...what are we doing here?"

"It's the fifteenth annul Puff Puff Festival. We are here to make puff puffs and eat them and take part in any of the events lined up."

"Oh,...that sounds like fun!"

"It is. My brother and I used to come here every year. You remember Johnny, right?"

"Of course! I can't forget my first boyfriend." she said smiling as she remembered the young boy of no more than twelve then put the moves on her.

"Yeah, well, don't encourage him. He's gotten worse over the years having more and more girlfriends than he needs.

"Wow! That's impressive!"

"Okay, well, like I said...don't encourage him."

"I make no promises. If he is so popular with the ladies what makes you think that I would be able to resist him? I could have my old boyfriend back at the end of the day."

Michael rolled his eyes sardonically as he secured the bike. "If you say so. Let's go." She giggled as she took him hands without thinking, it felt naturally to do so and his heart leapt to his throat as he lead her to his brother's table. They found him with his longest time in a relationship girlfriend; Loveth. Loveth saw them first.

Infinite Love 49

All or Nothing

"Ahhh! It's Angela Nwolisa! Johnny look! It's Angela Nwolisa aka Lisa Angels with your brother." Loveth saw them first. She jumped up and down and practically ran up to Angela to grab her hand before Johnny could look up to see them.

"I am a big fan of you show!" she declared "Me, Johnny and Brother Michael and Mama, we watch it together in the evenings."

"Oh, thank you so much. I appreciate that ...er um..."

"Loveth! This is Loveth, my brother Johnny's friend." Michael introduced.

"Loveth! Such a pretty name and on a pretty face too! Thank you for watching the show."

"You're welcome, ma."

"And of course you remember my brother; John?" And Johnny swaggered up to them and without the slightest hesitation or reservations took Angela's hand, turned up the back of her palm and with a sweeping gesture bowed and kissed it. When finally, he raised his head he said;

"Wow, Anty Angela. It's so good to see you."

"Oh, my. Johnny! Look how big you grown.!"

"Yes, big and naughty." Michael added helpfully."

Johnny, dismissing his brother as if he never heard him continued.

"Yes, anty I am adult now. When last we met, I was a little boy that didn't even know how to tie his shoes but I still knew then that you were very beautiful. In fact you were my first crush!"

"Wow! Really!" Angela gasped blushing.

"Stop it!" Michael added rolling his eyes then saw the look on Angela's face. "You're not falling for that line are you?"

"No...I mean. I'm just surprised that he remembered me let alone have a crush!"

"Oh, God!" Michael couldn't believe that no one was safe from his little brother's charm.

Ignoring his brother yet again he added boldly. "Anyway, I just wanted you to let you know that I'm a grown up now. So if you want to dump my brother and pick me. I can get you my phone number anytime."

Angela beamed, Loveth scowled and Michael ...

"Come here. You have a mosquito on your face." he called threatening. Johnny side stepped him and said...

"No, I'm fine. Thank you brother."

"Oh, no, I insist."

"No, I have killed it, don't worry."

"No, you haven't. It still there on your cheeks. Come over here."

"No, leave me."

"Come here, I said." And so Michael chased his brother until he caught up with him and give him a few painless smacks on his cheeks.

"So, she should leave me, abi? You will give her your phone number, abi? You don't even have a phone. Naughty boy."

...

Afterwards, as they had arranged their table and Johnny had finally managed to appease his girlfriend on account of his flirting with Angela and Angela had met with a few other people who recognised her from the show. The carnival host announced the first event of the day, making puff puffs. Everyone had to pitch to make the biggest batch of puff puffs in the world. They had to make it to at least 1500 tonnes of delicious fried puff puffs to beat last their last year's world record of 1450 tonnes of puff puffs prepared in one place. So all the participants had to get to their table and follow the recipe of flour, sugar, eggs and butter.

"So, you didn't tell me you all watched the show together?"

"Yeah, we do. All of us."

"Great. Then you must like the show right?"

"Sure, I like everything you do."

"Oh," she gushed "that's nice." she said and wanted to move on but sensed something in his answer. So, she asked again.

"Wait, let me get this clear. Do you like my show?"

