Sacrilege Episode 33 by Nissi Adeola
“I knew Laura even before she started any serious relationship with Deolu. She was his friend, but since Deolu and I were really close, she was my friend as well” Chris told Tito. Tito had gone mute. “I fell in love with her person. She was friendly, principled, ambitious; hardworking; she was basically everything I ever wanted in a woman.
I don’t even know when I fell in love with her. I was always happy to her around. I wanted to ask her out but I… I didn’t know how. Contrary to popular beliefs, I can be really shy when it comes to some things” Tito could see the struggle. She could see that it wasn’t easy for Chris to tell this to someone else, he was a really private person.
“I threw some shots though” Chris smiled. “I made some insinuations which would have made it obvious to Laura that I was interested in something more than friendship but she never took me serious. Maybe because I was so jovial, she never took me serious. Then I realised she was in love with Deolu” Chris swallowed.
“It was really easy to know. Her eyes mirrored everything in her heart, it always amazed me how she could be so open, like she had no secrets at all. The love was always there in her eyes whenever she looked at him, whenever she laughed at his ‘not so funny’ jokes. I never knew anything could make Deolu blush till Laura came along, guy was always blushing like a little sissy whenever she was around.
They were head over heels in love with each other, they never knew I was hurting. They were happy, Deolu had never been so happy. For someone who didn’t have a loving home, with no father and a mother who didn’t care much about him, Laura seemed to make up for all the love he never received. I was happy him because he deserved Laura and I had to comfort myself with the thought that they were both happy.” Chris shrugged then finally turned to Tito.
He had wondered why people always turned their backs whenever they wanted to reveal a secret or tell a pathetic story. He realised now that it’s easier that way, with your back turned, you don’t have to look into the eyes of your listener, it makes the words fall out a little easier. Chris smiled at Tito. “It’s a long time ago, I’m happy she’s with Deolu, he makes her happy”
Tito stared at Chris. She wasn’t sure of what to make of all of this. She blamed herself. She had always told herself that ignorance is a whole lot safer than knowledge; it can save you a truck load of pain and heartbreak. But what did she do, she went digging for a secret and there it was. Now that she had what she had what she had asked for, she felt like her heart had just been gutted out of her and smashed before her very eyes just as she was taking her last breath.
What could be more painful than watching the man you’ve been in love with for years talk about another woman? Only watching the man dying rivaled the pain. She had suspected it a couple of times. There had been times she had caught Chris glancing at Laura or staring at her for a long stretch of time, she had been almost certain that night Chris had brought Laura back to her apartment, carrying her in his arms.
The look he had on his face as he laid Laura on the bed had almost made her sure. But every time, every time she had talkd herself out of that thought, telling herself that it wasn’t a soap opera. She told herself that Chris wouldn’t walk down the aisle with Deolu in a wedding he very much wanted to be the groom. She always told herself that it was her jealousy talking.
And yes, Tito had been in love with Chris. She had loved him, probably since the first time she had set her eyes on him. She had probably liked him at first, but as time went on, not a day without her thinking about him. Chris had a way of installing himself into the hard drive of someone’s mind.
His witty nature, his ability to make light of every situation and to put a smile on people’s faces even at the oddest of times; it had been impossible not to fall in love with him. But she had known the danger in pursuing her feelings. Watching something happen to Chris on her account would surely be the death of her.
So instead, she had forced herself to see the ‘not so good’ things about him, hoping those things would effectively kill her feelings. She had been beyond hostile to him even when all he did was smile at her, all of these so he wouldn’t realize her feelings for him.
Tito swallowed, looking into his eyes. They were shielded now, impossible to read. “Do you still love her?”
Chris stared speechless at her, the smile he had been wearing suddenly nonexistent. He didn’t know just how to answer that. How could he give her an answer when he didn’t even know the answer to that question?
But Tito didn’t need an answer. His inability to answer the question was all the answer she needed. She bolted out of the chair in a flash, not looking at him as she went round the chair, slipping her legs into her shoes. “I have to get to the hospital” she managed to say and before Chris could even blink, she was gone.
‘Make it count’, Gloria had told her right before she handed her over to Margaret to take charge of getting her ready for her date with Deolu. If this was to be her last date night with the man she loved, she would surely make it worth it. She’d enjoy it to the fullest then deal with the pain of losing him later. Laura watched Margaret ransack her native-filled wardrobe in search of an imaginary sexy gown. “It’s not too late to go shopping” Laura said to Margaret after another fruitless search.
Margaret snorted. “Just sit your butt down… you only need to see the gown” she said as she pulled out yet another box and opened it to reveal yet another set of clothes. More natives, Laura noted, stupefied. This is what you get when your husband relegates you to being a housewife! Laura thought, bewildered.
