Gio laughed. "Yes, I'm a married man. A man whose wife disappeared for three years after collecting money from his enemy, resurfaces, denies every knowledge of him and calls him crazy at every given opportunity."


The bitterness in his brother's tone flapped around Tano. "Sincerely, Gio, that doesn't sound like the Nkiru I met. She wasn't moved by money at all. Are you sure nothing happened before you guys met that day in our living room?"


"That's what i intend finding out."


Silence fell again.


"Is that why you refuse to forgive Fi? I guess she was selfish and self-centered but Gio, she has paid for her sins."


His elder brother's eyes darkened. "Change the topic, Tano."


Tano pressed on. "You should see her. She's in a sorry state. So lonely. I was at home last week and felt so sorry for her. Gio, please let her come and talk to you."


Gio rose abruptly and flung his napkin on the table. "End of discussion, Tano."


Tano rose as well. "Gio, please. She's sorry."


His brother paused as he made to leave the dining table. "Sorry?" he scoffed. "She doesn't know the meaning of the word. Does she know how it felt to have my own sibling, my own blood, take sides with an evil stranger? Why? Simply because I fell in love. Was she planning on marrying me or what? Did her love transcend beyond sibling love? I have tried to reason it over and over again why she did what she did that day and it all boils down to what she told me after she lied. All because of Nkiru Chiwendu. Maybe, just maybe, I wouldn't have been married to that gold digger right now if it weren't for Fi and her lies."


Gio halted his words at the look on his brother's face. He took a deep breath and let it out.


"Tano," he began slowly. "I'm a pretty messed up person. You've always known that. I agree I wasn't there for her and y'all when you needed me but just when Nkiru made me realize that, Fi joined in taking her away from me. And plundered me back into the darkness I was in for years. If she can get me out of it again, then she might have a fighting chance of getting her brother back. The operative word being 'if' because experience has shown that the one person who can lift me out of that darkness is my wife who doesn't want to have anything more to do with me."


Gio strolled hastily out of the place. "Good night , kiddo."


Tano sat down heavily on the chair he's earlier vacated. Wow! That was some deep sh*t he'd just heard. For the first time in his life, he was beginning to understand who his elder brother was. A garbage man. Gio had so much garbage inside him he needed a cleaning crew in order to let go. And then there was Fi. Why had she lied? Then his dad and Aunt Peace. Like seriously? They were dating?


Wow! How had he ended up in such a messed up family?

Episode 19


The most difficult aspect of moving on is accepting that the other person already did.
- Faraaz Kazi


Something wasn't right.


Something about Nkiru wasn't right. He couldn't place his finger on it but he knew the pieces of the puzzle called his wife weren't complete. There was something about Nkiru that just wasn't adding up. Why was she pretending she didn't know him and calling him crazy at every turn? Nkechi had pretended at first but later showed that she knew who he was and even pleaded with him to keep his peace. So Nkiru was the only one pretending in the picture. But why? What happened three years ago that made her hate him so much she was willing to pretend now that she didn't know him? Was it because they'd collected money from that witch and her family? That looked flimsy an excuse. Or she just didn't want to have anything to do with him again and didn't know how to go about it? That wasn't right either. She would have just come out to say it. She'd stared at him blankly in her house the same way she'd stared at him that cursed day in Abuja. Only when he'd come within inches of her had she come alive. Those damn contact lenses made him unable to understand what was going on behind that head of hers. It was said that the eyes were the mirror to the soul. There were times in the past when he was able to guess what she was thinking in those beautiful eyes of hers. 


Damn! He really should quit trying to remember how good his wife looked. It wasn't going to do him any good feeding his head with fantasies of taking her to bed, after all, he'd been celibate all of three years without her. Of course urges had come and opportunities had presented themselves in form of girls who were willing just to be his s.ex buddies with no strings attached but he'd always held himself back. He'd always subconsciously remembered he was still a married man and assuaging his lusts would be tantamount to adultery although his wife, he believed hadn't had such thoughts while he was living a monk's life.


Gio's hands tightened on his armchair. If that Ikenna of a guy had had s.ex with his wife, he was going to kill him! They'd better not have exchanged kisses. Heck, he'd better not have kissed Nkiru on that smooth cheek of hers. Pushing back the chair in anger as jealousy warred in him, and going to stare out the dark through his office's window, Gio had to admit to himself that he was being unreasonable. Ikenna didn't know his so-called fiancée was married. It was all Nkiru's fault. But seriously? Would she really have gone ahead with the marriage just like that if he hadn't found her? Didn't she know anything about court marriages? Didn't she know she had to sign divorce papers? It riled him to think she'd cast aside their wedding as if it never happened. What about their wedding night? What about those days and nights they'd spent pleasuring each other? She was able to throw them away? God! Women! They were evil creatures.


"Excuse me, sir. Please may I take my leave now? It's almost 7pm." Anna knocked tentatively on the wooden door before taking timid steps into the room. She didn't understand her boss anymore. Ever since he came back from Kano a week ago, he'd not been himself. Everyone at the office were standing on hooks and tentacles because his temper was on a short leash. He snapped at the slightest cause and behaved like a wounded bear. It was already beginning to make the rounds that maybe his insanity was beginning to come back. People were already talking of looking for another job in case their boss had to be hospitalized and the firm shut down.


Anna had to ask for permission again before Gio heard her. He turned around, apologized for keeping her late for no reason and told her he'd be leaving shortly. He realized then that he had to go home and felt guilty at leaving Tano home alone all day. The poor boy was already used to being alone but that didn't mean he had to add to his loneliness. He left the office while his secretary locked up.


His thoughts were still on his wife as he drove home, drove through his street and pushed his horn at his gate and his gateman opened it. He couldn't afford going to Jigawa anymore. He had very important clients to see, assignments to submit and tests to read for. But could he leave things as they were for now? Was Nkiru going to bolt on him again?


Gio went into his posh house, went to his bedroom, took a shower, changed his clothes and walked into his dining room where he knew his cook would have kept dinner warm and waiting for him, with thoughts of Nkiru still flooding his mind. He picked at his ravioli until he noticed his younger brother standing at the other side of the table with a frown on his handsome face, so like his. Tano had grown into another handsome Ekwe, and truth be told, the handsomest of them all.


"Gio, what's going on?" the teenager asked. He'd been standing there all of ten minutes before his elder brother noticed him.


"Nothing. I just have a lot on my mind." Gio took a sip from his glass of water.


Tano looked crestfallen. Undeterred however, he pulled out a wooden chair, sat and faced his brother.


"Gio, please not you too. I'm sick and tired of being treated like a kid. I'm sixteen years old for Christ's sakes! I'm going to school and live in a foreign country soon. If Dad could trust me to let me go, then it shows i'm old enough to know what's going on in our family," the poor boy pleaded. "Please tell me what's going on. Ever since you came back from your sudden trip to Kano, you haven't been yourself. Please talk to me."


For some reason, Tano's desperate plea got to him. Ten years his junior, he couldn't begin to imagine what it felt like to be in the dark always about the goings-on of your family. Maybe Tano would even be the oracle to give him the answers he sought.


He opened his mouth but nothing came out. Tano became sad.


"Gio, please. I do not like what our family has become. Please, I just want to know what's going on. No one wants to talk to me. What happened between you and Fi? Why did you and Nkiru break up? Why don't you relate with Dad anymore? Please make me understand."


Hmm...he wanted to be a man, right? Gio wondered. Ah, to hell with it! He was feeling reckless enough. He proceeded in telling him everything without leaving out a single detail. When he was through, Tano just sat there looking mystified. His elder brother chuckled. There was absolute silence for awhile.


Tano cleared his throat. "So...you're a married man."

**********


"Faith, Faith," Felix's mother called from her position under the tree in her compound. "Please bring me some water."

"To drink?" A vocie replied.

"No, for baptism. I.diot!" The angry woman replied as she dropped her spoon in her plate of rice on the stool. 

Felix chuckled on his chair beside her. His mother and her housemaid were always at loggerheads and it always made him laugh. The Faith girl was as dumb as a rock. She never got her errands right and always asked the most stupid of questions. But it was fun watching her and his bad-mouthed mother from time to time. He sighed.

He'd come home for the weekend to see his mother. After quitting his job as a result of his fight with the cameraman two days after his dog chase, he'd become restless. The stupid cameraman was fond of leaving his camera on him during commercial breaks during his Top Ten Jamz programme or the news. There was a time during his show when he'd asked for them to go on a commercial break in order for him to quickly scratch his butt as a result of him reacting to a new brand of detergent he'd used to wash his boxers, the fool had left the camera on him. Not knowing the camera was still on him, Felix had quickly started scratching his butt only for their other crew members to tell him he was still on air. He'd quarreled heatedly with the cameraman and the guy had not deemed it necessary to apologize to him. 

What had caused him to punch the lights out of him and drop his resignation letter was when it was time for going on another break during the 7pm news, the silly man had left the camera on him again, making him squirm until he'd had to continue the news. Just when he'd continued the news, he'd removed the camera. Felix hadn't wasted time getting up and going to punch him on that big ugly nose of his. Was it his fault that the man's mother had slept with a gorilla and birthed him? Felix had heard how bitter the guy was at his handsomeness and the way girls threw themselves at his feet wherever he went. Was it his fault? 

He'd felt peace when he left the place though some of his colleagues had begged him to come back. But he was already sick and tired of the job. There'd been no need waiting for the owner to fire him. His uncle would be disappointed, he knew but he wasn't bothered. 

"Felix, one who borrows a cloth does not dance proudly. Your uncle got you that job. You should at least have respected him by going to report to the manager instead of fighting with that degenerate. It's the one who is begging for something that his hand is longer." His mother continued their conversation. He'd thought she'd forgotten it in her quest for a cup of water.

"Mummy, i was already sick and tired of the job. The whole backbiting thing and all that. I'll look for another job, abeg."

Oh, God, please save my son. Mrs. Eromosele prayed inwardly. Ever since the death of that Ivie girl three or so years ago now, her son had never remained the same again. What a tragedy! Had she known that it would end that way, she would have handled the matter differently. Her energetic son was nowhere to be found anymore. He'd even cut off from his friends, Ose and Kenneth, leaving only Oghenero who he saw once in awhile. They'd tried persuading him to go for his masters degree but he'd refused. He was sick and tired of education. They even had to grease some palms in his school for them to waive a paper he'd had a carry over in, which would have cost him an extra year. He wasn't aware of it though. 

"Felix, omi mhen (my child), let it go. I know Ivie's death is still very much on your mind. Please let her ghost go. Please." Felix's mother didn't need to beg for the tears that made their way down her semi-wrinkled face.

Felix looked away. He hated such conversations with his mother. Who told her he was still langunishing in sorrow? He was just restless.

"You made a mistake. I made a mistake but please let it go. You've been living your life in the shadow of her death for the past three years. I have watched you transform from that my handsome son who could make me smile even when i'm as angry as a volcano ready to erupt into a man who rarely smiles. It hurts, i know but please let it go. Stop carrying the past with you. It's clearly weighing you down. Please."

Her son rose and moved behind the large tree shading them. Damn it! Why couldn't she leave him alone? He didn't want to think of Ivie. He didn't want to remember the orphan he'd hurt badly. What was there to smile about these days? He was just so tired. So tired of everything. Things weren't just the way they used to be anymore. He couldn't say it was as a result of Ivie's death. He felt it was the natural restlessness in him. Gosh! He needed to get laid. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had some. Damn, he'd lost touch indeed. He who couldn't do without it for a whole week was going almost three months without it.

It had amazed him that Rhema had not come to seduce him that night. So there were still decent girls around? He'd lost a budding friendship when he'd spent a night in the guy's house and the girlfriend had tried seducing him in his room. But Rhema had made sure he heard the click in her door when she'd finally gone inside to sleep that night after keeping him company in the living room. Thinking that was just pretense, he'd been surprised to wake up with a crick in his neck the following morning and all his clothes on. She'd even come out already dressed for work and not in the sexy nightgown he'd anticipated. His respect for her had grown that night. 

With that, he'd gone to her house the following evening after work to return her bathroom slippers and had spent an hour with her again and also ate dinner there. She was a damn good cook! Whether she washed her whatever inside wasn't his business, he just enjoyed the savory taste of her meals. His taste buds had gone to heaven at the taste of her jollof rice that first evening. Then the ogbono soup he'd tasted, garnished with every animal he could think of--he was sure even a chamelon had been inside it--had blown his taste buds away. She sure knew the way to a man's heart. He felt himself beginning to like her. She was good, humble, decent and a good cook. What more could he ask for? Maybe she was the spark he needed at that moment. When he went back to Benin, he would try pursuing friendship with her, then he'd see if they were compatible enough for a relationship. He would have to leave his present abode though. He was now being called 'Ekita (dog) man' in his street. How silly! The stupid dog had had to be put down after it went from street to street terrorizing people. Good riddance!

"I didn't want you to end up being the shameless womanizer your father is today." He heard his mother say and thought he was hearing things. He poked his head from the large tree and his gaze merged with hers.

She smiled a little through her tears.

"You thought I didn't know, did you?" She questioned as he walked away from the tree to resume his seat on the white plastic chair beside her.. "I haven't been married to him for thrity-six years for nothing. I know about his exploits with small girls in this village and in Abuja."

Felix was dumbfounded. He could only stare with widened eyes at his mother.

"I knew that was the seed of discord between the both of you. For him to have said it was because of your womanizing ways was just sheer foolery on his part. I knew then that in your own womanizing, you must have caught him and it had angered you. I felt proud to have you for a son. It felt good that I had a son who would stand up to his father on my behalf. It makes going out my way to have you more than worth it."

"Mummy, i didnt..."

"Ssh...it's okay, my son. I would have left him but for you and your sisters; my children. A lot of women are in loveless marriages simply because of their children. Dogs do not actually prefer bones to meat; it is just that no one ever gives them meat. After quarreling with your father countless times and keeping malice over the issue all to no avail, I decided to be grateful he still came back home to me and took care of me and my children. That was the most important thing to me. The mouth which eats does not talk. I try my best to revive the romance sometimes but it's all dead and gone now. Somewhere along the line, I must have done something to lose him forever. I don't know.

That was why I fought every girl who came your way then. I didn't want your wife to be like me. Living in a sham called marriage. But I didn't know you'd met your so-called missing rib in Ivie. Had I known, I would have encouraged her to start nipping the things she didn't like about you in the bud then. I'm very protective of you, son. But I realize now I'm too protective. Someday I will tell you the story of your birth which made me so protective of you. But I really should have allowed you live your life, make your own mistakes, after all, you're a man. I'm sorry, son. Please find it in your heart to forgive me and also try to forgive yourself. You will meet another Ivie. Please treasure her even more than the late Ivie. Every woman needs a man to call her hero. When your father disappointed me, I made you my hero which was wrong of me. That's what happens when your partner disappoints you and you channel all your love and energy on your children. Find a woman who'd be proud to call you her hero and her, your queen."

Oh, God. Tears glistened in Felix's eyes. This was the first time his mother had spoken to him this way. He rose to go and give her a bear hug.

Faith rushed out of the house just then with a big bowl of water and set it beside them.

"Fada (Reverend Father) don go? Who wan baptize?"

When the girl saw the devilment in her madam's eyes, she took to her heels but not before Mrs. Eromosele had drenched her with the bowl of water.

Felix laughed with his whole heart. It felt good to be home.

It is the fear of of fence that makes men swallow poison.

*To be continued*

**********

Who is Jessica?

Nkiru asked as she tried steading her breath. She'd just woken up from a nightmare where the said girl had chased her while she'd been standing with the crazy Giovanni. And the Giovanni had mentioned her that day he came to ply his crazy trade. He'd even accused her of collecting money from the Jessica.

Careful not to disturb her sister, she slid down the bed and made her way quietly in the dark to the living room where she put on the light. With her arms folded around her and her black silk nightgown covering her figure, she paced the living room. Ever since Giovanni showed up three days ago, she'd been having dreams of him.

But something wasn't right. She felt as if a part of her brain was locked and needed a key to open it. She remembered being told she'd lost a part of her memory in an accident some years ago. She remembered she hadn't recalled everything yet according to Chichi but was Giovanni a part of the lost memory? But they'd all told her after their visit to his house that he was as crazy as a loon. But then again she'd started dreaming of him just before he surfaced. What the heck was going on here? And she couldn't ask her sister who was as usual having her three-day painful period. Nkechi threw up and wept in pain anytime her period was here. No form of drugs or home made remedies ever helped her until the pain decided to let her be. 

She'd wait. She'd wait and ask her questions. She felt Nkechi was hiding something. She'd noticed the way her sister had stared at Giovanni with so much joy in her eyes. Or was it that she'd been eyeing the hunk of a guy? She couldn't deny the fact that Giovanni was indisputably the most handsome guy she'd ever seen. She'd even reacted sensually towards him. Something she'd never done around Ikenna.

Ah, Ikenna. He was mad at her for keeping things from him but she wanted to make sense of all that was going on around her. With his sense of possessiveness, he might just go and look for Giovanni to tell him off. Something she'd read made pyscho stalkers aggressive. She didn't want anything to happen to her darling Ikenna. They were already planning their wedding even though they'd clashed in some of the decisions. It was now she was beginning to realize that they had different tastes. Ikenna wanted things one way while she wanted it the other. They would sort themselves out in future, she believed. 

She loved him. She loved him with her whole heart even though at times she felt there was something missing. He was her dream man. Good looking, hardworking, God fearing, loving, caring. The only fault she could find in him was that he was quite possessive and wanted his own way most of the time but which man didn't? She usually just went meekly with whatever he said, usually too tired to argue with him but she'd put her foot down in going to bed with him. When he'd tried seducing her at his place when she visited one day, she'd vehemently told him she wasn't going to give herself to a man until her wedding night. So shocked that she was still a virgin, he'd agreed and treasured her more from then on but his possessivness had increased. They shared kisses every now and then but she made sure they were chaste. Not that she felt anything whenever they happened. Maybe she was frigid and would gradually find her sensual feet after their marriage; which was why the way she'd felt around Gio scared her. He'd come close to her and her heart beat had ran a marathon. Maybe it was just fear. It was definitely fear. She just had to run away from him whenever he came near her again.

