₦airaland Forum

Yes, she needs to be careful as her past may still come back to hunt her....

skubido:
Tanks for d update ma, jah bless



Fatihat shld b very very careful oooo

I hope so too. Karma is a bitch.

Ibunkun1:
Hmm,welldone Ma'am.I Hope Fatihat's Future Won't Come Back To Hunt Her Ooooo

FOURTEEN (CONTINUES)

*****
Fatihat was nursing a glass of strong drink when Michael barged in, covered in a mix of blood and dust. He went straight to the drink cabinet and poured himself a strong drink as well. Then they sat in silence for a while.
“Are you okay, Lilah?”He asked in concern after a moment.
“I’m fine.” she nodded curtly.
“I’m truly sorry for putting you through this. I guessed something went wrong somewhere and I will find out what it was.” He swore to himself.
“Don’t make excuses for me. I knew what I was walking into when I joined The Cross and I think you should quit when you are still ahead.” she told him firmly.
“What is the meaning of that statement? I don’t give up that easily, girlfriend.”He snarled at her.
“Why don’t you channel your talent into something else? We can get out and cool off till the heat dies down, then start an honest business with what you have. This is a good and fresh opportunity for you, Michael.” She told him passionately.
“When did you become a pastor, Lilah Smith? Spear me the sermon please, It is the only life I know and it is what I will do again and again. You are either in or out.” He stared frostily at her.
“What about the lives of those who are gone? Do they mean anything to you at all?”
“It is their lives and their time to go. A good warrior should know when to quit and run for his life.” He shrugged nonchalantly.
“Other people’s lives matter a lot to me and I won’t join you in your second round of craziness. I am not in at all.” She got to her feet and dropped her wine glass.
“That is always the case of women. You developed cold feet when the going gets tough and looked for the next pot of soup.” He snarled. Her palm connected with his cheek in a resounding slap.
“Don’t you dare categorize me with all the bad things women do. You are worse than most men.” She spat at him.
His eyes saw shining stars and his temper climbed into a very dangerous level. It was the first time he was this mad at her and it happened to be the last. “You bitch. I can do without you.” He came towards her menacingly. She reached down and came up very swiftly with her .45 auto pistol in her hand. “You won’t dare kill me, will you?” He said with open disbelieve.
“I will if you won’t listen to what I’m telling you. You deserve to rot in hell, you fucking idiot. All those people do not deserve to die and you still want to go ahead with your stupid plans to rob more people. Don’t you have a conscience at all? It is either you do my wish or I will gladly kill you to spare the world of your rotten presence.”She told him very coldly.
“Will my conscience buy you fine clothes and shoes and cars and houses, you ungrateful bitch?”He came towards her with a furious snarl.
She kept retreating until she had no choice than to defend herself against him. She shot him in the head. He fell backward, dead on the spot. She wiped the gun clean, broke it into pieces and flushed it down the toilet. She pulled off her dirty, soiled clothes and burnt it in the backyard. She went to take her bath in a hurry and changed into a dark, green combat and a t-shirt. She picked up Michael’s gun and cartridges and tucked it away in her tote bag. She packed everything that belonged to her and every feminine article in the house and dumped it in her car. She went back for the last check and bent over the rapidly cooling corpse for a hard, quick kiss on the cold lips.
“When next you come back to this earth, avoid women and stay clear of crimes. Both will kill you over and over again.” She hit the body with her booth and got out of the house, then, she disappeared off the surface of the earth for nearly twelve months.
*****
“I learned that the remaining members of the gang were eventually rounded up and Michael’s apartment was ransacked with a toothpick but they only found his corpse. None of the other members knew my real name and I was gone until the investigation finally died down like any typical Nigerian investigation. Most of the properties he acquired during our time together were in my name. Those ones that had belonged to both of us, I sold them as discreetly as possible. Money makes things work in this country and when you have loads of it, you can get away with anything. I did!” She said with a triumphant smile and he sighed with little envy.
“You are a lucky woman, fatihat. Many aren’t that lucky.” He said quietly.
“I know I am. I could have died in that last operation or could be rotting in jail by now. Josephine was the happiest when I came back home finally, free of the dreadful gang forever.” She grinned openly. The door to the study room opened and her sister came in. “I was scared to death when I heard about the downfall of the gang but she called me that night and assured me she is safe. I’ve always regretted introducing her to that kind of life in the first place but we have to survive.” Josephine picked up the bottle of wine and poured herself a drink.
“You, guys have come a long way and you have done well for yourselves.”Yusuf said with a little tinge of envy.
“Your sister is the one with the armed robber money but I will help her spend it sha.Are you game?” Josephine asked solemnly and they all burst into laughter.
“So our admission came through a few weeks later and we are back in school as old mamas.”Fatihat said quietly.
“We should be through by next year, so I guess it is never too late to be what you want to be, no matter how rough the road is.” Josephine gave the young man a solemn look and he nodded in absolute agreement.
“Please come out. My dinner is getting cold.” Chenille called through the open door.
“I didn’t even realize we’ve spent hours in here.”Fatihat glanced at her slim, gold wrist watch and whistled softly under her breath. They filed out of the room.

P.S

Do you want to study, work and live in Australia? We offer free education consultancy, assist with Admission processing and student visa application. We also do flight reservation and ticketing to any destination outside Nigeria. Chat me up if you are interested. I can be reached at @obolaji on twitter and https://web.facebook.com/olanrewaju.mobolaji on facebook. You may also inbox me at obolaji2002@yahoo.com......

FOURTEEN

“Lilah, Let me have my cash back please.” It was the next morning. She was still struggling from the remnants of the few hours’ sleep she was able to snatch when she heard Michael’s cold voice.
Her body tensed as danger signals went off in her head. She cracked her eyelids open to see he was actually holding a gun to her, her gun! He had obviously searched her purse for the cash but saw the gun instead. The cash was in her boot which she never removes whenever she was out on a job.
She remained still, her mind calculating her next move because there was no way she was going to part with the money she had worked very hard for.
He was standing beside the bed on her side when her stiletto-clad foot shot out abruptly. It caught his arm and the gun clattered to the floor.
In the split second, before he recovered from the shock, she was out of the bed like lightning and diving straight for the gun. His arm caught her in the rib when he reached for it as well but she ignored the sharp pain. Her hand touched the gun and she came up with it a few distances away from him. He backed up immediately and lifted his hand in peace at the dangerous glint in her eyes.
“Wow! You are as smart as you are beautiful.” He grinned at her.
“I don’t play games with my life, Cross. Drop your wallet and the cash on you at my feet.” She told him coldly.
“Common, Lilah. I just want to know if I can work out a deal with you. I have a job and it is only a woman who can do it.” His voice grew persuasive. She pulled the trigger. The bullet missed his leg by an air’s breath and drilled a hole into the soft wood of the bed. He stared at her in horror.
“I’ve never taken a life in my life, Cross but I’ve never missed my target either. Do as I say or you will regret ever meeting me.” She said in a coolly detached voice. Reluctantly, he bought out his wallet and emptied it at her feet. “Now I want to hear what the deal is all about.” The gun did not waver as she stared unflinchingly at him.
He couldn’t help mentally saluting her courage. It seemed as if he has just come across the right woman for the job if he played his game well, he laid his card carefully on the table and watched her consider it.
“I will think about it and get back to you. Drop your card on the bed and get the Bleep out of here. I don’t trust you.” She shrugged.
“I’m giving you just three days to get back to me or else I will haunt you down and you know what that means.” Their gazes met and locked and she felt the first shiver of fear crept down her spine. “Just get out.” she indicated with her head and he did without another word.
*****
“That was how I become the only woman in the notorious cross gang. Josephine was shocked and scared when I told her about it on getting home later in the day. I’ve already made up my mind on the way home because I knew I can’t back out, even if I want to but I was thrilled and scared as at the same time. Life took a different turning for me and Jose. Money rolled in and we moved out of her dingy one-room apartment into a tastefully furnished mini flat in the heart of surulere but I wanted more. I have scores to settle and I need money and connections to do it. Of course, I’m getting the connections from our profession. I can still remember the first time I met the whole gang, the shock,and disapproval that gradually changed into reluctant admiration. Michael had told them tentatively about me but they were all bucking at the thought of a woman in their gang and were actually arguing about it when I walked in on them.” She grinned at him.
“Were you not scared?”Yusuf asked intrigued.
“I was scared and excited at the same time but my inner confidence kicked in like it always did in situations like that.” She gave him a steady look.
*****
“Are you sure you are doing the right thing? I think we can pull through without a woman.” Dapo’s voice was full of doubt. He was the second in command and popularly known as ‘Stone’ among the gang.
“No organization can survive without information. She is our best bet if we want to pull through that deal. Wait till you meet her and reach your own conclusions then.” Michael’s voice was laced with a hint of annoyance as he picked a wrapped paper from the bowl that was being round.
They had been on the issue for the past two days and it was getting on his nerves. They were sitting in their hide-out with their boys waiting for them to address them and he hated the fact that they had to bring that particular argument to their presence. As if on cue, a roll of shots went into the air and they all freeze in their different postures. There was just a thought moving through their mind: they had just being discovered by the police! The boys were about to scatter in different directions when Fatihat walked in, clad in black jean trouser and t-shirt with a baseball cap. Her voice was devoid of make-up and she was holding a .45 automatic pistol that wasn’t hers!
“Oh, boy! You sure made an appearance.” Stone said with reluctant admiration.
“I did. Good evening to you all.” She bowed slightly, looking from one to the other until her gaze clashed with Michael’s own. He winked at her, even though he wasn’t smiling. “That is not your gun, bad girl.”Michael nodded at the weapon she was carrying, practically echoing the other's thoughts.
“It wasn’t. It actually belonged to the guy watching out for this place. I figured I can’t tackle him physically and he may have the inclination to embarrass me. I knocked him out with the butt of my gun before he knew what hit him and picked up his gun on my way in. I’m sorry about that.” She smiled ruefully at him. Reluctant admiration turned to respect in their eyes. “So can we start this right away please?” she pulled a chair and sat astride it. She put the gun into the holster in her other booth and pulled out her pack of cigarette as she listened to Michael cross addressed them.
*****
“Our modes of operations were mostly high-way and bank robberies. Being a woman is also an attribute I used to the gang’s advantage to filter out information from unsuspecting men of high classes and positions. In short, we were a highly successful gang and I become a millionaire almost overnight. I bought cars and a huge house in Omole where I rarely stayed anyway but Josephine lived there. As with every other field, there were male chauvinists, men who hated me simply because I’m a woman. They want to put me where I belonged as a woman. To their sick mind, a woman belonged to a man’s bed and nowhere else. I was Michael’s woman and they all knew it.Micheal loved women but I think he simply fell for me. I was his weak point and I knew it as well as he did. He gave me the key to his heart, his apartment and bought so many things in my name. I was also a signatory to his account and he had the naivety to tell his lawyer to transfer everything to me in the event of his death. I guess a few of them thought they could get to him by hurting me and they tried one night. Michael had traveled to his hometown and I was alone in his apartment when my two visitors came in, uninvited.” She paused as she got to her feet and poured herself a glass of wine from fridge that was in the corner of the study room. She took a deep sip and turned to her brother who sat, staring at her as if he was in a trance.
“I knew they were armed but the nearest weapon I had, was in Mike’s bedroom. I was coming out of the kitchen in a robe that covered just my pant and bra.”
“What did you do? How did you escape, unhurt?” He asked anxiously as he imagined the scene in his mind.
“I caught them unaware. I went straight to the sitting room where they were and they looked surprised for a moment.” she could almost see it again as if it happened the previous day.
*****
“Well, see the bad girl herself. Where is our boss?” The taller of the two, known as Scalpel regained his composure faster than the other one. He smiled at her as he rubbed his palms together.
“That is a silly question. You all know he is not around. What do you want?” She watched in disgust as their eyes roamed her body in the short silky robe she wore.
“You are a big girl and we don’t need to tell you why we are here.” The second man, known as John told her with a malicious grin, gesturing to her body.
“If I don’t cooperate, what will you do?” She asked with a blank look.
“By the time we finish with you, you will be begging us to have you, bad girl. We are going to strip you naked and tie you to the bedpost where you have been fucking the boss. We will taste Oga’s honey pot and be gone before you know what is happening.” Scalpel’s smile turned malicious.
Fatihat pretended to weigh her options before she shrugged and dropped her robe without warning. Their eyes bulged, nearly popping out of its socket at the sight of her body in skimpy bra and pants. John clutched his crotch with a groan.
“Who is coming first?” Her voice was lowered in a seductive whisper as she glided towards Scalpel who was watching her, mesmerized and wrapped her arms around his body. He held her waist as if he was in a dream and stared down at her boobs pressed against him. Her hands moved down his back to the back of his jeans trouser where she had seen the butt of the gun peeping out when she came into the sitting room.
She pulled out the gun and stepped back to their amazement. John tried to reach for his weapon when he realized what had happened and she shot his ankle. He screamed with pain as he held on to his foot and scalpel calmly stepped away.
“You, two get out before I decide to damage something that will be irreparable.”
“I will personally make sure you regret this.” Scalpel threatened as he helped his colleague out of the apartment.
*****
Eventually, they realized that if Fatihat reported the incidence to Michael, they would be in deep trouble. It was with bated breath that they awaited his return and an alternative plan to disappear immediately if he knew about the incidence. However, Michael returned a few days later and was casually curious about John’s bandaged ankle.
“I got injured during a fight in our neighborhood, boss. A guy shot me in my ankle.” He lied glibly as he avoided his gaze.
“You had better be more careful in future before you lose a leg to senseless fight.” Michael cautioned casually as he moved away and walked into the meeting room.
John released a sigh of relieving and exchanged a glance with Scalpel who was hovering nearby. “I have to give it to that girl. She is a matured brood.” Scalpel said with reluctant admiration as he walked over to join him.
“My admiration for that beautiful woman just went up a notch but I will try not to remember her in that skinny bra and pant.” John grinned as he limped forward, supporting his weight on his good leg.
“Don’t drool too much, boy-o before you get into further trouble than this.” Scalpel teased as he followed him into the building.
*****
“So you didn’t report them to Michael?” Yusuf raised an eyebrow at her.
“No, I didn’t report them because I know I can defend myself if they come back. If the time comes when I can no longer defend myself against randy men, then I deserved to be raped again.’ She smiled faintly. ‘Michael loved me and he was very possessive. He was also a ruthless man who has no respect for lives. He would have wasted their lives for crossing his boundary. I didn’t see any sense in that.” She shook her head from side to side and paced the room, obviously disturbed by the memory of her past.
“Were you not scared when you were leaving with a man like that?” He asked with something close to awe.
“I wasn’t really scared because I believe I have nothing to lose but I was scared for Josephine because she believed I will either be killed by Michael in a flare of one of his rotten temper or in one of our outings. It was part of the reason I was faithful to him throughout the duration of our relationship but Josephine will hear none of It.” she grinned to herself.
“So how did you rid yourself of him or you are still part of the gang? Please tell me you are not.” He practically pleaded with her. There was a pregnant pause as she poured herself another drink.
“I killed him.” She stared straight into his eyes. He thought he would vomit his lunch as he stared back.
“You did what?” He croaked in disbelieve, feeling faint.
“You heard me alright.”She took a long sip of her drink and put down the wine glass. She paced back and forth with her hands clamped together. “I never regretted killing him. I was with the gang for more than two years. Apart from my share of the looted treasures, Michael took very good care of me so much so much that I barely touched my money. Like every other thing in life, I know the good time will end someday and I was mentally preparing for that day. He thought he knew everything about me but he didn’t know jack except for the fact that I’m orphaned and I have nobody except him. He even thought my house was locked up but Josephine was living there and he didn’t know about her. The gang knew even lesser except that they called me ‘bad girl’ and I’m their boss’s woman. Our last operation was very bloody.” She took a deep breath and faced him.
“I didn’t know what happened or what went wrong but before we realize it, the police were after us and half of the gang was killed. I usually dressed like a man whenever we go on operations, so the police did not even know that there was a woman among the gang. It was at that operation that I realized that a good warrior lived to tell the story only if he knows when to flee the war zone. I made my escape before it got worse and we met in his house.”


