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EPISODE 62.

Teju arrived at the hotel feeling satisfied. She was hundred percent sure that everything would be over in the next two days. She was always happy whenever something was going according to plan. She knocked on the door of Deolu’s room excitedly and was glowing when he opened the door.
“Well, I don’t need to ask how things went” he said as a form of greeting.
“Hi” Teju responded instead and brushed past him into the room. She looked like a kid whose mother just bought a baby doll.
“How did it go?” he asked.
“Thought you did not need to ask” she sat on the chair. “I am sure it went well.” She answered and went ahead to narrate everything to Deolu, right from the second she entered the station to the time she left. Deolu smiled through it all but was surprised by the slight annoyance and irritation he felt when she mentioned the stares and filthy comments she received from the policemen. “I was not too happy putting that man through all that” Teju confessed. “He was only trying to help his brother”
“He is a conniving beast. If not for your insistence, I would take him to court along with that bastard”
Teju understood. “I was right. He knows where he is and had been protecting him but he loves his family more. He would not want to lose his career, family and everything by protecting a criminal. He risks the penalty of death if he is caught with this act.”
“Lawyers” he murmured with admiration and Teju grinned. He hadn’t seen her this lively in days and the great happiness he felt because of her good mood surprised him. “You are here now. I want to hear everything about that guy who deliberately gave up a good thing. He must be a fool, I am not sorry to say that”
Teju sighed. She had been contented with keeping her personal life out but Deolu had made it clear that he was not going to back off. She opened her mouth and started narrating everything that happened, exactly the way she had told Lucy. Lucy had insulted the living daylight out of Tunde that she even became happy. There is always this ability and power in a woman’s tongue that could turn any saint into a villain within the twinkling of an eye. As she told Deolu, she felt Goosebumps on her skin as she shivered in remembrance. Unknown to her, tears rolled down her cheeks and it was not until Deolu wiped it away that she noticed them. Wiping them away brought fresh tears and Deolu had to hold her. He was quite used to crying women but seeing the strong and independent Teju crying tore at Deolu’s heart painfully and he also started raining insults on Tunde who was not physically present.
Everything became quiet some minutes later but Teju was still in Deolu’s arms. She started to pull away but she looked at him and became very alarmed by how close they were. Their faces were only inches apart and she could not pull back. Deolu bent his head and covered her mouth with his in a firm kiss. It took Teju some seconds to realize what was going on. She was being kissed by her best friend’s fiancé! She flew out of his arms and did not pause before swinging her palm to connect with Deolu’s cheeks.
“You bastard. You are just as evil as Tunde. How dare you kiss your fiancée’s best friend?” she asked herself the same question.
Deolu was as stunned as Teju. He did not know what devil had made him act before thinking. He did not know what he was doing until he had done it. Now, the damage had been done and he was too alarmed to utter a word. Teju looked at him like he was a demon incarnate. “I thought you loved Lucy. How dare you?” before Deolu could open his mouth, Teju’s phone rang and she picked it with shaky hands, yelling hello into the mouth piece.
She calmed down a bit when she listened to the other person, then she managed a shaky smile. “You’ve made the right decision sir. I would be there tomorrow” she hung up and stared at Deolu. She didn’t know if she was angrier at herself or Deolu. He is a man and she was the woman who should know better than to cry in the arms of a man – her best friend’s hubby.
“I don’t need you here. Please leave if you have enough dignity in you to do that. As you can see, I have everything under control and I can take care of myself” she turned towards the door.
“It is not like that Teju. I am-” Teju slammed the door hard. And Deolu blinked. “Sorry” he finished silently as he held his head which had developed a splitting headache.

Tinuke opened the door of Raymond’s sitting room without knocking. She wanted to see what Raymond had been up to. The first person she saw was Vicky and she frowned.
“What are you doing here?” Tinuke asked.
Vicky looked at her like she had lost her mind. Firstly, she entered without knocking and to make matters worse, she is asking her, Vicky, what she was doing in her brother’s house. Vicky clapped her head as she laughed. Her encounter with Duke fuelled her anger the more. “Oh my…” she said in her foreign voice. “You are asking me what I am doing in my brother’s house? How hilarious. Now, what the hell are you doing here?” she asked glaring. She had always hated Tinuke for her guts and audacity.
“I am here to see my fiancé” Tinuke said boldly.
Vicky laughed. “You mean, ex-fiancé”
“What are you doing here Tinuke” Raymond growled and Tinuke spun to face Ray who was at the entrance. She composed herself and moved forward to hug him.
“Baby……” she drawled as she went towards him with open hands. Ray blocked her advance with his hand,
“Answer the damn question. What the hell are you doing in my house?” he yelled now.
“I am here to give you the good news baby” she was all smiles.
“No news from you can be good” he declared.
“Was about to say the same” Vicky added.
“I am sure you would love this Ray” she paused for effect. “I am pregnant”

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EPISODE 61.

When Raymond left the main house, his intention was to go into the gym as he usually does but he found himself opening another door. Even as he stepped into the room, he could not believe that his legs had brought him there. There was a time when art was his life and he could hardly do without drawing or painting in a day. But he hadn’t lifted a paintbrush or a drawing pencil in years and he wondered if the gift was still there. He swallowed as he traced some of the paintings with his fingertips, drawing dust from them. He remembered with a smile that Lucy also traced them that way.
Raymond took calculated steps towards that stunning painting on the wall and took it in his hands. That painting was the last one he had done. He painted it some weeks before his parents’ death. His parents had been having marital problems which took only God’s intervention to manage. They had been on the brink of divorce and it affected everyone terribly. It all started when a guy came into the house, claiming that he was Mr. James’ son. Everyone had assumed that he was mad or on the verge of madness but they had received the shock of their lives when their dad confirmed the news. His wife hadn’t been able to comprehend the fact that she had a step-son, especially one that was almost the same age with her first son, Kelvin. Raymond and his siblings were also very shocked to find out that they had a step brother. He had destroyed the peace in the house, all bent on destroying the happiness and love which was resident in the house. Even after everyone, including his mum had come to accept the boy and forgive the mistake made by their father; the guy was still bent on destroying the family. He framed up their dad until there was no trust again.
The day everything was resolved, it was a dream come true for Raymond and his siblings because one of the people who connived with the guy came to confess and everything was resolved. He had begun that painting of his parents, telling a story of the pain they went through during that period but they never got to see the painting. He had anticipated and foreseen the smile on their faces when he handed the picture to them but it never happened. The crash burned in his memory.
For the first time since the crash, Raymond really cried. He hadn’t been able to cry. At times, it would be a few drops which he would control but he had never broken down in tears because he had feared that he would cry himself to death. It had taken the strength of Raymond and his two brothers to console their two sisters. He wondered what would have happened if they had taken the girls to the crash venue.
He turned and saw the unfinished sketch on the canvas which was still on the easel. His hands balled into fists as he willed himself to walk towards it. He swallowed hard. That was the only thing that came to his mind after the crash. After the incident, he had ran to painting, seeking refuge, hoping that it would make him forget but the opposite was what it gave him. Every time he picked up his pencil to sketch, he found himself sketching the burnt and frozen bodies he had seen. It scared him as hell and after the fifth try; he ran out of the room and never returned.
He replaced the canvas with a blank one and took out a pencil. He took a deep breath and prayed silently that his nightmare would not resurface. He had only one image on his head as he started to sketch again.

Luciana entered the empty church with her head covered with a shawl, to prevent people from seeing her. She had struggled with her parents until they finally allowed her to go. She walked to the pulpit feeling totally miserable. She had never been this confused, sad and angry in her life. When she got to the altar, she sat at the edge and just stared into space.
“What have I done Lord?” she began as her heart ached. “Why do I have to go through this turmoil? Why have you subjected me to this test? I know I was wrong, did not seek your consent before going for Deolu out of pressure but must I go through this pain now?” tears slipped down her cheeks and she furiously wiped them away. She swallowed as she remembered the constant calls of her parents, asking her to bring a man home. Ever since she clocked 21, the tune had changed from ‘don’t let me see you wasting your time with any boy when you need to face your studies’ to ‘you are a grown woman, when would you bring the lucky man home’. It had been tough because her mum believed that any girl that was 21 years was ripe enough for marriage. When she clocked 23 and was not even seen with anyone in the male gender, not to mention being engaged, the pressure had increased. The job away from home had been all that she needed to breathe but still, her parents kept calling and asking. She was never angry because she knew that they loved her and being the only child, their focus was constantly fixed on her. What happened when she was 20 years old and in her third year in school had distanced her from men and she had maintained that distance. Fred was the only male friend she had in school but she saw him as a friend and nothing more even though he tried to change it. Deolu came along and was even closer to her than Fred was. He was everything a lady could want in a man – a Christian who loved God, a handsome guy who could make ladies trip, a successful and independent man, and a guy who loved her so much.
It hadn’t come as a surprise when Deolu asked her out and she had accepted even though she did not love him. Of course, Deolu never knew that she did not love him but she knew that the feelings she had for Deolu were too simple and easy to be called love. She liked him and felt that was enough because she had given up on herself, saying that she was incapable of love. But here she was, madly in love with someone she had lived with for two weeks and three days. Madly in love with someone who just broke off his engagement to his fiancée immediately she entered his house. Madly in love with someone who had too many ghosts haunting his dreams. Madly in love with someone who had given up on God. Madly in love with someone whose sister is a lesbian.
“Why is this happening to me?” she screamed at the pulpit as more tears left her eyes. “I just want to be happy Lord” she sniffed. “Why am I now faced with these feelings for Raymond when I am obviously with another man?” she lamented. She knew that her heart would never allow her to leave Deolu even though she was clearly in love with Raymond. Deolu had gone through a lot when she was away, it would be suicidal if she told him that she was in love with someone else. Was that not what that useless Tunde did to Teju? Teju had told her everything shortly before she went to Abuja and Lucy had insulted Tunde, calling him all sort of names. Lucy felt she would be in the same category with Tunde if she left Deolu, even though she was not after sex.
Raymond was not perfect in any way but whenever she saw him, she saw perfection. Ever since she got to that house from the hospital and found out that Vicky was a lesbian, along with their religious status, she hadn’t stopped praying for them. Even though Ray’s physical appearance alone was enough to make any lady desire a steaming night, his looks was not the only thing she loved about him. She loved his jovial nature. She loved his ability to understand her silence within the few times they had spent together. She loved his attachment to his parents, even though it was a bit of a setback for him considering his inability to forget their death. She loved his romantic attitude. She loved his inability to cook. She loved his self confidence and independence which was very evident. The fact that he still worked under someone however surprised her. Ray was very famous, probably even more famous than Deolu but she saw and felt his humility and his down-to-earth nature. His compassion was great. She sighed and stood up. Once again, she had been carried away by thoughts centered on Raymond. She wondered if Raymond felt the same way but common sense made her feel that the feelings she had was not reciprocated because she felt that he would love his fiancée, or ex-fiancée. He had slept with his fiancée a lot, he must love her. She swallowed as jealousy threatened to choke her.
“Lord, please fix this for me. If you don’t I would end up living with Deolu, while my heart stayed with someone else” she demonstrated, like she was talking to a physical being. “I also want Fred to pay for what he did to me. Father, you know what he did. Please, fight for me” she wiped her face and went out of the church with the shawl carefully covering her face.

