LOVE BY A BEAST
EPISODE 15
It was past 6am when we got to Lokoja.
We st©pped at a fast food restaurant. I don’t know if those Lebanese refugees ever sle-pt, because we were flooded by them as we got out. Two little boys and their sister tugged at our clothes, while their mother looked from a distance.
I went to the rest room to clean myself, while the guys went to other food. I planned to tell him we would leave as soon as we were done with breakfast. I picked up my phone to call Abayomi.
Me: hello
Abayomi: where are you, we are coming to your house for breakfast. Bre-ad and egg o..
Me: I am in Lokoja
Abayomi: I know you are a witch, but can you fly that far?
Me: serious jor..Jafar drove me here o..his goons are here also, enroute Abuja.
Abayomi: what is happening there, why didn’t you tell me?
Me: see I was drun!k, I will tell you when I get back..i am hungry and suffering from a hang-over.
Abayomi: when are you coming back?
Me: soon, will tell him to bring me back after breakfast
Abayomi: no p..Toun is slee-ping beside me… I will call you later..
When I got back to the guys, they had ordered the meals, the three of them were eating fried rice and an ugly looking fried chiken. Jafar was eating beans and plantain..
Jafar: I got rice for you, alright?
Me: nope, I rather eat what you are eating..
I took out the spoon in my proposed rice and started eating with him. He left the food for me after a while and concentrated on the canned Schweppes he was drinking. Sparrow and the short guy pounced on my rice, before I could say jack, it was finished.
My phone rang, it was Timi.
Me: hello
Timi: didn’t know when you left the p@rty..
Me: I didn’t come with you, so why should I tell you?
Timi: why are you talking like this?
Me: see I am busy now, talk to you later
Timi: wait..where are you?
Me: Lokoja
Timi: what….
I hung up and felt so good about it.
It was time for me to tell Jafar to take me back. In another day and another world, it would have been get-away but I really had to go back..
Me: Jafar plea-se can I talk to you pri-vately?
Jafar: sure.
We walked outside to the front of the Hilux. My phone rang again.
Me: Toun howfar
Toun: I am so fine, we are on our way to Lagos now..
Me: you and who?
Toun: me and Abayomi ofcuz. On the way to the airport. Arik afternoon flight to Abuja..
I excused myself from Jafar and walked to the other side of his Benz.
Me: but I will be on my way back soon.
Toun: better stay there, I have been looking for a good reason to spend my Dad’s money, Abuja it is!
Me: did Abayomi agree to this?, did he tell you I am with Jafar and his friends.
Toun: yes, you aretalking to much, see you before 4pm.
She hung up.
Jafar: so what is it that you had to tell me in pri-vate?
me: can Abayomi and Toun join us in Abuja?
I have seen him smile, but this p@rticular smile was de-ep. I felt good I contributed to it.
Jafar: the more the merrier..
***Toun is the worst friend ever***
Jafar: we will be staying in Lugbe, it is close to Gwagwalada and also to Berger.
He said this as we pas-sed a junction that was called Giri. We entered Abuja at some minutes to 9am.
Me: I don’t know Abuja, I have never been here
Jafar: I seldom come around, except my dad beckons.
Me: tell me about your Dad
Jafar: No.
I saw why Abuja was the next best thing besides Lagos. the road was wi-de, wi-der than the girth of cars pas-sing throu-gh. it wasn’t as crowded as Lagos, but had an exotic feeling to it. Yaradua’s posters flooded the town, I felt it was a waste of money carrying out a presidential election because he was liked by both his peeps and the opposition. Though a PDP member he embodied all that PDP wasn’t.
Me: who would you vote for in the elections?
Jafar: I won’t be voting
me : why?
Jafar: for the white man, voting serves as liberation, it’s a symbol of freedom to choose who they want. But for the black man, Elections is a form of enslavement. Too many poor people vote, they don’t vote with their head, they vote with their stomach. Too many illiterates vote, they don’t vote for the best person, they vote for their tribe.
Me: What tribe are you and what do you think should replace elections?
Jafar: I am Jafar Ndan-usa, I am Nupe. The white people made sure they saw themselves as a people before democracy was introduced. In Nigeria, the different tribes are still in courtsh!p, democracy c@m£ at the right time, but the citizens ain’t ripe or mature enough for it.
Me: I repeat my question, what should replace elections or democracy?
Jafar: A selfless authoritarian head of state, like Sankara of Burkina-faso. After ma-king sure the Hausas, Igbos, yoru-bas and middle-belt see themselves as a people, then he can relinquish his power for a democratically elected president.
Me: that’s de-ep for a cultist.
It c@m£ out of my mouth before I realized I had said it. His brows sh0t upwards, signaling that he heard what I said, but he kept quiet.
