I see things EPISODE: 7 Her head was still rested firmly on my shoulder. She hadnt moved a muscle and for a moment i thought she hadnt heard. I loved the way she scented, her perfume was sweet and soft just like her skin which was right now rubbing against mine. Her body was warm against mine, just as it had been on the day we kissed. i cherished these moments, all the more so as i risked losing it all in a few moments... What did you say? She asked, her head still on my shoulder. I wished I could see the look on her face, so I could gauge what her reaction was going to be like. I raised her up and held her by the shoulders so that she was looking straight at me. Her features were, well, blank. I said, I see things that others do not see. Things that nobody, actually, should be allowed to see. You mean, you hallucinate? No I dont hallucinate, I paused. This was going to be difficult to explain. I kind of see into the spirit realm, or third dimention, or whatever you want to call it. Everyone has that ability, only, not on this side of the veil. The veil? What are you talking about? She was beginning to get alarmed. The spirit world is divided from this one by a veil. Look, forget the intricate details, what you need to know is that I see things that make me able to read people, know their problems or gifts, and sometimes help them out when i can. Like the pastor the other day? She asked Like the pastor the other day. I affirmed. He was doing fetish things with the oil he was using on the people he was praying for, only that I could see he really didnt want to do it but rather his wife pushed him into it. You know, a miracle here, a manifestation there, and his congregation would swell. But I saw into him and realised he didnt want anything to do with it. So I pretended to go for prayers and instead advised him to stop. He was grateful. Hence the thank you. She listened on in silence. She had this look on her face like, ooooooh, so that was what that was all about. I watched her for a while longer wondering what she would say next. When she said it I wasnt too surprised. So what do you see when you look at me? She asked. You have beautiful wings. She looked at me a while and then registered shock and surprise as realization dawned on her. Thats what you said the day we met! You werent looking at my bosoms! I laughed and she laughed as well. It was amazing! If it had been a white chick she would have probably told me to go and see a psychiatrist. But I guess Africans and especially Nigerians were a little more accommodating when it came to supernatural issues. Or maybe it was just her personality. I was relieved though that she seemed to be taking this revelation rather well. however I still had something I needed to tell her. Theres something else, I said. I had since let go of her shoulder and she had relaxed into the chair. But now she sat up curiously. Your wings. They are tied pretty tight with golden chains. I have honestly not seen that before and was wondering what it meant. Her eyes widened and she impulsively looked at her shoulders as if to see if she could spot anything. I honestly dont know o, this is the first time someone is telling me that I have wings talkless of chained wings. Cant you find out for me? Do they look heavy? Maybe they are my sins? I shook my head. I had thought of that before but it didnt male sense somehow and besides I would have seen it on someone else by now. Unforgiven sins usually appeared like dull grey rusting chains tied around a heavy ball of steel and attached to the ankles of the ones who carried them. They werent beautiful or shiny in any way. This golden chain however seemed tobe both a blessing and a curse to her. A thought came to mind and I voiced it out. What if it has to do with the relationship you are in? Maybe your decision, being a selfless one, is what makes the chains golden. Its a good decision but self limiting. What do you think. As I explained, her countenance became sad. She said nothing but tears came to her eyes. I cant stand seeing ladies cry, it does something to me, makes me feel helpless somewhat. So I brought her close to me and hugged her, offering as much emotional support as I could. She stayed in my arms for a while but then suddenly pushed me away. No! That cant be it! You dont understand, youre just using the information I gave you to make things up so youll score points with me. Well Im not falling for it! Seriously? She got up and started to gather her things. I watched her, my mouth open in surprise. Werent we just laughing a while ago? What had I said to warrant this? why was she hot one moment and extremely cold the next? The chains around her wings appeared even more tight today than it had been yesterday and i wondered why i hadnt noticed it before. I suddenly remembered something. What happened last night? I asked. Huh? None of your business! She retorted. You called him, didnt you? You are going to meet him soon, maybe even agree to go ahead with the pact even though there seems no logical reason for it! I had raised my voice a little. You are about making a huge mistake! Its none of your business! She repeated hotly. I threw my hands up in exasperation. In a way she was right, it wasnt any of my business. I was letting the feelings I had for her cloud my judgement. She saw that I had become quiet and stopped fidgeting. Im sorry. Maybe I over reacted there a little. Its just, its complicated. His father has been very good to me and my family. I closed my eyes and said nothing. His father has agreed to come and see my guardians. She said suddenly. He is coming