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EPIDODE 60.

Duke and Raymond discussed unhindered in the sitting room. Raymond was trying his possible best to use his best friend as a tool in order to forget his worries and keep his head straight. Never did a minute pass when he did not think about Luciana, worrying if she was alright. Being in the office made it worse; he was being paid to stay focused when he was doing the exact opposite. He could not remember anyone who took over his thoughts the way Luciana had done successfully. They were never intimate throughout their stay except for the kiss that in the gym. Even though he had been barely conscious, he still felt her soft lips on his and it had continuously haunted him until he felt he would run mad from desiring to really kiss her. The gym had become his favorite part of the house because he went there frequently to work of his stress and thoughts; even at that, there was little or no effect. He had no doubt in his mind that the kiss was what propelled Lucy’s speedy departure. He had known that she would leave soon but not as fast as a bullet.
“RAY” Duke yelled as he and Vicky stared at Raymond who suddenly bolted out of his reverie. The two pairs of eyes peering at him drew a scowl from him.
“What is it? Do you have to yell my name like that when we are two steps away from each other?” Ray asked as the anger that had become his best friend for the past few days began to erupt.
“Considering the fact that I have been calling and talking to you for minutes now with your mind being far away, I was sorely tempted to use a megaphone in retrieving your escaping mind” Duke ranted. “What the hell have you been thinking about?”
“I am sure a particular fair goddess with an incredibly long brown hair and striking eye balls has created a castle in his head. He was merely exploring it” Vicky said with a glint of humor in her eyes.
Duke frowned. “I never knew Raymond was that much into Tinuke. Especially with all her unbearable attitudes. Does she have brown hair?”
Vicky snorted. “Tinuke my foot. Even Tinuke cannot stand Lucy’s beauty. Ray has been testy ever since the rare beauty left, I have no doubt he is in love with her”
Duke smiled. “You don’t say” he had a devilish grin that Ray already recognized as a sign that he would continuously tease him until he said something. He hissed. Duke and Vicky kept on talking about him, like he was not present while he just looked on.
“Raymond is in love!” Duke exclaimed then out of the blues, he asked Vicky. “How did you know?”
She smiled. “You only need to see the way he looks at her. He stares at her even when she is not looking and the look on his face is priceless. She was able to pull him to the kitchen, can you believe that? He looks at her like she was the last icing on the cake and he would not wait to grab it for himself”
Ray snorted. “If I am correct, you used to think the same of Bose and I” he replied.
She smiled. “Yeah, I used to, because I mistook your likeness for her as love. The way you gazed at Lucy can never be compared to the way you looked at Bose. The chemistry between you and Lucy cannot be denied also; I am sure Lucy left because she could not withstand your powerful appeal. I noticed her efforts in ensuring you guys never stood too close to each other” she had this love signs in her eyes as she talked.
The analysis struck Duke as odd, coming from the mouth of Vicky. “And how would you know how a man looks at a woman he loves?”
Vicky turned to him as the humor in her eyes and voice evaporated. Ray noticed the turning table with both relief and anxiety.
“I don’t expect you to know that. The highest you should know is how a woman in love looks at another woman” Duke continued.
“Bring it down Duke” Raymond said quietly, knowing how hard it had been for Duke to forget Vicky.
“I know exactly what a man in love looks like…” Vicky felt insulted.
“Humor me” Duke countered.
Raymond stood up with a sigh and turned towards the entrance. He knew that they needed to settle their score so he decided to leave them alone. He had enough things to think about. When he got to the doorway, he faced the duo and smiled. “I guess you don’t need me here. Three is a crowd. Duke” he called. “Be a gentleman”.
“How can I be anything less? I would not dream of crossing the line with someone who considers herself a man, even though she dresses otherwise. Would rather be with that fat dwarf in the office”. Ray swallowed and left them alone while Vicky sat down, glaring. She was hurt by that sentence.
“So, you consider me unappealing” Vicky mouthed.
“It is your appeal that sickens me. I was crazily in love with you but what did you give me? You threw my love in my face, telling yourself the ridiculous story of being a lesbian”
“It is not a ridiculous story. I am a lesbian. Men do not appeal to me and it is not my fault that I am like this. I did not create myself”
“You were not made like this. The problem is that you have not found the guy to make you squirm”
“I am not interested in any search. I have searched and found no one but now I am comfortable with what I am” she glared and stood up as she became very angry. “The earlier you accept it, the better for you. I have not had anything to do with men for over a decade and I never will” she declared.
“I would be an exception” Duke grabbed her hand and pulled her to him, so fast that she did not even have enough time to breathe.
“What the hell is this?” she asked breathlessly.
“When I kiss you, I want you to know that it is Duke and not one of those whores” with that he brought down his lips to hers, kissing her thoroughly with anger. She struggled for some time against his chest but he pinned her to him until she later relaxed, knowing that no harm would come from letting him indulge himself. She was sure that he would have no effect on her.
When Duke sensed her total surrender, his anger seemed to evaporate and what was left was the love he had for her. He had been sure the feelings were dead but now they burned with rage, even higher than what he had felt for her five years ago. Even as he kissed her, he knew that he would suffer the consequences. He would have to deal with killing that feeling all over again but even at that, he just kissed her. When she placed her palm on his chest, a cold shiver went down his spine and he jerked away from her. She looked stunned but he just turned around and marched out of the house without looking back.

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skubido:
Tink say u don update b4 ni.
Comma update jhor

Yea bro
Im right on my way

izaray:
Wow! Wow! God bless you dear

Bless you too dear

Pinkberry5:
God bless you dear writer. This story puts a smile on my face anytime i'm reading. I'm a ghostreader but i knew my mind won't be at rest until i acknoledged your masterpiece. Thank you for your consistency. More grace to your life!

Thank you for the accolades, but that should go to the writer of The Last Smile 'Nissi Inspiration Adeola'

EPISODE 59.

Lucy washed the dishes and her mum kept on pestering her. She wondered why the questions her mum was asking were affecting her comfort; but she knew. She knew why she felt uncomfortable.
“Answer me Lucy, I am your mum. You should not be shy to tell me about your love life. Knowing how long you stayed without a single boy in your life, I bet Deolu did what all those guys could not do. Tell me, how did you meet?” Bewaji glued herself to the side of the zinc, grinning like a teenager.
Luciana sighed. “Work brought us together mum. We needed a supply of some furniture and I had to meet with Deolu for negotiation.”
Bewaji smiled. “At least something good came out of that job. Now I am happy that you took the job because if you did not, you would probably remain single forever. Tell me: was it love at first sight or did it grow on you?”
Luciana’s stomach turned so much that she felt she might throw up. She became whiter than she already was but Bewaji mistook her reaction for embarrassment. Luckily for Lucy, Bewaji’s phone rang and she went for it, leaving her to breathe in a free air again.

Teju walked stylishly into the police station with a faint and feminine smile on her face. She saw the way the policemen had their eyes on her with every step she took. Deolu had been right. The dress made her feel feminine and in control.
She got to the counter. “Good morning, please I am here to see the DPO” she said with an irresistible smile on her face. The three policemen were grinning foolishly and she felt the urge to punch them in the face.
“I would give anything to be the reason for your visit” the one facing her said.
She half laughed. “You won’t betray your DPO now, would you? Even if you are this handsome” she could not believe her own words.
Another policeman pushed the other away. “What? I am more handsome” he grinned.
Teju laughed. “Sure. You all are. Now I want to see your DPO, when I am through, I would see you guys”.
They all smiled. “You dey lucky say e dey office” the last one said in pidgin and Teju wondered if his earlier silence was because he could not speak proper English. He left for the DPO’s office after asking of her name while Teju continued chatting with the other two.
“You fit go inside”
Teju thanked him with a smile and walked to the office, knocking slightly before entering.
“Hello DPO… Mr. Chuks?”
“Yes. Please have your seat.” His eyes lit with appreciation at her beauty and she smiled internally. After she was seated, she placed her small purse on the table. “Please, I don’t know you; how may I help you?”
“The question should be: how may ‘I’ help you” she countered.
Chris frowned. “I don’t understand lady”
Teju smiled menacingly. “Let’s just say I have the power to destroy you” Chris gasped. “The power to break you and shatter all you have ever worked for”.
Chris composed himself. “Are you here to threaten me?”
Teju’s smile did not leave its place. “I am not here to threaten. I am here to assure you of what I would do”. When she saw that a certain level of fear had been implanted, she slowly picked her purse and opened. “I have something that would interest you” she took out the carefully folded newspaper, opened it and gave it to the DPO. His hands and eyes froze when she stared at the same girl she had seen in the picture given to him by Deolu. The truth was already out, he knew it. “What… what… what is… this? And who the hell are you” he yelled as his palms began to sweat.
Teju deliberately took out the smile on her face slowly, leaving her face serious and blank. “That signified that Luciana was murdered and I am Barrister Teju Bello, Deolu’s lawyer” she dropped.
Chris’ mouth fell open as he tried to gather what was happening to him. His life was now completely ruined. He would be behind bars, all for helping that Fred. His wife… his two daughters… he could not imagine it.
Teju smiled and got up slowly, roaming the office slowly. “When Deolu had told me that no move was taken in Abuja concerning the search of the murderer, I decided to dig. I wondered which DPO would be at peace knowing that a murderer was roaming the FCT of Nigeria. Then I discovered the reason: he knows, or should I say well acquainted with the murderer.” She faced him as his eyes watered. “How would you love to be charged for treason sir? You know, you could as well be his accomplice.”
“No ma’am. Please for God’s sake. I did not do anything, please. My children are still very small, please” he begged, getting up.
“I know you are a good man, just don’t know why you are protecting this murderer. He murdered that innocent girl in cold blood, what makes you think he can’t do the same with you or your children? Listen, I would give you the chance to right this mistake. Produce Fred and I would not press any charges against you. My client does not know about your betrayal but believe me; he would not hesitate to ruin your life and career if he found out that you are in any way connected with Fred. The guy killed his fiancée!” she exclaimed as fury sliced through her. “You have 24 hours to think about it” she dropped a tiny card on the table and picked up the newspaper which had fallen carelessly out of Chris’ hands. “Give me a call when you have made up your mind and don’t think of doing anything foolish. You don’t want to mess with Teju Bello, believe me” her eyes held meaning as they burned fire. She straightened and smiled mischievously. “Have a nice day” she walked quietly out of the office, leaving Chris shaken.

Typing...

EPISODE 58.