That was why she was seriously considering moving back to Lagos like their parents had suggested. Nkechi had told them about Giovanni's visit and being scared that his madness had come back, coupled with the security challenges in the north, they'd wanted them to come back to Lagos until after her wedding. But what about her job? It was quite a good job and she doubted if they were going to give her that long a leave just for her to prepare for her wedding. And what about Ikenna? She was going to miss him. 

She decided there and then that if Gio came to disturb her again, she would explain things to her fiancée and relocate to Lagos temporarily. She doubted Gio's madness would allow him come again if he found out she was married to another guy. She hoped so because she didn't want any incident on her wedding day.

With that decision made, she went to the kitchen to get a glass of water, gulped it down before going back to her room to lie beside her sister on the bed.

What a man does not know is greater than he.

**********

"Mummy, Gio is back." Nkechi didn't waste time with pleasantries when she called her mother the following morning after her sister had left for the office.

"Obara Jesu!" the woman shouted over the phone.

You can say that again, her daughter muttered.

"How...when...tell me everything," she pressed.

Nkechi went on to tell her how a day before, Nkiru had been complaining of seeing Gio and their wedding in her dreams ever since she got engaged to Ikenna and how Gio showed up the following day threatening fire and brimstone.

"My God, what kind of rubbish is this? Why now?"

"Mummy, that's not even the worst," Nkechi said but inwardly, that was the best part to her. "They are still marred. Gio didn't file for a divorce."

"Oh, God. Why didn't he get a divorce? What kind of a stubborn man is he? He just wants to ruin my Nkiru's life. God will not let him," she vehemently said.

Nkechi shook her head. "Mummy, I don't think it's like that. From what I saw yesterday, I think he still has feelings for her. He said he'd been looking for her to divorce her but doesn't want to do so anymore. He was just so angry yesterday, thinking Nkiru was pretending and also with the misguided notion that we took money from the Azubuikes, hence our elevated status."

"Mtchew. Took money from the Azubuikes? I'd rather beg for food from a mad man."

Her daughter chuckled. "Mummy, see, I think we should just let them work things out on their own. Let's tell him the truth and Nkiru as well. If she remembers him, fine. If they want to start afresh again, fine. I feel now that they've found each other again, we should just let them be."

"May thunder strike your anus and make you not go to the toilet for three days," Mrs. Chiwendu yelled. "How dare you say such! After all your sister went through just because of him? Don't you know Jessica is still waiting in the wings, bidding her time to strike again. Yes, I know calamity befell her family but don't you think revenge will be the uppermost thing on her mind right now?" she questioned angrily. "Whatever you do, make sure Nkiru doesn't remember him. In short, start looking for another house. Maybe you guys should come back to Lagos. It appears that Dutse is very small that was why he could find her easily. They couldn't find us when we were in Lagos. After the wedding, Nkiru can move back there to be with Ikenna. Have you heard me?"

Nkechi pouted. "Mummy, I don't think..."

"Nkechi, Nkechi, Nkechi...how many times did I call you?" She didn't wait for an answer before continuing. "Alone a youth runs fast, with an elder he travels slowly but together they go far. I know you mean well but if you reveal the truth to your sister, I will deal mercilessly with you. This is real life not all those mushy romance novels you and your sister read. By next week, highest the other week, I want both of you back in Lagos. I will tell Nkiru we're no longer comfortable with the security challenges over there though we thank God nothing has happened in that state so far. Do you understand me?"

Nkechi rolled her eyes and hissed silently, grateful her mother wasn't there to see her. "Yes, ma." She felt like reminding her mother of a proverb she'd told her a long time ago that no matter how many spirits plot a man's death, it comes to nothing unless his chi (personal god) has a hand in the deliberation. She was certain her mother would send her a sharp knock through the phone.

"I will tell everything to your father when I get home this evening. Nkechi, please don't go against my words. Remember how your sister suffered. Please don't make her pass through that again. Please. Even if she gets inquisitive, dodge her questions. If she remembers him just as you're about entering the plane to Lagos, still push her inside it. Please. Tell her to come and discuss it with us."

"Yes, ma."

Her mother told her what was going on in the lives of their other family members, asked her how her salon was doing before she rang off.

Nkechi flung the phone on the bed before sitting on it. Her brow furrowed into a frown and she bit a nail on her finger. What was she going to do? She understood her mother's fear, but it's been three years. No one knew the whereabouts of Jessica. After her uncle died, her dad was sent to prison and her mother relocated to the village. Things were different now so why would Jessica come and try to put asunder again? They were still married for crying out loud! And despite Gio's anger yesterday, from the way he looked at her sister, she could bet her entire salon that he still loved her and she knew if Nkiru was made to remember him, she would still love him too.

Nkechi stood and paced the room. But there was Ikenna in the picture now. How was she going to get him out of way in order for Nkiru to be with Gio? He was quite a gentleman but she wasn't fooled one bit. His persistency in wooing Nkiru made her know he wasn't a pushover. How would he react when told his fiancee was married, and married to the son of a senator? He was sure to feel intimidated. She hoped he wouldn't take it out on poor Nkiru. Not everyone believed in the existence of amnesia. Heck, she hadn't even believed it until it happened to her own sister. As she paced, she wondered what it felt like not being able to remember a part of your life. Poor Nkiru. How terrible! Poor Gio as well. He didn't know his wife couldn't remember him. But the mind was indeed funny. Why would Nkiru not remember a love so perfect? Why would her mind choose to forget a man she'd loved so much? It really showed the Jessica issue had hurt her more than she let on. Or was she, Nkechi about to make a mistake in trying to bring them back together again? Had their love just being a fluke? It had looked too good to be true and even made her sister act out of character.

Nkechi paused when she remembered how that love had transformed the couple. Nkiru had being alive for the first time in her life. Her eyes had glowed at all times, she'd been willing to have a total makeover just for him and had damned all consequences to marry the man she loved. Gio too, she'd heard from Nkiru had changed from the cold fish which he'd apparently gone back to now, to his formal funny, lively and wonderful self. But now both their eyes were dull and lacked life.

No! Even if Amadioha sent thunder to strike her buttocks or other parts of her body, she didn't care. She couldn't stand by doing nothing while her sister ended up with a man not created for her and Gio ended up a bachelor all his life. How she wished Nkiru had gotten pregnant then. But who knew? Maybe the chances of the baby growing had been destroyed after her attack. Had there being a child now, she was a hundred percent sure Ikenna wouldn't be in the picture. The man was looking for a perfect wife and had found such in Nkiru. What a laugh when he realized his innocent Nkiru wasn't so innocent after all.

It was time to go and bring out the small box she'd been hiding. If she had been able to succeed at the Get-Gio-At-All-Cost scheme then, then she'd surely be able to handle Get-Nkiru-To-Remember-Gio-At-All-Cost now.

Don't fear planting cassava in a field full of spear grass.

Something wasn't quite right here. Gio told himself. Nkiru was behaving in a strange manner. Or was it just pretense? Now that he'd come to tackle her on the events of yesteryears, she was pretending not to know him. Women! He couldn't place his finger on it but he knew there was a piece missing here. Now the shock in her eyes at his words was slowly turning into pity.

"Oh, I'm so sorry for talking to you harshly. I didn't realize it had come back. But why always me?"

Gio's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"

"The interview I read about your...your...insa...emm...I mean your instability. But why do you always choose me as your wife when it happens? I remember, though it's pretty hazy...we went to your house and you said these same outrageous things." Pity poured from her eyes but she shrunk back in the chair when she met his eyes. The raw anger in his hard gaze sent a spooky chill down her taut spinal cord. 

Oh, God, she was alone in the house with a mad man!

Gio had had enough of her nonsense. He was prepared to beat the pretence out of her. He got to her, jerked her up with strong hands and shook her a little. While shaking her, he looked into her frightened eyes and something twisted inside him.

"Where...why are your eyes black? What happened to your eyes?"

Pyscho alert full stream! How could he move from such rage to asking her about her eyes?

"I have contact lenses on. I can't see very well without them," she offered, still in fright.

There was a thrumming tension in the air. She didn't know where it had come from but it unsettled her, brought her skin out in goose-flesh. She stiffened, and watched that so expressive mouth of his suddenly slide into the faintest of smiles. It was there and then it was gone as though she had imagined it, leaving her scrutinising him with uneasy suspicion.

"It was another ploy to hide from me, right? Knowing very well how much i loved your hazel eyes, and would be able to pick you out in a room of a thousand ladies because of them, you chose to change the colour. " He smiled brightly and dropped her hands. "Let me tell you something, moglie, I'm going to stop that wedding from happening even if it's the last thing I do."

Nkiru felt she'd had enough. Who was he, crazy as he was to come into her home, frighten her and threaten to stop her wedding to Ikenna? She didn't care if he was the president's son! Her teeth clenched together and she fought to get a grip on her wildly flailing emotions. She moved away from the circle of his orbit and took few steps to cast wide the door in an open invitation for his departure.

"When next you decide to stop taking your medication, please don't rope me in again or i will go to the police to file a restraining order."

In response to that scornful comment, Gio shot her a seething appraisal, his dark eyes flaming like hot coals. He raised one of his hands and watched it shake in disbelieving outrage. He felt like killing her for continously calling him crazy. Oh, was that the card she wanted to play? She had another think coming if she thought she'd get away with this and run of into the sunset with her so-called fiancee.

Just then Nkechi entered the tension-packed living room.

"NK, who's Wunmi rambling about? She said a hunk of..." Nkechi's words died in her throat when she saw her handsome brother-in-law in the middle of their living room. He dwarfed the room and made it seem choking. She felt like singing "Alleluia' and dancing kokoma. God had answered her prayers. That was fast though. She wondered if she could ask for her own Gio right there and God would bring him within seconds since it looked like it was answered-prayers-at-a-snap-of-the-finger express now.

Oh, and he looked good. He also looked...livid, shimmering dark golden eyes flaming over her, telegraphing anger and strong censure.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't another lying member of the Chiwendu clan," Venom poured out from every syllable as he took in her attire. She too had become beautiful and her sky blue jumpsuit fit like a second skin and made her look resplendent. How amazing! Had it been money they wanted, he would have signed over his entire inheritance to Nkiru just to get her to continue pretending she loved him.

Oh, oh, things weren't quite okay yet, Nkechi noticed. Her sister's face was moving from anger to confusion and back to anger again. She took it that the sight of her husband hadn't triggered her memory. How come? Was her amnesia that bad? Or had it taken too long for them to be together again to trigger her memory? Indeed, if you keep water in your mouth for too long, it turns into saliva. Damn! 

"Who is he? And what is he doing here?" she asked her sister tentatively, trying to find out what she knew.

Nkiru shrugged and set a weary look on her sister. "Senator Ekwe's son. It appears that interview on him is true after all."

"Lu...Nkiru, if you call me crazy once more, I'll show you what it really means to be crazy, you filthy gold digger." Gio's anger burst forth like a lit furnace.

Damn! This wasn't going as planned. Nkechi was almost in despair. But she couldn't help noticing the attraction that was still there between them. Gio she could see, couldn't keep his eyes off her sister and she knew her sister was disturbed by his presence not necessarily his so-called madness. Time to salvage the situation.

"Emm...Mr. Ekwe. Thanks for your visit. Please state your intention and leave. Thank you." She tried to be as polite as she could.

Gio raised a mocking eyebrow. "Even you too? Fine, let's play your game. I have been searching for your sister for the past three years now in order to divorce her. But now that I've found her, I have changed my mind. There's no way in hell I'm going to give her a divorce and watch her marry another man. It's not a threat. It's a cast-iron promise. You can take it to the bank. And he'd better not have laid a damn finger on her, else I'd destroy him for adultery."

Yes! Yes! Yes! They are still married! Nkechi's face was blank but her heart was singing in waves. Great! All they needed now was for Nkiru to remember her husband.

But of course, Ikenna had to call Nkiru at that moment. Gio sneered when he saw the word, ''Honey' on the face of her BB10 mobile phone which was beside him on the coffee table. By the time he was through with them, that name would be changed to 'Bitter leaf'.

His wife rushed forward to pick the call and she left the living room to go outside. Nkechi thanked God for small mercies and moved to stand before her brother-in-law.

"Gio, please I beg you in the name of God. Please leave. I know you don't understand what's going on now but I promise to explain everything to you. Please just give me time to talk to Nkiru. Please trust me."

Gio wasn't moved. "I'd rather trust a viper than trust any member of your family again. I wasn't joking with my words. I'll be gone tomorrow because I have very important clients to see but I promise you I'll be back. I'll come with proof of our marriage to your lying, deceiving sister. Then we'll know who is mad then. And i meant my threat. If her so-called fiancee has so much as seen her in her underwear, then he's a dead man."

He lifted his jacket from the arm chair, sidestepped her and walked briskly out of the room. He didn't spare a glance on his wife who was still on the phone, neither did he look in the direction of her neighbour who was seated in front of her flat, combing her gold-tinted hair. He just needed to get out of there to put his thoughts together and set his plan in motion. Nkiru and Ikenna would have to kill him before they made it to the altar.

Nkiru told her fiancee she was okay for the third time before she rang off. Her whole body shook. What just happened? Ignoring the curious look Wunmi was giving her, she entered the living room and went straight to their room where she knew her sister would be undressing.

"Nkechi, what is it with this mad guy and I? Why does he keep calling me his wife? It was a few minutes ago that I remembered the incident in his house some years ago when he claimed the same thing. Senator Ekwe should have his son committed or something. How did he even find me?" She hissed and sat on the huge bed which took almost all the space in the room. Nkechi loved her sleeping space, hence their descion to get a big bed else she'd climb Nkiru's body in the night.

Nkechi, stripped down to her matching green bra and panties wondered if it was time to tell her sister the truth. That in fact, she was the semi-crazy one here for not remembering such a wonderful husband. No, it wasn't time yet. She was just too worked up to listen. And now that Ikenna had called her, her thoughts would be on him. In a few days, she would tell her everything. It was left for her to decide if she wanted to divorce Gio no matter what he said or continue their marriage with him.

But things didn't bode well from her view. How had Nkiru not been able to remember Gio at the sight of him? From the way things stood, Nkechi shook her head sadly. Nkiru would choose Ikenna.

The shade of a tree will always come back.

*Continuation of Episode 18*

The man paced silently like a jaguar as his gaze roved around the small living room. Hmm...the Chiwendus had truly come into sudden wealth. The living room though small held gadgets and furniture that spelt wealth. Too small to hold more than the sofa his wife was lying on and an armchair, the electronics comprising of a flat screen television, a classic home-theatre television, DSTV decoders, a DVD player along with rows and rows of DVD inside it showed good money had been spent on them, coupled with the thick gold and brown oriental rug, the bulb fixings and little things here and there which showed no care had been given to the money spent. They even had a cooling unit on the wall, probably due to the harsh weather the north was known for. And his darling wife had frowned at his extravagance once upon a time. Hypocrite!

He moved to where he'd laid the so-called darling wife on the rich burgundy sofa. Indeed, she was what you'd call very pretty. So all she'd needed was to put on a little weight for her beauty to surface? His designer clothes on her hadn't been what she'd needed. She'd needed to discover for herself what made her look good. And damn was she looking good! Her skin was looking all soft and supple and was now more on the fair side than caramel. Even her carefully madeup face, done with more cosmetic than he'd ever seen her use brought out the contours of her face. Even the clothes did her justice and those lovely legs of hers did something to his libido. He took in the curly weave on her head which surrounded her face like a halo and felt like running his hands through it. He needed for her to come back to consciousness for him to see those beautiful hazel eyes which had tormented his dreams for years.

Nkiru slowly came to and wondered where she was. Her head ached and she fell very weak. She noticed then with trepidation that a man was pacing restlessly in her small living room. What? Then everything came back to her. Giovanni!

What the hell was he doing here in real life from her dreams? Who was he and what did he want with her?

As she watched, she saw his dark eyes make an impatient scan of their surroundings. His jacket had gone; that was the first totally incomprehensible thing her eyes focused on. The silver tie with the slender knot had been tugged down a little and the top button of his shirt was undone, as if he'd found the constriction of his clothes annoying and needed to feel fresh air around that taut dark throat. There was a tension about him, a restlessness so severely contained that it flicked along his chiselled jaw line as if he was clenching and unclenching his teeth behind his rather cold-looking mouth. Then the mouth suddenly twisted, and she didn't need to be clairvoyant to know what he was thinking right then. The guy was crazy! 

She must have made a sound because he swirled and focused that dark intense gaze of his on her. She rose a little. He came over and his hand touched her shoulder. Her senses went on overdrive, crawling through her body like scattering spiders and flinging her into a whirling mad panic that jolted her into a sitting position to violently thrust his hand away.

"Don't touch me," she gasped out in shuddering reaction. 'I don't know you. I don't!'

He muttered an expletive.

Water! She needed water. Gio strolled out of the living room to the door on his left and realized he'd entered her neat bedroom. He came out and strolled to the door on his right. Of course, a slick and clean kitchen with everything in place.  He opened the medium-sized fridge and brought out bottled water, searched for a tumbler in the small kitchen and poured the water inside it.

"Here..." Gio pushed the glass of water at her when he came back to the living room and met her in the same position he'd left her- seated with a confused look on her face. "Drink some of this," he urged. "You look like you need it."

Nkiru lifted her head to look at the stranger, his darkened eyes honing directly onto her own, and for a moment she felt herself sinking into those blackened depths again, as if drawn there by something more powerful than logic.

Oh, God. Confused, she wrenched her gaze away, pushing the glass aside so she could cover her face with her hands while she at least attempted to get a hold on herself.

His head swivelled down to look at her after glancing away for some minutes to control his lusting thoughts, dark eyes lancing her a bitter hard look. "We need to talk," he informed her as he put the glass of water on the coffee table.

