THE LAST SMILE Episode 16 by NISSI ADEOLA
Raymond woke up to the wonderful aroma of hot coffee. At first, he thought his nose was playing tricks on him until he actually woke up fully. The aroma tickled his nostrils and he got up from the bed eagerly. Raymond washed his face and mouth hurriedly; having coffee early in the morning is surely one of the best ways to kick-start a beautiful day. Leaving his room only in shorts and a white singlet, he moved towards the kitchen. There, Luciana stood, still in the gown he had bought for her. He realized she would need more clothes and kept that in mind. Her back was to him and he didn’t really like that. He found himself imagining crazy things which he had to quickly shake off.
Luciana turned backwards when she felt watched and was stunned to find Raymond there.
“Uhm… Good morning sir”
“Raymond” he corrected. “It is a really good morning; the mere fact that I woke up to the delicious scent of piping hot coffee makes today a blessed day”. Luciana smiled happily. “How was your night sugar?”
Luciana was startled at the pet name. Ironically, the pet name which she had once thought was absolutely ridiculous sounded so perfect, coming from his voice. He had this foreign voice, which still sounded completely masculine; more masculine than the voices of the other men she had come across. That single fact made her angry. “I am engaged sir” she replied, staring levelly at him.
Raymond was stunned and offended by the reply. Although, he hadn’t been expecting that reply, he was saddened by the realization of her status. He was although not surprised. Such a dazzling woman cannot remain single, not even when she is fifty. “I did not ask if you were engaged, I simply asked you how your night was. The fact that I called you ‘sugar’ should not be misjudged; I always have a pet name for everyone” he looked insulted.
“I am sorry” she replied, playing at looking at her fingers.
The day had just turned sour, Raymond thought as he sought a way to bring them back on track. He cleared his throat. “I am not sure you had a good night, because if you did, you would not be up this early. You have already made toast bread and coffee; in fact, the scent of the coffee was what woke me up. Was the bed comfortable enough for you?” he looked worried, like a charming host.
“The bed was perfect, thanks. I am just used to waking up very early. I don’t sleep much” she said, smiling.
“Ok… But why did you prepare the coffee? I thought it was my treat, being my specialty”
Luciana laughed. “Look at you… I am sure your coffee is as worse as your attempt to prepare the poundo yam yesterday”
“Ouch”
“When you taste my coffee, you would know that you still have a lot to learn”.
“Nah… I disagree. We need to embark on a coffee competition”
“And who would be the judge?” she raised her eye brows.
“Who else? He raised his shoulders.
“Not you. We need a third party”.
“Right. But for now, I can’t wait to taste that coffee”.
She laughed out. “With or without sugar?” she asked.
He smiled widely. “Yes! You see? I picked the perfect pet name for you”. Luciana glared at him but that only made Raymond’s smile grow wider. “Sugar” he called. “I would definitely have my coffee with sugar”.
Lucy turned away from Raymond quickly, in order to hide the smile that crept to her face. ‘Raymond is a flirt’, she thought.
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Fred sat in a bar with countless number of empty bottles on the table before him. He had finished all the bottles of alcoholic wine at home and decided to drink more at the bar near his house. The money he had in his account was fast fading and he feared he would run out of cash within the next few days.
“Another bottle” he yelled and the eager barman hurriedly supplied another bottle of big stout. The fat barman was happy. It the day starts like this, it is sure that market would boom.
Fred, despite the amount of beer in his system, he still had his senses working. Forget his sorrows seemed not to be working. The Chris who would have been in the best position to help him would not do so because of the way he had treated him. He had thrown him out like a stranger. He wondered if his friend would forgive him for what he did and help him get a solution.
“Another bottle”
**********
**********
Deolu sat in the DPO’s office, feeling very impatient. He was there last night but did not get any reasonable response from the hooligans he saw at the station. He had left in frustration to try again the following day. He had been waiting in the office for more than ten minutes and the so called DPO was nowhere to be found.
This is what he hated about Nigerian police; they are too sluggish. When you look for them, you don’t see then; when they finally turn up, you discover they are all selfish thieves. ‘What a miserable country’ he thought. All the same, he still had to wait because taking the law into his hands would land him behind bars. He looked at the police officer who stood like a statue and shook his head.
The door opened and the DPO walked in with a bright smile which annoyed Deolu. “Oh… I am soo sorry for keeping you waiting Mr. Adeolu; I had to attend to some urgent matters”.
“The matter that brought me here is definitely more important and urgent” Deolu replied angrily.