Deolu knocked on Teju’s door the next day. He hadn’t been able to get her to open the door the previous day and he had called for dinner to be sent to her room. He was already dressed for the day ahead and he wondered if Teju was awake yet. He wanted to confirm what she would take for breakfast so they could eat together and possibly talk about her heartbreak.
The door opened and Teju stood before him – fully dressed. “You are awake?” he managed to murmur.
“Obviously” she grinned. “Good morning Dee” she looked him over with the same grin on her face.
“Lemon looks good on you Teju, so much” Deolu said with an appreciative look in his eyes.
“Anything would look good on me” she dropped.
“Obviously” Deolu mimicked and Teju smiled. “Why do I feel that you are dressed to seduce?” He raised his eyebrow.
Teju feigned a look of innocence. “Can’t say I know what you are talking about” the look he gave her forced her to drop the pretense. “Alright, fine. Looking good and appealing is part of my tactic today. No one refuses a beautiful lady anything, thanks to God, I have a lot of beauty at my disposal”. She landed and Deolu grinned.
“Won’t you invite me in?”
Teju opened the door wide enough for him to enter. As he entered, she grinned again mischievously and Deolu became nervous. “Spill it” he dropped.
Teju laughed. “I never knew that you could dress so erm… so normally.”
He blanched. “Normal” he repeated.
“Yes. I mean, no suit and tie that makes you look like a pastor or a banker. You look like a guy in this outfit of jeans and T shirt” she said, tongue in cheek.
“Wow… I never knew that the suit made me look so cheesy and serious”
She laughed. “Not so serious. They all look good on you. You won’t be Luciana’s guy if you were anything less” she grinned.
He cleared his throat, sitting down. “Thought she didn’t care about the physical appearance”.
“All ladies do. We like to show off our man” she picked up her shoes and started putting them on.
He saw the tray on the table. “You have eaten?”
“Yeah. Had to do so in order for me to get to business early enough” she was done with her shoes.
“Can we talk”
Teju glanced at him, and without even looking, she knew what was coming. “Maybe when I come back; time is against me”
He frowned. “We are going together”
She shook her head. “No Dee. I have to do this on my own. You people did not understand me when I talked then. It won’t work well if they see you there now. They don’t know me, especially the DPO who is our target. It would be easier for me being a lawyer and I don’t want you to ruin everything with your presence. Don’t get me wrong, the DPO might see you afar off and flee. That is what I am against”. She smiled at him. “I can take care of myself, you don’t have to bodyguard me”.
“I would love to take you up on that but-”
“But I am late. The earlier the better” she concluded. Deolu knew he would get nowhere by arguing with her. He would get her later, but for now, she needed to have her way. He stood up as his tummy grumbled for attention. “Guess I would be eating alone then. Be careful” he murmured when he got to the door.
She smiled as she lifted her bag. “No mortal can do anything to Teju except God allows it”. She smiled at her own words, remembering Tunde and the fact that she had not yet accepted that his leaving her was God’s will.

“I can’t believe she is gone” Vicky murmured as she sat on the couch facing Raymond. She had just arrived from her friend’s place and after dropping her things, she discovered that Lucy was not in. Raymond broke the news of her departure to her.
“The earlier you believe it, the better for you” Ray’s eyes were fixed on the flat screen TV.
She sighed. “I must have scared her off; and to think I imagined that she accepted me for who I am… should have known that no one can” she was sober.
“What are you talking about” Ray’s attention turned to her instantly.
“I told her about my sexuality”
“You did what?” Raymond yelled as he jumped to his feet. “What were you thinking? Were you daft or something”
“I was perfectly ok. Just did not want someone to like me and later become disappointed when they find out the truth”
Ray did not know why he yelled that way but he was furious. He had been the only one in their family to accept Vicky unconditionally even though her acts irritated him terribly. “When did you tell her?”
“The day after I arrived”
Ray looked at her like she had gone mad but he held his tongue. He wondered why he did not see the trace of hate in Lucy towards Vicky. Not everyone would accept a lesbian that easily except if they believed in them, which he found ridiculous. “Well, she left for her family. She even said in her letter that she wished you guys were sisters”. Vicky was stunned but she did not have the opportunity to probe him further because they heard the gate open and Ray knew who to expect.
He opened the door and met Duke who was walking majestically towards him. The guy could be a charmer any time any day without even trying.
“Hey man” he greeted Duke with a smile and they gave themselves the usual manly hug. “To what do I owe the honour?”
“Is it a crime to visit my best friend?”
“Judging by the last time you visited me, I would bet this year’s salary that you are not here specifically for me”
“I would be ready to take that bet anytime” he grinned. They entered the sitting room and Vicky who had been watching a movie turned round. Duke’s heart skipped a beat as he stared at the only woman he had ever loved. He had fallen in love with her long ago but when he bore his heart to her, she had in turn told him that she saw him as someone of the same sex with her and the only people that appealed to her were females. Being in love with a lesbian was the last thing he ever imagined would happen to him. The incident would have affected his relationship with Raymond but he did not allow it. It took a long time for him to forget her even though she was already out of the country.
Vicky swallowed and smiled tightly at Duke. If she had known that he would be visiting, she would have stayed back at her friend’s place, besides, she was also a lesbian.
“Hello Vic” Duke finally broke the silence. Ray just stood still, watching the drama. “I can see that you are still as sexy as ever” his eyes roamed Vicky and Raymond frowned protectively.
“And you are even more of a flirt” Vicky replied with a corny smile.
“Amen to that” Duke’s eyes held no smile even though his smile portrayed them.
“OK” Ray cut in. “Vicky, could you please get us juice?”
Vicky left without a reply and Ray fixed Duke a warning glare. As they sat, Ray faced Duke. “I think I am ready for that bet now” Duke hissed and he laughed.

Typing...

EEPISODE 57.

Deolu and Teju walked into a hotel the following evening. They had left Lagos later than they ought to because they needed that newspaper, even though it was only a spreadsheet. Deolu had booked a flight for both of them and they were in Abuja earlier than expected.
“We need two rooms, very close to each other.” Deolu smiled at the receptionist. Teju rolled her eyes as she watched the receptionist flirt with Deolu. She almost hissed out of annoyance. That is the way ladies bring themselves low and end up becoming a ‘use and dump’ for guys. She mused. The lady gave Deolu the two keys and he gave her some money with some extra naira notes for herself. She thanked him immensely and her praises followed them as they walked away from the reception.
“Do you have to do that?”
“Do what?” Deolu returned.
“Tip everyone you see. Money should be spent carefully. The fact that you have excess money does not mean that you should spend it lavishly”
Deolu smiled. “I don’t tip everyone I see, only those that I feel like. It is good to give people money, especially people who are in need of it. You don’t know who might be of help to you tomorrow”.
“I give alms to the needy, I am not saying it is wrong, only that you should be careful to not overdo it”. She replied.
“Yes ma” he gave a mock bow.
Their rooms were opposite each other, so they both went to their rooms to freshen up and relax. Barely thirty minutes after, Teju knocked on Deolu’s door. He had just finished putting on a casual cloth after taking a shower. He would have relaxed a bit on the bed if Teju hadn’t knocked. When he opened the door, he noticed she was still in the clothes she had on before.
“Come inside Teju. Thought I should give you some time to relax before we get dinner” he said as he ushered her in.
She laughed slightly. “There is no time to waste. I need to survey my surroundings and get some things to work on tonight, so that I can have a solid ground to work on tomorrow”.
Deolu stared at her. “This is past six Teju, it is almost dark. Everything can wait till tomorrow.”
“No.” Teju shook her head with a calm smile.
Deolu looked at her for some seconds and exhaled. “Sit” he ordered. Teju wanted to argue but the tone of his voice told her that there would be no room for arguments.
Seated, she faced Deolu on the chair. “I am seated. What is it?”
“Teju, I have known you for some time now and I think I know you to a certain extent. The recent problems have brought us together more and I have been able to see a part of you that I never saw before. You changed recently. You have become quiet and distant. You have also turned to a workaholic. Something is wrong. Can you tell me?”
Teju paused and looked on. “What makes you think something is wrong? Lucy-”
“Don’t give me that fake story, Teju. I know you are hurting, someone hurt you badly but I don’t know who. Is it your fiancé?”
Teju’s head snapped. “No” she stood up immediately but Deolu held her hand back.
“Be honest with me T, let it out. What did he do?” he probed, getting up too but keeping his voice calm and soothing.
“He dumped me six months and five days to our wedding for a harlot, that’s what he did”. She snatched her hand from his and flew out of the room.

Lucy lay on the bed as her mind wandered away. She swallowed as various unwanted thoughts clouded her brain. She wondered if it was possible to sleep without thinking.
“Luciana” Bewaji called and she jerked out of her thoughts. She was not aware of the door opening.
“Hey mum, you are not asleep yet?”
Bewaji smiled. “No. I feel we need to go and thank the Good Samaritan that helped you. You surely know the place. That guy was used by God to save your life.”
Lucy’s heart skipped severally. “You know mum that I ought to lay low for now. We don’t want someone to pass information to Fred that he or she saw me. You know, we had been friends for a long time and most of his friends know me”.
“That filthy thing” Bewaji swore. “Although, you could write the address of that Raymond so that we can go there without you. I would never be at rest until I appreciate that guy for the great thing he did for me. Your dad and I would go; you would stay here with Dana” she concluded.
Lucy swallowed hard. “Ok mum”

Typing...

chrysan:
pls continue

Yes ma
With all alacrity

harmonychris:
I love you OP

nekkygracie:
@OP YOU'RE GOOD AT LEAST ADMITTING YOUR FAULT.

Thanks to you

EPISODE 56.