"No," she said on a release of pent-up air, and opened her eyes to look at him with the same perfectly blank expression. 'I don't know who you are and what you're doing here and your name; even though i just finally remembered it fully a few minutes ago means nothing to me." Nkiru didn't like the way she was feeling around him and she needed him to leave in order for her to think.

She might as well have slapped him. He looked away, then sat down on the armchair, his lean body hunching over as he dipped his dark head and pressed his elbows into his spread knees--but not before Nkiru had seen the flash of pain in his eyes and realised that her ill-chosen words had managed to hurt him. 

I'm sorry,' she murmured uncomfortably. 'I didn't mean it to come out sounding...’

'Rude?' he incised when she hesitated.

Her mind did a dizzy whirl on a hot, slick spurt of sudden sensual awareness. 

"Look. Let's start all over again. It's obvious you're here for a reason. And i really don't know why i fainted because i've never done that in my life. I guess it was due to stress at the office today. I know we were in school together but i don't think we ever spoke. I'm Nkiru Chiwendu as you rightly said and you're Giovanni. So how may I help you?"

With the charged and splintering aura of a wild animal at bay, Gio shot a guttural stream of Italian at her, spreading both hands wide in a raking arc of dark, smouldering rage as he rose.

"Really? Really? Nkiru, you want this the hard way? You shameless hussy! Now you want to pretend you don't know who I am because you took money from Jessica and her family. I curse the day I met you."

Jessica! Why did that name ring a bell? Nkiru scratched her confused head. What the hell was he talking about? My God, was she in one of her strange dreams again? But he looked real.

"So because of this," He spread his hands around the plush living room. "you want to deny you don't know me. Your shame is so much you want to pretend we didn't get married on the 19th of January, 2011, Mrs. Ekwe?"

"What the..."

And then she remembered.

Hello everyone. It's not my wish to leave you all in suspense. Been trying to reply comments since on thursday but my posts were being deleted automatically. Been trying to post all morning as well, same problem. I sent the thread prefect Jonathan2787 to you guys but i guess he's been offline. I have however notified the mod in charge. So please let's be patient till in the evening. And my eyes are beginning to have issues. Thanking you.

**********

It was late in the evening. Motorists could be seen blaring their horns and abusing one another on the busy road. Children who had attended after-school lessons could be seen going home. Some discussing, some playing along the road while some just walking silently. Across the road was an open field where some youths were playing football while people were seated on the broken fence to watch them. The atmosphere was generally busy. The young man just alighted from the motorcycle at the junction of his street when he noticed people running helter skelter and shouting. He wondered what was going on and held a small boy's hand who was running and looking behind him at the same time which had caused him to almost fall on the tarred road.


"What's going on? Why are people running?" Felix asked him.


The boy tried catching his breath by bending before replying. "Na mad dog, sir. One dog don kolo and the owner no dey house," he replied before removing his hand from Felix's and continuing his race.


Oh, not again! Felix mused. To God who made him, he was getting sick and tired of the street he lived in. If it wasn't a loose cow chasing everybody here and there, it was the police who came for yahoo boys or cult boys having a clash. He'd told his parents he didn't want to work in Benin but they'd begged him that they wanted him close instead of Akwa Ibom where he had gotten a job. When his uncle got him a job in a private television station, they'd pleaded with him to accept it, along with the bribe of a self-contained flat in GRA. Now his street was known for its madness.


"That dog better no near me o. I go slap the madness and e life comot for e body. Mtchew," he said to himself as he put his hands inside the pockets of his well-tailored trousers and moved against the people running. He was tired. All he needed was to get home, take a shower and sleep till the following day. He didn't have the time to run around until God bestowed the dog with sanity or it's owner came back. All the shops were locked. People shouted from their houses that he should go back but he didn't listen to them. 


What nonsense! Run because of a mad dog? Na two heads the dog get?


Felix however realized the dog didn't have two heads when he turned at a corner close to his flat and saw the dog using a chicken's bone as tooth pick. The dog was massive. It was as big as a horse. Crossbreeded of course! Wicked people! Who would crossbreed a Caucasian with a German Shepherd? Too late! The dog was even in front of his block of flats. It sighted him and in the blink of an eye started chasing him.


"Blood of God o! Blood of God o!" Felix shouted as he ran. People who were coming back into the street thinking all was uhuru now saw him and took to their heels again. The people who warned him not to go collapsed with laughter when they saw him running faster than Usian Bolt and shouting as well.


Felix ran till he crossed the busy road to the other street. He narrowly missed being hit by a motorcycle. His shoes were nowhere to be found, his necktie was askew around his neck, his white shirt was soaked with sweat and his trousers was stained with dirt due to the dusty ground. He sat down in front of a shop. People had gathered to wonder what was happening. When they saw the big dog trying to cross the road to get to Felix, they fled. 


Felix knew the dog was sent to him by someone in his village when the dog successfully crossed the road and came after him again. Everywhere went haywire as people ran for their dear lives. Just as at a leap, the dog would have jumped on Felix and torn him to pieces, God smiled on him and he saw a beautiful young lady ushering him to quickly run into her house at the eleventh hour. He ran inside her house and she quickly shut the gate, locked it and stepped back as the dog hit it ferociously. 


Felix was already seated on the interlocked tiles, breathing heavily. The girl sat beside him trying to catch her breath, more out of fear than running.


"What did you do to that dog?" she questioned after some minutes had elapsed.


"That," Felix swallowed thickly and let out a deep breath, "isn't a dog. It's my late ex-girlfriend."


The girl giggled helplessly. She rose and stretched a hand to him.


"Come. Let's go inside. Let me get you a cup of cold water."


Felix's gaze moved around the small interlocked compound with potted plants before moving to enter the house through her iron front door. The living room was small but it had enough elbow room and it was cozy. Black and grey settees surrounded a small coffee table with a beautiful flower vase and artificial flowers on it. A mini-sized plasma television was hung against the wall with a DVD player and some DVD plates underneath it. However small, the living room still had a dining area with a round glass dining table and iron chairs. The table contained tins of milo, milk and a container for sugar. There was a cornflakes carton on it, as well as a pack of Nescafe coffee. Beside the table was a small fridge. The girl took one of the glasses on the tray at the top of the fridge, opened the cooling machine and brought out bottled water. She walked slowly back to him, pointed at a chair for him to sit, poured water inside the glass and handed it to him before taking a seat. He smiled his thanks, emptied it before putting it on the table and took a seat a few paces from her.


He sized up the girl and realized she was quite beautiful. She was chocolate-skinned, had a moon-shaped face which made her look likeable and friendly but she was quite short even though very slim. He could bet she was only about five feet three. She'd barely reached his shoulders when she stood beside him. That was none of his business though. After the unfortunate incident with Ivie three years before, he'd decided to stay off girls for the mean time. Of course he would get married someday just to get his mother off his back but he wasn't ready to one bit. At twenty-seven years of age, he felt he still had about three years before thinking of such. It was a dyed-in-the-wool decision. With Ivie, he'd thought he would marry her immediately after his youth service programme was over but since his plans had gone awry, there was no need rushing into marriage now. Girls still chased him but he stayed away from them except when he had to let off steam, but he made sure the girl knew the scores and there were no strings attached or anything. So far he'd been lucky. He'd learnt to take each day as it came.


"What's your name? I'm Felix Eromosele," he quietly said.


"I'm Rhema Okoduwa," she replied with a small smile. 


Rhema? Like seriously? Edo state sabi give strange names sha, he mused. At his office they had someone who was called Brilliant. One of their ex-colleagues was named Excellent. In his service days he'd met a guy called Future and a girl called Amazing. All from Edo state. Just yesterday on his way to work, a mother had called her child, Heaven to get ready for school. What was it with them and such names? Couldn't they name their children such in their native tongues?


"Err...what a nice name," he said, tongue-in-cheek. There was no way in hell he was going to ask her for the meaning. "Where are you from?"


"Irrua. You?"


"Ubiaja."


"Hmm...I served there. Imagine how pissed I was having lived and schooled in this state all my life to still be posted here." Rhema rolled her cat-like eyes.


Local champion! Felix thought.


He however smiled. "I know the feeling. I got a job in Akwa Ibom but my parents didn't want me to go there. Before I could blink, my uncle got me a job here."


Rhema laughed beautifully. "Same here. My dad got me working in the Ministry of Arts and Culture here even though I wanted to go to Lagos to stay with my elder sister."


"Parents!" He shook his head. "Got to love them."


Silence descended then.


"I...err...I really should get going. Thanks for rescuing me from that crazy hound and the red carpet treatment. I really appreciate it."


Rhema smoothened down her peach sun dress and stood, all smiles as Felix rose. "You're welcome." Her gaze fell at his bare feet. "Hold on, let me get you a spare bathroom slippers. You can return it anytime you're free."


Before Felix could refuse, she'd brushed aside the curtain seperating her room from the living room and brought out the multi-couloured slippers which were slightly smaller than his big feet. He thanked her and made his way outside her house with her closely at his heels. He however banged the gate shut when he discovered the dog was still there and had made a nasty snarl at him when he opened the gate. The whole street was as quiet as a graveyard.


"Jeez. That dog means business." Felix sighed. And it was beginning to get dark.


Rhema bit her bottom lip. "Look, I don't mean to sound forward or anything but why don't you stay here for the night or until the owner comes for it? You could sleep on the couch. I just made dinner before I heard the noise outside and came out to investigate. Why dont you join me?"


Otumokpor! Otumokpor! Otumokpor! Felix's brain shouted. 


Over the years, he'd still maintained his rule of never eating any girl's food. But he was dang hungry and after that Olympic hundred meters race, he didn't want to have to go home to start looking for what to eat, that was assuming he went home that night. He was sure that dog from hell wouldn't rest until he bit a sizeable chunk of his butt off. He decided to pretend small talk while inwardly, he would kabash (pray fervently) on the food before eating it.


"If you're sure it isn't much trouble on you, lead the way," he conceded.


A beautiful smile made her face even more beautiful as she walked him back into her house.


Abi na she be the dog sef? Felix wondered as he stepped into the living room.


Our father who art in heaven. Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come thy...


He prayed inwardly. Once bitten, twice shy.


The death of a neighbour should not scare you from living.


**********


Gio alighted from the rental car he got after he landed in Kano airport. It had been sheer luck finding it because his flight from Abuja to Kano had been delayed. It was almost 5pm. Driving slowly behind a bus headed for Dutse and also using the GPS on his phone, he'd finally arrived the city his wife was in. His first point of call had been booking himself into the three-star hotel there. After freshening up, he'd decided it was time to look for his estranged wife. Employing the services of a motorcycle rider for help, he'd shown him and read the address Obinna had given him. The motorcyclist had readily obliged him and led him to the compound. 


Grateful for the act, Gio had stretched forth a wad of naira notes to the guy but to his astonishment, the guy had declined and rode off after saying something like, Ba Komi and Allah ki aiye. Gio had said, Allah ki aiye to you too, whatever that meant.


Jeez, where northerners this nice? Then why the suicide bombings and incessant killings? Anyway, the earlier he concluded his business, the better for him. He had clients waiting for him.


G9 Quarters. He guessed this was the GRA of the city. Some of the houses around were beautifully built. He'd been surprised at the level of development in the place as he drove behind the motorcyclist. His architect's eye took in the buildings and infrastructure. One shouldn't really talk if one hadn't been to a place before. Dutse wasn't the backwater he'd thought it was. The governor had done well. During his flight, he'd wondered ceaselessly what Nkiru was doing in the far north. Had her so-called fiancé made her relocate this way? Well, it was time to find out.


He took steps forward and knocked on the ash-blue gate. He knocked twice again before he heard footsteps. His heart beat accelerated. He was going to lay eyes on his wife for the first time in three years since that day she gave him an epic rejection at his father's gate. A deep breath whooshed out of his mouth.


Disappointment clogged his face when a lady from the albino family opened the gate with a spaghetti top and a wrapper tied across her chest. Gio braced himself for the usual stare. And he wasn't disappointed. 


Nkiru's closest neighbour in the compound which housed four flats looked at Gio as if he was a mirage. Wow! The dark blue suit and navy blue shirt and silver necktie the guy had on made him look debonair. And where those Italian shoes? She sure knew about fashion.


Please be looking for me. Please be looking for me. She prayed inwardly.


The time it took for Wunmi to ogle Gio, he used it to look into the compound and was crestfallen that there were about four apartments all lined up to the right in the large compound. So he wouldn't confront Nkiru in private. Damn! The left side held four iron stands with ropes tied on them for sunning clothes and the interlocked tiles had some parts of it broken. Other than that, the compound looked clean and neat. Nkiru definitely lived here. The compound was protected by a high fence and barbed wires at the top.


"Good evening. Please i'm looking for Nkiru Chiwnedu's residence," he politely informed the girl who was still mentally stripping the skin off his body with her stare.


Ha! Nkiru! You're a lucky girl o, she mused before saying outwardly, "The last flat."


"Thank you," Gio replied and waited for her to move before he entered the compound. He walked briskly to the last room, suppressing the urge to turn back and look at the girl who was still standing by the gate eating him up with her eyes. He could hear music coming from the other rooms as he passed them. A room before hers showed the occupant was clearly a fan of Nollywood movies.


Pausing as he stood before Nkiru's door, he took a deep breath and put on his legendary frozen mask. Lifting his hand, his knuckle hit the door twice. 


"Coming," his wife's voice clearly rang out.


Nliru, looking resplendent in a black and white stripped Bodycon dress teamed with red blazers and red high-heeled shoes opened the door. She just got back from the office three minutes ago.


Her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. His name she'd been unsure of in her dreams flew into her brain instantly and another memory she couldn't seem to fathom. She and Giovanni in a house?


"Giovanni! How..when...where...ahh...what are you doing here?" Nkiru stammered. Her knees felt as if they were fashioned out of cotton wool and wobbled under her.


"Good question, Mrs. Nkiru Chiwendu Ekwe." He straightened to his six-foot-three frame. "I came to get my wife."


Constriction completely closed her throat. She couldn't breathe, couldn't swallow. Even her heart stopped beating with a violent thump, then set going like a hammer drill against her temple. Sweat began to break out all over her. The room began to fade; tunnelling inwards in decreasing circles. With the word, 'wife' still echoing in her head, she simply closed her eyes and sank like a stone in a dead faint, hoping the gold and brown rug would catch her but her husband caught her in his strong arms just in time.


Anger and madness are brothers.


*To be continued on Saturday*


Thanking you.

*Continuation of Episode 18*

**********

"Are you an only child?" 

Fiorella fixed her beautiful gaze on their new next door neighbour who had decided to pay her a visit upon returning from a trip from Paris.

"No," Fiorella smiled a little and lifted her chapman drink in the tall glass. But I might as well be, she added inwardly.

They were seated at the cabana overlooking the swimming pool. Fi had on a simple sheath dress and flat sandals while her new friend was dressed in jean trousers and an off-shoulder top which showed off her long neck and creamy skin. She was as thin as rail but wasn't bothered because she was a model and stood at six feet. Her closely-cropped hair had a sweet fragrance, her nose was pierced and she had a tattoo of a black widow on her neck. 

There was a time, in her dark days, Fi had wanted to go rogue. She'd contemplated tattooing her body with red ink, wearing skimpy and revealing dresses, smoking and drinking and even doing drugs but her cousins had advised her against such. Besides, her father would have disowned her without battling an eyelid. Life had taught her to stop looking at it through rose-tinted glasses.

Oh, just one mistake and she'd lost her family for good. She saw only her father these days. Ever since she told tales out of school, she hadn't set eyes on her elder brother. Like a dog with its tail in between its legs, she'd ran away from home till it was time to go back to school. School had been terrible for her and she'd barely been able to cncentrate on her studies. Jessica, that she-devil hadn't bothered coming back and she had been asked countless times where her so-called best friend was. Of course someone had whispered that she had a bun in her oven and her brother was responsible. She'd denied such malicious rumour vehemently but it had been all for nought. When news of her brother's insanity had filtered into the school, Fi had shut herself in her room for days. That was when she realized who her true friends were. Only Darasimi, the friend she'd casted out as a jealous person had been the one to comfort her in her time of misery. Fi had apologized to her over and over again that she had been deceived but Darasimi had taken it in her stride. They became fast friend's again and with her help, Fi was able to lift her head in the school till she graduated. But she'd needed an extra year to rewrite her carryover courses because during the dark period in her life, reading had been the least thing on her mind and she'd failed some of her courses to the surprise of her lecturers amd father. Even summer lesson hadn't been able to help her. However, she'd finished her youth service corps programme there in Abuja and had been retained in the private accounting firm because of who her father was. Her father had wanted to get her a job in the ministry of finance but Fi told him not to bother. She just wanted a quiet place to work in. They however got accounting contracts due to her father's influence.

She missed Gio dearly but the young man didn't want to have anything to do with her. She'd pleaded through Tano who spent all his hols there in Akure with their elder brother to put in a good word for her so she could come visit too. Tano had told her Gio had gone back to his former cold self and it was hard getting through to him again. He'd said the last time he broached her topic with him, Gio had frozen him out and informed him that if he wanted to keep coming to his house, he'd better not mention that name anywhere near him ever again. Fi had wept herself silly that day. Just one action had caused a chain reaction which had hurt a lot of people, even her father and aunt along the way. Tano was presently there with him. The young lad was soon to be in Stanford University, California to start his tertiary education. Their father, noting what had happened to Gio and Fi had decided it was best if his son went abroad. Who knew if another desperate girl in Prestige university wouldn't do to him what Jessica had done to Gio? He would miss his last child but he didn't want another drama in his family.

"Fi, you're shedding tears! What's the problem?" The concerned neighbour asked when she focused her gaze on her after staring around her at the beautiful compound, so like hers.

The embarrassed girl quickly wiped her tears away and offered a false smile before taking a sip from her drink. Thinking of what her family had become always made her shed tears. And it was all her fault. Gio's love for Nkiru had started changing him and their family had started going back to the way it used to be but jealousy had blinded her and she had put a halt to the reformation process and shattered them forever. Gio didn't even communicate with their dad anymore. The senator actually forced a relationship on him and always had to be the one to call him and pay him surprise visits from time to time. All because of her. All because of her childishness and jealousy. It had taken awhile but she'd inevitably taken responsibility for her actions. Gio hadn't ruined her life, she'd ruined it all by herself. And ruined others as well.