P.S

Do you want to study, work and live in Australia? We offer free education consultancy, assist with Admission processing and student visa application. We also do flight reservation and ticketing to any destination outside Nigeria. Chat me up if you are interested. I can be reached at @obolaji on twitter and https://web.facebook.com/olanrewaju.mobolaji on facebook. You may also inbox me at obolaji2002@yahoo.com......

I always do!

des4ella:
I love diz story.. kindly finish what u started ma.���

I will very soon.

Thanks for reading.

oloyedprince1:
waoh frontpage tins, bolape pls update

Really?

Do you mean on the literature section?

Jane1234f:
We made front page, please come and update

CHAPTER THIRTEEN (CONTINUES)

*****
Michael Cross aka the Ironman sat in a corner of the ballroom, nursing a glass of drink and feeling bored. He was a good-looking man in his early thirties, tall and wealthy. The 7 for all mankind designer sky-blue jean he wore with a white Hugo boss t-shirt plus the gold Rolex wrist-watch around his wrist spoke volume about his wealth.
Ladies moved within his proximity, displaying their wares and trying their utmost best to catch his attention but he didn’t even see any of them. He stared unseeingly into his drink and thought about his next operation when a hush fell on the occupants of the room which was followed almost immediately by the uproar of “the b-a-a-d g-i-r-l”.
He looked up and stared in awe at the prettiest girl he had ever come across in his whole life. She wore a black cap-sleeve, a low-cut A-shaped gown that clung to her slender figure and end in the middle of her thigh.A Long expanse of smooth fair legs ended in a pair of knee-length, solid high heel stilettos boot. He realized with a shock that she wore no bra beneath the clingy material that moved over her fair skin as she moved elegantly towards the dance floor with a cigar stick dangling from her rosy lips.
Desire shot through him like adrenalin as he watched her and he felt his palms sweating. She was in the company of another pretty girl but she was the Centre of attraction as she danced with virtually every man in the room, leaving them panting with desire for her and their women green with envy. He was intrigued, challenged, amused and aroused by this beautiful wild stranger and was about to approach her when she strolled over to where he sat.
“Care for a dance, handsome?”She held out her slender hand to him while the other hand dropped the half-smoked cigar into the ashtray in front of him. The music had turned to a slow number and he got to his feet.
“You care for another stick?” He lit one for her before she answered him and slide it between her moist lips.
“Thanks, handsome.”She moved easily into his arms, fitting snugly against his body and he nearly trembled with desire.
“I hope you know what you are doing?” He whispered fiercely into her ear, his fingers roaming her bare spotless back.
“What am I doing, handsome? Tell me your name.” She moved deliberately against him as she blew smoke into the air behind him and he almost groaned out loud.
“Michael Cross. Who are you, bad girl?” His hands came up her side and his thumbs teased her rosy nipples.
“I’m Lilah Smith.” She smiled at him, her fingers trailing lightly over his arms.
“What is your price, pretty? Please tell me.” He pleaded in a husky voice and she told him.
“Let’s go please.” He practically whisked her out of the ballroom to the receptionist to book a room and she collected her pay immediately they got into the room. It was the best mind-blowing sex he ever had in his life!


P.S

Do you want to study, work and live in Australia? We offer free education consultancy, assist with Admission processing and student visa application. We also do flight reservation and ticketing to any destination outside Nigeria. Chat me up if you are interested. I can be reached at @obolaji on twitter and https://web.facebook.com/olanrewaju.mobolaji on facebook. You may also inbox me at obolaji2002@yahoo.com......

THIRTEEN

Fatihat was on her way to her office from Gift’s school and got held up in the traffic on Agidingbi road.
“God, the traffic in Lagos can be so frustrating.” She muttered under her breath.
“Sorry, mum. It will soon start moving, I’m sure.” Gift flashed her mother a toothless grin.
“Thanks, baby. How was your day?” She pulled playfully at her braids.
“It is okay. I’m catching up gradually, thanks to my private teachers and to you. I love you, mum.”The little girl said solemnly.
“I love you too, baby, anything for my little girl. It is moving now.”Fatihat laughed as she lifted her foot from the break and started moving forward. She tried to move cautiously into the second lane as it was faster but a commercial bus came out of the blues and overtook her. It scratched the side of her car as it was getting away and the conductor even hit the roof of her car, cursing her.
“Get out of the road, useless woman.” He glared at her as they drove away.
Fatihat was speechless for a moment as she stared after them in shock. She followed them at neck-breaking speed as she made a call on her phone. “I will teach this son of a bitch not to joke with a woman next time he came to this world.” She swore under her breath as she overtook cars and finally caught up with them as they turned into wempco road. Fatihat crossed them and pulled up in front of the commercial bus to the driver’s consternation.
“Is this woman crazy?” The driver swore angrily as he matched on the break abruptly and all the passengers lurched forward.
“You better take it easy, driver. You don’t know the kind of person the woman is.” One of the passengers cautioned as the conductor jumped down and started swearing.
“Who are you, self? Take your pangolo car and get off the road.” The conductor’s voice trailed off as Mopol car pulled up behind their bus. The officers came down and rounded up both the conductor and his driver.
“Look at what those idiots did to my car.”Fatihat fumed with rage as she showed them the dent and scratch on the side of her jeep.
“I’m so sorry, madam. They will be severely dealt with.” The head of the mopol team, Mr. Akuruka by the nametag on his chest, apologized profusely and joined his mates where they were already torturing them.
“Sorry oga. Na..my..lane..She…dey.” The driver panted as he did frog jump and screamed each time the cane descended heavily on him. The conductor was in a worse condition and he begged for mercy as he hopped along. The passengers got down and started dispersing one after the other, cursing and swearing under their breath.
“Madam, do you want to press charge against them?” Mr. Akuruka came back to ask her again.
“I want to talk to them first.”Fatihat walked to where they were still doing frog-jump beside the road, closely followed by her curious daughter. Their bus had been moved to the side of the road to prevent further traffic jam.
“Madam, I’m …” pant, pant, “sorry.abeg, forgive me.” The driver went on his chest on the hot ground with sweat dribbling down his face.
“I will forgive you but you will pay for the damage you did to my car.” She said firmly as she watched tears filled the blood-shot eyes.
“Abeg, madam. I just dey come out for the first time today, na the reason wey I dey in such hurry. Have mercy, abeg. My bus don dey mechanic place since last week, I just comot am dis morning and I be family man. Abeg, have mercy ma.”He rolled on the floor before her, begging and pleading with tears.
“Let him go, mum. He is a stupid old man.” Gift told her mother, holding tightly to her hand.
“Stand up. You are free to go.” She hit him lightly with her shoe and he scampered to his feet.
“Thank you ma. God go bless you and your sweet girl.” He ran for his bus with his slippers under his armpit.
“Oga, you go leave me here.” The conductor cried in horror but his boss did not spare him a glance before he leaped into his bus and drove away.
“Madam, forgive me abeg. Have mercy on me.” He lifted his hands up to her as she approached and he froze as if he had just seen a ghost. “Aunty Fatihat?”He called in a hesitant voice She looked down at him without a flicker of expression.
“Is that a trick, young man?” Her voice was cold as she stared down at him.
“I’m Yusuf Ali, your step-brother. Have you forgotten you left us behind in Kaduna? You can’t remember?” A note of despair entered his voice as he saw the chance of relating to his privileged sister melting away before his eyes. She frowned as she noted the resemblance between him and her father at last.
“Yusuf Ali? How about your siblings? What are their names?”
“I don’t know where they are at the moment. They are Bilqis, the twins, Ismail, and Isiak and little Aisha.”His voice was sad.
She smiled at last. “Get up. Let’s go home.”Fatihat dismissed the mopol officers with a generous tip each, thanking them for their time before leading him and her daughter to her car.
*****
“Is this your car, aunty?”Yusuf sat beside her, looking around the big car with undisguised wonder and admiration.
“I’ve owned it for three years. What are you doing in Lagos?” she asked casually as she pulled into the road.
“I came to work.” He shrugged.
“As a bus conductor?” She raised her eyebrow at him.
“Yes, ma.”He wriggled his fingers nervously, feeling the enormous gap between them. She gave a short humorless laugh.
“Will you please call me fatihat the way you used to when we were at home and drop the inferiority complex?” She snapped angrily.
“I’m sorry, Fatihat. You are very lucky, you don’t even know the definition of poverty.” His voice was quiet.
“I’ve had my shares of misery and poverty since I was a baby. Thanks to your mother. Where is she by the way? Where are your siblings?” she asked curiously.
“It is a long story, fatihat, one that will take a long time to narrate.” He glanced into the back seat and saw the little face staring intently at him and listening to them attentively. “That is my daughter, Gift Abeeb. Gift, meet my brother, Yusuf Ali. He is my father’s first son.” Fatihat introduced them casually.
“Good afternoon, Uncle Yusuf.”Gift said shyly.
“How are you, fatihat Ali junior?” He smiled at her, feeling self-conscious in his dirty jean shorts and smelly, dirty t-shirt.
“We will soon be home. We will have plenty of time to talk but we need to get you a decent clothing first.”Fatihat branched to a men’s boutique on her way home.
He bought a set of new clothes for the first time in his adult life. Who would have thought such good luck would befall him when he woke up in his crowded room this morning, he thought as he gave a silent thank God.
*****
“Do you smoke?”Yusuf asked in obvious shock as he joined his sister in the study room hours later. He has taken his bath, eaten and changed into new black jeans and t-shirt. He was still thunder-struck by the size of his sister’s house. He kept telling himself to wake up if it was a dream. Now he regarded her with silent suspicion as he sat opposite her and watched her flicked ash into the ashtray before looking at him.
“Are you surprised? I used to smoke other things apart from cigar but I’ve limited myself to just this. Don’t you as a bus conductor smoke worse things than this? That is why you, guys are always behaving like lunatics.” She said with a small smile.
“It is a rough world that we live in. I’m a man and you are a woman. Decent women do not smoke. They are called karuwas.”He told her with obvious disapproval.
“That is in Kaduna. This is Lagos and I don’t care what people called the likes of me. I’ve stopped caring a long time ago.” She grinned at him.
“What do you do for a living? You are barely twenty-five if I remember well” He asked in a voice, barely above a whisper.
“In other words, how do I become so rich at such a young age? I will tell you when you have finished answering all my questions.” She told him without malice.
“You want to know what happened after you left home, right? I will tell you.” He answered her unspoken question. She listened in silence, smoking one cigar after another, thinking it was really nice having the freedom to smoke without the fear of her curious daughter breathing down her neck.
*****
“After daddy’s death, most of his properties were taken one after the other by his relatives until there was nothing left for us to survive on. Mum has always been a full housewife. She withdrew us from our schools to a government school but she couldn’t even afford that and our schooling becomes occasional. She blamed us for our father’s death and the bad luck we brought to her.” He gave a harsh bitter laugh.
“Couldn’t she start selling something at least? At least I helped her sell ice-water back then before I left.” She said matter-of-factly as she flicked ash in the ashtray.
“Oh! She tried her best. We continued with the ice-water and she added few petty things to it but it was simply not working. Eventually, our house rent expired. Fortunately, she has met husband number two by then at the garage where she sold wares. Mallam Garba was a mean miser, womanizer,and a miserable drunkard.” He said with open disgust.
“So what was the attraction to him?” she asked in a puzzled voice.
“He was good looking and he has money. Anyway, they got married and we joined his first wife and his children in their big empty house. It was then the real nightmare began. He was mean and wicked. He beat mummy every night, after the initial attraction ware off. He doesn’t give a hoot about us and mum neglected us most of the time just to please him. By then, I was old enough to go out and work in the market for money to feed my younger ones. After a while, Bilqis joined me too. Together, we tried our best to take care of our three younger ones. After two years, she left him and we moved to a room apartment in sabo – gari.’
‘’By the time she met husband number three, I’ve scraped together enough money and I came down to Lagos with a friend of mine who was orphaned. I guessed that was the biggest mistake I ever made.” He said solemnly and she gave him a questioning look. “That was the last time I saw my siblings. The first book-haram war broke out few weeks after I left and I was told mum escaped with her husband who was a tanker driver, so he traveled a lot. The last I heard about her was that she was in Jos with another man.” He said with a brittle laugh.
“So what happened to your siblings? Did they escape? Where are they?” she asked anxiously with something close to dread.
“I don’t know what happened to them but they were not killed. Bilqis took Aisha and went to god-knows-where. The two boys, Isiak and Ismail disappeared as well and nobody knew their whereabouts.I went back sometimes after the war died down finally and what I met was a half-fallen, crumbled house that was deserted and isolated with no sign of my younger ones.” His voice ended in a dejected whisper.
“So how are you so sure they were unhurt in the war and had just disappeared?” She demanded bitterly.
“There was an old woman who was a co-tenant in the compound we lived in. She survived the war but lost her whole family. She was the only occupant in the half-fallen house when I got there because she has nowhere to go and she was the one who told me they were able to escape, alive as at then.”He said with a shrug and they sat in silence for some time.
“It is so sad. Do you still stay with your orphaned friend in Lagos?” She broke the silence after a while, bending her head to light a cigar and blew the smoke gently into the air.
“I sleep anywhere the night met me. My friend lives in a room where there are about fifteen other occupants, so it is usually suffocating and inconvenient for everybody.”
“That means nobody will miss you if you don’t even go back. What exactly do you want to do if given the opportunity? Do you want to go back to school or train for a job?” She asked casually.
“I would love to go back to school, I’ve always wanted to read law but it is a while since I’ve left school and I don’t know if I can still achieve that.” He said with a self-conscious laugh.
“You can be anything you want to be if you want it badly enough. I and Josephine went back to school about some years after we’ve dropped out. We would be University graduates by next year. It is never too late to be anything you want to be. All you need is the time and opportunity. I will give it to you on a platter of gold, provided I’m getting a dividend and profit for it in a few years time.” She gave him a frank look.
He stared at her in disbelieve, then to her amazement, he went down on his chest in gratitude. “Thank you, fatihat.God blesses you abundantly. None of us deserve anything at all from you, considering the way mum treated you. I am very grateful and would forever be in your debt.” Tears filled his eyes.
“Please stop embarrassing me, stand up.” Her voice was annoyed.
He sat back on his seat, then took a deep breath. “It is obvious you are rich and you are not married. How did you manage it, fati?” He asked with sincere curiosity.
“I will fulfill my promise and tell you how I got to where I am today.” she sat back and put her legs on the table.
*****
“Hey, pretty girl. Are you okay?” A friendly voice penetrated her numbed mind and she opened her eyes slowly to see the lady bending over her. She was clad in white short with a highly transparent white tissue top which left nothing to the imagination. She was a few years older than she was.
“Hi.”Fatihat smiled at her. The lady returned it.
“I’m Josephine bob. What is your name?” She asked in a curious voice as she bent down beside her. She continued watching the young lady, bending beside her as she thought of a name; she was through with being Fatihat Ali. It was time she fights back life for being so cruel to her.
“I’m Delilah Smith but you can call me Lilah.”She adopted the name of a character in a movie she watched so long ago and the character happened to be a female assassin.
“Why were you sleeping on the roadside? It is dangerous and very risky.” Josephine said with obvious concern.
“I’ve been homeless for months. I have no money; neither do I have a relative. I’m virtually alone in this whole world, isn’t that great?” She said bitterly, choking back tears. “I can relate to you, girlfriend. Get up and let’s get going.” Josephine stood up and pulled her to her feet.
“I feel so weak.” she staggered to her feet and the older girl held her up at her waist. “Don’t worry. I will take good care of you. We will go and see a doctor about your health.” Josephine told her briskly and she nodded in silence.
*****
Josephine bob lived in a room apartment in Fadeyi, along ikorodu road. She was a tall, slender, pretty girl with slight curves at the right place. She was an inch taller than fatihat who was on the petite side and could be described as beautiful, even at a glance. She was a street-walker and didn’t bother to hide her profession from her young friend.
Fatihat spent the next few weeks, getting back to health and learning how to make her next move into the world. She learned to smoke anything that is smokeable, drink, watched pornography and violence film and to party like tomorrow would never come. “I’m going to paint Lagos a very bloody red.”Fatihat told her friend on her first night at a private party.
That was exactly what she did. She turned into a sex freak and a very ruthless hawker.
*****
“I hit my first million before I clocked twenty-one.” Fatihat told her half-brother whose jaw was hanging open.
“Oh ,lord! How did you do it?” He stammered the question at her.
“Josephine is my guardian angel and I owed all that I have to her. She taught me to take precautions and chose my defense mechanism in case I find myself in a tight corner. I chose to use a gun. I have always been fascinated with the cold metal that can take one’s life in a minute. I learned to use it and to carry it whenever I went out on the street. Our job is a highly risky one, there are men who will do horrid things to you to satisfy their pervert urge and may or may not pay you a dime afterward. I was not ready to take a chance with any man and earned myself the nickname the ‘bad girl’” She grinned at his horrified expression.
“So you can use a gun?” He asked in simple amazement.
“I can use it and have used it. I become very rich when I met Michael Cross. He was the head of a notorious armed robbery gang and I joined the gang. It was hell on the wheel and I enjoined the ride to the end!” She said with a smile, filled with memories.

