Sacrilege Episode 25 – 26 by Nissi Adeola

Sacrilege Episode 25 by Nissi Adeola

PRESENT

“Laura’s dad?” Teju shook her head, her eyes glazed with visions of the past. “I was too scared. I couldn’t take the hand he proffered. Imagine! He clearly heard that I was pregnant for his daughter’s husband…” she shook her head. “It was so stupid to have met with Dupe at the bar” she said and swallowed. The monitor of the room dinged continuously. For a moment there, she hadn’t heard the sound at all. Mark Johnson lay so still on the bed, no single thing suggested that he had heard an iota of what she was saying. It was all well and good. The only reason she had enough courage to even spill it all was because she had a feeling that no one was listening to her. Many times, she finds herself wondering if she actually did those things.

Teju stood up from the foot of the bed and moved a bit, her nylon apron covering making funny sounds. “He came into my apartment; walked around the room like a lion sizing up its prey. I remember being scared of what he was going to say to me, or do to me… but he didn’t seem angry at first, if anything, he seemed… pleased…”

***** TWO MONTHS AGO *****

The room was drenched in silence and Frank was the only person who seemed comfortable in it. He took his time, giving the room a quick survey while Teju fidgeted, keeping close to the door so she can easily flee in case things went south. He unnerved her. It was weird seeing someone that looked exactly like Mark, yet knowing he was not the one. Identical twins scared her. Yet, there was this air about this man… something about him called to her and she could not just place her finger on what it was.

Frank finally settled his gaze on her. A small smile touched his lips. “You should seat.” He nodded at the only chair in the room. “Standing too much is not good for your… condition”

Teju fidgeted with her fingers, so nervous. “Please sir… I… I can explain”

“No, you shouldn’t. You gave all the explanation I need at the bar. With very acute ears and lip reading abilities, there is nothing you said to your dear friend that escaped my knowledge.” He gave her a brief mirthless smile. He turned to take a small walk around the room like the place was of rare fancy to him. “Including the part where you spoke about aborting your child – my daughter’s husband’s bastard” his eyes connected hers, allowing the words sink in.

Teju swallowed. Her mouth went dry as her heart slammed in her chest. She was lost on what to say. “But I have a solution for you so you don’t have to murder your foetus” Frank continued, turning away again, his back to her. “You see, when I saw you at Laura’s wedding six years ago, clinging to Deolu the way you did, I knew this day would come.”

The words settled and Teju frowned. “But you… you were not at the wedding” she stared intently at the man again. He had said he wasn’t Mark, right? But Mark had been at the wedding, not Laura’s father. Close to Deolu as she was, she had first-hand knowledge that Laura’s father was not in support of their union. Mark had walked her down the aisle that day. So how could Frank have seen her at the wedding when he was not even there?

“Oh, I was there…” he said, turning to face her, his eyes poking into hers. “I walked Laura down the aisle, not Mark… I knew no one would notice the swap, even Laura had too much of Deolu in her head to be able to tell us apart; and she could tell us apart” A pained smiled flashed in his eyes, then vanished, replaced with a dark cloud of bitterness. “But I knew it was all he wanted to do… I knew all Mark wanted was to walk Laura down the aisle and I’d be damned if I’d let him have that… be damned if I’d let him have that happiness” Frank looked almost murderous as he focused on a particular spot on the wall. “I sneaked to the church, called Mark out and took his place. Of course, he resisted but he knew he had no choice. He had a secret to keep” he smiled drily; a bitter smile that Teju knew had a very terrible story behind it.

Teju frowned at Frank. It was like looking at someone with a personality disorder. How come he had swapped with his brother and no one had noticed. She had heard of the atrocities of identical twins but it was the first time she was actually witnessing it. She couldn’t remember how the topic had suddenly shifted from her but the issue at hand was puzzling. She kept quiet, studying Frank who seemed to be having a moment. His hatred and bitterness came out through his words, his facial expression and even his body language. Teju wondered what Mark did to Frank to make him so bitter. His eyes fixed on the wall seemed to have forgotten her presence. Then the glint in his eyes was gone as he turned his eyes back to her. “That’s why your pregnancy is so perfect”

Teju blinked, her frown deepening. “I’m sorry?”

“You are going to sleep with my brother”

Teju froze. Paranoia was probably affecting her hearing because she couldn’t have heard him right. “I am?”

“Yes, you are” he said, matter-of-factly.

