#DECEPTION
Episode Fifteen
© Kemiliz Aiyemo Omotayo
On her way from the lecture one day, she met a familiar face sitting on one of the benches in her house.
When she moved closer, she became visibly nervous as she identified who it was.
Ben lifted his head off the phone and greeted ” Good day Esther, it’s so good to see you again”
This was not happening to her again. She had consciously buried Ben together with her past. She didn’t even need to ask why he was there because she had concluded that nothing good can ever come out of Ben.
It took no time before the shock she was feeling in her mind registered on her body as she began to quiver as one that was standing in front of a ghost.
” What is it Esther? Are you okay?” Ben asked as he stood up and touched her shoulder faintly.
Esther felt the touch and was jolted to reality. She pushed off his hand forcefully making him stagger.
He looked around and felt slightly embarrassed, but thank goodness the few out there didn’t appear to know what was happening.
” What is wrong with you Esther?” He demanded from a distance.
” I just want you out of my sight and life forever. You can crawl back to the pit of hell where you came from for all I care” Esther shouted.
This made few heads turned in their direction and Ben became truly ashamed. He knew she had the right to be upset but only if she calmed down and listened to him, she wouldn’t totally blame him.
As it were, it seemed he wasn’t going to get any moment with her now and it’s was better he left immediately.
” I will check up on you later” he said calmly and left.
Esther didn’t even take another glance at him till he left her compound. Without uttering a word to her neighbors who had questioning look on their faces, she went straight to her room.
“How dare he? How dare he shows up now when her life is in a balanced cycle? Where was he when I needed a friend? When I needed someone to talk to? Who does he think he is?” Esther asked many more of these questions in her thoughts.
She stopped for sometime to understand why she was really furious with him. What was she supposed to do? Welcome him with an open arms when he couldn’t forget their issues and show a little care when she lost her sister. He wasn’t there as a lover neither as an old time friend.
Some parts of her blamed him for Rachel’s death even though she had forgiven him. If only he had been there, she would have confided in him.
Esther who would have been happy back home after a long day lecture had become a shadow of herself. She wished at this point that he had a room mate that would keep her company as memories that she thought she had overcome was now resurfacing with a greater force.
She couldn’t sleep in her room, so she stayed with one of her neighbors who she was more close with.
She went back to her room the next day to prepare for lecture after she appreciated her neighbor for taking her in.
She wasn’t comfortable all through the lecture period, she was all edgy looking at her shoulder as if Ben was still around.
She left school for fellowship and was glad she was in the midst of her brethren. She led the praise and worship session and it was powerful.
Just as she was moving to her seat, she saw Ben again at the last row. She tried and acted cool, but the rest of her stay in the fellowship didn’t go well.
Why was Ben acting like a ghost, or is he dead?
On her way home that night, she heard someone calling her and knew it was Ben.
She didn’t turn around nor answer the person, instead she increased her pace.
She didn’t want anything to do with Ben, and it’s better she avoided him.
” I just want to talk to you” Ben said as he walked faster after her.
” And I don’t want to. Is that too difficult for you to understand?” Esther answered without looking back.
” But you just talked to me darling” Ben said with sarcasm which annoyed Esther the more.
What was he feeling like? To return from the blues and act as if nothing’s changed.
” You think this is funny right? Continue then until I scream and make the entire neighborhood bounce on you like a kidnapper” Esther threatened.
” I just want to talk to you, to explain my self to you” Ben said after he felt some level of determination in her voice.
“I am not ready to have any conversation with you. Good night!” Esther concluded.
Ben returned to his hotel room and kept thinking how Esther of all person could suddenly hate him with passion, that she couldn’t even stand his sight.
He really needed to explain why he wasn’t there for her during her sister’s death.
He had left town for Lagos for a job interview when Ifemi informed him on what happened to Rachel.
He wished he could stop the journey and come comfort her but he couldn’t. And that was the reason he pleaded with Ifemi to go over to her place. He would have called but felt it wouldn’t be nice regarding their level of friendship.
Now he has a good paying job and he just wanted to tell her how sorry he was with everything that had happened and maybe she could forgive him and start all over again.
Esther on the other hand was on the bed thinking on what Ben wanted from her. If it was forgiveness, she thought she had long forgiving him as she had retraced her way to Christ. She was only avoiding the sins that easily besets her which is appearing in Ben’s form.
She almost dialled his number that she had offhand but decided against it. She slept that night with the thought of Ben.
The next day which was lecture free for her, she woke up late and did some chores before going to the fellowship as her normal routine now.
She stepped out of her compound and saw Ben, who was waiting patiently for her.
