AMIDST TEMPTATIONS
Episode 23
“Rachel is dead” Rebecca said coming into the room
I turned from the mirror to look at her, she had just returned from the market that saturday while I applied my make-up
“Rachael..you mean Sister Rachael the secretary”my blood went cold “how?”
Rebecca c@m£ in and took off her bag, pu-ll-ed her sli-ppers and sat on her be-d,hands on her forehead she sighed then
“Yes..I was told by her former roommate as I was entering school”
“Are you serious..what could have killed her?”
She was silent then
“Heard she had an ab-ortion”
“What..?’
” yeah…died on the table.. Its so sad”
“But why would she have an ab-ortion, didn’t the father take responsibility?”
She shrugged “who knows”
I remembered my sister and got very sad, “That’s just sad..a big b!ow to the fellowsh!p”I turned back to my make-up, powdering my face
“Yeah you should tell Martin, they were quite close”Rebecca said
I frowned “I’m not in the mood for that..I have a d@t£”
“Martin is now ‘that’…did you guys breakpoints?” she sounded like she had been waiting for it
“You just like gossip, who knows if what you are saying is even true”I scoffed
Rebecca tsked”okay now..because I’m telling you sef, so where’s Sean taking you?”
“He hasn’t said, but I guess around” I said trying to apply the mascara, though I felt I was doing it wrongly, I wanted to look good for Sean, those girls around him always had heavy makeup on, Rebecca hit me with a pillow
“You so happy..never seen you blus-h this much”.
” No I’m not” I turned to snap and she bur-st out laughing at the poor job of a makeup I did
“Well..guess I have to clean this off” I took up the wiper
“Didn’t even know you had a makeup set”
“Was a gift from Erica on my birthday”
“Aww..who knew it would be handy..here let me help”
She took the eye pencil from me and drew a better line, I looked better “thanks” I said and took up my purse”I ll bring you chicken”
“Yea rii…just have fun”she said going to light her stove.
I didn’t know I was grinning like an idiot till I got outside and saw myself in Sean’s mirror..omg..I got in the car and he leaned over and k!$$£d me for long before he leaned back and took me in
Turning on the ignition to drive away he said
“you look good”. I smiled as my cheeks turned redder, I’d chos£n a blue skinny jeans and green t©p, with sandal heels
“So where we going?”I asked
“Its bad luck to know where we’re going”he replied
“Okay”, I took out my phone and checked my messages and true to form Rachael was late, it was all over my fellowsh!ppage and on facebook..oh god, poor girl she must have been confused like my sister, glad my sister didn’t end up like that..God was merciful to my family but why would she do it, she had been a dedicated Exco member before she graduated from business administration, I had imagined she would be serving now, what could have gone wrong in her relationsh!p, why would she choose to re-move the baby when she could easily marry the guy?, why was she even slee-ping with him?. Martin was calling me again, he had left so many missed calls on my cell I lost count, I didn’t want to think I was cheating on him because I hadn’t necessarily done anything wrong..yet, well I nee-ded time and space away from him to think, spending time with Sean would give me the closure i nee-ded, i nee-ded to decide who i should be with once and for all, though with the way I was feeling, I knew I might break up with him and throw caution to the wind, I loved Sean with all my heart and admitting that out loud felt right, I was in bliss, I was in heaven, it was something I couldn’t explain..I felt like I was finally able to spre-ad my wings and fly.
“Hm let me guess, you taking me to watch a movie” I said as we drove into a complex
“No”
“Uh..”I wanted to try again
“I’m taking you to an art gallery” I gaped at him, we walked into the building, there was an exhibition going on and people were there, his work wasn’t there but he normally liked to draw inspiration from great artists and collect them for antics, we stared at a beautiful painting
“I think your work nee-ds to be seen” I said
He nodded”I hope to get something like this in future, just my work”he said
“You not gonna practice law?”I turned to ask
“No..I’ve finally decided to follow my pas-sion, I’m an artist, it’s in my blood”
“And your father?”
“After my mother’s death, he no longer cares…” he looked down, I placed my hand on his arm
“I am so sorry…about your mom, I never got a chance to say that”
“That was my fault…I pushed you too ha-rd ”
I looked unsettled, were we going to talk about it?
