#Sophia_and_Ekene_ (part 4)
Sophia had lied earlier at the airport. she had told Obyno that she was waiting for her aunt then. She maintained that lie – but made slight changes this time in a bid to suit time and events.
This time around, she told him that her aunt began having issues with her husband lately hence couldn’t make the trip to her house that evening as she doesn’t want her presence to complicate issues for them.
She had come to spend some time with the family in her husband’s absence but his routine changed owing to an emergency and he came back that evening unexpectedly.
However, Her aunt had pleaded on her to retire to a hotel, and wait till the next day, as the coast will be cleared and her husband will fall back to his base.
She had desired for a change of environment to cool off from work stress and other hiccups.
Sophia had told a sugar-coated lie and Obyno believed every bit of it.
Moreover, back then in school, Sophia was an honest student. Obyno had remembered and so, her lies sold out unchallenged.
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However, earlier, Obyno being a rascal had perched somewhere around the airport environment monitoring Sophia’s movements.
He just wanted to know Yizef Stories whom she had come to see in Asaba on a Friday evening being weekend via flight.
As an old time crush who couldn’t rekindle an old fire, he had wanted to uncover her secret plans if there was any. He didn’t entirely believe what she had told him earlier linking her visit to an aunt.
He was innocently and jealously curious – a slightly mischievous fellow.
Friends like Obyno could be seen on our streets on daily basis.
Obyno had explained himself to Sophia too. They laughed over it uncontrollably. Sophia’s didn’t come entirely from her heart, she was just making up to cover up her tracks – Obyno must not know who or what brought her to Asaba just like that because of the turn of events.
Coincidentally, according to Obyno, he had lodged in a hotel as he came down to Asaba on a brief and important visit. And he seemed to be taken Sophia to that very hotel. Sophia needed a place to nest for the night – he informed her but she felt indifferent about it.
“why not take her to another hotel? must they be in the same hotel?” Sophia inquired inwardly. But There was no answer to such question.
Sophia had a rough time thinking about lodging in the same hotel with Obyno but later backed down on the grounds that lodging in the same hotel with Obyno is never a guarantee to be in the same room with him and so on..
Moreover, she had enough cash at hand and so, there will be no cause for alarm. They will lodge differently unless….but she ruled out any possibility of any ‘unless’ in this scenario.
Ekene remains in her heart irrespective of what was going on. She had this strong feeling for him as they had been bonding together for almost nine months via different platforms. They had met twice – although the second meeting was brief but the man in Ekene caught her fancy to a greater extent.
They had this strong connection but Sophia was beginning to wonder if it was real and genuine on Ekene’s doorstep.
She dialled his number again repeatedly but it didn’t go through. She tried Ginika’s line too and unfortunately, it was switched off
Bluntly, She returned her attention to Obyno who minded his business albeit playing with the steering all along.
And then, they arrived at their destination. It was a beautiful hotel in a quiet environment.
She checked the time and it was some minutes past 9pm. it’s been a long day for her and she was anticipating a longer night too.
They went to the receptionist and confirmed the rooms. Obyno opted to pay as he chose an Executive room for her – “she deserve it” , according to him – their days and struggles in school won’t be forgotten. She thanked him.
They went inside the bar for relaxation. Sophia was already exhausted. She had lost appetite. She sort to tidy up herself and retire to bed. Obyno obliged but coldly. Sophia had began to admire Obyno’s maturity. He maintained a cool head all through. He was now growing into a perfect gentleman with different shades of self control.
Again, she ruled out any transfer of little (intimate) affection for him that night or later, even if it’s going to be, it’s not going to be then or any time closer but “only time will tell”, her inner self had reminded her but she quickly shut it out. Definitely.
Sophia left Obyno at the bar and retired to her room. She didn’t even bother to know his room number. It wasn’t necessary at the moment. She had a serious mystery to uncover.
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The room was in touch with modern day decorations. It was worth the money. She liked it but the thought of Ekene died down her affection for the room. She lay low after taking her bath.