P.S

Do you want to study, work and live in Australia? We offer free education consultancy, assist with Admission processing and student visa application. We also do flight reservation and ticketing to any destination outside Nigeria. Chat me up if you are interested. I can be reached at @obolaji on twitter and https://web.facebook.com/olanrewaju.mobolaji on facebook. You may also inbox me at obolaji2002@yahoo.com......

CHEERS

I will update soon.

I have been quite busy this past few weeks and will still be this coming week but will try and update as soon as possible.

Thanks for your patience.

skubido:
Sista, hope all is well... Plz when are u updating

I am glad you enjoy reading it.

Thanks for reading.

Cheers!

jeweltab:
wow! this is the first time I'll be reading a story written by you, you are really gifted, I got glued to it, I couldn't concentrate on anything else, not until I finally got here, may the Lord bless those fingers, brain and sight, kudos to you ma'am

Amen.

Thank you for reading.

ADECULATE:
Tanks for dis wonderful update bolape, God bless ur 10 fingers dear

TWELVE

Babe, you have faced worst situation than this in life. Why are you finding it difficult to face your own daughter? She asked herself as she trudged up to her hotel suite, suddenly feeling depressed.
‘It is because she has become the most important person in your life. You are desperate for her love. You need her as much as she needs you and if she rejects you, you are afraid you will break apart. A tiny voice told her. Her shoulders drooped as she inserted her key card and walked into the darkened room. She didn’t bother to put on the light as she walked to the bedroom and shed her clothes on the floor.
The answer will always be No if you don’t ask. It is time to go home and stop being a coward, she thought morosely as she scrubbed her body vigorously under the shower and came out a few moments later with a towel wrapped around her middle. Her friends had left for another all-night birthday party but she refused to go with them. She came into the sitting room to order room service and her jaw dropped in shock as she stared at the man lying on one of the sofas with a newspaper. He was in a pair of black jeans and a blue t-shirt. He grinned at her shocked expression.
“What are you doing here? How did you get in?” she demanded as shock turned to anger. “I came to see you and I got in through the door.”Tunde raised an eyebrow at her.
“How do you know I’m here? Why do you want to see me? We have no business together, do we?” She kept standing because the towel around her body was quite short. “We have lots of business together. I got to know about your whereabouts from your friend, Martha. We are friends you know.” He grinned at her dubious expression.
“Have you been sleeping with her because I know she has a crush on you?” She asked with heavy sarcasm.
“Would you mind if I do? She is really not too bad a chic.” He gave her a solemn look. She looked away briefly before she turned to face him again.
“I don’t care who you sleep with. It is none of my business’
He got to his feet abruptly. “Your mum asked me to find you. She is quite worried about you. Why did you leave home, Fatiha?”
“I’ve stayed out for days in the past. She should try and get used to It.” She turned away as she swallowed hard.
“You have a mother and a daughter who need you now. You brought them into your life and you have to be responsible for them.” He was angry.
“Why don’t you go home and mind your fucking business? May I remind you that you are not my minder?” She turned on him with a cold look.
“I’m your minder on this issue because this is about your daughter, my daughter, our daughter, Gift Thomas.” He watched color drained slowly from her face.
“I see. This is what the sermon is all about, right? I never knew you are in desperate need of a child after your unspeakable behavior years ago. How do you think your daughter will feel about you after she learned you raped her mother?” Her voice was bitter. It was his turn to be shocked.
“Fatihat, I’ve told you many times that I’m sorry for what happened that day. I wish I can go back and undo what I did but I can’t. You’ve been trying to do everything to make me pay for my offense. Are you going to deny me the chance to know my child, to make up for the past years I’ve not been there for her?” His voice was weary as he sank down into his seat. She came to stand before him.
“It hasn’t occurred to me to do that but now that you mention it, it is another way to get at you and your stupid family. I will give it a try.” Her smile was malicious.
He reached up and pulled her down unto his lap abruptly. She gave a startled yelp, clutching her towel to her chest and tried to struggle out of his reach. “Damn it, fatihat! You can’t tell me you don’t have any feelings for me and I’m going to use it against you.” He told her roughly before he kissed her. She resisted, trying to hit him with her free hand which he easily captured.
After a moment, she stopped fighting him and started responding. Slowly, she let go of her death grip on her towel. Her two arms linked behind his neck. Their hearts picked up speed at the intensity of the passionate kiss that was deep, long and slow. She went pliant in his arms and moaned against his mouth as she wriggled closer to him. He stood up without breaking the kiss and went down on the rug, settling comfortably between her thighs. He groaned against her lips as her towel rode up her thigh and she wrapped her legs around his body. He broke the heated kiss and looked down into her face.
“Fatihat, I’m not going to lie to you. If we continue for another moment longer than this, we are going to end up making love. Are you ready for that?” He asked in a husky voice. Her eyes blinked open slowly. The desire in her eyes slowly drained away to be replaced by a blankness that tore at his heart and he rolled away from her before she could speak. “I’ve seen the answer in your eyes already. Where is your restroom? I need to clean up.” He turned slightly away to hide the bulge in his jeans and went towards the direction she pointed to. He came out a moment later as she was dropping the phone and he picked up his car key.
“Fatihat, please go back home. Everybody needs you.” He said quietly on his way to the door.
“Thanks, Tunde. I appreciate everything.”
“You are welcome. Goodnight.”He smiled as he opened the door and stepped out. She sat back and suddenly felt lonely. She stood up and went into her bedroom to start packing.
*****
She drove into her premises the following morning and pulled up in the car pack in time to see the front door swing open. Gift came out unto the front porch, looking cute in a pair of brown shorts and white vest with her hair bound into two ponytails. She saw her mother as she came out of the car and ran towards her.
“Hey, pretty mummy.” She launched herself against her mother and the latter lifted her with a grin.
“How are you, baby?”She gave her a quick kiss on the lips and put her down.
“I’m fine. Aunty Jose said I’m starting school next school. I will be attending a private school. Isn’t that cool?” She hopped from one foot to the other, obviously excited.
“It is. Where is everyone?”Fatihat removed her big bag from the car.
“They went out together about an hour ago. I was waiting for you.” The little girl picked the bag up. They went into the house together and went straight to her room.
“How did you know I’m coming in today?”Fatihat dropped on her bed and stretched out her lithe body.
“Daddy called very early this morning and told me it is likely you come home today.” She sat beside her on the bed.
“Who is the daddy?”Fatihat asked cautiously as she sat up.” who else? Uncle Tunde abeeb of course.” She stared at her as if she has grown two head.
“Who told you he is your father?”Fatihat asked incredulously.
“Mum, I mean grand mum did. I’m so sorry for screaming at you the other time.” Gift stood up and hugged her.
“Go and open the door. I think Jose and mum are back.” Her voice was weary as they both heard a car drove into the compound.
“Yes, ma.”The little girl dashed out of her room and moments later, the three of them came into her room to chat her up.
*****
Tunde Abeeb turned up two days later on a Saturday to take his daughter out. Fatihat was the first person he met immediately he walked into the sitting room. She was clad in a bum short and fading red halter neck with her long legs ending in a pair of red fluffy slippers. She was on her way out of the kitchen with a glass of cold juice and she stopped short when she saw him. Desire slammed him in the groin at the sight of her and he turned slightly away, to hide his arousal.
“Good morning.”
“Good Morning. What are you doing so early in my house? It is barely 9 Am.” She glanced at the wall clock on the hall and frowned at him.
“I came to take Gift out, we have a date today.” He told her quietly.
“Hi, Dad.” Gift appeared on the top of the staircase as if on cue and grinned down at her father. She had taken her bath and was dressed in attire similar to her mother’s: a blue short and white-stripped blue halter-neck top. Her choppy fair legs ended in a pair of white sandals and two blue ribbons held her hair in ponytails. He noted the striking resemblance between her and her mother. She was Fatiha Ali’s spitting image! He returned her grin.
“Hey, cutie. You look good enough to eat.” She bounced down the staircase with a giggle. He threw her into the air and she laughed out loud.
“It is good to have a tall daddy.” She teased as she clung to his neck.
“It is good but you are not going anywhere with him.”Fatihat told both of them quietly. They both gave her a startled look.
“But why, mum? Is he not my dad?” Gift asked almost accusingly.
“I never said he isn’t your dad, baby, I just said you are not going anywhere with him.” Her voice was firm as she met his eyes squarely.
“Fatihat, chenille gave me the authority to take her out and she is the only person that can stop me from taking her out.” His voice was hostile as both chenille and Josephine appeared at the top of the staircase.
Fatihat gave a harsh laugh and stared coldly at him. “If I had aborted those babies years ago or I died while giving birth to them, you won’t be here today to claim your lost daughter, will you?” She told him tartly and he felt his facial muscles frozen up.
“Babies? How many did you give birth to?” He slowly put his daughter down as misery engulfed him like a blanket.
“I gave birth to twins, a boy, and a girl after your stupid mother threw me out on the street. She even gave me a thorough beating because she thought I seduced her son or that I lied about what really happened, before throwing me out. Did she tell you that?” Tears filled her eyes at the memory and he closed his eyes in anguish.
“Mum, please don’t cry.” Gift came to cling to her but she pushed her away roughly. “Get away from me. You want a father. Please go to him.” She turned towards the staircase blindly and the little girl slipped away quietly.
“Lizzy, it is okay.” Chenille came down the staircase and engulfed her in her arms.
“I suffered, mama, I nearly died and this idiot is here to claim his lost daughter.”Fatihat sobbed for a moment before moving away from her mother’s embrace.
“I’m sorry, Fatihat. What else can I say?”Tunde said with obvious distress. Josephine went back to her room in silence.
“May God punish you, you idiot.”Fatihat swore at him and walked away.
“I think you should go, Tunde. Everyone is hurting at the moment.” Chenille told him sincerely.
He nodded in understanding as he headed for the door. “I hope you are not bored at home?” He said after a moment.
“No. Elizabeth just opened a shop for me in a complex along Allen Avenue. I think she was planning to buy the whole complex or she already does, I’m not sure.” The older woman said with a smile. He noticed that she had changed from when they first saw her, she looked much younger and fresher now.
“Your daughter is a wealthy woman and an excellent businesswoman.” He told her as he opened the front door and stepped out.
“I’m just getting a glimpse of her vast wealth. I wonder how she made it so fast, considering her rough childhood. She is not yet twenty-four.” She said with a hint of concern and worry in her voice.
“I can’t answer that question. Have a nice day, ma.”He tried to hide the misery engulfing him as he moved away and she gave him a brief wave before going back into the house.
*****
Tunde met his elder brother in his mother’s bedroom when he got home and the latter was surprised to see him.
“Why are you back so soon?” Olawale turned to him.
“The outing was canceled.” He sat down on his mother’s dressing table and brought out his phone. He flipped it opened and searched through the gallery before handing it over to his brother. “Who does that little girl resembles?”Tunde sat back, grimly.
“She looks like Delilah Smith, Josephine’s sister. Does she have a daughter?” Wale asked puzzled as he passed the phone to his mother who looked startled at the picture.
“This is Fatihat Ali’s spitting image. Is this her daughter?”Yemi returned the phone with trembling fingers.
“Yes, the little girl is her daughter and her name is Gift Thomas. She will be eight in a few months time.” He told them and watched the calculations going through their head. “Oh my God!” Wale muttered under his breath.
“That means she is your daughter too, right? How did you find her after these years? So she actually gave birth to her baby on her own?” She asked in a whisper.
“Babies, mum. She had twins but I’ve met only one of them. She was picked up by Fatiha's mother who is a Canadian by the way.”
“That is wonderful. I’m so happy for her.” His brother enthused with a smile.
“She deserved to be happy after all these years and she was so brave. I admired her courage.” Her voice was solemn.
“She doesn’t want me near our daughter and this whole thing is getting to me. I think I’m going to resign.” He sighed heavily.
“But I thought you two were an item. It is obvious she is attracted to you, even though she wants revenge on what you did to her years ago. You still like her, don’t you?”
He exhaled softly as he avoided their probing stares. “To be honest, I’ve always been attracted to fatihat from the first time I saw her and……..well, I’m just a bit confused.” He said sheepishly and shrugged.
“If you’ve had just a little patience, we wouldn’t have gotten into all these problems but you were thinking with your libido, not with your head. What are we going to do now?”Yemi looked at her first child.
“If she doesn’t come around, we will have to step in and talk to her mother. We have to do right by that kid because she is ours too. Tell me exactly how it all happened.” Wale faced his younger brother.
*****

Josephine was on phone with one of their customer in her office when her sister hurried in, banging the wooden door behind her as she came forward and she dropped a letter in front of her.
“I will get back to you as soon as possible. Let me clarify this with you again: there are eleven guests for a night who want single-occupancy rooms each, right?” She paused, glaring at her sister who signaled for her to hurry up. “Okay. There is no problem with that, sir. We guaranteed you the best services possible. Thank you for your patronage. I will deliver your message to her. Bye, sir.” She hanged up finally. “That is chief Bankole. He will be in Lagos with his crew next week Saturday for a birthday bash and they are staying here for a night. We will also be handling the catering services as well. Isn’t that great? How do you attract all those rich customers for us, Lilah?”Josephine asked in wonder.
“The same way we attract them back then. It is your business to make sure they are satisfied with our services and I trust you to do that.” She said quietly.
“That is why I’m being paid. Why are you here in the middle of the day?” Josephine picked up the letter her sister dropped in front of her.
“Tunde resigned. He wasn’t in the office throughout last week and he dropped his letter on Monday before I came in. Can you imagine the nerve of him?” She was angry but under the anger, was another emotion she didn’t want to inspect too closely.
Josephine picked up the letter and went through it at a glance. “He is a part owner of the company, no matter how small and he has a right to do and undo as he wishes. Can’t you buy him out?” Josephine asked, unable to see any problem in the situation. “You don’t understand, do you?”Fatihat vaulted to her feet instantly and paced the office in exasperation. “I can’t run that place alone. The company is expanding every day and it was mostly his hand-work. We just added a cosmetic section to the company and we were supposed to pick up a contract in Kaduna next week. How will I cope without him?” she said in exasperation.
“You are a good businesswoman, fatihat and you have a natural flair for it. How else will your wealth have grown by leaps and bounds within a very short period? You will survive without him. You have the brain and the connection too. All you need to do is to sit tight and get more serious. I am sure you will be fine.” Josephine said in a matter-of-fact tone.
“I know, Jose but I don’t want him to leave. I don’t. Don’t you understand?” She looked mournfully at her elder sister and the latter tried not to smile.
“I see. You are just talking. Are you in love with Tunde Abeeb?”She asked with a direct stare.
“I’m not but I don’t want my daughter to have a jobless father.”Fatihat sat down again with a plump.
“What do you want, Lilah? You want revenge, you’ve got it. There is a limit to what a man’s ego can take. You practically walk him out of your house a few weeks back because he wants to do the right thing by his daughter. You can’t have your cake and eat it at the same time. The ball is in your court, baby girl, play it any way you like.” Josephine said conclusively.
“I want him close by if only for my baby’s sake. By the way, I think I’m close to the other baby. I find the house quite alright, though it is completed now and the owner of the house is a woman called Yetunde Kolawole. It is a long shot but my instincts never fail me.” She said quietly.
“It is well. Mum is going on her first business trip in the next two weeks and I might go with her.”
“I don’t have any problem with that. Tunde is not going anywhere by the way either he likes it or not. ” She got to her feet. Josephine pitied anyone who crossed her sister’s path. She sighed faintly as fatihat walked out and closed the door behind her.

