by A. Achaka
The Commander was up too a bit later and for the first time, he felt less pain in his body, he turns and realise he was alone on the bed, he smiled and got out of it too, headed straight into the bathroom for a quick shower. His thought was defining what lack of sex could do to the body, most times he wakes up with his bones cracking at every inch but now he wasn’t feeling any of it.
Though his waist aches a little, he run the shower in no time out with only short and no shirt, he went out of the room, still he found the items at the dining table, but the aroma that hit him tells him where she was, he smile and proceed to the kitchen. At the door he watched her in excitement, carefully cooking with his shirt on, felt his manhood kicks again, he just felt like jumping on her for another round, just in time she turn and caught him staring at her, and smiled.
“You are awake, i thought i should prepare something before you wake up” he smiled went closer and kissed her gently on her lips and left her for the dining area.
He was going through the stuffs they bought, he couldn’t bring himself to stop smiling, as the same feeling brought back many memories, he remembered when he came back as the young captain from the war also a hero for saving the whole camp from the intruders.
The touchdown air plane was full of jubilation from the soldiers and the country at large for the successful battle won, his name was the headline story in the papers with the caption”THE HERO OF WAR”
The after party was his ticket to finding the door to his heart, he first met his wife at the party, and she was invited by her carzy cousin, after been disappointed by the lady he he was seeing, I guess so they say, every disappointment is a blessing.
The anger he felt that night was exploding from within, all his friends had their girls around them, he was just a loner at the party he just decided to keep himself company with too much drink. Watching his friends have fun drives him crazy he just made up his mind to either go outside or go home. He had rejected two girls that were introduced to him by some of his collegue.
The sare fate he had with his girlfriend was a deep one, but most a times deny it was love, he told his friend they were just messing around, and at the party he was so devastated, he can wait to share the part of heroism stroy with her but she stood him up. He got up from the his the chair he was almost drunk, staggering his way towards the door, he was still looking behind hoping she might in there somewhere and approaching the door “Awww” He collided with someone and straight to the floor.
The sound of the fall, made the party pause a bit, he staggered himself up rejecting any help and head on outside feeling the world was totally against him
“How did I get myself into this mess” taking another gulp from bottle
“I think it’s good sometimes for a hero to loosen up” the voice got him startled, he left the bottle half way to his mouth, he quickly turn and saw a beauty smiling heavily at him, he just gave up on the drink and dropped the bottle, his mind came at ease and his heart skiped a bit, and came beating as fast as Lamborghini car, did I mentioned he became sobered immediately, he had seen beauties but none has ever made him uneasy not even the girl that stood him up,
‘Hi” she said, he was still looking at her with parted lips and no words “Now would be the time for you to say something” she continued
“Oh am sorry hi, please seat” he was staring into her blues eyes but she would look and shy away, they talk for a while, it was during the conversation he realise she was the person they collided at the door, she wanted to know if he was ok.
They talk at length until the party was over, when her cousin came and took her away, his friends noticed the change in him of a sudden, he refused any drink but later realised he never asked for her name, address or number.
His face was tightened real hard at the mistake he had made, the aroma way from the kitchen came flooding straight into his nose, and soon the reason for the whole thought came out, he was still standing by the dining table looking through the items they bought.
“dinner is ready” She brought back his thought, He raised his head and smiled as she set the food on the table and quickly cart away with the items. He sat down but could still smell the aroma of the closed food on the table, she came back and dished his and was about to leave but he called her to seat and eat with him.
After eating they both neatly arranged the items in the right place, he couldn’t stop praising her for the food and how good she was the other time, she would also return the favour, when they had fined they sat back in the sitting room to watch some series, he had never concern himself with any of it but she told him it would be good for him to laugh a little, they watch a movie of a funny fat man called Mr. Ibu, he couldn’t believe it, the magic worked, he laughed throughout the movie, with her in his arms, he think she is his guardian angel, just a day and he was feeling like a young man again.
The thought of his children discovering the latest development didn’t cross his mind; he just let himself enjoy the moment. When it was some minute to ten they rose and went inside, without wasting of much time they were naked and got busy under the blanket.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The car they boarded was air tight, a vectra, loaded about four passengers at the back and two by the passenger’s seat but the driver was alone. The journey relocating from Kaduna to the city of Jos, which was both their city, Gideons legs were hurting as well as the other passengers, but there was nothing to be done, that was just to keep a low profile, in their business identity matters and knowing the girl face was every were by was a cause for the lowest prfile they could keep.
All the people at the back seat were men except for Erica, she do know how to keep a low profile, she had done a great job disguising herself with too much make ups and a veil she put over her head.