with his dad to my place tomorrow so we can discuss a few things. I see, I said, well, far be it from me to play the devils advocate in this scenario. The truth of the matter is Ive fallen in love with you. I wake up in the morning everyday with the hope that Ill see you smile, or laugh or just talk. Everything about you is beautiful to me Chuks... She said. Please dear, let me finish. Im not really one for putting my feelings out there but I have to let you know this. Its becoming obvious to me that you may not feel the same way. Still I cant let you go knowing that youre getting yourself into a situation that will hurt you. Thats why Im trying to make it my business. If you dont want me fine, but dont sign off the rest of your life to a guy you dont love just because you made a kid promise some years ago. She sighed and sat down again. We were quiet for a while and I could hear the gentle rumble of thunder. It seems like its going to rain. She said. I nodded absent mindedly. This was definitely not how I intended spending my Saturday. The atmosphere in my room was tense and glum and I suddenly felt sick of the whole thing. Screw this, Im taking you out. I said. What? When? She asked, taken aback. I got up and yanked her to her feet. I felt her exhale as I drew her close to me. Those lips, those lovely eyes...perfect gentleman, perfect gentleman.... Theres a nice spot a few yards away called Sadis place. I said. They sell the best barbacued fish this side of Lagos. We are going there now. But, the rain, she said hesitantly. Its an indoor place and they have taxi for charter in case we want to go anywhere from there. Come on, it beats sitting around here moping, abi? She laughed then and agreed. I wore my shoes and we went out the door You know, maybe you should come along to my place, maybe tomorrow, She said as we were going. Youll get to know my house and youll meet Obi. Youll see his not a bad guy at all. A bit glum, but not bad. Lets see how today goes first, I said. I wasnt particularly thrilled about meeting my competition but it was an opportunity to know her place so why not? And besides, maybe I could read him, and see if there was anything that required me worrying more about Nina. It’s a wonderful Sunday morning. It should be a wonderful Sunday morning. The sun is out, shining bright in the sky, the birds are singing, there is a cool morning breeze pervading the entire place, an aftermath no doubt of the rains that fell last night. I have just seen Nina off (she spent the night) and we even shared a little kiss, before the okada man, grinning from ear to ear, zoomed off with her on the passenger seat. She had given me the address of her place but had to leave early so as to go to church and also prepare the place for her visitors when they arrived. We had a lovely time yesterday…so it should be a beautiful morning. So why do I feel so sad? Yesterday had been wonderful, we made it to Sadi’s place without any incident and there was already a live band playing. We ordered some drinks and a large barbecued catfish garnished with shrimps, tomatoes and onion rings. The fish had been roasted in foil paper at just the right temperature such that it had a crispy thin outer layer which had somehow trapped the essence of the various spices and fruit recipe Sadi herself had formulated to give a unique and heavenly taste. I never got tired of it and Nina, this being her first time of tasting it, absolutely enjoyed it. I had ordered a chilled cucumber and pineapple cocktail for Nina and a bottle of Smirnoff ice for myself. The atmosphere had been relaxing and entertaining and before we knew it we had forgotten our issues. We ordered more drinks, Nina taking a Smirnoff this time and a bottle of cold Star beer for me. We talked about the office, our families, our schools, our friends; we talked about a lot. And I saw then that Nina was even more vivacious, even more full of life than I had previously imagined. We were halfway in the middle of a conversation and I had suggested we finish it in my place. I know, I know, it was a flimsy excuse but she didn’t complain. We got to my place about six o’clock, just as the rain had started to fall. We watched a movie, found out that we shared the same fondness for songs and played a few tracks as we talked. By ten o’clock she became sleepy and asked what she could use as a Nightie. I went into the cupboard and found a large Pooh Bear T-shirt. It fit her perfectly. I left her to have her bath in the bathroom and went to see about the sleeping arrangements. I pulled out the couch in the parlour (the chair that could become a sofa) and set it up, and then I went to change the bed sheets in the room. She had gone into the bathroom with her dress, one of my towels and the T-shirt I gave her. I was still fixing up the bed when I heard a noise, on turning around there she was, looking lovely and smelling heavenly. I wanted to have her there and then, to make her mine, but I remembered my promise… She came towards me, smiling that her intoxicating smile. “Still being the perfect gentleman?” she asked coyly. “For as long as you want me to be…” I replied with a low growl. She giggled and pushed me out of the room. I feigned resistance a bit then went to have my own bath. By the time I had gotten dressed she had put out the bedroom lights and apparently gone to sleep. I sighed and went to the couch. I had slept in that couch many a time when watching movies in my parlour. Never had it felt as uncomfortable as it did last night. I tossed and turned, put on the Air conditioning and put it off again. Sleep became as