Story by Deborah Paul
“Ever been in love”?
Episode 9
its been two weeks since Marcel moved to his new house, Mirabella has been trying to reach him but to no avail, if truly he has traveled out of the state his number should have been going throu-gh.
Someone crossed her mind and she decided to dial his Nigeria number, at once the number started to ring….” Why is his Nigeria number going throu-ghor did Marcel lie to us”? She said to herself.
After how many ring no one picked the call, she became even more worried that she decided to call Derrick
MIRABELLA
Hey
DERRICK
Good afternoon miss Mirabella
MIRABELLA
How are you?
DERRICK
I’m fine and you?
MIRABELLA
I’m fine….have you heard from your brother since he left?
DERRICK
(He thought of what to say)
Why do you ask?
MIRABELLA
I’m his woman, is it wrong if I care to know if my man is okay or not?
DERRICK
Your man? Well that’s not my concern, my brother is fine, if you can’t get across to him it means he doesn’t want to speak to you
MIRABELLA
(Shocked)
Derrick, when did you become this rude and mannerless?
DERRICK
I was busy doing something before your call disrupt me, I will like to continue if you don’t mind
He said and ended the call before Mirabella could say anything else.
Derrick took his phone and called his big brother
MARCEL
Hey kido
DERRICK
Hey bro
MARCEL
How are you?
DERRICK
I’m good…you?
MARCEL
I’m good, did Mirabella come to the house? Is that girl a witch? Why was she calling my home number
DERRICK
She did? Well, maybe she’s a witch, because she called me too and she said she has been trying to get across to you but your number isn’t connecting… Maybe that is why she tried your Nigeria number
MARCEL
That girl is just driving me nuts
DERRICK
She’s in love bro, what do you expect?
MARCEL
Don’t even get me started with that, is love by for-ce?
Everywhere suddenly became dark, it was about to rain outside, and Clarissa washed her clothes and hung on the line but she isn’t around
MARCEL
I gat to go bro, I nee-d to do something real quickly
DERRICK
Alright then, talk to you later….come to think of it have you called mum since you left?
MARCEL
Not really, I’m gonna call her on Facebook video call later tonight, with that she can’t tell if I’m in Nigeria or not
DERRICK
Nice idea…alright bro, talk to you later.
Marcel hung up and dropped his phone, he ran outside and helped Clarissa to pack all her clothes, he didn’t mean to intrude in her privacy, beside how was he suppose to know that she dried her undies outside and place some clothes on them…he only found out when he started packing the clothes and her undies fall down….he had no choice than to help her pack her pa-nts.
He took the clothes to his room and kept them one side of his bedroom.
Not long it started raining heavy, he locked his window and went to sleep.
It was Clarissa’s heavy knock at the door that woke Marcel up from his beautiful sleep, he checked his phone and it was 8:13pm, he jumped up from his bed “wow, can’t believe I slept this long” he said and got up to go check his door.
He opened the door and there she was standing in front of him with a pajamas
MARCEL
Good evening Rissa
CLARISSA
Hi
(She said shivering)
MARCEL
Are you okay?
CLARISSA
I’m fine….did you help me to…
MARCEL
Yeah, I took your clothes from the line when it was about to rain
(He replied cutting her short)
CLARISSA
Thanks….can I have them?
MARCEL
Sure
He turn to go back inside, he took a last glance at her, she was seriously shivering
MARCEL
Are you sure you are okay? Because you look pale and cold
CLARISSA
I’m just cold nothing serious
MARCEL
You can’t say its nothing serious, cold is a very serious issue….please come inside let me make you a hot cu-p of tea
CLARISSA
No, its fine
MARCEL
I insist please, I promise I Wong bite
Clarissa thought for a while, why reject this beautiful gesture when she has already ran out of stock and work has made her too busy lately that she hasn’t refill her sto-re back….she really nee-d the tea, it would make her calm.
CLARISSA
Alright, if you insist
MARCEL
I insist
Marcel push the door wilder for her to go inside, she moved aside for him to go inside first before she followed him.
Immediately they entered Marcel went into his kitchen and heat up water, he made two cu-p of creamy tea for them and brou-ght it to the living room, he handed her a cu-p and took one for himself.
CLARISSA
Thank you
(She said nervously)
MARCEL
You are welcome… Are you just coming back?
CLARISSA
Yes, I came back not to long ago
MARCEL
Did you allow yourself to be beaten by the rain?
CLARISSA
Its not my fault, I didn’t know it would rain today so I decided to use a public transport, the rain started immediately I came out from my office to get a taxi, and IG took me close to Ab hour before I finally got one
(She said and sip her tea)
Marcel notice her hands were still shaking, probably she was really soaked and the tea isn’t working, he dropped his cu-p of tea on the table and went into his bedroom, he opened his wardrobe and brou-ght out his big black hoodies, he closed his wardrobe back and went to the living room.