After Luciana had eaten, they had allowed her take a nap in order to rest and relax more. Luciana had fallen into a dreamless sleep and woke up almost two hours later. The first person she saw when she opened her eyes was her mum. Bewaji seemed to derive pleasure from watching her daughter sleep; in fact, she derived pleasure in watching everything Luciana did.
Lucy smiled down at her mother with sleepy eyes. “Relax mum, I am not going anywhere”.
Bewaji smiled. “It would take a few days to make me believe it baby”
Lucy nodded. “I missed you mum, so much” she sat up.
“Me too dear. I told you that leaving this house was a bad idea but you never listen. You are just as stubborn as your father”
“Don’t go there mum. I left for work, besides, I like it there. I love the work. Mum, I think it is best I talked with everyone about the situation on ground. The guy is still freely roaming the streets” she changed the subject.
Luciana got to the sitting room and found everyone waiting there, having a little chatter. Their eyes followed her to her seat, making her feel awkward, with her legs hitting themselves. “Can you guys stop staring? You are making me feel weird” she stated exasperatedly.
Teju laughed. “We are still surprised that you are here babe”.
“Get used to it”
“I am used to it already. Now, let’s get down to business” she transformed to a lawyer within the twinkling of an eye and Lucy smiled. “I have my luggage packed for Abuja tomorrow. I should be able to lay my hands on the murderer.”
“Fred is not a murderer, he was just blinded with jealousy-” everyone in the room stared at Lucy like she had lost her mind. “Besides, Teju, you can’t go looking for a ‘murderer’ in Abuja. He is a man and you are a woman; a fragile one at that”
“Oh… give me a break Lucy. It was your mummy attitude I missed a lot. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I am a barrister for heaven’s sake” Teju retorted.
“Lucy is right” Deolu stated. “It is risky having you there alone. I am coming with you”.
“Obviously not. I am not going to be all alone, that policeman Deolu told me about would be helping me out. Besides, you need Deolu here now.” She replied.
“No” Luciana said immediately. She softened. “Listen Teju, I would hate myself forever if anything happened to any of you because of me; you especially. Let Deolu go with you. He is a man and he can take care of you and himself” Lucy concluded.
“I want to go and see the face of that scoundrel and teach him a lesson he would not forget in a hurry” Ken dropped with finality in his tone.
“You would do no such thing” Bewaji said glaring at him.
Teju looked at the whole scenario and laughed. “Well, this is cozy. Since my over-protective sister does not want me alone, I would go with Deolu. His numerous connections should come in handy. Dad, I am afraid your presence there would be more harm than good”.
Ken growled. Women and their easy ways of twisting themselves around your neck until you had no choice but to succumb to their will. He swallowed.
Teju thought of how to drop what had popped into her mind during the course of the argument. She knew it would not be taken well. “There is a little problem though”. When she had all their attention, she continued. “There is no evidence. When we find Fred, which I am sure we will, there would still be no evidence to ensure he gets the punishments for his crimes. If he gets a good lawyer in court, he might even coin his way out without a scratch”
“What other evidence is required? My daughter here is enough testimony”. Ken said and Bewaji nodded her head vigorously.
“No sir, the law does not work like that. We need proof. If only we could make Fred assume that Lucy is dead…”
“What?” Deolu yelled and Ken sat with his eyes wide open. Lucy seemed to have frozen on her seat.
“God forbid” Bewaji yelled. “Listen, I am not in for all this ridiculous nonsense you lawyers put yourselves into.”
“Please understand me. If Fred is made to believe that Lucy is dead, we can get some evidence from him. After his mind must have settled on the fact that she is dead, Lucy can now appear to him like a ghost and he would spill the beans, while we record secretly; just like what we see in the movies”.
Lucy laughed slightly. “I have always imagined myself as an actress. When do we get to act this movie?”
Bewaji turned glaring eyes at Lucy and she flinched.
“You want me to announce the death of my daughter when she is still alive?” Ken asked, stupefied.
“And would remain alive for a long long time” Bewaji added.
Teju was speechless; she also could not believe that she was uttering such jargons, even though she knew the stunt would be helpful.
“But I understand what you are trying to say” Ken said thoughtfully and Bewaji turned to glare at him. “It does not have to be made public. We can just get someone to print it out in something that would definitely pass for a colorless newspaper. Add other irrelevant stories. It can just be a piece of the newspaper, a fake newspaper at that. You can slut it in your bag and show them. They would be so concerned about the story in the paper that they would not even think about the authenticity of the story. Besides, that is the news Fred is expecting. He already imagines her dead; we just need to fuel his conviction”.
“You think and talk like a lawyer sir” Teju grinned.
Ken shrugged. “Well, I always knew I could succeed in that profession but unfortunately, I went for engineering.”
“You would beat the experts in the field also”
“Ken” Bewaji yelled, with her eyes popping.
“Mum, it is ok. As long as this can keep Fred locked up in the cell, I am down with it. I should enjoy the acting”.
Teju noticed Lucy’s emphasis on Fred’s being locked up and it struck her as odd. The Lucy she knew would even intercede and plead on the behalf of even a murderer. Even though she would like to believe that the reason for Lucy’s action was because the person that this murderer had attempted killing was her own self, she knew that there was more to it than meets the eye. She had noticed the way Lucy carefully picked her words when she had explained what happened to her earlier on. She looked at Lucy and wondered what Fred had actually done to her.

Typing...

I sincerely reapologise for this.
I'm at fault and I deserve whatever i get.
Once again I AM NOT THE WRITER OF THIS GREAT STORY.
Bless u all

EPISODE 55.

Ray had never been so helpless in his life. His life felt empty and it scared him. He felt like something had left him. He felt his life was just as empty as his house was. He changed from one channel of the television to the other but nothing came close to appealing to his senses. Just some time ago, he was telling himself that it would be best if she left and now that that thought had come to a reality, he felt miserable. ‘Be careful what you wish for, you just might have it’. That sentence echoed in his brain as he walked helplessly towards the refrigerator for a pack of juice. He cared less if there was food because he had no appetite at all.
As he drank Chivita, he stared at the television screen, seeing only the pictures in his head. He wondered where Lucy was, if she was safe, if she was hungry. He stood and paced. He felt miserably helpless and he could not understand why he felt that way. She was just his guest, nothing more. He had helped in saving her life but he did not see himself as a super star that was able to save a damsel in distress, he felt lucky instead that he had been able to do something for her. God had used him for her; He could as well have used someone else. God? He could not believe he had thought of God using him. He swallowed when the content of the letter replayed itself in his head. He dropped his glass and went out of the house to discuss with his gateman. He was very glad then that he had employed a gateman.

Lucy tried not to engage the thoughts that were trying to cloud her head. She was very happy to be home but she felt something was wrong. She felt incomplete. It was just a silent feeling which she easily overlooked as she laughed and smiled to everything that was being said. Her parents were fussing over her and she felt like a one year old again. The knock at the door interrupted their reunion and Luciana’s heart skipped wildly. She wondered which one of the two had arrived. Dana was a bit reluctant to leave Lucy’s side but she did anyways.
The voice Luciana heard made her smile widely and she was up instantly. Teju moved into the sitting room and it took a while before her brain could take in what she was seeing. She froze for some seconds as she gaped at Lucy who stood grinning.
“Lucy… Ahhhhh” she screamed as they both ran into each other’s arms. Lucy’s parents were laughing at the scene. Teju moved slightly away and started inspecting Lucy’s body as if she was checking if her body parts were complete. “Oh Lucy” she hugged her again.
“T.J… I have missed your troublesome self o” Lucy said and laughed as she blinked back the tears that came to her eyes.
“Yes. You must miss me. I have also missed the coconut rice you always cook for me” they both laughed. Teju was trying to control herself and not cry like a baby. She had missed her best friend.
As the two friends fussed over each other, they were so engulfed in their excitement that they did not hear the knock on the door. When the door opened, Lucy turned and froze when she stared at Deolu.
Deolu stood at the entrance as his eyes took in the image before him. Even when he came to fully acknowledge the fact that he was not dreaming, he still could not move a muscle. All the times that he had imagined Lucy’s return, he had imagined carrying her, kissing her until his lips ached and so many things but he never imagined that he would just stand at the entrance and stare. Life seemed to have departed his legs and he could not move them.
Lucy walked slowly towards him, feeling a quiet panic within her. Raymond flashed through her mind and she pushed away the image. She stood right in front of Deolu and watched him swallow forcefully. “Lucy” he called as if he wanted to be double sure that he was not seeing things. She answered by moving into his arms.
“Oh God” he breathed as he wrapped his arms around her. His hands shook as he held on to her like his life depended on it. He breathed in the scent of her hair as he held her. “My love… oh my love” he murmured. “Life has been miserable since you vanished.”
“I am sorry for putting you through all these” she said, still in his arms. Deolu pulled her back and kissed her forehead, her cheeks and lips. Ken coughed audibly as he fisted his arms. Deolu held on to Lucy without letting her go and Bewaji put her hand on her husband’s shoulder to calm him.
“Why don’t we move this love scene to the sitting room” Bewaji said, moving towards the couple.
Several minutes after, everyone was seated in the sitting room. Lucy sat at the middle of Teju and Deolu and he held her to him with her head resting on his shoulders. With everyone being attentive, she narrated everything that happened, although carefully edited. She told them how Fred had stabbed her because of jealousy and had dumped her thinking that she was dead. How she had been rescued by Raymond and admitted in the hospital where she spent over three weeks. How she had spent some days in Raymond’s house in order to fully recuperate.
Ken was already pacing when she finished. “That filthy son of the devil” he swore. Bewaji was almost in tears at the thought of what her daughter had gone through and she said that she would like to meet Raymond. “That guy is our saving grace” she said. Deolu was furious, just like Ken. Teju just sat and stared, calculating like the lawyer she was.
Lucy’s stomach grumbled and she remembered that she had not eaten anything. She had skipped breakfast at Ray’s place when there was no one to eat with. “Please can I get something to eat? I am starving” she complained. Everyone swung to action like she was the first lady. She wanted to go to the kitchen herself but she was denied.
Food was presented in no time and she dug into the food. Everyone watched her as she ate, knowing that her being alive was a miracle. Watching her eat brought pleasure to them all.

Typing...

Alright people, I hereby acknowledge my fault before this panel.
I know I'm no better than Buhari right now
I never said I wrote it but I also did not correct the notion that I did.

All hail to my person Nissi Inspiration Adeola the great writer of THE LAST SMILE.


EPISODE 54.

Luciana jumped inside the house and slammed the door before they attracted the neighbors. She removed the shawl she had used in covering her face and dropped it carelessly on the floor. Her heart beat wildly as she stared at her parents. They both looked lean and fagged from excessive worry.
Tears slipped Bewaji’s eyes as she stared at her daughter. “Lucy” she whispered. “Lucy, is that you?” Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. She held Ken’s shirt with her eyes glued to Lucy, “Am I dreaming Ken?”
Lucy’s father was as dumbstruck as Lucy who also stood with her eyes glistening with tears.
“Mum” she managed to say and rushed into her mother’s arms. “It is me mum” she shook. “It is Luciana”.
Bewaji held her daughter as she sobbed. “My baby… my baby is back” she murmured as she clung to Lucy. “Oh my God!” Bewaji pulled back, kissed Luciana’s face and forehead several times and pulled her back into her embrace. She held on to her like a lifeline as she murmured everything that came to her head.
“It is OK mum. You are going to make me cry” But she was already crying. Seeing her parents overwhelmed her beyond her expectations. She pulled back and turned to her dad. He stood with a loving smile on his face. His swimming eyes nearly undid her as she ran into his hands.
“Oh daddy” she cried.
“I have missed you my girl” he said, controlled now but with emotions that shook her. He brushed his fingers through her hair, like he was trying to memorize or recall the texture. “You almost sent us to an early grave with worry pumpkin, don’t ever do this again” His tone was very light.
Lucy pulled back slightly. “I won’t dad, I am sorry” she hugged her dad again. She had missed him terribly.
“C’mon ken, don’t scold my baby now. She just arrived” Bewaji said, holding both of them. Now, she felt complete.
“Ah aunty”
Everyone turned and Lucy saw the maid. “Oh Dana, come and give me a hug. I have missed you”
Dana rushed into Lucy’s arms and held her like a vise. When they pulled apart, Dana fidgeted slightly. “Aunty, I was very worried about you o. I prayed everyday that you would come back safely” she said, looking at her fingers.
Lucy smiled. “And the prayers are answered.” She felt truly blessed to have people who love her around her.
“Yes, she was so worried. We all were. I almost died” Bewaji smiled and held her daughter’s hand with the fear that she might vanish again.
“Come and sit down pumpkin, you must be really tired” Ken said as they moved to the room. “Tell me everything. I want to hear every detail of what actually happened.”
“It is a long story. Dad, can you please call Teju and Deolu. I need to put them out of this trauma, and even though I really would like to make my presence public, I feel it might be risky. Please don’t tell them that I am here dad. They might get over-excited, especially Deolu, and we don’t want that”.
“Right away” he said, grabbing his phone.
Bewaji was busy inspecting Luciana’s body for marks and the like. She pulled her into her arms and held on to her.