She hastily excused herself from her neighour and rushed out of the relaxtion spot into the house. Running up the stairs to her room, she felt as if her tear ducts were dying to come out of her eyes. She flung herself on her bed the minute she entered the room and wept her heart out. If only she could turn back the hands of time.

Dine with a stranger but save your love for your family

**********

"Hello beautiful. Care to keep me company for the night?" The handsome young man in a charcoal black infinity jeep asked the barely clothed girl he had driven up to among a number of other scantily dressed girls.

Jessica chewed her gum noisily and sized him up.

"Do you have what it takes for me to keep you company?" she sassily asked him.

The guy opened his pigeon hole and brought out a wad of one thousand naira bills. "I sure do, beautiful."

Jessica's bright smile lit up the night.

"Babes, I go see una later," she told her colleagues and walked round the beautiful car to the other side. The guy leant and opened the door for her and she hopped in. He drove at a sedate pace to his hotel while they listened to 'Aye' by Davido from his CD player. Jessica mused that there wasn't a girl on earth who didn't want a ferrari or designer stuff. Even if she was a saint. 

Jessica thanked her stars that she had a customer for the night. She'd been standing there for over an hour due to the fact that she came late. Busy quarreling with her neighbour, she'd forgotten she had to go for her night duty. Her colleagues had asked her why she was late when she'd finally surfaced. They knew she was never late and was hot cake. She sometimes went on three rounds with different guys before she called it a night. She thanked her stars that she'd secretly gone for a boob job years ago. Now at the sight of her big and firm boobs which she accentuated by swearing off bras and putting on tops which clearly showed off the size and firmness, guys picked her first out of the many girls there. Of course she'd had cat fights with some of the jealous girls there and even got beaten by a group but that didn't stop her from plying her trade. Before hitting the streets, she used to hang around a famous hotel where customers picked her and others but when the owner had been arrested for child trafficking, the hotel had closed down. She'd had to register with the association of prostitutes at that side of Benin before she'd been allowed to stand in the streets with the others.

"Tell me, what's a beautiful and well-endowed girl like you doing in such a profession?" the young man asked the same question she'd been asked a number of times by her customers.

Jessica sighed. She'd begun believing in the force that the native doctor said protected Gio after calamity befell her family. Her uncle, the chief justice had died of a very sudden heart attack a month after she left Gio's house. His death had left their whole family in sorrow and turmoil. As if that wasn't enough, EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Comission) had come after her father due to a fraud he committed some years ago. She suspected the senator had something to do with it. They had used the money she got from the magazine whom she'd sold her story about Gio to in order to get bail for her father all to no avail. Her father was presently languishing in prison since the only person who would have helped him out of such a messy situation was dead. 


Her father's people had chased their mother out of their house in Owerri and confiscated the small properties her father had. Her mother relocated to their small house in the village with Jessica's son. Her powerful dibia, Mazi Atafia had died like a chicken. When he changed into a leopard to go hunting, he'd mistakenly caught his foot in a poisonous trap and by the time the owner of the trap had come to check it some days later, it was to find the old man n.aked and very much dead. Jessica believed it was the same force that had come for him. She had gone in search of a decent job since she didn't complete her tertiary education but only got menial jobs. When she'd begged her friend to keep her promise of introducing her to the Americana, her friend had obliged her and told her to come over to Benin but Jessica had had to leave the guy because he was a total nut case. Gio's madness was nothing compared to his. He beat her at the slightest provocation and sniffed cocaine first thing in the morning, and wanted to have sex with her everywhere, in the public, even in a club. The most painful thing for her was that he was very stingy. She never got sufficient money from him to send to her mother and child. Frustrated, she'd finally joined prostitution her neighbour had been urging her to do instead of running after one sick-in-the-head man. Now the job paid her bills and took care of her mother and child. Till date she regretted having the child. Her mother had told her to keep it and the doctor had told her that it was too risky for her to remove the six-month-old pregnancy or else she didn't want to have children in future. She'd decided to leave it since no one knew what tomorrow held. What if she met a rich dude who wanted a child first before marriage or something? She later however regretted having the child because of his upkeep even though he kept her mother company. He would be three soon and then she'd have to increase her money for his upkeep since he was bound to start school soon. What rubbish! 


If only she could find a man to take care of her and her family. She'd tried telling her sorry story filled with lies to her customers but nobody wanted a prostitute for a wife. They, prostitutes were only good for using and dumping. And she hadn't been fortunate enough to meet a guy with a briefcase filled with dollars or diamonds or valuable stuff like some of her colleagues. Some had ended up dead when they were caught but some had also resigned and set up businesses. If she had such an opportunity, she would go abroad and totally forget about her mother and son, and start life afresh. After all, she'd told her mother they should look for another fish to fry but she'd insisted on Gio and now they were all paying the price. Maybe she'd meet a white man there and get a green card. It was one of her greatest desires.


"I'm a student of the University of Benin. I'm an orphan. I just use this to keep body and soul alive and pay my fees," she lied shamelessly.


Just maybe this was her knight in shining armor. Just maybe.


People should not talk while they are eating or pepper may go down the wrong way.

**********

"Chichi, I'm beginning to think I have this spiritual husband of a thing o," Nkiru informed her sister while she spread her pale pink shirt on her wrapper in order to iron it for work the following day. 

Nkechi who was flipping through the channels of their DSTV cable paused in shock.

"What?"

Nkiru who had her back to her as she plugged the iron in the socket on the wall continued talking, "I really don't know how to explain it. There's this guy I've been seeing in my dreams lately. I think his name is Giovanni or something like that. We were school mates. I don't know if I told you there was one handsome, arrogant snob like that who shameless girls chased after in school then. Sometimes it's him, sometimes it's someone who looks like him." Nkiru paused and turned to look at her sister to see if she was listening to her. Her younger sister quickly schooled her features and became passive. "Do you understand? There are times when I see us getting married. They come in flashes sha. I see you at the wedding and one woman as well but I don't know who she is, though she shares a resemblance with this Giovanni guy. I don't know. I'm just confused."

Oh, my God. Oh, my God. She's finally beginning to remember. Nkechi screamed inwardly. Should she be happy at the turn of events or pray God send back those memories into the deep recesses of her sister's mind? Oh, God, why now? Why now that her sister had found someone else?

"Chichi, are you listening to me?"

Nkechi jerked. She cleared at throat. "Since when did you start having these dreams?"

"Since Ikenna asked me to marry him. Do you think I should see Father John about it?" Nkiru worried her bottom lip.

Oh, how she longed to tell her sister she didn't have a spiritual problem but a physical one. They, the Chiwendus had all swore never to divulge the missing part of her memory to her sister. Their mother had particulalry drawn her ears, knowing how close she was to her elder sister and how she'd liked Gio, and had warned her sternly never to let Nkiru know anything about Gio even if she started remembering him. But could she really keep such a thing from her sister now that she was beginning to remember? They'd scrapped every memory of her time with Gio from her sister's life but here she was now, seeing him in her dreams and even about their wedding.

No one had seen nor heard from the Ekwes since that eventful day in their living room. They had heard Gio and his father had come in search of them a few weeks after they'd relocated back to Lagos but that was all. They hadn't received Nkiru's divorce papers or anything of that sort. Burying the proverbial head in the sand, her family had decided not to worry about it until Nkiru wanted to marry someone else. She was already planning her wedding to Ikenna yet their parents were still not saying anything about their daughter's first marriage. And now Nkiru was beginning to remember Gio. What were they going to do?

"Chichi, haba! What's the problem? I have been talking for the past five minutes. Are you thinking of that your BBM boyfriend again?" Nkiru questioned with a naughty smile on her face. She laughed when Nkechi eyed her.

Nkechi had mistakenly added someone up on her BBM of whom she'd thought was a friend only for her to discover it was a Nigerian guy based in London. When she'd wanted to delete the pin, the guy had pleaded with her and they got talking. That was about three months ago. Now they were like the best of friends and chatted for hours. They even spoke on the phone as well but they'd maintained they were not going to exchange pictures. They didn't want to know what the other looked like before they met face to face even though they were dying of curiosity. Nkiru found it sweet. She was happy her sister was finally leaving her shell even though it was due to an unseen guy. The way she was all smiles these days showed she was beginning to fall in love with the guy even though she denied it.

"Please listen to what I'm saying before you start daydreaming of him," Nkiru teased before focusing her attention on her shirt.

After Nkiru's accident and amnesia, the Chiwendus had taken the entire situation to God in prayers. Their parish priest had come in every evening then to pray for the family and Nkiru's speedy recovery. Like magic, one day, out of the blues, Mr. Chiwendu's cousin whom he had given a large sum of money to invest in the business he had introduced him to but who had later ran abroad with the money suddenly surfaced. He'd invested the money well and had enjoyed life for years but his conscience had never allowed him know peace at what he'd done to his cousin. That particular new year day in 2011, his pastor had called him and told him to make reparation for his sins or the year would be bad for him. And God's words through his pastor were known to come to pass in his life from experience. He knew at once what God was telling him to do but he resisted. He didn't want to give his cousin a slice of the pie. He couldn't afford to share his business with his rightful partner and lose a hundred percent control of his company. By the time the value of his stocks started dwindling over a sub-standard product made in error, he knew then God meant business. However painful at the prospect of losing a chunk of his money, he put things in order before traveling down to Nigeria to seek peace. When he saw the state his cousin and his family were in, his conscience pricked him in no small portion. He paid back Nkiru's father the capital he'd given him with interest and everything due him in the business since the time it started flourishing and made him the silent partner which was the intention years ago. All that restored Nkiru's father to his millionaire status and some. They were completely out of the red.

Needing for their daughter to forget her trauma, they'd decided to relocate to Lagos to start life afresh again. Mr. Chiwendu went back to his former business while Mrs. Chiwnedu continued doing what she knew how to do best by opening a big supermarket close to their residence in Victoria Island. When Nkechi saw how overwhelmed she was at the standard of salons in Lagos, she'd swallowed her pride and gone to learn under a very good hairdresser. Now she was as good as the girl. Nkechi, while Gio was still in the hospital in Abuja had been sent to retrieve her sister's things from Gio's house in Akure and inform NYSC about her accident and amnesia with a doctor's report in tow. In sympathy, they'd decided to redeploy her to her state of choice or defer her service till the following year when she'd be better. Hearing Gio and his father were still on the look out for her and intended visiting Lagos in their sojourn, Hassana had stepped in. She'd offered to provide secuirty and shelter to one of her best friends in her home state, Jigawa. Gio wouldn't think of looking for her there. Her parents had been sckeptical because of the security challenges in the north but with tears in her eyes, Hassana had sworn to protect Nkiru. She would be placed in the good hands of her family. They'd eventually agreed because the beautiful hausa girl had proven her mettle as Nkiru's true friend. During the period of their daughter's illness in the village, Hassana had traveled down from Abuja to stay with her friend in the village. She'd never said a word of complaint at the lack of luxuries she was used to but had put all her strength in trying to get Nkiru back to her former self. Also remembering they had close relatives in the north-western state, Nkechi had been asked to go along with her. True to her words, Nkiru and her sister had had a swell time in Hassana's mansion home in the state's capital, Dutse. Her family members were kind and nice to them and Nkiru finally met the handsome Ahmed when he came home for a visit. Nkiru had a lazy remainder of her service at the government house where she did nothing all day. Grateful for the northerners' hospitality, Nkechi however asked their parents to send them some money to rent their own place after Nkiru's service year was over when she noticed some of Hassana's family members trying to convert her and her sister to Islam. They however still spent weekends in the house whenever they were bored or Hassana came visiting. Hassana had finally married Ahmed some months after her service year was over and settled in Abuja with him. It had been a grand wedding where the cream de la cream of society had attended. The beautiful hausa girl had already welcomed a handsome baby boy.

Nkiru and her sister moved into their one bedroom and living-room self-contained flat at G9 quarters and lived there ever since. Due to Hassana's parent's influence, Nkiru was given a job at the Manpower Development Institute where she was one of their computer analysts and was earning a decent pay. Nkechi as usual had opened a big salon in Hakimi street even though she now had an OND in Business Management from Kano Polytechnic. Nkiru had persuaded her to further her education now that the money was there. She was hoping to gain admission into Bayero university, Kano later in the year. The twins had also gained admission into Imo State University after their OND programme. Njideka was presently schooling in Lagos State University though she still engaged in tailoring on the side while Nnmadi's shop was the envy of his colleagues as a result of the money pumped into it by his father. He'd married his fiancee a year and a half before and Nkiru and Nkechi were aunties to twin girls. All in all, they were doing good.

"So what should I do? Should I discuss it with him?" Nkiru pressed when her sister kept her quiet.

This was a delicate situation, Nkechi surmised. Sincerely, she felt like coming out and telling Nkiru the whole truth. She'd watched her sister with Ikenna. It couldn't be compared at all with what she'd had with Gio. Inwardly she felt Nkiru agreed to marry Ikenna simply because of pressure from their mother. Their mother felt the earlier her first daughter got married the better it would be for them in case Gio showed up out of thin air. Ikenna worked with one of the commercial banks in the state capital; he was their customer service officer. They'd met when Nkiru went to open an account there six months ago. Their father had asked her to open an account there so it would be easier to transfer money from his account into hers for their upkeep. From further transactions with the bank, Ikenna kept putting pressure on Nkiru to visit her place and she'd finally obliged. Once their mother heard an Igbo man was interested in her daughter, she mounted pressure on Nkiru to find out everything about him in order for them to carry out their research. She wasn't particularly thrilled he wasn't from Imo state but Ihiala in Anambra state but beggars couldn't be choosers. When they found out he was from a good family, her mother kept pushing and pushing until Nkiru agreed to go out with him. Now that they were engaged, Mrs. Chiwendu was over the moon. She told them not to have a long engagement. In fact, their introduction ceremony was two weeks away and wedding eight weeks away. Since money wasn't a problem, they wanted the wedding done as soon as possible.

Nkechi wasn't particularly euphoric that her elder sister was about to marry Ikenna. Not that he was bad looking or anything, she just felt it was wrong of their parents to have pulled Gio and Nkiru apart. For all they knew, they could still be married. Remembering how her sister had lost her head and heart to Gio and comparing it with the shallow relationship she was in now, Nkechi felt her sister was being cheated out of true love. But could she really break the oath she'd taken to never tell Nkiru about Gio? Would her sister even accept Gio? She had seen on the net the exclusive interview that witch, Jessica had given a renowned magazine on Gio's insanity. It had hurt her badly. Nkiru had read it also and not even battered an eyelid except to say the same rumour had made the rounds in school as well. She'd however felt sorry for her ex-husband.

"Nk, if you started dreaming of this guy just after Ikenna asked you to marry him, then it's barely two months since it started. I don't see any course for worry here. Some people say they see such almost all their lives. Yours is barely a month. No need to worry, abeg." Nkechi waved a nonchalant hand.

Nkiru wasn't convinced. "But why now that I'm engaged? It's obvious it has come now to try to stop my wedding or ruin my marriage. Tufiakwa! It's not going to happen. I will go and visit the Blessed Sacrament every morning before I go to work."

It's your true love trying to stop you from getting married to the wrong person. Nkechi almost blurted out.

"Chichi, please tell me the truth, is it that you don't like Ikenna? I've noticed your cold attitude towards him ever since we got engaged. What's the problem? Please talk to me," her elder sister pleaded with worry in her eyes.

It's because I bonded with your first husband.

"Nothing really." She shrugged. "I just feel you're listening to Mummy too much and allowing her force you into a marriage you're not really ready for. I feel you and Ikenna are rushing things."

Nkiru was astounded. "Rushing things? Ikenna is thirty and I'm twenty-four. We both have good jobs, love and understand each other. What more is there?" she wondered.

Even your personality changed, Nkechi mused. Nkiru of before would never be pressured into marriage. Nkiru of before had wanted to get a masters degree before thinking of marriage. However, Jessica had forced her to marry so early. But there was nothing stopping her now from going for her masters degree, now that the money was even there, but Nkiru was prepared to get married at the drop of a hat. What a pity! And she couldn't talk to her without divulging her past. All she needed to do now was pray. Pray like she'd never done before. 

Nkiru just had to regain her full memory and remember her love for Gio.


A forest rewards those who walk through it.

Letting go. Everyone talks about it like it’s the easiest thing. Unfurl your fingers one by one until your hand is open. But my hand has been clenched into a fist for three years now; it’s frozen shut.
—Gayle Forman

Episode 18


THREE YEARS LATER


2014


"Guy, you don tell oga say you go soon travel?" Damola asked his colleague who was seated on the desk beside him as he watched the rendering going on on his laptop. "You no say if you no quick talk, nothing for you."

Obinna sighed. "I haven't. I brought the application letter and invitation card with me. I hope he agrees."

There was a general sigh from the other architects in the office. They all knew their boss. A guy they considered a small boy who didn't suffer fools gladly. A hard task master. He didn't take sloppiness from his staff. He expected the best from them at all times. No one could blame him though. He was their top dog and it was his hard work that had made their architectural firm the best of its kind in Akure and its environs. They won contracts effortessly, even from other states. Of course people whispered that it was due to their boss's father's influence but the staff knew the truth. Their boss fought for and won his own contracts without any help from his senator father whatsoever. Only a few people knew that he wasn't even in good terms with his father.

Obinna stood up, tucked in his cream coloured shirt covering a small pot belly into his black trousers, straightened his blood-red tie, looked down at his polished shoes before moving from the polished mahogany desk. "Might as well get it over with."