The DPO would have flared up if he didn’t know the status of the person before him. “I am sorry sir. Please, how may I be of service?”
Deolu relaxed. “A murderer and kidnapper is on the loose, here in Abuja”
“What?”
“Yes. I am sure he is responsible for the disappearance of my fiancée, but we have not seen him, or the girl for that matter. This mishap occurred in Lagos but the criminal disappeared along with the girl. After due and thorough investigations, we discovered that he is here in Abuja”
The DPO looked unconvinced. “How sure are you? They probably ran off together; this happens all the time”
“No” he stamped his foot. “My Luciana would NEVER run off with a man, especially not a murderer. He was her friend, the only male friend she had apart from me. He asked her out but she refused. She does not get involved with guys, in fact, she disappeared a day after she said ‘Yes’ to me. That guy, that Fred, was the last person to see her. Her neighbor is a witness”.
“Hmmmm… Do you have their pictures?”
“Yes. Definitely.” He said, pulling out two pictures from his wallet.
Immediately the pictures got to the hand of the DPO, his facial expression changed from curiosity to shock. Deolu noticed this.
“Is there any problem? Do you know any of them?”
“Uhn? Oh… erm… no” he cleared his throat. “Actually, I was just wondering why such a thing would befall such a pretty damsel”. He smiled tightly.
Deolu nodded, not exactly pleased that the DPO was checking out his babe, his woman. “I hope you would swing to action immediately”
“Yeah yeah. Of course. We are here to serve you. The police are your friends in times of need”.
“Noted”. Deolu said and stood up. He stopped at the door and turned back. “By the way, please what is your name?”
“Oh… I? I am Chris; Chris Chuks”.
THE LAST SMILE Episode 17 by NISSI ADEOLA
Evening came without notice. Raymond was fun to be with and they did not even know when evening came. Though Raymond had tried all day not to talk about the obvious problem at hand, Lucy still found herself thinking about her family. She could not leave them to wander in total darkness. She wondered if Fred was still moving freely. That guy should be locked in an isolated room without remembrance. She sat on the chair, looking at the TV but her mind was not there. Raymond who was on another chair was busy looking at her, he noticed her distant state but kept mute. He felt her pain but still could not understand what could possibly happen if she went to her people. The murderer would want to eliminate her since she could implicate him but Luciana was practically not worried about herself but her people. His resolve to take matters into his hands had fallen when he could not break his promise. He wondered why he always found it extremely hard.
Luciana suddenly jerked. Ray turned towards the television immediately and understood what was happening with fright. The broadcast he had watched the previous day was being repeated. Her picture was displayed on the screen with her name written beneath it. The bold ‘MISSING’ letters were just above the picture. A very unbrlievable amount was promised as a reward for anyone who has any information. Luciana jumped up and ran into the room before any tear could drop from her eyes.
“Lucia… Lucia…” Ray called, chasing after her. He relaxed a bit before opening the door of the room. He met her sitting on the bed, but she was not crying. She was struggling with tears. She was trying to be brave. His heart could not bear it. He did not know the one he would have preferred, her brave front or a crying beauty.
He sat beside her, not knowing whether or not to touch her. He had rarely touched her ever since they left the hospital and he was actually scared of what would happen or how she would react if he tried to hold her.
“It’s OK sugar. It is perfectly OK to cry” he whispered. One tear drop slid down her cheeks and that seemed to send the others an invitation. She broke down in tears and Raymond became totally confused. Women in tears always sent a shiver down his spine because he always would not know what to do. He pulled her into his arms as he tried consoling her. His heartbeat raced as she placed her head on his chest. He bent his head and kissed her forehead and she cried. He felt her pain and her tears brought back painful memories that he did not even want to open. She could not stop her tears and he just held on to her, whispering words of solace. When she would not stop crying, Raymond started wondering what the cause of her tears really was. He had the awkward feeling that she was crying for something much more than the pain her family was going through. What did that murderer say to her? He wondered.
“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked quietly, when her tears died down. She relunctantly left his arms when all she wanted was to be held by his strong arms. Ray wished she did not leave his arms. He wanted to hold her in his arms, protect her, comfort her and… he shook his head. He had to get that weird thought out of his mind for his own good.
Luciana marched to the window. “I need to make a phone call. I need to call someone”.
Ray was confused. “What are you talking about?”
“I need to tell someone that I am alive. I would call my best friend, Teju. She is the only one that would be discrete enough; she is a lawyer”.
“Are you sure about this?”
She nodded.
Raymond took out his phone while Lucy called the phone number from memory. After the phone rang for some time, it was picked and Raymond put the phone on speaker.
