He leapt off the bed, this time Stella did not try to stop him, he ran out the door that was left ajar, like a mad man, calling her name. "Ese! Ese! Ese!". He knew she could not have gone far, that he could still catch up with her. But when he ran down the steps from the third floor to the ground floor, he didn't see her. She could not have disappeared that fast, not even if she had run. He wondered if he had not really seen her, maybe he had been hallucinating. No, he was sure he had not, it was not just him, someone had opened that door and Stella had seen her too.
He ran from his block to the entrance of the hall but still did not see her, so he went farther. It was not until he was several metres from the hall's entrance that he noticed his feet were bare and he was only in boxers and singlet. So he turned and walked back while wondering what way she had taken.
When he got to his room, Stella had left.
----- good for her--- he thought.
He tried to lie down for a while but he could not, he stood up and paced for awhile, then he picked his phone from his table and called her, it went through but it was not picked, after he tried several times, her phone was switched off. He put on a pair of trousers and a shirt and left the room, locking the door behind him. He took an Okada in front of the hall to her apartment at the staff quarters and met her door locked. She had not gotten back. He sat on the stairs by her door to wait for her.
---She will soon be back--- he told himself
---She doesn't keep late nights---
He ran from his block to the entrance of the hall but still did not see her, so he went farther. It was not until he was several metres from the hall's entrance that he noticed his feet were bare and he was only in boxers and singlet. So he turned and walked back while wondering what way she had taken.
When he got to his room, Stella had left.
----- good for her--- he thought.
He tried to lie down for a while but he could not, he stood up and paced for awhile, then he picked his phone from his table and called her, it went through but it was not picked, after he tried several times, her phone was switched off. He put on a pair of trousers and a shirt and left the room, locking the door behind him. He took an Okada in front of the hall to her apartment at the staff quarters and met her door locked. She had not gotten back. He sat on the stairs by her door to wait for her.
---She will soon be back--- he told himself
---She doesn't keep late nights---
★★★
Ese heard him call her name and his footsteps as he ran down the stairs, so she had hidden under the staircase. If he had not been in a rush he probably would have seen her. Few seconds after he rushed past her she came out of her hiding and saw him running through the hall's main entrance. She quickly went to the opposite direction, while hoping with all her heart that he would not turn back in time to see her. She was not the type to shy away from confrontations, but the height of his betrayal was such that she did not trust herself to behave sanely if she confronted him. After discussing it with Teju, she had changed her mind about not wanting to talk about what they did, so she had decided to pay him a surprise visit to talk about it. It turned out that she was the one that had been the surprised. And it was a very unpleasant surprise. She exited the hall through the small gate that led to the road going to New Buka. She did not mind which way she was going, she only just wanted to put as far a distance as possible between both of them. Her handset started ringing and she fetched it from her hand bag, while suspecting it was him. When she confirmed he was the one, she ignored it but held the phone in her hand. He called again, again and again, after which she switched her phone off in order not to be tempted to pick it. She was shaking as she walked. The shock she had initially felt when she had happened on him and the girl had metamorphosed into a searing hurtful pain, then into a deep seethed rage. Her mind was in a riotous state as she walked down the road minding no one.
---So it had all been a game to him? I can't believe he jumped into bed with another girl in less than 24 hours after I gave myself to him--- She thought. A part of her tried to make excuses for him, that maybe she had rushed into conclusion, maybe she should have waited to hear him out, maybe it was not as it looked. But she pushed the voice far away from her consciousness, she knew what she had seen, and it was clear. It could not have been any other thing. She was sure.
The shrieking honk startled her and she jumped off the road onto the sidewalk. She turned to apologize to the driver, then saw Pago getting out of the car.
"What's wrong with you Ese? You were walking in the middle of the road and you didn't hear my car coming, not even when I honked few metres away."
After Siji, Pago was the last person she wished to see right then, but the genuine concern she saw on his face was her undoing. All the emotion that she had succeeded in bottling up came rushing out. She lashed at him in a shaky voice. "So you and Siji share girlfriends right? When is he going to pass me over to you? When he's done with me?"
Pago was genuinely taken aback by her words "what are you talking about Ese?"
"Don't pretend you don't know. I just caught Siji in bed with your girl, Stella."
"Stella?" Pago repeated in shock, and Ese misinterpreted the fear in his eyes for surprise.
"So you are not aware she is cheating on you?"
"No, are you sure of what you saw? Because Siji......"
"I knew what I saw okay."
In her current mood, it would be foolhardy to argue with her, and Pago was not ready to, even. He had a lot to worry about as it is, so instead he said. "Where are you going to?"
"I don't really know, I'm just walking."
"Okay, since we are close to New Buka, why don't we just go together and talk all these through."
She hesitated.
"Please." He urged, opening the front door for her.
She was drained to fight him. Before she could stop herself, she started walking towards the opened door.
---So it had all been a game to him? I can't believe he jumped into bed with another girl in less than 24 hours after I gave myself to him--- She thought. A part of her tried to make excuses for him, that maybe she had rushed into conclusion, maybe she should have waited to hear him out, maybe it was not as it looked. But she pushed the voice far away from her consciousness, she knew what she had seen, and it was clear. It could not have been any other thing. She was sure.
The shrieking honk startled her and she jumped off the road onto the sidewalk. She turned to apologize to the driver, then saw Pago getting out of the car.