“I un-derstand Emilia, you are a Christian, and as much as i want you and i know you want me…your faith comes first”he said
Was he saying he was going to wait?, I we-tted myl-ips
” What if i don’t want to?”I asked, he sm-irked and walked away to another painting, I couldn’t believe I just said that.
We got to meet a lot of persons he was acquainted with, and I felt happy being a p@rt of his world, but that was the beginning of the d@t£, next we went to the movies, I had picked the movie but it wasn’t looking interesting
“Told you”he said
” shut up”I said throwing him popcorn, he laughed, he had wanted us to watch another movie but I had insisted
“how come you can’t swim?”he said taking my hand up in his
“Cos i can’t, I never learnt”
“I ll teach you…if you want”he said k!ss!ngmy f!ngers
I scoffed”You just wana see my undies”
He bur-st into laughter, so people turned in the theatre
“I can’t believe you just said that”
“You know its true”
“No its not”he said, eyes still sparkling in laughter “I ll teach you anyway”he said
I discovered I couldn’t wait.
We decided to ditch the movie and go sit out somewhere, he told me about his travels and where he went for a year to chill, he had gone to South Africa when his mother died, said it was her favorite place and he just wanted to connect, i thought it was amazing and I wished I had been there for him during that period..
“So what about Tania?”i asked, she had been on my mind ever since, if I was going to make the decision to d@t£ him, what about her?, he stared at me like he was surprised I had even brou-ght her up,
“What about her?” he asked
“She was all up in you the last time?” I sounded like a jealous girlfriend but I didn’t care
He just shrugged, not a bit bothered
“I was just tryna be nice, it was her first time in benin”he paused ” why, you thought we were d@t!ng?”he asked with a sm-irk at me
“You did it on purpose”
“Did what on purpose?”why did he find everything funny
“You guys were all..” I paused, “Did you sleep with her?” Did I just ask that, but I nee-ded to know
He chuckled, then laughed, kept laughing, i frowned, why did he think it was funny, when he controlled himself he said
“You so funny Emilia..no…I couldn’t.”his eyes trained on me
” you do not know how special you are to me Emilia, there’s no one else for me, I’m all yours, you don’t have to be scared of anything”
I looked at him and sighed, I didn’t know what we were, it was confusing how i so wanted to be with him but was still skeptical because of the kind of person he was, i didnt know if he was…safe.
“You hungry?”he asked standing up, I took his hand and nodded, as we went to the eatery. I ordered my usual, he drank his wine as he watched me eat
“What?”
“Can’t wait for you to carry my babies”
I swallowed, only Sean would up and say that, I took up my wine and sipped, then cleaned my mouth with the napkin
“Don’t go getting ideas, we just hanging out” I said not looking up, I was still d@t!ngMartin and till I broke up with him officially I couldn’t say yes to Sean, he stared at me
“We are?” He circled the rim of his wine glas-s, “So I have to get a ring for you to say yes?”
Why did he enjoy ma-king me uncomfortable, I cleared my throat and changed t©pic
“Why didn’t you order anything?”
“Cos I’m not hungry”
“you are never hungry”
“I don’t eat out” shouldn’t I have noticed?
“Why..?”
“When are you breaking up with Martin?”he asked suddenly
I looked up and met his gaze, I knew that was coming, i just didn’t expect it to be this soon, but I nee-ded that closure, i couldnt lead both on for so long, I had to make that decision, even though it was going to hurt someone
Myl-ips were dried, I swallowed, finished my wine then said,
” Soon”
Episode 24
“So..you and my brother uh?” Serena began as we changed into our swimwear, it’s been two weeks and I had been having swimming lessons from Sean, Serena had been in school but this weekend she was home. I wasn’t so good yet but I could stay in water and swim at 4ft
“You guys d@t!ngyet?” she continued
“No”
“Seems to me you guys are”
“Well we not..not yet”
“Why..?”
“Because Martin is my b©yfri£nd”I said with a duh, she scoffed
“So you are using my brother?’
” no..not at all, he’s just teaching me swimming”
“That’s what he told you uh?’