elusive as the real Santa Claus on a cold Christmas night. My mind kept going back to that warm body lying on the bed, the curves of those hips, the loveliness of that bosom. My throat for some reason was very dry. I decided to visit the kitchen to get a drink and in so doing passed across the bedroom door. It was slightly ajar and dark inside, the only source of light coming from the bedside lamp. I was on my way back from the kitchen when I heard her voice: “Is that you, chuks? Please come in… I can’t go to sleep.” I came in and, without a word, snuggled up behind her. She sighed and nodded approvingly and then closed her eyes. I did too, for a few seconds, and then opened them again. I mean, her neck was just there, so I gave it a brush with my lips. She shivered and I caressed her neck with my lips a little more, starting from the top of the neck muscle and going all the way down to its base. She sighed again and I dared to raise my hands in a caress of her supple neck and shoulders and then down the curves of her hips and back. I felt her warm body curve against mine as I continued my sensual assault but just as I was about to feel the weight of her bosom, I heard a gentle sob. I paused a bit and soon, I heard it again. She was crying. “What’s the matter?” I asked. “Nothing.” She said. “Okay, maybe something. I’m sorry chuks, I want you, I really do, but… but...” “You made a promise.” I said simply. “Yes,” “And you keep your promises,” I said. “Yes.” “Well so do I,” I said good naturedly. “I’m switching back to perfect gentleman mode.” She laughed a little. “I’m really sorry chuks” She said quietly. “Can we just…” “Say no more.” I said. I cuddled her and she went to sleep. I had awakened this morning to the sounds of movement and when I looked at the time it was a few minutes to seven. I had eventually slept off more than an hour later last night despite numerous protests from every cell in my body. I rubbed my eyes and looked around the room. She had already gotten dressed and when she saw I was awake she pulled me out of the bed to escort her to the junction. She explained that she had to be in church by nine and her room was a mess and she had to go fix the place up for her visitors… It was supposed to be a wonderful Sunday morning. But I kept getting this feeling that today would mark the end of my relationship with Nina. By three o clock in the afternoon I received a call from Nina. I was to come over to her place; there was someone she wanted me to meet. I got dressed in my Sunday best and hired a taxi. It took about an hour for me to get to the address she had described. It was an estate that was built a year ago; highly fenced with barbed wire adorned around the perimeter and security guards at the main gate. The houses still looked like the paint hadn’t dried from the walls. Hers was one of the smaller buildings, daintily placed within a hedge of well cultivated hibiscus plants. There was a Toyota jeep parked in front of the entrance and I didn’t need any supernatural powers to see that whoever owned it was financially well off. There was a driver relaxing on the front seat, his window wound down, playing some highlife music. The windows of the jeep were tinted and so it was difficult to see inside. I hailed the driver who nodded nonchalantly and went back to his relaxing. I walked up to the door, listening for any sign of a conversation and heard none. I knocked and waited a while, finally hearing some shuffling and then the door opened. “Hello Chukwudi, so nice to see you! Please come in.” Nina seemed to want my visit to be impromptu so I smiled and played along. Her place was decently furnished and seemed to be a room and parlour affair. There was a single yellow 3 seater sofa sited at the edge of the room and directly opposite was a fairly large flat screen television mounted on the wall below which was a DSTV decoder and a DVD player. A portrait of Nina and some guy was on the wall facing the door. The guy in the picture seemed friendly enough; I would admit he even looked handsome. And then I saw him in real life. He was in a wheelchair, one of the expensive ones, with a kind of joystick attached to the right handle, which powered a small motor for movement. He looked like he would be about my height if he stood up. The body hugging grey T-shirt did little to hide his slim features and his blue jeans matched well polished black shoes. The face was not changed much from the one in the picture, but the demeanor could have belonged to someone else. He looked restless, a little unkempt, and mean. Wrinkle lines below his eyes and cheek betrayed a face that was no stranger to frowning. He didn’t seem sad, just…frustrated . He watched me come in like I was an intruder come to steal meat from his pot of soup. His father however, was a different character. Seated on the sofa, with two men standing on either side of him, he reminded me of the village chiefs that stared in our popular Nollywood movies. His attire was native regalia adorned with red and gold. On his head was a red cap adorned with feathers and his neck and wrists were covered with gold necklaces and a gold watch. Probably fake I thought to myself. Real gold wouldn’t glitter like that. His bodyguards wore simple native attires of the same colour only theirs was not as expensive looking as his. They didn’t meet y eye once during my entire short visit although the man himself was smiling politely at me. Nina quickly did the introductions. “Daddy, Obi, this is chukwudi, my colleague at work and a good friend. Chuks, this is Obi and his Father, Mr A**** “Mr.? Isn’t he a Chief?” I asked. Nina looked down shyly and Mr A**** laughed. “Why do you think I’m a chief?” He asked between his laughs. “Because of your magnificent outfit sir.” I countered smiling. I was beginning to like this man. It was obvious he was a jovial fellow. “How do you do.” Obi said simply and without smiling. “I am fine thanks,” I replied. