#CASSANDRA
Episode 34
‘’Yes oo, he came into my room as soon as you left. I tried talking some sense into him but it turned into a fight. He grabbed my bag, searched it and took all the money you gave me. I don’t just know what to do right now. I’m finished’’ she cried over the phone.
‘’calm down. I will call you later. I’m still driving’’ I stammered and hung up, shaking with rage as i managed to control my car which i really had a hard time driving as my mind was now occupied with many thoughts.
I really just didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t even think properly.
‘’surely the little rascal is pushing me. But what exactly do I do to stop him. What do I do?. Gosh’’ I wondered miserably.
It really was with a confused heart that I sought out Chinedu’s help later in the day when he showed up at my shop. As a university graduate I felt he had the experience and knowledge to guide me in dealing with the campus rascal. I hid nothing as i told him everything.
‘’seriously, this is a hard nut to crack . Dealing with a cultist isn’t an easy thing and I just can’t advice you to leave Cassandra because of the threat. What makes you a man then?’’ he breathed while I nodded in agreement.
‘’it’s not as if I’m fully in support of your relationship with Cassandra but as a friend I have to support your decision. You chose Cassandra and I respect that. So I believe we are in this together’’ he added softly.
‘’but to be truthful I think there is nothing much you can do to that boy. You cant arrest him with the police because you live very far from the school and getting to him will be very hard, moreover guys like him are good at disappearing. The only solution I can see is to get Cassandra to report him to the school security but I doubt if she can do it because we really don’t know how sincere she is or even if she has the courage to do it’’ he said intelligently.
‘’the dude even threatened to deal with my sister, can you imagine’’ I added sadly.
‘’well I really don’t think he will go that far. No he won’t risk it. You are lucky you are not a student. That guy would have dealt with you in his hostel’’ he retorted with a short laugh while I shrugged.
‘’so what do I do ?’’ I asked one more time. Chinedu shook his head and stared at me for some seconds.
‘’I’m sorry but I really can’t come up with any solution right now. Give me some time to think about it’’ he answered slowly, shook hands with me and left for his shop. I scratched my head as I desperately tried to come up with something but nothing seemed to come forward.
I was still battling with my thoughts when he walked back into my shop. I hopefully stared at him, thinking he finally came up with something but I was disappointed because he came to talk about Nora.
‘’I really forgot telling you about something I noticed lately’’ he breathed, sitting on the chair he vacated minutes ago. I looked at him curiously.
‘’you know this is a small world and in this part of the country or should I say in Africa, people tend to take their neighbor’s problem seriously’’ he said softly, watching my reaction.
‘’you see there are lots of gossips going round town about you. Many people now talk behind your back. Your story is now the talk of the town, especially in restaurants and within the market community . People say you abandoned your wife for a campus girl. The story even has many versions. Some say you are under the influence of love charm. Some say you are under the influence of your own stupidity. Others say you are just too ambitious and greedy. You know Nora is a popular lady around here and her shop is the meeting place for all types of ladies. So her pregnancy is really generating a lot of reactions and sympathy’’’ he slowly said, never leaving his eyes on me. I breathed deeply, so shaken with the revelation. As a business man, i knew how harmful such public reaction could be to me. Yes of course I knew all he said was true because I already have noticed how people looked at me whenever I strolled around.
‘’this is a free world. Everyone has the right to think whatever he wants’’ I finally muttered with a faint smile while my friend shrugged.
‘’yes you are right but as a business man you are not supposed to live a life of controversy. It wont take much from you to at least make peace with Nora.’’ he pushed on.
‘’you know I have always wanted to reach a compromise with Nora but she just refused to be accommodating. What do I do?’’ I poured out with desperation.
‘’try one more time brother. Pay her another visit. ‘’ he said with a serious smile while I nodded in agreement..
‘’one more time. Yes one more time’’ I breathed, wondering when all these would come to an end.
Wednesday evening, I found myself in Nora’s new apartment.
To be continued