P.S

Do you want to study, work and live in Australia? We offer free education consultancy, assist with Admission processing and student visa application. We also do flight reservation and ticketing to any destination outside Nigeria. Chat me up if you are interested. I can be reached at @obolaji on twitter and https://web.facebook.com/olanrewaju.mobolaji on facebook. You may also inbox me at obolaji2002@yahoo.com......

Cheers!

Thanks. I am a woman by the way.

murphymakun:
Nice bro

Please chat me up privately on facebook or drop your facebook ID so i can drop my number for you.

Hope to hear from you soon.

WAACUT:
Let me have your whatsapp number based on that visa stuff

Dear My people,

I am posting one of my short fiction for your enjyment.

It is out of the norms and note that it is not part of 'BIRTHMARK'.

Read and drop your feedback.


MY MISTRESS

He groaned with pleasure as the lithe young woman on his laps moved expertly on his dick. His naked body shone with sweat as he grabbed her waist in a bid to try and control the pace of their mating, but it was a futile move. She was completely in charge.

Belinda Wright had been his mistress since he met her at a fundraising ball four years ago. Her beautifully innocent face was what first captured his attention and he had become her slave since then. So besotted was he that he was ready to divorce his wife and marry her in a heartbeat if only she would have him forever.

‘Come for me, Daddy!’

Her sultry voice cut through his thoughts as she changed position and speed.

‘You are killing me, baby,’ he managed as the climax tore through him and in another minute he was spurting his warm seed into her even as she continued to grind him until she also came with a moan.

‘Marry me, Belinda. Please marry me. You won’t regret it, I promise you,’ he begged in a hoarse voice as he hugged her limp sleek body to his chest.

‘I can’t be a second wife, Chief. My parents would never agree to it.

He felt her lips curve in a smile against his damp chest and sighed.

‘Will you marry me if I send her packing then? I can start the divorce process immediately you know, since we’re already more or less like strangers living under the same roof.’

She laughed at the petulance in his voice as she separated from him and got to her feet.
‘Chief, your marital issues are none of my business. You’re old enough to be my father, and the only reason I keep coming back here is because you have a better weapon than many younger men and you know how to use it well.’

She was unselfconscious in her glorious unclothedness as she openly admired his now flaccid penis, and burst into another bout of laughter as it immediately started stiffening under her gaze.

‘Can you see? It wants you again, so soon after the mind blowing sex we just had. Why will I not want to wake up beside you every day?’
‘That’s not a reason to get married,’ she flung over her shoulder as she stepped away from him towards the mini fridge in the corner where she poured herself a cold glass of water and sipped from it.

‘Besides, Chief, I’m getting married.’
‘What?’ he exploded. ‘What did you just say?’
‘I’m getting married,’ she repeated with a smile. It was strained.
‘That can’t be true?’
This time his words came out in a whisper.
‘It’s true, Chief,’ she assured him. ‘I wouldn’t have told you at all, but for some reasons beyond my control.’
‘And what could those reasons be? Who is the idiot that wants to snatch you from me?’
‘Well, the idiot happens to be your first son, Olalekan.’
She lifted her chin and fixed him with a challenging gaze.
‘What the hell! My what? Abomination! Impossible! You can never marry my son, you LovePeddler!’
He jumped up from his seat, a vein throbbing in his neck. His penis was limp.
‘Really? You want to bet on that?’ Her smile had now totally disappeared and her voice had an edge to it.
‘I forbid it,’ he continued. ‘It’s never going to happen.’

Then he hissed and stormed towards the closet where his clothes were hung. Three minutes later, he was gone from the apartment.
*****
‘Chief, what’s the problem? I noticed you’ve not been sleeping well in the past few days.’

Chief sighed and sat up in bed.

‘It’s true my dear. I have some things on my mind but I’ll soon sort them out.’ He tried to be as relaxed as possible and keep his voice level as he answered because he knew his wife was a very observant woman who quickly picked up on such signs, but it was difficult to suppress the picture in his mind of his son making sweet love to Belinda.

‘Do you want to talk about it? A problem shared is half solved you know.’

Guilt filled his heart at the concern in her eyes.
‘Did Lekan tell you anything about getting married?’ he asked tentatively.
‘Oh yes, he did. He actually brought Belinda to my shop, such a sweet and innocent one she is, that girl.’

He stared at her in horror as she continued.
‘I think they’re coming over by the weekend to meet and inform you of their engagement, and then we’ll fix a date when....
‘He can’t marry her,’ he cut in forcefully.
‘He can’t? Why? What is the problem? Have you met her?’
‘If he marries her, he will die. A prophet told me that last week. According to his revelation, she has a curse on her, so we have to do everything we can to make sure they never get married.’

‘Wow, Ayobami. When did you start believing in prophets and visions? You don’t even go for Sunday service!’
‘Layo, you don’t understand. This has nothing to do with what I believe. Don’t worry. I’ll talk to him myself.
‘Is there something you are not telling me?’ she asked, frowning.
‘That’s it, nothing more. Don’t worry. I’ll handle it, everything will be fine.’
He smiled to reassure her before he adjusted his position and closed his eyes.

She did the same after a while.
*****
Chief Ayobami Ajayi sat alone behind the desk in his study, lost in thought as he stared into space. It was Saturday and his son would soon be visiting with his fiancée.

The door suddenly opened and Belinda walked in, closing it gently behind her with a firm click. The air hummed with tension as their eyes met.

‘What are you doing in my study?’

His voice was hostile.

‘Do you remember David,’ she asked as she stepped forward, a small smile on her brightly painted lips.
‘David?’ he responded, bewildered.
‘Yes, David. He was an apprentice at the mechanic workshop where you used to service your cars. He came to this house to work on one of your cars and was never seen alive again.’

She was now directly opposite him and paused, her cold eyes still fixed on his.

‘What are you talking about?’
‘He was my only brother.’

Her voice was barely audible but the venom in it was biting and he couldn’t tear his eyes away from hers.
‘You robbed a widow of her only son that day. For months I planned on how to exact my revenge, until fate was nice enough to bring us together. At first I wanted to poison you, but I changed my mind, since you were more useful to me alive than dead. Your wealth saw me and my sister through school, and it also built my mum’s business. She can comfortably support herself now, so it’s time to make the final move in this brilliant game of mine.’
‘What…what’s that,’ he croaked. Beads of sweat stood out clearly on his forehead in spite of the air conditioning in the room.

‘I dare you to openly oppose my marriage to your son. Then the world will know everything!

She let those words hang ominously in the air as she turned, walked briskly to the door and let herself out.

#mobolajiolanrewajushortfiction


P.S

Do you want to study, work and live in Australia? We offer free education consultancy, assist with Admission processing and student visa application. We also do flight reservation and ticketing to any destination outside Nigeria. Chat me up if you are interested. I can be reached at @obolaji on twitter and https://web.facebook.com/olanrewaju.mobolaji on facebook. You may also inbox me at obolaji2002@yahoo.com......

ELEVEN

Fatihat and Josephine sat in the darkness in their study room in companionable silence a few nights later and smoked the night away.
“When was the last time you smoke, Jose?” Fatihat teased her sister, breaking the silence. “My dear, I can’t remember.Wale doesn’t like women who smoke, which was why I stopped but you are a bad influence.” She wrinkled her nose in mock disgust as she tapped ash into the ashtray. Fatihat laughed heartily.
“I am, sister. That was why you will be my favorite as if I have another one.” She grinned as she dropped her half-smoked cigar into an ashtray and lit another one with a golden lighter.
“You have another one, kiddo, an authentic one for that matter. Her name is Gift Thomas.” Josephine said with obvious delight.
“That is true. I could break her into two for all her naughtiness; I can’t even smoke in the public any longer. She does everything I do.”Fatihat groaned in horror. Josephine laughed with delight.
“How I love her and your mum. They have changed our home, girl and it is a wonderful change.”
“I’m glad you like them, Jose.I’ve been so worried about how you will feel about them’ “Are you kidding me? It is your first opportunity to have a real family and I’m having another chance. Come to think of it, Gift is your spitting age except she is smaller than you. Have you noticed?” Josephine frowned.
“I don’t know but something has been on my mind since the first day I saw mum and it was actually why I got to meet her that night anyway.” Her voice was thoughtful.
“What is it?” Josephine asked worriedly.
“Do you remember the twins I had for Tunde years ago?” She paused briefly before she continued. “Both of them have a black mole at their lower back. I have nothing like that and I have wondered where they got it from until I saw Tunde for the second time a few weeks back on the beach. The birthmark was at his lower back just above his bum. They got it from him.’
“Have you seen any of them, Lilah?”Josephine’s pulse rate increased drastically.
“I’m not sure. Gift has the birthmark on her lower back, it is the only black thing on her body except for her hair of course. I noticed it the night she had the accident.”
“I see.” Josephine nodded thoughtfully. “We would have to ask mum about her birth but we have to tread carefully because it is a delicate issue.” she added. Fatihat nodded in the darkness.
*****
“It is a delicate issue indeed.” A voice said out of the darkness. Light flooded the room. They made the mistake of leaving the door to the study room open as Gift and Chenille has retired to bed early. They both froze with the cigar stick burning in-between their fingers and for a moment, they thought it was Gift. Chenille stood in the doorway, watching both of them steadily. They exchanged rueful glance like kids caught with their fingers in the soup pot and dropped their half-smoked cigar sticks in the ash-tray.
“Hey, mum’’ They chorused cheerfully as they grinned at her.
“What kind of ladies are you, girls?”Chenille asked with obvious disapproval as she moved towards them and pulled out a seat to sit down.
“How do you mean, mama?”Fatihat frowned at her.
“Decent girls don’t smoke. They don’t drink irresponsibly either.” She looked from one to the other.
“Yes, ma” Josephine answered meekly.
“At least, I’m half. You don’t need to be annoyed, it is just a habit and we will stop eventually.”Fatihat gave a nonchalant shrug.
“Don’t be such a silly girl, Lizzy. I wonder if this has anything to do with your past.” she mused loudly.
“What is wrong with my past?”
“Err………excuse me. I will like to go to bed now.” Josephine got to her feet hastily.
“Sit down, Josephine. You are part of this.” The older woman told her sternly. She sank into her seat with a resigned groan.
“I mean your childhood in Kaduna, your stay in the Abeeb home and giving birth to the twins.” She faced her daughter squarely and watched her grow pale with the shock which turned to anger immediately.
“Josephine, you have been shooting your mouth around, isn’t it?”Fatihat glared at her sister in anger as she got to her feet.
“Will you sit down and listen to what I have to say?” she ordered her.
“I’m not in the mood to listen to what you want to say. You can go to hell with it.” She pulled her seat back and headed for the door.
“If you move past that door, I will leave so fast your head will spin and I will take Gift with me.” Chenille told her as coldly. She froze mid-stride and then turned around slowly to go back to her seat.
*****
“I’m sorry, mama.” She apologized after a moment. Her mother’s gaze softened instantly.
“It is okay. You’ve been independent for too long.” She told her quietly.
“But you don’t need to threaten me with leaving and taking Gift away from me every time we quarrel. That will be unfair, mama.” She said angrily.
“That is the only thing that will bring you to heel and I mean every word I said.”
“I know. Did you ever re-marry since you got separated from daddy?”Fatihat asked curiously after a moment. Josephine began to pull out a cigar stick from the pack before her gaze met chenille’s disapproving one and she dropped it, chagrined.
“In other words, you are trying to know if I’m Gift’s biological mother. The answer is No, I’m not her mother. I picked her up from the bush around Denro area in Ogun state.” she told her at length.
“I see.”Fatiha’s hands trembled as she looked at her sister and their gaze locked for a moment.
“She is your daughter, Lilah.”Josephine’s eyes filled with tears.
“I guess she is. Even at birth, I know she looks like me but we will still go for maternity DNA test to be sure.”Fatihat stared down at her trembling hands and her mother took them in hers.
“It is well. God works in wonder. I took care of my grandbaby and I got my baby back.” Chenille grinned as she patted her daughter’s hands.
“He is a wonderful God. Where did you leave the other baby? It should be in the same area but will you recognize the place if you see it? It is been a while and there will be so much development since then.” Josephine gave her a concerned look.
“I will go back and give the area a check by the weekend. I will definitely come up with a clue or something. I should still be able to recognize where I dropped him.”
“Josephine said you were raped during your stay at the Abeeb’s home which led to the birth of the twins. Your friend’s name is Tunde Abeeb. Is he from the same Abeeb family?” Chenille frowned, puzzled. Smart woman, Josephine thought with amusement as she dropped her gaze. Fatihat cringed inwardly.
“He is from the same family but he is just my colleague at work now.” She hastened to assure her but the older woman persisted. “If he is from the same family, who was the guy who violated you?” she asked persistently but there was no answer from the two women which gave her the answer she needed. “I see. You planned revenge on him but you are half in love with him already.” She grinned with amusement and Josephine laughed at the thought.
“Love? God forbids bad thing.”Fatihat spat in disgust and got to her feet. They all filed out and went to their various rooms.
*****
Fatihat was coming back from school one sunny afternoon and decided to get some toys for Gift from the supermarket. She parked her car in the parking lot and went straight to the toy section. She was about to leave with a big stuffy teddy bear when she heard two boys arguing over a bicycle.
“It is mine. I got to it first.” The dark-skinned boy said assertively.
“I and my mum have been here before and she said she will buy it for me, so it is mine.” The fairer boy said equally firmly, pulling the handle towards himself. The other boy pulled it back. Both boys were about the same age and they glared at each other in anger. Fatihat almost laughed out loud as she approached them.
“Hello, boys. I think I love this. It is more beautiful and will last longer.” She moved to another bicycle a few feet from them and admired it openly.
“Why do you like that better?” The dark boy looked unconvinced while the other boy was clearly confused as he glanced at the second bicycle.
“My mum said this is better than that one.” The fair boy insisted, even though he didn’t sound as convincing again.
“She might be right but this is better because the handle is stronger and it has a bell that announces your movement.” She pressed the bell and tingling sound filled the room. Both boys smiled involuntarily and looked down at the one they were both holding on to. “I will take that then.” The dark boy released the other bicycle and walked over to where fatihat was standing.
“Thank you.” The fair boy said with obvious relieve as he moved with the bicycle to where his mother was waiting for him.
“Are you sure this is better than that one?” The little boy looked over the bicycle critically before he finally smiled with obvious approval.
“You are a principled Youngman. I love that.” She told him with a smile.
He grinned at her, filing away the big word ‘Principle’ to check in his dictionary when he got home. “Thank you ma. You are a beautiful woman.” He told her solemnly.
She laughed out in surprise. “Thanks. I have to say you are a natural flirt.” They both burst into laughter at that.
“I’m Delilah Smith. What is your name?” she asked curiously.
“I’m Olalekan Kolawole but you can call me Lekan like everybody does. Do you have a son like me?” She felt a sharp bang in her chest at the question.
“No, I don’t. Where is your mum by the way? You have been on your own for sometimes now.” She glanced at her wrist-watch in concern.
“I’m a big boy. I’m seven, going to eight and I can take care of myself.” He scowled at her.
“I didn’t say you can’t. I’m just saying she should have joined you by now.” She told him gently.
“I know where to find her.” He shrugged and toyed with the golden handle of the bicycle for a moment.
“What is wrong with you? Are you okay?” She asked as she realized he has gone unusually silent.
“Are you married?” His question surprised her and she took her time before answering. “No, I’m not. How can I help you?”
“I lived alone with my mum until she met this man. She wants to marry him. She said he will be my new daddy but I don’t want a daddy. I just want the two of us to be alone forever and she said I’m selfish. Am I?” He asked in a hurt voice.
“What happened to your real father?” she asked curiously.
“I don’t know. I think mum left him when I was a baby. I told her I can take very good care of her by myself. We don’t need a stranger in our house.” His voice was petulant with a stubborn jut of his lower lips. “Do you want your mum to be happy? Do you love her the way she loves you?” She asked as she hides her amusement behind a slight cough. “Of course I do.” He gave her a queer look as If her questions weren’t necessary in the first place.
“If you do, then allow her to do whatever pleases her and I’m quite sure she will never do anything that will hurt you.” She told him and watched as his brows knit together in thought.
“Okay. Thanks for your advice and your time. I will join my mum now.” He grinned at her after a while and she returned the smile. She watched as he moved towards the other end of the store with his bicycle before she turned and left the mall.
*****

