NEW STORY ALERT!!
SOLANGE
CHAPTER 1
I was a US soldier who had just moved back to the country after two years of serving in Afghanistan. Luckily, America’s war was over and I was granted permission to come back to my home country to see my family. This was my first trip in Africa in almost five years, and I was very happy to be back home again. My father was also very pleased to see me again. They had been worried that I was going to get killed in Afghanistan. My mother had prayed incessantly for my safe return and to God be the glory, her prayers had been answered.
It felt good being home again., especially as I was in the village with my family. I always woke up very early so as to take in the cool morning breeze, do some jogging, and return home just when the rest of the family was waking up from bed. I was used to doing this because of my profession. Several times during my morning runs, I had met other early morning joggers and slowly we had begun to form a bond. I had no friends in the village. Most of them had moved out of the country or were working in the cities. So, I was forced to make new ones.
One of the friends I made during my morning jogs was called Solange. She was average height, fair skinned and bulky in a sexy kind of way. That made sense why she jogged every morning. She was obviously trying to cut down some weight. I got close to her because we lived in the same neighbourhood and within a short while, we started going jogging together, not just in the mornings, but also in the evenings.
Solange was too beautiful, educated and refined to live in the village. I had often wondered why she chose to live in the village instead of in the city. So, one day, on our way back home from our usual evening exercise, I decided to engage her in a conversation.
“You look too good to live in this village. What are you doing here?” I asked.
“What do you mean?”
“You look like someone who lives in the city. You don’t look like most of these village girls. That’s what I mean.”
“I have never been to the city before.” She spoke.
“Liar, please tell me the truth. You look like a celebrity. You look like someone who is into showbiz.” I was not given up.
“Alright, you win. I have lived a long time in the city. I was a plus size model in a modelling industry. I was also planning on getting into movies before I came to the village. How were you able to figure me out.”
“Some people move around with their own little spotlight. I was once into showbiz myself before I got the opportunity to travel abroad. So, I was able to recognize a fellow colleague as a soon as I saw you.” I spoke and she laughed.”
“You are a smart guy.” She spoke.
“You may say that again. However, how come you abandoned all those dreams of yours and decided to come back to the village? Or do you have plans of going back soon? I asked.
“No”
“No?”
“No”
“Why?”
“Because it’s dangerous to go back. Look, I don’t want to bother you, okay? Just let me handle my problems alone.” She was being cagy.
“You will bother me, Solange. I like being bothered. It seems to me like you are hiding something. Speak to me, tell me. I could be of help.”
“Well, if you really want to know, some people were after my life. So, I had to escape and come to the village.”
“Some people? What kind of people? Were they after you for business or for pleasure?” I pressured.
“Both and much more.”
“This is serious. Would you be so kind as to tell me who these people are?” I was insistent.
She told me that her boss in the modelling industry was cheating her out of her hard-earned money. The man wasn’t paying her royalties and all the money she made was being kept by the man. She got desperate and involved herself in a side deal with another modeling agency. The deal became lucrative, and she made a lot of money. She even went for a show abroad and the new modeling agency was also beginning to make plans to put her on the big screen.
However, her contract with her main modelling agency had not yet expired. However, there was no formal verbal contract, that was why she was able to work with another agency. When her former boss realized that she had become successful in such a short while, he demanded that she handed all the money she had made to him. Of course, she refused and her former boss who was called Mr. Conrad, sued her. She won the case and thought it was all over. But then, Mr. Conrad had other plans. He started sending people to threaten her and to sabotage her new agency. Several times, attempts on her life were made. She had no choice than to move to the village.
“He must have been crazy.” I said after she had finished telling me the story.
“Yeah!! He wasn’t just crazy; he was wicked and selfish. He even tried to have an affair with me, in spite of the fact that he was legally married and had beautiful children, some as old as me.”
“Hmm!! Too bad. Anyway, I hope he doesn’t come looking for you in the village. Does he know that you are here?”