Me: I am sorry.
He didn’t answer me, he just kept driving until we got to Federal Housing,Lugbe.
I wasn’t looking for the awkward moment when I would have to tell him that I nee-ded a room to myself, but I didn’t nee-d to. When we lodged at Progandy h0tel, He and Uche stayed in the same room, while Sparrow and the short boy known as Aji stayed in a room. I was given my own room.
Jafar: when Toun and Abayomi comes, they would have a room waiting for them.
I was sure Toun would stay with me in my room.
Me: thanks
Jafar: go to sleep now, you look drained..
Me: thanks for this get-away
Jafar: you are welcome ma’am.
After taking my bath, I settled down in be-d, planning to sleep until Toun and Abayomi arrived. I want to discover Abuja with them. My phone rang as I was closing my eyes. It is funny how your ring-tone sounds louder when you want to sleep. It was Timi.
Me: Hey
Timi: I am infront of your house
Me: told you I was in Lokoja
Timi: how can you be in Lokoja when I saw you in the p@rty, danced with you…held you..?
Me: Timi st©p..
Timi: where are you?
Me: Abuja
Timi: what are you doing in Abuja?
Me: why asking me all these questions?
Timi: because I care
Me: I am in Abuja and I am good, Toun and Abayomi will join me soon.
Timi: what is happening there?
Me: c@m£ with a friend
Timi: guy or girl?
Me: Guy
Timi was silent for a while, after some seconds, he regained his composure.
Timi: when will you be back?
Me: too many questions Timileyin.
Timi: I nee-d to see you so I can tell you everything
Me: I am really not interested anymore.
Timi: what changed?
Me: I grew up
Timi: I love you Tana Dike.
It had been a while I heard those words from him. I still felt some bu-tterflies
Me: very funny..
Timi: what is funny?
Me: nothing..
I hung up.
I was closing my eyes again when my phone rang again, I cursed un-der quietly before I realized it was Toun.
Me: babes howfar?
Toun: we got an Aero flight for 11am, cheaper sef..
Me: that’s nice.
Toun: text me your location
Me: will do that Asap
Toun: I have gist for you as soon as I arrive.
Me: brief me na, abi you want me to be thinking about different scenarios?
Toun: Kofo is pregnant
Me: for who?
Toun: well that’s the gist…….see you soon
LOVE BY A BEAST
EPISODE 16
The intercom in my room rang, the receptionist had called to tell me that some people were asking after me. While Toun was standing infront of the receptionist, Abayomi sat down with a gloomy face. I wondered if it had anything to do with ‘the gist’
Me: why are you looking sad Abayomi?
Abayomi: isn’t it your friend? How can she just decide that we have to be in Abuja just because you are here. I don’t have any friends here, and she insisted I c@m£ along.
Me: Awww, I didn’t expect you guys to come anyways, since I had planned to return ASAP. It was my highness that made me tell Jafar I wanted to go to Abuja.
Abayomi: That guy dey crase sha!
Toun: where is Jafar? We should thank him for the room na
Me: I don’t knw where he is, why don’t you guys go to your room and relax abit, I am sure you will have enough time to thank him.
I esc-rted them to their room, it was directly opposite mine, with the same style and dimensions.
I was watching a musical video on trace when Toun walked into my room and stretched herself beside me.
Toun: so how was your trip?
Me: long and I sle-pt almost all throu-gh
Toun: do you know I have never been to Abuja before?
Me: me too, quit this boring talk and tell me about Kofo’s pregnancy
Toun: hmmmm, it was at the p@rty I found out o..
Me: how?
Toun: I was outside when Gabriel, that guy with bow-legs c@m£ to gist with Abayomi. Before long they started talking about elections and Kofo’s name c@m£ up. He told me it was a smart move by Abayomi to make Timi the campaign manager, that National and Kofo had pri-vate paroles. I feigned surprise, so he continued. He said Kofo was pregnant but she hadn’t told National yet. I asked him how he knew; he said kofo told Isioma, who in turn told his girlfriend. You know Gabriel liked me those days na, so I f!ngered his br@in on if he thinks National was responsible. He said there are gossips that it might be Uche or National’s.
Me: Are you worried that it might be Abayomi’s?
Toun: not at all, I am sure Abayomi used c0md0mwith her.
Me: you really do trust him?
Toun: I know my devil..
Me: why can’t she just ab-ort it?
Toun: Gabriel said Best-care hospital had warned her never to come for ab-ortion again. Apparently, she was a frequent visitor.
Me: and she still get mind to dey fucck p—k like that for p@rty?
Toun: she likes presidential rods..
We both laughed, but at the back of my mind, I prayed it wasn’t Abayomi’s.
