LOVE BY A BEAST
EPISODE 7
I could not describe Jafar as handsome, he was just a synonym for swag, he told us to follow him, and like me I was sure Abayomi didn’t consider declining. He led us into down the corridor into the room the girl had come out from. The room was dark, smelled fruity; his fan was at full throttle. The cli-ck that brou-ght on the light expo-sed a well arranged room, spacious, with a portrait of fela smoking cannabis on the wall. Looking at his be-d, I was shocked; another girl was beneath the sheets.
Jafar: Seun!
Seun(the gir): J…baby…….what…is…
***I recognized Seun , she was one of those bu-tty micro-biology girls…***
Jafar: be kind enough to excuse us, go to ‘bebe’ I would join you there in less than an hour.
He gave her a wad of 500 naira notes from his table, but she rejected it..
Seun: I have money..
She was wearing a see throu-gh nightie, full bo-ob s and shaved crotch was free to air, I had to frown out Abayomi before he could dis£ngage his eyes from evil. She picked up her clothes that were on the chair beside the table, k!$$£d Jafar and left.
Jafar: I am sorry for that
Me: it’s alright..
He brou-ght out a sketch of the SUG section at mini-campus, made in pencil, showing where he wanted his restaurant, game and cd shop.
Jafar: as you can see, the proposed sites are hidden from view, if we don’t have sole patronage, we would crash..
Abayomi: we could provide you with vintage points
Jafar: nope, those places highlighted will do just fine
I was sure they wanted to do clandestine things there, who would want his shop in a hidden place..a hidden restaurant?
Jafar: any other person can have their restaurant, but not cd and game centres.
Abayomi: even if we agree to half your offering price..
Jafar: even if you offer me for free…
Me: why do you want your shops in hidden places?
Jafar looked at me, he looked into my eyes like he expected me to get the answers from looking at his..
Jafar: because I want the restaurant to be exclusive and I also want the people coming to pl@ygames or buying Cds to feel comfortable doing so without the prying eyes of everyb©dy.
Me: okay..
Abayomi: can we sleep on it and call you tomorrow morning?
Jafar: before 6am or no deal… ***call Uche***
He stepped out of the room like he was the visitor, Abayomi looked at me and I stared back..
When we got back to the living room, Uche was shooting pool with another unknown guy..
Abayomi: where is Jafar?
Uche: him don comot
Abayomi: and he just left us in the room?
Uche: no vex..maybe him tell una bye but una no hear
I definitely knew he didn’t say anything..
Abayomi: na wa o..
Uche: him say make I drop una for una crib
Abayomi: we can find our way..
Is this guy mad?..such a wrong time to form macho..in Aiyegbemi?
Me: Uche come and drop us, Abayomi naa…plea-se let him drop us..
Uche: lets go..
I sle-pt in Abayomi’s house. While Toun and I sle-pt in his be-droom, Abayomi sle-pt in his sitting room. He had promised to get someone who would clean up my room . I wondered where Timi was going to sleep. Maybe Annie’s house…most likely Annie’s house.
Thinking of Timi was coming at a regular. All I wanted was for him to tell me why he broke up with me. I wanted to know if it was because of another girl. i wondered if he had heard something or if I had done something. My thoughts switched to Jafar and the uneasy feeling in my gut lingered. I know Abayomi was going to call Uche anytime from now to accept his proposal.
At school every male was a suspected faeces criminal. I somehow couldn’t imagine a girl squ-atting in my be-d to s–t on it. We had free periods after the first lecture, Toun had gone to get us cu-ps of Ice-cream when I got a call
Caller: hello, it’s me Timi
Me: yes?
Timi: was wondering if we could have lunch?
Me: for what?
Timi: just to catch up on old times, it’s been a while we spoke
Me: not interested, I will be very busy.
Timi: why are you being difficult, in the past your stubbornness used to be S-xy, now you are just plain mean.
Me: I am mean? Pot calling kettle black
Timi: it’s just lunch dear
Me: I am hanging up if you have nothing else to say
Timi: I have something to say, I miss your plantain and egg.
Me: You are being foolish right now. ***I hung up***
I got a text some minutes later from Abayomi . “I called Uche, I have accepted the deal” , I scrolled down to the end of the message, where the time and d@t£ was usually displa-yed. That was when it hit me, Timi wanted to have lunch with me on his birthday.