"Sure!" He said but it was in the way he said and quickly moved on to adjusting the already properly placed ingredients on the table, she knew he didn't mean it.

"Oh, my God. Michael! You hate my show!"

"I didn't say that." he said carefully.

"No, but I can tell that you don't like it."

"I didn't say that either."

"No but...come on Michael be honest." he wasn't looking at her "Look at me and tell me."

"Okay listen, I support and like everything you do..."

"Just not this show." she cut in.

"...it's just that the show has the male character getting into a number of sticky situations because he is trying to avoid his feelings about your character."

"I know that. That is part of the love process. It is not always straight sometimes its ...messy."

"I just think its unnecessary. He should face his feelings and move on." he said flatly.

"It's not so black and white sometimes things are complicated and there are grey areas that are important."

He shrugged his shoulders and continued kneeding the dough he had prepared.

"Or maybe you just don't like romance stories." That propped him up and he faced her squarely.

"I happen to like romance stories. Very much.

"Really?"

"Yeah!"

"Then name one!"

He thought for a while. "My parents love story."

"What!?"

"Yeah, their story is quite remarkable."

"Okay, i'll give you that but name another one." she pointed at him "And about people you're not related to this time!"

"O...kay. Have you read 'Enemies in Love' by Alexxis Clarke?"

"N...no. Tell me about it." But he was already excited and was dropping everything to tell her about it.

"So, imagine 1944, World War 2. America had captured many German soldiers and they were keeping them in a camp and having black women care for them because they thought that if they let white women nurse the Germans fraternizations could occur. So, they let the African American do it."

"Okay."

"Now, this German soldier a prisoner of war in one of these camps saw Elinor, a black women and the first thing he does is walk up to her and say 'Hello, you should know my name. I'm the man you're going to marry."

"Wow!"

"I love stories like that. Love stories with guts you know. He saw and he was already committed. He didn't what it took. He loved her and he was going to marry her. Even after he was beaten by his fellow German soldiers for dating a black woman. Even after he was deported back to Germany. Even after they couldn't find a proper place to live in America and they moved to Germany and his mother kicked them out and they moved back to America and still couldn't find a proper school for their sons, it was easy for him. He loved her and that was it! No grey areas he was all in! And he would do whatever it took to be with the woman he loved."

"Waoh!" she was speechless and his eyes bored into hers when he said.

"I don't know, I just feel like love is all or nothing."

She swallowed and watched him go back to pounding and kneading the dough and remembered the glint in his eyes when he said; "all or nothing".

They added their batch to the pile and when everyone else had done so it was weighed and yes they did have a new world record for the largest puff puffs made in one place.

Bayo the mischief master, he is trying to pull a commando stunt on the bank once again.

Mr Abdul, I love the way you shifted our attention to Bayo to douse the tension around Michael.

You are really good.

You are really psyching me up.

Thanks a lot boss.

Infinite Love 50

Food Fight

They were each racing to make the perfect puff puffs all four of as was part of the festival. Participants each try to make the best tasting puff puff which would be presented to the judges that would select the best.

They were all neck deep in dough and flour and trying to outdo each other. Michael helped Angela make because it was her first time and because it gave them the opportunity to snuggle in plain sit. Loveth and Johnny were making their's separately because she was still sour with him. Loveth was making what was looking like the perfect puff puff's with eggs, milk, butter, sugar with a perfect amount of Cameroon pepper for flavour. But Johnny had a sweet tooth so his strategy was just to add as much sugar as possible. To noone's surprise when the judges got to tasting; Michael and Angela's was okay but not good enough, Loveth's puff puff's were particularly good and when they tasted Johnny's recipes they asked:

"Are you making puff puff's or sugar rolls?"

"Please don't make these things again. Enough people already have diabetes in this country."

Loveth came second place. After she collected her prize; a box of kitchen utensils Johnny went over to help her carry it she said to him.

"Why did you make such a terrible snack? You usually cooked better than anyone I know."

"It is your first time here so I wanted you to win." he shrugged nonchalantly and she smiled, forgiving him and pulled on a tuft of his hair playfully as they both went back to their table joining Michael and Angela who were still hands deep in dough trying to make themselves another batch of puff puffs for their moms.