How can anything sexy possibly come out of that box or even the entire wardrobe? Taking in a deep breath of patience, Laura decided to oblige her sister. The one good thing she had going for her in the midst of so much problems was the settled dispute between her and her sister.
The unfortunate incident with her fathers had worked to bring them together till they had no choice but to settle their disputes. It was a thing of joy seeing her ‘sister turned cousin’ bending over backwards all in the aim of pleasing her.
Laura watched Margaret close the box after yet another fruitless search only to pull out another one. She let out a sigh. Margaret was in so much haste and Laura suspected the reason wasn’t primarily to get her ready for her date on time; she suspected Margaret was in so much haste because she wanted to be done and out of the house before her husband returned home.
She hadn’t been to the house ever since she had landed in the hospital for playing the role of punching bag for her husband. Laura silently prayed Margaret’s husband arrived on time to meet her, that way; she could give him a piece of her mind.
Laura dialed Tito’s number for the umpteenth time. She didnt know why Tito wasn’t picking her calls. Laura hadn’t seen Tito all day and she missed her terribly. She glanced at Tess who was jumping on the bed in excitement and leaned over to tickle her. Tess giggled, lying on her back and throwing her legs in the air.
Jane sat on the other end of the bed, toying with the chain that disappeared into her top with a permanent blush on her cheeks as she spoke with whoever was on the phone. Must be a boyfriend, Laura frowned at the thought. Was she even old enough to have a boyfriend?
“Yes! Here it is” Margaret exclaimed, snapping Laura’s attention back to her as she held up a silk black gown. Laura’s jaw went slack as she stared at the beauty before her.
“Sweet Jesus” she gasped. In her wildest imaginations, she would never have expected something so sinful could be found anywhere in the room. “How did you pull that out of that?” Laura pointed from the cloth to the box as she gapped in awe.
Margaret grinned. “Looks can be deceiving; Aladdin did pull Genie out of a kettle”
“No be lie” Laura had to agree, her eyes still on the dress. Gosh, it was so flimsy that she blushed at the thought of wearing it; at the thought of Deolu’s reaction when he saw her in it. It was so small, Laura was so sure it would just be a little past her mid-thigh.
Considering her short stature, Laura knew she would still look decent in the dress. It had tiny straps on the top with a large knot at the waist which made the dress look like a wrap gown. The upper part of the dress overlapped, making it very easy to put on the dress without anything under. Laura raised her eyes to Margaret, who was grinning knowingly. “This dress should be illegal” she finally broke the silence.
“I know right? I couldn’t resist buying it when I saw it, haven’t been able to wear it though” a pained wistful look touched her face. Laura felt for her sister. She couldn’t begin to imagine just how sad she must be, having to put up with so much from the man she was supposed to spend her forever with. Laura wished there was a way she could make things better for her sister.
She’d better be ready for some reforms because Laura wasn’t about to leave her to wallow in sadness for the rest of her life. Margaret blinked, returning to her cheerful self. “Go on, try it on” she flung the cloth at Laura who caught it. It felt so smooth and slick against her fingers.
“This isn’t a good idea” she said, grinning.
Margaret nodded, her eyes beaming mischievously. “Yeah. Bad ideas are all you need when you’re about to go see your man” she winked.
Laura shook her head. “Gosh! Who are you again?” Margaret laughed. Laura dropped the gown on the bed and started stripping herself of her clothes till she was in just her panties. Then, she unzipped and threw the silk over her head, feeling it slip down her body of its own accord like a soft caress.
“Hey listen, let me call you back” Laura heard Jane say to the person on the phone as she gaped at her, awestruck. Margaret excitedly rushed behind Laura to zip up the dress. “Holy Lord” Jane gasped as she gaped at Laura, her eyes mirroring just how amazing Laura knew the dress looked on her. Even Tess had quit her fussing around to gap at her.
Laura stepped back, her cheeks heating up as she stood before the mirror. She was rubbed of her vocal cords. All she could imagine as she stared at her image was Deolu’s eyes. He could just imagine how he’d practically undress her with his eyes. Margaret eyed her with a grin of satisfaction. “This cloth is blazing hot; I can just imagine your husband’s eyes setting it on fire”
Laura released a shaky breath as she skimmed her hand down her waist ending where the dress came to a halt a bit after her mid-thigh. “Let’s hope I don’t get burnt”
“Let’s hope you do” Jane said and they all burst into laughter. Laura took a long look at herself again. Margaret stood behind her at the mirror and stared at her reflection in the mirror.
“Know the best thing about this dress?” she confided in a whisper. “You don’t have to wear much underneath, makes his work easier”
Laura blushed scarlet and she shook her head. “Who are you again?” she asked, bewildered at the wild sister she never knew existed.
