love happened ,a story by rose akpabio

Episode7


***
‘You’re back early’ Mrs Olaitan was startled by
Lekan’s sudden return.
‘Yes’ he replied quietly and pulled open the
fridge. Ade had brought back memories he’d
thought he’d buried.
‘I will be done with your food soon, please bear
with me’ the woman observed he was quite
tensed.
‘That wouldn’t be a problem’ Lekan replied and
poured himself a drink. He was okay, he had to
believe that, he didn’t need any stupid shrink
picking at his brains.
‘You don’t look fine Olalekan’ this was the
longest he’d stayed with her in the kitchen, they
hardly spoke to each other. The boy had
changed completely since he turned a teenager.
‘I am fine!’ he yelled at the old woman, no one
could tell him otherwise. It scared him the way
he felt sometimes, he could get so angry, would
he end up like his mother?
‘Boy, you got so much anger buried inside you’
the old woman flinched.
‘I am sorry, I didn’t mean that, I’m just in a bad
mood. Hurry with my food’ he regretted his
actions deeply.
‘You weren’t always like this Lekan, you were
this sweet and charming boy, now you have so
much anger in you’ the woman had known him
since boyood.
‘What are you getting at’? Lekan stared at the
old woman.
‘I know you’re hurting, since the day she left the
house, you’ve never been the same, I think
you’re being too hard on yourself’ the old woman
walked closer to him.
‘I am very fine and I don’t know what you’re
talking about. Save your advice for when I need
it’ he walked out on her.
‘You can always talk to me, I’m always here’ she
sighed and turned to the food she was preparing.
‘That boy is in so much pain, but he wouldn’t
admit it’ she continued stirring.
‘Now it’s just me and you’ Lekan sighed as he
stepped into his studio, the old woman’s words
had touched him. It made him realize she really
cared about him. Maybe if his father had done
same for his mother, maybe she wouldn’t have
gone bananas.
He hated his father and it wasn’t a secret, he
couldn’t remember the last time he’d spoken to
the man.
‘What do I do with you’? he paused and closed
his eyes, he needed to draw something, he
needed to make use of all the tension that built
inside of him.
He closed his eyes, all he could see was a river
of darkness, there was nothing, no flowers, no
smiling faces, no rainbows just darkness. But he
wouldn’t let go, he needed inspiration, he needed
to draw something.
As he was about to open his eyes, a face
flashed. Her face flashed, it was chubby, her
nose was round and slightly broad, her eyes were
gentle and brown and her lips were very
seductive. He forced his eyes open, it disturbed
him.
Why had he seen her face? He didn’t even know
her name, maybe because she’d bashed his car,
that was why he’d seen her face.
‘I wouldn’t draw her’ he tossed his brush aside
and stormed out of the studio, he was going to
kill Ade for this, Ade had plunged him into this
bad mood by bringing up his past. Meanwhile he
needed distraction, he decided to call one of his
numerous girlfriends, this one would help him pull
through the rest of the day.
‘Hello Tansi, do you mind coming over to my
house’? he liked this one, she was reserved and
wasn’t as nosy as the rest, she only came for
the money and he knew this. He preferred her to
Eleona who was always so chatty. Sometimes a
man craved for serenity.
‘Awww baby, that would be a pleasure, when
should I show up at your front door’? she pouted
her lips.
‘Now’ he ordered. He loved being in control.
***
‘Damn, you really hit that man so hard’ Kachi
walked over to the Honda her friend had bashed.
‘And now I have to pay for it’ Sophia swallowed
hard, she opened her car doors and made sure
her car wasn’t damaged.
‘I guess we’re lucky’ she climbed into the car
and started the engine.
‘that man is really weird, he’s supposed to drive
this wrecked car out of this place, it’s still good
except for the lights you blew out’ Kachi
followed.
‘Well, like you say, he is really a weird man’
Sophia couldn’t help but think about the very
handsome stranger.