The firm was designed in such a way that every professional had his or her own space. There were three architects, two mechanical engineers, two quantity surveyors, two structural engineers, a builder and a landscaper, a receptionist and their boss's secretary as well. At the entrance of the black and grey moon-shaped building through thick glass doors called Primal Concepts, one came in contact with a lovely receptionist who questioned you on who you wanted to see. You were asked to take a seat on one of the leather seats to the left and right of the reception. If the person you wanted to see was willing to see you, you were either sent to the first floor which to the left housed the architects' large office with pictures of their designs on the walls and all the office equipment they needed or to the right where the other professionals had their offices. The second floor held the boss's and his secretary's office. 

Obinna jogged up the stairs and walked into the secretary's office, handed her the application for a casual leave and the invitation card as his proof. She looked at it and smiled. 

"Hmm...I don't know if this is a good idea. Not now that he just won that new secretariat design and building contract. He's snowed under with work already as it is," the dark-skinned secretary informed him.

Obinna sighed. "I really need to go for this wedding. It's my cousin's and I'm one of the groomsmen. Besides, it's in two months." 

"Okay. Do you want me to take it to him now or later?"

"Now please. Let me know my fate. Buzz me when you have his reply." He smiled sheepishly as he said a prayer up to heaven. It wasn't as if their boss was a wicked person, it was just that when he'd started the firm, he'd being a novice and a lot of people had taken him for granted. By the time he found his feet, he became stern and sacked at will due to lies and incompetence. One wouldn't want to lose a lucrative job such as this. The working hours were negligible and the pay was very good.

Anna, the dark, slim and tall secretary knocked sharply on the oak door a few paces from her office and opened the door to a large room that contained a brownish yellow oriental rug; an imposing dark mahogany desk the size of a small dining table sat in the center, two leather armchairs faced it. On the other side of the large room, two deep burgundy leather sofas faced a sitting area, articrafts, a drinks cabinet and file cabinets. Her boss as usual was busy with his laptop. Behind him was a floor-to-ceiling glass which gave a spectacular view of Alagbaka, and the curtains were pulled back to make a point of it. To his left was his rest room and closet.

He lifted his head to fix his solemn gaze on her and as usual, her heart missed a bit. The first time she'd laid eyes on him during her interview, her heart had sung, her knees had weakened and her voice had got caught in her throat. From his hand-stitched leather shoes to his fabulously tailored mohair-and silk-blend pearl-grey suit, he was effortlessly elegant, supremely sophisticated. She was in her early thirties and her boss she knew was twenty-six years old but that didn't stop her from having feelings for him. He was a handsome male specimen even though he was as cold as ice. 

Anna got a grip on her emotions and moved forward. He was known for firing secretaries on the spot who came on strong to him or dressed provocatively. She'd changed all her short skirt and gown suits to trousers when she heard that. This job was just too good to lose.

"Sir, this is from Obinna Ihenacho." She dropped the papers on the table beside his Alienware laptop and hovered.

"Is there more?" he asked.

"No sir." She moved to the door.

Giovanni Ekwe leaned back on his chair as he opened the envelope. He read the permission for a leave of absence addressed to him. He sighed. His architect was asking for a week away from the office. Gio wondered how long he'd ask for if it was his own wedding. He decided to grant him the request because the guy was hardworking and dilligent. Even when he was under the weather, he still made it to the office, never broke a deadline and was as honest as the day was long.

It had been cumbersome but Gio had made a name for himself in the architecture world. Just before he finished his youth service, he applied for admission into the Federal University of Technology, Akure for Architecture and was sure it was his surname that had gotten him his admission. Not minding how it would look he'd dedicated himself to his studies and was almost at his third year with two more years to go. It wasn't easy combining work with studies but after a year, he was able to balance it. Luckily for him, during his service days, he'd taken a crash course in business management.

He'd put the painful events of 2011 behind him but he'd forever hate that year. It had given him a taste of heaven but ended it with throwing him in hell. What turmoil he'd been in at the heartbreak Nkiru had melted on him. Seeing her everyday in his house in Oba Afunbiowo estate yet knowing full well she wasn't there and was just a figment of his imagination had nearly driven him to insanity. He'd gone in search of another house and had moved into a three bedroom-flat in Ijapo estate owing to the fact that that was what was available at such short notice. He didn't mind living alone in the huge place. Tano spent his holidays with him even though the kid was due to be in the States any moment from now and over his dead body would Fiorella come to his house. She'd done her worst and thrown him into a pool of misery. Despite what Tano and Dano told him that she was deeply sorry for her actions, he didn't care a hoot. Her apology was a day late and a dollar short! She should live with the consequences of her actions.

Nkiru!

Damn! Even after three years he still dreamt of her especially in the past one month. He saw her more in his dreams these days. After their fruitless search in Lagos, his father had given up. Gio had given up on her a long time ago especially when he heard the sudden wealth her family had come into. It still riled him and he still found it difficult to believe that Nkiru had sold their love, well, his love since it didn't seem as if she loved him. Had she been pretending? Had she been like Jessica but played her cards subtly, finally showing her true colors when a bigger amount of money came and she'd decided to throw him under the bus? Thank God he hadn't told her about his inheritance. She was sure to have slipped poison into his drink some years down their marriage.

During a heated arguement with his father, with him accusing his father of being the cause of his breakup with Nkiru, his father had told him all the plans he'd made to get Jessica in her lying game just because he loved him. He'd wanted to say more about Nkiru but Aunt Vien had stopped him. Not concerned with what they were hiding from him about his wife, Gio had been so furious he'd told his father and Aunt Peace never to speak to him again. When he got his inheritance, he totally cut them off but it became obvious to him then that he'd had gotten his stubbornness from his father. Senator Ekwe still came to his house and office unannounced, trying to force a relationship with his son. Gio suspected the headway he'd made in his firm was due to his father. He believed his father was silently behind the government contracts he'd received which had really boosted the name of the firm. It was a cash cow for him and he didn't want anyone else taking credit for it. If he ever found out his dad was responsible for his success not his own hardwork, he was going to go to Abuja to physically fight the man. He didn't care if he was still a senator. After the senatorial flag bearer for their constituency had died in a ghastly motor accident, his father's party had pleaded with him to stand for them. His father had been surprised and reminded them of all the negative news about his family. They'd only said it made him more human. Everyone had problems. Rain doesn't fall on one roof alone. Besides, his people were clamouring for him and he was an old hand in politics. Aunt Peace had convinced him to answer the call which he'd done and won. But he'd told his son there was nothing that was going to make him contest again the following year even if he was given the seat permanently as a result of the number of tenures spent there already. He wanted to relocate permanently to Italy.

Gio got back from his thoughts, took his ball point pen and minuted on it. He was about to buzz his secretary when he noticed the envelope which contained the invitation card. Out of curiosity, he brought out the cream and pale gold card in a heart shape. The first words he saw exploded in his brain. 

Nkiruka Amanda Chiwendu. 

WTF!

He sat still and viewed the contents of the entire card. What were the chances that it could be someone else with the same first, middle and surname, the same village and the same father's first name? Could it be?

He fumbled with the buzzer and told his secretary to ask Obinna to come to his office. He tried to maintain his normal cool exterior even though his emotions were in a mess.

Obinna came into the office with a look of wariness on his face.

"Obinna, I've granted your request but I have a few questions to ask. Please take a seat." Gio was his normal cold self.

Obinna smiled and drew out one of the chairs in front of the desk and sat on it.

His boss folded his hands on the table after pushing away his laptop a little. "Are you close to this cousin of yours?"

Obinna's heart beat faster. "Yes sir."

"Tell me about him." Gio leant back on his chair with a hand under his jaw. Obinna tried to hide his surprise.

"I...ahh...he's the son of my late father's brother. His father is also late. We grew up together in Lagos. Emm...he works in a bank in Dutse, Jigawa state and...and...well, I think that's all."

"Have you met his...fiancée?"

Obinna's eyes narrowed a bit. "Yes, once."

"Please describe her."

Obinna swallowed thickly. "She's not too tall. About five feet three or five I think. She's light skinned. Well, she's more on the caramel side. She's very pretty with a nice figure, nice legs...very nice legs...emm...she stays in Dutse also..."

Obinna didn't notice the change in his boss as he rattled on. Sounds like you've been eyeing your cousin's fiancée, Gio thought.

Very pretty. Very pretty. His own Nkiru was just passing pretty not very pretty. Or was she a late bloomer? His mother had told him Aunt Peace had been a late bloomer, only finding beauty as she grew older. His lips tightened as he remembered one more member of his family he'd cut off from his life. Was Nkiru also a late bloomer?

Obinna stopped talking when he noticed Gio's eyes tightly shut.

"Sir?"

His eyes flicked open, revealing dark irises with a flash of fire. "Where can I find her?"

His employee's jaw dropped. 

"I...I...will call my cousin to get me her number and ..." Obinna winded to a stop when he saw the venom in his boss's eyes. Had Ikenna offended Gio in the past or was it the sweet-natured Nkiru?

"Get me her number, office and house addresses without arousing suspicion. Cook up a story if you have to. I need it before tomorrow morning. Leave them with Anna. That will be all for now," Gio firmly told him and moved his laptop closer.

The confused architect stumbled out of his chair and wondered what was going on with his boss. Did he know Nkiru or was his rumored madness coming back? In the six months they'd worked with him, everyone had been on needles, waiting for his insanity to surface but after series of discussions with him and staff meetings as well, they're realized he wasn't insane but quite brilliant. Had they been wrong?

He went back to his desk and wondered how he would get the information his boss wanted. He ignored his colleagues who were giving him questioning looks at the worry on his face. Maybe he should confide in them. They could help him cook up a convincing story. But what if Giovanni heard? Better to think of something on his own.

Fiancé! 

Gio fumed, roughly pushed aside his laptop and launched his lean body out of the chair with his hands in his pockets to look out the glass at cars driving by and people going about their businesses. He could see them but they couldn't see him. His fingers tightened fractionally. His tough mouth straightened into a line of such grim cynicism that if anyone had been there to see it happen, they would have been backing right off in alarm by now.

The loathsome memory of that day lived for Gio again now. The hatred came back, borne on a seething tidal wave of bitterness. But he couldn't stop the cursed name from creeping into his head now and then. And when it did, it was difficult to unravel the gamut of different emotions that came buzzing along with it. Pain was one of them, plus a dark, bloody anger aimed entirely at himself for letting her get away from him especially in his hour of need. Then there were the moments of real guilt-ridden anguish to contend with, or the bouts of gut-wrenching concern as to what had become of her. And, to top it all off, there was a hard-to-take sense of personal bitterness in knowing that she could leave him that made him wish he had never met her in the first place! But most of all there was an ache. An ache of such muscle-clenching proportions that sometimes he had to fight not to groan at the power of it. Because he missed her. No matter what, no matter when, no matter why-- sometimes he missed her so badly that he could barely cope with what missing her did to him.

Damn!

Gio suddenly got itchy feet. He went back to his desk, his hand snaked down to grab the phone and buzz his secretary.

"Book me a flight to Kano tomorrow morning," he spat into the receiver.

"But sir, you have a 10am lecture tomorrow morning," she dared to counter.

When silence greeted her, she knew she'd erred.

"Okay, sir. I will do that right away. Should I..."

He cut her off in anger. She was efficient, else she would have found herself clearing her desk this minute. He couldn't blame her though. She didn't know the rage moving inside of him. 

Three years-- three long, miserable years with no word of her, no sign that she was even alive. She had, in effect, simply dropped off the face of the earth as if she had never lived on it. And now she was engaged. Cruel, heartless, ruthless witch. So she wanted to get married after making his life miserable. And the wedding was just around the corner. There was no way in hell or heaven that Nkiru would ever get married under his watch. Did she think they'd had a phony marriage? She hadn't received divorce papers from him, yet she was about to marry someone else. Maybe he should leave her until she'd committed the crime. Nah, he wanted to enjoy seeing her disappointment. He thanked his stars that he'd put everything concerning their wedding and marriage behind a wall in his hardened heart. Too miserable to go and see a lawyer to do what he ought to have done since. All well and good now. It was payback time.

He had to get to Dutse. Time was of the essence.

He had to stop his wife from committing bigamy.


The fact that one is thirsty does not mean one should drink gutter water.

Abeg, i no fit reply everybody. So @all, update coming up. Thanks for your interest. It made me smile to note you were all waiting for me. You're all truly appreciated.


Keep ya fingers crossed.



Good morning.

Slimzjoe:

AudreyTimms I be Don Pull my Waiting Uniform but I will give special Consideration Cos You're our Host.


Manage this One Na Your Size

My size? I don suffer. Goldspot and pepper snack? Issokay. Issorite.

ammy4id:
I CALL DIS OFFICIALLY CRIME IF SOMEONE SHOULD READ AND DIGEST THIS STORY WITHOUT COMMENT OR PRAISING YOU. Wahooo this story make me smile, cry and also laugh. Thanks to you Adreytimms, loving you more for these, sometimes you read some story on nairaland and you conclude dat the writer is the best write and you will think you can never come across any other story that can be compare to there's but after going tru dis i personally give u A. loving you more once again

Thanks dear.

kayemdy:
Audrey hope you took note of the corrections?

Yes, i did. Thanks.

@deebarbie, God bless you too. Hmm...I'm glad you're learning from it. Thanks dear.


@Missmossy, thanks dear.


@vonn, lol. Hello dear.


@Tife101, lol. God bless you too.


@Loisemm, hmm. Thanks dear.


@dominicnuel, real men cry. Thanks dear.


@mitchyy, sorry ma. Please don't report me. I will repent. Thanks dear.


@kingphilip, thanks dear.


@lumzybo, thanks dear. God bless you too. Please get a copy of Unfulfilled Promises from okadabooks. The one here isn't complete.


@jaybiz007, lol. No problemo. Thanks dear.


@Wininiel, lol. Please forgive her. Thanks dear.


@ADUKKY, thanks dear.


@Jumizie13, Amen. I hope you listened to the sermon sha. No beggars don't.


@adefunke62, lol. Hmm...


@Lildoks, eiya. *passes him a handkerchief.*


@Izyyblaze, lol. Thanks dear.


@virtuedagirl, thanks dear.


@cephassy, lol. Thanks dear. God bless you too.


@Skimpledawg, oh, I'm so sorry for the late wishes. Have a belated birthday, dear. I hope you had a blast. Crocodile, lizard, porcupine meat and all. And many returns of the day. You're blessed. 


@hordunhorlar216, it's less than twenty-four hours away. Thanks dear.


@mhiz, I didn't see my share of the birthday groove o.


@Jonathan2787, we hope so. Thanks dear.


@Slimzjoe, I no go mind one bottle o.


@Chizzyblinks, I'll update tomorrow. Thanks dear.


@aishatopeyemi, yep, they are but your phone must be able to access PDF files. No problemo. Wipe ya tears. Just send me a mail at audreytimms83@gmail.com. Thanks dear.


@Bb4u, thanks dear. Don't worry, you will. Skimpledawg, lol. Gionnakume. Comot for road.


@Barbienice, thanks dear.


@vincenteger, I love you too. Wait! I hope you're a female. And it's Audrey.


@alleazardous, aww...thanks dear.


@Hauneg, wow! Thanks dear.


@Kajiang02, nope, I don't think I took it too far. Shi* happens. Thanks dear. Okay. I await the plan with eagerness.


@Savigne, thanks dear.


@chizi007, lol. Today na Wednesday? Check again o. Lol. Thanks dear.


@Jonathan2787 and @lumzybo, let it go before I bring out the whip I seized from an army general. 


@Adegokedamisky, lol. 


@mhiz, thanks dear.


@Teespice, my dear it happens. Crazy people all around us. Thanks dear.


@humeehjay, you're right. Lol. 


@Jonathan2787, after all these examples, which are you? Leave my readers alone o. 


Thanks everyone. Ghost readers and all.

**********


Gio knew he had to get up from his bed to change the music blaring from his laptop on his table but he couldn't make himself move. Every word of Maroon 5's Misery cut him. That was exactly how he felt. Miserable! He was so moved, he sang along.


I am in misery
There ain't nobody who can comfort me
Why won't you answer me?
The silence is slowly killing me
Girl, you really got me bad
Now, I'm gonna get you back


His heart broke again. Damn! Despite his anger and hurt, he missed Nkiru terribly. It was over a month since the scene at his house yet he couldn't get her off his mind. When he got back to Akure, he discovered her belongings had been removed from the house. As if that would wipe away her existence from the house. He could still smell her on the sheets. He still saw her in the kitchen, cooking and in the living room, setting the table. He saw her sweeping the compound and doing his laundry. What a pity their love had not been able to stand the test of time.


Gio let out a huge sigh of misery as his door opened. Jessica stood there in a see-through pink nightgown. He'd met her in the house three days ago and totally ignored her. He didn't even have the strength to chase her out of the house. He felt when she was tired of him ignoring her, she'd leave. He neither answered her greetings nor spoke to her. Her meals got wasted because he ate out when the worms in his stomach grumbled terribly.


"Gio darling," she purred and gave a seductive pose by the door. Gio sighed. He had forgotten to lock his door.


"Oh, that's attractive!" he sarcastically lashed out when he took in her protruding stomach displayed by the nightgown and heavily madeup face. "I give you A for effort but you look like a two-bit hooker. Don't you have a lick of sense in that big head of yours? Don't you get it? This ship sailed a long time ago, b*tch," he lashed out and she put a hand to her eyes as if trying to hold back tears. "Please, don't start with the waterworks, you'll make me puke. So not sexy. Now get out and stay out."


Jessica sighed. What was she going to do to get to this cold fish? She'd tried all she could in the past three days to get him to notice her but he always shut himself in his room when he came home. She'd been amazed that he didn't throw her out. Truth be told, she was scared of him but her mother had pushed her to capitalize on the situation. She was glad when she didn't hear the usual click on his door after he shut it. He'd come back not long ago from his place of primary assigment. Hurriedly dressing up, and making up, she'd thought it was a deliberate action in order for her to come to him but here he was, abusing her. Maybe it was camouflage. She took a step into the room.


"One more step and you will know why I was rumored to be crazy," he warned her with blazing eyes.