Gift was sitting on the front porch when she drove into the compound and pulled up behind Josephine’s car. She got to her feet but she didn’t bother to meet her halfway with a smile like she usually does. Fatihat knew something was wrong.
“Are you okay?”Fatihat called to her as she locked her car door and moved towards her with her big teddy bear.
“I’m fine.”
“This is for you.”Fatihat handed over the teddy bear and sank down on the staircase beside the little girl.
“Thank you.” The little girl smiled faintly as she admired the teddy bear before setting it down beside her.
“You are welcome. Will you tell me what is bothering you now?” she asked in concern. “Mum said she is not my real mother. She said you are my real mother. Is that true?” Gift asked in a trembling voice.
Fatihat took a deep breath. “That is right. Is there a problem with that?” she asked in a cautious voice.
“There is a big problem. I don’t want you as my mum because you never wanted me. If you do, I wouldn’t have ended up with mum.” The little girl said accusingly as she vaulted to her feet and glared angrily at her.
“Gift, will you sit down and listen to me?” Her voice was firm, even as her heart was squeezing with pain.
“I don’t want to hear what you have to say. I hate you and I don’t want your stupid teddy bear!” She threw the teddy bear at her and ran into the house.
Fatihat did not move from where she was sitting until she heard the front door opened again and looked round to see Josephine coming out. Josephine sat beside her and hugged her to her side. Fatihat took a deep breath and felt tears welled up in her eyes.
“It is going to be okay. She will get over it.” Her voice was soothing as she placed her lips against her forehead.
“Thanks, Jose.”She whispered as she slipped her arms around her sister’s waist and leaned her head on her shoulder. They sat like that for moments until fatihat stirred and sat up straight. “You know I can shoot all the Abeebs family and watched them die one after the other.”Fatihat said ominously and they both burst into laughter.
*****
Fatihat spent the next few days, partying and meeting new friends and telling herself she wasn’t avoiding her own daughter. She met a guy called James Joseph in an exclusive beach party she attended and the guy took an instant liking to her.
He was the kind of guy she loved, tall, good-looking and rich but he started getting on her nerves when he refused to leave her side even after the party has ended. He drove her to the hotel where she was staying with a few of her friends and wanted to come to her room with her.
“I really want to see more of you. Can I come up to your suite?” He asked casually, lightly caressing her exposed thigh and she flung his hand away, irritated.
“Stop being such a spoilsport. Haven’t we had enough fun at the party?” She snapped at him.
“Common, Lilah. I thought you are more mature than this.”
“What is your definition of maturity?” She retorted acidly. He smiled at her as his arm went around her, accidentally or intentionally brushing her left nipple through her bodice and something exploded in her head. She hit him in the nose and blood came out.
“Are you crazy?” He was furious as he touched his nose and the fingers came away with blood. Then his eyes popped out in shocking surprise when he saw her holding a gun. “Don’t underestimate it. The gun is loaded and it has a silencer. I won’t hesitate to use it if the need arise.” She caressed the sleek body of the cold weapon with a malicious smile. “No weapon is needed, Lilah. I will give you any amount of money or anything you want just for a round or a night.” His voice was laced with something close to desperation. “Gone are the days when I sleep with men for the sake of money. I can buy you and your household with my money.” Her smile was cold.
“You have landed some filthy money with some dirty guys, isn’t it?” He said with a snarl.
“Call it whatever you like, money is money and if you come after me…….” She paused dramatically and shot the windscreen. Glass shattered in different directions and he stared at it in horror. “That is the way I will blow your head to pieces. Goodnight.”She opened the car door and stepped out.

P.S

Do you want to study, work and live in Australia? We offer free education consultancy, assist with Admission processing and student visa application. We also do flight reservation and ticketing to any destination outside Nigeria. Chat me up if you are interested. I can be reached at @obolaji on twitter and https://web.facebook.com/olanrewaju.mobolaji on facebook. You may also inbox me at obolaji2002@yahoo.com......

Cheers

Lol. I am no longer in ilorin. I only grow up there. The update is here already.

heemah:
Madam BOLAPE, send ur Ilorin address to me, I'm coming to your house to comman read the rest of the story

No, you won't.

I will drop a subsequent chapter soon.

Otuosowo:
this is so thrilling and emotional and is definitely worth the wait, thanks for the update . pls let us not wait for too long.

Fatiha is still blinded by her thirst for revenge.

**smiles

JMK9600:
Tunde and Fatihat should just start a relationship together. There is an unexplainable chemistry between them. Even Fati's mum noticed it. Beautiful story you have here. Following

Yes, it was her grandmother who picked her up.

Chosn4gr8tness:
Thanks for the update Ma. That means Gift is staying with her Grandmother.

You watch out and see!

Keep your fingers crossed.

Botaflica:
“Fatihat Elizabeth Ali!”Chenille pronounced her name fully with a smile, even as her eyes filled with tears.
“Yes mama” Fatihat tried to return the smile but a sob came out instead. The next moment, she was in her mother’s arms, both of them were crying and laughing at the same time while Tunde silently slipped out of the room to give them some privacy.

P.S



wow!!! reunion. what will become of Fathiat's revenge mission?

TEN

Fatihat was unusually quiet on their way home. She closed her eyes as she leaned her head on the head-seat. He thought she was asleep, so he drove in silence until he was held up in traffic and turned off the ignition key. He rolled down the window in time to see a little girl waving gleefully at him and he stared at her in amazement until he realized it may be fatihat she was actually waving to. He tapped her on the knees and she gave him a sleepy look.
“The little gala girl across the road has been trying to get your attention, I guess.” He gestured towards the little girl’s direction. Fatihat looked and then, grinned.
“Hey, baby. Whatz up?”Fatihat waved at her. The girl came running across the road, unaware that cars had started moving.The blue Nissan pickup coming towards her tried to stop in time but not before her dress caught the front of the car and she went down on her face on the road.
“Oh my god!”Fatihat muttered in horror as her heart seemed to freeze in her chest. With a burst of renewed energy, she yanked the car door open and got out.
“For God’s sake, Fatihat, use your sense and watched the way.”Tunde shouted after her but his warning was too late because she has jumped over the mid-way pavement with an unladylike agility and ran over to the girl sprawled on the ground with her wares spread around her. The driver of the van turned off his engine and came out of the car.
“Gift, are you okay?”Fatihat knelt beside the little girl, not caring about her five hundred dollars expensive suit she wore and lifted the little girl’s head gently, being careful not to move her too much in case she had broken something. The girl nodded numbly and she realized that the girl was more shocked than hurt. Relieve washed over her like a tide and she closed her eyes briefly before sweeping the little girl into her arms. Gift hugged her back and started crying.
“It is okay, baby. You are safe with me.”Fatihat smiled at her and kissed her cheek. “Madam, do you know the little girl?” The driver asked with a plain puzzle.
“The fact that I know her or do not know is none of your damn business. Why is it so difficult for you to have a little patience and let her go before moving? Assuming she was killed or bruised further than this, I would have made sure you spend the rest of your life in jail.” she said coldly.
“Take it easy, Fatihat. How is the little girl?” Tunde said as he joined them. She got to her feet before pushing the little girl unceremoniously into his arms.
“I’m sorry, madam. I didn’t see her on time.” The driver said, faintly embarrassed. She bent down and counted the number of sausages scattered on the ground to the amazement of those witnesses watching them.
“There are fifty sausages in the box, put your hand in your pocket and give me two thousand, five hundred naira only.” She snapped her fingers at him. Everybody burst into laughter except the harassed driver.
“Why should I give you any amount of money? After all, she is not your child and she is not bruised.” He said indignantly.
“That is a small amount to pay for what you did. Answer me now.” Her voice was hostile. He removed his wallet from his pocket and counted out the money to her.
“Thank you for your concern.” She suddenly grinned at the sea of faces around them, pick up the box of gala along with the unspoiled ones. “Let’s go, Tunde.”She went over to where he stood with the now quiet little girl and could see he was furious but she ignored him. By that time, cars had started moving and they got into her car.
*****
“You are not in the position to hawk anymore tonight. Where do you live?”Fatihat sat beside him and the girl slipped into space between them.
“I live on Denro road, that bad dusty road that leads to akute. I like your car. I’ve never been in one before.” The little girl leaned over to whisper in her ear and she winced slightly.
“Are you hurt? Is it your back or your waist?”Fatihat asked quickly in concern.
“My back hurt a little.” Gift admitted.
“Let me see it.”Fatihat pulled the girl across her lap before she could protest and saw the bruised skin through the torn in her dress. She inspected it and pulled the dress down a little to know the extent of her injury.
Just above the cotton panties on her lower back, the small black mole stood out on the fair skin!