‘I have a feeling he’s a very rich and influential
person’ Kachi said.
‘Not a feeling, he definitely is rich and influential,
how many people could pull off that kind of stunt
he did last night’? Sophia asked.
‘You mean calling the police on us like that? He
is a wealthy guy, I just wish he didn’t have a
temper’ Kachi toyed with the idea of flirting with
him.
‘Geez, don’t even go there, you saw his girlfriend,
that girl should be crowned miss world’ Sophia
said and felt akward about her own self.
‘Don’t tell me you’re wishing to be her’ Kachi
observed the frown on Sophia’s face.
‘Uhmmm, you know I’ll never stop wishing I was
slim, so get over it’ she replied.
‘Well, you aren’t that big if you ask me, you
should hit the gym soon’ Kachi suggested.
‘You know I can’t do that, where’s the time? And
remember what happened to me after I did a
hundred sit ups at a stretch’? Sophia shook her
head sadly as she remembered the ugly incident
that had taken place a year ago.
‘Yes I remember, you ended up in the hospital
cause you fainted after that, so, gyming is out,
you’ll diet. Meaning, you have to go green’ Kachi
added.
‘Like, I’m going to be a vegetarian’? Sophia
braced herself for this new development.
‘Something like that. Alright, call me and tell me
about the whole thing, I’ll see you tomorrow
okay? Bye Soph’ Kachi pecked her and climbed
down from the car.
‘I’ll miss you Kachi, bye’ she pecked her back. It
baffled her some times, the way her and Kachi
were, the bond was so tight and she wondered
why her and Barbie could never be that close.
Now she was left alone, she wondered briefly
why Oscar hadn’t called her. Well, she would
have all her answers once she got to his house.
Two million naira was a bit much to ask for, so
she’d decided to ask for a million, she would try
and contact Mr Lekan herself, she would beg
him, he had to forgive her.
That was a lesson she would never forget: She
had to listen to Kachi next time.
She smiled happily as she neared Oscar’s, she
couldn’t wait to see her baby, she loved him so
much.
***
She inhaled deeply as she waited for him to get
the door, this was going to be very difficult for
her as she’d never asked him for money; Oscar
was generous, he bought her gifts and showered
her with love but she had never put herself in
this position before. She believed women should
be able to care for some of their needs.
‘Darling I’m so sorry about last night’ Oscar
widened the door, the time had come to test her.
‘Oscar you’re alive’ she flung her arms round
him.
‘Yes I’m alive, I know you heard me scream,
someone played a prank on me,I’m sorry about
that’ he apologized.
‘I’m so happy you’re okay, I missed you baby, do
you know in the police cell last night’? she
settled in a chair beside him.
‘Police cell? How?’ he was confused.
‘Well after hearing you scream that way, I got
very scared and I decided to come down to your
place with Kachi, I tried your lines and they
weren’t going through so I just had to come. I
was on a very high speed and I bumped into
another car’ she narrated her ordeal.
‘damn, she never told me about this’ Oscar
wondered why Barbie never told him about the
occurrence.
‘Who? I don’t understand’ Soph was confused.
‘Oh, it’s nothing, go on with your story’ he
couldn’t let her know he’d been talking to Barbie.
‘So the owner of the car made us sleep in cell
and he wants me to pay for the damage. I really
need your help Oscar’ she fiddled with her hands,
this would be a tough one.
‘My God, this is very serious’ he rubbed his head.
‘Excuse me, I’ll have to take this, Barbie is
calling’ Sophia flipped her phone open.
‘Hello Barbara, what’s happening over there’?
Sophia asked.
‘Do you remember Benet? Your first love back
then’? Barbie asked.
‘Benet? Yes?’ Sophia was perplexed.
‘Well, just come home, I have gist for you about
Benet’ she ended the call abruptly.
Oscar heard the name clearly, Benet? But that
wasn’t proof enough, he needed something
concrete.
