Protected
By Bebe. Ernest
Episode 5
MAGIC.
The man who called himself Justin was talking to someone else, he took me to an office place and I can see many computers, am sure I saw more than one holstered gun.
Am curled on a chair with a mug of something h0t, well it was h0t when it was given to me, now it’s warm, I didn’t bother drinking it, it tasted like Ash to me.
I tried to clean most of the blood, it got out but the one on my clothes didn’t, I don’t have a change of clothes so,
Am still shaking, a man got killed in front of me, that does not happen in onitsha, I feel so alone.
“How are you holding up?”
I j£rk in shock, the Justin man is standing in front of me, by the way he is staring at me, am sure he has been standing there for a while.
I don’t respond I just gaze at the ground.
“Hey,”
I still don’t respond.
He crouches in front of me and t©uçhes my leg fir a bit. I still don’t glance up.
“If you don’t answer my questions sweetie, we will have to find out where you are from and s£nd you back”.
That got throu-gh to me, I twitched, he noticed.
“If you talk then I can help you, I promise.”
I slowly raise my head, he is kneeling in front of me and on a closer look u see he is not that old, maybe 25 at most.
“So you wanna tell me?”
I nod.
“Good, first, what’s your name”
I open my mouth to answer but I see some of his co-workers gather round, I tense, the feeling of being watched is not one am used to.
The man notices and he tells them to go away, they do so without question and am immediately better, I get the feeling this man is an higher up.
“So your name?”
“Magic, my name is magic, Magic Emilia obi”
I don’t know why I gave him my middle name as my first name but I felt compelled to do so, I want a new beginning.
“Magic, nice name, ok magic, tell me how you got to be in that shed”
I shake my head negatively, I don’t want to relieve that awful moment again.
He seems to un-derstand because he nods and smiles gently, he slowly lifts his hand, as if asking for permission, and begins to stro-ke my hair .
I don’t know I have been craving human t©uçh because his t©uçh opens the flood gates of my tears.
I tell him everything, about how my aunty treats me, how my uncle almost harmed me one day when my aunty was away, how they were going to sell me, how I ran, Andrew’s travelling, my stolen bag and finally how scared and alone I feel.
When I finish I realize he has stood up and maneuvered me in a manner that I am now sitting on his l@p, while he comforts me.
“It’s ok, it’s ok, let it all out”
I gulp in air and am suddenly exhausted, I only have my purse containing my money with me, that’s all, no where to sleep, nothing at all.
I just want to sleep and forget today ever happened.
“You ok now little one?”
I nod and lift my head from his che-st, he gently places me on the couch again and am grateful, if a little embarras-sed that I blubbered in front of this handsome man.
I must not be as exhausted as I feel if I have the strength to admire his handsomeness.
“So, you have no relative at all in Lagos?”
I shake my head no . He sighs.
“I will make sure my boys see about getting your bag back from the taxi driver ok?”
I nod, grateful.
“I don’t know how long that will take little one, so in the meantime you will be coming home with me”
I instantly tense, am not going anywhere.
He notices because he laughs.
“Good, at least you un-derstand that there are dangers attached to following random men to their house”
I don’t answer, Lagos has not been good to me, I don’t want to be a victim again .
“But you are still going to come with me”
“You are a random man sir”
He laughs again, I like his laugh.
“I know, little one but I have to keep an eye on you, you are very vital to thus case, you saw the face of the killer, you are our only lead”
Am still not convinced.
“I have a sister, she lives with me, she has a son, I promise nothing will happen to you there.”
Am swayed, a nan that has a sister living with him can’t be that bad, right?
“And we have position open at my house, you will some minor work and you will get paid, feeding and accommodation included.”
Ok that seals the deal, how bad can it be?
I nod.
“Good, let’s go, it’s just 3 in the morning, we both nee-d some shut-eye”
“Shut-eye? What does that mean?”
“It means sleep, little one”
I nod but I respond.
“Am not little”
He laughs.
“Whatever you say little one”
He calls me the name again but I don’t take offense because I love his laugh.
*******””********”””””******”””””*****”””**
MAGIC.
when we get to his place, am instantly overwhelmed, it’s a mansion, I have never seen ahouse like this in my life except in movies.
He leads me inside after he we get down from his car, I can’t seem to close my mouth, it’s even bigger inside, even in the darkness.
He doesn’t turn on a light , he explains that it will wake his sister, I nod
He leads me to a room, it’s the biggest I have ever seen, my whole house back in onitsha will fit into the room.
“This will be your room,ok?”
I nod .
“Make yourself comfortable, I will get you some change of clothes, tomorrow we will discuss how to get you some clothes”
I nod, he leaves and comes back with a big polo shi-t and a bo-xer, I blus-h.
He says good night and leaves, I bring the shi-t to my nose,it smells like him.
I take my bath in the biggest bathroom I have ever seen and get into be-d, I realize ni am hungry, but that has to wait till tomorrow.
I close my eyes and s£nd a silent prayer to the heavens .
Thank you Father for s£nding me an helper.
******”””*****””’******”’*****”’*””’******”
Justice.
I get home really late , around about 4, I was out in the office going over some new contract proposal we got from a company in the states.