Teju packed a few things inside her extra large hand bag. It is not a myth that the handbag of a lady could very well take in everything that she needs for a week. Teju would be travelling to Abuja the following day. She had decided that going to Abuja would be very effective, instead of Deolu because she would be able to use her expertise as a lawyer to attend to matters. She had previously thought of following the DPO secretly in order to get Fred’s whereabouts but later decided that the method would not be effective. The DPO might suspect something and their plans would be blown to the wind. Chris might not even go there at all or early enough. Blackmail seemed the best tool to use in a case like this. She knew just the right words to use in order to get results.
Teju heard her phone ring and picked it up from the bed. She was not surprised that it was Lucy’s dad. They communicated frequently, especially since the disappearance of Lucy. She just wished she could tell them that their daughter was alright.
“Good afternoon sir" she said immediately she answered the call.
“Hello dear, how are you today?” Mr. Jones replied in the receiver.
“I am fine sir” She noted certain calmness in his voice with surprise and happiness.
“That is good. Can you come over to the house? There is something we would like to show you”
“Something?” Teju became very curious.
“Yes. It is a bit urgent”
He did not sound urgent; Teju mused but shrugged it off. She just hoped it had to do with Lucy’s case. “Yes sir. I would be there in a jiffy”.

It had been long since Deolu sat in his office but even as he sat there, his heart and brain was far away. He was terribly worried about Lucy. Just that morning, he had called so many hospitals again, just as he did every day to make enquiries but as usual, it proved abortive. A friend of his had commented that the guy might have thrown her into the lagoon but had rejected it vehemently, nearly beating up his friend in the process. Times spent with Teju had eased his pain. He realized that whenever he was with Teju, he worried less. She seemed to take away his problems and pains with her lawyer attitudes. He still could not pinpoint why he felt she was in pains. Something had changed about her. She was not as lively as before, even though you would barely notice the changes if you were not careful enough. She had always remained positive and optimistic about Lucy’s return, using the stubborn attitude of being a lawyer to her advantage. She was not ready to accept defeat and he liked that about her. That trait was also very visible in Lucy although, gentler. They were truly birds of a feather.
Deolu’s phone rang, saving him from his thoughts. He smiled when he saw the caller.
“Hello sir”
“How are you son?” Mr. Jones responded over the phone.
“I am fine sir. Hope you are feeling better sir”
“Yes. Glory to God. I wonder if you can come over to my house now; there is something I would like to show you”
Deolu was happy that something was taking him out of his office. He hadn’t done any meaningful thing there. “Right away sir…”

Typing...

hapsonv:
Hmmm, na wa oo. Y did u do dat @op. Stealing another persons story nd claiming ownership. Is not fair, no wonder u did not tag readers nd writers along, so as not to blow ur cover, bt God pass u. Pls stop it, is not good. We will be complaining of bad government wen we ourselves is not good. Pls stop it. Dats very bad, wicked nd heartless of u

This is brutal

Yes
I av land

What is going on here
I was hearing uproar in my sleep.

EPISODE 53.

Deolu sat on the couch in Teju’s sitting room. She emerged with two glass cups and a pack of juice and filled them, taking one. Deolu took his and sipped.
“Teju” Deolu looked at her with a touch of concern. “I still feel there is something wrong that you are not telling me about. You look sad and hurt”
Teju stared at him. “Why won’t I be sad? Everyone is sad. It is my best friend that is missing here. Anyways, the main reason why I called you here is to find out some things.” She paused to sip her drink before she set it aside. “That DPO you met in Abuja… erm… Chris Chuks, tell me about him”.
“I know nothing about the man. When I got there, I expected to see Frank, my friend, but I saw Chris instead. I called Frank two days ago to help with the case and he told me that he had been transferred.”
“But he is still in Abuja?”
“Yes” he answered.
She adjusted thoughtfully. “I don’t trust that Chris.” An idea struck her and she rushed into the room to get her laptop. Deolu just looked at her, wandering why lawyers made a fuss over little things. The DPO was just not competent enough, that’s all.
Teju launched the browser on her laptop. “When you talked to him about the case, did you notice any discomfort or tension in him”.
“Of course not. He only listened the way any other DPO would.” He answered instantly.
Teju stared at him as she waited for the information she sought to fully load. “Are you a hundred percent sure? Lucy is on the line remember? I just have a strong conviction and I need to be sure”
The mention of Luciana’s name did the trick. “Yes!” Deolu exclaimed. “It was when I gave him the pictures of Lucy and Fred. He was practically shocked. When I querried him, he gave me a flimsy excuse”
Teju nodded distractedly as she opened the data on her laptop. It was Chris Chuks’ biography. When she read a few lines, she nodded. “I knew it”
“Knew what?” Deolu sat beside her now, reading from the laptop.
“He is from Imo state”
“And what has that got to do with this issue?”
Teju wished that she had a lawyer beside her who would understand many things without being told. “Apparently, I heard Fred tell Lucy that he has a brother in Abuja whose name is Chris. That could easily pass for a coincidence but it can’t be a coincidence that they are both from the same state, can it?”
“Oh my God! That filthy bastard.” Deolu cursed as he rose to his feet. “I should have known”.
Teju relaxed and smiled at the situation and Deolu looked at her with a puzzled expression. She stared at him as if surprised that he could not even decipher what she was thinking. “Fred is in Abuja, meaning, his hideout is more than likely known by Chris. We don’t know where Fred is but we know where Chris is”.
“So, if we can get Chris, we would know where Fred is” he finished and Teju smiled. Deolu smiled wholeheartedly for the first time in days. It can be really wonderful having a lawyer as a friend.

Raymond got back home when it was already dark. He had driven round and finally branched to greet one of his friends. They had talked and talked till it was dark. As he locked the door of his car, he entered the house with only one thing in mind – sleep. He called Lucy but no answer came. He could not imagine her asleep at that time; it was not 8 o’clock yet. He called and called but did not get any answer. He went to her room and knocked but no answer came. After some time, he opened the door and he met the room empty. Panic was the first thing that arose in him. He checked everywhere in the room but did not see her. He ran out to question his gateman but saw a note on the side table in the sitting room.
“Hello Raymond,
Words cannot express how grateful I am that people like you exist. You picked me up and took care of me, risking everything. I am alive today because of God and you. Please don’t be sad that I had to leave like this. I figured that if I don’t leave now, I would not want to leave anymore. You made me feel at home in your house. Thank you. I needed to leave because my absence at home would be creating confusion, just as my presencein your house is creating confusion. I need to find a solution to the problem I am in and staying in your place is not making me do anything about it. My people are running around in circles and it is hurting me.
Please do me a favour. I need you to accept the past. You are strong and compassionate and that is why the death of your parents affected you this much but you have to let it go. I never loved art but I have never seen anything more beautiful than the paintings I saw today. You don’t have to forget your past, you just have to accept it because your past can make you a better and stronger person. Painting brings you fulfillment and it would hurt to see you give up what you love doing. God loves you. Don’t stay angry at God because he does not make mistakes. He gives, he takes. The same way you have the power to do anything you like with your paintings is the same way God has the power to do what he wants to do with us. It was not your parents that got burnt in that crash but their flesh. When we get to heaven, we would see them without a single scratch. Your parents would be very happy where they are if you keep on holding on to God like they wanted you to.
Please greet Vicky and tell her that I would miss her terribly. She is always in my heart and my prayers. Wish she was my sister. I would miss you a lot Ray and the nicknames you call me.
With Love
Sugar”
The paper slipped out of Ray’s fingers as he stared into space.

Mr and Mrs Jones sat on the chair. They had just finished parading another set of hospitals but they got no good news as usual. Some people had advised them to check the mortuaries but they rejected it saying it was not their portion to bury their daughter. Bewaji called her maid to bring a glass of water for her. She dropped her head on Ken’s shoulders and he held her. They heard a knock and Bewaji stood up to answer it since the maid was in the kitchen.
Immediately she opened the door, she let out a scream that brought Ken to her side in a flash.

Typing...

EPISODE 52.

Tinuke sat on a stool in the kitchen as she waited for her food to cook. She shook her head as she remembered the humiliation that Teju had given her. She could not imagine why she had been so quiet. Even though she had the strong urge to slap Teju’s face, she hadn’t been able to dare it. Somehow, she feared Teju. Before she even met Teju, she had seen her pictures on Tunde’s phone and discovered that she was a barrister. She always feared people with the long graduants’ gown and a wig on their heads.
She had called herself Oyin when she met Tunde. She met him at the boutique, where she had gone to shop, in order to forget her sorrows. Tunde was a fine guy and she needed a distraction so she introduced herself as Oyin and the fun began. She hadn’t seen a guy who could resist her body and Tunde was not an exemption. Virtually everything she told Tunde about herself were lies and the fool believed every word that came out of her lips. She had enjoyed everything until she became bored. Tunde did not have enough cash to fit into Tinuke’s type of man. Raymond was everything. Ray had the killer looks that would intimidate any guy, he had the cash, he had the fame and also had the romantic instincts. She needed her man back. She was done playing ‘Oyin’ with Tunde. She wanted her man back. Teju was right; she needed to redefine herself.

Raymond swallowed as he entered his room. Too many things had happened too fast and he was entirely at fault. He could have simply told Lucy that he could not open that room for her but he had put up the brave front and had made it worse by entering the room. He sighed as he thought about his loss of composure. He felt so ashamed of himself. He had lost control in front of her and now she must be thinking that he was a weakling. He hadn’t been able to control himself until Lucy kissed him. That kiss was all he needed to come back to his senses.
She had been staying in his house for almost three weeks and everyday, his desire to kiss her and hold her against him increased. He had ensured that he kept his distance from her because he did not want to be seen as taking advantage of her because he helped her. It had been extremely difficult, judging by the way she constantly clouded his senses. He thought of her every time, even when he was busy at work. He would never have tried anything with her but something already happened – a kiss.
When he was in the gym, he barely noticed her presence because all he could see were the events that gave him constant nightmares. He had been certain that he was no longer sane because all his efforts to shut out the mental pictures had failed, but when Lucy had kissed him, he knew it was her. Within that second, all his fears and ghosts vanished and he could feel her. Lucy had made the act look like something irrelevant but he knew that it was not just a ‘calming kiss’ like she had called it. It might be for her but it was far much more than that to him. He could smell her, he could taste her, he could…
“Oh no” he groaned. “What am I doing?” he removed all his clothes in a flash and rushed to the bathroom. When he drove Tinuke away, he had promised himself that he would stay away from the opposite sex. His permanent break-up with Tinuke was not even a month old and he was already daydreaming about another girl. It made him wonder if he had actually loved Tinuke. Not that he loved Luciana but…
He jumped out of the shower and decided he needed fresh air. He wore something light and left the house, zooming off like someone was on his tail.

Typing...

EPISODE 51.