“Hello” Teju said from the other end.
“Hello, please am I speaking with Miss Teju” Ray asked, although he already got the confirmation in Lucy’s smile, the brightest smile he had seen ever since he knew her. She was battling with the urge to snatch the phone from his hands.
“That depends on who is calling” she replied. Truly a lawyer, Raymond thought.
“Well, it take that as a ‘Yes’. Someone here wants to talk to you”. Without wasting much time he passed the phone to Lucy who grabbed it eagerly.
“Hello T.J.” she said impatiently with smiles all over her face.
“JESUS” Teju screamed.
bewaji moved her nude body close to her husband. She was feeling better than she had been in days. Ken smiled and opened his eyes. He felt her braided hair withnhis fingers as he smile down at her. Bewaji was smiling too and that made him really glad.
“It is good to see your smiling face again honey” ken said with a smile.
“All thanks to you” she poked him. “You know, I have a good feeling that my baby is alive”.
Ken nodded. “My princess can’t be dead; no. we just have to calm down and use our heads collectively.”
“I am not sure I would be able to do that” she became sober again.
“That is why I am here to help you with that. I would find her or die trying” he bent and kissed her.
Bewaji smiled faintly. “you make me feel like a teenager again”
Ken looked at her body slowly. “You look like one” he pulled her close and kissed her.
Teju was standing at the middle of her office, looking awkwardly with her left hand in the air and the other holding her phone against her ear. If she hadn’t trained herself well on shock reception, the phone would have slipped off her fingers. Her heart raced fast as she assumed that she was not hearing properly. Only one person called her T.J and she would identify that voice anywhere.
“Lu… Lucy? Lucy? Is that you?” her voice was shaky, along with her fingers.
“Yes T.J, I am the one” Lucy’s voice sounded tear-filled. “I am alive” she yelled.
“I can’t believe this! Am I dreaming?” Teju asked, bewildered.
Lucy laughed. “Maybe you are; don’t wake up”
“Not even in a thousand years” teju replied, knowing that she would never want to wake up until the dream becomes a reality. Luciana laughed again at the other end.
“What happened Lucy? Why did you vanish into thin air like that? You almost killed everyone here. Mum and dad have almost gone crazy in their search. I have checked virtually all the hospitals in Lagos; Deolu is almost going crazy, along with all your friends and colleagues at work. what happened and where the hell are you?”
There was silence at the other end and Teju knew that she must have confused Lucy with all the stories she laid down. “It is a long story. Please promise me you would not breathe this to any soul.”
“What do you mean by that? Everyone is searching endlessly for you. I need to tell them that you contacted me and you need to come home”.
“No T.J.I would put everyone and myself in danger if I come now. I was stabbed by Fred and he dumped me somewhere, thinking I was dead. The person I am with is the good Samaritan that helped me. For some reasons, I think it is best if I stay away. Let him assume me dead; it is better. Please T.J help me ensure he is arrested. I would not be able to rest until he is behind bars”
Teju was silent for a while. “It would be hard keeping this everyone, but as for that filthy maggot, he is as good as dead. We already suspected that bastard. Your mum dreamt about him”, she laughed, “your neighbor also said he was at your place late at night. We are searching for him. We feel he is in Abuja and Deolu is there to fish him out”.
“Really?” Lucy screamed.
“Yes babe. We are holding our end but I still need to know what happened that day”
“Maybe later. Please help me calm everyone, especially mum and dad, without disclosing my whereabouts”
“Will try; at least I don’t know where you are, so I would not be lying”.
“Lawyer…” Lucy laughed slightly at the other end.
Raymond had been beaming with smiles all through the conversation. He watched with interest as Lucy conversed with her friend, seeing the bond that was between them. He loved the light he saw in her eyes but also saw the pain when she heard all they were going through because of her.
When the call ended, Lucy was so happy that she just jumped into Raymond’s arms. She was so estatic. The fact that Fred was on the run made her joy even bigger. She held on to Ray as she laughed and spoke endlessly about how happy she was. Ray shared her joy and was similarly happy for her. Her laughter died down and she had to leave Ray’s arms. She left slowly, feeling reluctant. Silence enveloped them and the tension grew. Ray stepped closer without thinking and brushed the strands of stray hair that fell across her face. Words did not come as he gazed into her eyes.
“I erm…” Lucy jumped out of his arms. She tried looking for something to say. Raymond’s phone rang and saved her from the trouble. She exhaled as Raymond swallowed and picked his call.