TEN

“Oh my God!” Fatihat whispered under her breath but Tunde heard her and glanced briefly at her.
“Are you alright?”He asked quietly.
“I’m fine.” She smiled woodenly as she drew the girl to a sitting position but she knew by the searching look he gave her that he didn’t believe her. “You need to see a doctor but it is late already and your place is quite far. Who do you stay with?” She asked curiously.
“I stay with my mum.” Gift rattled off her house address and direction to get there as she rested her head against her chest. Fatihat brushed the ugly scarf away from her head. The little girl’s dark silky hair was parted in the middle and braided into two. It was the same texture as hers and her heart beats increased immediately.
“Where do you guys come from? I mean are you Nigeria citizens or from our neighborhood country?” Fatihat asked in a playful tone, ignoring Tunde’s searching gaze again.
“Mummy is a Canadian but I’m not sure how we got here.” Gift shrugged and then, yawned aloud, snuggling closer to the young woman.
Fatihat fell silent after that and stared unseeingly out of the car into the darkening night.
*****
It was 9 pm by the time they pulled up in front of Gift’s house. The area was quiet as the residents have gone indoor but they peeped through their windows when they heard the sound of a car in front of the house. It was quite unusual in the neighborhood and they wondered who the visitors were looking for.
Fatihat swept Gift into her arms after getting out of the car while Tunde took her box of Gala sausages, locked up the car and followed them into the face-to-face building.
“Mummy, I’m home.” Gift announced loudly as they walked into the long corridor that was lit with a yellow bulb. A door opened on the left at the far end of the building and a woman looked out with a smile which froze when she saw Gift in the arms of a strange young woman.
She was a white woman in her late thirties or early forties and was clad in the traditional Iro and Buba. “Your daughter had a minor accident and I brought her home.”Fatihat put her on her feet and put her money in her hands.
“Oh, my baby girl!” The woman said as she came out to hug the little girl, then she proceeded to check her thoroughly from her head to her toes in an open motherly affection.
“I’m okay, mum except for my back.” Gift grinned up at her and the woman gave her an impulsive kiss on the lips.
Fatihat suddenly felt lonely again in her life at the sight of the obvious bond between mother and child which she never had. She took involuntary steps backward and Tunde’s arms came round her waist in a protective gesture.
“Please thank Aunty on my behalf, she was the one I told you about the other day. She even collected the money for all my galas from the man who hit me.” Gift opened her palm for her mother to see the money.
“Thank you very much, young lady. I’m Chenille Thomas by the way. It is nice meeting you guys.” The woman held out her palm and Tunde shook it.
“I’m Tunde Abeeb and she is Delilah Smith. We would start going now. It is late.” Tunde spoke for both of them but fatihat was staring at the woman now.
“You said you are Chenille Thomas, is that right?”Fatihat asked in a voice barely louder than a whisper and the woman nodded firmly.
“I see. I’m out of here.” She turned on her heel and walked out. Tunde smiled at them and followed slowly while the woman and her child stared at the young lady, puzzled beyond words.
*****
“Why did aunty behave so strangely? It was almost as if she doesn’t like you and she has never met you before, has she?” Gift asked later in the evening after her dinner and a brief visit to the nurse down the road.
“I don’t know. Do you know her name? Oh, her friend said she is Delilah Smith.”Chenille said with a slight shrug and they retired to bed after then.
*****
Fatiha’s house was in darkness when Tunde pulled up in front of her house and turned towards her.
“Will you please tell me what is going on, fatihat?”He asked quietly. She has been staring out of the window ever since they left the little girl’s house and refused to say a single word to him.
“I’m fine. You can take the car home for easier transportation; I will have it back whenever we see again. Goodnight.”She said quietly and made to get out of the car but he put a restraining hand on her arm.
“The house is in complete darkness which means nobody is at home. Can you actually stay alone in that big house?” He asked with open concern.
“Come off it, Tunde, I’ve been alone all my life.” She gave a short humorless laugh and got out of the car. He watched her open the gate and walked in before driving away with a heavy sigh.
*****
Fatihat woke up with a start to the consistent ringing of the doorbell and groaned as a nagging headache hit her. She pulled on a long blue robe over her crumpled undies and dragged herself downstairs. Her headache worsened with every step she took and she cursed her early morning visitor under her breath. She glanced at the wall clock. It was eight ’o clock. She grabbed a can of beer from the refrigerator before heading to the door. She took a long swing from it before opening the door.
It was Tunde and she stepped back as he comes in. He looked good in a pair of blue jean and white t-shirt.
“No work today?”Fatihat asked wearily as she moved to sink into the nearest sofa and down the rest of her beer in one swallow.
“Why are you drinking so early in the morning, fatihat? You have a hangover, right?” He said with sudden clarity and a hint of annoyance.
“I’m having a nasty headache but I think it is better now.” She curled into the sofa and looked at him with such a forlorn expression his heart turned over.
“Have you taken any other thing apart from alcohol since last night?” He got to his feet and she shook her head like a little girl.
He went into the kitchen and made her a hot cup of beverage with toast. She was already dozing when he came back into the sitting room with the tray of breakfast and she opened her eyes with a lazy grin. Aroma of hot cocoa tickled her nostril and her stomach rumbled in protest as she sat up. He placed the tray on her lap on towels and watched her eat like a starved kid.
“Are you okay or should I make more for you?” He got to his feet in concern.
“I’m fine now. Thank you, Tunde. God bless you.” She lifted the cup of tea while he took the tray away. She was stretched out on the longest sofa when he came in and he sat opposite her.
“I hope you are in a better mood now, isn’t it?” He turned to face her and she nodded mutely. “I know you were pretty upset last night and you dealt with it by taking to the bottles. Who is Chenille Thomas?” He asked bluntly.
“That is my mum’s name.” She answered in a whisper and he looked surprised.
“What happened to her? Where is she?” He asked in amazement.
“I don’t know her. I came across her international passport one day when I was cleaning my father’s room and I asked my step-mum about her. She was delighted to tell me she ran mentally ill and walked away to God knows where. I didn’t believe her of course but what else can I do?” she said with a sigh.
“Is she a Nigerian?” He asked puzzled.
“No. She is a Canadian from what I saw on the passport. I’m a half-caste I guess.” She said with an embarrassed little laugh.
“I see. That means she is still in Nigeria if she is still alive, right?”He looked at her and she nodded.
“Where is your dad? He should know where she is; after all, she had a daughter for him.” He asked curiously.
“He is dead. He died about nine or ten years ago just before I leave Kaduna. He never talked about my mother. It was as if she never exists in his life except for me. He barely acknowledged my presence in his house either.” She said in a resigned voice, tinted with heavy bitterness.
“You had a tough childhood and an even tougher adulthood. You are a brave soul, Fatihat.” He said quietly.
“Thank you.” Her voice was husky with tears and she coughed to clear it. She hasn’t cried in years!
“It is obvious that Gift’s mother is white from all appearances and she is old enough to be your mother. It could be just a coincidence but it doesn’t hurt to check her out. What do you say to that, fatihat?”He said casually and her pulse rate increased instantly.
“I don’t know. I’m having mixed feeling about it.” Her big brown eyes widened in anticipation.
“Nothing is stopping us from finding out. Go up and get dressed, lazy bone.”He pulled her to her feet and she laughed nervously.
“Thank you for everything.” she gave him a brief hug and bounded up the staircase like an excited kid.
*****
Chenille Thomas was about to leave her house for the market when her august visitors arrived but they were not totally unexpected and her instinct had been right. “You are welcome.”Chenille grinned at both of them as she let them into her sparsely furnished one-room apartment.
“Where is Gift?”Fatihat asked promptly as she sat on the only furniture inside the room where she was joined immediately by Tunde who then stretched out his long legs and made the room looked smaller than it actually was.
“She has gone to school. She insisted she is okay, so I let her go before she turned restless which will not be too good for both of us. What can I offer you?” Chenille asked eagerly. “We are fine. We’ve taken our breakfast.”Fatihat looked at him for confirmation and he nodded solemnly.
“You, guys seem to be quite close. Do you stay together?” Chenille asked curiously as she pulled a low stool and sat opposite them.
“No!!” They both exclaimed simultaneously, a look of horror on their faces and chenille laughed heartily.
“Such a denial. We will talk about that later. So what brought both of you back here this morning?” She asked after a moment and fatihat took a deep breath.Tunde drew a hand down her narrow back briefly in assurance and she sat up straighter with a new determination.
“My birth name is Fatihat Ali and my father’s name is Usman Ali. Does that name made any sense to you?”Fatihat asked quietly and watched the woman grew very pale. “That was the name of my husband if he is still alive” Chenille laughed nervously but her voice was hostile and Fatihat felt her limbs trembling.
“Why did you leave him or let me say how come you guys are no longer together?” The question was from Tunde. The woman practically glared at him.
“Why will I leave him when I came to Nigeria because of him? We came back together after he completed his course over there but his family hated me on sight and wanted me out of their son’s life. Well, they got their wish at long last.” she ended bitterly.
“How?” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
“I was pregnant before we came to Nigeria. I was a full house-wife and was always alone at home with my baby once my husband left for work. On this fateful day, my baby was feverish and didn’t sleep throughout the night. By the time she fell asleep in the morning, I was tired and feeling sleepy myself. When I woke up, my room was in darkness because the curtains were down. I saw four men by the side of my bed. Three of them were my husband’s family but I don’t know the fourth guy. He must have been a doctor or health officer or at least know something about the human body because he was holding an injecting needle and discussing something with them in Hausa. I was terrified and tried to scream. Three of them held me down while the man injected the content of the injection needle into the back of my leg. I guess I blacked out immediately because the next time I opened my eyes, we were moving on the road.”Chenille paused and swallowed hard. “How did they get into the house? Don’t you lock your doors back then?” Fatihat asked with a whirling mind, trying to take it all in.
“I locked the door always whenever Usman left for work because I have had an issue of sexual abuse with an uncle when I was young. I am also a light sleeper but until today, I never stopped wondering how they got into the bedroom.” She turned to look at Fatihat blankly.
“Where did all this took place? In Lagos?”Tunde asked in a curious tone.
“No. Usman is a Hausa man. We lived in Kaduna but they brought me all the way to Lagos to drop me, unconscious and disoriented and told me I was lucky they didn’t want to kill me. Isn’t it funny?” She finally grinned at them but Fatiha's heart was beating so hard she thought it would be heard by the others and she exchanged a glance with Tunde. “I still have the scares of the needle at the back of my leg.” Chenille said as she pulled up her wrapper and showed them the scar.
“They are wicked. I don’t think they need to go to such extent to show their hatred.”Horror filled Fatihat’s voice.
“Well, I thank God they didn’t kill me. It took a turn on my mental and psychological health. I roamed aimlessly in this town for years. I always wonder what happens to my baby and my husband and what went on in his head when he came home to realize I have disappeared without a trace. I grieved the loss for a long time.” Her voice was low.
“He died almost ten years ago in a fatal motor accident and he never really discusses you with anyone.” Fatihat told her solemnly.
“I see.”Chenille was silent for a while, obviously trying to come to terms with the fact she would never see the only man she ever loved in her life again before she finally looked at fatihat and their eyes held for a moment.
“What did you call your name again?” Chenille asked abruptly.
“Fatihat Ali.”She swallowed hard.
“Fatihat Elizabeth Ali!”Chenille pronounced her name fully with a smile, even as her eyes filled with tears.
“Yes mama” Fatihat tried to return the smile but a sob came out instead. The next moment, she was in her mother’s arms, both of them were crying and laughing at the same time while Tunde silently slipped out of the room to give them some privacy.

P.S

Do you want to study, work and live in Australia? We offer free education consultancy, assist with Admission processing and student visa application. We also do flight reservation and ticketing to any destination outside Nigeria. Chat me up if you are interested. I can be reached at @obolaji on twitter and https://web.facebook.com/olanrewaju.mobolaji on facebook. You may also inbox me at obolaji2002@yahoo.com......

Please drop your feedback.

Cheers!

Thank you.

Who should Tunde go for? Nike or Fatihat?

oloyedprince1:
bolape, nice update, u are consistent, kudos for dat....next please

NINE
“That gala girl is sure a pretty one. Isn’t she cute, mum?” Lekan turned to his mother with a grin.
Yetunde looked out through the window to see the gala-girl selling her snacks to the occupant of a car. They were on their way home from her shop and were held up in traffic.
“She is beautiful indeed. I thought Funmi is the prettiest girl to you right now or that has changed already?” she teased as she glanced at him.
Funmi was Ademola Badmus’s ten-year-old daughter. She attended the same school with Lekan. She was a result of an affair that had almost ended in marriage but her mother died in a fatal motor accident which nearly killed all of them a week to the wedding. After that incident, Ademola had washed his hands off the institution called marriage until he met Yetunde two years ago and the feelings he thought were dead re-surfaced. Fortunately for him, Funmi had taken an instant liking to Yetunde to his surprise because she always resent the presence of his previous girlfriends in his life and she also liked Lekan immensely.
It had been love at first sight for both kids and they had taken to each other as if they were blood relative. Unfortunately, Lekan disliked Funmi’s father openly and intensely but Ademola was damned if it would be the little boy that will keep him away from the only woman that meant something to him after his first love.
“Funmi is a very pretty girl but I think that gala girl is prettier than she is, don’t you think so, mum?”He insisted. She sighed inwardly, wondering at the kind of man who actually fathered him because it was obvious he was going to like women a lot.
“How come you like Funmi so much and you dislike her father? Don’t you know they are the same blood?” She broached the subject that had always created an issue between them.
“I just don’t like him.” His voice turned sulky as he turned away.
“You don’t have a very good reason for not liking him, Lekan. I may decide to marry him and make him your new daddy. Won’t you like to have a daddy like your mates in school?”
“I don’t want or need a daddy. I’m perfectly okay with you.” He brought out his new game from his bag and concentrated fiercely on it. Yetunde sighed heavily and let the subject drop.
*****
The second semester ended in school. Fatihat becomes a regular visitor to the Abeebs‘s company. Between herself, Tunde and his personal assistant, they worked on their goals to bring the company back to his feet.
Surprisingly, she got a lot of satisfaction from working in the office and felt worthwhile for the first time in her life. She also found out she was right about Tunde Abeeb once again. His father’s company was his first love which was followed by his sweetheart, Adenike and she had succeeded in hitting both squarely in the middle.
Being occupied in the office reduced the rate at which she went on an outing and to parties greatly. She has to turn down several party invites. She was the new occupant of the Chief Executive Officer’s Office and had it re-furnished and decorated to her taste.
Three months after she occupied the new office, she received the least expected visitor in her office. Her secretary and personal assistance, Lara was on Lunch break and she was trying to finish a thriller novel in her office before leaving for the day when she heard a knock on her door.
“Please come in” Fatihat dropped her feet on the floor and looked towards the door while the half-smoked cigar smoldered away in between her fingers. The door opened.
Yemi Abeeb walked into what used to be her husband’s office which was supposed to be her son’s current office but was obviously her former housemaid’s office now. The impact of what had been happening to them all this while hit her with full impact and she aged visibly as fatihat watched her without a flicker of expression. She dragged on the cigar stick sharply and dropped the half-smoked cigar into the ashtray as she leaned into the seat.
“Good afternoon, fatihat” Yemi greeted her quietly.
“Good afternoon, Mrs. Abeeb. Please have your seat.” She gestured casually to a seat and reached for her box of cigar stick. Yemi sank down gratefully into a seat opposite her and watched the beautiful young lady before sighing heavily to herself.
“Thank you. Where is Tunde? I thought this was his office. That was why I came here.”Yemi watched her lit a cigar stick, dragged at it and blew the smoke leisurely into the air before turning to face her.
“The general manager’s office is where he is but I guess he should be out of the office now to see one of our existing clients. Will you leave a message for him?” She asked casually, pushing a notepad with a pen to her across the heavy, dark mahogany table between them.
“There is no problem. I will probably talk to him when and if he comes home tonight. Can I talk to you for a moment, fatihat?”Yemi asked hesitantly, even as she realized that this sophisticated, wild young woman was different from the innocent beautiful girl she used to know a long time ago. Thanks to me and my son, she thought bitterly.
“Please shoot. I’m all ears but you have to make it snappy because I have to leave the office any moment from now.” she glanced at her slim gold wrist-watch and met her gaze.
“How will I convince you that I’m truly sorry for what happened between us almost eight years ago? I should have listened to you.”Yemi said earnestly as she leans forward.
“Yes, you should have but you didn’t and that happened light years ago. Please forget it, Mrs. Abeeb and let’s move on with life.” She flashed a brief smile as she flicked ash into the ashtray with a gentle tap of her long fingers.
“It is obvious you are not ready to talk about it. Thank you for not walking me out of your office. I hope we will be friends one day though.”Yemi got to her feet with the remnants of her pride and moved towards the door.
“Good day, Mrs. Abeeb. I will tell your son you stop by.” she told her back and turned away to smoke in silence. She went to deliver the message to Tunde’s secretary and left company’s premises immediately.
*****
Tunde came in thirty minutes later and went straight to fatihat’s office.
“She is not in sir.” Lara told him as she looked up from her system.
“Where has she gone to? Our contract has been renewed and we have to finalize it before they have a chance to change their mind.”Tunde was barely suppressing the excitement bubbling in him.
“Well……..she left a note that she is going to the golf club to see some friends.” She said feeling distinctly embarrassed for what seemed like her boss’s irresponsible action.
“She went to a golf club in the middle of a workday?” He asked in disbelieve that was rapidly turning to anger.
“Yes sir.” she replied quietly.
“I will be right back.” He promised ominously and strode out of the office. He knew her favorite golf club because he had gone to drag her from the place one or two times which had ended in a severe row between them. He got to the club, seething with rage and went straight to the receptionist.
*****
“Good afternoon. Have you seen Delilah Smith today?” He asked without preamble. “She was here for about thirty minutes and left in the company of friends for Alpha beach for a get-together I think. I heard her talking to a lady called Josephine.”Fatihat was a popular figure in the club and virtually everybody knew her. The young receptionist looked at Tunde, wondering if her explanation made any sense to him and he thanked her with a generous tip. He called Josephine and demanded to know where her sister was headed to.
“She is at Alpha beach for a get-together party and from there she is headed for ……….I can’t remember the name of the hotel for an all-night party. In short, she is not coming home tonight and that was why she called me. Is there any problem?” Josephine asked casually, sorting through files on her table.
“It is nothing I can’t handle. Thanks for the information.” His tone turned icy as he headed for the beach. He recognized her immediately he strolled into the party arena, even though she has changed into a jean bum short and a short tank top which did not cover her navel.
She dropped a can of Smirnoff she was holding and was dancing vigorously to Wande coal’s ‘bumper to bumper’ that was blaring from God’s nowhere. Her friends cheered her on and even Tunde has to admit she was an excellent dancer.
Tunde waited patiently until the volume of the music went down so that the real program could begin before moving to where she sat with her friends, smiling faintly as she tried to light a cigar and all eyes moved towards him.
“Good day, ladies and gentlemen. I’m sorry I need the attention of one of your friends, Lilah Smith.” His lips smiled at them but his eyes were like a chip of ice and fatihat knew he was furious.
“Tunde, what is the meaning of this?” she asked as she got abruptly to her feet and glared at him.
“There is time for everything. It is time to go back to work. Don’t bother to create a scene because I won’t hesitate to lift you bodily out of this party arena.’’
“My clothing is in my car, it is at the golf club. I came in my friends’ car.” She protested strongly, digging in her heels but his hand fastened around her upper arm like a steel rope.
“Please behave yourself. Let’s go. I got you a skirt suit on my way here and you will work for it, I promise you.” He said as he started pulling at her wrists.
“Damn it! Who is the boss here anyway? I can damn well sack you” She threatened hotly.
“When I’m no longer part of the company, you may run it down but as long as I’m still part of the team, I won’t allow you to play when you should be working. Do you understand that?” He said through gritted teeth.Fatihat wanted to slap him but she realized suddenly that her friends were watching and listening to them openly and unashamedly.
“Can I at least say goodbye to them?” she said through gritted teeth, swallowing her pride with deliberate effort.
“I give you five minutes. Otherwise….” He left the sentence hanging as he strolled away. Fatihat stood for a moment, staring at him in rising anger before she turned to her friends.
“Nice looking dude. Is that your latest man friend? He sure handles you.” Martha said with undisguised admiration, staring at his retreating back.
“He is my manager, my employee, he works for me.”
“He is one hell of an employee but I can smell the attraction between you guys. Are you sure you he is not going to be more than an employee eventually?” Andrew said with a grin as he dragged at a cigar stick.
“I don’t appreciate that joke at all. See you guys some other time.” She picked up her beach bag and swung away.
“I bet five hundred dollars that Lilah will eventually sleep with that guy.” She heard Andrew said which fueled her anger.
“I second it.” Michael chipped in.
“I hope not because I really like that guy and I will look out for him.” Martha said sulkily and the others burst into laughter but fatihat did not even smile.
*****
Fatihat joined Tunde in the car, bristling with anger and spoiling for a real fight but he didn’t even spare her a glance as he kicked the engine to life. He drove to his friend’s hotel which was on their route and pulled up in the car park at the rear of the hotel. He reached behind her and dropped a T.M Lewis bag on her lap.
“I’m going to borrow my friend’s suite so that you can change in privacy. I don’t have all the time in the whole world because we’ve wasted enough of it already. Let’s go.” He said quietly and unlocked the doors.
“Can I have the suite‘s number and the key to it?” She held out her hands but he ignored it and stepped out of the car, giving her no choice than to follow.
A security man came over with a smile and greeted him, then saluted her as if she wasn’t improperly dressed. “I will be right back, Stephen.”Tunde gave him his car key and propelled fatihat towards the back entrance of the hotel with his hand on the small of her bare back. She turned on him fiercely immediately he opened the suite and they were alone.
“What is your problem anyway? You love playing the knight in shining armor, right?”
“I don’t have time for your injured dignity; fatihat.You should have acted more responsibly.” He glanced at his wrist-watch pointedly.
“You can go to hell with your suits. I’m not in the mood to work and I’m not coming with you.” She flopped into a sofa and dropped the bag like a pack of trash. He leaned over her with his hands on both arms of the sofa, automatically trapping her in and said with a dead calm
“I won’t hesitate to UnCloth you and dress you up properly. It will be a great pleasure to me, miss Ali.”
“You are a fool.” She raised her hand to hit him but he caught it in his hand and stared down at her.
“You are a real bitch.”He held her upper arms in a fierce grip and his mouth came down on hers with a brutal force. She winced as her lips got bruised and whimpered in protest against him.
The next moment he was the one sitting down and she was cuddled in his laps while his lips softened up on hers. She sank between his laps and kissed him back with a fire-hot passion that seemed to consume them both. He gathered her closer and his fingers slipped beneath the hem of her tank top while her fingers got busy with the buttons on his shirt. He sucked in his breath when her cool fingertips came into contact with his skin and he groaned against her mouth. The kiss deepened as his arm tightened around her and she moaned. He reached for the tank top and pulled it over her head before she could protest. She was bra-less and his blood boiled with passion at the sight.
“Oh God! I want you so much.” He groaned as he buried his head between her breasts and she shuddered involuntarily. They were soon drowning in the sea of passion that threatened to drown them both, all reasons and places are forgotten.
*****
“Tunde Abeeb, what are you doing in a hotel room with a woman in the middle of a workday?”Olayiwola Douglass‘s voice proceeded him into the suite.
Tunde dropped Fatihat in the bedroom with a speed of lightning. “Dress up and meet me downstairs. I will be waiting for you.” He mouthed at her and was gone before she could reply.
“Get out” He met his friend at the door and the latter took in his less than elegant appearance in a glance.
“Who is she? She must be very important for you leave the most important work in the world to bring her here.” He leaned against the door post.
“Stop being such a poke nose and go back to work.”Tunde made a show of dressing up properly and propelled his friend out of the room.
“You don’t want to tell me who she is, isn’t it? Have you forgotten Nike so soon? This is one woman who has stayed with you when you needed one most.”Olayiwola said bitterly and he gave a deep sigh.
“I’ve never forgotten her, Ola but what should I do if she refused to see or talk to me. She has even changed her number because of me. If she truly loves and trusts me, she could have given me a benefit of doubt, despite everything. There is a limit to what a man can take, don’t you think so?”
“You are right. I did try approaching her too but it was as if we’ve never been friends, she was so cold. So are you dating someone else now?” His friend asked in curiosity. “No. I need that company back on its feet before anything else, even if it is no longer mine. I don’t have time for relationships.” He moved down the staircase.
“But you have time for flings, right?”Olayiwola teased as he followed behind.
“Flings doesn’t cost anything and drop it, I won’t tell you who she is.” He grinned and headed out to his car.Fatihat joined him barely five minutes later and they drove back to the office in a companion silence.
*****
She thought the previous day was the most stressful at work but she realized that today was even worse and Tunde had spent the whole of the two days in her office, working towards a deadline that was drawing near. They were working towards a contract and they needed to put certain things in place before they had any chance of being considered at all. They had a very short break in which they were supplied with snacks and drinks by her secretary and they joined a conference call after then which ended in the evening. “I’m ready to drop.” She flopped unto the sofa in her office and closed her eyes. “Common, Fatihat. We have a few more files to go through now and we are done here.” “I can’t go on any longer. Every other thing can go to hell.” she removed a cigar from the pack on the stool beside her and put a lighter to it.
“We will achieve more at a faster rate if we do this together, then we can both go home. We should be able to go to that meeting tomorrow.”He was growing impatient.
“You are the workaholic, Mr. Abeeb, please get on with it.” She blew smoke leisurely into the air and smiled at him.
“Don’t be such a spoilsport, fatihat. Don’t you want a return on your money?’ He struggled to visibly control his temper.
“I’ve other investments elsewhere that will yield plenty of profits either I work for it or not, you are the one who will get hurt if this company went under because it is your last hope.” She told him flatly. His heart went cold as he realized bitterly that she was right. “I accept, iron lady. I promise to drive you home if only we can just finish this today. Be a good girl.” He grinned at her. She sighed heavily as she realized he won’t give up on her.
“You are a real pain in the ass and I will stay well clear of you after we are done here.” Her voice sounded bitter as she dropped the half-smoked cigar into the ashtray and got to her feet. “You will drive me home in my car.” she said after a moment.
“I will even carry you to your bedroom and give you a bath if you want.” He teased. She hissed in exasperation.