"Gio, please. Please let her go. She's nothing but a gold digging b*tch. We paid her family millions. I know you and your dad went to her village to look for her but you didn't see her or her family, did you? We settled them so well, they decided to relocate to enjoy their money. I'm here for you, baby and I'm carrying your child, our first child. I might not be what you want but I assure you that with time, you'll get to know and love me. Please give me a chance," Jessica purred.


Gio processed all she'd said slowly. It was true that his dad had insisted they went in search of Nkiru for reasons best known to him. He'd refused at first but his father had insisted and told him not to give up on her. But after searching for her and her family for awhile without success, they'd given up. Their neighbour had told them that money had suddenly come into the family again. Her father had even bought a car before they relocated. Their destination-- Lagos.


Gio's eyes narrowed when it seemed what Jessica said was true. Had Nkiru and her family truly collected money from Jessica's family? But...


His lips tightened. He was tired of thinking of her. Looking at Jessica, he felt all the hatred in the world for her. She'd caused it. It was time to get the desperado out of his house and life once and for all. There was just one thing to do. Something that would hurt his image but definitely get her off his back for good. 


He got up slowly from the bed with a smile on his face. He walked slowly to the door and placed a hand on her shoulders. She smiled at him and raised her face to look into his eyes. Wow! This guy is really handsome, she thought. She opened her mouth to tell him but before she knew it, he turned her around sharply, opened the door and pushed her out. The door was banged on her face as she turned round. Jessica sluggishly retreated to the opposite end of the corridor. He had gone over her like an armoured tank and the track marks of the vanquished were on her body.


Damn! Yet another foiled plan. She fumed to her room. She laid on the bed and plotted again. Gio would be hers whether he liked it or not. Unintentionally she suddenly burst into tears, hating herself for the weakness, but she felt as if she were an animal caught in a trap. What sort of miserable life was this? Chasing after a guy who wouldn't give her the time of day. She'd thought by now that she'd be able to seduce him and have him eating out of her palm but here she was, still the rejected one, chasing rainbows. It was all so unfair. She'd expected them to be in tune with each other by now, on the same wavelength. If not for her pregnancy, she would have pulled the plug and stopped following such a lonely road a long time ago but her mother would hear nothing of it. Her mother wasn't all aout Gio's money anymore, she just wanted to make sure Gio didn't have his way after making a fool of them by marrying Nkiru. Jessica tried to dredge up pity for what Nkiru had become but couldn't. The two hot slaps she'd received from the stupid girl made her feel justified with what she'd done. She wiped her face with the bedding and cursed herself for not being careful. She felt fat and ugly. Alcohol was prohibited now and she couldn't go clubbing anymore. Why did people want such a life? She'd been lucky not to have morning sickness. That would surely have made her abort the baby since. Luckily, she hadn't put on much weight but she still felt bloated. She was never going to contemplate pregnancy again even though she'd had the plan to. Only if Gio came around would she tow this path again. Scans had shown they were going to have a boy. How lovely! Still building castles in the air, the soft hands of sleep carried her away.


Jessics woke with a start some hours later. Her gaze flew to the window and she realized it was dark outside, night had obviously fallen while she slept. A figure moved in the darkness of the room. Her heart flew to her throat. When she made to move the sheets, a hand clamped over her mouth, squelching her scream. She blinked and closed her eyes when a flash light shone on her face. Her first thought was that a thief had made his way into the house, but when the musky masculine fragrance assailed her nostrils, she knew it was Gio. Her heart beat came back to normal. She smiled. He'd probably come to ravish her. Well, she was game. She removed his hand from her mouth.


"Gio..." she began, but was cut short when a hysterical laugh burst forth from him. Her eyes widened.


"Who is Gio? I'm not Giovanni, I'm Giordano." Unholy amusement turned his dark gaze to simmering dark chips of enticement in the lean dark lineaments of his handsome face. He laughed crazily again. Her heart made it's way to her throat again.


"Dano is dead," she whispered in fright.


He laughed again. "Says who? Gio died. I'm Dano. You've been chasing after a ghost and lying against a ghost. The ghost wants revenge."


Jessica flung back the sheets in a bid to run but a hand held her down in a vice-like grip. Fear paralyzed her then.


"Please. Please. I'm so sorry."


The torch was dropped on the bed while both hands moved to her throat.


"I'll confess. I'll tell everyone the truth. Please don't kill me. Please." Her voice was a croak because the pressure inserted on her throat was increasing. 


She shivered violently. Was this the way she was going to die? At the hands of a mad man? What about her unborn child? Tears made a beeline down her eyes. What scared her most was the look of pure glee and devilment in Gio or was it Dano's eyes as he slowly ended her life.  When she thought one more pressure would seize her breath totally, his hands liifted from her throat.


"Gosh! What's going on here? What am I doing here?" Giovanni asked, looking confused. 


Jessica could see the confusion on his face from the torchlight as she coughed painfully. She clumsily got up and rushed out of the room, screaming. She opened the gate and ran out of the house. She was glad she'd made friends with his neighbours. She knocked on their gate furiously until they opened it. With tears in her eyes, Jessica told them that she'd quarreled with Gio and was afraid he'd beat her. She however stopped the man of the house from going to talk to Gio. Due to her condition, she was made to sleep in the room meant for their daughters who were in school. She didn't sleep a wink that night, afraid Gio's madness would make him search for her or his brother's ghost would come to torment her.


When it was morning and she was sure Gio would have gone to his PPA, she pleaded with the youth in the house to go with her to Gio's house. With bags underneath her eyes, she hurriedly packed her stuff and went to the bus park after calling her mother to tell her the events of the previous night with her looking over her shoulder every five minutes for Gio. Her fear was that intense.


He that digs up a grave for his enemy, may be digging it for himself.


Three days later, it was all over the gossip columns in newspapers and magazines and social media that Senator Ekwe's first son, Giovanni Ekwe was insane. Jessica had blown the whistle and then gone into hiding.


Senator Ekwe held the newspaper with tears in his eyes. Aunt Peace wept.


Giovanni stared at the news of his insanity on his phone and smiled.


Mission accomplished!


Money is sharper than a sword.


*To be continued on Wednesday*


I'm sorry for the short update. Longer update on Wednesday. Tired.


Thanking you.

**********

"No! No! Please! Jessica please!" Nkiru shook violently with eyes tautly closed. Nkechi and Njideka quickly rose from their bed and rushed to their sister. Nkechi tapped her awake. Nkiru woke up and burst into tears. Njideka's eyes watered. Nkechi's eyes glistened also.


It was a daily occurrence now. Almost every night, they woke up to screams from their elder sister. Since the near-death experience, Nkiru had never remained the same again. She blanked out a lot and still couldn't remember the past year of her life. So she couldn't tell them how, when and where she got hit. As to who, her nightmares revealed the culprit. 


Nkechi remembered vividly what the specialist they'd all gone to see in Abuja told them about Nkiru's condition. They'd spent a lot of money going there and getting to see the doctor to carry out tests and all what not.


The doctor, in the absence of Nkiru had told them she had retrograde amnesia. The head trauma she'd suffered had caused her memory loss. Retrograde amnesia was the inability to retrieve information that was acquired before a particular date, usually the date of an accident or operation and in some cases it could extend back decades while for some it might be only a few months memory. Nkiru's amnesia was that of over a year loss. Sometimes, pyschological trauma could cause it, determining the extent to which the mind would want to forget. If for the past year, she experienced some painful and distressing things she didn't want to recall, coupled with the head trauma, her mind would help her forget rather than deal with the stress. The condition was actually temporary and could be treated by exposing her to memories from before her loss. They had to find a way of letting her know that she'd graduated from the university and was now serving, informing her that she'd been in an accident which caused her temporary memory loss. Sometimes it would help taking her to where she was serving, her house and place of primary assignment to kick-start her memory. 


"Sometimes the mind forgets because it wants to forget. It shuts a door in self-protection," he'd finally told them.


Among themselves, they'd decided it was best for Nkiru never to know that she had had anything to do with Gio. Granted, he'd loved her and made her happy but he'd also indirectly caused the trauma she was going through at present. The Azubikes were a devious and conniving bunch. Who knew what would happen if Nkiru was exposed to Gio again, regains her memory and wants to be with him? Of course they'd make sure she died this time around. It was best for everyone concerned if Gio remained just a school mate to her. They'd explained to her that she'd been involved in an accident on her way back to where she was serving and couldn't remember some things for now but would eventually. The poor girl had accepted it with a nod but these days she was as quiet as a mouse. There were times when she wouldn't even remember recent events but she was beginning to get over it. The whole family rallied around her and tried their best to treat her as if nothing happened but there were times when they hid and cried at what their family member had become.


The Chiwendus had decided they would wait for the divorce papers from Gio which they knew would surely come, and look for a way for Nkiru to sign it without her knowing the contents of the document. They'd wanted to instigate the divorce proceedings themselves but feared she might have to appear in court, thereby exposing her to the fact that she was truly married to Gio. She'd been wondering what the scene in Gio's house had been all about ever since they came back home and they'd covered it all up, using her own words that Gio was insane.  It was best if Gio filed for the divorce on the grounds of irreconcilable differences. Her absence in court was sure to hasten the process. 


Nkechi came back from her reverie to hear Njideka's raised voice.


"Wherever you are, Jessica, it will never be good for you. You will experience misery for the rest of your life. For this thing you've done to my sister, you will never know peace. You'll die a horrible death. Your corpse..."


"Sssshh...mechionu (keep quiet). It's okay." Nkechi who had her elder sister in her arms laid her gently on the bed when she noticed she'd slept off. She put her arm around Njideka who was still weeping. They turned in the direction of the door when they heard it open. Their mother stood there with tears in her eyes while their father's eyes were very red. They knew what Nkiru went through almost every night. Seeing her family suffer as a result of the Azubikes' wickedness, Nkechi felt wild in that instant. If she had been a tigress, she would have clawed them to death in revenge. Her very powerlessness taunted her cruelly.


Their father raised both hands to heaven. "Father Lord, look at your daughter. Look at what she has been turned into. You who wipe away flies from tailless cows, please vindicate my daughter, my family. Please arise and revenge this harm done to her. Her enemies know I have no money to arrest them and take them to court but I have You, the defender of the defenseless. Please come to our aid. Don't let my daughter go mad. Please. In Jesus name."


"Amen!" They all chorused with tears except the softly sleeping Nkiru.


**********


It was very dark. He could barely see. He walked down the lonely and dusty road. He looked up at the pitch black sky. It looked as if it was going to rain. Suddenly he heard a howling wind and before he knew what was going on, he found himself being lifted in mid-air. Shouting for help proved fruitless when his words echoed back to him. He was finally let down at the top of a mountain. The sky had turned white by then and a figure, clad in a white shroud descended from it. He knelt down and put his head on the broken ground and shivered uncontrollably. He heard the figure come closer. He quickly got up and was about to take to his heels when the figure stretched forth a human hand.


"Why? Why did you forget? Why did you allow Nkiru be taken from Giovanni? Why? Why did you forget what I told you?" The figure whispered loudly.


Senator Ekwe woke up with a start. Despite the low temperature in the room due to the efficiency of his split unit, he was drenched in sweat. He looked around the room and sat up.


"I have to get Nkiru back!"

Let go. Why do you cling to pain? There is nothing you can do about the wrongs of yesterday. It is not yours to judge. Why hold on to the very thing which keeps you from hope and love?
–Leo Buscaglia


Episode 17


The harsh harmattan wind bit deeply into the skin of the handsome young man but he couldn't care less. His shoes made noiseless sounds on the tarred surface despite his hasty movements. He neither greeted nor acknowledged any greeting from passers-by. He'd left the church even before the mass had ended. There was no need wasting his time there. It was time to be alone. Alone to lick his wounds like an injured dog. Home couldn't be reached fast enough. 


Sighting his house at a distance, he broke into a run. Gasping for breath, he knocked rapidly on the gate when he got there. Complaining bitterly at the way the knocks came, the gateman did his duty. Felix didn't even spare him a glance as he rushed into the house, opened the front door and took hasty steps to his room. Finally in his well-arranged room, he shut the door and slid to the ground. His heart felt as if it was melting.


They-- the late girl's friends, had booked a mass in honour of his late ex-girlfriend. They had not been able to attend the poor girl's funeral owing to the fact that her aunt had disappeared after her demise leaving her father to fend for himself which had eventually led to his death. Rumor had it that Ivie's aunt was late too after moving her niece's corpse to Ivie's father's village for burial. And also that her father's sacrifice had gone wrong somewhere along the line, hence his demise as well. It was the catholic church who handled his burial when his only surviving daughter was nowhere to be found and his only surviving granddaughter was dead as a result of an abortion gone wrong.


Felix couldn't describe the way he'd felt when Obehi had called him weeping profusely to inform him of Ivie's death. She hadn't been at home when it happened but her younger brother had been one of the good Samaritans who had followed Ivie's aunt into her room to meet a lifeless body. They'd quickly rushed her to St. Camillus hospital in the neighboring town, Uromi where she'd been certified dead on arrival. 


He'd shivered profusely like a leaf trying to go against a storm when he heard the cause of her death. 


He'd killed her. 


There was no other way of putting it. He'd killed Ivie. He as good as poured the liquid down her throat when he'd told her to abort the baby even though she'd not collected the money. Instant fever had made him paralysed on his bed and fear had gripped his heart. Everywhere he looked, he saw her. Not the beautiful Ivie he'd set his eyes on in church that fateful day but the Ivie he'd last seen in her house. Looking sick yet with eyes blazing that he could ask her to abort the baby. But he'd been so hurt at seeing Ehis sneaking out of her house that night, he'd not paused to weigh his actions. Without a shadow of doubt, he had believed then that she was innocent. That she had actually been carrying his baby and not Ehis's or that of another guy. He'd killed her and his unborn child. Depression and guilt had followed him home when he couldn't stay in school any longer.


Home had even been worse because everyone had pointed accusing fingers at him. Obehi had wept abundantly in his arms, confessing that she'd set Ehis up with Ivie though she later changed her mind, but she'd not gone to Ivie's house to ask her to go to the hospital with her after his accident. She'd wanted Felix to continue being angry with Ivie because she was still angry with her for betraying Felix's love with her brother. Both of them weren't the only guilty party. Obehi had also confessed that after hearing the news of Ivie's death, Ehis had confided in her that he'd tried raping Ivie after fruitless efforts of trying to sleep with her. She'd been so dedicated to Felix, it had annoyed him immensely. He'd also said that his life went to shambles after that act. He lost his job, his fiancee left him, so he'd sneaked into the village late one night to beg Ivie to forgive him in order for his life to come back to normal again but had met her aunt who furiously asked him to leave. Those words to Felix had been like an archer using his body for target practice. Even his mother couldn't look him in the eye. He'd heard she'd visited Ivie's house that particular morning to fight her aunt. His mother avoided him like a plague now.


The dejected young man slowly rose, went on his knees and crawled to his bed where he bent and took a box from underneath it. In anger at her supposed betrayal, he'd put everything that reminded him of his ex-girlfriend into a box. The first thing he saw was her gold-plated hair clip. She'd called him from home one day after her visit to say she'd forgotten her hair clip at his place and he'd told her he would keep it for her. Next was the set of sexy lingerie he'd bought her. He'd wanted to give her but never remembered to. His hands shook visibly when he lifted the heart-shaped box containing the engagment ring he'd bought her. Flicking it open, his teary gaze beheld the beautiful gold ring with a diamond nose. His tears dropped on her framed photograph. Lifting the photograph, he stared at his late ex-girlfriend. The photograph had been taken during her post UTME visit in Abraka. She was standing beside a black Toyota Camry, looking sexy as usual in tight blue denim and a powder blue ruffled blouse. Her braids were piled at the top her head, donut style and brown flat sandals protected her feet, and her face was carefully made up. Her head was tilted to the left and the smile on her face could light up a whole estate. She'd been out and out stunning.


A loud sob escaped him. Then another one. Then another. Before long he was wailing like someone who had lost it all. He called her name as he wept, begging and begging for forgiveness and for her to come back. As if on cue, his mother entered the room with tears running down her eyes. She'd attended the mass as well.


Felix angrily got up and spoke through his tear-thickened throat. "Are you happy now? Are you happy? Not only is she gone from my life, she's gone from this world as well. Now you're free to marry me. Mummy, you must marry me."


The broken woman fell to her knees, weeping profusely. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she chanted but Felix was having none of that. He continued ranting.


"As if the misery I gave her wasn't enough when I told her to abort my baby, you went to her house to fight her and her aunt. Mummy why? An orphan at that. Hadn't she suffered enough? That must surely have been the last straw for her which had made her take overdose of that awful concoction just to make sure the baby died. Oh, God, will you ever forgive me? Will Ivie ever forgive me in the world beyond?"


His mother rose slowly and held him, "I'm sorry. I got carried away with anger. I don't know what got into me."


They both crumbled to the floor, weeping as if their hearts were about to pop out of their chests. Felix couldn't get his last view of Ivie out of his mind. How she most have suffered. Alone with no one to believe her innocence. He should look for Ehis to kill. But he was just as guilty as Ehis. Why had he allowed emotions rule his sense of judgement? 


Oh, God, Ivie!


He couldn't believe the first girl he'd loved with all his heart had died through his foolishness. There was blood on his hands now. If only he could turn back the hands of time, he'd give her the benefit of the doubt. But he'd seen her in a state of UnCloth with Ehis. What would anyone believe? 


But really, if he was sincere with himself, couldn't he have forgiven her? He had wanted to get engaged to her, to speak the 'for better, for worse' vows to her but when the worse came, he couldn't even stand with her. And what sort of friends did he have? Obehi had lied. Ose and Kenneth hadn't even been able to talk to him to stop him from taking rash decisions even though Ivie had called them a number of times to beg them. Only Oghenero had asked him if he was sure he was doing the right thing when he'd wanted to cut her off totally. But too angry to think properly, he'd shut his friend down. Oh, what a pity. His anger had killed a soul.


Oh, Ivie, wherever you are, please forgive me. Please put it down to youthful exuberance. Please, he prayed inwardly.


