love happens,a story by rose akpabio

Episode 11



**
‘I am not crying’ Sophia jerked and rose to her
feet, had he been awake the whole time? What
spirit had possessed her? Why had she caressed
his body like that? She’d never done that to any
man before.
‘I am not blind’ Lekan groaned, his head hurt, he
tried to stand but his strength failed him.
The last thing he remembered was chasing some
beggar boy and getting knocked down by a very
attractive woman.
He’d thought he was dead. From the moment
the car had hit him, he’d been plunged into
another world of darkness.
A world that had no illumination, he was so sure
he had died and had probably gone to hell, the
place of eternal torment.
Slowly, a bright light from above spread over the
earth, the earth was vast and scanty, with no
vegetation on living creature.
He’d walked some distance towards a pit he’d
seen, as he neared the pit, he could hear the
sobs of a woman.
He’d been so scared, so terrified of the strange
place he’d found himself, he peered into the pit
and found a woman sobbing: it was Sophia.
‘Nothing’s wrong with me’ she affirmed and
fetched her towel, feeling so embarrassed that
he’d seen her that way.
‘I am sorry you’re in this condition, I assure you, I
have no hand in it’ she explained.
‘I never said you did’ Lekan lifted a brow still
watching her.
The lady that had bashed him wasn’t the lady
that hit him, he was confused.
‘I apologize for Barbie’s recklessness’ Sophia
continued.
‘Who’s Barbie’? Lekan asked.
‘My younger sister, the one that hit you’ Sophia
replied.
‘Oh, she’s such a pretty woman’ Lekan remarked
then felt like slapping himself after as he noticed
Sophia’s pained expression.
‘You’re also pretty too, you have very nice lips’
he stuttered, he didn’t know why looking at her
made him uneasy, he’d never felt that way
before.
‘Okay’ she replied silently feeling embarrassed he
had to compliment her that way.
‘So, where am I’? Lekan reached into his pockets
and searched for his phones.
‘Our house’ Sophia replied.
‘Oh, nice apartment, where is your rude friend’?
Lekan asked gently. She was very uneasy, he
noticed, he felt guilty for hitting her the other
night, how foolish he’d been.
‘She’s around, let me get you some pain killers
Sir’ Sophia suggested, she’d noticed he was in
pain.
‘Olalekan’ he didn’t feel comfortable with the
way she addressed him.
‘What’? she asked.
‘Call me Olalekan or Lekan’ he said and began to
dial Mrs Olaitan. He didn’t want the old lady to
worry about him.
‘Okay sir’ she nodded and bit her lip shyly after
that.
‘What’s your name’? he smiled
‘Sophia’ she replied and avoided his gaze.
‘Nice name for a nice person’ he stared at her.
She wasn’t unattractive he decided, she just had
a problem with her weight, he wondered if she’d
ever considered losing some weight.
She seemed nice and humble, and he knew he
had to apologize for his ruthless behavior.
‘Alright, let me get the drugs, I will be back’
Sophia spun on her heel, ready to avoid this man
that sent chills running down her spine.
‘Wait, I am sorry’ Lekan inhaled deeply, maybe
the accident had changed him, he rarely
apologized to people.
Sophia spun round gently and watched his
adorable face, he was an angel.
‘Sophia, I am sorry for the way I acted last night,
I don’t usually hit women, I don’t know what
came over me’ he apologized.
‘It’s okay, maybe I deserved it, I bashed your
new car’ she shrugged, feeling overwhelmed that
he’d actually apologized to her.
‘No, you don’t deserve it, no man should ever hit
a woman, it’s wrong, no matter her offense, I am
truly sorry for the mean words I spoke to you’ he
continued.
‘Thank you’ she smiled and walked away.
‘poo!’ Lekan swore, something had changed
within him, he could feel it. He’d grown softer.
‘Hello Mrs Olaitan’ she’d finally picked the call.
‘Olalekan, where are you?’ she asked weakly.