Toun: seems Jafar likes you very much
Me: that is where it will end na, you know I can’t have anything to do with a cultist
Toun: no be you say na Confra?
Me: Toun, I really can’t do guys right now, plus maybe he is just being nice as we are his investments.
Toun: if I wasn’t d@t!ngAbayomi, Jafar would have been perfect for me.
Me: you can break up with Abayomi and join the band-wagon of Jafar’s girls.
Toun: it will just be for s-x, you don’t fall inlove with the kinds of Jafar, or you will run mad. The attra-ction should be enough. Abayomi and I are in this ish for the long haul babe.
Me: yeah, I know, I envy you guys..
Toun: spoken to Timi?
Me: yes briefly..
Toun: and……?
Me: nothing dear
Toun: ok, don’t worry, you will find the perfect guy. That Naetochukwu guy in Business Admin is still dying for you, you should call him one of this days..
Me: he is cool but he is too proud, it pisses me off sometimes..
Toun: just call him…a simple call to tell him you are just checking up on him. Lets see what happens from there.
Me: I hear you..
Toun: and if you are h—y, I can share Abayomi with you, you know I love u dat much
Me: yuck!…you are a fool..
We both laughed, after sometime, she stood up to leave, as I esc-rted her to the door, she k!$$£d me on thel-ips. She was so carefree about it but I seem to have felt her ton-gue. I brushed it away and decided that calling Naetochukwu wouldn’t be a bad idea..
I went to Abayomi and Toun’s room after Toun called me to come. They were eating potato and fish when I got it with a bottle of Eva wine. Toun was really spending her father’s guilt money. From the look of their faces, it was clear that Toun had appeased Abayomi, one way or the other. He looked happier and more relaxed. Their room was extremely cold, so I went un-der a duvet and listened to them argue about the names they would give their children.
I remember when Timi and I did that too. We had decided that their first name would be Yoru-ba while their second name would be Igbo. Although, I insisted that the first girl will have an Igbo first name, Timi’s heavenly felattio had made me agree to all his demands. Those were cool times. I dialed Naetochukwu’s number.
Naeto: hello
Me: hi, its Tana
Naeto: oh Tana, sorry I didnt know it was you, I just bought this very cool phone and I haven’t saved numbers on it yet.
Me: you are a big boy na..how are you and your people?
Naeto: very fine, how are you, are you around?
Me: not really, but will be back soon, just wanted to check on you. It’s been a long time
Naeto: na you no get my time now, can we have a d@t£ this week Friday?
Me: I would love that..
After a few more inconsequential talks, I hung up.
Abayomi didn’t seem impressed, but Toun was happy, she always thought I should have d@t£d Naeto instead of Acho.
There was a knock on the door, and when it was opened, Uche’s tall frame was visible, he didn’t bother entering..
Uche: we would be hanging out at Cue-Lounge, not too far from here by 6pm..
Abayomi: cool bro, I actually nee-d to unwind..
Uche: Sparrow will bring you guys
Toun: where is Jafar?i have not seen him since I c@m£
Uche: he went to Zone 7, he will meet us at the Lounge by 6pm.
Toun: aii..
He left immediately he pas-sed his message. Coincidentally my phone beeped. It was a message from Timi.
Timi = we really nee-d to talk. Just give me a chance to explain myself; I swear you will see reasons. You are the one for me!
I went beneath the duvet, shielding myself from the cold that was ma-king my n—–s rocky.
Around 5:30, Toun and I decided to dress up for the outing. Like a best friend should, toun had brou-ght some of my clothes for me. I decided to go with a low n£¢ked go-wn that would expo-se some cleavage, and instead of full p@n-ts, I went with a G-string that wouldn’t leave any p@n-ty lines. The go-wn was ti-ght on the h!ps, ex-posing a figure that Toun said was S-xy. If my go-wn was short, Toun’s was shorter and her height made it more obvious.
Sparrow took us to the Lounge which was situated in Phase 2, Federal housing, Lugbe. Shortly after we sat down with Uche, Aji and Sparrow also seated around us, Jafar entered with three girls that looked Fulani’ish..
After Toun stood up to hvg him, Abayomi and I shaked him, he introduced the girls..
Jafar: meet Hauwa, Mariam and Fatima…they are from Nile University..
The girls greeted us with that exotic accent that educated Hausa speaking people have. I have seen fine girls, and I ranked myself among them, but these girls were sp©tless.. ..beautiful and sp©tless..
But I cant be intimid@t£d….can i?
Drinks were brou-ght in buckets of ice but I was less interested, I didn’t like the way Fatima kept whispering in Jafar’s ears. It was not like I was jealous or something, but she should atleast say what she wanted to say loud and clear… oya I was jealous small.
WATCHOUT FOR EPISODE 17