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ODOUR OF ROSES
Part 2

I waited patiently at the car, with a bottle of whisky in my hand. She was taking so long and I began to wonder what was keeping her back when my phone rang. It was Adams. I hesitated at first, and then picked the call. “Where are you now?” That question hit me like a bolt. I swear, I could have told him “I am with your wife at a bar right now” but I thought against it. It won’t be cool. A second thought flashed through my mind. I looked around to see if he or someone else had seen me around, but there was none I could find. “Why do you ask? We have a problem?” A problem I wished we had. I wished I could tell him I am about to bleep his wife after leaving the bar. I wished I could see the look on face when he gets to hear that. But I couldn’t. The anger and hatred I have developed for the bastard is not enough for me to lose my dignity and self respect. I could not even take such a draconian measure to get back at him. How could I tell him such when it is never really happening? I brought his wife, his newly wedded wife to a bar only to talk. Actually, she invited me. “I am not at home.” I told him. “Where are you? I want to see you” he asked again. “What for?” “A very important issue. I know there is something we ought to talk about. I am on my way to your place now. Let’s meet there.” He ended the call, like he had just given his ‘boy’ an instruction to follow. Just then, his wife came out and approached the car. She just ended a call too. “We are going to your house now, dear.” Why my house of all houses? How do I explain to her husband that I was coming from a bar with his wife? I was wondering when she continued “Adams will be waiting for us there.”

Without a word, we stepped into the car and as I drove, I was wondering what kind of ambush I was being dragged into. It was a plan, the couple planned this well. Let the wife lure him, cool him down and make him feel she is concerned about him then let the husband step in. There was silence in the car as I drove back home except for Phil Collins’ “All of My Life” playing from the car mp. I had put it in repeat the day before as it tends to put me in my own thoughts. Soon enough, we got to my house and I was surprised when I noticed Adams was inside already. He does not have my keys and I’m sure I locked my door before leaving. His wife too didn’t even bother to wait for me. She just stepped inside while I had to follow behind. Then my question was answered. She still had my spare keys and as I stepped in, I saw her, the beautiful devil that had ruined me. What on earth was she doing in my house?

I think my eyes must have asked the question when Collins replied “She cancelled her flight on Wednesday”. I thought to myself, her flight from the life she destroyed not her flight to UK. I felt like hitting her, like beating her, like repaying the pain she had inflicted. But that feeling disappeared when my eyes fell on her again. And as I sat opposite her, I found myself lost in her charms again. Feyi, Adams wife broke the tension in the room. “It’s been a week now, and I can’t pretend not to know what happened at my wedding. I’m sorry it turned out that way, but I think its best for us to talk it over.”

Truth be told, I didn’t give us a chance to talk about it when I heard. That day, I simply took my leave of the wedding and cut all contacts, found a place to hide myself and sulk over my life. I was absent from work too, trust me, my boss understands. He saw it happen.

I stood up, walked up to angel, I used to call her angel but I have a better name now. I stood up, walked up to devil and bent low before her. “Who did you say your first love is again?” I sounded stupid to myself but I wanted to be just stupid. She couldn’t give a reply but Adams came to her aid. “We are sorry we had to keep this from you.” He was on his feet but dared not come any closer. I could not beat the devil but a punch to her archangel’s mouth would make a difference. “You could not tell me you both dated? And all this while you both acted like you were meeting for the first time? You played it well when I introduced you to each other. Why?” I shouted. Devil leaned back on her chair and Adams stepped back too. Only then did I remember I still had the bottle of whisky in my hands and had held it like I was about to hit someone when I shouted. I dropped it on the stool close by and they seemed to feel relaxed again.

“I begged him never to say it.” The devil spoke again. “He tried a lot but I warned him against it. I told him I would give up the whole world than let him tell you the truth. It was my fault. I’m sorry” I hate to hear those words “I’m sorry”. I simply asked her why. She came closer as she spoke “I know how you loathe whoever my first love is. When I told you about him, you never wanted me to ever mention the name again. When you discovered I was still talking with him, you tried to cut contact with him. When I wanted you to meet him, when I share my memories of him with you, you end up feeling bad. You were jealous of him without knowing him. You knew I still felt something for him. You feared you had to compete with him. True, I still loved him. God knows I love you too, but I still loved him more.” “Then what happened?” I found myself asking, there was no anger in my voice this time. “You introduced your friend to me. I could not tell you it was him. I didn’t want to come between you two. I knew you would hate him if you got to know. I feared you might keep your distance from him. Deep down, I felt your friendship is the only thing that will keep me closer to him. That friendship, I never wanted to lose.”

Those words made me feel like a fool. I have been played and my friend too played along. I had almost forgotten that Feyi was in the room until she spoke too “Adams is my first love too.” I turned around in shock. What on earth is this epidemic of first love feelings like in secondary school students? “I know how she feels,” she continued “and I would do anything to remain with him. Please, let us find a way to make everyone happy here. We can still make things work”. It was easier for her to say that, I thought to myself. Being with the one you love gives you immeasurable strength. I have my first love too and here she stands, professing her undying love for some other man. I have had whims for other ladies, but for this devil, I felt love. But why on earth was I not someone else’s first love. Right there, I felt like I could do with someone ready to break a thousand souls just to be with me, simply because she will always love me. But I’ve learnt that when life gives you lemon, use it to make lemonade. I’d do well without being a first love too. “What now?” I asked. Wanting this episode to come to an end quickly. Feyi, like an expert teaching her students, stepped into the centre of the room. “You too should try to work it out. We all know Adams is mine and we all will be just fine if you too could once again be the lovebirds you once were.” She smiled. The first smile in the house since we arrived. “But first, we have a lot of forgiving to do. I’m sorry.”