‘Sorry about that, you know how my younger
sister could be at times’ Sophia apologized
wondering what ‘gist’ Barbie had to tell her about
Benet.
‘Okay, it’s fine’ Oscar shrugged.
‘So I really need your help baby, I would like you
to lend me some money, I promise I’ll pay back, I
just have to settle this man’s lawyer so he gets
off my back’ she said.
‘I’ll do anything for you Sophia just ask’ he
relaxed on his chair and waited for her to make
known her desires.
‘I need about a million naira to pay them
off’she’d decided to get a million, surely within a
year or two she would’ve made enough to pay
Oscar back.
‘A million huh’? his eyes focused on her.
‘Yes dear, please help me, I’ve never asked for
this’ she added.
‘Sophia, how could you’? his heart thudded faster
against his chest, so Barbie was right? She had
come to lend money from him to help her
boyfriend Benet start up a business. He had to
control himself, he had promised Barbie he
wouldn’t be a snitch, he would be in control
though anger struggled to rip him apart he held
his emotions in check.
‘Baby, did I upset you or something? Are you
okay’? she noticed the sudden stiffness of his
features.
‘It’s not a problem my love, I shall give you the
money, I could do anything for you, you know
that’? he had a better idea, since she wanted to
play smart, he would play along with her.
‘Oh my God, Oscar, you don’t know how much
this means to me, I love you so much’ she
poured out her gratitude.
‘You know what? I’ll be a fool to lend you money,
how can I do something like that? I would give it
to you instead, you shouldn’t pay back, you’re the
woman I love and you deserve better’ he kissed
her face.
‘Wow, this I s unbelievable’ she hugged him.
‘I shall add a million naira it to make two million,
you can use the remaining part of the money to
run your restaurant’ he smiled, Barbie had said
‘two million’, so he was surprised she had
narrowed it down to a million.
‘Oscar you’re such an angel, I actually needed
that exact amount, I needed two million naira,
but I felt asking for that would be just too much,
I love you baby’ tears stung her eyes as she was
so moved by his actions.
‘Okay then, but you’ll have to make love to me’
he released her.
‘Excuse me? I don’t understand’? she hoped she
hadn’t heard him right.
‘Yes, we’ve been in a relationship for a year now,
I respect your pre-marital sex beliefs but I have
to touch you Sophia before I give you that kind
of money, it’s a lot of money you know, scratch
my back and I scratch yours’ he advanced
towards her.
‘Oscar, are you okay? I thought we discussed it
from the beginning and you agreed we wouldn’t
have sex till our wedding night, why are you
doing this? I thought you loved me, I thought you
loved who I am’ she rose to her feet angrily.
‘Love? Do you love me Sophia, be honest’? he
asked.
‘Yes I love you, I love you very much, but I
wouldn’t have sex with you because of love’ she
added.
‘Really? Then don’t come asking for money
because of love, you know what? This
relationship is over’ he got irritated by her ‘holy
than thou attitude’ yet she was having an affair
with Benet.
‘No, this isn’t happening, how can you say that
Oscar? This is not you’ she cried, why was he
acting so different?
‘Well it’s over between us, just go and don’t
return’ he was hardened, Barbie was right, she’d
deceived him with her innocent looks.
‘Oscar please don’t do this to me, remember you
promised never to break my heart’ she went on
her knees.
‘Don’t do this Sophia, I don’t want you no more,
so just go’ he walked towards the door .
‘Get out of my house Sophia’ he barked angrily
and she obeyed.
‘Goodbye Oscar’ she whispered weakly as she
neared her car. What was happening to her? This
was the same guy she’d almost lost her life for?
But he told her he was okay with her weight?
With her ‘no sex before marriage’ belief? What
had changed?
She bit her lips and prevented herself from
screaming, she felt the blade sear her heart into
pieces but she was still breathing. She started
the car and headed home, she just needed to be
alone, she just needed to cry her heart out.