Teju blinked, then shifted, distributing her weight evenly on both legs as she squared her shoulders. “I am sorry sir, but no one dictates to me. You need someone to sleep with your brother, there are so many tramps out there” Something must be wrong with the world if people thought they could just pop in from nowhere and tell her what and what not to do.

“I have found my tramp” his eyes gave no apologies for the obvious insult and Teju could feel her anger rising. She didn’t care how old he was, she was ready to walk him out of her apartment. She opened her mouth to speak when he continued, interrupting whatever she had to say. “Besides, I wasn’t asking, I am telling you what you’d do”

Teju’s brow lifted. “Oh… and why would I do what you asked… sir?”

“You are pregnant for Laura’s husband” he stated like that explained everything. “You really think I would seat back and watch you destroy Laura’s home?”

Teju shifted, uncomfortable with the way it sounded. “So, if I get you right sir, you want me to… impose the child on your brother by sleeping with him”

“I won’t see Laura’s home destroyed”

“So, you would rather destroy your brother’s life” she’d bet an entire fortune that this was not so much about protecting Laura’s home. Something told her it was more to get at his brother; the hatred she had seen in his eyes said it all.

Frank shrugged, looking carefully blank. “His life is pretty useless anyways.”

Teju was silent for a while then shook her head. “And to think I thought Laura exaggerated her dislike for you” she mouthed. Frank’s eyes narrowed. “Why? Why do you hate him so much?” she asked. “What did he ever do you to make you hate him so much?”

“Make me raise a child that is not mine is what he did” Frank snapped. Teju tensed. She sensed a dark secret about to be revealed. The bitterness was back in his eyes, in his voice. He gesticulated with his hands. “You don’t know what it’s like to look at a child, spend all you have to raise her and yet know the child is not yours. People said she looked like me, had my eyes and my hair, but I knew who she actually looked like…”he took a deep breath. “How could I forget?”

Teju swallowed. It was difficult to look at Frank as different emotions flashed through his face. Pain, betrayal, rage, hatred… the list was endless… at a point she thought she saw tears shimmering in Frank’s eyes and she felt his pain. His words stuck to her head and she began to piece the pieces. The frown on her face deepened with each second… ‘raise a child that is not mine’… ‘all Mark wanted was to walk Laura down the aisle’…

Teju’s eyes snapped up as her mouth opened. “Laura? Laura is…”

She didn’t need him to confirm it, it was all in his eyes. It was all in the way he looked away from her, too ashamed of the truth. Teju couldn’t believe it. Mark was Laura’s father! She had thought Mark had to be a good man. Laura never stopped singing his praises. She could just imagine how bad Frank would feel, having Laura love Mark even more than she loved him. So, Mark wasn’t so good afterall.

Frank finally looked back at her. “He deserves to raise a child that is not his… he needs to know how it feels”

*****

PRESENT

*****
Teju swallowed. “I initially refused… though a part of me wanted to go along. I didn’t want to abort the baby, I wasn’t enthusiastic about the saga the pregnancy would cause in Deolu’s home either. Putting the pregnancy on you seemed like the perfect plan but I just couldn’t see myself doing it. But when you have a secret to keep, you can be made to do anything. Mr Frank knew that, and in days, he found a secret, one I was not ready to reveal to anyone, most of all, Deolu.” She swallowed. “He told me when you’d be the most vulnerable. July 18th. He said you were always vulnerable then that it was almost the only day in a year you ever taste alcohol. That was how I met you at the bar that night.” She paused, turning to look at Mark’s form on the bed. “I was right to assume that you never noticed me at the wedding because you didn’t recognize me. It was all weird, you were a lot older than me. At first, it was like meeting Frank but it didn’t take too long to notice the differences. You smiled more, complimented more, a little tipsy as you were, I was surprised you noticed my eyes were brown and not black, no man in my life had ever noticed that.” The wonder was obvious in her voice. “It was easy to see why Laura loved you” she blinked back tears. “I became confused. I wasn’t sure I wanted to go along with the plan anymore. We got to the room and… you treated me with so much care… better than anyone I had ever been with. I felt so good… so… special… but I couldn’t go through with it. I knew I couldn’t. Despite all that your brother told me, I just couldn’t do it.” She swallowed. “But then, when I said ‘no’, you didn’t stop. Maybe you were too far gone, maybe my ‘no’ wasn’t convincing enough… you simply didn’t stop. And I was sad and angry. I shouldn’t have done that to you… I have been hurt by too many men that I thought most men are trash, I felt so terrible for doing what I did to you – the only man who actually treated me like I was special, even though you’d only just met me. I was mad at you for not stopping when I said no but I was more mad at myself. I got home and I wrote in my diary… I needed to make myself believe it was rape, that you were at fault, that all Frank said about you were true… I mean… when someone goes ahead even after you’ve said no, it is rape, right?” she wiped tears from her eyes. “But I knew you weren’t at fault. Probably if I had been more convincing, you would have stopped. I told your brother about what happened and it seemed to make him happier… The plan was to wait a month and then tell you I was pregnant for you, but as the weeks passed, and you tried to reach me… everytime you searched for me and called me, trying to check if I was okay… I couldn’t bring myself to burden you with a child that is not yours. I couldn’t do it to you. That was when I made the decision to tell Deolu’s mother about my pregnancy. She was so happy that the plan actually pulled through. She never knew that a lot had happened after I slept with Deolu. I lied to your brother that Deolu’s mother found my doctor’s report and did the math. It was enough to make him back down for a while. He was not so pained though. It all seemed to suit him quite well” she said with a bitter frown.