"Loveth, congratulations. You puff puffs were really good I tried it." Angela said.

"Thanks, aunty." she smiled bashfully.

"Yeah, well done. They're nice."

"Thank you sir."

"I can't believe Johnny's puff puffs are still left, last year people rushed it and I couldn't even taste it."

"Ah, brother. They are still remaining o. Please, come and have some."

"Erm, brother. Don't tr..." Loveth started to say but Johnny interrupted.

"Put two or better three in your mouth at a go so that you will get the taste much better." And before he could protest he popped four rolls into his brothers mouth who chewed carelessly at first and then his eyes widened and suddenly he stopped chewing and spit out the oversugared dough.

"ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME!?" but his brother and the other ladies were laughing at him.

"It was only sugar?" Angela teased.

"Oh, you think that's funny do you?" and he picked a blob of dough on his finger and touched her nose with it.

"OH, NO YOU DIDN'T!" and she picked a handful of sugar and

"NO, NO. PLEASE NO!" she mercilessly threw it at him. Before long all four were aiming and throwing sugar, then flour and then dough and before long the rest of the participants joined in and everywhere in the festival people were engaged in fun breathtaking food fight even the judges that by the end of the day everywhere and everyone was covered in a delicious mix of flour and dough.

Passers thought they were aliens, all four of them; Michael, Johnny, Angela and Loveth covered from head to toe in a delicious mix of puff puff ingredients as they walked home happily vowing to attend the next festival especially after the organizers announced that a FOOD FIGHT was now official the closing event of the puff puff festival.

Infinite Love 51

May The Ties That Bind Us Never Break

Michael had been anxious ever since he got the job, a regular of his shop Mr Dele had helped him with as he had promised to bring in new clientele for him.

But when he saw the pilot's uniform with the name tag "Captain C. Amos" a swelled up in his throat. It hit him like a bolt of lighting from the past, it had been a lifetime now since he felt any connection or recollection of that place. He knew what the "C" stood for; it was Chinedu, Captain Chinedu Amos of Cloverton Airport; and old friend of his father's from his father's old workplace. The waves of recollections hit him like a tsunami, riding in the passenger seat as his dad drove them to work, showing him around and introducing him to the crew all the while drumming his dreams of his son becoming a pilot into Michael's head. Michael loved the airport because his father loved it. He would talk on and on with stories of adventures that happened at the airport to the pilots and the crew and it was the only time that Michael listened completely to his father. The passion and the gleam in his eyes when he would ramble on about it. Michael loved to hear him when he was like that. His father had dreamed of becoming a pilot but his parent's circumstance had hindered that and by the time he met his wife the added responsibilities shelved his dream and so he settled for a ticketing job and then on a ticketing manager and he shelved his piloting dreams onto his sons. Michael's favourite memory about his father was when they were both lying on the grass at the tarmac one night and they watched the planes fly by past the starry sky. It was incredible and his father said;

"Someday, very soon. It will be you up there. Right among the clouds and just below the stars, flying hundreds of people home and crossing country borders the way we cross streets."

Michael had turned to look at his father's face and the certainty and pride and love in his eyes were undeniable. "Yes, sir." was all he could say.

His father had Michael's future all mapped out, from kindergarten straight to flight school and he made sure Michael had it by heart and he really did think that he would be the next Nigerian pilot until the accident happened.

He deeply regretted all the times he had felt his father was being overbearing and controlling and complained and nagged because now he realized that his father only wanted a good future for him.

He got off at Ikeja bus stop and took a cab to the Muritala Mohammed International Airport with the pilot's clothing hung in a protective bag. But when he came face to face with his father's old building, he imagined for a second that his father would walk out the gate to meet him as he usually did in the past. But as he got there it was mostly new faces he saw from the security to the receptionists. He was directed to the rows of cabins that he knew so well and made his way to deliver to a supposed assistant and when he was done he was making his way out again as being there made his father feel alive again and that made him sad. What would his father say if he saw him now? How would he feel? He thought. Angry, disappointed or heartbroken. He father would definitely have been heartbroken and Micheal quickened his steps out of the airport.