THE LAST SMILE Episode 18 by NISSI ADEOLA
Lucy woke up with a start and looked out of the window. It was already getting bright outside so she lifted herself from the bed. She had never missed any Sunday service and she didn’t plan on starting now. She left for the bathroom to take her bath. She should be able to get one church around the corner.
The previous day had been fun, so much fun. Raymond hadn’t exaggerated his sister’s lively and accommodating spirit. Vicky just finished her masters in the United States and she was back to stay. Lucy wondered why people come back to this frustrating country after schooling abroad when there was obviously nothing in store for them here in Nigeria. She had later shrugged it off, knowing that those who studied abroad had more chances at getting a good job, compared with those who attended our local institutions. She found that ironic because it ought to be the other way. Everything in Nigeria is abnormal. Before Vicky arrived, Ray had taken her shopping for some nice clothes. She had argued and complained about being a burden but Ray would have none of it. He had made sure she got all the clothes that caught her fancy even though she tried minimizing it. After they had purchased everything he had left her at the counter and returned with a very lovely gown. She had wondered how she missed that gown. It was so beautiful. Even without testing it, she knew it would be perfect.
As she dressed up, she heard a knock on the door. “Please, come in”.
Vicky entered the room with a smile. “Good morning Vic” Lucy greeted. She had imagined that they would be within the same age bracket. “Did you sleep well in Nigeria?”
Vicky laughed. “Obviously” she said in her foreign assent. “I don’t need to be told that you woke up well. Are you going somewhere?”
“Today is Sunday, I am going to church” Luciana replied, a bit surprised that the question was even asked.
“Oh… You are the church type” she said with a smirk. “Well, I stopped going to church years back”.
“I see…” Lucy murmured solemly. The glint she saw in Vic’s eyes showed that she would have little or no luck if she tried convincing her. “Why?” she asked
“Several reasons”
“Give me one” Lucy challenged.
“I am a lesbian”
Lucy froze on the spot with her back Vicky. She knew that the best way to deal with people like that is not by accusing them or by making them feel like the world’s biggest sinner. She wondered if Ray knew this then knew that he would know. She had noticed the way he watched the two of them discuss, like he was trying to prevent something. She swallowed.
“Is that why you refused to go to church?”
Vicky was stunned. “You are not surprised?”
Lucy turned with a smile. “Surprised about what? That you said you are a lesbian? I was surprised. Who told you?”
“Nobody had to; I knew. Everyone made me feel miserable, like I was the most evil thing that ever walked the planet”.
Lucy smiled. She had finished her dressing. She did not have a bible, so she just carried the small bag that Ray bought for her. She moved to Vicky and hugged her. “You’ll be fine. Take your time.” She moved back and smiled at her before she started towards the door. Vicky was stonned. No Christian had ever done that to her. “I would get Ray to follow me to church” Lucy said at the door.
Vicky smiled widely. “Goodluck with that”
Lucy frowned but bid farewell and headed towards Raymond’s room.
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Fred lay on the couch of his house feeling tired. He had spent too much at that bar and was feeling very miserable and tired. His account was now a skeleton of its former state. He pulled out a cigarette and lit it. He was just learning to smoke; he needed to clear his head and the smoke was doing that for him. He heard a knock on the door and became startled. He jumped up and stood like a stick.
Chris stood at the door, expecting the door to be opened from inside but he remembered the last encounter he had and knew that it would not be opened anytime soon if he did not talk.
“Fred” he called. “Open up, it is Chris”
Fred breathed a free air and opened the door. He was both relieved and scared of Chris’ visit. He did not know if this would be a good or bad visit, considering the way he treated him weeks back.
“Chris… I am so happy that you are here. I am sorry for what happened the last time. I know…” he stopped and looked at Chris for the first time. He was glaring at him.
Chris needed no other confirmation; the shaky state he was and the previous encounter told him that he had actually commited the crime. He shook his head, making Fred feel cold dread.
Chris put his hand inside his pocket and took out a picture. “Do you know her”
Fred almost entered the ground as he shrieked.
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Luciana stood bemused at the entrance of Raymond’s room. She still could not comprehend what she had heard in the room. Vicky? How could Vicky be a lesbian? She shook her and swallowed.
She knocked the door gently but heard a sleepy response. She opened the door gently and entered. Immediately she entered, she blamed herself. Raymond was looking so manly and georgeous as he slept, shirtless on the bed. Her fingers desired to touch him and she felt anger in her spine. How can a man make her swoon? She wondered.
Ray noticed the way Lucy looked at him but he hid it, pretending to be sleeping. He swallowed as he took in her appearance. When he took out that gown, he never imagined that she would look so stunning. She had almost no make – up done but she looked more beautiful that all the women he had seen in his life.