‘I had an accident, but I guess I’m fine, I’m still
alive and breathing’ he forced himself on his
feet.
‘Accident? Please where are you? I hope you
aren’t hurt?’ she sounded scared.
‘I am fine. I’ll be back home soon, call Doctor
Oliver to come home, I need to be examined’ he
ordered her to call his personal doctor.
‘Okay, I shall do that, please take care of
yourself Lekan’ the old woman pleaded.
‘I will, goodnight’ he ended the call.
‘What a night’ he exhaled, maybe he deserved it,
the old woman had taken pains to decorate the
house for Christmas and he’d asked her to take
it down just because it reminded him of his
childhood.
‘You’re awake’! he heard a female voice that
wasn’t Sophia’s, he turned around immediately
and faced her rude friend.
‘Yes I am’ Lekan’s eyes darkened.
‘Oh, sorry I didn’t tell you, he’s awake now’
Sophia walked in with her drug basket.
‘Engineer Lekan, I am sorry for the things I said
to you and how I spoke to you, I sincerely beg
you and assure you it wouldn’t happen again’
Kachi decided to apologize.
‘Well it’s okay’ Lekan waved her off, he wasn’t
interested in what she had to say, he just wanted
to know more about Sophia and he didn’t
understand why.
‘Here, swallow this, it would help numb the pain,
then we would go to the hospital after’ Sophia
handed him the drugs and a glass of water.
‘Okay’ he accepted.
‘Thanks’ she whispered to Kachi who had finally
apologized to Lekan.
‘Anything for you girl’ Kachi replied, knowing
deep down Lekan was still upset with her.
‘You never told me you were a doctor, thanks
very much’ Lekan smiled and placed the glass on
the center table.
‘Far from it, my mother was a nurse’ Sophia
smiled as she memories about her mother came
calling.
‘Was’? Lekan lifted a brow.
‘Sophia, I really have to go now, a client just
called me, she needs her hair badly done tonight,
she has a wedding for tomorrow’ Kachi needed to
give them space, she wasn’t that naïve to ignore
attraction when it had started its bloom.
‘Now? Do you really have to go? I need to take
Lekan to the hospital, you just have to be there’
she didn’t feel comfortable being alone with the
man. Not that she suspected he could hurt her
physically, but she felt weird in his presence.
‘Don’t worry about me, I can take care of myself’
Lekan interrupted.
‘Good, you see? Your Lekan would be fine.
Goodnight love. Cheers’ she pecked Sophia on
the chin and stormed out.
‘You like her a lot’ Lekan remarked as he
watched her.
‘Yes, we’ve been friends for a very long time’
Sophia smiled.
‘So, about your mother, you didn’t answer my
question’ he hoped he didn’t appear nosy.
‘She’s dead, she died long time ago along my
dad, they both perished in a car crash’ Sophia
explained. She thought she was mistaken, but
looking at Lekan’s eyes that minute, she knew he
wasn’t as hard as he looked.
‘I’m sorry’ Lekan whispered gently. So she was
an orphan? It made him feel worse about hitting
her.
‘No, it’s fine. I’m over that, I moved on since’ she
sighed with relief.
‘So where is your sister? She was the one that
hit me, yet you took responsibility’ He was
surprised.
‘Oh, Barbie, well, she had an appointment, she
would be back soon’ Sophia chuckled softly, his
tone amused her.
‘Wow’ he loved the sound of her laughter.
‘Yea, so we have to go now, let me take you to
the hospital’ she rose to her feet and fetched
her keys.
‘No, I’m heading home, I already called my
doctor’ he rose to his feet.
‘Home? You can’t go home in this shape’? her
eyes widened with shock.
‘I have to’ Lekan insisted.
‘Okay, I’ll drive you home’ Sophia suggested, his
feet weren’t strong and he still staggered, she
had to take him home.
‘Why are you being so nice to me’? Lekan was
touched by her concern for him.
‘That’s the only thing I learnt from life, you never
know who could help you in future’ Sophia
replied and walked towards him.