Luciana jumped out of Ray’s hands. She could not believe her effrontery. The kiss only lasted for a second and immediately she attempted it, she remembered Deolu. She had no right to kiss a stranger, even if he was in pain. Deolu was also in pains at home trying to look for her and here she was, kissing a total stranger who seemed to have more ghosts in his life than real beings. But even as the thought flashed through her head, she stared at Ray with concern. He was no longer shivering, he just stood, staring at her. It did not look as if tears had dropped from his eyes; his face just looked blank with the hint of confusion. The tears didn’t really qualify to be called tears because it was just a few drops, but tears they were nonetheless. She guessed he was too arrogant to admittedly cry, especially not in front of a girl.
“Oh my !” Ray exclaimed. “I am sorry”
Lucy blinked. “You did not do anything wrong; I am at fault” she quickly countered. “Don’t give more meaning to it. I was just trying to calm you down since I was the one who got you upset. Let’s call it a calling kiss. Guess it worked” she smiled faintly
“First of all, you did not upset me. I should have gotten over this incident but it seems stuck in my brain. Secondly, you can’t call that kiss a calming technique; I have been known to be a good kisser, you know. I can give you a proper kiss” he humoured but it only made her frown and shift uncomfortably.
“Of course, I know that you have a erm… guy but I was just trying to make you smile, dimples” he said and she did smile. He had added dimples to her pet name when her dimples kept calling to him. He also noticed that whenever he called her that, it brought a smile to her face.
“Thanks” he said, jamming his hands into his pocket before he did something stupid.
Lucy frowned. “For what?”
“For calming me with a kiss”. He laughed when he saw her embarrassed blush. He moved forward and before she could think, he dropped a kiss on her cheek and left the gym.

Teju tried to push her own heartache aside in order to help her friend out. The more she tried, the harder it became for her to understand. She had been with that ingrate for more than two years and when it was a few months to their wedding, he chickened out because of a cheap ass? She could not believe that a man could be so callous. In fact, all men are callous and wicked, she thought.
She gathered her thoughts and concentrated on the issue at hand. She knew that Luciana was Ok but still had no links to her. Not a day passed without her uttering a word of prayer for everyone involved in the struggle – Lucy, Mr. and Mrs. Jones, Deolu and all friends and family members involved.
‘That Fred is in Abuja and Inspector Chris has not given us any feedback’ she thought. It has been over two weeks now and there was still no response at all from the station. She wondered why police men were so useless; the only time they are useful is where bribery is involved. Could she blame them? The present government did not care whether the people ate or starved and the people have taken it upon themselves to do whatever they could for money.
When she had gone to the police station where Deolu was initially kept unlawfully weeks back, she had known that she would get vital information. She had interrogated the officers who carried out the job and found out the truth after much threat. She had given them the option of either winding up in jail or being her informants. Apparently, the latter option was chosen and she was glad that she had been wise enough. They were the ones who told her that Fred was in Abuja and now, after due research, it has already been discovered that the police in Abuja were doing next to nothing. No wanted banners or anything that can put Fred on the run. She smelled a rat and she was going to get to the root of it.

Typing...

we have a feeler in the house

For u bro and every other feeler we gat

harmonychris:
am in love

Is it a LOVE love or a kiss love

EPISODE 50.


Deolu had called the police officer but never got good news from him. He became frustrated and remembered another police officer in Abuja. He wondered how he had skipped that. He took out his phone and dialed.

When Lucy entered the gym, she saw Raymond on the treadmill, running endlessly. It was like trying to run away from something. Lucy’s heart ached as she saw this. He was in pain but was too arrogant to admit it to anyone. She went to sit somewhere close where he could see her easily but he did not see her. He did not seem to know she was there. It was like he was in another world where all he could see were ghosts of the past.
Ray ran and ran and with each step he took, he ran faster. The more he ran, the more those images flashed through his mind. He was going crazy; maybe he was already crazy. He had thought he would be able to handle it. It had been almost four years since the incident occurred and he still could not forget. The images were still as fresh as yesterday. When he entered the room, he had thought that seeing those drawings would not affect him. They hadn’t until Lucy drew his attention to that picture. That was what broke the confidence he had. Everything came rushing back: the departure of their parents and the circumstances that led to it, the news of the crash, their trip to the accident scene, the burnt people, the faces of his dead and burnt parents… Raymond screamed and jumped out of the treadmill.
Lucy ran to meet him as he shook uncontrollably. She wondered what demon had possessed her to ask for his paintings. She was scared. Scared for him, scared for herself. “Please take it easy Ray. Please…” she lamented, her eyes already wet with tears. Ray’s shirt was already soaked in his sweat and he did not seem to be able to stop his shivering body.
“They died Lucy… They died horribly… The plane crashed… They got burnt… My parents…” he continued to say and a cold shiver went down Lucy’s spine. A plane crash! “I saw them Lucy…” tears dropped from his eyes. “I saw all of them. I saw their burnt bodies… they were roasted Lucy… Oh God… roasted… like animals” he held her head and looked into her eyes, trying to make her understand. “My loving parents died horribly. What did my parents do to deserve that? They served God and ensured that we did too. Why were they in that plane” more tears dropped from his eyes and Lucy just kept on crying. She had never seen that much pain before. She was lost on what to do. Ray could not drive away the images. He wanted to forget. He just wanted to forget. Lucy stood up tip-toes on the first impulse that came to her head and kissed him deeply.

Typing...

EPISODE 49.

Lucy sat chatting with Raymond in the sitting room. He had arrived earlier than usual and Lucy was happy because Vicky had gone to spend a few days with her friend. Being in that massive house all alone would have been terrifying, especially since the house was not hers. As they discussed, she thought of how to put down what she had in mind.
“Ray” she called.
Raymond turned to face her suddenly. “This is the first time you called me by my name; I love the sound of it. You should call me that often.” He grinned.
Lucy blushed and looked down. “Erm… I … erm”
Ray frowned. “What is it sugar? Is something wrong?”
“No… erm… what I want to say… I mean, ask is if you could show me some of your art works”
Ray blanched.
“I don’t mean to pry but Teju had talked endlessly about your artworks but I was never interested. Your paintings are very popular even though I never took the time to check them out. I would love to have a look, even if it is just a few” she finished.
Ray was quiet, too quiet. He swallowed as he stared into space.
“If it is a problem, please don’t bother. It is nothing” she quickly added.
Ray stood up and went to his bedroom. Lucy felt bad and miserable. She must have done and said everything wrong. The paintings must bring bad memories. Several thoughts went through her head as she sat frozen to her seat.
Raymond appeared minutes later with a key in his hand. He marched out and muttered ‘follow me’. She did not want to follow him like this; with him being upset.
“If you are not OK with it, it is fine. You don’t have to.” She murmured as she followed him. He did not respond. When they got to the door, he opened it slowly and stood at the entrance.
“Go inside. Everything you need is there.” He said and moved out of the way.
Lucy stared at him with concern. “If you would not go with me then I won’t go at all. You can’t run away from the past, you just have to accept the past”.
Ray swallowed. “I am not going inside” he dropped icily.
Lucy winced as she saw the pain in his eyes. “I am not going too. Please lock the door. I was never interested in art in the first place”.
Ray looked at her. He wanted to make her believe that art was a wonderful thing but he was scared of going into the room. He opened the door wider and started entering. Lucy breathed and followed. Her eyes widened as she stared at the numerous frames hung on the wall, all around the room and the ones on the floor. She had never seen anything so beautiful and colourful. Everything her eyes met was simply outstanding. She touched some of them, tracing them with her finger. She noticed they were dusty but knew that it was expected if the place had been under lock for some time. She saw a painting of a woman who was seated with her baby on her lap. The look of love in the woman’s eyes was so evident and real, she could feel it. Her eyes watered as she remembered her mother at home. “This is beautiful; everything is beautiful” she murmured as she blinked. Ray smiled but did not say anything.
Lucy looked around and every frame called her but one of them struck her and her heart skipped. She walked like a robot to the painting. When she got there, she could not touch it, she just looked. She was dumbstruck as she stared at the most amazing painting she had seen. It was a painting of a man and a woman. The woman had pain in her eyes as she stared at the man. The pain in the eyes of the man was not as intense but there was also love in both eyes. There was someone in the shadow. The face and form of the person was not clear but there was someone there; she knew it. The person stood with his back to them. The painting told a story of two lovers who had gone through a trying time but still loved eachother. She imagined that the person in the shadow was against their union. The couple looked vaguely familiar. She turned and looked at Raymond and got her answer.
“Are these your parents?” she asked.
He swallowed. “Yes” he mouthed. He wanted to run out of the room. That painting was his favorite. His eyes watered as he anticipated the next question she would ask.
“Where are they?” she asked as she looked at the painting again. He was quiet. She turned and saw him struggling for composure. She became scared and worried.
“They are dead”. He turned and left the room. She stood rooted to the ground. Dead? Was this the nightmare? Was that why he stopped painting? She wondered. She stared ahead and saw something like an uncompleted work. It was as if he started and could not continue. She could not even decipher what the painting looked like.
She ran out of the room to go after Ray but saw him match into the gym. She sighed as he closed the door of the room. She wondered if she should go after him or just let him go. She chose the former and headed towards the gym.

Typing...

EPISODE 48.

Fred opened the door to Chris office and entered slowly. He had the distinctive feeling that he would get thrown out if he went in all confident. When Chris’ glare welcomed him, he swallowed.
“Why not hear me out first before you nail me to the cross” Fred said in a pleading manner.
“Jesus was not given that opportunity, why should you be given” Chris responded with a permanent glare.
“Jesus was nailed unjustly, would you do the same to me?”
Chris looked at him. “You have five minutes to convince me. You better start now because I won’t give you a second more”.
Fred sat instantly. “It was an accident Chris. I went to her house to confess my love for her, just as I told you but when I got there and bared my heart to her, she laughed at me. She said that she could never have anything to do with me, that she would never date a loser when Deolu was there. I saw a knife close by and I took it just to scare her since she would not stop talking but she tripped over something on the floor and because I was not far behind, I also tripped and the knife I was holding stabbed her. I swear it was not intentional. Please believe me” Fred shook.
Chris looked doubtful. “Are you sure of what you are saying?”
“Yes Chris. That is how it happened. When she… when she died, I had to erm… dump her somewhere. I was so scared, please help me”
Chris Chuks stared at Fred who just sat, shivering on the chair opposite him. He had a feeling that what Fred had just said was only a shadow of the real truth. Although, seeing the way Fred shivered, he was compelled to believe him.
“Well, I have not told anyone anything and have been lying to Mr Adeolu for close to two weeks now. I was not able to implicate your sorry ass. You need to leave that house. I have a good place where you can hide for the mean time; hiding in that house is very predictable and they would easily find you there”
“Thank you brother. I knew I could count on you” Fred said with a lot of appreciation in his voice.
Chris swallowed. He was putting his job and neck on the line for Fred. He could be charged for treason. He relaxed and closed his eyes hoping that this issue does not backfire.

EPISODE 47.

