₦airaland Forum

She cut the line. 

By six p.m. I was in madam's sitting-room. 

“She went out but she said she would soon be back," Kubrat said. 

"Alright." I sat comfortably and stretched my legs.

 "What can I get you?" 

"Thanks. Nothing for now." 

I was there for about thirty minutes before she came around. 

“Oh I'm so sorry for keeping you waiting," she said.

 Kubrat relieved her of her hand bag and the shopping bag.

 "Please, come along." 

I followed her to the bedroom. "Sit down please." She pointed at the leather seat.

 After Kubrat had left, madam opened the shopping bag and started bringing some items out. 

"I want your job as P.A to be as smooth as possible. This is a new infinix phone, an i-pad, a folder and some other things that you'll need to do the work well." 

I smiled at her. What a woman. "You have done well, madam. It would have been a pleasure  working for you and accepting all these, but for the other factor." 

She stared at me. 

"What other factor?" 

I sighed. "The factor I told you yesterday." 

"Which is?" she asked.

 I sighed again. "I love you."

 She stood with arms akimbo. 

"So, you're still saying it's sex you want? You're saying you want sex?" 

She started pacing in the room. "Can you promise me that once you have your desire, you will leave me alone? That you will release the grip you have on me? Good."

 She came to stand in front of me again. 

"Alright, Seyi, I surrender. Come and take me." 

There was silence. I decided to say nothing. 

"Don't tell me you're shy. Come on."

 I neither said a thing nor made a move.

 "Okay, I can see that you think I'm joking." Her voice was alluring. "I'll show you how serious I am."

 Today, she was not wearing a t-shirt and jeans. Rather, she was wearing a flower-patterned short sleeve blouse and black skirt.

I shook my head. "Thank you madam, but I'm okay. I don't need any food today again. Good night, ma'am. Good night,   Sharon."

 "Goodnight, Seyi," madam returned. 

I left the house.  



*  *  * 


On Sunday morning, I was still in bed by eight. I ought to get up and start preparing for church but I didn't feel like going today. 

Madam Fransica remained on my mind. I needed to caution myself. Was I not taking things too far? Was I not overstretching my luck? No, I was not, I answered myself. I only expressed love to her and there was no crime in that. 

My phone rang. It was the madam on the line. 

"Good morning, madam." 

"Good morning, Seyi. Are you still angry with me?"

 "Oh no. I'm not." 

There was a short pause.

 "Alright, have a nice day."

 "You too, madam. Thanks for calling." 

Maybe I should allow things to cool down, I told myself. Things were rather going at a fast pace. I tried to forget about Madam Fransisca. I believe what would be, would be. I did not call or go to madam's house that day. 

On Monday, I tried to focus on my job. By afternoon, madam called me. 

"I thought you said you're not angry with me," she started in accusing  tone.

 "Why didn't you call or come around?" 

"I'm sorry ma'am." I didn't know what else to say. "I can come later today after closing from work."

 "Good. I'll be expecting you." 

She cut the line. 

By six p.m. I was in madam's sitting-room.

"But that is what you want. No wonder you have been eyeing me somehow since morning. Ko le werk." 

I chuckled. "I'm not talking about sex. If other guys see love as sex, I don't. I'm talking about real love, something that will culminate in marriage." 

She looked at me sharply again. "Listen, young man. There are many things you're overlooking. How old are you?" 

"Twenty-eight," I answered. 

"Hmn, last May, I celebrated 45th birthday. I have two grown up kids in their late teens. Look at the gap between us - seventeen years! 

“If I had got pregnant at seventeen, I would have birthed someone of your age. The two of us actually need prayers. We need to pray that the spirit of lusts should be cast out of our lives." 

 I remained silent.

 "Whatever I might have said or done that offended you, I'm sorry," she said. "Forgive me. Now, let's go inside." 

We came out of the car. I locked it and handed the keys to her. Silently, we moved up the stairs to her   flat. Kubrat opened the door for us while Sharon rushed at Madam Fransisca. 

“Hello, Big Aunty. You're sexy and gorgeous as usual," Sharon said.

 "Thank you, Sharon. You're very beautiful as ever." 

Sharon smiled radiantly. "Thanks, Big Aunty." 

"Good evening, Sharon," I greeted. 

"Good evening Big Aunty's able P.A. I hope Big Aunty is not stressing you on this job." 

I managed a grin. "Not at all. On the contrary, it is all pleasure." 

Madam called Kubrat, gave Kubrat her handbag and the key to the bedroom. "Take this to the bedroom. You'll see a white shopping bag that has some hair cream and other things. Bring it. It is for him."

 Big Aunty and Sharon chatted excitedly while I sat quietly. 

Moments after Kubrat handed the shopping bag to me, I stood up. "Thank you so much, madam. I'll like to leave now."

 The two ladies expressed surprise.

 "Won't you wait to have evening meal?" Madam asked. 

I shook my head. "Thank you madam, but I'm okay. I don't need any food today again. Good night, ma'am. Good night,   Sharon."

 "Goodnight, Seyi," madam returned. 

I left the house.

I was scandalized. The car crawled to a halt as a result of the go-slow. It helped in steeling myself into calmness. 

"I'm sorry madam, with due respect, I don't know what you're talking about."

 "You are the cause because of what you're using on me. You must be the cause as all this is not ordinary." 

My heart was beating fast. Oh Lord, I prayed in my heart, I pray that this woman is not a psychiatric case. 

"It is not ordinary. Ever since that moment we spoke on the phone , I have not    been myself. I tried to get you out of mind to no avail. I had to discretely ask Sharon about you. I got your number. I realized I must use a factor for the reason of us coming together. 

“That was why I told her about the P.A stuff. For the past two years, since my husband died, I have never felt like this for any man. As a matter of fact, I've never felt like this before for any man in my life." 

I heaved a sigh of relief. Madam Fransisica did not have any mental issue. She was only being carried away by emotions.

 I nodded as if I understood perfectly. She was wrong, but there was no need for bickering. I had to apply wisdom. 

"I'm a Christian," I started. "I believe in God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. I have never used juju on anybody before and I will never do it. I have no reason to use juju on you."

 The traffic had started moving again. "I couldn't have used juju on you that first time we talked on the phone. Remember it was Sharon's number I called. There was no way could I have known or even    suspected that you would be the one to pick the call." 

We were now in Ketu. 

“There's solution to this problem. The solution is prayer. But let me tell you this. The way you feel about me is the way I feel about you." 

She looked at me sharply. "Really?"

 I nodded. "Really. I have this attraction I can not really describe for you." 

She shook her head. "No, no, no, Seyi. Don't even go there." 

Some moments passed.

 "It is a fact I can not run away from. I know the feeling I have for you, strange as it could be." 

There was a long silence. 

"And what feeling is that?" The car was now at the gate of her residence. I blared the horn to attract Bashir's attention. 

He threw the gate open and I drove in. After I had switched off the engine, we remained in the car. 

"I asked you a question," she reminded me. 

I nodded. "Yes, and I will answer it. I love you." 

She stared at me for a long time. "I know it," she said. "I really know it. When a young man tells a lady he loves her, what he wants is sex. That is what you want, right? Seyi, so you want to have sex with me?" I shook my head. 

"But that is what you want. No wonder you have been eyeing me somehow since morning. Ko le werk."