THE LAST SMILE Episode 28 – 30 by NISSI ADEOLA

THE LAST SMILE Episode 28 by NISSI ADEOLA

Two weeks ago, the tension had been thick in the air, filling everyone with dread and discomfort but thanks to the help of everyone, especially Deolu and Teju, there was a breathing space. They had been able to secure the arrest of Fred who was currently under detention, awaiting trial. Lucy felt the freedom to move freely again and was just too happy about it.

She immediately went back to work amidst so many protests and complains from her parents but Lucy did not want to risk losing her employment in one of the fast growing advertising firms in Nigeria. She however could not stay there because her boss gave her leave for one month, wanting her to get everything settled before she finally resumed. Even though she had wanted her job to take her mind off the problems she faced, she was grateful for the break, even though she knew that she would pay for it when she finally resumed because they would wear her out with duties.

Lucy remembered the day that her parents had gone to Raymond’s house. They had been so excited when they arrived, talking endlessly about their discussions with Raymond. They had exclaimed, asking why she did not tell them that he was the well-known artist.  They had returned with a painting and Lucy noticed that she hadn’t seen that particular painting when she entered that room. Even though the paintings had been much and she could hardly see half of them, she had the distinctive feeling that the painting was new. That was probably the reason why he gave the painting to her parents; to tell her that he had moved on. She felt happy for him if that was the case, although, she had wished that Raymond would send her parents to her, to either tell her something or request something but he hadn’t. it had alarmed her when she noticed just how much she missed and desired to see him.

Teju entered the room and jumped on Lucy’s bed. Bewaji and Ken had gone for a wedding function and Lucy had had the house to herself. “Hey beautiful” Teju called.

Lucy glanced at the wall clock and stared at Teju. “Are you not supposed to be at work?”

“You are not the only one who can be given leave, durr” Teju grinned. She grabbed Lucy’s hand and dragged her. “Get your sorry ass out of bed, I am hungry”

“Holy father” Lucy exclaimed, wanting to beat up Teju for disturbing her brain. “You know that Dana is in the kitchen right?” she murmured as Teju continued to drag her into the kitchen.

“Yeah, she is. But since when did she start serving my food? I am in my house babe”

“The more reason why you should serve yourself” Lucy responded, although admitted secretly that she was hungry too.

“You see? You are also hungry”

Lucy glared at her. “You are a witch”

She laughed. “And you are a witch’s best friend. And as the saying goes, show me your friend and I would tell you who you are or who you would be” she grinned.

Lucy shook her head. “you need deliverance”

“I would book appointment for two with the pastor”

Dana laughed out at the two friends who could not stop teasing each other. She loved listening and watching them and suddenly wished she also had a best friend.

“Tell me we are not the cause of your laughter” Lucy murmured and Dana portrayed an innocent face. The two laughed and left the kitchen for the dinning with their plates of rice in hand. They prayed and delved into the food with vigor, only relaxing when the food was halfway through and the worst part of hunger had been eliminated. “T.J” Lucy called.

“Yes ma’am” Teju replied cynically.

“I want you to follow me somewhere”

“OK maam”

“Be serious my friend” Lucy snapped.

“I have never been this serious honey” she grinned and Lucy sighed.

“I need you to follow me to Raymond James’ house. I need to thank him personally for what he did for me. I don’t want to seem ungrateful”

Teju stared at Lucy. “You have been calling him Raymond ever since you arrived but calling him Raymond James makes him sound different. Why does that name sound popular?” she looked thoughtful and Lucy smiled internally. She had successfully hid that fact from Teju knowing fully well that she would squeal when she found out. “Surely it is not James Ray” she waved her hand like she was wiping away the possibility but when Lucy smiled cynically, Teju’s eyes rounded like two lolly pops. “He is not the one right?”

Lucy grinned. “Guess I was lucky to see your James Ray before you”

“Oh my God!” Teju exclaimed and Lucy laughed. “When were you planning on telling me, naughty” she scolded.