The first check point they came across got him worried, they were asked to climb down of the vehicle, he had never felt nervous in his life until that check point, the military man kept looking at the girl and even asked her to remove the veil but the girl was silently stubborn that he admire, she had the courage to tell the man that, it was against their tradition to remove her veil, he got angry and raised his hand to slap her but another man stopped him, it almost caused a fight but that was the very thing that set them free, they hurriedly left the place before the man change his mind.
The second was not much of a problem, they were hungry men and all they demand was money and they pass through, he could never stop being impress at the girls attitude, that was exactly like him when he was growing up, he had these resistance in him and violent smart nature that made people want to move with him especially when he gain admission into the university. His primary purpose was to look for his parent killers, he wasn’t into school anymore but so he could be recruited into a cult group, it was violent but he was a smart one, never caught when a fight occur but again he was rated the most dangerous and held the number one position of the cult group before he graduated.
Now seeing himself in that little girl, all he did was just pray, never should she make a wrong turn like he did in his life. Knowing how smart she was, she delayed them so they could favour Mrs. Linda. Early that morning surprisingly Linda came, she was happy that she came early, after greeting and everything, Gideon gave her two hundred thousand naira, she was overwhelmed and promised them, when next they were in town they would be surprise at her investment.
Gideon was gald he heard that, so many times people often get helped in life but none of them made an effort to get established, but the promised she made made more comfortable and they exchange contacts and started their journey.
It was at the park she did all these make up, every where was floaded with cops searching every vehicle before it depart, she quickly bought a veil and plenty make up, people were just making fun of her, she design her face to an unrecognisable form, only Gideon knows what she was up too.
At the next check point he turned and saw her sleeping, the car slow down for the army to
do his bedding, and directly the man came to his window looking at him,
“Hay, who are you and where are you going?” Gideon stared at him, without fear. The solider’s eyes caught on some strange face designed with too many colours, he burst into laughter and asked Erica to climb down of the vehicle. Gideon’s mind was on a pace, he might asked her to clean up the make up and then what? but on a second thought she was a smart girl, she would have a way out, just then a vehicle zoom passed with high seep, the man quickly left them and went in pursuit of the vehicle.
“that was close” he told her as they continue on the journey.
The heat was too much and very unbearable in the car even though the windows was wind down, Gideon felt like hell was just a stone thrown, funny enough that thought shade more highlight on a statement someone made that, “A ride from Nigeria to hell is just five naira.”
On their way after the check point, they noticed a small gathering along the side walk of the road just out skirt of a little town, it turned out to be the very car that ditched the check point and was over speeding, that had an accident and every one was died instantly.
Two bodies lying on the ground while the car was in flame, “What is life” he said to himself. The next checking point, had an inter state piller and a big signboard reading WELCOME TO PLATEAU STATE, the Home of Peace and Tourism boldly written, he turned and look at her and her as to him. Instantly her face changed, he had a little flash on his thought, this is both their home of birth, she must have a flash of her parent, a little fear gripped him, the thought of her going home kind of sickens him, he had never believed any body as he had come to believe in this girl.
After the checking point it took them about thirty minute drive to get to the, once down they didn’t waste any time in boarding a cab out of the place.
They didn’t say a word as the taxi drove all the way to the state secretariat Junction, the smell of home enrouded his face, it has been many years since he last visited the house, he wouldn’t call it a home since his parent passed it is just a house, never there been fun or life in it. The driver drove through the old legislative quaters, a very lonely nehgbourhood well organised and well planted trees by the path to give enough shade around. Down to the last building of the quaters was a big mansion, somehow it looked unused or abandoned but it was properly equipped.
The got out at the front of the gate and paid off the driver and he drove out, the padlock used on the gate was already getting rust, he approached a stone which seemed glued to the wall and and soon brought out the key behind it, she was just staring at it, the cobwebs at the gate was something else. Luckly he tried the key and it gave in without any resistance.
“Home sweet house” he smile to her, the air of his child hood strucked a bit, he didn’t when he gasp, she was looking at him till he steadied again.
The mansion was huge, from the little house by the gate, the the car stand by the right corner holding two cars covered, but dust had recovered the cover on it, the compound itself was full with dirt and dried and wet leaves on the interlocks, by the left was a bare land, the grasses had grown and the little artistic fountain in front of the house, it was a fish jumping out of the water but there was no water, it was dried.
He quickly dismissed the idea that was flooding into his mind especially when it got to the part his parent died, a little bit of anger arose a bit but he turned and saw her looking at the house in amazement, he calmed down and made his way towards the main entrance.
“Where are we?” she asked, but when she turned he wasn’t there and she saw him at the front door trying to open and she run to him.
“Whoes house is this?”
“My house” he answered
“Wow its huge and you are alone” he nodded and pushed open the door, the dust and cob webs that roused was alarming, he pushed her aside for air to do the little magic before they proceeded in.