‘That’s true, very true’ Lekan pondered on her
words. She was actually a very wise woman. He
had hit her the other night but here she was
caring and nursing him, while her sister who’d
been the one that had ran over him had gone for
a meeting.
‘I’ll have to help you walk, can I’? she wanted
holding his hands.
‘Yes you can’ he felt amused, did she just ask for
permission to hold his hand?
‘Here we go’ Sophia smiled and placed her hand
in his. Their eyes suddenly glued together as tiny
sparks passed from their hands that was firmly
gummed together.
His whole body was on fire, he had never felt
this way before, everything was new for him. His
eyes stayed on hers and he felt her pain
instantly, the depth of her brown eyes were
clouded by grief, he could read her sadness, he
could hear her thoughts.
‘We have to go now’ Sophia looked away, she
was scared of looking into his eyes.
‘Yes we have to’ Lekan obeyed. ***
Barbie had arrived Oscar’s house, he’d dropped
the key somewhere so she could get into the
house.
Thankfully Sophia had been in the house with
Kachi, so the handsome man she’d hit was in
good hands.
She couldn’t believe it, so Oscar was finally
hers?
‘What do we have here’? she pulled the fridge
open and searched for something she could
drink, she was famished.
She fetched a jug of orange juice and poured
herself some, the drink laced her tongue with its
sweetness.
‘Yummy’ she licked her lips and reached out to
the other side of the table to pick her phone,
someone was calling.
Definitely, it was her sister, maybe she’d called
to give her information on the condition of the
guy, she prayed he was alright. Now wasn’t the
right time for things to go wrong in her life, she
had Oscar and he promised to help her get a
good job, everything was beautiful in her world.
‘Hello Soph, how is his condition’? She spoke
without looking at the caller identity.
‘It’s not Sophia’ Benet’s baritone danced in her
ear drum.
‘Oh, good evening Benet, how can I help you’?
she grimaced, she had to put him in his place,
this wasn’t the time for him either, she didn’t
want anyone coming between her and Oscar.
‘You promised to call me, I miss you Barbie, I
want to feel your body, I want to get my hands
all over you’ his voice was husky with emotion.
‘Stop it Benet, just hold it right there’ she
dropped her glass and fingered her hair.
‘I don’t understand you Barbs, what’s wrong,
you’ve been acting all different’ Benet was taken
aback by her harshness.
‘Hey don’t Barbs me okay? I don’t want us to see
each other anymore, it’s over Benet, go find
yourself another chic’ she fired at him.
‘Over? What’s over? You can’t do that to me, I
just wiped my bank account to make you happy.
Barbie have I offended you in any way’? he
asked.
‘No you haven’t, and if it’s the shoes you want,
I’ll return them tomorrow, I don’t love you Benet,
just go, okay? You’ll find someone who cares’
Barbie replied.
‘No, I can’t be with someone else, you’re the
woman for me’ He was shocked.
He suddenly felt weak, like all energy had been
sapped from him.
‘Then I’m sorry, goodbye Benet’ she drawled.
‘Wait’ he begged, something was going on.
Barbie’s behavior was quite strange.
‘Are you in love with someone else’? he asked.
‘That’s none of your business, but if you must
know, Oscar is better than you ten times over at
everything, goodbye Ben’ she brought the call to
an end. The blasting of the horn alerted her of
Oscar’s presence.
She rushed out to meet with him.
‘Welcome honey, I miss you so much’ Barbie
smiled and rushed to meet him.
‘My love, sorry I kept you waiting’ Oscar slid out
of the car.
‘So how was work? What did you client say’? She
asked.
‘Fine, everything is fine, you look exhausted, are
you okay’? Oscar inquired and lifted her face to
have a better look at her. She looked pale and
scared.
‘I had an accident, I hit a guy’ Barbie replied.
‘Jeez, are you okay? Is he okay’? he asked.
‘Yes, Sophia is caring for him’ Barbie nodded.
‘Oh, fine,let’s go inside, I bought us dinner’ he led
the way.