“But I had to meet Frank again. When Tito found my diary and started digging, I had to meet him to know what to do. I knew if she dug enough, she would find the secret I was hiding. It was there but she didn’t notice it. It was in one of the documents she took along with the diary… it was then he asked me to tell Tito that the child was yours, that it would destabilize her enough to get her off my back.”

She moved to Mark’s wrapped form on the bed. “I am sorry… I am so sorry I involved you in my mess… you are a good man. Whatever it is you have done, I know it couldn’t have been intentional or premeditated. I am so sorry, please forgive me” she swallowed, touching the wrapped arm, staring at the exposed eyes, hoping… hoping that she would see a sign, a blink, anything at all to signify that he at least heard her… but there was nothing. Nothing other than the constant beep of the machine.

Taking a deep breath, she kissed her fingers and placed the fingers on his arm. Unable to utter any other word again, she turned. She had to be contented with the fact that she had told him everything. She prayed… prayed that against all odds, he had heard her. She silently wondered as she got to the door, why the nurse hadn’t come to walk her out. She had started with the long story, hoping the doctor would interrupt her and save her from saying it all, but the nurse was either asleep or had totally forgotten she was inside. Then she opened the door…

A strangled gasp escaped Teju as she stared at the faces of Laura, Tito and the nurse. Her face turned pale. “Laura…” her eyes rotated from one to another. She needed no sorcerer to tell her that she had just revealed it all to not just Mark but also to Laura and Tito. She now knew why the nurse hadn’t interrupted her since. Her mouth opened to give an explanation, anything at all, but no words were coming out.

“Save it” Tito snapped, her eyes blazing. “Just save it”, she turned and marched away.

*****

Laura and Tito entered the waiting room. They looked so drained and exhausted. Laura couldn’t wrap her head around it all. It was just too much. She had heard too much for one day, she just wanted to sleep… she needed to forget it all. She thought of Deolu’s mother and what she had just found out she did, Frank and all she just found out, and Mark… Gosh… it was too much. July 18th… that was the day her mother died… Laura swallowed.

Deolu sighted Laura and Teju immediately they entered and instantly knew that something was wrong. Laura had too much running through her face and for a second, he feared the worst. But as he stood and went to her, he had a feeling it was something different. His suspicion was further confirmed when Teju emerged looking almost sickly pale as she made for the exit hurriedly, keeping her eyes to the ground. He knew what had happened then. He got to Laura, touching her waist lightly as his other hand raised her face to his. He stared into her eyes. “Hey, you okay?”

Laura stared at Deolu. He had that crease in his forehead that always appeared when he was deeply worried. She wanted to cry. “Ad…” she shook her head, trying to ward off the tears. “I just want today to be over” her body shook from holding back her tears.

Deolu pulled her into his arms, holding her to him as he kissed her hair. He gritted his teeth. He was angry. Angry that he couldn’t keep her from getting hurt. He had promised to protect her and keep her happy. He had broken more promises than fidelity. “Let me take you out of here” he said. “Please” he needed her as far away from all these as possible. It was the only way he could remain sane.