Lucy shook herself and tried to pull herself together. “Good morning sir” she said loudly, trying to wake Raymond.
Raymond smiled softly as he opened his eyes. “You are a wonderful sight to wake up to sugar; you look breathtaking”. Ray traced her body with his appreciative eyes.
Luciana breathed carefully as she tried to take out the image of her shirtless chest from her mind. “Why don’t you get in the bathroom, get dressed and let’s go to church”
“Church?” he asked, bemused.
“Yes, church. You told me you are a Christian, right? Today is Sunday.”
“I don’t attend churches” he said and lay on the bed.
Lucy opened her mouth. “Why not?”
“No reason” he murmured.
“Well, I don’t know anywhere in this place. I might as well get lost, you know. Or maybe, I would just go home from there, and if the murderer sees me? well…”
“keep Quiet” he yelled softly. “Go and wait for me” he said softly and Lucy chuckled as she left the room.
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Teju returned from church with a happy mood. She had loved the service immensely, right from the very beginning. She felt that the reason why she was so happy was the fact that she knew where her best friend was. She heard a knock and, knowing the person at the door, she went to open the door.
“Welcome darling” she said, stressing the darling. She tried to hug him but he was cold towards her. Tunde moved inside without responding to her greeting. She frowned. “Honey? Baby, what is wrong?” she asked moving close to him as she sat on the chair beside him.
“Teju” he called and she knew that everything was wrong. He hardly called her by her name.
“Teju, I believe we are mature enough to be able to talk to eachother like adults”. He started.
“Tunde, we have been talking like adults ever since we met. What is the problem?” she was confused.
He shook slightly. “Teju, I don’t think we can continue with this relationship. I have seen another girl that I am in love with. We should maturely go out separate ways”.
Teju opened her mouth.
THE LAST SMILE Episode 19 by NISSI ADEOLA
“Why did you do that?” Lucy asked as she joined Raymond in the car.
Ray started the car. “Do what?”
“Stay in the car? You could have followed me inside the church instead of sitting outside here like a bodyguard. What did God do to offend your family”?
“Nothing.”
Lucy kept quiet after that. She hadn’t even spent three days and she was already overstepping her bounds. The drive home was quiet after that. She missed her people a lot and she wished she was home already. She needed to hear her parents’ voice, to be sure they are ok. She thought about Deolu and her heart pricked. She needed to leave the house. She needed her people and sanity back. Ever since the previous day when she had called Teju in the presence of Raymond, she had felt very uncomfortable with him, especially whenever he stood close. She sighed softly when she thought of her predicament. She was living with total strangers; they both don’t want to have anything to do with God and one of them is a lesbian. She sighed again, thinking about the many things she might find out about this family if she stayed for some time.
Raymond watched Lucy, noticing her distant state. He wondered why her mood should bother him. Shrugging off her quietness, he focused on the road as he pondered on the thoughts that had plagued him. Why was he developing strange feelings for this lady who was obviously engaged to someone else? She hadn’t even spent three complete days and he had become so attached to her. He remembered the past evening and his heart skipped a beat, he had to hold the steering tighter. The desire to kiss her had almost overwhelmed him. Ever since then, he had ensured that he did not move close to her. He only needed space in his life now and not anyother woman to complicate his life the more. The earlier Lucy left the house, the better.
Teju sat frozen as she stared with a confused expression on her face. Tunde did not have the boldness to look into her eyes as he said everything he had rehearsed.
“Teju” he called softly but she did not even blink. “I can’t do this anymore. You claim to love me but you don’t want to give me what should rightfully belong to me. I have a right to touch your body; it is part of the benefits I should derive from being your man, but you are not giving me. I have found a lady who is willing to go all the way with me. she does not hide anything from me, least of all her body”. He concluded.
Teju looked at the clown she called her fiancé and wanted to strangulate him. She had tried all she could to be the best woman in his life. She could have sworn that she had spent the past two years of their relationship making his life a happy one. She couldn’t have been more wrong because all he could think about was sex. Sex? How could she have been so stupid? She remembered all those times he had almost forced her into his bed; she should have been wiser then. She swallowed as tears came to her eyes. She blinked away the tears; he does not deserve it.
Slowly, she took a deep breath as stood up and went to the door. She opened the door, wide enough to contain two people at once. Only then did she open her mouth. “Leave” she said quietly.
Tunde swallowed. “Teju, I am sorry. I just…”
“Get out” she mouthed.
