I moved towards the east wing of the hotel. I kept walking around like a lost customer until I saw a map on the wall, indicating I was heading to a restricted area for hotel staff only. The end of the passage showed another section of the hotel marked out of bounds. The info on the wall indicated it was the Laundry room, kitchen and common room.
I could hear some noise and clattering of plates from the kitchen; and more laughters coming from another part of the condoned area. I sat on the chair inside the corridor and waited.
I didn't wait long until someone came out of the restricted area. She was surprised as she stopped abruptly in front of me.
"Sir, this is a restricted area." She said.
"Sorry, but I want to see Eve." I said, wondering if I would have to tell another lie before I will see her.
"Eve?" She asked.
"Yes."
"Is anything the problem?" She quizzed me once more.
Well, she was a girl and would understand a guy would do insane things for a girl he's lusting after so I played the love-struck card.
"I know this is against hotel rules but I need to see her and tell her some things that is burning inside me." I said.
She looked at me like she was beginning to understand.
"Are you lodged here sir?" She asked.
"Yes, saw her once at the hotel entrance and can't take my mind off her since then."
"Please just tell her I'm waiting for her here." I said.
She stared at me for some few seconds. "Stay here." She finally said as she turned back towards the restricted area.
Moments later, one of the attendants walked past me. I knew she was staring at me but maintained an innocent face. She got to the end of the corridor, turned and went back to the restricted area. Noah had to send a raven and a dove after the flood to make sure the coast was clear before exiting the ark. The raven had come, I was expecting the dove.
Eve came herself. I stood as she walked across to where I was seated. She was wearing her duty rope, still as beautiful and charming as ever.
"Its you again!" She proclaimed as she got close enough. "You will end up getting me sacked!" She said with a firm voice.
"I'm sorry, but I needed to see you." I said.
"What for?" She queried.
Then the 'dove' came out; another attendant walking towards us, staring at us as she walked past. I waited until she got to the end of the corridor, turned and walked past us again into the restricted area.
"Is there someplace else we can stay and talk apart from this place?" I asked.
She looked at me like she was getting soft: maybe she believed the tale the other attendant told her, maybe she believed I was there because I was really tripping for her.
Or was I?
I didn't have the luxury of dueling on both at the same time but if I needed that favor from her, I need to make her believe I was seriously into her.
"Just give me some minutes, is that too much to ask for?" I continued.
She looked at her wrist watch and back to me. It was obvious she was uneasy where we both were.
"I will be free from nights duty in the next 10mins, wait for me at the lawn-tennis court" She said.
"Were is that?" I asked.
She smiled at me.
"If you want to see me like you said, you will find the place." She said and walked away.
Just then, the next attendant walked towards us. This isn't a dove or raven again; I'm sure the parrots have started looking for gossip to repeat. I took my leave before the 'parrot' could come closer.
I went to the atm machine for the withdrawals. The machine was paying 1000 naira bills so I decided to make the full daily withdrawal of 120k on each account. Two bundles and half was a lot more comfortable in my pocket, although the bulge would be obvious to someone who would look closely enough. I deleted the messages and left the machine.
I asked one of the attendants where the court was and was directed to the courts. It was deserted and only a few people sat at a corner, smoking and drinking. I sat and waited patiently.
When she came, she had removed her work cloth and wore her casual wears.
"You found the place?" She teased as she came to where I was seated.
"You need to see the stress I went to before finally discovering this place." I joked and she laughed.
"You've given my colleagues something to talk about for the rest of the year." She said. I knew that was why the raven, dove and parrot kept hovering over me. They wanted to see this 'love-struck' guy themselves.
"How did you find me?" She asked.
"I asked around. I really needed to see you." I answered. She was staring at me. I knew she had lots of questions in her mind: especially the fact I was fvcking an elder lady inside the hotel room.
"When I am done with this fake life I am in, I need something real...as real as you." I said to her.
"And when will you be done with the fake life?" She asked.
"Tomorrow, I get to enjoy the last of the fake life. After that, the fake life will be gone and I will be as fresh as new."
She stared at me like it was hard to believe.
"I want you Eve." I said to her and caught her blush.
"Why are you living the fake life if you know you wanted something real?" She asked, still eager to discuss the lady.
"They say when the desirable is not available, the available seem desirable. But right now, the available has led me to the desirable and I'm certain I don't need the fake again."