Ray was becoming much more tense by the minute. He stood up and roamed his office and sat back after pacing aimlessly. He never imagined that he could miss someone so terribly. He missed Luciana so much, it hurt. He missed her smile, he quiet and thoughtful times, her lively kitchen life and every single thing that summed up the fair goddess he was hosting in his house. Ever since he resumed work, he had wished he was managing one of his father’s companies so that he would be able to leave the house whenever he liked.
He had made that adamant decision to be independent when he was 23 years old. He had finished his studies with outstanding certificates but his father wanted him to head his companies. He had refused and had gone job hunting, in the quest to build something of his own. His father later came through and gave him his blessings, much to his relief and delight. The prayers of his parents worked wonders for him because he got a job with an oil company not quite long. It was all he ever dreamt of. At first, the salary was just normal, due to his position but as time went on, his salary was reviewed and promotions started rolling in. He made good use of the money coming in, buying shares and making investments. His house came as a result of his labour and his parents became proud of him.
Painting, which was his God-given talent, was what he always loved and enjoyed doing. Painting was already out of the window of his life; it had become one of his nightmares.
The door of Raymond’s office flung open and Ray had to snap out of his reverie. Duke bounced into the office without any prior notice but that was just like him. Ray was already used to Duke’s impromptu visits and even Ray’s zealous secretary can’t make Duke wait in the reception for a minute.
“This is my office Duke, I work here. Are you trying to get me fired?” Ray glared as he closed the door which Duke did not bother closing.
Duke paused. “That is the best greeting I have ever heard, also the longest”. He stated but Ray glared instead. “Ok, no one is going to fire your sorry ass. You are the manager here and that position comes with a lot of benefits, including going for lunch earlier than usual”.
“Halt. I am not going anywhere, especially not an 11 o’clock lunch”. Ray made his way to his seat.
Duke checked his watch. “This is almost 12” he declared.
“Obviously” Ray sighed.
“Listen, I think you need that lunch, especially since I found you standing aimlessly at the middle of your office during office hours. That lunch would help ease the stress” he smiled.
“Man, I just resumed work after a one month leave”. He stated.
“Quit the lecture James Ray, you are coming with me” he stood up, daring Ray not to comply.
Ray shook his head in surrender.

“Hi, I am Teju” she stretched her hand towards the wide-eyed lady who dumbly took it.
“I am Oyin” she replied.
“What are you doing here Teju?” Tunde growled.
Teju eyed him slowly before pulling a chair. After seating, she faced the lady who was practically confused. “I do not intend to waste your time, just want to have a little chat with you. Do you mind?”
“Yes, she minds. Leave” Tunde dropped.
“Would you shut your filthy mouth?” Teju yelled, drawing attention. “I am here to speak with this beautiful bitch here, so shut the trash”.
“How dare you call me a bitch?” oyin stood up furiously. “What is the meaning of this nonsense Tunde?”
“Sit down now” Teju yelled. “You don’t want to know the angry part of Teju, I am telling you. SIT” she smiled tightly. Oyin looked a bit scared but she hid it. She thought about what was going on and decided it best to sit. Teju smiled as she stared at Oyin’s rage-stricken face.
“Good. I just want to talk about your friend here – Tunde” she started.
“Teju” Tunde groaned.
“I would not get mad at you for stealing my fiancé, no I won’t. In fact, you did me a huge favour”
Oyin stared at her. “What are you saying?”
“Oh… he did not tell you? He was my fiancé until last week. We had our wedding date fixed for December which should be six months from now” Teju laughed. “Funnyright? I was busy thinking about our wedding night while he was thinking about another woman’s ass. I am not here to drag him from you, you can totally have him, but I want to advice you. Don’t think that the only way to get a man is by spreading your legs wide enough to accommodate him”
“How dare you?” Oyin yelled as she stood up. Teju dragged her down immediately.
“You don’t want to cause a scene.”
“Teju-”
“If you dare call my name again, you would hate me” Teju half yelled. She faced Oyin “Where were we? Yes, your legs. Do you know why he left me for you? It is because your legs were wide open. He does not love you, he just loves that thing you offer to him free of charge. When did you meet? I am sure it is not even a month ago. Oh, who am I kidding? It can’t even be three weeks ago.
“Men are the same. They are never contented with what they have; they are always looking for extra until they lose what they had before. When this miserable being left me last week, my eyes opened and I got a new meaning to the word ‘man’. A man is a miserable adulterous nuisance who goes from skirt to skirt, seeking whom to devour. Thank God I wear trousers; it makes it harder to devour me. I have just one advice for you: redefine your life”
“Oh, I see. And where did your redefined life get you uhn?” Oyin asked, glaring.
Teju smiled softly, stood up and wore her sunshade. “It saved me from Tunde” she said and walked out, leaving the couple enveloped in serious tension. She got to the door and collided with someone coming into the cafeteria.
“Easy beauty” Duke said but she just walked away. “What a pretty babe”.
Ray shook his head. “Always a flirt!” Ray declared. “Vicky is back from the states”. Duke swallowed and walked on with a straight face. Ray smiled.

Typing...

EPISODE 46.

Lucy washed the rice as she conversed with Vicky who checked the chicken in the oven. She was enjoying the conversation imensely but she could not help missing Raymond. He had resumed work about a week ago and Lucy had missed him with each passing day. Vicky was definitely fun to be with but she had grown so used to Ray that she felt his absence a lot.
“But my time in London was a real disaster” Vicky said
Lucy turned with a bemused expression. “Why did you say that?”
“I was despised because I am a lesbian” she sighed. “I just wanted death. It was harder because no one in my family was in support of me. My parents condemned me totally and I became the black sheep of the family. London made it worse and I hid behind my shell until I was able to leave”. She was sober and sat on the chair.
Lucy stared at Vicky, feeling her pain. She was confused as to what to say so she just kept quiet. Vicky took her quietness for condemnation.
“I am sure you see me as the worst kind of human being. It is fine; I get that all the time”.
Lucy smiled. “That is beautiful?”
Vicky frowned. “What is beautiful?”
“That hair bond. It is absolutely lovely”
Vic smiled. “I got it from London. It is actually the only thing I bought there. Just wanted to have something from London in order to remember my time there, even if it was not so pleasant”
“I love it and I love you; in a platonic way though. You are a wonderful person; you just need someone to show you how wonderful love is. Love is a beautiful thing”.
Vicky swallowed and shook her head. “I can’t love a man; I have tried in vain”.
Luciana smiled and turned to check the food. “I am not asking you to try; in fact, you would not have to try”.
“I don’t understand” Vic replied, confused.
“Don’t worry. You would be fine. Let’s finish this delicacy.” She said as continued her cooking.

Teju sat facing a client at a popular cafeteria not too far from her office. She had preferred an open environment to the confinement of her office because she was beginning to feel choked lately. It had been over a week but that episode with Tunde kept replaying itself in her brain. Everything Mr. Popoola was saying was barely noted by her as she sat frozen on the chair with her eyes glued on her client and her face as blank as a plain sheet.
Deolu had arrived Lagos just as he said he would but she could not unburden herself. She felt that he already had enough problems and bothering him with hers would be wicked of her. She had to lie to him that her mood was due to a court case she lost. She wished her parents were not dead. She missed her mother a lot. She needed someone to talk to, someone to comfort her, but she found no one. Even her friends were not able to help her. Lucy would have understood, she knew.
As Teju stared at Mr. Popoola’s face, all she could see was Tunde. She wished he was just in front of her so she could show him the stuff she was made of. The door of the cafeteria opened up and Teju could not believe what she was seeing. She had just been wishing to find Tunde and there he was, coming into the cafeteria with a half nude girl on his arm. Seeing the girl’s dressing, Teju knew that he left her because of sex. Tunde did not see her, considering the size of the place and the sizeable amount of people in it.
“Barrister” Mr. Popoola called and she turned her head like a robot. “You are not listening to me” he said, a bit irritated.
Teju relayed everything Mr. Popoola had been saying without missing a thing and he was so surprised. He knew that she had been lost in thoughts and found it amazing that she had actually heard all he was saying. Teju smiled at his amusement. “I have heard everything I want to know, if there is any other information I need, I would call you sir. If you don’t mind sir, I need to attend to some people”. He smiled sheepishly, knowing that whatever it was had nothing to do with business.
“Go easy on them” he said softly.
Teju stood up and her client did the same. She did not bother responding; she knew that he would have seen the way she looked at Tunde when he entered. After several verbal exchanges, Mr. Popoola left. She took a deep breath as she approached the table ahead. Tunde had his back to her, so he did not see her. She got to the table, with a frozen smile on her face.
“So, this is the girl that you are in love with?” Tunde looked up and blanched.

Typing...

Alright peeps

More episodes dropping in 3..........2..........

Ow wait...
I'll be updating more today because my senior collegues were inducted today.
And I was just picturing myself in some years to come

EPISODE 45.

Chris needed no other confirmation. He got every answer he needed from Fred’s reaction. He could never in a hundred years, imagine that Fred had the capacity to take a life but the reality was staring at him like a horror movie.
“Don’t you dare give me that melodrama, you this miserable monster. I don’t even know who you are anymore” he yelled at a shivring Fred. He grabbed Fred by the collar of his shirt and pulled him up like a bloody criminal. “Where the hell is the girl? Where did you keep her?” he yelled.
Fred shook like someone who just emerged from a cold room. “She… she’s… she’s dead” he stammered.
“JESUS” Chris screamed, leaving Fred immediately. “Oh my God! This can’t be happening. I can’t believe this”
Fred held his feet. “Please Chris, you have to help me. please…”
Chris kicked him away. “Blood of Jesus! So, you are a bloody murderer?” he pointed his finger with a strange look on his face.
“NO” Fred shook his head vigorously. “I did not want to do it. It was accidental. Please believe me brother”
“Brother?” he laughed. “No. I am not your brother and can never be. You killed a girl; not just a girl; the fiancée of Mr Adeolu. You could not even pick any other person? Wow”
Fred cried as Chris said those things. “Please”. Chris shook his head, pushed Fred out of the way and rushed out of the house like someone who was being pursued, leaving Fred wailing.