Toun: call him and agree for lunch
Me: no I can’t, I am too proud
Toun: so what will you do?
I picked up my phone and s£nt him a message. “Happy birthday, wishing you the best”
At noon, Toun and I went to the sports cafeteria to eat lunch, their rice and dodo was breathtaking, i still felt guilty that I turned Timi down. Then I saw him walk in with Annie. She was looking as beautiful as ever, wi-de h!ps and all.
Toun looked at me with a kind of motherly pity. I tried to ignore them but I had to admit they looked good together. He didn’t see me thankfully, but I think Annie did.
I felt good, very good that he had asked me for lunch before deciding to bring Annie. Or had she rejected before then he asked me before she later accepted?
_________________________________________
Acho was inside my house when I got home, I hadn’t intended to stay for long, I just wanted to pick some clothes and move back to Toun’s place, much to Abayomi’s chagrin. I hadn’t remembered to collected my spare key from the dude. He was looking good though.
Acho: babe, howfar?
Me: do you know I can arrest you for breaking and entering?
Acho: no breaking na…just entering..
He was smiling
Me: what do you want? Where is my key?
Acho: I still believe we can work, I am sorry for the other night, blame it on the alcohol
Me: no problem, drop the key and leave
Acho: listen to me first na…
He approached me with a confident swag, I walked backwards till I was pressed against a wall.
Me: Acho, what is all this ru-bbish?
Acho: I miss you, see I am so ha-rd …
He took my hand and placed it on the protruded p@rt of his jean, he was ha-rd . I attem-pted to sl@p him but he gr@bb£d my other hand. His mouth f0rç£fully claimed mine. He separated hisl-ips to stick his ton-gue inside. I pushed him but he was so strong.
Acho: oh..u taste so good…
His che-st was pressed against my b—-t, I was having difficulty breathing…that was when they c@m£ in. They were three in number, dressed in all blue, Acho didn’t have the opportunity to turn back before one of them stuck him on the n£¢k. The other two had baseball sticks which they applied on his left hand. Surprisingly, they only hit his left hand and left knee. He kept begging but they st©p
Acho: Tana I am sorry, plea-se help me…
It was too much for me too, I had to beg them to st©p. I was scared that I was going to be next though. They st©pped immediately, the one who struck Acho first spoke.
Guy: how him take enter?
Me: he has my key?
Guy: na your b©yfri£nd?
Me: my ex
The guy di-pped his hand into Acho’s pocket and gave me all the keys he found in there. I carefully selected mine. The two other guys lifted Acho up and took him out. My neighbors were peeping from their windows as they bundled Acho into the boot of their Volvo.
Me: plea-se let him go…plea-se..( shouting)
The guy who seemed like their leader just smiled and drove off.
LOVE BY A BEAST
EPISODE 8
I decided I was not returning to my ap@rtment anymore, I picked up my belongings to Toun’s place. She was waiting for me infront.
Toun: I am so sorry, hope you weren’t hurt?
Me: nooo, but I was scared.
Toun: who are those guys?
Me: how would I know, they don’t stay around. I even thought they were his people until they attacked him, I almost peed on myself.
Toun: I called Abayomi immediately you called me, he is on his way here.
Me: thanks.
Toun: you go chop indomie?
Me: I am not hungry
I was worried about Acho, I wondered if I should alert the police..then I got a message.
“ he wouldn’t be a nuisance anymore….Jafar”
I should have felt Jafar was an angel who rescued me, but it didn’t feel so…it felt like the devil just texted me.
After gossiping for a long time, Toun’s mood changed.
Toun: Tee, I want to tell you something that has been eating me up.
Me: tell me
Toun: it’s about my parents
Me: what is the problem?
Toun: my dad has left the house, there is this paralegal that has been causing issues between him and my mum.
Me: I am so sorry, your mum must be devastated
Toun: the painful p@rt is that this girl is the same age as my elder brother.
Me: men can f–k up ehn..with all due respect
Toun: I have st©pped accepting his calls and all.
Me: how is your mum taking it?
Toun: she is handling it well, she has told him not to return to the house.
Me: see judge o..hehehehe..
The look Toun gave me could kill.
Me: sorry now..he will have his fill and leave her
Toun: he started s£nding money anyhow to my account?
Me: you no t©uçh that one too?
