Enchanted





Toyin Raphael


(C) 2023



Romance. Sexuality . Mystery



Seyi prides himself as a young man of dignity who will not be seduced by the opposite sex no matter how beautiful and alluring.

He is able to maintain this lofty stance until he meets Madam Francisca, the lady who disarms him and gets him spellbound.














I tried to make the class as interesting as possible. Literature is one subject I teach with passion. The SS 2 Literature-in-English class had always been lively.

The bell rang to signal the end of the period. Just then, a girl called Jennifer raised up her hand.

"Sorry, Jenny, I have to leave the class now. Can you ask the question in the next Literature period? If it is a pressing question, you can come around during break to see me in the staff room."

She looked disappointed as she put her hand down. I went for my next class. It was actually a busy day for me. I had no free period until the break time. Even after that, I had no any free period until closing time.

The pay was low, but the school still paid much more than many other private schools. The driving force was the passion I had for the job. I loved to impart knowledge, and that mattered a lot.

The school closed for the day at quarter to four o'clock. I decided to stay behind and write some notes. Some teachers stayed behind too, but by five p.m, all the teachers had left, leaving only Ada and me.

"Thank God we are now alone," Ada started. "There is a matter I will like to discuss with you."

The keenness of her voice showed that indeed, she had been angling to have a private conversation with me.

"I'm all ears," I said. She smiled. "It is actually a request and I hope you can grant it."

Ada was one of the closest teachers to me since I joined Highworth College about eight months ago. As close as we were, everything between us was official.

I suspected she should be about my age, but one could not be too certain about such a thing. I was twenty-eight years of age. I could be described as young, full of life and vibrant. Now, I wondered the kind of request Ada had in mind.

"Go on," I prompted her.

"Well, it's not much. It's just that right now, I have accommodation challenge. The aunty I'm staying with will, by this weekend, relocate with her husband to Ibafo.

“So, it will be too expensive for me to be coming from Ibafo to Ogba every day. I need a temporary accommodation. I plan to rent accommodation around here, but in the mean time, I need somewhere to stay."

I was full of thought over what she said. But, there was actually no need to think much. The answer to her request was a capital NO.

"Your request will not be granted for many reasons," I stated. "I have a fiancee who, first and foremost, will not accept that inclusion."

Ada's face clouded. "You have a fiancee?" she interjected in surprise.



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Ada's face clouded. "You have a fiancee?" she interjected in surprise.

I chuckled and nodded. Should that be a surprise? "And another thing is: it will not be good for a guy and a lady to be co-habitating just like that."

Now, it sounded like I was making a sermon. "I'm sorry, Ada, if there's any other way I can help, I'll render it."

She tried to shrug it off. Some minutes later she announced that she would be leaving.

I glanced at my watch.

"I'll soon be leaving too," I said as I bade her goodnight. I worked for some more minutes and decided to call it a day. It was some minutes to six o 'clock. The two-storey bulding was very quiet.

I knew the security man would still be in the cubicle by the gate. He doubled as the janitor that would go round and lock the place. I put few books in my back-pack and stood up to go.

I was at the head of the stairs when I saw a student in mufti coming up. It was no other person than Jennifer.

"What! You're still in school?" I said in surprise.

She looked at me and smiled. "Yes, I forgot something."

Her class was in the middle floor, so I wondered what she was coming up to do. "And since you're still around, I decided to come."

How did she know I was still around? I remained on the same spot while she came up. When she was three steps to where I was, she stopped.

"Can we go back to your staff-room?" she said. "I will like to ask my questions there."

An alarm bell rang in my brain. "I'm sorry, school is over for today."

She shook her head like a petulant girl. "You are not going anywhere until you answer my questions."

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She shook her head like a petulant girl. "You are not going anywhere until you answer my questions."

I could not believe my ears. What an audacity from a student to a teacher! I decided not to engage her in further conversation, but to move on. As I moved to pass her, she gripped my left arm.

"What on hell is the meaning of this?" I uttered in astonishment.

Her grip tightened the more. I was very angry, but I realized I must control my temper. I could have exerted force to break her grip and push her away.

But that could be counter-productive. The option I had was to dance or rather pretend to dance to her tune. That meant I should take her to the staff-room to answer her questions.

But, was that really what Jennifer wanted? She should be around fifteen years old. What explanations would I say I was giving to her if the security man should come and see only the two of us together at that 'ungodly' hour?

My mind suddenly struck an idea. I smiled at her.

"Alright, Jenny, relax. There's no need you grip my hand like that. Relax."

She relaxed her grip a bit.

“See, I will love to answer all your questions, but not right now. I got a call from a friend some minutes ago. He called to inform me that he is at my residence. He wants to pay me the money he is owning. Don't worry, tomorrow, I will give you all the time you need.

“For now, I need to hurry home before he changes his mind."

Her stance softened a bit but I could still see doubts on her face.

“Look, I can even buy you lunch tomorrow from the money. Let me go right away to meet him. That money is very important."

I could see that I had hit her soft part. "Do you promise tomorrow?" she asked.