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Obi. Nina has told me a lot about you.” “Has she?” He replied with some sarcasm. He looked her way menacingly and she fled from his stare. “She talks too much sometimes.” “Well, they were nice things. About how kind and friendly you are.” I said with a bit of sarcasm. Obi sighed and said nothing. I was beginning to feel really sorry for Nina. His father interrupted. “Chuks, is it?” he said. “Have you known Nina long?” “About a few months; she’s a nice girl and very hardworking.” I said. “What about you? Where is your family?” he asked. “They are in the village. I go to see them at least once a year, work allowing. It’s not as frequent as I would like though.” I said. “Oh, that’s all right,” he replied. “Obi here never used to come home until after the accident. Said school was too busy. Where he gets the extra time now baffles me.” “Father, please don’t start again,” Obi replied. I had to say, I liked the old man instantly. He was friendly and polite while Obi was bitter, angry and withdrawn. I reasoned it was probably because of his condition. Throughout the visit he never smiled once, hardly engaging in conversation except to order Nina around. His father seemed to notice his son’s behavior and chided him occasionally, a gesture I was grateful for since I couldn’t do anything in defense of Nina without betraying my feelings for her. The two bodyguards stood throughout the visit and more or less did not participate. It made for a bit of a formal atmosphere. Once in a while Nina would steal a private glance at me and smile encouragingly, but other than that, we didn’t relate much. She served us all food, rice and stew with chicken, a Sunday classic. Her cooking was delicious and I complimented her. She accepted graciously and her father-in- law to be commended her for a job well done. Obi ate in silence and said nothing. After about half an hour, I decided it was time to go and announced my departure. Mr A**** seemed genuinely sorry to see me leave and asked where I stayed and I told him. He said he was going to pick up something in the same direction and he would drop me as soon as he collected a note for Nina’s parents. I thanked him and he quickly whispered to one of the guards who escorted me outside to the jeep. “Wait,” I heard a voice and turned around to see that Obi had followed us. He drove up in his wheelchair and looked at me from head to toe. Then he gave a nasty laugh. “She’s mine, you know.” He said. “I know,” I said. “You are a lucky guy.” “Luck?” he said and laughed again. It was the most irritating laugh I had ever heard. “Luck has nothing to do with it. I just want you to know that whatever you try when I’m not around is not going to work. She will always come back to me. So don’t waste your time.” Then he turned and went back into the house. Overly confident bast.ard on a wheel chair! I thought. The bodyguard was already seated at the front so I opened the back door and climbed inside the jeep. After a while Obi’s father came out with a smiling Nina in his arms and Obi grumpily following in his wheelchair. He thanked her again and said he’ll be back later to pick up his son. I couldn’t help but feel that the connection between her father-in-law to be and herself was much stronger than that between her and her fiancé. He entered into the back seat beside me, leaving the other bodyguard with his son. We waved and were off. It was a bit dark inside the jeep, probably because of the tinted glasses. Mr A**** was quietly reading a newspaper, the air conditioning was on and I was feeling a little bit awkward. Suddenly Mr A**** spoke “Do I make you feel uncomfortable?” “No sir,” I replied. “Quite the contrary. You are very kind for offering to drop me at my place.” “It’s not a problem,” he replied smiling. “You do see uncomfortable though. Or is it my bodyguards?” I was a little uncomfortable now, as I didn’t know where he was heading to with all the questions. “Well sir, you must be a very important person for them to follow you everywhere.” He looked at me hard for a while, then nodded congenially and went back to reading his paper. I was about to ask about his son’s health when I received a text message. It was Nina. “How far?” “I’m cool,” I replied. “Did you see anything out of the ordinary?” “No, your fiancé is clean. nothing on him at all” And considering his demeanor, i found that to be odd, although i didnt tell her that. “I’m sorry if he was rude. Has his dad dropped you off?” “We are still in traffic. He’s a good man. Apart from his native regalia and bodyguards, I think he’s okay too. Who dresses like that these days?”. There was a pause before I received the next message. “What are you talking about? My father-in- law wore a suit to my house. He seldom wears native attires. And he didn’t come with any bodyguards! My hands started to shake. Realization dawned on me as I looked at him sharply. He was still reading his newspaper quietly but what he said next chilled me to the bone. “So.” Said Mr A**** in a menacing voice. “You can see.” The last thing I remember was the bodyguard suddenly passing his hand through the seat and making a grab at my throat. Then all went black. Watchout for Episode 8
Posted on: Sun, 07 Sep 2014 19:13:15 +0000