When they arrived at Val's home, Uyi the grandson son of the landlady who lived on the top floor, opened the gate for them, even helped with cuveying the shopping bags to her verandah. She thanked him, giving him packaged tangerines for his grandmother.
The sun was setting in an orange glow, laughters of children playing tag in the compound. She dug though her bag for the keys.
“Yes, before I forget, someone delivered something for you,” Uyi said and skipped away, returning with a box.
Val squinted at it, “Who brought it?”
“He said his name was erm. . .Hassan. He said that you would know him. That's all.” Uyi reiterated, eyeing the person behind her.
"Yes, yes. I know him. Thank you.” Hassan worked for Folu as a driver, picking her up whenever Folu couldn't come himself. She took the box from him and opened the door to her flat.
The room was pitch dark and she searched the wall for the switch. Damn it, no light. She laughed. She didn't mean to. She just wanted to mask her embarrassment, as if the other woman could see it, “They usually bring the light by six. I think they've changed their routine.”
“Oh.”
How can you have a guest, one from abroad and there was no electricity? She wasn't even sure when it'll be back on. At least the gadgets were fully charged.
“Hold on,” She threw the box on a sofa, or what she thought was the sofa, and went to the side where the TV was supposed to be and grabbed the torch.
Turning on the torchlight, she began to lead Adeola into the little hallway. “Come in, come in. Feel at home.”
“Thank you. . .” Adeola said, some feets behind her.
Val coughed. “You can stay in the visitor's room. This is mine,” Valentina pointed to the door on the opposite side. She handed Adeola a smaller torch.
“If you need anything let me know. In the mean time, I'm going to take a shower.”
Adeola pulled the luggages toward the room, “Okay. Thanks again. You don't know how grateful I am to you.”
“You keep thanking me. I don't know what to say again,” she smiled, moving to her room.
Adeola chuckled, “Sorry. Uh, I’ll see you later, then.”
As she locked the door to her own space, she felt a tug at her skirt followed with meows. She picked up Lady Anne, kissing her head. The American Shorthair stopped it with a paw. Val rolled her eyes. “What? Does my breath smell or something? It probably does. So dramatic.” She squeezed out of Val's hold onto the carpet.
Val made a face at Lady Anne and flopped on the bed, slipping out of her clothes in haste.
“Oh and please don't cause too much trouble. We have a guest.”
Lady Anne certainly wasn't listening to her, she was busy attempting to catch the light that formed a ring on the wall. Val wasn't used to having people in the house---especially ones that stayed the night. She prayed Adeola won't wander around too much. There wasn't much to see anyway but then the fact that her living room had chairs so old and worn out that when you sat on them, they dipped so low you can feel the wood structures. She'd browsed for modern furnitures on the market, promised herself she'd buy it by the end of the year, maybe a brand new refrigerator too but her savings account was promising her something else. . .
She sighed, “Today was so, so stressful---,”
Her phone rang out. Folu was calling. Falling back on the bed she grumbled, twisting like a fish out of water. “Leave me alone!”
Ah, but he couldn't not do that. He was her boyfriend after all. Guilt crept up her neck as the ringing increased. If she kept ignoring it he would think she wasn't with her phone, that she didn't answer him on purpose. That was better. So she let it be and entered the bathroom. She wasn't in the mood for him. That was tomorrow's problem to deal with.
As she washed her face, she remembered Michael's message. If she had some more money she could buy whatever she wanted and even fix the decaying stuff in the house like the kitchen cabinets where the rats and other insects liked to live. The prospect did not sound so bad. She would give the poor boy some extra help and he'd help her finances. Nobody had to know, Pauline didn't have to know including those two gossip enthusiasts. . .
Blinking at her foamy face in the mirror she laughed. What the hell are you thinking Valentina? Michael Okoye was just another problem she would deal with later. Right now she wanted to indulge in the warm water falling on her back.
***
Morning began with Val going back and forth between the house and the car to collect forgotten items like pens and identification card and while doing that, remembered to list some instructions to Adeola who came out of her room with a toothbrush in the mouth. Short locks of hair canopied her eyes and she scratched her cheek listening to Val.