“Now, I guess… so are you coming with me?”

“Are you kidding? I would get there before you”. They laughed. As they packed their plates to the kitchen, someone knocked and Dana went to open the door. They entered the sitting room and saw Deolu approaching them with a cool smile

“Hello ladies” he greeted and they responded albeit similarly. He kissed Luciana’s forehead and stepped back. Lucy noticed that he hadn’t been the same since he returned from Abuja. He had made a habit of kissing her forehead instead of any other place and Lucy was happy about this turn up. She felt guilty for not being able to return his feelings and having him kiss her all the time would make her feel more guilty and awkward. Despite that fact though, she was curious. Apart from Deolu’s strange behaviour’s of late, she had also noticed Teju’s discomfort whenever Deolu was around. She wondered what had happened in Abuja. It seemed Teju was back to her usual aloaf nature whenever Deolu was around even though they seemed like the best of friends when Lucy came back from exile. She had shrugged it off, feeling that Teju’s reactions towards Deolu had something to do with Tunde and her general distance from men lately but Lucy decided that there was something more to it. Teju hardly talked or looked at Deolu lately and Deolu did the opposite. He looked at her more and tried to talk to her more even though Teju was always reluctant to answer him. The next line of action was that Teju always looked for a reason to leave whenever Deolu was around. Lucy expected to feel jealous and put-off  by this new turn-up but she was not.

As they discussed, Lucy noticed this same thing repeating itself. She noticed the look of sadness in Deolu’s face whenever he stared at Teju and Teju paid him no heed and only looked at him when their faces collided coincidentally. Lucy was about to break the ice and speak her mind when Deolu’s phone rang.

“Hello dear” he said immediately he picked the call. “No, don’t come to my house… yes, I am not home… where are you now?… ok… I am not far from you, I am in my fiancee’s house… Yes, it is about time you met her… I would send the address now” he hung up and smiled.

“My step-sister is coming. She has been clamouring to see you”. Lucy smiled.

“I should be on my way now” Teju said, standing.

“Why not meet my sister first?” Deolu asked.

“No. I have some work to do”

“Thought you were on leave” Lucy said

“It is not official. See you guys”

Before anyone could reply, she was out already and Lucy glimpsed a look of pain on Deolu’s face but it went quickly. She swallowed as her mind brought up the most logical explanation for the tension.

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Raymond sat in his office ruminating over the events in his life. His life hadn’t felt so shattered. He almost could not believe that those things were actually happening to him. He had been sleeping with Tinuke ever since they were together as she never returned pregnant because he always took precautions and watched her take drugs but just when he decided to vent his anger through sex, it ended up being a terrible mistake. He was going to be a dad!

He recalled the visit of Luciana’s parents and sighed audibly. He had needed no introduction to know that they were her parents. Lucy looked exactly like her mum. Her mum had been so stunningly beautiful that he wondered how beautiful she would still look when she clocked ninety. She was dazzling and breathtaking, no wonder Lucy’s father was glowing. His life must feel blessed, being surrounded by two dazzling beauties. He noticed that Lucy had her father’s shape of pointed nose. He swallowed as Luciana’s image popped in his mind. He could remember everything about her, including the colour shade of her hair although he hadn’t been opportune to feel the texture much even though he would love nothing more.

Raymond drove all thought of Luciana away from his brain. He knew now without a doubt that there could be nothing between them. Even though Luciana’s parents had given him the goodnews of the arrest of the miserable bastard that stabbed Lucy, Raymond still saw the overwhelming barreer between them. Lucy was with a man already and he felt that she should also be in love with the guy. If that was not enough reason, being saddled with a baby was more than enough reason. He dared not visit Lucy even though her parents had dropped their address in case he wanted to visit.