MARCEL
Here take this, you will feel warm
CLARISSA
The tea is doing just fine
MARCEL
really? Because your hands are still shaking
Clarissa looked at her hands as if not sure of what Marcel was saying, she dropped the cu-p and wrap her hands together.
CLARISSA
Honestly I’m fine.
MARCEL
Don’t be too stubborn young lady
He said and unzi-p the hoodie, he pulled her up from the couch slowly and held her hand, he wore the sweater for her and zi-pped it
MARCEL
Here, done you won’t feel cold again
CLARISSA
Thank you
MARCEL
You are welcome
CLARISSA
(She took her cu-p of tea and chuckled)
At lest someone knows how to make something
MARCEL
Someone? And who is that person?
CLARISSA
You of course, I thought you will offer me ru-bbish when you ask me to come in for a cu-p of tea
MARCEL
Wow, who doesn’t know how to make tea?
CLARISSA
Like how someone doesn’t know how to cook?
MARCEL
(he laughed, displaying his de-ep dimples)
She FINA caught me
CLARISSA
(She giggles)
Wait, you thought I wouldn’t know? The other day you were just following me in the market like a zombie
MARCEL
(He laughed)
I wasn’t brou-ght up in an environment where men go into the kitchen, so I know few to nothing in cooking.
CLARISSA
Wow, so does that mean only women are suppose to do all the work?
MARCEL
Well, partially correct but I’m not gonna do that to my woman, marriage is a 50/50 thing, no one is a slave.
Clarissa was impress with his answer, she suddenly felt like she was beginning to get too comfortable with him, she dropped her cu-p of tea and got up
CLARISSA
Thanks for the tea, and for packing my clothes.
MARCEL
Its nothing, you wanna leave?
CLARISSA
Yes, I have to be at work very early tomorrow… So I nee-d to sleep early
MARCEL
Alright, I will just get you your clothes.
CLARISSA
Thanks
Marcel went inside to get her clothes for her, he brou-ght it to her in the living room, as he was about handing the clothes to her, some dropped and one of her Indies fell down too…damn Clarissa felt shy, embarras-sed, she didn’t know if she should just faint or let the ground to swallow her….the atmosphere became so intense, Marcel bend down and pick her pa-nt for her, immediately Clarissa collected her pa-nt and ran out….Marcel didn’t know what he has done wrong again, he just took her cu-p of tea inside his kitchen and wash it.
Story by Deborah Paul
“Ever been in love”?
Episode 10
The next day Kimberly dropped by to see her sis that work has stopped her from seeing for days.
CLARISSA
So you finally decided to come see me today ?
KIMBERLY
I’m so sorry dear, its my work that is stressing me like this
CLARISSA
Why can’t you just open your own company Kim, at lest you have save enough
KIMBERLY
(She laughed)
You make me laugh, start up my own organization with which money? Babe shey your own is better, my dad’s brother which is your dad left you something to start life with, my own father your uncle what did he leave for me? Nothing he left me to suffer.
CLARISSA
Stop talking like this, you sound like dad left millions for me before he died
KIMBERLY
He left you a house, see now the house is already fetching you money, but me? Nothing
CLARISSA
I worked my as-s out girl, you ain’t out of my story, you know how I suffered before God finally decided to start blessing me little by little
KIMBERLY
I’m not ready to start up my own firm now, not now, my capital is not enough.
CLARISSA
What do you nee-d to start up? Don’t look down on a small beginning Darling
KIMBERLY
You know my kind of job require connection, and that I don’t have
CLARISSA
We can still work out something
KIMBERLY
Alright alright, enough of me….tell me what has been going on around here?
CLARISSA
(Remembering the previous night)
My dear nothing much ooh
KIMBERLY
What’s with that face? Tell me did something happen?
CLARISSA
You can ask funny questions ooh, which one is “what happened”? Happened where? See free me Abeg
KIMBERLY
(She smiled)
You just sold yourself out, because immediately I asked what has been going on around here, you had this embarras-sed kind of look, like someone who is blus-hing
CLARISSA
Chai, so you have finally become a witch?
KIMBERLY
(She laughed)
Leave me Abeg, how is your neighbor na
CLARISSA
Babe if I tell you what happened to me yesterday, you will pity me
KIMBERLY
(Feeling concern)
Seriously? What happened?
CLARISSA
I washed my clothes outside yesterday, unfortunately I couldn’t make it home before the rain and Marcel helped me to pack them into his house.
KIMBERLY
Awwwn, so a nice guy
She said holding her che-st, then suddenly she remembered her cousin is the type that always wash her undies and dry them outside, she stopped smiling and faced her sister.