He stood up slowly and approached her. “Baby, calm-”
“GET OUT” she yelled and Tunde vanished in a flash. She slammed the door forcefully and collapsed on the floor as she cried herself out.
Chris needed no other confirmation. He got every answer he needed from Fred’s reaction. He could never in a hundred years, imagine that Fred had the capacity to take a life but the reality was staring at him like a horror movie.
“Don’t you dare give me that melodrama, you this miserable monster. I don’t even know who you are anymore” he yelled at a shivring Fred. He grabbed Fred by the collar of his shirt and pulled him up like a bloody criminal. “Where the hell is the girl? Where did you keep her?” he yelled.
Fred shook like someone who just emerged from a cold room. “She… she’s… she’s dead” he stammered.
“JESUS” Chris screamed, leaving Fred immediately. “Oh my God! This can’t be happening. I can’t believe this”
Fred held his feet. “Please Chris, you have to help me. please…”
Chris kicked him away. “Blood of Jesus! So, you are a bloody murderer?” he pointed his finger with a strange look on his face.
“NO” Fred shook his head vigorously. “I did not want to do it. It was accidental. Please believe me brother”
“Brother?” he laughed. “No. I am not your brother and can never be. You killed a girl; not just a girl; the fiancée of Mr Adeolu. You could not even pick any other person? Wow”
Fred cried as Chris said those things. “Please”. Chris shook his head, pushed Fred out of the way and rushed out of the house like someone who was being pursued, leaving Fred wailing.
Lucy walked with Vicky towards the back of the house to check the flowers. She carried the watering can in order to water them. They both discussed their love for flowers as they went about watering the flowers. The beautiful colours of the various flowers pleased Lucy immensely and she said so. She sighted the two buildings at the back of the house and called Vicky’s attention.
“What are those buildings for?” she asked casually.
“Oh… the first one is the gym and the second one is where Raymond paints” she chipped as she sampled the flowers.
“Paints? He paints?” Lucy asked bemused as her eyes widened.
Vicky turned to look at Lucy like she had lost her mind. “Don’t tell me you don’t know”
Lucy shook her head. “He never mentioned it”
“Even at that, he is a very famous artist”
Lucy had never really fancied paintings because it never really freeked her but as she thought about it, a name struck her. ‘James Ray’. How had she missed that? Teju never stopped talking about his paintings but she never even took interest. “James Ray?”
“That’s him” she smiled. “I am surprised you missed that. Although he has not painted anything for a long time now” she chipped.
Lucy frowned. “Why?”
Vicky shrugged and walked on, leaving Lucy with her thoughts.
“Hey”
Lucy turned round to see Ray standing just a few steps from her. “When were you planning on telling me that you are a renowned artist?” she asked, stepping farther away from him.
“I never would have told you. I am no longer an artist and I actually loved the fact that I finally met someone who was not drooling over me because of my fame”. he replied walking away.
Lucy followed. “I am not drooling over you at all”.
Ray laughed. “I noticed”
Deolu exited the bathroom and dried himself with a towel. he wore a singlet and boxers and sat on the bed. Staying in a hotel had little or no effect on his account but he wished he was home already. The knowledge that Fred was lurking somewhere in the state made him feel better about leaving Lagos for work but he still felt miserable. He knew that even without being present, he could pull all the strings he needed to pull in order to secure Fred’s arrest. He needed to finish this deal, go back to Lagos and look for his love. He had the distinctive feeling that Lucy was in Lagos and he would find her, even if it was the last thing he did.
He had received a call from Lucy’s dad and he had told him about his progress in Abuja. He had been happy but the sadness of his missing daughter was evident in his voice. Deolu dialed Teju’s line and it rang severally but she did not pick up. He was beginning to get worried. He had called her severally but she didn’t pick up. He composed a message asking about her welfare and telling her how far he had gone then he lay on the bed to sleep. Worry did not afford him the luxury of a wonderful sleep.
Twenty minutes later, he dialed Teju’s number again and she picked, much to his relief.
“Hello Teju, thank God.” he sighed. The response he got from her frightened him. Her voice had never been that low and depressed. “What is the matter T? Are you alright?”
“I am fine” she responded still in that sober manner.
“You are not fine” Deolu said, sitting up. “What happened to you? Did you hear from Lucy? Did something happen?”
“Everything is fine, don’t worry. I got your message and I would work on it and give you feedback.”
“Teju, you are scaring me. You know what? Since you would not tell me what the matter is, I would leave this place for Lagos tomorrow morning.” he said as he stood up.