Laura withdrew slightly. Deolu could see in her eyes, that she wanted nothing more than to get away from it all. But she shook her head, her eyes taking in the people in the waiting room, she didn’t see Gloria and the rest and guessed she and Jane took Margaret and Tess home to rest. “I can’t. I can’t leave Tito alone” she said, staring at Tito who stood just a few steps away.

“I’d stay with her”

Laura turned to see Chris. He had been so wonderful. His support had been so immense.

“You should go” Chris finished. Laura couldn’t even argue. She needed a bit of air.

“Thank you” she whispered, touching Chris’ arm lightly. She went to Tito, giving her a tight hug that Tito barely returned. Deolu nodded at Chris, his eyes conveying his appreciation as he led Laura out of the hospital.

Chris watched them leave, then turned to Tito. Tito’s face was bluntly vacant. Her eyes were veiled and her shoulders had that rigid fix to them that made it seem like she was trying to prevent herself from doing something. She raised her eyes to his and looked away, avoiding his gaze as she searched out a seat. “They are gone. You can leave now” She sat, brushing off hair from her face and she bowed her head slightly. Her voice was so lifeless that despite all Tito had done and was doing to him, Chris had the strange urge to hold her till her shields fell off.

“I’m not leaving”

“Leave” she forced, raising her head till she was looking at him. “Please… Leave”

Chris swallowed. How could he refuse her when she said ‘please’? She had never used that word to his hearing before. But it was not the word that drew at his insides, it was the plea he had seen in her eyes, the yearning…

He nodded. “Okay” with that, he turned and made for the exit. He buried his hands deep in his pocket, his hands fisted. Today had been a shitty day! As he got to the exit, for whatever reason, he chanced a look at Tito and felt a tight squeeze in his chest as he saw her dash the back of her hand across her face, wiping off what he was sure to be tears. Gritting his teeth, he walked out of the hospital into the darkness of the night and this time, made it home without turning back.

Sacrilege Episode 26 by Nissi Adeola

Laura’s arms grew tighter around Deolu, waking him. His eyes opened into the dim light of the room. He had been sure to dim the light, making it easier for him to sleep with relative darkness, while also making it easier for Laura to sleep with a bit of light. He felt Laura’s tense body as she slept in his arms, half on the bed and half on his bare chest. Her full natural hair which was let loose spread over his chest like mounds of black clouds, forming a canopy around her sweet heart-shaped face. Her slender arm clutched at him, holding him tight even in her sleep and he knew sleep was not being kind to her.

“Laura”

His sleep-croaked voice was barely above a whisper. Laura’s hands tightened around him even more, her head moved and her lips twitched like she was murmuring something. Her brows were drawn together and her face looked troubled. Deolu shifted so he could see her face better. He kissed the tip of her nose. “Laura” he called again, running his hand lightly against her back. Her eyes popped open. Barely conscious, her eyes stared unfocused into the relative darkness of the room, roaming until they settled on Deolu’s penetrating gaze. Deolu’s hand moved of its own accord into the fullness of her hair, sinking his hand in it, even as he brushed it off her face. “Nightmare?” he asked in a whisper with concern in his eyes.

Laura blinked and in a flash, it all came back to her. She surged forward and would have pulled clean out of the bed if Deolu hadn’t had his hand around her, holding her back. “I have to go. I need to see dad” she explained.

“It’s still midnight” Deolu countered, forcing her back on the bed.

“I have to see how they are doing, Deolu” Laura argued as sleep left her eyes.

“And you will in the morning, after you’ve had some sleep. You haven’t slept for long” Deolu hadn’t slept for long either. He had practically forced Laura to eat after they left the hospital, after that, he had held her in his arms and rocked her to sleep as she curled up against him. He had stayed awake for over an hour, watching Laura sleep.

Laura blinked and sighed. “I can’t sleep, all I see is their wrapped up bodies” She didn’t want to sleep; she wanted to know how Mark and Frank were. She shouldn’t even be home; she should be there in the hospital with Tito and Gloria and the rest of her siblings, holding their hands, keeping each other strong.

Deolu watched the conflict in her eyes. “I’d drive you there first thing in the morning. I promise”

Giving in reluctantly, Laura lay back on the bed, placing her head in the crux of Deolu’s shoulder as he opened his arm for her, giving her arm a light caress. The duvet rode low around their waists, giving Laura the pleasure of Deolu’s built chest. Her hand roamed Deolu’s chest as she breathed into his neck. “What did the doctor say?” she finally whispered.