I smiled at her again.

"Of course, there'll be no hitch tomorrow." I patted her on the shoulder.

She released her grip on me and I could almost give a sigh of relief. On my way home, I jeered at myself for pleading with her and giving her a big lie. How could a grown-up man like me deign to a teenage girl?

Nonetheless, I knew I had done well. What I had done was better than giving in to her whims and allowing myself to be led into temptation.

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Nonetheless, I knew I had done well. What I had done was better than giving in to her whims and allowing myself to be led into temptation.


* * *


From the next day on, I made sure that I never remained in the staff-room alone again. As soon as the last teacher was leaving, I too would leave. I decided not create a chance for temptation to have its way. Ada did not mention anything on the relocation again.

As a matter of fact, I observed she had become aloof with me. I decided to mind my business.

Two weeks later, I received an e-mail inviting me for a job interview. The address was Victoria Island and I was to be there by ten in the morning.

On getting there, I saw many others that had also been invited. We were given a test to write. I wrote the answers to the best of my ability, so I was not surprised that some days later I was invited for another interview.

This time around, I discovered that only five of us were invited - two ladies and three men.

Again, I put in my best. Three days later, I received a Whatsapp message from the firm. It read thus: Sequel to your performance after the second test, you are to solve this puzzle: 20 9 26 5 18 7 26 8.

You have three days to solve it. I stared at the numbers. There were eight numbers in all. What did they mean? What did they stand for? I had three full days to unravel it, so I still had time. Later in the evening, Precious, my fiancee, came around to my mini-flat at Ijaiye Road.

Precious was twenty-four and had just finished her national youth service at Gombe state. She had read Bussiness Administration in the university and hoped to work in the corporate world.

She was the daughter of a pastor and we had actually met in the church. That was when she was in her final year in the university.

We exchanged pleasantries as she sat herself comfortably in the sitting-room.

I showed her the message from the firm.

"They want me to solve the puzzle," I told her. She stared at the numbers for several seconds.

"I don't understand all these," she finally said. I decided that I would worry about it later.

Precious had always come around to my place, but she had never slept over. I was therefore surprised when she said she would sleep over tonight.

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She stared at the numbers for several seconds.

"I don't understand all these," she finally said. I decided that I would worry about it later.

Precious had always come around to my place, but she had never slept over. I was therefore surprised when she said she would sleep over tonight.

The relationship had been platonic in which we had agreed that there would be no premarital sex. So far, we had been able to keep to that agreement.

"But, what about your parents? Are they not going to express disappointment that you sleep outside?" I asked.

"Seyi, stop treating me as If I'm still a teenager, for God's sake. Why are you saying this? You are supposed to be glad at my decision, aren't you?"

Really? Was I really supposed to be glad by what she wanted to do? I however kept quiet.

She went to the small kitchen to prepare jollof rice. Thankfully, she had brought all the ingredients that were needed along. Precious, I must say, was good at cooking.

What she cooked was delicious and I wasted no time in commending her. After the meal, she cleared the table and took the plates to the kitchen for washing.

She was a good wife material, I decided. She snuggled to me as we watched movies together. Somehow, I still felt uncomfortable that she would be sleeping in the house. This might sound strange to some people, but that was how pruddish I could be.

She later slept off on the couch. It was a Friday. Since the following day was Saturday and I would not be going to work, I decided to watch movies late into the night.

When I was finally going to sleep, I woke Precious up.

"Time to go to bed," I told her.

We went to the bedroom and she started changing into the sleep-wear she had brought along.

"Okay, have a nice sleep," I said, picking up a pillow.

She turned swiftly to stare at me. "And where are you going?" she asked.

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She turned swiftly to stare at me. "And where are you going?" she asked.

"To the sitting-room. I'll sleep on the three-seater."

She looked at me as if I had said a very strange thing. "You are joking, right?"

I shook my head. "That's the best way to go about it. See you in the morning."

I smiled wanly at her and left the bedroom.

In the sitting-room, I tried to make myself as comfortable as possible. If I thought I had dealt with Precious' angle, I was making a big mistake.

She was soon in the sitting, wearing what obviously was a sexy sleeping-wear. She sat on my legs.

"I don't like this funny drama you're acting," she said. "What's the meaning of all this?"

I was confounded. "Is it not better we avoid temptation?"

She looked almost angry. "What temptation? What are you talking about?"

I sat up on the seat, gently making her to sit by my side. "Dear Precious, you know the temptation I'm talking about."

"Are you saying it is a sin for two lovers to be together?"

I shook my head. "I never said anything like that. All I'm saying is we have to be careful and cautious."

As if she did not hear me, she moved close and wrapped her arms around my waist. "Sometimes, I doubt if you love me."

I sighed. "Of course, I do, darling. How could you doubt me?"

"If you really love me, prove it."

I sighed. "Of course, I do, darling. How could you doubt me?"

"If you really love me, prove it."

Now, I was getting exasperated. "Have I not been proving it all this while?"

She shook her head and placed it on my chest.

"You can take it," she said gently.