After he left the hospital, he had wanted to drink himself to death but Vicky would not hear of it. He drove out of the house to get a drink outside after he had successfully sent Tinuke away with a promise to call her. He had spotted a church – the same church Lucy dragged him to – and instead of going for the drink, he went to the church to vent his anger on God. A pastor had sighted him and prayed with him, relieving him of a lot of stress by talking to him. Despite all that, Raymond’s craving for Lucy did not decrease. He was madly in love with her but could not do anything about it. There are times when you have to put responsibility before love.

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Vicky opened the door and jumped back, not wanting to be too close to Duke. “Ray is not here. Go to his office” she hurriedly said.

“If I wanted to see him, I would not be here” he said confidently, closing the door behind him. Vicky shivered and he smiled. “If I didn’t know better, I would say my presence had some effects on you”. She remained mute, moving backwards slowly as he advanced towards her. “Don’t look frightened, I am not a serial killer” he murmured as he took in her appearance. She was putting on a multicoloured tube top with a pencil jeans trouser. A jeans jacket was lying on the couch. “You look beautiful” he breathed as she collided with the wall and he pinned her to it with his hands on either side.

“I always do” she swallowed, angry that her heart raced wild. She remembered Lucy’s words. ‘You would not have to try’. Vicky shook off the words from her head. She cant be falling for Duke. No!

Duke brushed away some stray braids from her face as his eyes probed hers. He bent his head and gave her a quick kiss and vanished instantly, leaving her with a sense of loss. She followed him with her eyes as he headed towards the kitchen. He turned and met her eyes. He smiled softly. “Come on, you need something to eat. Your stomach is growling with hunger”

Vicky hadn’t noticed how hungry she was until he mentioned it and she wondered how he noticed. She entered the kitchen as Duke broke and whezzed some eggs. “Do you actually know what you are doing” she had a faint smile on her face.

He turned with a smile. “Cut the crap, I am not Raymond who can’t boil an egg, I could open up a restaurant if I want to”

“Don’t be so sure. Lucy taught him well and now, I let him do the cooking at times and he surprises me with delicious delicacies”

He laughed. “I would like to taste that” He took a deep breath and turned back to face what he was doing. He got a pan and placed it on the burner to heat up and Vicky walked to him, standing beside him. She retrieved two cups from the cup stand and started putting beverages into them. Duke breathed uncomfortably. “Could you please put on that jacket I saw on the couch? Your bare shoulders in too much distraction”.

She smiled. “I prefer the cool breeze I am getting without the jacket”

He groaned internally and knew that keeping his hands away from her would be difficult.

They sat to eat some minutes later and resisted the urge to sit beside her and sat opposite. Vicky was disturbed by her attraction towards Duke. The eggs tantalized her taste buds and she became instantly aware of her empty stomach. She murmured praises as she ate and Duke watched her, not knowing that one could derive pleasure from watching someone eat. He managed to shove food down his throat when the only thing he wanted to do was watch Vicky eat. When she finished her eggs, he passed his own to her and she accepted it without hesitating. She must be really hungry, he mussed.

“You should try to avoid being too hungry before you eat” he quipped.

“You should try to make less delicious eggs, so that people don’t get too hungry” she returned and he grinned.

“it is not my fault that I am so talented”

“Don’t blow your own” she smiled. He looked into her eyes until she was forced to look away.

“I should be leaving now” he said, rising. She packed the plates into the kitchen even though he wanted to do it. She started washing the plates and he grabbed the towel to dry them.

“Thought you were leaving” she murmured as he took the plates from her and dried them.

“Yes” he said.

“And?”

“I wanted to steal something from you before I leave” he dried the last plate.

She faced him. “What is that”

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply, making her head spin. He held her so close to him, with his hands on her shoulders. He broke off breathlessly and kissed her forehead. “Take care of you” he said and walked out.

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Deolu and Luciana sat on the couch watching a movie. The movie was so emotional and touching. When we heard the knock, Deolu stood up and headed towards the entrance. “That must be Tinu” he said.