Deolu exhaled, silent for a brief moment. “They would be fine. Said something about fractures and a few broken bones, nothing major” His arm around her shoulder squeezed.

Deolu felt Laura smile. “Thanks for lying” she said. She truly didn’t want to know what the doctor had to say because she was sure it would only make her sad, and of course, Deolu knew that. He knew all of her.

Deolu leaned forward, lifted her head and kissed the corner of her mouth, brushing her hair off her face lightly. “They’ll be fine” he whispered, looking into her eyes. She nodded. Deolu watched her. “Would you tell me what happened yesterday night?” he paused slightly. “Did Teju say anything to you?”

Laura blinked and looked away, returning her head to the safety of his shoulders. “Not to me” she answered. Too many things had happened the previous night. She had found out way to much at once. Ignorance could be a blessing at times, because if nothing, it could save one from so much pain. If only she didn’t know the things she knew now. “She couldn’t have said those things to me”

“What things?”

“Things she did with my father… to my father, to you with… your mother” Laura felt Deolu grow tense and she looked up into his face. She wasn’t sure how he was going to take this. He already despised his mother enough, how would he take the knowledge that she had orchestrated his affair with Teju? “Your mother planned what happened with Teju”

Laura watched Deolu as she spoke the words and watched him struggle for a while before looking away. The pain was in his eyes, though he tried hard to hide it. Laura frowned, pulling back slightly. “You already knew” she said with realization.

Deolu swallowed. “Found out yesterday” he said shortly. The humiliation he felt at being made a fool of was still there, burning deep like the stab of a blazing knife but he wouldn’t burden Laura with it, she had more than enough to deal with already.

Laura released a breath and placed her head back on his shoulder. She put an arm across his chest and gave him a light squeeze. Laura was pained. Pained for herself. Pained for him. She knew Deolu’s mother had never been too fond of her from the onset. She always treated Teju better, even verbally hinted on it. Her throat felt heavy with fresh tears but she held them back and swallowed. “Are you happy?” she blurted out. “Happy she did what she did?”

Deolu went rigid beneath her. “What do you mean?”

“The child. The child Teju is carrying now is as a result of her orchestration. Does it make you happy when you think of it from that angle?”

Deolu blinked, staring at the top of Laura’s head. He couldn’t see her eyes. Couldn’t tell what she was thinking, but whatever it was, it couldn’t be good. “Laura…”

Laura raised her head, staring into Deolu’s eyes. The tears Deolu saw shimmering in hers nearly undid him. “I’m happy.” She declared, giving a weak smile. “I am glad you won’t remain childless because of me.”

“Laura please…”

Laura shook her head. “It’s fine, Ad, it’s fine” she murmured, giving him a smile to make him know she wasn’t angry, at least, not anymore. It had been so hard for her to come to this conclusion, but she had. “All I’ve ever wanted is to make you happy, Ad. To make you a father. To see the joy in your eyes when you lift our child in your arms. But I haven’t been able to do that. I haven’t. Maybe I can’t even do that. And by God, I wish I could, it’s all I’ve ever wanted” her lips shook and she bit on it. “If your mother did all these just to give you what I couldn’t give you, if Teju could give you what I couldn’t give you for six years, then I’m happy she did” she swallowed. “Teju would give you the happiness I could never give you”

Deolu pulled out, pushing to a sitting position. “Stop this please”

Laura sat too. “I want you to be happy, Deolu.” Isn’t that what love is all about? Thinking about the happiness of the other person above your own?

“I am happy with you”

“And because of that you would leave Teju to raise your child alone or worse, with another man? We have to think about the innocent child, Deolu”

“I never said I would leave her to raise the child alone” how could he? “The child is my responsibility and I do not run away from my responsibilities. We would co-parent. That doesn’t mean I have to be with her”

“A child doesn’t need a makeshift father, but one who is always there”

Deolu pushed out of the bed. He raked his fingers over his hair in utter frustration. “So what are you saying? That I should marry Teju?” He knew he should have made sure she slept!

Laura knelt on the edge of the bed, watching him pace. Her heart ached. She stilled her eyes from dropping any tear. She had later for that. “You are going to be a father, Deolu, and even though it hurts to know it wouldn’t be with me, I know you would be an amazing father. You can’t know what it is like to raise a child that is not yours, or watch another man raise your child. It is what happened to my dads. You would be hurting yourself and the child as well” she said, knowing just how hurt she was by all that happened with Mark and Frank. And while there were good men out there, she could not imagine another man with Teju, treating Deolu’s child like an outcast just because he knew the child wasn’t his. “I love you too much to let you go through that” the last part came out in a whisper.

