(Episode 5)
Christmas in November.
They continued staring at each other. It was like a nightmare to both of them. Israel didn’t know what exactly to do, Comfort was loss for words too. The nauseous feeling had disappeared. She found herself walking towards him like with a gait of a malfunctioning robot,
Israel: “Shit!” the words shot out and he banged the door almost cracking it. With the speed of light she ran after him about to open the door of his car, she held him,
Comfort: “Baby, it isn’t what you think! I swear it isn’t!”
Anger ran in his system like a venom, tears stood aghast, she was on her knees, “Baby,you know I can’t cheat on you! You know I love you so much!”
Israel leaned on the door of the car and managed to say,
Israel: “Who is he?” Comfort stuttered, “Fine! Let go of my hand before I go violent!” he gnashed the teeth, pulled his hand from her grasp, to avoid a scene she didn’t persist.
He pounced on the turtle and fled; she just stood there dumbfounded. Not even for once she had never seen him that angry. The young man was hurt. Avoiding stares, she walked into the lounge briskly, grabbed her purse,
Mr.Clem: “Is anything the matter?”
She dashed out, flagged down a taxi before Mr.Clem could go after her, the taxi had gone. Comfort was crying in the car, the taxi driver in his baritone asked,
Driver: “where madam?”
Comfort sniffed,
Comfort: “Wuse 2 close to the plaza!” she whispered to herself, “I should be on my way to Israel’s!” aloud, “take me to Asokoro Protea hotel street!”
Driver: “Your fare is three thousand naira!”
Comfort: “Let’s just go!” she opened her purse, brought out her phone then dialed ‘Sugar-sugar’ on the phone,
The service provider told her, “the number you’re trying isn’t available at the moment!”
Comfort: “Oh,God!” What if he was involved in an accident? The thought popped up in her mind,”God forbid!”
The driver looked at her through the mirror that stood over his head. He must have thought to himself, “What kind of a mad girl have I carried?
She tried the number. It was switched off. Tears trickled down her face,
Comfort: “What have I done?” hurting Israel was what she never wanted to. He had being too much of a flawless lover. Before they met he was a big time flirt; one wouldn’t blame him, he was young a graduate of New York film academy and a household name in the movie industry. He was one of the best directors in the country. They had met through Lizzy two years ago when he had relocated to Abuja. Israel and Lizzy were childhood friends,
Israel: “babe,how far? Come gimme babe na! I just dey dull for dis town,” he said to her.
Lizzy giggling,
Lizzy: “As pimp wey I bi abi?”
Israel: “wetin dey worry you sef!”
Lizzy: “Abeg o! I don’t want any girl to come and pour acid on me after you’ve broken their hearts!”
They laughed,
Israel: “No na ! I’m a changed man,baby!”
Lizzy: “I hear you!”
Later that day, going through her phone he saw Comfort’s picture and he was attracted to her. After pleading Lizzy agreed to give him her number,
Lizzy: “babes! Owfa?”
Comfort yawning she had just returned from work,
Comfort: “Ho…w..f..ar!” yawned again.
Lizzy: “wetin do you?”
Comfort: “I’m so tired eh!”
Lizzy: “Okay ooo! Sorry! Ehen, there’s this my very fine childhood friend! That my director friend I told you about na? The one that directed that your favourite Naija movie!”
Comfort: “The Israel guy?”
Lizzy: “Ehen, yes! He is now in Abuja and has been asking of your number?
Comfort:”my number?”
Lizzy: “Eh,make I give em,please!”
She knew Lizzy wouldn’t let her not until she have gotten what she wants. Comfort agreed in less than three weeks they were seeing each other.
….
Israel blared the horn of his, the gateman at his sister’s house peeped to see who was about break their ear lobes with impatient horning, Ugo, was his name. Quickly, he opened the door, it wasn’t difficult recognizing the car and its owner,
Ugo: “Welcome sir!” he stood holding one of the wings of the gigantic gate with speed Israel entered, dropped from the car and instead of the usual jokes he used to throw at the gateman, waved and entered the house.
Sarah, his sister was awake watching Jennifer’s Diary when she heard a bang on the door. It was loud; she brought down the volume and asked,
Sarah: “Who is that?” It was her brother’s voice, she could recognize it even though it sounded disjointed, twisted the key until it creaked open, he passed her without saying a word with sullen countenance, “what’s wrong you?” When he managed to say a word, he burst into tears, “who hurt my baby?” he ran into her embrace.
They were pretty close, she was eight years older than him, and in her he found a sister, friend and mother. It was Sarah that paid the tuition fee for the movie school he attended. Sarah had just a child, Alex; her husband was abroad and was working for the family to join him in no time.
Israel cried in her arms like a child.
……
Jane was in tears too. They both were in tears,
Felix: “I promise to never hurt you!” he was still on his knees,
Jane: “I don’t think I have the strength anymore!”
Felix: “Please don’t give up on me, on us! I wouldn’t make it!”
Jane: “are you seeing anyone?”
As if the head would drop down, he shook it,
Felix: “not at all!”
Jane: “Then why did you change?”
Felix: “I don’t wanna make any excuses! I’m sorry!”
She nodded,
Jane: “I forgive you!”
They hug each other.
….
Audu and Iya Loja, who was in tears sat close to Jerry,
Iya Loja: “I Jerry, is dah ‘ow you wantu making me resemble a bad mother, eh?”
Jerry was gnashing his teeth in pains,
Audu: “Let the boy rest, please!” his phone rang it was ‘little angel’ calling. Their eyes met, his and wife,she paused her cry and asked,
Iya Loja: “who is call you?”
Audu pouted his mouth,
Audu: “an associate!” he looked towards Jerry avoiding her eyes.
Iya Loja: “Is lie! I know is one plenty of your omo kekere!”
Audu refused to answer, “wo! That izzue is for another time. Now my son e sick!”
The phone rang again,she was about to resume her sob but paused and looked at him, “Be picking!”
Jerry let out a yell that sent jitters into the bodies of his parents,
Jerry: “I’m dying! I’m dying! I cannot stand this anymore!!”
Iya Loja instead of going for help threw herself on him crying, Audu dashed out to get help.
…
Comfort got to Israel’s house but he wasn’t him,
Comfort: “hah!” sat on the veranda groaning, “Israel where are you? Baby, where are you?”
What if he had an accident and was admitted that is if he didn’t die on the spot? The thought rang out in her mind.
She didn’t know where the strength surged from, picked herself up and was out of the gate. Where was she going to? She thought, “I’ll check the general hospital at Wuse!”
Immediately she ran into the road.
….
Felix phone that was on silent, rang, he looked at his wife she was fast asleep. Dropped from the bed and tip toed to the bathroom where he picked,
Felix: “Can you call me tomorrow?”
It was a lady’s voice,”why didn’t you call me again?”
Felix: “had a hectic day!” he reduced the volume of the phone,
Lady: “There’s a matter I wanna discuss with you!” she said,
Felix: “now? Can’t it wait?”
Lady: “No!”
Felix: “I promise to come tomorrow!”
Lady: “Lex, I’m pregnant!”
Felix: “what!” he yelled and covered his mouth realizing what he had just done.
He was determined not to pick, pressed the red button and put it off; startled, he almost tripped, as he opened the door Jane was standing akimbo.