KIMBERLY
Wait, don’t tell me you dried your undies outside Rissa
CLARISSA
(She covered her face)
Damn you can imagine the shame I felt when he wanted to hand me my clothes and one of my pa-nt just fell down….I felt like let the ground just open and swallow me
KIMBERLY
(She laughed de-eply)
Good for you…how many times have I warned you to stop drying your undies outside? That’s why the bathroom is there
CLARISSA
But I stay alone in the house
KIMBERLY
Not anymore, you now have a neighbor Rissa….I can imagine how crazy the atmosphere would be like
CLARISSA
My sister you won’t un-derstand, in my life I don’t think I have ever been embarras-sed in my entire life
KIMBERLY
You course it for yourself… Please give me food to eat I’m hungry
CLARISSA
Come and eat na, after you have finish insulting me….instead of you to feel sorry for me, you are telling me harsh words
KIMBERLY
(She laughed)
Don’t tell me you haven’t gone out today
CLARISSA
Go out kwa? I have been inside since that yesterday night ooh, shame did not let me go out ooh.
I’m suppose to return his hoodie but I can’t
KIMBERLY
His hoodie? What is his hoodies doing with you?
CLARISSA
He gave me to wear
KIMBERLY
(She sm-irks)
What are you not telling me you this girl
CLARISSA
What? Please is not what you think please, you know how I normally feel when its rained or when I’m soaked from rain fall, I ran out of stock, he offered me tea and gave me his hoodies and that’s all.
KIMBERLY
Awwwn, such a gentle man…go and return his hoodies na, or you like it? And want to keep it?
CLARISSA
He didn’t dash me, he borrowed me
KIMBERLY
That doesn’t mean you can’t keep it girl
CLARISSA
Well, I’m not keeping it…I will return it to him later tonight
KIMBERLY
Okay ooh, the two of you should continue.
She said and walked to the kitchen to get herself food.
The two girls stayed inside talking till 7pm before Kimberly announced that she wanted to go, Clarissa decided to use that opportunity to get things from the sto-re not far from her house, she went inside and changed into someone else, she came back and took her car keys from the table.
CLARISSA
Let’s go, I will drop you at your bus station
KIMBERLY
Bad sister, you can’t even offer to drive me home
CLARISSA
When I’m not your boyfriend, please I’m not taking you home ooh
KIMBERLY
Whatever, let’s go
They went outside and entered Clarissa’s car, Marcel saw her drove out from his window, he closed his window back.
Clarissa dropped Kim on her way going to the sto-re, she waited for her sister to get a taxi before she drove away.
Clarissa picked everything she nee-ded and headed to the cashier to pay for her goods, when two couple walked into laughing loudly, few people turn to look at them, Clarissa did too and she was shocked to see that it was no other person but her best friend and her suppose ex fiance Jude.
They both stopped laughing when they sighted Clarissa.
Jude didn’t want to go closer to Clarissa but Kenny pulled him to where Clarissa stood.
KENNY
(hu-gging Rissa)
Hey Rissa, its been a while
CLARISSA
Its really has been a while Kenny,
JUDE
Hi Rissa
CLARISSA
I can see you both are living well
KENNY
Of course we are, what were you expecting? That will wouldn’t? As a matter of fact we only came back from our honeymoon just yesterday… We have been in Dubai for two weeks enjoying ourselves… Do you know where Dubai is? Nah I doubt that
(She said mockingly)
CLARISSA
Have you ever been like this or I was the one who was too blind that didn’t notice it?
KENNY
What do you mean? Oh oh now I get it, you are angry that I married your man? Come of it girl, you didn’t know the value of what you had, I did and I took it from you
CLARISSA
I loved you like a sister Kenny, where did I ever wrong you?
JUDE
Common girls, you both shouldn’t create a scene here
CLARISSA
Jude, you didn’t see any other person to go after but my friend? What did she have that I don’t have?
KENNY
(She laughed)
Did you just ask him that question? Common baby girl, take a very good look at yourself, is this how normal people dress? Look at what you are wearing? See your sli-ppers, common do I nee-d to mention all this? You have eyed baby
CLARISSA
What is wrong with my dressing? What is wrong with what I’m wearing?
JUDE
Enough girls, let’s just leave this matter to die
KENNY
Tell her the truth for once, tell her you left her because she is old fashion, tell her she lack sense of fashion and she’s too local…tell her babes
CLARISSA
Jude, never for once have you ever complained about my dressing, what is she talking about?
JUDE
She is right Kenny, the way you dress is just crazy, even a child can dress better than you, I can’t take you out to meet friends because you always end up coming like a doll baby, its frustrating, but Kenny here is capable, she dresses very well, she’s smart, she knows how to start a lovely conversion.
He announced to Clarissa, oh it felt like a bullet pas-sed throu-ghher heart, she ran out of that place without carrying what she bought.
Kenny started to laugh, Jude grabbed her hand and they left since people were beginning to stare at them.
To be continued