P.S

Do you want to study, work and live in Australia? We offer free education consultancy, assist with Admission processing and student visa application. We also do flight reservation and ticketing to any destination outside Nigeria. Chat me up if you are interested. I can be reached at @obolaji on twitter and https://web.facebook.com/olanrewaju.mobolaji on facebook. You may also inbox me at obolaji2002@yahoo.com......

Cheers!

Don't fall from the Ten storey building please. lol

bimberry1307:
Gift Thomas! that's her baby she just dashed 100 box. ok o, I'm watching from a ten story building.

**smiles.

Both twins are alive.

Keep your fingers crossed..

**smiles.
Thanks for reading.
Keep your fingers crossed..

EIGHT

Fatihat strolled into the house after receiving her stockbroker’s call and grinned at her sister who was reading the novel in the sitting room.
“You won visa lottery?” Josephine asked as she glanced at her.
“It is something better than that. I just bought the last of the Abeebs‘s share which means I have the bigger share of the company than Tunde Abeeb. That calls for a celebration, doesn’t it?” She went to the drink cabinet and poured herself a glassful.
“I see.” Josephine continued reading without giving her a glance. Fatihat sipped her drink and came to stand before her. “Is that all you have to say, Jose?”She asked angrily. “What do you want me to say? You always do things your own way, so I don’t think my opinion is of any relevance to you.” she shrugged.
“I want it anyway. After all, it is free.” She downed her remaining drink and stared down at her sister.
“I will give it to you.” Josephine put her feet down and faced her. “In all sincerity, if Tunde throws in the towel and resigned, Can you singlehandedly run that company, even if it is not crumbling?” She demanded as she stared at her.
Fatihat stared at her for a moment and sat down abruptly opposite her. “Of course, he can’t do that. He still owns part of it and it means a lot to him.” She said calmly, even though she wasn’t sure any longer.
“We both know it is a possibility and you like facing reality, don’t you? That company is crumbling and you know it, yet you tied up almost all your money in it because you want to revenge. If that guy walks out of the door, you are in a great soup of trouble, you slowpoke.” Josephine hissed viciously and she put the wine glass down.
“Okay, I got your point.What should I do now?” she asked worriedly, chewing on her lower lips.
“I don’t know. It is your funeral, you attend it alone.” Josephine picked up her novel and walked away from her, leaving her in deep thought.
*****
Tunde stormed into the house and met his three brothers in his mother’s bedroom with his mother. “How was the meeting, Tunde?”Wale asked quickly.
“Can somebody explain this? I just received a call from the company lawyer and he told me you guys just sold out your shares. Can you tell me the reason?” He asked coldly.
“I need money in school and the value of the shares is dropping anyway, so what is the big deal?”Tayo, the baby of the family said with a glare.
“You are a big fool.”Tunde made to hit him but wale pulled him back. “Take it easy please, Tunde. I understand how you feel.” Wale said pleadingly.
“What is going on, Tunde? You should have let us in before now.”Ayoola, the older of the two brothers said worriedly.
“She bought it all.”Tunde sank unto the sofa wearily, suddenly drained out.
“Who is she, wale?”Yemi spoke for the first time. The recent trying period had taken its toll on her youthful face and she looked older than her age.
“Delilah Smith. She has been buying our asset; I think she means serious business.” Wale sat on the bed and leaned against the bedpost.
“I wonder how she got so rich within a short period of time, it is unbelievable.”Tunde said in reluctant awe and wonder.
“Come off it. She is a very beautiful woman.” Wale said with a quick grin.
“She is really out for me, wale. What should I do now?” Tunde gave his brother a bleak look.
“How come you know her so much, wale? I thought you have no interest in the business.” Their mother said lightly.
“Mum, she is Fatihat Ali.”Tunde said bluntly and watched his mother’s jaw dropped in shock.
“Our prettiest housemaid? What happens to her by the way?”Tayo asked curiously.
“She got pregnant and I sent her away. Her beauty got the better of her” Yemi said, still angry at the memory.
“She was pregnant?”Tunde echoed in disbelieve as the room suddenly become hot for him. He removed his jacket as he got to his feet.
“You didn’t use protection, Tunde?” Wale narrowed his eyes at him.
“I didn’t plan it. I just came back from work and met her in my room that day, then…….”His voice trailed away as his mother stared at him in horror. He looked away and then started pacing.
“You raped her, Tunde?”Yemi asked in a shaky whisper. “I never meant to……” Tunde scrubbed his palm down his face wearily and held it out helplessly. “I’m sorry, mum.”He finished lamely.
“I want a yes or No answer. Did you rape her, Tunde abeeb?”She asked coldly.
“Yes, ma.”He said in a small voice and blinked when her palm connected with his cheek in a resounding slap. His head snapped back when a second blow followed on the other cheek.
“I’m so ashamed of you, Tunde. You are a disgrace to this family, so you could bow so low as to rape an innocent girl?” Tears filled her eyes as she turned away and bowed her head. “I was busy, warning her when the black sheep was actually in my own family; among the fools, I called responsible children.” She swallowed her sobs as she paced up and down the room while her children looked on in silence.Tunde’s ears continued to ring and his heart constricted painfully in his chest. “She was trying to tell me the day I sent her out but I didn’t believe her that a child of mine could be such an animal. How are you so sure the pregnancy is yours?” She turned to him and he flinched unconsciously. “She was a virgin. I was her first man.” He said quietly.
“Oh my God!” She rocked back and forth on her heels and tried not to let the tears drop. “Do you know she was almost through with secondary school when I sent her out? Her remaining balance with me could not even take her to Ibadan, talk less of taking her back to the north where her family resides. You are wicked, Tunde, selfish and irresponsible. I wish I can disown you.” She threw him an angry glance.
“Mum, the deed is done already, what is the way forward now?” Wale asked after some time.
“Are you asking me for the way forward? Ask your idiot brother for the way out. I don’t have your time. Please get out of my room, all of you.” she said coldly. All her sons filed out except for Tunde who lingered behind them.
“I’m truly sorry, mum. I made a terrible mistake and I wish I can undo it. I will try my best to rectify it though, I promise.” He said desperately and she faced him squarely. “That is your problem, Youngman and it is none of my damn business. I’ve washed my hand completely off your father’s business, so you are free to do as you please your lordship. Now, get out before I do something we will both regret later.” She told him and he quietly exits her room, closing the door silently behind him.
*****
Fatihat came back from school quite late. She was about to sneak up to her room when she heard an argument coming from the kitchen below and paused on the staircase. The argument was between Josephine and wale and she groaned when she realized she was the topic of discussion.
“Jose, why are you behaving this way? Please persuade your sister to stop adding to our problems.” Wale’s voice vibrated with suppressed anger.
“Just tell me one good reason I should interfere on your behalf. I’m sure you are aware of the whole history by now. I don’t dapple into what is not my business. I’m sorry about that, boyfriend.”
“Are you refusing my request, Jose? I’ve never asked you a favor in my life. Can’t you just try on this one? Please!”
“I’m refusing this one, wale. On the other hand, you can go and talk to her if you feel like.”
‘Your sister is single-handedly manipulating a whole family, your fiancée’s family and you are feeling smug about it. What kind of wife are you going to be?” He said tartly. “Next time, your brother should keep his trousers zipped up tight and your mother should learn to be a bit more tolerant. Is that okay, boyfriend?”
“Please stop insulting my family, girlfriend. The least you could do is respect them just a little bit and stop being so judgmental.”He walked out of the kitchen and towards the doorway. He saw fatihat on the staircase but didn’t pause in his stride. “Are you doing it or not?” He asked for the last time at the doorway.
“We are through with that discussion, Mr. Abeeb.”Josephine told him with her hand on her hip.
“Good riddance to bad rubbish.” He muttered loud enough for both of them to hear and went out while she flinched visibly.
Josephine sat down and tapped her nails sharply on the glass tool impatiently.fatihat came down the staircase and sat opposite her.
*****
“I hope you know I’m capable of fighting for myself, I don’t need you to fight on my behalf.”
“Come off it. You know it is not about you.” Josephine threw her an irritating glance.
“So what is this all about? You guys were discussing me when I came in.”
“Don’t be so full of yourself, girl. We were discussing the issue going on in their family and it is none of your business.”
“Josephine, I know you are crazy about this guy. Don’t throw away this relationship because of something that happened to me in the past. My rotten past is not worth that kind of sacrifice.”
“You are worth everything and anything. Please don’t get me angrier than this.” she glared at her younger sister.
“Accepted. Don’t you love him as much as you thought you do?”Fatihat asked impatiently.
“When did you start believing in love, my dear girl?” she asked with sudden interest.
“I don’t believe in it but you do and that is enough. Do you think it is easy to get a man who will accept you for who you are, with your rotten past and all? Wake up, big sister. Think twice and don’t give him an excuse to walk away from your life.”She picked up her bag and walked upstairs.
Josephine did think twice but she was not ready to swallow her pride and go begging him back into her life. Wale did not call or check on her and she started getting really worried.Fatihat was busy throughout the week in school. She didn’t have time for the company or Josephine’s love problem. There were tests and general preparation for their second-semester exam.
*****
It was Sunday and Wale’s day off from the hospital.Tunde has spent the night in his house. It gave them enough time to discuss the issues going on in the family. He was at the breakfast table while Tunde was in the bathroom when the doorbell rang. He left his breakfast and went to open the door. His eyes nearly popped out of its socket when he saw his early morning visitor.
She was looking cute in a micro-mini flowery sun-dress with a cap sleeve and a low-heel white sandal adorned her small feet. She flashed him her radiant gaped-teeth smile and he couldn’t help smiling back.
“You are a stunner, girlie. I nearly did not recognize you.” He grinned at her.
“Don’t insult me. You’ve always known I’m a looker.” She hit him playfully on the chest.
“Come on in. Good morning.” He moved aside for her to enter and he locked the door behind her.
“You don’t look too good. What is the problem?” She cocked her head to a side.
“What are you insinuating?” He scowled at her.
“I’m not insinuating anything. You have a lovely apartment. Anything for the babe?” she looked round in appreciation and he brought out a bottle of wine from the fridge.
“Do you care for this?” He placed the wine with its glass in front of her.
“I rarely take breakfast. I’m good.” she popped the cover of the bottle open and poured the wine into a glass cup.
“How is my baby?” He asked as he sat opposite her.
“She is not looking better. She doesn’t know I’m here.” She sat back and cross her legs. “So why are you here? I have this impression that you don’t care about my existence that much in your sister’s life.” He said bluntly.
“I don’t care for any man. I see them as toys to play with and discard when they are no longer useful.” She paused but his face was expressionless. “My sister is the most important thing to me and you happen to be very important to her, so I’m at a crossroad here. I understand that this is your first real quarrel and it is all about me. I hope she hasn’t given you a reason to walk away?”
“I don’t just walk away from relationships. Kindly bear that in mind and I believe anything worth having is worth working for. I’m different from all the men you ever know in your life.” He told her firmly and she regarded him in silence for a moment. “Prove it and I will give you benefit of doubt.” she said with a hint of challenge in her voice.
“I will.” He promised quietly.
*****
Tunde came into the sitting room from behind her, clad in boxers’ shorts with a towel around his neck. He bent over fatihat, holding her by the waist and gave her a smacking kiss on the cheek.
“You, rat. How dare you scare me so?” she glowered at him as she turned around.
“Do you scare so easily? I don’t believe that. Where have you been?” He came round and sat beside her.
“How is that your business? Get away from me.” She tried to move away but he pulled her back.
“Are you scared of sitting beside me? You look good enough to eat.” He smoothed her hair back from her face and she stared at him in amazement.
“You are an incorrigible flirt, Tunde Abeeb! Do I look like someone you can flatter?” She tried to move away again. He picked her by the waist and dropped her on his lap. “Every woman needs to be flattered once in a while but I am not flattering you.” He grinned as he rocked her back and forth. To her dismay and horror, she found herself relaxing in his intimate embrace and struggled to keep herself alert.
“Thanks. Let me go” She wriggled her toes and realized her feet were not even touching the ground.
“At least I can’t rape you in my brother’s presence.”He grinned at her as he caught her face in his hand and kissed her fully on the mouth. Fatihat froze for a moment, undecided in her mind but for the first time in years her emotions ruled over her and she responded to the gentle persuasions of his lips on hers. Her palms went flat on his chest and she sagged against him as he deepened the kiss. None of them noticed Wale left the room or even the house either as they were lost in their own blissful world. Tunde broke the kiss and came up for air. It was then she realized the full force of what she had done and stared at him in dismay. She got to her feet abruptly and picked up her bag.
“Fatihat, I’m sorry. I got carried away.”Tunde got to his feet too and wrapped the towel around his waist when he realized the evidence of his arousal was blatantly showing. “What are you apologizing for? Do you think I’m the same dummy girl you raped years ago?” She asked coldly and he winced slightly.
“Come off it. We were both carried away a moment ago. I admitted I started it and I’m sorry for that but you didn’t exactly reject my kiss, did you?” He said as a matter of fact. “I guess I forgot the lesson I learned years ago that men are real snakes. It won’t repeat itself.” she vowed as she walked out of the room without a backward glance, slamming the door behind her.
Tunde sank unto the sofa and released his breath slowly. God! What are my doing to myself? My life is crumbling all around me and all I can think about is this devil incarnate called Fatihat Ali, he thought miserably and sighed heavily.
*****
Fatihat was still fuming with rage when she ran into traffic on her way home and turned off the engine. She rolled down her window and stared out of the car when a little girl walked past with a box of gala sausage rolls and snacks.
“Aunty, buy sweet gala. It is fresh and crisp.” The girl flashed a toothless grin and she looked at her. The girl was around seven years old and was clad in faded jean shorts and t-shirt. Her hair was covered with a scarf and she carried her box of gala elegantly on her shoulder.
Fatihat was impressed, she smiled at the little girl and the girl smiled back.
“How much is your gala?” she asked, even though she has no appetite for it.
“It is fifty naira each ma. How many do you want?” The little girl asked eagerly.
“Give me two” Fatihat gave her two hundred naira note and collected the snacks from her. The little girl put down her box of snacks and was looking for a change when cars started moving.
“What is your name? You can keep the change.”Fatihat turned the ignition key.
“I’m Gift Thomas. Thank you very much ma.”The girl grinned happily at her.
“You are welcome, gift. See you some other time.” Fatihat waved at her and drove away as she rolled up her window.