Deolu stood very still, staring at her. He realized that this was not just about him. It was about Mark and Frank. When Laura had asked for a divorce, something in her eyes had made him know she wasn’t serious, that she didn’t mean it. But now… this was completely different.

Laura avoided his gaze. She wasn’t sure she could look at the pain in his eyes without weeping. “Is that what you want?” Deolu’s voice was barely audible.

Laura swallowed. “It’s what’s best”

He nodded, moving to the edge of the bed, where he hovered before her. “Would it make you happy?”

“Ad”

He raised her head with his finger till she was staring into his eyes. He wanted her to look into his eyes when she answered. His face was carefully shielded. “Would you be happy seeing me married to another woman?”

The tears she had held back slipped down her face. She swallowed and blinked. “Yes” she lied.

Deolu stared for a prolonged moment. His thumbs moved against her cheek, wiping off the tears. He leaned forward and planted a kiss on her head. “Try to get some sleep.” He whispered.

And then he was gone, the bedroom door closed behind his disappearing back. Laura stared at the closed door as tears rolled down her cheek.

***** If Chris thought the day had been terrible, his night had definitely been up to the challenge. He wasn’t much of a sleeper and late nights was what he was known for but after a day laden with so much pain, bitterness and tears, all he had prayed for was a dreamless sleep that would take away even if it was an iota of what he had just gone through… but no! After four hours of tossing from one end of his bed to the other, he finally accepted the fact that sleep was not his portion.

He pushed out of the bed, rubbing his hand over the hairless part of his head. Frustration clawed at every nerve in his body. Frustration is when you doze off three times in the middle of the night and instead of seeing the face of the woman you claim to love, the only face you see is the face of the one woman who seems to hate you to death; the one woman who had told him in every English vocabulary available that you were in no way friends. And that’s what has characterized his night. Unable to sleep, he had occupied his night with a movie he hadn’t seen, but after hours of play, he couldn’t even say he had seen a complete scene. His mind had been, not on Laura, but on her exact opposite – Tito. Instead of seeing the casts, images of Tito sitting all alone in the hospital had spiraled before his eyes till he thought he would go crazy. She seemed to have gotten her phobia in control but Chris couldn’t help thinking about what she must be going through… heck! He couldn’t but wonder if someone had joined her or if she was still alone, looking as lonely as he had when he had left. He didn’t even want to think about her tears…

She wanted me to leave… she asked me to leave… begged me… he told himself over and over again but it wasn’t helping, on the contrary, it was making things worse. Chris moved out of the bedroom, moved to the kitchen, grabbed a clean glass and went to fill it with cold water from the dispenser. He fell into the sitting room couch, downing the water as he glanced at the time. Still too early. Surely, someone would think he was insane if he showed up at the hospital at this time, just because he couldn’t stop worrying over someone who despised him. He definitely was beginning to think he was insane himself. And why on earth was he thinking about Tito to start with? Laura was going through the same thing she was going through, if not worse. Coupled with her crumbling marriage, having to deal with the accident of both Mark and Frank would definitely affect Laura more. She’s had too much to deal with already, not to add this to it. She had cried too, he had seen so much pain in her eyes, pain he couldn’t begin to measure.

So why was it that every time he blinked, all he saw was Tito’s face. All he saw was her struggle to remain strong, her struggle to push back the demons of the past, her struggle to hold on to the oyster seed of faith that her father would not end up like the people she had lost… He wanted to protect her and the great need to do that both stunned and worried him. The brief kiss they shared flashed back to his mind and he raked his hand through his hair, tossing the remaining water down his throat. “She was having a moment” he said aloud. As he surged to his feet.

He walked to the kitchen to return the cup and then decided. Since sleeping seemed impossible, it wouldn’t hurt to do a little cooking. Perhaps while sorting out the meal, he’d be able to sort out what was wrong with him.

*****

Tito got out of the hospital and heaved a sigh. Darkness and silence enveloped the atmosphere and she moved into it, walking towards a pavement. The wind blew against her hair and she raised her hand to brush the hair back to place. She exhaled again as she got to the pavement and sat. No one was about. Unlike being inside the hospital where the nurses moved around like they were in the afternoon, she was happy to have some seclusion out here.