“No” she replied sharply. “You need to be there Dee”
“No. I should not have come in the first place. I can do everything in Lagos. I am coming over”. Before Teju could respond, he hung up and started packing his things. Teju called severally but he did not pick, knowing she would just try to convince him.
THE LAST SMILE Episode 20 by NISSI ADEOLA
Lucy washed the rice as she conversed with Vicky who checked the chicken in the oven. She was enjoying the conversation imensely but she could not help missing Raymond. He had resumed work about a week ago and Lucy had missed him with each passing day. Vicky was definitely fun to be with but she had grown so used to Ray that she felt his absence a lot.
“But my time in London was a real disaster” Vicky said
Lucy turned with a bemused expression. “Why did you say that?”
“I was despised because I am a lesbian” she sighed. “I just wanted death. It was harder because no one in my family was in support of me. My parents condemned me totally and I became the black sheep of the family. London made it worse and I hid behind my shell until I was able to leave”. She was sober and sat on the chair.
Lucy stared at Vicky, feeling her pain. She was confused as to what to say so she just kept quiet. Vicky took her quietness for condemnation.
“I am sure you see me as the worst kind of human being. It is fine; I get that all the time”.
Lucy smiled. “That is beautiful?”
Vicky frowned. “What is beautiful?”
“That hair bond. It is absolutely lovely”
Vic smiled. “I got it from London. It is actually the only thing I bought there. Just wanted to have something from London in order to remember my time there, even if it was not so pleasant”
“I love it and I love you; in a platonic way though. You are a wonderful person; you just need someone to show you how wonderful love is. Love is a beautiful thing”.
Vicky swallowed and shook her head. “I can’t love a man; I have tried in vain”.
Luciana smiled and turned to check the food. “I am not asking you to try; in fact, you would not have to try”.
“I don’t understand” Vic replied, confused.
“Don’t worry. You would be fine. Let’s finish this delicacy.” She said as continued her cooking.
Teju sat facing a client at a popular cafeteria not too far from her office. She had preferred an open environment to the confinement of her office because she was beginning to feel choked lately. It had been over a week but that episode with Tunde kept replaying itself in her brain. Everything Mr. Popoola was saying was barely noted by her as she sat frozen on the chair with her eyes glued on her client and her face as blank as a plain sheet.
Deolu had arrived Lagos just as he said he would but she could not unburden herself. She felt that he already had enough problems and bothering him with hers would be wicked of her. She had to lie to him that her mood was due to a court case she lost. She wished her parents were not dead. She missed her mother a lot. She needed someone to talk to, someone to comfort her, but she found no one. Even her friends were not able to help her. Lucy would have understood, she knew.
As Teju stared at Mr. Popoola’s face, all she could see was Tunde. She wished he was just in front of her so she could show him the stuff she was made of. The door of the cafeteria opened up and Teju could not believe what she was seeing. She had just been wishing to find Tunde and there he was, coming into the cafeteria with a half nude girl on his arm. Seeing the girl’s dressing, Teju knew that he left her because of sex. Tunde did not see her, considering the size of the place and the sizeable amount of people in it.
“Barrister” Mr. Popoola called and she turned her head like a robot. “You are not listening to me” he said, a bit irritated.
Teju relayed everything Mr. Popoola had been saying without missing a thing and he was so surprised. He knew that she had been lost in thoughts and found it amazing that she had actually heard all he was saying. Teju smiled at his amusement. “I have heard everything I want to know, if there is any other information I need, I would call you sir. If you don’t mind sir, I need to attend to some people”. He smiled sheepishly, knowing that whatever it was had nothing to do with business.
“Go easy on them” he said softly.
Teju stood up and her client did the same. She did not bother responding; she knew that he would have seen the way she looked at Tunde when he entered. After several verbal exchanges, Mr. Popoola left. She took a deep breath as she approached the table ahead. Tunde had his back to her, so he did not see her. She got to the table, with a frozen smile on her face.
“So, this is the girl that you are in love with?” Tunde looked up and blanched.
Ray was becoming much more tense by the minute. He stood up and roamed his office and sat back after pacing aimlessly. He never imagined that he could miss someone so terribly. He missed Luciana so much, it hurt. He missed her smile, he quiet and thoughtful times, her lively kitchen life and every single thing that summed up the fair goddess he was hosting in his house. Ever since he resumed work, he had wished he was managing one of his father’s companies so that he would be able to leave the house whenever he liked.