Immediately he opened the door, Lucy heard a familiar voice and also went to the entrance.

“Big brother” Tinu hugged Deolu. “Still as handsome as ever” she said

“And you are even more beautiful. You even look fatter”

Tinuke smiled, knowing the cause of her weight but not even daring to mention it.

Immediately Deolu and Tinuke heard someone approach, they turned and Tinuke froze, along with Lucy.

Deolu smiled, not noticing the tension. “Tinu, meet my sweetheart Luciana, Lucy, meet my sister, Tinuke”

“Brenda” Tinuke exclaimed.

“No. not Brenda, I said Luciana”

“No. this is the girl that I said stole my Raymond from me. This is Brenda” Tinuke exclaimed.

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THE LAST SMILE Episode 29 by NISSI ADEOLA

Tinuke was busy glaring at Luciana as anger bubbled up in her. Deolu look from an obviously angry Tinuke to a stunned and frozen Luciana and laughed softly. “This must be a mixup. This is not Brenda, this is Luciana. Luciana Jones to be precise, the woman I told you about”.

“Oooohhh… I hate it when you doubt me. Ask her if she does not know me, or has she become deaf and dumb?” Tinuke yelled.

Luciana swallowed and faced Deolu. “Is she your sister?”

“Who else would I be? Oh… you thought you could take what belongs to be and still have my brother? You have failed. Bro Deolu, you have not seen your bride ooo” she ranted on top of her voice.

A confused Deolu faced Lucy. “The Raymond you have been talking about is not James Ray, right?”

Lucy breathed. “He is the one. He was the one that found me and took care of me” her voice was low.

Deolu swallowed. He remembered when Tinuke had introduced Raymond to him as her fiancé. He had instantly known why Tinuke would fall for him. He was drop-dead gorgeous and could sweep any girl off her feet without even trying. “I am sure you are mistaken Tinu. Raymond saved Lucy after she had been stabbed. I am sure you misjudged whatever you saw”.

Tinuke laughed. “Misjudged” she repeated, her face bringing up a look of scorn. “Immediately she was discharged from the hospital, Ray brought her to the house. Immediately she entered, he drove me out. That same day!” she exclaimed. “They were there alone. A man and a woman, alone in that big house Deolu” she laughed slightly. “And you tell me that I misjudged them. Wonderful”

“Point of correction miss, we were not alone in that house. Yes, immediately you left, I was alone in the house with him that day but the following day, his sister arrived. Besides, I did not make him drive you out of the house, on the contrary, your bad character drove you out.”

Tinuke’s palm swung with speed and connected with Luciana’s cheek.

“What the hell!” Deolu exclaimed and grabbed Tinuke’s hand with force. “Apologise to her this minute. Now” he yelled as Lucy stood with fire burning in her eyes.

“Apologize my foot” Tinuke dropped. “Let me tell you witch, you can’t take Raymond from me. We are back together and we would remain together forever” she contemplated saying something and decided against it. “So, if you know what is best for you, you would stay away from my man.”

Deolu gripped her arm with force but she did not agree to apologize.

Lucy advanced towards her slowly, keeping her eyes glued to her. She stood breast to breast with her as they glared at each other. Deolu could not even do anything anymore because none of them seemed to notice him.

“Let me give you some advice: sit yourself down and tell yourself the truth. You don’t love Raymond. You are only after his money and fame” Tinuke laughed but Lucy ignored it. “You also need to tame your tongue, woman. I heard all your arguments with Ray before you left and I wondered how he could cope with you. He is a very wonderful guy and he deserves a woman who loves him wholeheartedly.”

Tinuke sneered. “And you are the woman right?”

Lucy kept a straight face and walked away from her. “Deolu, it was nice meeting your sister” she walked out of the house.

Deolu turned his rage on Tinuke.