“Yes, he does. He has called several times, threatening me.”
“Don’t worry, I don’t think he will ever come here. Calm down, everything will be okay.” I assured her.
The next day, I went to a local village club to get some drinks and have a little bit of good time. It had been years since I was able to enjoy such luxury. In the battlefield in Afghanistan, there was little or no time for luxury. Sometimes for days on end, you were either shooting or being shot at; you were either hunting or being hunted; you were either dodging bullets or spraying some bullets yourself. So, I was having a much-needed vacation back in my home village.
However, everything didn’t seem ok when I got to the village club. I was expecting to meet the normal village guys there, drinking and some of them even drunk already. I did meet them there, no doubt about that. But I also noticed a total of about eight strange faces. I hadn’t been to the village in a while. In spite of that, I was still able to recognize that those guys were new in the village. They dressed and talked differently from the local village guys. Even their mannerisms were different. Anyway, I decided that it was a public place, and anyone could come there. Besides, I had no right going about checking other people’s businesses.
I went to the bar and ordered two cans of Hero, took them to my table and started sipping quietly while listening to the Afro Beatz song that was playing from the speakers. Quickly, I finished both cans of bear and went to the counter to collect two more. When I was going back to my seat, I noticed that one of the strange guys had sat on my chair. I didn’t want any trouble. I could have taken another chair or moved to a new table. However, that particular chair was placed in such a way that whoever sat there had a good view of the entrance and could easily make an escape if trouble struck.
“Please, that chair is taken.” I said, politely.
“So what?” The guy answered.
“I mean that you should please let me have my seat.” I was still polite.
“And what are you going to do if I don’t give you the seat?” He said, standing up. “Last time I checked you name wasn’t written on it.”
“It’s alright, you can have the seat.” I said and moved to get another seat that was close by. But as I moved to the other seat, one of the other guys who had been standing and watching my encounter with his friend, quickly sat on the chair and they all roared with laughter. I figured they were trying to make a fool out of me, so I went back to the counter, paid for my drinks and went towards the exit. But it had been blocked. The guys wanted trouble and I was prepared to give them some. They had no idea I was a soldier, a war veteran for that matter.
“Hand the drink to me.” The guy who was blocking the exit said.
“Come and get it.” I said in a cool and dangerous voice.
I was already tired of their nonsense and my soldierly instincts were already kicking in. As he approached, I slammed the beer can on his face, shattering it in the process. He screamed in pain and shock as the foamy larger beer sprayed on his face, some entering his eyes. He bent double, cleaning his face with his T Shirt. I turned around quickly, only to find one of the other guys rushing at me. I greeted him with a hard kick on his shin with my heavy military boots. He screamed and bent, holding his shin, hopping on one leg. A third guy put his hand inside his jacket, I guess he was going for his gun.
I quickly, caught the guy I had hit with a beer can and held him against my body to shield myself. But one of them, who seemed to be their leader, stood up and ordered everyone to get back to their seats. He reminded them that they were there for a purpose and they should direct all their energy towards it. He walked up to me, looked me in the eyes and apologized. I looked keenly at him. He was handsome in a dangerous kind of way, and as I looked into his eyes. I had a deep feeling that my business with him wasn’t over yet. I walked out of the place and went home directly. By the time I got home, everyone was already asleep.
The next day, I didn’t go for jogging. Solange didn’t go too. She told me that she had to go to the farm with her mother to harvest cassava. I was home all day, just idling and browsing on my phone, waiting for Solange to come back. By nightfall, she still hadn’t shown up. So, I went to bed. Early the next morning, my younger sister told me that Solange was outside looking for me. When I went to meet her, she looked different. She was sad and jumpy.
“What is the matter, Solange?” I asked. “Why are you looking like this? I waited for you all day but you didn’t show up.”
“Something bad happened to me yesterday, Nick.” She burst into tears. “I was rapped yesterday by some guys on my way back from the farm.”
TO BE CONTINUED…
please how can someone contact the author of this story