She was surprised Val was already leaving. It was twenty minutes to five. She thought she would have had more time since the sky was still fairly dark, wanted to leave the same time as her. Val mentioned going to the school and the woman had asked in a hoarse voice:
“Y'all's school starts at five now?”
“Mm. Huh? No, no. I just want to do some things because I won't have the time when day breaks.”
Adeola nodded, blinking hard as if the white lights stung.
Val told her where to drop the key before she finally left. A thought sneaked up on her as she drove into the main street. What if she comes back later to find her house robbed. She pondered on it, then ticked the idea off. She didn't have any valuable things apart from some foodstuffs and maybe the annoying Lady-Anne. Though she didn't think Adeola would like cats. Most people didn't.
The car stopped in front of a grey building. Contrary to what she told Adeola, she in fact wasn't going to do anything in school but was instead meeting Folu at his home. The guilt was just too much, ignoring him like this wasn't exactly the concept of her relationship with him. It felt weird and cruel even though she was who chose to get back at him for ignoring her.
Heaving a loud sigh, she got out of the vehicle, knocked and when the security man didn't answer, she entered the compound.
Part of her wished he would be asleep. He wasn't a morning person but he had texted her to come solely that they talk, of course he would be awake waiting for her.
The house was silent. Colours flashed in the distance, green, red and white. The television was on. Why ever he did such, leaving the television on in low volume while he did anything but watch it, she had no idea. She had once chastised him about it, how it wasted electricity and money. Then he would grin and shrug a shoulder. Things like that were not the rich people like him.
Val slipped off her heels, taking tentative steps into the living room.
There he was, seated on the long couch, head bowed. Her boyfriend since university, Folu Rotimi. He turned to her, blinking and smiling as he rose.
“You came,” he said, looking genuinely surprised.
“You said you wanted to talk---”
“Lets eat first. I know you haven't before you came here.”
"No Folu, I really don't have time for food. . .” Before she finished her sentence, he was directing her to the table by the waist. She wanted to slap his hands away but he'd already let go, pulling out a chair for her to sit.
He said a prayer and they ate in silence. Well she tried to eat but couldn't enjoy the meal since it felt like it was sloshing in her stomach.
“Did you order this?” said Val.
“How did you know?” he looked up.
“You don't cook.”
He nodded. “Is it bad?”
“No.”
The clangs of forks and knives ensued. Then she stopped eating and stared at him instead. His midnight skin was a contrast against the sea green caftan he wore and his hair, now cut low, had returned to their natural coilness. She used to love running her fingers through them, persuaded him to keep them coiled forever but he loved them straightened. Her mouth opened, but she couldn't say it. She'd planned this. It should be done with by the end of this month, after his birthday. She braced herself to speak but he spoke instead, his voice below its usual lighter octave.
“If something was wrong didn't you think you should've told me,” he didn't look at her, cutting at the sausage.
She swallowed, “I . . . I was occupied with work so I didn't see your messages on time.” What kind of excuse was that? And why was she even trying to prove her innocence to him. She pinched the inner of her palm. For christ sake, this wasn't what she came here to do.
“I guess you've run out of creative excuses.” Folu muttered.
She stared at him and sighed and the chair screeched as she rose to pull up the blinds. Peering past the window glass, she hugged herself. The sky was blue flame, radiating a sense of calm. There was a shuffle behind her and she felt hands encircle her body.
She waited.
Waited for the serenity that would flood her like it usually did. But all she wanted to do was get away from his body.
These days they were on the brink. Valentina testing the depth of the unknown possible future, and Folu dragging her away from its edge. She couldn't be the only one who felt it. He must've. It must be why Folu spuned her, kissing her mouth.
It was either the air-conditioner or her skin was just freezing on its own. Her mouth froze too, unresponsive to his prying. If his goal was to make her ecstatic, make her forget the reasons for coming here it wasn't working. Maybe five years ago it would've worked. But not today.
Folu stopped and leaned back cradling her face in his hand, “What's wrong?”
She glanced at his sapphire wings necklace, the one she'd bought him two years prior with her savings, and faced the brightening clouds.
“The morning is beautiful.”
“It is,” his reply sounded like a question.
“Folu.”
“Yes, Love?”
“Don’t you think we should...”
“What?”
“Lets just end this.”
“End what?”
“Us. Let's breakup.”
Write a comment ...