He had made that adamant decision to be independent when he was 23 years old. He had finished his studies with outstanding certificates but his father wanted him to head his companies. He had refused and had gone job hunting, in the quest to build something of his own. His father later came through and gave him his blessings, much to his relief and delight. The prayers of his parents worked wonders for him because he got a job with an oil company not quite long. It was all he ever dreamt of. At first, the salary was just normal, due to his position but as time went on, his salary was reviewed and promotions started rolling in. He made good use of the money coming in, buying shares and making investments. His house came as a result of his labour and his parents became proud of him.
Painting, which was his God-given talent, was what he always loved and enjoyed doing. Painting was already out of the window of his life; it had become one of his nightmares.
The door of Raymond’s office flung open and Ray had to snap out of his reverie. Duke bounced into the office without any prior notice but that was just like him. Ray was already used to Duke’s impromptu visits and even Ray’s zealous secretary can’t make Duke wait in the reception for a minute.
“This is my office Duke, I work here. Are you trying to get me fired?” Ray glared as he closed the door which Duke did not bother closing.
Duke paused. “That is the best greeting I have ever heard, also the longest”. He stated but Ray glared instead. “Ok, no one is going to fire your sorry ass. You are the manager here and that position comes with a lot of benefits, including going for lunch earlier than usual”.
“Halt. I am not going anywhere, especially not an 11 o’clock lunch”. Ray made his way to his seat.
Duke checked his watch. “This is almost 12” he declared.
“Obviously” Ray sighed.
“Listen, I think you need that lunch, especially since I found you standing aimlessly at the middle of your office during office hours. That lunch would help ease the stress” he smiled.
“Man, I just resumed work after a one month leave”. He stated.
“Quit the lecture James Ray, you are coming with me” he stood up, daring Ray not to comply.
Ray shook his head in surrender.
“Hi, I am Teju” she stretched her hand towards the wide-eyed lady who dumbly took it.
“I am Oyin” she replied.
“What are you doing here Teju?” Tunde growled.
Teju eyed him slowly before pulling a chair. After seating, she faced the lady who was practically confused. “I do not intend to waste your time, just want to have a little chat with you. Do you mind?”
“Yes, she minds. Leave” Tunde dropped.
“Would you shut your filthy mouth?” Teju yelled, drawing attention. “I am here to speak with this beautiful bitch here, so shut the trash”.
“How dare you call me a bitch?” oyin stood up furiously. “What is the meaning of this nonsense Tunde?”
“Sit down now” Teju yelled. “You don’t want to know the angry part of Teju, I am telling you. SIT” she smiled tightly. Oyin looked a bit scared but she hid it. She thought about what was going on and decided it best to sit. Teju smiled as she stared at Oyin’s rage-stricken face.
“Good. I just want to talk about your friend here – Tunde” she started.
“Teju” Tunde groaned.
“I would not get mad at you for stealing my fiancé, no I won’t. In fact, you did me a huge favour”
Oyin stared at her. “What are you saying?”
“Oh… he did not tell you? He was my fiancé until last week. We had our wedding date fixed for December which should be six months from now” Teju laughed. “Funny right? I was busy thinking about our wedding night while he was thinking about another woman’s ass. I am not here to drag him from you, you can totally have him, but I want to advice you. Don’t think that the only way to get a man is by spreading your legs wide enough to accommodate him”
“How dare you?” Oyin yelled as she stood up. Teju dragged her down immediately.
“You don’t want to cause a scene.”
“Teju-”
“If you dare call my name again, you would hate me” Teju half yelled. She faced Oyin “Where were we? Yes, your legs. Do you know why he left me for you? It is because your legs were wide open. He does not love you, he just loves that thing you offer to him free of charge. When did you meet? I am sure it is not even a month ago. Oh, who am I kidding? It can’t even be three weeks ago.
“Men are the same. They are never contented with what they have; they are always looking for extra until they lose what they had before. When this miserable being left me last week, my eyes opened and I got a new meaning to the word ‘man’. A man is a miserable adulterous nuisance who goes from skirt to skirt, seeking whom to devour. Thank God I wear trousers; it makes it harder to devour me. I have just one advice for you: redefine your life”
“Oh, I see. And where did your redefined life get you uhn?” Oyin asked, glaring.
Teju smiled softly, stood up and wore her sunshade. “It saved me from Tunde” she said and walked out, leaving the couple enveloped in serious tension. She got to the door and collided with someone coming into the cafeteria.
“Easy beauty” Duke said but she just walked away. “What a pretty babe”.
Ray shook his head. “Always a flirt!” Ray declared. “Vicky is back from the states”. Duke swallowed and walked on with a straight face. Ray smiled.
THE LAST SMILE Episode
#OpraDre
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