"What's wrong with you Ese? You were walking in the middle of the road and you didn't hear my car coming, not even when I honked few metres away."
After Siji, Pago was the last person she wished to see right then, but the genuine concern she saw on his face was her undoing. All the emotion that she had succeeded in bottling up came rushing out. She lashed at him in a shaky voice. "So you and Siji share girlfriends right? When is he going to pass me over to you? When he's done with me?"
Pago was genuinely taken aback by her words "what are you talking about Ese?"
"Don't pretend you don't know. I just caught Siji in bed with your girl, Stella."
"Stella?" Pago repeated in shock, and Ese misinterpreted the fear in his eyes for surprise.
"So you are not aware she is cheating on you?"
"No, are you sure of what you saw? Because Siji......"
"I knew what I saw okay."
In her current mood, it would be foolhardy to argue with her, and Pago was not ready to, even. He had a lot to worry about as it is, so instead he said. "Where are you going to?"
"I don't really know, I'm just walking."
"Okay, since we are close to New Buka, why don't we just go together and talk all these through."
She hesitated.
"Please." He urged, opening the front door for her.
She was drained to fight him. Before she could stop herself, she started walking towards the opened door.
★★★
As Pago drove, he thought of what could have happened in Siji's room. He had sent Stella there, but he had not asked her to cozy up to Siji, he only hoped she had not sabotaged his plans by her actions. He would have to call her to confirm as soon as possible.
He took Ese to a joint and ordered for drinks. A beer for himself and a wine for her.
"I don't take alcohol." she said
"It doesn't contain much alcohol, check the percentage, just 5%, it's a feminine drink, and beside it's good for your present state of mind. You are hurting, it will cool you off."
He uncorked the bottle and poured her wine. She took a sip, tasting it tentatively on her tongue, expecting it to be bitter, but it was surprisingly sweet.
"I expected it to be bitter." she said
"It has fruit flavours in it. I told you it's for females."
"Hmmm." Ese agreed as she emptied the glass cup at a go and refilled it."
---She is learning fast--- Pago thought as he smiled at her.
"So what do you plan to do about Siji?"
"I don't know, and I don't want to talk about it with you. I just want to enjoy this drink then go home and sleep."
"Okay, will you excuse me, I need to use the rest room." He said as he stood up. Ese watched him talk to the bartender before walking out of the bar through the backdoor.
Pago called Stella when he got outside.
"Ese said she caught you in bed with Siji." Pago barked into the phone without preambles, immediately Stella picked the call. Then he rushed on before she could reply "I didn't send you there to seduce the guy, I sent you to...."
"I know, I was only curious. You know I have always wanted to find out if he was gay." She interrupted
"And you chose today out of all days to satisfy your curiosity. You know I don't care what you do with him, but you chose a wrong time. You were only meant to get in and get out. Now you have possibly jeopardize my....."
"Nothing is jeopardized Pago, we are still cool. I only wanted to kill two birds with a stone. You know I may not have the opportunity again, if the plan comes through."
"So you were able to...."
"Yes"
"Good, thanks" he cut the call and dialed another number. When the person at the other side picked, he said "it's set, you guys should move first thing in the morning."
He took Ese to a joint and ordered for drinks. A beer for himself and a wine for her.
"I don't take alcohol." she said
"It doesn't contain much alcohol, check the percentage, just 5%, it's a feminine drink, and beside it's good for your present state of mind. You are hurting, it will cool you off."
He uncorked the bottle and poured her wine. She took a sip, tasting it tentatively on her tongue, expecting it to be bitter, but it was surprisingly sweet.
"I expected it to be bitter." she said
"It has fruit flavours in it. I told you it's for females."
"Hmmm." Ese agreed as she emptied the glass cup at a go and refilled it."
---She is learning fast--- Pago thought as he smiled at her.
"So what do you plan to do about Siji?"
"I don't know, and I don't want to talk about it with you. I just want to enjoy this drink then go home and sleep."
"Okay, will you excuse me, I need to use the rest room." He said as he stood up. Ese watched him talk to the bartender before walking out of the bar through the backdoor.
Pago called Stella when he got outside.
"Ese said she caught you in bed with Siji." Pago barked into the phone without preambles, immediately Stella picked the call. Then he rushed on before she could reply "I didn't send you there to seduce the guy, I sent you to...."
"I know, I was only curious. You know I have always wanted to find out if he was gay." She interrupted
"And you chose today out of all days to satisfy your curiosity. You know I don't care what you do with him, but you chose a wrong time. You were only meant to get in and get out. Now you have possibly jeopardize my....."
"Nothing is jeopardized Pago, we are still cool. I only wanted to kill two birds with a stone. You know I may not have the opportunity again, if the plan comes through."
"So you were able to...."
"Yes"
"Good, thanks" he cut the call and dialed another number. When the person at the other side picked, he said "it's set, you guys should move first thing in the morning."
★★★
After the call, Pago was in better spirit. Everything is going better than he had planned. Not only did he have Siji where he wanted him, he also, due to Stella's amazing curiosity would soon have Ese where he had always wanted her.
About the Author
Soji Adeola Ayanleke was born about 3 decades ago in Kano.
He studied Electronic and Electrical Engineering at the Obafemi Awolowo
University, Ile-Ife, he speaks Yoruba and Hausa fluently and he is
trying to learn Igbo and Spanish. His hobbies are reading, writing and
playing some indoor games.
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