“Serena I know what I’m doing?”why was she popnosing
” I’m not gonna push you, but I’m sure you know what your doing, because he’s soon leaving for London”
Why was everyone pressuring me, why did she think I was using her brother, we were friends and just seeing how it goes, besides it was none of her business
We went to the pool area, Serena dived in but I stayed on the chaise, checking my phone messages as Rachael’s death was still trending, it was being investigated as everyone who knew her was being questioned, I felt it was weird as it was a straight forward case, but her parents seemed to be influential, the doctor had been arrested, but I was thinking her b©yfri£ndshould be the first to be arrested..My phone started ringing, it was Martin, rolling my eyes I cut, he called again, I decided to pick
“Hey”
“Why haven’t you been picking my calls?..you got me all worried”
“I’m fine” I paused”I just nee-ded time to think ”
“You nee-ded two weeks to think?, you are never in your hostel, I’ve been looking for you all over, where are you? are you with him?”
Had he been stalking my room
“What did you want?”
“Are you cheating on me?”
“What..no..” Why would he think that “I just, I’m just confused”
“Let’s see tomorrow, we can talk about it ”
“You are around?” why was he around?
” yeah”
“Well why you around?”
He paused “I was called to the station about Rachael”
What..”w..why..?.”
“Can we just see and talk?”
“I can’t..” I saw Sean coming towards the pool
“What do you mean you can’t.. I want to see you, you are my girlfriend, why you doing this?”
“Martin, you’re shouting” why was he shouting
Sean sat on the other chaise, took up a drink and drank
“you are with another man and i should’nt shout? Are yo slee-ping with him?”
“What no..” At this point I wanted to cut the call but decided to be civil
“You are a slut, you know that..” he was saying when I cut, nursing my headache
I took a de-ep breathe..he just called me a slut
“lover boy”Sean tea-sed
“He just wants to know if I’m fine”I dismissed
“Yeah I guess, don’t let him get to you”he said
” I’m alright…I have to see him”I said
He looked at me”why?. Except you’re breaking up there’s no reason to”
“He’s still my b©yfri£nd”
He stared at me “yeah..guess he is”
He stood up to join his sister, I sat there and thought about Martin, feeling it was my fault he was acting that way, I would be angry too if it was in reverse situation, but why was he called, was he in trouble, I decided to let it all go as I stood up and went into the pool.
The next day, Serena and I swam alone
“I’m sorry for the way I sounded earlier, I just want you to make the right decision, you obviously love my brother very much” She said as we reclined on the pool wall
“Yeah I do” I admitted to her, she giggled
” So you can say I’m the perfect matchmaker”
“More of an evil schemer” I said, she laughed out then “See if you can catch me”
Sean had gone to attend to some business, when he returned he joined us in the pool, and I continued my lessons. We joked and laughed around with Serena until she made a phone call, talking to a guy, I haven’t met him yet but with the blus-h on her face, I knew she was serious about him. I was glad she moved on fast and tea-sed her about it, she chuckled and she said she had to go
“Where you going?”
“Have to meet up with someone..besides I can’t be a third wheel”, she said as she left the pool, glancing at Sean I knew she was scheming again, I hated her so much, but loved her anyway. I practised my stro-kes while he made a call, he was quiet when he finished
” What is it?”I asked then swam to where he was, he stretched his hand and t©uçhed my hair
“Are you okay?”I asked
“Yeah…just spoke with my travel agent”
“And..?”
“My flight’s booked for Saturday”
“What..” I felt I had more time
“Yeah..thought we had more time”
I was silent as the pressure built on me, he stared at me
“I want to know if there’s a reason for me to stay”he said
“You can stay because of your family”
“No..everyone has their life..I wana start mine with you”
I was silent “you can’t just stay because I want you to?”I asked
He held my face “no..that’s not something to hold on to”he k!$$£d me and I k!$$£d him back with fervor, because I loved him very much but I nee-ded time, I nee-ded to settle whatever it was with Martin physically, plus the fact he wasn’t a christian held me back, how do I show him to my father?
He stayed me..I felt guilty, like I was using him
“Emilia…you’re driving me so crazy, I think I deserve a yes..” he paused “or a no, I’ve waited too long”
I stared at him and myl-ips shook, I wanted to cry because I was about to say something stupid again .
“I nee-d time” I said “by the end of the week, I promise” I nee-ded to see my Dad and tell him the truth, I nee-ded to break up with Martin..
“Okay..” he said “I ll wait”
I got back to my room and discovered Rebecca was not indoors, sighing I went about changing, I heard a sound
“Rebecca?” I called, She was supposed to be back from church, wondering where she went , I decided to have my bath, I c@m£ out and dressed up….
Suddenly I knew he was there as I heard breathing.
I didn’t want to turn… but I did.
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