There was calmness everywhere. Something she had anticipated and wanted. But soon the quietness and calmness was subdued by an undue noise.
And the noise was emanating from her next door executive neighbour. A woman was mourning slowly and deeply as if she was in labour.
At first, she owned it to one of Nollywood movies on African magic. But the sounds became more deeper and real. It became clearer to her that a man and a woman were involved in a journey of unmixed joy and pleasure – The dancer must be good at what he does judging from the sound and tone of his audience as she seemed to be in a strange world oblivious of the world she was living in.
Sophia felt subdued and disappointed. The urge began building up but she resisted it completely. She had not anticipated the encounter but she was in a hotel after all hence shouldn’t expect anything less.
A timely and modest reminder indeed!
Then, in the heat of the mix, her phone began ringing and it turned out to be Obyno. She laughed at the devil whilst refusing to pick. She wants to avoid the “tale of one thing led to another” because she might not forgive herself if “something leads to another that night.”
As he failed to pick, Obyno sent a message.
She had forgotten her small purse inside the car and was requesting if he could bring it to her room.
Sophia, upon reading the message called back immediately. She sort to come pick it herself at the bar as she couldn’t afford to be stressing him anyhow after all he had done for her. Her motives was clear – abstinence!
She hastened to the bar immediately as the noise from the other room persisted in slow and steady motion. She retrieved her purse. She couldn’t thank him enough. And it seems he wasn’t ready to retire soon as Heineken bottles were crying on his table.
Sophia left him again, bidding him good night for the second time. And prayed she doesn’t see him again that night.
On her way, she confirmed her valuables inside the purse and everything was intact, most especially the ten thousand naira (10000) she had kept for miscellaneous expenses.
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Then, as she was approaching her doorstep, a lady was strolling out of that noisy room.
“oh! this is she – the woman in labour, seems she had delivered,” she exclaimed silently albeit involuntarily.
But to her greatest surprise, the lady turned out to be Ginika, Ekene’s acclaimed distant relation.
The one she had called earlier to help her verify Ekene’s whereabouts but she had lied that she travelled out of town (to PH) for a friend’s wedding which happens to be taken place inside a hotel room in Asaba at the moment.
As Ginika drew closer, their eyes jammed but she threw her face away and walked like she had not seen anybody.
Sophia stood still – stunned and demoralized.
She tried Ekene and Ginika’s line immediately and it remained in deadlock. “what’s really going on? Am I dreaming or what?…..” She voiced out loudly…
She recognised her very well as she had met her once, and it was that same day she met Ekene – and he had introduced her in absentia as her distant relation. But that narrative was now in serious doubt.
Moreover, she had managed to retrieve Ginika’s number from Ekene via a screenshot message. Ekene had to screenshot his call log because they were involved in a heated argument sometimes ago. There, she saw Ginika’s name and phone number.
Then, she just saved her number for a later day arrangements if need be and it was because he had introduced her as a relation earlier.
It now dawned on Sophia that the mystery behind Ekene’s sudden deadlock which she was trying so hard to unlock lies between Ginika or/and the second person lying inside that noisy room situated beside hers.
However, she decided to murder her sleep in order to keep her eyes and ears closer to the ground.
There must be clue within the hotel or she might be fooled in the morning by Ekene because eventually she knows that – the young man will call and defend himself with different tales of woes if she fails to see through the holes existing inside the walls situated around her.
Another thing, what if this Ekene guy had decided to pay her back for disappointing him severally earlier and wasn’t taking her seriously? imagine, someone she had already given a vital place in her heart!
“so many undertones but the actual truth will definitely spring up..”
She assured herself excitedly.
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It seems nature was fair to her by allowing her cross paths with Obyno that evening – She was beginning to see things clearer. Obyno seemed to be sent from above.
There and then, it became very clear to her covertly and overtly – that night is going to be the longest night of her life with Obyno heavily drenched in beer at the bar with no sign of retreating or retiring.
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ยฉ๏ธ Chukwu Emeka Nwobu