When he remembered the story of her life--which the late girl had told him--how she'd suffered all her life until she met him and he'd brought happiness into her life, a loud sob pushed forth from his throat. She'd suffered again before her death. He who had brought her so much happiness, had equally dished out sorrow. What a wretched life she lived. God had given him a maltreated bird to take care of but his own maltreatment had been worse and the bird had died. 


The whole house was filled with the sound of mourning from the regretful mother and son.


It's too late to cry when the head is off.

barbienazom:
Faithfully followinq....ma'am Audrey you rock!!!!!
pls pls nd biko let that evil Jessica(Uzodinma) leave our NiGio alone

Lol. Thanks dear

@kingphilip, better go and put that 'and' Lol. I hope mitchyy isn't around. Fi is a secondary character in this story. For now, we're focusing on the primary characters.


@Jonathan2787, I've heard you. Compliment giver! Sorry about the heartbreak. Thank God your answers were replied because I for no answer you. Google is your best friend.


@dominicnuel, thanks dear.


@hysteriabox, thanks dear.


@Tife101, I was just trying to give some people high BP. Yep.


@bummybummy, hmm. 


@kayemdy, thanks dear. Thanks for the correction. I googled the spellings and got that. Heard it depends on the locality. For some it's 'Inugo' while some 'Enugo' Well, since I'm not an Igbo girl, please pardon me. Just trying to bring our Nigerian culture into the story.


@virtuedagirl, thanks dear. Please remember it's just fiction.


@eitsei, eiya. Please don't cry. It's just a story.


@STARSHYNE, lol.


@Suzzytee05, thanks dear. Hmm...I understand. It is well.


@Skimpledawg, love your deductions. Lol. Na only crocodile, porcupine nko?


@mhiz, thanks dear. Keep your fingers crossed. *looks around for mitchyy* Nope, haven't forgotten her. She'd just a secondary character in the story.


@Lildoks, hmm...never underestimate the antagonist indeed. Lol. More coming soon.


@JeffreyJamez, lol. I don kill am. Do your worst. Hahaha! Wicked pesin. Remember not every crime goes punished.


@Loisemm, lol. Thanks dear.


@Izyyblaze, lol. So sorry about that. It's the way it is. God bless you too. Thanks dear.


@Veraisbae, lol. Sorry about that, dear.


@SPDAZZY, lol. Keep your fingers crossed.


@Olaide59, thanks dear.


@BlizzydoDo, you're welcome, dear. Thanks for reading.


@Adegokedamisky, coming...


@HelenBee, hmm. Next update coming up. Thanks for replying our thread prefect.


@Mourin, thanks dear. Thanks to kingphilip too.


@uthman305, like seriously? Did you really cry? Lol. Make you just talk say na alomo dey hungry you. Thanks dear.


@Skimpledawg, lol. I'm glad you're learning from the story. I like people who pay attention to details. Thanks dear.


@hordunhorlar216, thanks dear. I hope so too.


@Aishat39, thanks dear. Thanks to Olalekan as well.


@Abuklaw, lol. Everyone is entitled to his or her own years na. Some people are truly emotional. Thanks dear. I hope you're okay now. Alhamdulillah for quick recovery. Wow! I love your analysis of the major characters. It's Jessica not Jennifer though. Thanks dear.


@marveangel, amnesia has a psychological side not just physical. Thanks for the analysis. Lol. Wicked you! 


@DandyPearly, well done! Hope you went to church sha. Thanks dear. 


@humeehjay, lol. He will. Thanks dear. Happy Sunday to you too.


@Mztemmy, thanks dear. I hope so too.


@JeffreyJamez, power bike! If I hear it. Pishure or...you know na.


@Shakyroh320, about to.

kingphilip:
Oga u never reach 6 years for nl nw abeg try de lie small small

You've made over 20 comments before this too

BTW she's married n you calling ha sweet might not be palatable to me her husband

AudreyTimms gudam

Troublesome man! You couldn't just let it go. Wait o. Can't remember saying, 'I do' to you.



Warning--Hubby is also a nairalander.

Izyyblaze:


OMG, what have I done?(Chai! See me that always keep a low profile ) . I'm sorry ma'am, it won't happen again. It's... erm...erm...kingphilip' fault and umm... He isn't my boyfriend.
I'm sorry once more, can't wait for today's update

Lmao. Na so you dey fear cane? Just imagining you as a frightened kid. So cute. Just kidding, dear.

Jonathan2787:
whats the confusion, ok make i tok am, YOU FINE O

This are what you does. Walking in kingphilips footsteps.

**********

Senator Ekwe rounded on his sister-in-law the minute they got to his room after dropping Gio off at the hospital. His face was like thunder.

"How could you have done such to him, Oby?" His nose flared at the calm beauty who sat on his bed.

"You don't understand." she quietly told him.

"Understand what? That you made an insane person of my son this afternoon?" 

"They will kill her!" she yelled.

"What are you talking about?" He paused before her. 

"Didn't you notice anything odd about her?"

He nodded slowly. "I noticed she was the one acting crazy not my son."

"That's because she has lost a part of her memory." 

"What?" Senator Ekwe was bamboozled.

"She has amnesia. She doesn't remember Gio as her husband. She only remembers him as her school mate."

"What hogwash is that? Amnesia is a myth. Especially in Africa."

Peace shook her head vehemently. "No, it's not. Don't give me that. You, a pharmacist of all people should know it exists."

"Have you ever seen anyone suffering from such?"

"Yes. Back then in my secondary school. She was a senior and a hostel mate. She had a ghastly motor accident where she was the only survivor on her way home for hols. We didn't see her till the end of the next term but we knew about the accident. The doctors told her parents to bring her to the school to see if the familiar surroundings would jolt her memory. It didn't. It was so disheartening watching a once full-of-life girl a shadow of her former self. She couldn't even remember her best friend. Eventually, she had to be withdrawn when people started saying she was going crazy because she had nightmares of the accident which woke us almost every night. Some said she was possessed with mermaid spirit and all that. She never came back. That's the reason why you've never heard of it here in Nigeria. Because of the society we are in. No one wants to be branded crazy or something but believe me, it exists."

The senator laughed in spite of the situation. "So they're claiming she has amnesia?"

"Nkechi called me weeping when she heard you'd summoned her family here. Nkiru was in the hospital for a week. Someone hit her with something hard which they suspect is either a big plank or an iron rod. They had to stitch her head. When she came to, she wasn't herself for some minutes. Chuks, she went crazy." The senator froze and his black eyes pierced hers.

Tears gathered in her eyes. "She lost it for about thirty minutes. When she came back to normal, they discovered she couldn't remember events from about a year ago.  She thinks she's still in the university. She doesn't know anything about Akure or that someone tried to kill her. They're only trying to protect their daughter."

"But why didn't they tell Gio the truth?"

"It'll only make matters worse. Gio will never leave her if he finds out, exposing her to more danger. One who causes others misfortune also teaches them wisdom."

His teeth clenched. "I'll have Jessica and her family arrested."

"With what proof? They'd only call it a random robbery since her phones and money were stolen. They'd say she was probably struggling with the thieves when they hit her. Please let them go with their daughter. Even if a rat stinks, it has a family."

"And what about Gio? Should I allow him go back to the way he used to be? You saw the state he was in at the hospital."

"Gio will get over her but please let her be. Let her pick back the pieces of her life."

"But what of their marriage?"

"Let Gio decide on that. I feel so sorry for her. She really loved Gio."

"Then you want me to fold my hands and do nothing while such love is interfered with? Just like i did years ago?"

"I'm only trying to save a life." She moved to place her hands on his shoulders. "Throwing them in jail won't bring Nkiru back if they succeed in killing her. There is no medicine to cure hatred. They will keep trying till they get her."

"So I should just fold my arms and allow them go scot free when they tried to commit murder?"

"We don't have any proof, Chuks. Remember they are related to the Chief Justice."

"Oh! Is this a power tussle now?"

"No."

"Don't worry, I know what to do."

"Please Chuks. Remember their threat of going public."

He sighed. "There's no way in hell I'm going to allow my son into that family. I really wish I'd made that decision sooner and told him my secret plans. Gio wouldn't have married Nkiru so soon and they wouldn't have tried killing her. My plans failed when that second paternity test came. It just scattered everything I planned and made me assume that Gio had started blanking out again. Another mistake made in the life of my son."

"It's alright, darling. There's more than enough time to make it up to him."

"I'm sorry, Oby. I can't fold my hands and watch my son suffer from another disappointment in his life. Remember i faced the same disappointment as well. I have to try in a subtle way to get them back together again."

"I understand."

A person once bitten by a bee gets frightened at the sight of a house fly.


**********

When Gio's eyes fluttered open, he wondered where he was. When he saw Dano standing by his bed, he became alarmed.

"Don't tell me I've come to join you."

Dano chuckled. "You're in the hospital." He became solemn. "You know you have a serious psychological problem, don't you?"

"What are you talking about?" Gio looked around the private room he was in. It was a typical hospital room. White walls with drug posters on them, white tiles, yellow flowered curtains, television hung against the wall, white beddings, cabinets and drip stand. He hated the place.

"You passed out. You were entering into oblivion again. I had to push you out of it mentally. What's wrong with you? Why can't you handle disappointments like every normal human being."

Gio slowly sat up, trying not to upset the drip attached to his left hand. "Thanks for calling me crazy."

"I'm serious. You really need to get help."

"What I need is my wife back. By the way, how come I can see you clearly again?"

"Because you've closed your heart again, fool! You've allowed your insanity take over again."

Gio cocked an eyebrow. "Grouchy much?"

Dano's face expressed anger. "I'm tired of staying in this world with you. I want to go! Let me go, Gio. Let go!" 

Gio tightened his eyes shut. "I don't know what's wrong with me. Mum knew. When she thought I was still in a coma one day when we were kids, I heard her talking about it and apologizing to me. She did something to me when we were babies. Why don't you ask her?"

"Go and get your wife back," was all his twin said.

"Why?" Gio yelled. "Didn't you hear her deny me and call me insane? How do you expect me to go back to her?"

"Because your happiness lies with her! Have you forgotten how she brought you out of your darkness? She's your moonlight."

Gio closed his eyes and leant against the wall. "But she doesn't want to have anything to do with me."

"She loves you."

"Talk's cheap, Dano, but where was she when the chips were down? She went after money," Gio said with rich cynicism.

Dano hung his head in immense sadness at that.


The End


Lol. Just kidding.


*To be continued on Sunday.*


Yep, sadist am I. For those of you who may want to quit this story because it's not turning out the way you want, haba! Na every time una dey get wetin una want for life? I'm trying to pass a message across here. Remember Unfulfilled Promises was almost like this. When life throws you lemons, make lemonade out of them. Because things didn't work out doesn't mean you can't move on and still succeed in life. What was the essence of Ivie taking her life? Genevieve had a daughter in her teenage years. Isn't she a star today? The title is Letting Go. Stop carrying excess baggage. It's weighing you down. Fi carried excess baggage of hurt and jealousy and hurt not only herself but her family as well. Nkiru and Gio did nothing wrong but their love needed to mature for tough times ahead. It is said that when you let something go, if it is destined to be yours, it will come back to you. In the words of DMX, 'Give a dog a bone, leave the dog alone, let the dog roam and it'll find its way home.' Stay strong, people.

Thanking you.

*Continuation of Episode 16*


**********

The tension in the huge living room was palpable. It was so thick one could taste it. Eyes were locked on each other in a war of sight while some were avoided. Three families were seated in the large living room. Jessica, her parents and her uncle sat at the north side of the living room. Nkiru, Nkechi, Nnamdi and her parents occupied the east side. While Gio, his father and his aunt graced the west side facing the Chiwendus.

Gio had eyes for only his wife, Nkiru who was staring at him blankly. He was setting eyes on his wife of over three weeks for the first time in over a week. His eyes roamed all over her body in wantoness. He missed her but he was mad at her. She hadn't called him in the three days he'd spent in the hospital due to food poisoning. Had one of the cleaners not found him in a pool of his own vomit, he was sure he would have died there and his wife would have probably danced joyfully on his grave. He mentally made himself to stop thinking such. She probably had a good explanation for not calling him in a week and also why her number was forever switched off, even Nkechi's. What scared him was the blank way she kept staring at him whenever their eyes met. Did something happen to her also? Was she also angry with him? She'd lost weight since he last saw her. Maybe she was sick too. Her pallor alarmed him. She'd gone back to wearing her hideous clothes. Was she trying to make a statement with it? By jove, the scarf tied around her head made her look older than her age. He was still lost in thoughts when his father cleared his throat beside him.

"I called this meeting to clear issues once and for all and for us to find solutions amicably. My son, Gio, got married to Nkiru over three weeks ago despite the..." He paused to look at Nkiru who'd gasped loudly and was now looking at Gio with widened eyes.

"What's the problem, Luna?" Gio asked when Nkiru continued to stare at him like a stranger. She looked to her left at her mother and to her right at her father before pointing a finger to her chest. "Are you talking to me?"

Gio sighed. She was definitely angry with him. He kept quiet. He'd sort out everything when they were through.

"Gio is now legally married to Nkiru and..." His father couldn't help pausing again. Nkiru had gasped again.

"My daughter isn't married to your son. It's all a hoax," Mr. Isaac Chiwendu chipped in. Gio's eyes hardened as the man continued. "I don't know why your son had to choose my daughter of all people as his pretend wife but I know for a fact that she isn't married to him."

Murmurings from the north side filled the living room. Jessica's mother clapped her hands with glee. The senator was too shocked to say anything. Gio's eyes never left Nkiru's face. He fluidly pushed himself to his feet.

"Luna, may I speak with you privately?" 

Mr. Isaac Chiwendu got up also. "She's not going anywhere with you, young man."

Gio ignored him and looked at his wife. "Nkiru, please come with me." He stretched forth his hand. His wife stared at him as if he'd gone bananas and shook her head slowly.

"I'm sorry but I'm not going anywhere with you. I don't even know what I'm doing here in the first place."

Gio sighed. "Why are you doing this? Why are you angry with me? What did I do to you to deserve this?"

Nkiru shook her head. "I really don't know what you're talking about."

With amazed eyes, Gio moved closer to her but her brother moved to stand before him.

The senator held his son's hand and made him sit. He sat down too and stared at his supposed daughter-in-law.

"So what are you saying, Nkiru? Are you saying that Gio didn't marry you in the registry in Akure on the 19th of January, 2011?"

Nkiru laughed. "Marry Gio of all people? That's a laugh. I don't even like him."

Jessica and her mother burst into laughter. Jessica's mother went as far as saying, 'The stubborn grasshopper ends up in the stomach of a bird.' Gio closed his eyes as the realization of what was going on hit him. He should have realized it when he noticed the countenance Jessica's family came in with wasn't that of anger but glee. There'd even been a smugness about them. They knew what they'd done. They knew they'd bribed Nkiru and her family to concoct lies against him. Why Nkiru? Why? He gritted his teeth until his jaw resembled something carved out of a rock.

He remembered then that he had two witnesses. He opened his eyes immediately.

"Nkechi, you were there at the wedding, you were one of the witnesses." His hope in her died the minute she shook her head and looked away. 

"I don't know what you're talking about. This is my first time of meeting you." She told him and covered her eyes with her right hand. He could even hear the tears in her voice.

Rotten wretched family, he thought but there was one last hope. His aunt would never fail him. He turned to where she was seated at the other side of his father.

"Aunt Peace, you were there. Please tell them everything."

Tears glaced Gio's eyes when his aunt shook her head slowly. Tears rolled down her eyes.

"I wasn't there." was her simple reply. The senator gave her a sharp glance.

Gio stood up in anger. "Even you too? They were able to bribe you too? How much did they give you? I'll double it. Please just tell them the truth. Please." He put his hands together in a desperate plea. Nkiru did not appreciate her and her family being called money mongers and she flashed him an accusing look. 

"Gio..." Aunt Peace stopped as a sob caught in her throat. Gio quickly turned to look at the chair he'd vacated. He took the file from the small stool beside it and brought out their wedding pictures. He made to show them to Nkiru but her father and brother stood up to block his path.

"Please I need to show these to her."

"No way. They are probably photoshopped."

"Photoshop? Are you for real?" It wouldn't be right to give his brother-in-law a black eye so he side-stepped him but his father held his arm firmly.

"Giovanni," he called softly but Gio yanked his hand from his and tried to forcefully push Nnamdi out of the way.

"I need to speak to my wife. Let me speak to her," he yelled and the atmosphere burst into flames with the sheer force of his fury. Nnamdi and her father blocked his path. Something made Gio stop struggling. What he noted froze his blood. Nkechi and her mother he noticed couldn't contain their tears but Nkiru sat there dried eyed, staring at him as if he'd gone berserk. She wasn't sorry for what she was doing to him. She even looked as if she didn't care that she was breaking his heart into tiny fragments that could never be pieced together again. Her true colors were being revealed.

With that realization, he walked out of the living room, rushed to his room and slammed the door. He sat down heavily on his bed and put both hands over his angry eyes. Behind the anger lurked pain and fear and a terrifying sense of betrayal. He punched a fist into the palm of his other hand with a sickening thud. Barbaric fury throbbed from every tensed line of his long, taut body.The sad figure of his late twin sat beside him.

"She sold me out, Dano. She sold our love to the highest bidder. How could she? What did I do to her? Her heart is set in stone."

"Gio," his twin softly called. "Calm down. Don't let your emotions rule you. Calm down and think of this. Isn't her behavior unusual?"

Gio jerked upwards. "How can you tell me to calm down? My wife of over three weeks just denied me in front of everyone down there."

"Yes, she did, but is that the Nkiru you know and love?" Dano inquired.

Gio paused and his life with Nkiru flashed before his eyes. How they met till the present time.

"No! That isn't my wife!" He rushed out of the room. He opened the door to the living room and discovered Nkiru and her people were no longer there. He ran to the heavy oak door and pulled it open. He saw the party at a distance and ran like the devil was after him and caught up with them at the gate. He held Nkiru's hand and hugged her. He ignored the fact that she remained stiff in his arms. Mr. Chiwendu stopped his first son when he made to go and yank Gio from his sister's arms. He whispered to his son to allow Gio say goodbye to his wife.