Inside was smelling of ancient antiquities and cold, the smell was irritating, he riched for the switched it was covered by cob webs as well but switched it on, surprinsingly it worked, the full vision of his childhood flashed again, this is something he had to leave with since Erica is now with him. The last time he came, he was been hunted by the state police for a crime they committed, and the house was his perfect cover none of his friend knew about it, but he couldn’t sleep because of the nightmare he left that night and never came back until now.
Erica had not stopped exploring what her eys could see in the house, from the little fire place and the dusted paintings on the wall, just above the fire place was this painting of Gideon and his parent when he was little, it was almost perfect but not complete though the dust had cover most of it, the couch and other furnitures were all cover in white linen for safty an dhe left them just the way they are.
Up the stairs where most of the room were, she followed him to the only door to be opened, that was his room. It was the same as the whole house dusty
“Is this your room?” He smiled and nodded, it was the last door by that corridor, it has a perfect view of the city roof tops and perfect view for the sunset, He could remember when they moved in, that was the first room he went to and for the sunset he behold that moment he told his parent about it.
“Yup this is my room, you may want to be down stairs, so i could temporarily clean this place, ok?”
“Okay” she said and left back down, he started on cleaning the room.
In no time the room was all set and done, cleaned and arranged, he called on her name, she made a run into the room and at once jump on the bed and closed her eyes to sleep. He used the time to walk round the house to check on things missing and also food items they could eat, ‘oh, he thought everything would have been in bad shape by now, He went into the store and the smell send him away, back into the kitchen it was smelling very dirty an cold, the refrigerator was not any different, the drinks and other item were either expired or spoiled
“We need food” he slamed the fridge door and starts cleaning from the kitchen.
Cleaning the kitchen brought old memories like no other, at a point he could swear he tasted his mother food, when a dirty water splashed into his mouth while washing the dishes. His mom was a great cook, he learned to respect women from his dad but since the incident he had gone point blank on the respect issues.
He took to empty the refrigerator, and would smile at the thought of time with the girl, sometimes annoying but thats waht makes it remarkable and interesting. Now about being in Jos, he wouldn’t want her to leave, some sort of connection they have together, for some reason he never had a thought about his gang, if they were alive or dead, all he focused on how to square even witht the whole situation, first they need food.
By the time the thought came to a conclusion He had finished the kitchen, happy with the job done he went out to the sitting room, that would take more than his strength to clean it, beside he should be resting as well, but to be on the safe side he started on taking off the linen off the fornitures. He was still in the process and Erica came down, she look annoyed at the sight of him cleaning
“Why didn’t you call me?” With her face tightened, it seem she want to help
“You were sleeping that’s why, and I don’t want you to put dirt on your cloths” her face squeeze the more “alright, you dust all the items while I sweep around” he watched her face lighten up, and a thought came ‘how can he get rid of a girl like this? Not also forgotting that she helped him get himself together, and beside she alone know his secrete, and more what he does and how it started, he paused for a minute while sweeping staring down at the floor some meteres from the fireplace
“Tha’s where it happened??” He turned and smiled at her, he was at the verge of screaming when the voice brought him back,
“She was right here, when they were.......” He paused fighting hard the tears begging to drop “They didn’t stop and my dad was there tired and I just stood there watching as they took turns and sliced her throat
open and shot dead” He just allow the tears run freely down his check.
“Well its not your fault and at least you witness yours dying” his face turned hard and the tears ceased “but I bet i felt mine dying, now you have a life, will you just let the pain continue to push you and think it’s going to get better? I watched you sleep last night, no worries no dreams no nightmares just peaceful, don’t you want that?” The words hit him directly in the chest, he could swear it was his mom talking to him, that was the same advice she put in her own younger brother, when he was leaving with them.
Immediatly the guilt of all he had done came flooding into his head, he could see the face of people begging him and other praying for him to stop, He couldn’t endure it, and he ran upstairs and screams, hoping it would leave him alone. Erica didn’t run after him but continue to work, she end up cleaning the entire sitting room, by the time she was done its almost three thirty, she went upstairs and found him sound asleep, he seems to have scream himself to sleep, indeed she had given him a lot to handle and now she feels guilty for telling him something like that, knowing that he had just seen the picture of his parent dying all over again.
Erica’s mindset was cooked in somehow strong will, she expect him to be as well, she has lost her parents too and beside he was the proposed leader of the group who did it, but she wasn’t screaming like he did.
She was covered in dirt and with him sleeping, there is nothing as such to do, she tried the Television, “Ahh its working” she screamed, very matured as she does her things. She made to seat on the couch but realised how dirty she was and went back up stiars. He was still having the nap of his life, “that’s just what you need to get it all out” she said and quickly went into bathroom and showered, the soap she found must have suffered dehydration or it was just getting spoiled but she used it anyway and back to the room, her clothes were too dusty and dirty to put back on, she had the towel about her chest and left the room, hoping she would find something fitting to put on.