P.S

Do you want to study, work and live in Australia? We offer free education consultancy, assist with Admission processing and student visa application. We also do flight reservation and ticketing to any destination outside Nigeria. Chat me up if you are interested. I can be reached at @obolaji on twitter and https://web.facebook.com/olanrewaju.mobolaji on facebook. You may also inbox me at obolaji2002@yahoo.com......

Cheers!

Yes, it is untill it start to backfire..

bimberry1307:
wow! this revenge is sweet.

SEVEN

‘For a baby that was malnourished during his stay inside there, he is surprisingly hale and hearty. It is almost too miraculous to be true.’ Her gynecologist, Doctor Halima Jimada told her in a voice, tinged with surprise. She has become a close friend throughout the years she has been battling her barrenness.
‘You need to see the way he was screaming at the top of his voice when I saw him this morning.’ Yetunde tried to smile as she looked down at the baby who was on the second bottle of baby formula. His eyes were closed but his small mouth was working furiously while he held the bottle close with his second fist.
She swallowed the lump in her throat and felt her friend’s palm came to rest on her shoulder in reassurance. She looked up and her eyes shone with unshed tears.
‘Would I say God is unjust on His throne? What did I do to deserve these years of barrenness in my life, Halima?’ A lone tear rolled slowly down her cheek.
‘Don’t be ungrateful to your Creator, Yetunde. Count your blessings. How many women are as rich as you are? Hell, how many people are as rich as you are? Everything you touched turns into Gold. You can’t have it all.’ Halima’s smile was gentle, even as she was firm and realistic. Yetunde sighed sadly.
‘He is still on the throne and He still answers prayers. He only does it in ways that are beyond human’s scope.’ Her hand rubbed a spot on her shoulder, it was surprisingly soothing. She met her gaze.
‘Get your lawyer and set about adopting him. The Nigeria system is in a rot already. This little man needs you more than anything else in the world.’
‘What if his mother turns up to claim him in the future?’ She voiced the niggling thought in her head. Halima laughed but it wasn’t a pleasant sound.
‘We will cross the bridge when we get there.’
*****
Olalekan Kolawole was named after her father. She tried not to be emotionally attached to the baby but it was a losing battle.
Lekan was dark in complexion and good looking. He was pampered with everything which money can buy.
He was enrolled in an exclusive private school by the time he was three.
She drives him to school every morning and went to pick him up in the afternoon on a daily basis.
Her whole life revolved around his existence until she met Ademola Badmus when Lekan was five.
Her son took an instant dislike to her lover-to-be.
*****
It was Monday morning. Fatihat remembered she was supposed to be at the board meeting in Abeebs’s company just as she opened her eyes.
“Can you imagine that brute telling me I have to be there? Can’t I do anything I like with my company?” She complained to Josephine as they had breakfast in the kitchen. The latter laughed at her.
“I can’t remember the last time you wore a real suit. You just keep piling them in that enormous wardrobe of yours.” Josephine said, eyeing her appreciatively. She was clad in dark blue mini skirt suit with a white inner camisole. Her smooth fair legs ended in a pair of solid heel black shoes. Her dark long hair was pulled back in a ponytail and her face was devoid of makeup.
“How do I look?” She asked anxiously as she got to her feet and turned around.
“You look good and sexy as hell. You are the youngest CEO in Nigeria.” She grinned at her.
“I’m very nervous. What will I say when I get there for God’s sake?”Fatihat asked worriedly. She removed a stick of cigar from the pack in front of her and lit it. She inhaled and released sharply, a cloud of smoke covered her face for a while.
“You will find something to say, I’m very sure. That is why you are Delilah Smith alias the bad girl.” Josephine hailed her with a smile.
“How is the hotel business going? There is nothing as good as revenge. I feel good.” She flashed her gaped-teeth smile, a smile which had led many men astray in the past.
“You are the only one who knows how well it feels. Anyway, it is nice to be employed and be paid well. Your name alone has won over enough customers.” Josephine got to her feet and cleaned the table.
Fatihat dropped the half-smoked cigar into the ash tray and ran upstairs to put on a light make-up. She picked up her car key and hand-bag on her way out of the house and drove out, closely followed by Josephine in her ash color v-boot.
*****
She drove into the company’s premises on the outskirt of Lagos and just realized how mighty it was.
She was unusually early and parked in the managing director’s parking space. There was only one other car in the parking space. She noted that it was only the security man and few staffs who were punctual in the office.
Lateness is the order of the day in this company, she noted and filed it away as she moved around leisurely in the compound. She walked into the manufacturing and warehouse section. The whole place was empty. She was about to leave when she saw movement at the far corner and moved there without hesitation. She saw two young men, moving sacks of raw material into a waiting van just outside the place.
“Where are those going, young men?”She asked quietly, moving in noiselessly on them. They dropped the bags in fright.
“The factory manager, Mr. Bamgbose asked us to drop it in the waiting car. Who are you ma?”The taller of the two men asked suspiciously.
“I’m a new employee. Do you two work here too? If you can tell me anything, I will make it worth your time.” She said quietly as she removed some naira notes from her bag and handed it over to them.
“Thank you, ma.”They both chorused.
By the time, Fatihat was through and came out of the place, the parking space was overfilled. She took a deep breath and walked into the administrative block.
*****
Tunde Abeeb was the first person she saw and he paused when he saw her.
“You look good. I didn’t know you still have any decent clothing in your wardrobe.’ He grinned at her. She hit him at the back of his head before she could stop herself. “Are you crazy?” He said as he stumbled forward.
“You have always been bad-mouthed. Where are the others?” She noted the deserted office.
“They are waiting for us in the conference room. Are you ready?” He pulled her hand towards the closed door and she hung back reluctantly.
“I’m not ready for anything; damn it and you know it.” She snapped at him.
“Well, it is too late for that. Can we go in now?” He glanced at his wristwatch.
“Can I smoke just one stick? Please?”She pleaded desperately.
“Fatihat! Move it now.” He snapped at her.
“Let’s go.” She hissed at him as she marched in with her head held high and he stifled a grin as he walked in behind her.
*****
She was introduced to the board of directors and she was offered the seat of the chairman/managing director of Abeebs group of company, Mustapha Abeeb‘s former position. She felt a thrill of success! Revenge is sweet and she savored the taste as she looked around at the staffs, waiting for her to address them. She knew a moment of panic before her in-born confidence kicked in. She didn’t waste time on the preamble and went straight to the point.
“Charity, they say begins at home. We are the root and architect of our own problems. Firstly, we are shutting down the liquid section of the pharmaceutical company until further notice. The production and factory managers have been indulging in random theft and I witnessed one of those this morning.” She paused and there were murmurs all over the room while Tunde watched her expressionlessly without a word. “Then we are re-visiting a few company policies like resumption time and security. I’m open to suggestions. As for the debts owned by the company, I know most of the managing directors in these banks. I will talk to them and give you a feedback in our next meeting. Suggestions please” She looked at her note and glanced at their faces one after the other. There were murmurs of general approval and for the first time in weeks, Tunde saw a semblance of a smile on the director’s faces.
“Well done, Miss Smith. We are on our way to the Promised Land. I look forward to working with you ma. ” Edward Fadairo, Operations Director came forward to shake her hand.
“Thank you, sir. It will be my pleasure.” She smiled at him as she returned the firm handshake.
The meeting ended shortly after and another meeting began with the entire staff.
*****
It was at the general meeting that Tunde realized the extent of Fatihat’s ruthlessness when dealing with someone she had no regard for. By the time they were through, half of the managers were gone and most of the employees were highly subdued by the new policies. He knew they will receive a lot of resignation letters in the ensuing weeks. He couldn’t fault her though because he would have done the same thing exactly!
*****
It was evening time by the time fatihat sat down in one of the conference room seats and put her legs on the table. She brought out a cigar stick and smoked silently as the place was cleaned away while Tunde sat opposite her, watching her.
“What is on your mind? Did I mess up?” she asked quietly.
“You really want this company back on its feet, don’t you?” He asked casually.
“It is the only way I can get a return on my money.” She replied tartly as she dropped ash on the ashtray and recrossed her legs on the table.
He followed her movement with his eyes and sighed inaudibly. “What do you want, fatihat? I’m sorry about what happened years ago. It was a mistake and I apologize for it.” His voice rang with sincerity.
Fatihat dropped the half-smoked cigar in the harsh tray and lit another one before dropping her feet on the tiled floor, then stood up. “You know what, Tunde abeeb? How about if I offer you a good portion of what you wanted years ago in exchange for your father’s company completely and totally. I’m quite sure I can make it work.” She gave him a quick grin.
He sat back, speechless. “My father’s company means a lot to me and I’m determined to hold on to by at all cost.” He gritted his teeth, battling to quench his rising anger.
“I thought as much, so quit bringing up what happened between us years ago. Your eyes were wide open when you did it and you are not sorry, I’m quite sure of that.” She said coldly as she came to stand before him.
“We can’t continue this way if we are going to work together, Fatihat and you know it.” He tipped his chair back to look into her face. “Anyway, I’m impressed with what you did today, you have achieved half of what I intend to do.”He changed the topic swiftly and she sat down again.
“What do you have in mind?” She repeated his previous question. By the time he was through with his sketchy plan for the company’s future, she was really impressed and a part of her plot for revenge had just slid in place. Tunde Abeeb will work for her, Fatihat Ali aka Delilah Smith; she smiled inwardly as she listened to him.
By the time she got home that day, her stockbroker has gotten her the shares that belonged to the Abeeb brothers, Ayoola and Tayo.

P.S

Do you want to study, work and live in Australia? We offer free education consultancy, assist with Admission processing and student visa application. We also do flight reservation and ticketing to any destination outside Nigeria. Chat me up if you are interested. I can be reached at @obolaji on twitter and https://web.facebook.com/olanrewaju.mobolaji on facebook. You may also inbox me at obolaji2002@yahoo.com......

Cheers!

Hmm. Let's keep our fingers crossed.**smiles

Buckubuck:
Lemme guess
Yetunde's Jose's mum