I don’t turn on a light because it disturbs julliet, i just make my way to my room in the darkness, I str!p while dumping my clothes in the ground.
I enter my bathroom and take a quic-k bath, exhaustion pu-lls at me,am so tired.
I exit and I manage to pu-ll on my bo-xer before coll@psing on the be-d, am immediately asleep.
If I wasn’t so tired I would have heard my door open, I would have felt my be-d di-p as another b©dy rests besides me,I would have woken up as the person snuggles close.
But I don’t, I am tired and asleep,am dead to the world.
Tomorrow, Tomorrow.
Protected ?
By Bebe Ernest
Episode 6
MAGIC.
Am dreaming, it’s a nice dream, am pressed against something warm, hmm, no wait, the warmness has come closer and wra-pped me.
I love Mr Justin’s house, everything is so welcoming.
I snuggle dee-per, am going to sleep forever.
My stomach growls, am hungry, I can’t sleep forever , le sigh.
I almost giggle in my sleep, I got that from a movie I watched once, the actress said le sigh, ha, I know some fancy word.
I feel my self drifting back to sleep and I gladly want to but my stomach growls again, louder this time.
I get smashed into my warm cocoon and I hear a very male voice say..
“You feel so good Selene, don’t go anywhere, let’s stay like this for a while”.
I tense instantly, oh no!
I must have done it again. It happens to me anytime I go to be-d hungry, I sleep walk.
it always pisses aunty off, anytime she punishes me by s£nding me to be-d hungry, I get up in the night and sleep walk.
She says it’s my way of insulting her.
I can’t believe it’s not a dream.
I slowly open my eyes and I am as-saulted by a very male che-st, I think it’s Mr Justin.
But on a closer look, this is an older version of Mr Justin.
What do I do?! Mr Justin never told me he had a brother!
I begin to panic.
I mentally sl@p myself, now is not the time to act like a village girl, get yourself together.
I look again at his face, he is slee-ping peacefully, he must think am his wife, he’s so handsome.
I carefully extricate my self from his hands, I think I have gotten away safely until he sighs and pu-lls me closer.
“Selene…”
I muffle my cry of surprise when his hands wra-ps around my backside and pu-lls Me much more closer.
Father Lord, let this man wife not enter this room at this time.
I wait for a while, and when I feel like he has finally drifted off I pu-ll a way again, my stomach choose that moment to growl horribly loud.
I tense.
He doesn’t move.
Thank God.
I crawl to the edge of the big be-d as best as i can, it feels like I was swimming on the be-d, it is that big.
I get to the edge and climb out, thank you Lord!
I begin to ti-ptoe out but a very calm voice says.
“Stay”.
I freeze.
“Turn around”
I turn.
“Now, explain to me how the hell you got into my room”.
***************************************
Justice.
It was a nice dream, a very good one, I dreamt of Selene, any dream of Selene is a good one.
I feel good, I want to sleep for ever.
I feel movement on the other side of the be-d . I can’t sleep for ever.sigh.
I open my eyes when I hear foot step, I see a girl, yes a girl walking towards the bathroom, I can’t remember bringing a girl home last night, and it’s definitely not julliet, my sister.
Were julliet is tall and slender, this ..this ..girl is petite and small, I could crush her with my hand, and her hair, her hair is everywhere.
“Stay”
She freezes, good, I like when my commands are heeded.
“Turn around”
She does, I get as-saulted by the brightest gray eyes I have ever seen, it’s second was that of Selene, but this one is silverer, this one is more expressive, it’s currently telling me it’s scared.
I don’t care.
“Now, explain to me how the hell you got into my life room”.
“Good morning sir”
She greets, the eff?
I just raise my brows, she about starts crying, I just stare her down.
“Sir,! It was a mistake!, I did not mean to….”
“I don’t care, who are you”
“My name is magic, Mr Justin brou-ght me home yesterday”
Magic,? Mr Justin? I think my brother is now slumming it, I can’t believe he would bring an apparent peon into how house, wait, my house .
And Mr Justin? The $h!t? What is she 6? Even my nephew Alec, julliet’s son does not call Justin Mr.
“What are you doing in my room?”
“Sir…”
Ha, I see what is going on here, she c@m£ home with Justin and that wasn’t enough, she believes she can get the cream of the crop
Fool.
“You c@m£ in here to s£dûç£me?”
Her face blanks in confusion, she is a very good actress, just like her the girl she shares the same eye color with,they are both actresses.
“Am sorry to disappoint you but I like my women more mature, you obviously are a child,come back when you are a lot older”
I can see tears rush into her eyes and I dont care, not a little bit.
“You got Justin and I don’t know how, but am telling you, get out now before you who-re your self a lot more, he won’t fall for you.”
She blanches like I sl@pped her, ha, seems itty bitty here likes my brother a little too much.
“Now you may get out”
She nods sharply, and walks towards the bathroom, this fool.
“The door is the other way moron”
I see a blus-h suffuse her cheeks and I shake my head, what a nutcase.
She exits the room and I sigh, I can’t believe I thought she was Selene, I fall back on my pillow.
I turn my head and I get on my pillow and I get a whiff of scent, it smells like baby powder.
What a child.
I tell myself this but I find my self pressing my nose into my pillow to get more of the scent.
The hell.
****
Tbc