Toun: Abayomi is with my ATM, he uses it for the campaign..
I remembered Kofo and I felt very guilty, I would step-down as his as-sistant if he doesn’t leave that girl I said to myself.
Me: I am so sorry, I would have suggested we go and take Gordon spark and asun but I am still jittery from the earlier episode.
Toun: its alright, I have a bottle of Pink-Lady in the fridge, lets drink
Some three hours later..we were very drun!k
Me: I think of Timi all the time
Toun: oh..
Me: I don’t think I ever healed, seeing him with Annie was an eye opener
Toun: I want to st©p having s-x with Abayomi
Me: why?
Toun: I don’t know why, but for a while now I have not been enjoying it.
Me: why not tell him?
Toun: you know how guys feel after you tell them such, they feel it’s about them.
Me: it isn’t about them?
Toun: I think this is about me
Me: how?
Toun: I don’t know, but I don’t even think of s-x unlike before, I was a freak babe.
Me: Abayomi will un-derstand, I think you guys can fix it
Toun: but I like k!ss!nghim still, I prefer when he is drun!kand wants a quic-kie, then I just close my eyes till he cu-m. Ever felt like that?
Me: yes, like after f—–g Acho for a month, his big d–k didn’t help.
Toun: Ah Ahn…too much info…
Me: I am a truthful person..
The evil that alcohol caused that day..
Toun: I have a confession.
Me: what?
Toun: I have always wanted to do something
Me: what?
Toun k!$$£d me.
It started with a series of pe-cks, myl-ips were shut. I was surprised…I was shocked. She didn’t st©p..her sugaryl-ips tasted nice, I didn’t want to close my eyes, I knew if I did..i would indulge her
I close my eyes..
I felt her ton-gue on mine, I tasted it, soft and warm…searching and probing…she gr@bb£d my n£¢k and pu-ll-ed me closer..pu-ll-ed my t©p to reveal my jiggling b—–s.…….
………..
…………..
………….
………..
……..
…………….
………. ….. we c@m£..
As we l@ybeside each-other that night, I wondered if what was on my mind was the same as what was on her mind..
We had both cheated on Abayomi.
__________________________________________
I can’t remember who woke up first, but I knew we started at each other for a while just lying there..
Toun: do you feel bad?
Me: yepz
Toun: because you just had s-x with a girl or because of Abayomi?
Me: because of Abayomi and you. I should be a good friend and settle your s-x issue, instead I had s-x with you.
Toun: this had nothing to do with Abayomi and myself
Me: what about us, how would we be after this?
Toun: it’s a one-time thing, we will laugh about it very soon. Have you been with a girl before?
Me: nope, you?
Toun: what do you think?
Me: I dunno o..
She laughed, picked up her phone and called her b©yfri£nd. He was supposed to come but he hadn’t.
In clas-s the next day, I tried putting my life in a perspective, with the drama that was unfolding in my life, I knew if I didn’t take my studies seriously I was going to seriously fail , I didn’t have an idea how I would turn it all around…but I had to. Toun was beside me, dubbing an as-signment from a friend, I was waiting so I would dub from her. I looked at her b©dy, long and lean; she seemed to have moved on from what happened, I decided to push it off my mind.
Toun tapped me with her pen, calling my attention to someb©dy walking towards us with rage in her eyes. It was Yewande, she c@m£ with a friend.
Yewande: why did you s£nd your people to attack my b©yfri£nd. I know you cannot imagine that he could have left you for someone like me, but you took it too far!
I looked at Toun, who was trying as much as possible to ignore us and focus on the as-signment
Yewande: his hand and leg are broken, I swear! You will pay
I ignored her as it was becoming embarras-sing; the aproko students in my clas-s were alre-ady staring.
Yewande: bribing him with money to stay with you was not enough, you had to attack him…you have lost o….
Luckily a lecturer c@m£ in and she had to leave, promising me hell later. At this point I was getting tired, I decided I was going to call Abayomi to tell Jafar and his goons to take a chill, or maybe I would nee-d to call Jafar myself. I stepped outside to call Jafar.
Me: hello
Jafar: Hey
It sounded like he was whispering, but it was still audible
Me: about Acho yesterday I think your boys took it too far
Jafar: oh
Me: I don’t want that kind of thing as-sociated with me
Jafar: what thing are we talking about here?