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Deolu met Lucy at the garden some minutes later, staring into space. He touched her shoulder and she jerked slightly. “Lucy” he called softly. “I am so sorry”

Lucy smiled faintly as he glanced at her cheeks to see if there was any bruise on it. “I wonder why you are apologizing. You did nothing wrong. I am at fault here”.

“No. I have always known Tinu to be saucy and abusive, I should not have invited her over”

“It is not your fault she is like that, you invited her because you felt it was right” she responded then turned to face him. “Do you think I cheated on you?”

“What? How would you think that? I can’t believe my sister over you; I trust you” he stated fiercely.

“I trust you too, and with that trust, I want to ask you something. Before we became erm… we were friends before we moved on to this next stage” she paused, knowing how awkward she just sounded. Deolu noticed it but kept quiet. “I want you to assume us friends again, just friends, and answer this question honestly. What is going on between you and T.J?”

Deolu became as white as snow and started stammering. “Lu…Lucy… Lucy what…”

“I thought I told you to be honest with me. I know T.J and I know you very well. I know my best friend would never ever do something against me knowingly. The same goes for you. Confide in me like you once did as a friend, please. I am begging” her eyes pleaded.

Deolu swallowed hard. “Erm…” he stared at the ground. “While we were in Abuja, we… I…” he inhaled. “I was asking about her fiancé and she got emotional and I…”

“You kissed her” Lucy completed.

“I am sorry. I did not know what came over me, it was just due to the emotional atmosphere. Teju is not to blame at all, I am totally at fault. It would never repeat itself. Please” he rushed, holding Lucy’s hand.

“You love her” Lucy said, surprised that she did not feel bad about the realisation. He shook his head vigorously. “I have seen the way you look at her Deolu, there is this tender look in your eyes whenever you gaze at her, especially since you both returned from Abuja. You never looked at me that way Deolu, accept it”

“Don’t talk like that Lucy, it was just one kiss. One kiss when we were not thinking”.

“What if I told you that I am not in love with you? What if we were just friends? Would your response still be the same?”

Startled, Deolu frowned deeply. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Lucy moved towards him. “Deolu, I love Teju so much. She is the sister I never had and I want her to be very very happy. Nothing would make me happier than seeing her smile again. Tunde has wrecked her heart and she is no longer glowing like she once was. I want you to be sure of your feelings. No matter what you decide, you would always be my close friend. If you love Teju, go for her; it would make me very happy. Denying your feelings would not be right”. Lucy took a deep breath and walked away, leaving Deolu stunned and confused.

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Two days later, Lucy entered Teju’s apartment with a cool smile on her face. “Hey sweetie, I can smell chicken here, where is it?”

“Oh… it is knorr chicken” Teju responded and they both laughed. Lucy glanced at the table and saw loads of books there.

“Hmmmm… barrister” she hailed.

“That’s me” Teju laughed. All she had been doing lately was working.

“How is Fred’s case coming?” Lucy sat down.

“Well, we have the first hearing in three weeks but we need to get our proof. Remember our little drama?”

“Yeah, definitely. He won’t have a prayer when he sees me” Lucy said with hate in her voice.

Teju swallowed. “Lucia” she called. “I know you. There is more to this issue and you are hiding it from me. Apart from stabbing you, what else did Fred do to you to make you hate him so much?”

“He raped me” Teju gasped. “He raped me Teju” Tears rolled down Lucy’s cheeks.

“Oh my God!”

“When I was in my third year in UI, Fred was the closest male friend I had. He asked me out several times but I refused. I had just returned to school for my second semester in 300 level when the unexpected happened. My room mate was yet to arrive and I was the only one in the room. A masked man entered and pushed me hard on the bed. Then, I used to sleep with a short loose gown because we rarely had light and I hated the heat. He was stronger than me and I could not do much to help myself. Hitting him was like hitting a rock because it had almost no effect on him” Lucy cried uncontrollably as Teju held her with her eyes burning with anger. “That day, he took my virginity from me and shattered my life. I never knew it was the same person whom I saw as my friend. The night he stabbed me, he said all these, thinking I was dead. He probably said everything out of fright; he also blamed everyone for making him stab me that day. Said he was going to get even with Deolu and everyone that surrounded me” she leaned against Teju. “Do you know just how much I hate him?” she yelled.