"Take what?"

"You can take my virginity."

I was aghast. "What! But, we've agreed that one will wait till we are married."

She shook her head again. "No need to wait again. You can have me now."

I was not comfortable with her luscious offer. When she first told me that she was a virgin, I had expressed admiration. At her age, she was like a pearl among sands.

Now, she was professing that she was ready to lose her virginity. Well, I wasn't the kind of man to jump at such an offer.

But then, as a man, the temptation was high. The flesh was indeed weak. When her lips came to mine for a long French kiss, I did not resist the gesture.

She put my right hand on her boob. It was a licence granted to explore the enticing part. I found myself buckling. My mind swirled in thoughts. It is not easy to be a man of one's words.

But, why is it not easy? Are human actions not products of the mind? Perhaps the mind is weak. That is why it will resolve to do something one moment and will forget that very resolution the next moment. I asked in my mind if my resolves were so weak.

I instantly removed my hand from her boob and stopped the kiss.

"It is better we keep to our initial agreement," I said, quite breathless. "My dear, let's keep to the agreement."

She looked at me for a long time. Without saying a word, she stood and moved towards the bedroom.

"Good night," I said after her.

She did not respond. I shrugged it off and decided it was time to sleep. I had a long, sweet sleep.

It was few minutes to eight in the morning when I woke up. I decided to see Precious in the bedroom and to ask her what we would take for breakfast.

In the bedroom, I met an empty bed. May be she was in the toilet/bathroom. I checked the place but she was not there.

Could she be in the kitchen? I went to check the place.

"Precious?" There was no answer and she was not there.

Could she be in the kitchen? I went to check the place.

"Precious?" there was no answer and she was not there.

Maybe she went out to buy something. I went back to the bedroom, hoping to find her bag or her clothes.

None was there. How could Precious leave without telling me?

I picked up my phone to cal her. It rang on and on. I sent a Whatsapp message to her, demanding to know why she left just like that.

She did not reply. I was appalled. How could she be behaving this way over a matter she was supposed to show understanding and support? Alright, maybe she was miffed by my outright insistence on abstinence. I had no doubt that soonest, Precious 'would get over it.'

I decided to forget about her for now. I took bread and tea for breakfast, then, I took a jotter and a pen. I wrote out the numbers I was expected to decode. I studied the numbers and tried to make a sense of them. I could not.

Maybe they stood for alphabets. I wrote the twenty-six alphabets and numbered them. I then tried to solve the puzzle. The outcome did not make sense.

I was about to give up when another idea came to my mind. I tried to renumber the alphabets, in reverse order. This time, the numbers formed the word: gravitas.

This must be it, I thought in excitement. I was finally able to solve the puzzle! But what was the meaning of 'gravitas'?

Was it an English word? I asked Wikipedia and got the answer. As a matter of fact, I loved, and still love, what it meant.

Without wasting time, I sent the answer through the Whatsapp number that I received the puzzle. Through out that weekend, Precious refused to pick my call or respond to my messages. I could not understand her grouse.

Through out that weekend, Precious refused to pick my call or respond to my messages. I could not understand her grouse.

Was she not a pastor's daughter who should understand the sanctity of my stand? I did not hear from the firm too until late Sunday afternoon when they sent a message congratulating me and directing that I should report to their V.I office by nine o'clock Tuesday morning.

That morning, I tried to look my best in the formal clothes that I wore. I had to set out early so that I would beat the traffic. This time, I realized only a lady and me were invited. I was called in before the lady.

I met a panel of three members who asked me sundry questions, ranging from educational qualification to professional qualification, including my membership of institute of public relations.

They said what their client was willing to pay me. The pay was satisfactory but I was puzzled by the use of the word 'client'.

They explained that all they were doing was on behalf of the client. Now that everything had been concluded, I would start the job that week.

"Can I know who the client is?" I asked.

The only female member of the panel smiled. "You will know in due course," she said. "All I can tell you for now is that he is a very reputable member of the society."

The head of the panel hemmed. "Tomorrow, you will start a three-day workshop," he said. "It is a crash programme to prepare you for the challenges of the new job. Before you go, you will collect a letter from the secretary that will detail the themes, venue and time of the programme. For now, accept our congratulation on your success."

He extended his hand for a hand-shake. I stood up to take it.

"Thank you, sir."

The other panelists took turn to shake my hand. It was the end of the interview.

I went to the secretary. She gave the letter for the workshop and explained that the letter of employment would come upon completion of the workshop. I thanked her and left the place.

The letter I got showed the venue to be Dolphin Estate, Lagos. The three-day programme would start by nine a.m. There would be morning and afternoon sessions with break in-between.

I was happy I would be starting something new. It suddenly dawned on me that I would have to resign my teaching appointment with immediate effect.

While I would not miss this opportunity, I would certainly miss my students and colleagues. Well, in life, change is a constant thing.

On getting home, I decided to call Precious. I wanted to share the good news with her. Once again, she refused to pick or acknowledge. I decided that in days to come, I would have to see her mother and explain things to her.