Lucy walked with Vicky towards the back of the house to check the flowers. She carried the watering can in order to water them. They both discussed their love for flowers as they went about watering the flowers. The beautiful colours of the various flowers pleased Lucy immensely and she said so. She sighted the two buildings at the back of the house and called Vicky’s attention.
“What are those buildings for?” she asked casually.
“Oh… the first one is the gym and the second one is where Raymond paints” she chipped as she sampled the flowers.
“Paints? He paints?” Lucy asked bemused as her eyes widened.
Vicky turned to look at Lucy like she had lost her mind. “Don’t tell me you don’t know”
Lucy shook her head. “He never mentioned it”
“Even at that, he is a very famous artist”
Lucy had never really fancied paintings because it never really freeked her but as she thought about it, a name struck her. ‘James Ray’. How had she missed that? Teju never stopped talking about his paintings but she never even took interest. “James Ray?”
“That’s him” she smiled. “I am surprised you missed that. Although he has not painted anything for a long time now” she chipped.
Lucy frowned. “Why?”
Vicky shrugged and walked on, leaving Lucy with her thoughts.
“Hey”
Lucy turned round to see Ray standing just a few steps from her. “When were you planning on telling me that you are a renowned artist?” she asked, stepping farther away from him.
“I never would have told you. I am no longer an artist and I actually loved the fact that I finally met someone who was not drooling over me because of my fame”. he replied walking away.
Lucy followed. “I am not drooling over you at all”.
Ray laughed. “I noticed”

Deolu exited the bathroom and dried himself with a towel. he wore a singlet and boxers and sat on the bed. Staying in a hotel had little or no effect on his account but he wished he was home already. The knowledge that Fred was lurking somewhere in the state made him feel better about leaving Lagos for work but he still felt miserable. He knew that even without being present, he could pull all the strings he needed to pull in order to secure Fred’s arrest. He needed to finish this deal, go back to Lagos and look for his love. He had the distinctive feeling that Lucy was in Lagos and he would find her, even if it was the last thing he did.
He had received a call from Lucy’s dad and he had told him about his progress in Abuja. He had been happy but the sadness of his missing daughter was evident in his voice. Deolu dialed Teju’s line and it rang severally but she did not pick up. He was beginning to get worried. He had called her severally but she didn’t pick up. He composed a message asking about her welfare and telling her how far he had gone then he lay on the bed to sleep. Worry did not afford him the luxury of a wonderful sleep.
Twenty minutes later, he dialed Teju’s number again and she picked, much to his relief.
“Hello Teju, thank God.” he sighed. The response he got from her frightened him. Her voice had never been that low and depressed. “What is the matter T? Are you alright?”
“I am fine” she responded still in that sober manner.
“You are not fine” Deolu said, sitting up. “What happened to you? Did you hear from Lucy? Did something happen?”
“Everything is fine, don’t worry. I got your message and I would work on it and give you feedback.”
“Teju, you are scaring me. You know what? Since you would not tell me what the matter is, I would leave this place for Lagos tomorrow morning.” he said as he stood up.
“No” she replied sharply. “You need to be there Dee”
“No. I should not have come in the first place. I can do everything in Lagos. I am coming over”. Before Teju could respond, he hung up and started packing his things. Teju called severally but he did not pick, knowing she would just try to convince him.

Typing..

ESPISODE 44.

“Why did you do that?” Lucy asked as she joined Raymond in the car.
Ray started the car. “Do what?”
“Stay in the car? You could have followed me inside the church instead of sitting outside here like a bodyguard. What did God do to offend your family”?
“Nothing.”
Lucy kept quiet after that. She hadn’t even spent three days and she was already overstepping her bounds. The drive home was quiet after that. She missed her people a lot and she wished she was home already. She needed to hear her parents’ voice, to be sure they are ok. She thought about Deolu and her heart pricked. She needed to leave the house. She needed her people and sanity back. Ever since the previous day when she had called Teju in the presence of Raymond, she had felt very uncomfortable with him, especially whenever he stood close. She sighed softly when she thought of her predicament. She was living with total strangers; they both don’t want to have anything to do with God and one of them is a lesbian. She sighed again, thinking about the many things she might find out about this family if she stayed for some time.
Raymond watched Lucy, noticing her distant state. He wondered why her mood should bother him. Shrugging off her quietness, he focused on the road as he pondered on the thoughts that had plagued him. Why was he developing strange feelings for this lady who was obviously engaged to someone else? She hadn’t even spent three complete days and he had become so attached to her. He remembered the past evening and his heart skipped a beat, he had to hold the steering tighter. The desire to kiss her had almost overwhelmed him. Ever since then, he had ensured that he did not move close to her. He only needed space in his life now and not anyother woman to complicate his life the more. The earlier Lucy left the house, the better.

Teju sat frozen as she stared with a confused expression on her face. Tunde did not have the boldness to look into her eyes as he said everything he had rehearsed.
“Teju” he called softly but she did not even blink. “I can’t do this anymore. You claim to love me but you don’t want to give me what should rightfully belong to me. I have a right to touch your body; it is part of the benefits I should derive from being your man, but you are not giving me. I have found a lady who is willing to go all the way with me. she does not hide anything from me, least of all her body”. He concluded.
Teju looked at the clown she called her fiancé and wanted to strangulate him. She had tried all she could to be the best woman in his life. She could have sworn that she had spent the past two years of their relationship making his life a happy one. She couldn’t have been more wrong because all he could think about was sex. Sex? How could she have been so stupid? She remembered all those times he had almost forced her into his bed; she should have been wiser then. She swallowed as tears came to her eyes. She blinked away the tears; he does not deserve it.
Slowly, she took a deep breath as stood up and went to the door. She opened the door, wide enough to contain two people at once. Only then did she open her mouth. “Leave” she said quietly.
Tunde swallowed. “Teju, I am sorry. I just…”
“Get out” she mouthed.
He stood up slowly and approached her. “Baby, calm-”
“GET OUT” she yelled and Tunde vanished in a flash. She slammed the door forcefully and collapsed on the floor as she cried herself out.

Typing...

EPISODE 43.

Fred lay on the couch of his house feeling tired. He had spent too much at that bar and was feeling very miserable and tired. His account was now a skeleton of its former state. He pulled out a cigarette and lit it. He was just learning to smoke; he needed to clear his head and the smoke was doing that for him. He heard a knock on the door and became startled. He jumped up and stood like a stick.
Chris stood at the door, expecting the door to be opened from inside but he remembered the last encounter he had and knew that it would not be opened anytime soon if he did not talk.
“Fred” he called. “Open up, it is Chris”
Fred breathed a free air and opened the door. He was both relieved and scared of Chris’ visit. He did not know if this would be a good or bad visit, considering the way he treated him weeks back.
“Chris… I am so happy that you are here. I am sorry for what happened the last time. I know…” he stopped and looked at Chris for the first time. He was glaring at him.
Chris needed no other confirmation; the shaky state he was and the previous encounter told him that he had actually commited the crime. He shook his head, making Fred feel cold dread.
Chris put his hand inside his pocket and took out a picture. “Do you know her”
Fred almost entered the ground as he shrieked.

Luciana stood bemused at the entrance of Raymond’s room. She still could not comprehend what she had heard in the room. Vicky? How could Vicky be a lesbian? She shook her head and swallowed.
She knocked the door gently but heard a sleepy response. She opened the door gently and entered. Immediately she entered, she blamed herself. Raymond was looking so manly and georgeous as he slept, shirtless on the bed. Her fingers desired to touch him and she felt anger in her spine. How can a man make her swoon? She wondered.
Ray noticed the way Lucy looked at him but he hid it, pretending to be sleeping. He swallowed as he took in her appearance. When he took out that gown, he never imagined that she would look so stunning. She had almost no make – up done but she looked more beautiful that all the women he had seen in his life.
Lucy shook herself and tried to pull herself together. “Good morning sir” she said loudly, trying to wake Raymond.
Raymond smiled softly as he opened his eyes. “You are a wonderful sight to wake up to sugar; you look breathtaking”. Ray traced her body with his appreciative eyes.
Luciana breathed carefully as she tried to take out the image of her shirtless chest from her mind. “Why don’t you get in the bathroom, get dressed and let’s go to church”
“Church?” he asked, bemused.
“Yes, church. You told me you are a Christian, right? Today is Sunday.”
“I don’t attend churches” he said and lay on the bed.
Lucy opened her mouth. “Why not?”
“No reason” he murmured.
“Well, I don’t know anywhere in this place. I might as well get lost, you know. Or maybe, I would just go home from there, and if the murderer sees me? well…”
“keep Quiet” he yelled softly. “Go and wait for me” he said softly and Lucy chuckled as she left the room.

Teju returned from church with a happy mood. She had loved the service immensely, right from the very beginning. She felt that the reason why she was so happy was the fact that she knew where her best friend was. She heard a knock and, knowing the person at the door, she went to open the door.
“Welcome darling” she said, stressing the darling. She tried to hug him but he was cold towards her. Tunde moved inside without responding to her greeting. She frowned. “Honey? Baby, what is wrong?” she asked moving close to him as she sat on the chair beside him.
“Teju” he called and she knew that everything was wrong. He hardly called her by her name.
“Teju, I believe we are mature enough to be able to talk to eachother like adults”. He started.
“Tunde, we have been talking like adults ever since we met. What is the problem?” she was confused.
He shook slightly. “Teju, I don’t think we can continue with this relationship. I have seen another girl that I am in love with. We should maturely go our separate ways.

Typing...

EPISODE 42.

Lucy woke up with a start and looked out of the window. It was already getting bright outside so she lifted herself from the bed. She had never missed any Sunday service and she didn’t plan on starting now. She left for the bathroom to take her bath. She should be able to get one church around the corner.
The previous day had been fun, so much fun. Raymond hadn’t exaggerated his sister’s lively and accommodating spirit. Vicky just finished her masters in the United States and she was back to stay. Lucy wondered why people come back to this frustrating country after schooling abroad when there was obviously nothing in store for them here in Nigeria. She had later shrugged it off, knowing that those who studied abroad had more chances at getting a good job, compared with those who attended our local institutions. She found that ironic because it ought to be the other way. Everything in Nigeria is abnormal. Before Vicky arrived, Ray had taken her shopping for some nice clothes. She had argued and complained about being a burden but Ray would have none of it. He had made sure she got all the clothes that caught her fancy even though she tried minimizing it. After they had purchased everything he had left her at the counter and returned with a very lovely gown. She had wondered how she missed that gown. It was so beautiful. Even without testing it, she knew it would be perfect.
As she dressed up, she heard a knock on the door. “Please, come in”.
Vicky entered the room with a smile. “Good morning Vic” Lucy greeted. She had imagined that they would be within the same age bracket. “Did you sleep well in Nigeria?”
Vicky laughed. “Obviously” she said in her foreign assent. “I don’t need to be told that you woke up well. Are you going somewhere?”
“Today is Sunday, I am going to church” Luciana replied, a bit surprised that the question was even asked.
“Oh… You are the church type” she said with a smirk. “Well, I stopped going to church years back”.
“I see…” Lucy murmured solemly. The glint she saw in Vic’s eyes showed that she would have little or no luck if she tried convincing her. “Why?” she asked
“Several reasons”
“Give me one” Lucy challenged.
“I am a lesbian”
Lucy froze on the spot with her back Vicky. She knew that the best way to deal with people like that is not by accusing them or by making them feel like the world’s biggest sinner. She wondered if Ray knew this then knew that he would know. She had noticed the way he watched the two of them discuss, like he was trying to prevent something. She swallowed.
“Is that why you refused to go to church?”
Vicky was stunned. “You are not surprised?”
Lucy turned with a smile. “Surprised about what? That you said you are a lesbian? I was surprised. Who told you?”
“Nobody had to; I knew. Everyone made me feel miserable, like I was the most evil thing that ever walked the planet”.
Lucy smiled. She had finished her dressing. She did not have a bible, so she just carried the small bag that Ray bought for her. She moved to Vicky and hugged her. “You’ll be fine. Take your time.” She moved back and smiled at her before she started towards the door. Vicky was stonned. No Christian had ever done that to her. “I would get Ray to follow me to church” Lucy said at the door.
Vicky smiled widely. “Goodluck with that”
Lucy frowned but bid farewell and headed towards Raymond’s room.

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