Teju swore loudly. “That bastard would pay dearly, I promise you!!!”

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Raymond drove furiously. He had finished muttering all the curses he knew of and was busy repeating them. He could not believe that his so called step-brother would have the effrontery to call him after all he had done. Because of him, his parents were no more, because of him, their united family had drifted apart. Now, he got himself into a mess and he suddenly thought that he had a family? Ray shook his head. Never in his life would he raise a finger to help a miserable bastard. He had prayed for a time when he would be able set his eyes on his mistake of a brother to give him a piece of his mind.

He parked and entered the police station.

“Raymond”

He turned like an automatic car at the sound of that voice. “Lucy” he gasped. Sighting her, his heartbeat accelerated. “Oh my God! Lucy”

Lucy rushed into his arms as he hugged her tightly. He inhaled deeply as he put his nose in her hair, allowing the scent of her to awaken his senses. His heart pounded wildly as he held her, unable to let her go. Lucy could not believe what was happening. She felt the strange desire to kiss him there in public.

“I have missed you a lot sugar” he whispered, finally pulling back.

Lucy cleared her throat. “I missed you too”

“Never did a day pass without me thinking about you” he said softly, gazing into her eyes.

Lucy was so overwhelmed, she did not know what to do or say. “Me too… I mean… erm”

Ray brushed his hand, slowly and lightly across her cheek, making her catch her breath. “You are crying?” he looked deeply worried.

“Crying?” she also looked puzzled. She rubbed her face vigorously. “Of course not. Perhaps something entered my-”

He bent his head and kissed her silent but as his lips touched hers, he could not break away. He pulled her into his hands and kissed her deeply, forgetting that they were in police station. They both forgot everything around them and held on to each other, without letting go. It took a police officer’s tap on raymond’s shoulders to separate them.

“Oga abeg, this place na station, no be hotel wey you go dey romance woman” the policeman stated flatly as the other policemen laughed.

Lucy righted herself, feeling stupid and terribly breathless. What am I doing? She wondered.

“Hey babe, did I …” Teju’s face reddened as her eyes widened. “James Ray” she muttered as she took in the person before her.

“Raymond, meet Teju my best friend, T.J, meet Raymond” Lucy introduced still feeling terribly uncomfortable.

It took Teju’s barrister instincts to stop her from screaming and fussing like a kid.

“It is a pleasure, I heard a lot about you” Ray said, delighted to meet the Teju that Lucy always talked about. She was as beautiful as Lucy said.

“I am honoured. I have always prayed for a day like this; I am a huge fan. But more importantly, thank you for what you did for my little baby here, I am eternally grateful”

“I did what anyone would have done. Besides, how could I resist saving such a beautiful lady? I have been trained to be a gentleman” he grinned.

“You surely are” Teju said, heard her name and smiled. “I would be back” she pinched Lucy and ran off.

“Ouch” Lucy said softly and Ray smiled. Lucy felt uncomfortable, being left alone with him, it was as if the policemen at the counter had vanished even though they were still there. She shifted uncomfortably. “What brought you here?”

“God” he gazed into her eyes. She looked away, too shy to respond to the taunt and he smiled, knowing that it was that shy attitude that amused him most about her. “Actually, I am here, though unwillingly, to see my mistake of a brother. Step-brother actually. Fred”

“Who?” Lucy blanched.

“Fred. He called for me and I came to give him a piece of my mind” his anger returned slightly.

“Fred? Your brother”

“Stepbrother actually. I wish he wasn’t. I know I never told you about him, he is like a prodigal son.”