“Its too late now.” I wished the devil would just shut up. “I need to walk out of your life, I mean you three. I just wanted you to know.” “What?” I asked. “Why?” Feyi asked too. The devil looked from me to Feyi, and then settled her eyes on Adams. She moved closer to him “I can’t have you. But I have something of yours I’ll be okay with.” It was his turn to ask “What?” puzzled. “A month,” the devil replied with self content, “I am pregnant.”

Ajagbe74:
Oliver twist

More on the way!

Ajagbe74:
Oliver twist

More on the way!

CharlyNick:
interesting story

Tanx.

ODOUR OF ROSES
Part One

“I have to do this,” I said to myself, “I have to. It’s the best for us”. I looked around and met the smiling faces of my friends who already knew what I was up to. I already called for attention and attention, I got. Everyone seemed to be in every breath I drew into myself. Those with whom I was seated showed their interest. However, some from a distance have been watching too. I saw my boss and his wink nudged me on. He held his wife closer and the tension in the moment showed in the way his eyes widened. I looked at my best friend too. He closed his eyes and gave a smile that showed his well groomed teeth. He too held the hands of his girlfriend tighter. Obviously, I was not the only one dying with tension here. Even the music began to dwindle. Maybe it was my head, I was not sure. But I could see the newly wedded couple dancing away in the middle of beach. They were surrounded by several other people and the scenario about to unfold was only being witnessed by those that were close by and those whose attention I had called. As I moved forward towards her, I almost missed a step. I could feel my heart pounding away and I’m sure it was beating louder than the music supposedly blaring from the speakers. It took a lot of hours within those few seconds to get to her. But there I was, staring into the grandeur of her beautiful angelic self. She was breathtaking. My perfect woman. I quickly took in the fragrance of her presence, her perfect beauty, the fairness of her skin, the light in her tender eyes, her perfect curve, her lips; those lips I’ve always fallen for. I found myself still lost in existence. “What is it, dear?” she asked. Oh, her voice had never been so melodious. It swept me off my feet and I found myself on one knee, looking up to her as she smiled. In a moment, I thought, I will even hear her voice singing the songs to which my life is to dance, till death do us part. I will hear it, I know, as sweet as a nightingale’s

“All of my life, I’ve seen smiles, but none there was to beat mine. I have felt love, but none I felt so undying. I heard tales of angels, until you came, I never believed. I’ve been told of priceless things, but even you, those things envy. I have made decisions in life, but in this, my life depends. I love you and I want to live the rest of my life through you.” I am not very good with words, but I know I couldn’t just pop the question without a few words. With the little I could think of, being said, I brought out the biggest object I’ve ever held in my life. I saw her eyes widen in amazement went she saw the ring I was holding. She even broadened her smile. That smile eased a bit of my tension and I knew that it was going to end well. Then, like in the movies, I asked “Will you marry me?”

The world came to a standstill. I could not even hear myself breathe. I realized I had been holding my breath. Everyone was silent. I too was silent. It felt like rapture through my spine. I was lost in bewilderment until I felt a touch on my shoulders. As I came back to reality, my brain almost exploded. She had said no. Was it really a no? I asked myself. Oh, she didn’t just say no, what she actually said was “I’m sorry, I can’t”. How on earth could she be sorry? She was too perfect to be, but if she is serious with what I just heard, then I should wonder why she could be sorry. She must be so sorry for destroying my life, my dream, my hope and my soul. She must be sorry for destroying my future, after spending the last two years of my life with her. She must really be sorry.

A few minutes later, everyone had dispersed to give us room. But I decided to pull her to the seashore where I could have the sight of the wave illustrate how happiness could be washed away within a minute. We stood there, looking at the sea and anywhere else but each other’s eyes. “What happened?” I asked. “You do not love me again? Someone else is involved? Or you are just not ready.” She nodded. “What is it?” I asked again, looking into her eyes. She tried to evade my eyes, but I didn’t give in. I wanted to see her say it, but I shouldn’t. My own eyes betrayed my strength when she replied. “I’m still in love him”. I was taken aback. We have been dating for two years and there was no sign of any other man coming in. She is beautiful and a lot of men have been trying to come into her life, but she never gave in. She had been strong and her love for me, until now, I thought must have been playing its part. “With whom?” I asked, dreading what I was about to hear. “My first love who happens to be with another woman right now.” Wow, she had been in love with her first love and I had been in the ghost of her heart while she had been in the core of mine. Next, I found myself asking, “Who exactly is he?” she became silent for a minute or two. I almost felt pity for her when I saw her teary eyes. However, I pity myself the most. While I was about to wonder if the sea could be a good way to commit suicide, I heard her voice again. This time, it sounded more like a devil’s than an angel’s. “Adams Banwo” was what I heard before turning around to look towards the beach, to see if I can find the face of bridegroom.