Tito exhaled for the third time. She had feared this. She had feared that she’d get used to the smell again… Get so used to it that she would not be able to get it out of her. And now, after spending several hours in the hospital, the distinctive scent had seeped into her pores, clinging onto the walls of her lungs until yet again, it was all she breathed in, all she breathed out.

She closed her eyes for a brief moment, lifting her face to the wind. She willed the sun to tarry a little longer so she could enjoy the calmness of the dark a bit longer. Her eyes snapped open as she heard footsteps behind her. She surged to to her feet and turned around. “Chris?”

Chris smiled at her. “Hi”

Tito’s face was drawn in a frown. “What are you doing here?” She was sure the time was 6am thereabouts.

“Err… I have an early morning at work today so I decided to drop by on my way”

Tito blinked. “Oh” A smile tugged at her lips. She refrained from pointing out that she knew his office and it was not towards this direction.

One thumb was hooked on the trouser pocket as Chris raised the small nylon in his hand. “I remember you didn’t get to eat last night”

Tito’s eyes dropped to the nylon and she swallowed. How could he be doing this so effortlessly? He was making things so difficult for her. “Why are you doing this? Why are you being so nice to me?” She knew it was in his nature to be nice, to be so sweet; it was the reason why women were falling for him. But she had done everything to push him away, why did he keep coming back? Certainly, it was not because he was in love with her!

Chris smiled freely. “Let’s just say I’m a little short on friends, need to up the list” he lifted the nylon, still smiling. “A little bribery?” He winked at her.

Tito stared at him until her lips moved, answering him with a smile of her own. She avoided his gaze as she collected the nylon he held out to her, sitting on the pavement. She felt a little tongue tied as she opened the nylon clumsily. Chris sat beside her on the pavement, making her edgy. She scent of his cologne came to her rescue again, invading her nostrils till she forgot about the scent of hospital that aisled her just a few minutes ago. She shifted. “Where did you err… get an eatery at this time?” She opened the plate and various aromas assaulted her nostrils.

“I made it”

She looked up from the colourfully garnished jollof rice, plantain and fried fish, to his face. He was grinning, clearly proud of his accomplishment. Why wasn’t she surprised? “Of course you did” Was there anything he couldn’t do? Her mouth watered and she swallowed. She didn’t even want to think of the significance of the fact that he had made it. And she it smelt this good, she knew it was freshly made. Her heart felt heavy in her chest as she looked at the plate.

“How did I do?”

She looked at Chris who raised his brow at the food. She smiled, discarding her thoughts. She took out a spoon from the nylon, dug it into the food and took it to her mouth.

Her eyes held everything that Chris needed to hear. He watched her as he chewed and swallowed, her eyes widening with appreciate and felt like a superhero. “You know, this is a really good bribery” she said, turning to grin at him. Breeze caught her hair, blowing it around her face. His breath caught and his hand moved of its own accord, tucking the hair behind her ear.

The smile on Tito’s face slowly faded as Chris held her gaze. Something seemed to change. The air sizzled, making it a little difficult for Tito to draw a descent breath. Chris’ eyes slid for a heart stopping moment to Tito’s mouth, lingering. Her mouth felt dry. What was she doing? She blinked, looking away. She felt like she had just run a hundred metres race in ten seconds.

She dipped in the spoon and busied her mouth with chewing the delicious meal. Chris couldn’t remember when he had ever enjoyed watching someone eat.

“Any news yet?” Chris finally said into the silence.

Tito shook her head. “No” Her gaze involuntarily went to the entrance of the hospital.

“He’d be fine.” She looked at him. “They’d both be fine and it would all seem like a very bad dream”

She nodded again.

Chris looked around. “I should be leaving now” he stood.

Tito was surprised to realise that the darkness had lifted. She stood too, closing what was remaining of the food. “I should… get inside too” she explained. It was strange that they were exchanging words like civilized people.

Chris looked down at her. “I’d try to come around later”

She nodded. “Thanks for… for the meal. I really appreciate it”

Chris smiled. It was so fascinating watching the Tito stutter. It was surely worth the sleepless night and hours spent in the kitchen. For several seconds, they simply stood there, then, “See you later” he finally said and walked away.

Sacrilege Episode 25
#OpraDre

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