She worried about how long he must have been waiting for her, and pitied him.
She walked up to him and greeted him to his surprise. He replied with a smile although Esther didn’t smile back.
Esther had thought well about it that night and concluded that the only reason he was coming after her is because he believed she hasn’t forgiving her. Hence her reason for her action this morning.
Ben was so glad she spoke with him and he hid it not from her.
” Can we just get a place to sit, I think owe you some explanation.” He finally said as the two strolled to the fellowship.
” I don’t think there’s any need for that as I have already forgiving and let go of all I had against you” Esther said
“Really! I’m so happy you did. But still, I would love you to hear what really happened.” Ben said
” I will be busy all through the day at the fellowship and like I said, I have no issue with you anymore” Esther replied
Ben tried and was finally able to convince her to meet with him.
Esther declined meeting him in his hotel room or her apartment but insisted on an open place. He was also pleased with her declaration hoping that she had sincerely changed for good.
After her session at the fellowship, she replied Ben’s message and stated they meet at a restaurant. She got there before the time they had scheduled which gave her the ability to have a good view of Ben when he arrived.
Ben was looking fleshy and good altogether.
Ben explained everything to her and she understood easily, maybe because he still occupied a space in her heart even though she didn’t want acknowledge it.
Ben begged that they started their friendship afresh, this time on a platonic level and she agreed after she made some certain rules that Ben promised to abide with.
During their long talk, she was informed that Ifemi had gone back to the States and something in her leaped for joy.
That was strange!
Ben accompanied her back home and some of her neighbors were surprised to see them together after her display the other night.
Ben returned to the hotel and left for Lagos the next day.
Ever from that day, they became very close once again.
Things went back to being better than normal between them as the two now act maturely in order to prove to be better.
Finally, Ben asked her out and she agreed. They have kept their relationship godly and she felt there’s no reason to hold back on what she felt for him.
Esther informed her mother about it and she was glad that the two will end up together as she had always wished. She admonished her to stay true to her faith and not loose her virtue till her wedding night.
Ben also informed his parents and they supported his decision after he told them he had prayed about it.
Ben was so supportive and caring that Esther lacked nothing in school.
During her fourth semester, while she was under one of the trees listening to music with her earpiece, she heard the conversation of two ladies.
These ladies were actually talking about s*x and they weren’t ashamed a bit, maybe because they thought she wasn’t listening to their conversation.
” Ade is the best, and you can’t compare him with Segun. Yes, Segun has a big d**k but doesn’t know how to use it unlike Ade who explored all of me making me c*m and c*m and c*m that I lost count.” One of the ladies said.
” Really, I never knew Segun is that good oh. He asked me out then but I turned him down thinking of what he could offer. I never knew he would be that good in bed” the other lady replied.
” He is oh, my dear. He is a beast when it comes to s*x. You can go test him too, believe me, you will testify” the first lady assured
” Oh! Thanks dear, that’s why you’re my bestie. You’re not selfish at all and that’s why I love you so much” the second lady replied happily.
Esther had reduced the volume of her phone the moment she heard the word ‘s*x’ from these girls. She had impulsively silenced her phone as she became interested in their conversation.
She was interrupted when a close coursemate of hers came and they both went to have their lunch.
” What in God’s name is the world turning into. Girls that are being sent to school by their parents but turned themselves into s*x object passing themselves among guys in sexual experiment.” She thought.
Her coursemate observed something was wrong with her but Esther lied that all was well.
She finally opened up to her friend on their way back.
” What do you feel about s*x among singles?” Esther asked without thinking.
“S*x? It’s not as bad as some people believed it to be. The most important thing is having a partner who truly loves you and knows how to dig you well.” She explained
“Ok” Esther said flatly
” So why did you ask” she asked
” Nothing really, I just wanted to know and now I know.” Esther replied.
” Don’t tell me you are still a virgin. Wait, are you still a virgin?” Her coursemate asked
” I’m not talking about my sexuality please.” Esther said.
“You’re missing a whole lot if truly you’re still a virgin” she concluded
The two walked back to the lecture room without further talk on s*x.
Esther wished she hadn’t confided in her as it seemed she only compounded her curiosity.
But come to think of it, who would have ever thought that her coursemate that attended the same fellowship with her and dressed godly is sexually active already?
She got home and wished she could talk about it with Ben. Talking with Ben about it will make him doubt her stance in chastity again and she didn’t want that.
She went to bed imagining when she’d finally become Ben’s wife and make love for the first time on her wedding night and thereafter.
Not until then, nothing will make her indulge in it.
To be continued…