"I want you Eve!" I said again. She looked away, like she was meditating on the entire scenario. I moved closer to her and held her hands. "Don't let me continue with the fake life." I said with a pleading tone in my voice. Even I was impressed by my show! Been long I 'toasted' a girl and I was beginning to feel I was out-of-game until this night. It was obviously working.
"I don't know." She said.
"I know its quite a lot to take in at the moment but I've thought about it myself and I'm convinced it is you I want."
"How are you so sure?" She asked.
O'boy! This was going to take longer than I had anticipated. Seems I was really out-of-the game like I had thought.
"Because I won't be doing this if I wasn't sure! I wouldn't be risking a fake life for a new one if I wasn't sure." I said.
"Its you Eve, its you!" I tried to assure her.
"You need to purge yourself of the old fake life first before the new life you seek. After that, we can see how it goes." She said.
"Does it mean you're willing to give it a trial?" I asked with a fake smile on my face.
She smiled back at me. "I said we will see how it goes." She replied still smiling.
I reached over and kissed her lightly on the lips. "I will be cleansed of the fake life, and I will come for you." I said.
"That's better." She concurred.
I stood and made to leave.
"I wish I can spend the night with you here, but my old fake life needs to be sorted out once and for all." I said.
She looked up at me like she was sad I was leaving. After a split second, I sat down back.
"There's something that tied me to the fake life and I need you to help me break it." I said.
"What is that?" She asked with eyes lite up, like she was willing to help out free me from the old life.
"Do you trust me?" I asked.
"I believe you're honest." She said.
"I already took this decision the morning you came to clean the room." I said to her.
"Remember the morning I asked you to leave one of the toiletry carton for me?" I asked her.
"Yes, and I thought you were crazy." She answered with a smile on her face.
"That was when I decided I was going to end the fake life. I have placed every bloody thing that makes me want to continue the old life inside that carton." I said.
"Really? What did you do with the carton?" She asked.
"No, not yet. Its in the bathroom, and I want to get rid of it." I said.
"That's simple, throw them into the trash can." She said, smiling like she just solved the world's biggest crime.
"Not that simple." I said.
"Why?" She asked.
"Do you know why people burn stuffs on 31st night?" I asked her.
"Yes, to chase the old year away and usher the new year." She answered.
"Yes, you are right. It is believed that when you burn stuffs, you burn away stuffs you don't need in the new year. Since most of those stuffs aren't physical, you end up burning anything physical and hope the flames still consume the failures and disappointments of the previous year." I informed her.
She paused and thought about it, like I was beginning to make sense.
"So you want to burn away the stuffs?" She asked.
"Yes. Tomorrow is 30th, that's the last of my fake life. By 31st mid-night, I will be burning that carton with everything inside it and I want you to be there with me when I burn it." I told her.
"Wow! That's great, I'm not going to be on duty by 31st night." She announced to me with excitement in her voice.
"Great! So we will burn my old and fake life on 31st night, and usher in a brand new life together with you for the new year!" I proclaimed and she laughed out loud.
"What exactly is inside the carton you are burning?" She asked after the excitement had died down.
"Stuffs I'm not proud of; some gifts I got courtesy of my old life; some intimate stuffs I'm not really... proud...proud of." I said, breaking my voice like I was sober.
She nodded her head like she understood; or she didn't want to probe further maybe not to hurt me.
"I need you to help me evacuate it from the bathroom of the hotel room." I said to her. She stared at me confused so I had to persuade her.
"After tomorrow, I will be leaving the fake and old life and won't have access to that room again, I need you to help me move it before then." I said and prayed she sees a meaning to the explanation.
"I'm not on duty at that part of the hotel tomorrow." She said.
"You can swap with whoever is on duty there; is that not allowed here?" I asked.
"It is, I just have to find out who is on duty." She said.
"Thank you very much. The carton is inside the drawer at the bathroom." I said.
She stared at me like she was thinking it through once more.
"Help me burn my old and fake life away, please." I pleaded, putting on a charming and innocent face.
"Of course we will burn it together." She said.
"And please, the content is embarrassing to me; promise me you won't open it until we burn it together." I asked.
"I won't." She said innocently.
I bent over and kissed her. This time around, she responded. We kissed for some minutes before we broke away from each other.
"I have to go back to the fake life for now." I said as I saw the look of emotions in her eyes.
"One more day!" I said, with my left hand on my chest and my right hand raised up like I was swearing an oath.
She smiled and responded. "One more day."
We exchanged numbers and I returned to the room; only to meet the widely awake lady in the room, staring at me and her phone in my hand. 2 Likes |