Gio released her and held her face in his hands. He spoke words of Italian that he knew she'd understand but she stared at him blankly. Tears made a slow decent down his eyes.

"My Luna, my precious, my Miss Hazel Eyes, amore mio, moglie mio, I don't know what's going on here but please don't leave me. I don't understand your performance in there just now but please let the pretense end." Ignoring the soldiers by the gate who were looking with keen interest at the rare film show, he went on his knees before her. "I love you so much. Remember you promised not to leave me again. Are you angry with me over something? I was in the hospital for three days. That was why I couldn't communicate with you. Please come back to me." He was pleased to see tears in her eyes but her words rubbed him of his joy.

"Why are you doing this? Is it because we're poor and so cannot sue you and your family for this? Maybe I shouldn't blame you at all. After all, I've heard rumors of your insanity in school but this is the height of madness. Where you expecting me to go along with your false claims because of pity? Please you need psychological help." Gio's hands dropped from her waist as if he'd been burned. Nkiru took slow steps away from him and away from his heart and life. Gio remained in his kneeling position even when they'd gone. 

He held his chest in pain. His heart beat became faster. The maddening headache was there again and he could see Dano vividly now. He felt himself floating as if he was falling into a deep dark hole. The symptoms were familiar.

God! He was going crazy again.

Money can’t talk, yet it can make lies look true.

**********

When Gio got home, he was angered to discover his father wasn't there. He and some other senators had been summoned by the president. He thought of going to see Nkiru's parents but decided against it. Maybe his father had changed his mind. If he had, it would be better going to see Nkiru's parents together. He prayed it would turn out that way.

Little did he know that the fast paced events that took place from then on would be a test on his sanity.

**********

Nkechi was tugging a comb through the tresses of the woman who'd just come out of the dryer in her salon when her mother called. She placed the phone between her shoulder and right ear as she continued combing. The phone fell from her ear and clattered with a loud noise on the tiles when her brain processed what her mother had just told her.

Nkiru was in the hospital.

Someone had hit her head with something hard and she was bleeding profusely.


**********

Gio swayed as he stood up from the bed. He doubled over as pain racked his stomach. He breath came in short pants. He felt as if his intestines were trying to come out of his throat. Another bout of pain racked his body and he fell on his knees gripping his stomach in intense pain. He welcomed the darkness slowly swallowing him from his feet upwards.

**********

"Aunty please. Aunty please," Ivie pleaded as she ran from her aunt who was chasing her all over the house with a shoe. Due to her weak state, she hadn't been able to avoid being beaten by her angry aunt.

"Please what? When you were opening your legs for him, you didn't know please then. I.diot!" The furious tall, fair and thin woman shouted at her niece as she continued hitting her all over the body with her shoe. The woman was infuriated because just that morning, Felix's mother had come to fight her in the house over her son's stay in the specialist hospital which she believed was Ivie's doing and also for the poor girl claiming her child was Felix's. That was when Ivie's aunt realized who was responsible for her niece's pregnancy after receiving two hot slaps from Felix's mother. Known for her prowess in beating up people at the slightest provocation, Ivie's aunt had pleaded with the irate woman that she would handle the matter. And handling the matter meant pouring her anger on poor Ivie.

Ivie wished death would come for her at that moment as she tried hiding behind a chair from her aunt. After Felix's insulting visit, now this! How could his mother have come to fight with her aunt that morning when she'd gone to buy bread in order to force herself to eat because her tatse buds had gone into hibernation since she discovered she was pregnant? Felix had already told her to abort the baby and forget they ever met. So why the embarrassment? She'd come back home to meet an angry aunt with reddened cheeks who had wasted no time descending on her before telling her what happened. Felix's mother had overheard her son discussing her pregnancy with his friends and had come there to warn her not to pin her b.astard on her son. She had even accussed her of witchcraft after saying their family was cursed.

What was the point of living? Her aunt hated her now. Felix who didn't believe she was carrying his baby had asked her to abort it even if it was his and his mother believed her to be a witch. What a miserable life! She really ought to take the concoction a neighbour who had noticed her pregnancy symptoms gave her. The said neighbour told her she'd used it to flush three pregnancies before and it worked like magic. At that moment, Ivie wasn't just looking for what would flush the pregnancy but what would kill her as well. The recommended dose was a cup but she would drink the entire contents of the Eva water bottle. Life was not worth living anymore.

"Useless girl! Now you will be like all these girls in this village who have illegitimate children. While I was busy hustling to pay your fees and taking care of your grandfather, you were busy opening your legs for all the boys in the village. I should have left you in my late husband's village. I will beat you till you miscarry that b.astard," Her aunt raged on as she caught her behind the chair.

Ivie ran to her room and locked the door with her aunt hot on her heels. She quickly went on her knees beside the bed and removed the bottle of concoction. Twisting the cap, she opened it. The pungent smell made her feel like gagging but she had to do it. Ignoring her aunt's knocks and abuses at the door, she gulped down the liquid.

By the time her aunt angrily pushed the door which wasn't properly locked open, it was to see her niece writhing in pain on the bare ground. Her shocked eyes took in the empty bottle. She forced her weakened legs to move when Ivie suddenly went motionless. After turning her over, she realized her niece's breathing was shallow. Fear paralyzed her. After a few minutes she rushed to her feet and ran outside to shout for help.

When she came back into the room with good samaritans, Ivie was no longer breathing.

A person's life is dependent on a listening ear.


*To be continued*

*Continuation of Episode 16*


The forlorn girl huddled herself on the old sofa and wondered what she was going to do next. Her aunt had told her to forget about her admission into AAU and also about furthering her education since she she got herself pregnant. The angry woman had told her to either go and continue with her recharge card kiosk or go learn tailoring or hair dressing. That had hurt Ivie deeply. See where premarital s.ex had gotten her. If only she could turn back the hands of time. She would never have visited Felix in his hostel room. Oh, God, she missed him so much and she was so lonely yet she couldn't be with him.

Hearing that Felix was in the hospital as a result of an auto accident just a few minutes from when he left her house had got her scared. She'd prayed and prayed helplessly that nothing would happen to the father of her baby. Guilt had also flogged her. Maybe she should have found a better way of telling him he was going to be a father instead of just blurting it out like that. And the most painful thing was that no one brought her any information about him. Her so-called friends had all abandoned her. After gathering her last savings to transport herself to Irrua to see him, she'd been turned back by the nurses under strict instructions from his mother that she wasn't to see him. How she had wept that day! So she was now an outcast. It was obvious to her now that she'd been welcomed wherever she went just because of her affiliation with Felix. What a painful thing. Even Obehi didn't want to see her in her house. She'd slammed the door twice on her, calling her a harlot for sleeping with her engaged brother. What was the point of living? Everywhere she went, hatred went with her. Maybe she was cursed. She'd been an illegitimate child, now her child would follow the same path. Oh, what a pity!

Ivie was still musing sorrowfully when she heard a small knock on the door. Her head went up. That was unusual. No one came to visit her these days and her aunt would have opened the door without knocking. The knock sounded again. Ivie hastily wiped her face with her dark-grey blouse, rose from the sofa and walked slowly to the door.

Speechless was what she became when she saw who was standing at the other side of the door. Looking drop dead gorgeous as usual was the father of her baby clad in all black. From his jacket to his trousers to even his shoes. He looked like someone set for a funeral. Gosh, the boy was fineeeeeee.

Removing his foldable aviator sunglasses, Felix fixed his shocked gaze on his ex-girlfriend. WTF! Why was she looking like someone who just came back from pulling tubers of yams in a large farm under a hot sun? Her cheekbones were now pronounced and her eyes had shrunk in its sockets, her pallor was as white as that of a vampire and her whole pysique was sickly. The only thing she seemed to have going for her was increased bust size, probably due to her pregnancy. Morning sickness was definitely a b*tch.

"Felix! When were you discharged? I'm so happy to see you. Thank God you're okay. Please come in," Ivie joyfully chattered and stepped aside for him to enter the sparsely-furnished living room. She shut the door when he was inside and motioned for him to take a seat.

His gaze went round the living room before resting on her. "I didn't come here for pleasantries. Are you still pregnant?" he questioned coldly.

Ivie took a step back in shock. This was a Felix she'd never known existed. His face was a cold mask and his posture, rigid. She felt he was so distant, she couldn't get in touch with him yet he was standing right before her with icicles for eyes. What happened to him? Had the accident changed his warm, lively and boisterous personality? Or was he angry she hadn't come to the hospital to visit him?

"Felix, I went to the hospital to see you but your mother told the nurses not to allow me in. I went..."

"I neither have the time nor the patience for this hogwash," Felix cut in harshly. "Are you still pregnant?"

Tears smarted hotly in the pregnant lady's eyes. She turned away for him not to see them. Never again would he see her tears. She had to be strong for herself and her baby. Taking deep breaths, she pulled herself together before facing him with a haughty look on her face.

"Yes. So?"

He smiled a little. It didn't reach his eyes. He put his hands in his pockets and brought out a wad of one thousand naira bills.

"This is thrity thousand naira. It should be enough to handle it."

"Han...handle what?" Ivie swallowed thickly.

Felix smiled again. "I don't have to spell it out. I don't care if it's mine or not. After that, let's forget we ever met, let alone dated."

Despite her resolve, tears ran unheeded down Ivie's eyes. Shock made her immobile. Felix was asking her to abort his baby? He didn't even believe it was his. And he wanted her to forget the last few months hadn't happened. What she'd considered the best and happiest times in her miserable life.

Felix turned away when he saw her tears. Witch! She knew her tears always made him soften but not this time. He meant business. She'd deceived him one time too many. Lying about his mother when she'd not stepped a foot out of her house. Obehi had told him when she'd informed her about the accident and suggested going to the hospital to see him, she'd declined. Now she was claiming she'd gone and not been allowed in. Utter nonsense! That wasn't even what was making him raving mad. It was that after everything, a night after he got home after being discharged from the hospital at his insistence, he'd needed to see her to make sure she was alright even though she hadn't cared to visit him in the hospital. He'd snuck out of his house that night and walked the whole distance to her house despite his weak state and bandages, only for him to see Ehis sneaking out of the house. It had been like the small part of his heart he still kept for her fell right there at his feet. Deciding to forget about her totally, he'd gone home a very angry man. But her pregnancy still had to be taken care of whether it was his or not. Hence his visit after healing and swallowing his anger.

"You want me to abort your baby?" Ivie finally asked when she found her voice.

Felix focused his angry gaze on her. "Correction. I want you to abort the baby."

Anger surged inside Ivie. She found stength from within and pushed him roughly. He stumbled.

"Gerrout! Get out of my house and never come back, you self-centered bastard!"

Felix was astounded at her reaction. "Ivie, take the d.amn money."

"No!" she yelled at the top of her voice and it broke. "I don't need you or your money. I don't need anything from you." Tears poured out from her black eyes. "I curse the day I met you. I curse the day I allowed you get into my pants. As long as I live, I will never forgive you for ruining my life."

"Ivie..."

"Shut up and get out!" She gathered strength, pushed him to the door and opened it.

"Ivie, take this money. If I leave now, I will never step foot in this house again and you will never see me again. I came here to take responsibility even though I believe it's not my child. Do you think you're the only one who regrets our relationship? Had I known you'd throw your skirts up for every Tom, Dick and Harry after I had you, I wouldn't have come anywhere near you."

Too much for her to take, Ivie lifted a hand and moved his head sideways with a sharp slap. Felix touched his smarting cheek.

"Never it be said I didn't try." He pocketed the money. "Have a good life." With that he stepped out of the house, away from Ivie forever.

Involuntarily, Ivie shivered, her stomach turning over sickly. For a split-second she was consumed by the sort of panic that made people jump out of windows in a fire, sheer cold terror. She wanted to call him back, fall on her knees before him and beg him not to leave her but her pride wouldn't let her. He wanted her to abort the baby and forget about him as well?

That she would surely do!


When a man is stung by a bee, he does not destroy all beehives.

As if they'd been expecting her, all her family members excluding the twins focused their eyes on her. Her handbag and small travel bag landed with a thud on the bare ground. Njideka and Nkechi who were seated together at the left side of the living room were the first to look away while her parents and elder brother who were seated at her right on the sofa looked on. Nkiru bit her lip and did the only thing she could do. She moved slowly and knelt on the old rug in front of her elders. Her father and brother were seated at both ends of the sofa with her mother in the middle.

She placed an open palm on the other with plea in her eyes. "Daddy, Mummy, please, I'm very sorry. I didn't mean to offend you." She fixed her gaze on the bare ground.

Silence greeted her plea. Her father looked away while her mother peered at her as if she had laser beams for eyes.

"Are you pregnant?" Mrs. Chiwendu finally asked.

Nkiru's head snapped up. "No, Mummy. I'm not."

"How much did he pay you then?"

"He didn't pay me anything. I...I love him," she stammered and before she could blink, a hot slap landed on her face-- her father's way of showing his displeasure. Nkiru burst into tears. Nkechi looked away as tears came into her eyes. Njideka looked on with sadness. Nnamdi got up to hold his father who wanted to vent his anger on his first daughter by pounding her.

"Daddy, please. I'll handle this." He pleaded with the man who looked as if smoke was coming out of his ears and nostrils.

Nkiru knelt on her hunches and continued crying. This was the first time her father had ever hit her. He'd beaten the others countless times but always issued a warning to her instead of raising a finger on her whenever she was naughty. She was his golden child. His star. She knew then the weight of what she'd done. She'd disappointed her father heavily. Now the consequences of her actions had well and truly come home to roost with her.

"Daddy please. Daddy please. I'm so sorry. Please." She lifted teary eyes to plead with his irate ones. The man took his seat and looked away. Nnamdi sat down also.

"NK why? Why did you do this kind of thing? Why did you shame us like this?" His words were like strokes of cane on her body.

"I know you're not influenced by money so why did you do this? I know society has gone crazy these days but I never thought you'd fall prey to it. When did you start lying so much? You went to stay with him in his father's house. Not only that, you were living with him in Akure before the wedding. And to crown it all, you got married to him without our knowledge and consent. Why Nkiru? Was Daddy wrong to have allowed you go to a higher institution? How could you have changed so much within the space of a year or so?"

Nkiru's face could rival a flowing stream. She couldn't stop the tears from flowing. She didn't even know what to say in her defense. She regretted her decision of not allowing Gio come with her. He would have known what to do in such a situation.

Nkechi couldn't take it anymore. With tears streaming down her eyes too, she stood up in defense of her elder sister.

"Daddy, Mummy, Brother Nnamdi, please forgive her. Despite the fact that she went to Abuja to stay with him and is living with him in Akure, I know for a fact that she didn't give herself to him before the wedding. The...her husband is also a decent man. He didn't ask for s.ex from her. Nkiru and I confide in each other a lot. She really had to marry him without your knowledge because that Jessica girl had set him up and they didn't want to lose each other. I know you're all angry but please, please find it it in your heart to forgive her. The guy, her husband, is prepared to come and do the necessary things to marry her properly when the dust settles. Biko." She went on her knees beside her sister who was still weeping gently.

"How are you sure he isn't responsible for the girl's pregnancy?" Nnamdi asked to break the silence that had ensued from his sister's passionate plea. Nkechi turned to Nkiru who had her head hung and urged her to talk. She held her hand and rubbed it. Nkiru lifted her red eyes to look at her brother's own, ladened with pity.

She sniffed. "She has been trying to get him since our university days. She tried so many times to break us up. Gio even told me what happened that night. She came into his room but nothing happened. His sister came into the room while she was there so she thought something happened. Jessica told me to my face that she'd never allow me get married to Gio." She sniffed heavily before continuing. "Her parents went to Gio's house to tell them about her pregnancy using his sister as her witness. Gio's father was trying to force him to wed Jessica. That was why we had to do something drastic. Their introduction would have taken place last week Saturday." She allowed her gaze flicker to her father who was staring at his leather slippers and shaking his legs, then her mother who had her hands across her chest, staring at the ceiling.

"Daddy, Mummy, you know me. You know I usually don't act out of character. You know I don't go against your wishes or do something to shame you people. For me to do such now ought to make you realize that my hands were tied. I don't expect you to understand the kind of love Gio and I share but remember that I've never brought a man home or ever had a boyfriend. I'm sorry you're hurt, angry and disappointed in me."

The uneasy silence thickened by the minute. Her mother placed her hands on her laps and sighed heavily.

"Nkiru, one falsehood spoils a thousand truths. How do we believe you now?"

"Mummy please. I'm telling you the truth. Gio and I had to get married to save his future.*

"Hmm...Gio? What kind of name is that?" she asked.

"Giovanni. It's Italian."

"Hmmm...I've heard of the senator's obsession with Italy." She moved her head to look at her silent husband. "Nna yin, what are we going to do?"

He sighed and stared at his weeping daughter. "I'm very disappointed in you." Nkiru lowered her eyes and let out a sob. "But what's done is done. Let's be solution oriented. Tell the young man I want to see him as soon as possible." Mr. Chiwendu stood abruptly and left. His first daughter's marriage was a fait accompli.

"Nkiru, this thing you've done is very strong. You've gotten us mixed up with the Azubuikes. You know they have a bad reputation. You should have seen the way they spoke to your father. They promised to harm you if they couldn't get your marriage annulled. I don't want anything to happen to you.The poor man and the rich man do not play together. I've said my own." The woman retied her wrapper when she got up and walked away from the living room. Nnamdi held his sister's hand and helped her up. Njideka came closer. Nnamdi put his arms around the still weeping Nkiru. 

"My darling sister, please stop crying. It's okay. Enugo? The same sun that melts the wax, hardens the clay. All will be well." He placed her head on his shoulder and rubbed her back in comfort.

When Nkiru related the events of that afternoon to her husband, he clenched his fists. He was sorry she'd gone through all that alone. He however told her he wouldn't be able to make it to her place soon because his father had also summoned him home but he promised to be there at the earliest time possible.


When you are rich, you are hated; when you are poor, you are despised.


*To be continued*