Unexpectedly, Margaret’s eyes seemed to grow serious like she had just asked a serious question. She stared at Laura through the mirror, fierceness in her eyes. “I’m a woman who wishes I had a perfect man like your husband who is obviously head over heels in love with you. You know what I would give to have my husband look at me the way Deolu looks at you?” she asked, her eyes conveying the words as much as her voice did.
“I would give virtually anything to have that. You might have had problems with Deolu over the years but the truth is that he made you really happy. You glowed with so much happiness that made me so jealous every time I stalked you on social media” she confessed to Laura’s amazement. Margaret turned Laura away from the mirror to face her.
“Look sis, I know Deolu has made a lot of mistakes, got a woman pregnant and all but you have to admit that he is only human and not immune to mistakes. It is so obvious that he is not in any way in love with the baby mama, he loves you” Laura poked Laura’s chest with her finger. “So hold on to your man. You have to hold on to your source of happiness for women like me who has to live with sadness for the rest of our lives”
Laura swallowed. If she didn’t know any better, she would have thought Margaret knew about her plan to leave Deolu for Teju. Words like these weren’t words she needed right now, especially not when they were coming from her younger sister – someone who seemed to have had a fair share of sadness. Was she truly ready for this? Every ticking minute made her uncertain, every second made her much more selfish.
Laura held Margaret’s hand and squeezed. “You don’t have to remain in this abusive marriage anymore, Mag, Jane might not arrive in time to call the ambulance next time”
Margaret sighed. “Today’s not about me but about you. Now, let’s leave here before… my husband arrives. Besides, we need a solution to your wild mane” she said, staring in speculation at her hair.
“If only Uncle Mark could wake up now, he’d know the perfect style.” Jane said, a brief look of sadness on her face. Before the mood became contagious, she switched, brightening up. “Notwithstanding, I know the perfect salon” she murmured. “Your hair would look like freshly baked bread in no time” she grinned.
Gloria was beside herself with excitement as she finally followed the doctor to Frank’s new room. He had shown tremendous improvement since he woke up, as reported by the doctor; he was now out of the ICU and after waiting for like forever, she could now see him. The doctor pushed open the door of the room and stepped aside for Gloria to enter before following in her wake, closing the door.
The doctor’s quick strides took him to the bed ahead of her where he checked a few vitals. Gloria was nearly paralyzed with joy as she saw Frank’s head move of its own accord. She hastened towards the bed in time to see his eyes flutter open as he awakened from a deep sleep. Her eyes brimmed with tears as her hand went to his face, her fingers caressing the beards which had gone unshaven for days. His handsome face looked wickedly attractive. “Oh Frank” she gasped.
“You just want to be the death of me” His eyes stared back at her for a moment, a brief sense of confusion on his face before a look of clarity washed over him, pain in his eyes. Gloria leaned over and kissed his head softly, hovering over him like a mother hen protecting her young.
The doctor finished his checkups and straightened. “You can’t stay with him for long, he still needs a lot of rest” he said and Gloria nodded, sitting beside Frank’s laying form on the bed. In a few minutes, the doctor was gone.
A quick flash of pain went through Frank’s face as he raised his hand to Gloria’s face, his gaze searching and as alert as a dog on guard. He skimmed his fingers over her upper cheek, a worried look in his eyes. “You haven’t been sleeping” his voice sounded so chapped.
Gloria smiled. He was the one on the hospital bed but he was still worried about her. There was a reason why she was still drawn to this man despite him being so hardheaded so many times. “It’s all your fault” Gloria scolded. “You’ve been sleeping for the both of us for days, I had to stay awake for you” A faint smile touched Frank’s eyes though his stiff lips remained the same. Gloria swallowed. “How are you feeling now?” she asked, concerned.
Frank let out a sigh. “Like I have been asleep for too long, I’ve started having weird dreams”
Gloria chuckled. It was so good to have her husband back. “Weird? How weird?”
Frank was silent for a brief moment, a thoughtful look in his eyes as he looked away from her. “It’s weird when I start dreaming of you telling me that our child is alive” Gloria gasped, freezing. Frank frowned, looking back at her, his dark eyes assessing and speculative. “It was a dream, right?”
Gloria shifted, searching her head for the perfect response. “Errr… We’d errr… let’s talk about this later, Frank. You need to rest”
“I’d tell you what I need” Frank returned, his eyes growing hard. Right now, he very much looked like the devil himself, especially with his face covered with unshaven beards. “I need the truth right now! What child were you talking about?”
“Okay, relax. Calm down” Gloria rushed. She could see that he was getting worked up. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. She opened her eyes to see him staring expectantly at her. Maybe it’s better to come plain; keeping too many secrets was fast giving her too many grey hairs. “I lied years back when I said I aborted our child, I didn’t; I gave birth to the child and… and gave her away” Gloria said, he could know the details later, she decided.