Me: attacks and beatings
Jafar: oh
Me: do I have your word that it would st©p?
Jafar: what does my word mean to you?
Me: it would as-sure me and I would hold on to it
Jafar: meet me in my house by 7pm..
Me: wha…
He hung up.
That guy lacks manners, and he is sick if he thinks I would come to his house, I said to myself.
We were seated when the vice-chancellor c@m£ into the conference room. Earlier, Abayomi had called me that we had been summoned by the vice-chancellor for an emergency meeting. National and his deputy were to our left. Prof Akinbiyi, the VC was a man of medium build, his grey hair was bushy. I wondered if most professors generally scattered their hair to look mofasa.
VC: how are u doing?
We answered that we were fine. He didn’t beat around the bush, he wanted to inform us that the school management would support any candid@t£ that won , that we would be p@rtners and if we had any grandiose plans that might conflict with the vision of the school if elected. After the meeting I had the opportunity to explain to Abayomi what had happened earlier when Yewande c@m£ to my lecture hall. I told him I wasn’t comfortable with Jafar’s kind of security.
Abayomi: why don’t you want to go?
Me: why should I go?
Abayomi: are you scared?
Me: nope, but I shouldn’t be visiting a guy by 7pm in his house na
Abayomi: I want you to go, I want you to ask him about National’s involvement in the Ijebu-igbo fracas.
Me: why don’t you ask him yourself?
Abayomi: I would be going to Ikenne to campaign to the medical students, Timi and myself.
Me: how is Timi?
Abayomi: he is fine, he s£nds his regards
Me: tell him I s£nd mine too
Abayomi: you should call the guy sometimes, he misses you.
Me: why should he miss me, he has Annie
Abayomi: does he?
Me: what do you mean?
Abayomi: I think you both should sit down and talk, that’s all..
Me: I hear…how is kofo?
Abayomi: we are over
Me: because I am going to quit if you don’t st©p ramming her
Abayomi looked at me and win-ked.
Toun and I were watching Prison Break in her room when we heard a knock on the door, it was 7pm and I thought Abayomi had changed his mind about going to Ikenne. Uche was by the door.
Uche: hope you are re-ady?
Me: Jafar s£nt you?
Uche: yes, I am waiting outside.
Toun: Tee, should I come with you?
Me: nope don’t worry, lemme just change my clothe
Twenty minutes later, Uche drove me to Jafar’s crib.
As expected a lot of guys were in front of the premises, some guys were in the sitting room pla-ying snooker. With the amount of cash displa-yed, they were definitely gambling.
Uche: Jafar say make una comot.
He didn’t nee-d to talk much, the guys filed out like they were remote controlled. Uche told me to wait for Jafar, while he left the ap@rtment. I was alone by myself in the premises. I could hear the guys gathering outside, shouting, laughing and always in an excited state. It was clear that Jafar was not around. The AC in the premises was in full throttle, I was dressed in a short go-wn with a scarf covering my hair, I was cold. After 30minutes I had gotten enough, I decided to leave and was on my way out when I heard a car pu-ll into the drive. I peeped throu-gh the window to see Jafar get out the Benz. He brou-ght out some bottles of liquor from his booth, the guys hurriedly took it from him. Then they started singing, songs that talked about freedom from oppression,suppression et al
As he entered the sitting room, I made up my mind I was going to give him a piece of my mind. Jafar was wearing a hooded t©p with a blue denim jean. His Vuitton frames were brown, sitting well on the bridge of his nose.
Jafar: I am sorry for the delay, I was held up..
Me: I can see
Jafar: goodevening ma’am
Me: good evening Jafar
Jafar: are you hungry?
He stood beside the snooker table, he just asked me If I had eaten like I was his daughter.
Me: I am good. Can we talk about what happened to Acho?
Jafar: yes, but I am very hungry, can u cook?
Me: I beg your pardon?
Jafar: I am not a very good cook, but I try to.
Me: Jafar, its late…lets talk so I can go.
He looked at me and smiled. Some minutes later he c@m£ back with a canned Coke and gave me. He went back inside his room and when he c@m£ back, he was on singlet and a bo-xer short.
Jafar: lets talk in the kitchen, I am famished.
Me: ermmmm….ok…
The kitchen looked very tidy, I was sure it was so because of the amount of girls that visited. The kitchen was bigger than my room, I admitted to myself.