Frank stared at Gloria, silent for a few minutes. Her! A daughter! He had had a daughter for years and he knew nothing about it. Frank was awestruck. He felt like he had just been punched in the gut. “You’ve found her now” he said and Gloria nodded, not daring to look him in the eye. Frank couldn’t believe it. He had thought it was just a dream, a bittersweet dream that he couldn’t decide if it was a good or a bad one.
But now, with consciousness and Gloria staring him in the face, he realized that it hadn’t been a dream. A question was on the tip of his tongue and he didn’t rest till he had it out. “Who is she?”
Gloria shifted again, her eyes brimming with tears. “Let’s not do this now, Frank” she pleaded.
“Who is she?” Frank would have boomed if his throat didn’t feel sore. Something about Gloria evading the question didn’t seat well with him. “Tell me”
Gloria stared at Frank. She was scared of telling him. Right before she had gone to Teju’s house only to discover that Teju was her lost daughter, she had asked Frank if he knew or had anything to do with Teju and he had denied it. She was scared that he did and even more scared that she wouldn’t be able to forgive him if she realized he had hurt her daughter in any way. Hanging onto hope, she finally dropped. “It’s Teju” she watched, scared as Frank turned pale, his eyes looking too large for his face. “Teju is your daughter, our daughter”
“No” Frank shook his head, his eyes large. “No no, it can’t be” he gasped as pain settled in his eyes, his body moving restlessly on the bed.
Gloria pushed to her feet. “Please calm down, Frank” she said worriedly.
Frank shook his head, his face a mirage of emotions. He grabbed Gloria’s hand, holding it tightly. “She can’t… she can’t be our daughter”
“Why not?” Gloria was going crazy with confusion. “What’s wrong?”
“She… she has leukemia” he dropped. Gloria froze, growing cold as ice as she stared at Frank like had suddenly grown a horn. “She has cancer, she has blood cancer”
Chris parked in front of Tito’s house, the soft darkness of the evening enveloping him. Laura had asked him to pick her up there. Turning off the engine, he got out of the car, moved to the front and leaned against the bonnet, waiting patiently. Tonight would most definitely not be the last date he’d have with his wife. If Laura was hellbent on leaving him, he’d surely make it a tough decision for her.
She probably couldn’t remember what she’d be missing out on, he might as well remind her. He’d seduce all her senses till she couldn’t even think of a future without him in it. He was pulling all the aces. Just as that man… that security man had told him, he had all the aces. No one knew Laura like he did, he had the brochure. If begging wouldn’t do the trick, wooing surely would. He internally smiled at his mapped out plan for the evening.
Lifting his eyes from the phone in his hand, his hand darn nearly fell off his hand. Whatever plan he had in his head practically vanished as he stared at the woman who should certainly be his wife. Good heavens!
Laura focused her mind on making sure she placed one leg rightly in front of another. It would really be a catastrophic disaster if she ended up falling flat on her face right at Deolu’s feet. Her heart slammed in her chest as Deolu’s gaze ate her up as she drew closer to him. Her inner goddess greened with pride, knowing she had dressed up particularly for him, to get this reaction.
After seeing the dress Margaret gave her, Laura knew Tito’s pointy blood red heels was the perfect choice of footwear so she had asked Deolu to pick her up here. Her wild natural curls were finely tamed, packed above her head in the most delicious way but she went for very light makeup, with her innocent child-like face giving a mind numbing contrast to her exotic outfit. As she walked, careful not to trip, she blushed at the thoughts she knew were on his mind, they were the same in hers.
Gosh, he always looked so sexily delicious with his shirt button open, it always left her fingers itching to touch the muscled chest beneath. And since she had six years experience, ample time enough to know just how good the chest felt against her fingers, resisting this temptation wasn’t going to be easy.
As she got to Deolu, she released the breath she had unconsciously been holding. “Hi” she said shakily.
Deolu seemed rubbed of speech as he stared at her face. Then, unable to stop himself, his hand went to her face, pulling her lightly to him as he bent to kiss her deeply, hungrily until she almost swooned. He pulled back, staring at her, his eyes blazing. “Oh Laura! What have you done to me?”
Laura could feel the heat of his gaze cause despite the evening breeze, Laura felt hot. “Still want to go out?” She blurted out, hoping he’d say no.
Deolu ran his gaze down her body and back to settle on her eyes. “I’m sorely not to” he confessed. “But I promised we would. I’d have to break the heads of everyone who stares at you too long” he leaned forward and planted a kiss on her cheek right after he whispered into her ear. “You look ravishing”
Laura blushed and Deolu straightened, a rakish smile on his face. “Let’s make it count” he said as he held out his hand to her. Laura placed her hand in his, letting his warmth envelope her as he led her to the car and opened the door for her.
Let’s make it count, Laura repeated to herself as she looked forward to a perfect evening.
Sacrilege Episode 33
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Lovely story
Make it count ??