Jafar: my favorite food is Yam and egg, what is yours?
Me: Rice, jollof.
Jafar: do you like fish?
Me: yes
He smiled as he brou-ght out some fresh tomatoes and pepper from a fridge with a transparent door.
Jafar: you will see some eggs behind you, while you deal with that I will peel the yams..
Me: what are you trying to do?
Jafar: we are cooking, later we eat..then we talk.
I quietly started cutting the tomatoes….
Me, Chief Dike’s daughter.
The food c@m£ out well, at least it looked good. He ate in the kitchen , quietly like I wasn’t around. He had insisted I eat with him but I declined. He didn’t seem like someone that cooked his meals, it was S-xy I must admit. After eating, he started washing the dishes, that was when he started talking..
Jafar: so what problem do you have with how Acho was handled?
Me: that was not the kind of security I wanted.
Jafar: I heard he almost R@p£d you
Me: nope! He was my b©yfri£nduntil two weeks ago, I guess he just wanted to prove a point
Jafar: I thought Timi was your b©yfri£nd.
***I was speechless for a while***
Me: Timi is an ex too
He laughed, laughter that expo-sed his teeth. When he laughed he seemed to have difficulty breathing, he laughed in bits.
Jafar: you dey vex o…you just dey ex all of them.
That didn’t sound funny to me so I kept a straight face. He took out his phone and called some to come meet him in the kitchen. The guy c@m£ and took away the yam that remained in the pot and the eggs in the frying pan.
Me: are you their father or what, how old are you?
Jafar: 26
Me: what are you?
Jafar: I am a guy…lol
Me: you know what I mean
Jafar: I don’t ma’am
Me: you are a cultist?
He laughed again. He laughed like I was kid asking why mummy had a big tummy.
Jafar: what do you think?
Me: I think you are a cultist
Jafar: hahahahahaha..
Me: aint you?
Jafar: cultism is otokoto shii..all them blood money n all…
Me: so you are what?
Jafar: Confra….
Me: what is the difference?
Jafar: we fight for black man’s liberation
Me: you believe your bull$h!t?
Jafar: bull$h!t?
Me: you kill yourselves in campus, intimid@t£ and all
Jafar: there are bad eggs in every organization. When Wole introduced Confra to the university, it was for social equalization. Rich or poor, everyb©dy being equal..no matter the tribe and all. The military hijacked it and started bribing our boys to intimid@t£ people. Later political criminals started using them for election violence. Unfortunately, it has given us a bad name.
Me: so why involve yourself with it, you seem very intelligent.
Jafar: to have brothers with a common goal, to protect the oppressed and suppressed…to protect people like you…fend for people you would probably never know about.
I realized we were getting nowhere; I had to shift back to Acho’s matter.
Me: you can protect the Abayomi and the other peeps…leave me out of it.
Jafar: I can’t.
Me: why?
Jafar: you are an investment now; I am responsible for your safety.
Me: you are saying I don’t have a choice?
Jafar: as regards your safety, you don’t…I am sorry ma.
Me: I don’t like the way you handled Acho’s issue
Jafar: ok, we will reduce violence to the minimal
Me: thank you.
Jafar: now that we have an agreement, can you shoot pool?
Me: nope.
Jafar: come let me teach you.
Me: not interested, thanks though.
He was alre-ady moving to the sitting room, I had to follow, no be my kitchen na?
He gave me a stick, placed a white ball and a red ball on the snooker table.
Jafar: now you are going to learn how to hit a ball with the cue ball. The cue ball is the white ball, the stick is called the cue stick.
Me: its like you didn’t hear me, I am not interested.
He led me to the table, stood at my back. He gr@bb£d my left hand and used it as a rest on the table, my right hand held the bu-tt of the cue stick. My bu-m was crested on his crotch, his shoulder enclosed mine as he tried guiding me to take the sh0t. I could smell him, I could hear his heartbeat. I wondered if he heard mine. The last time I felt this tense was when Timi held me for the first time.
Jafar: in snooker, you, your eyes, your stick and the cue ball have to be one, they have to trust each-other. Your aim is the other ball…the middle of the other ball.. remember trust is everything…he whispered in my ears. Hisl-ips brushed my ear lobe.
The sh0t I made was the worse sh0t he had ever seen, he had to admit.
WATCHOUT FOR EPISODE 9