Lucy fumbled with her phone and Ray became worried. “Is it this person?”

He stared at the picture on his phone and frowned deeply. “Yes. How do..”

“Oh my God” Lucy gasped as she stared at Raymond with tears coming rapidly.

“What is it sugar?” she backed away when he tried to touch her. He was instantly alarmed.

“No! That is the guy that stabbed me”

Raymond froze as he stared at her.

“He stabbed me” she exclaimed.

“Ray”. They both turned and faced Tinuke who approached with anger in her stride.

The day couldn’t have been more worse, Raymond thought. “What the hell are you doing here Tinu? Are you trailing me now?”

“No. I came to visit a friend nearby and I saw your car and knew you were here.” She faced Lucy. “Have I not warned you to stay away from my man? You are trying to tie him up with crocodile tears right?” Lucy was too shocked and stunned to pay Tinuke any attention. “Accept defeat my dear. Guess what? I am pregnant. I am carrying Raymond’s baby”.

Lucy froze, wondering if she had heard correctly. She shifted her gaze to Raymond but he did not look shocked, he had obviously been informed. She held her head and ran out in tears, not hearing teju who was busy calling her.

Teju held back Raymond when he tried to pursue Lucy. Tinuke saw her and gasped. “Raymond, I do not intend to meddle in your private affair but I suggest you find out if that child she is carrying is truly yours. She stole my fiancé from me six weeks ago by offering him her body, don’t get saddled with a bastard” she fixed Tinuke a cold glare and ran off to catch up with Lucy.

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Roaring fire would have been the perfect description for Raymond’s mood when he got home. He hadn’t been able to go through with seeing Fred, and not that he cared but Tinuke’s matter seemed more important.

“What is wrong Ray?” Vicky asked immediately he marched inside. Ray was in no mood to give answers because he himself wanted answers. Immediately Tinuke entered, Vicky got her answers.

“Please Ray, believe me, they are toying with your head. I have never set my eyes on that lady. Neither do I know any Tunde”

Ray tried desperately to calm his nerves. “I am not disputing that fact, just give me the results.”

“Did I not say she was carrying a bastard?” Vicky laughed.

“Shut it Vic” Raymond yelled, losing his temper, which he rarely did. Tinuke always pushed him to the wall.

“Hey, don’t vent your anger on me. It is not my fault that this tramp is a harlot”

“I would have you swallowing your words” Tinuke said to Vicky, successfully retrieving the paper from her handbag.

Raymond knew that if she was truly pregnant for him, she should be two months and one week gone by now but since the test was carried out two weeks ago, he blanched then he saw one month, three weeks. Tinuke touched him. “I told you that she lied”

Ray shook his head, refusing to give up. “Let’s go to the hospital”

“No! I am not leaving this place.”

“Of course you are” Vicky said, moving towards her. “Move before I move you”

Raymond was already in the car and Vicky successfully moved Tinuke to the car.

They all alighted from the car in silence and marched into the hospital.

“Doc T. Please I need the lab results of the pregnancy test we did two weeks ago” he did not bother greeting.

Doctor Tunde opened his drawer. “I knew you would ask for it later.”

“How far gone is she?”

The doctor looked at the paper. “Well, here, she is one month and about one week gone. Since it was conducted two weeks ago, she should be one month, three weeks pregnant”.

Vicky hollered. “I said it!”

“There must be a mistake” Tinuke was shaking.

“There is no mistake woman, I monitored it myself. Should the timing be longer or shorter?” The doctor asked curiously.

“It doesn’t matter doc T. I am forever in your debt. He stood and walked out with a billion dollar smile on his face.”

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THE LAST SMILE Episode 30 by NISSI ADEOLA

Teju brushed her hair with a brush before using a comb. She considered the long hair a waste of time because it always gave her trouble when she needed to comb it. For the umpteenth time, she considered cutting it. She took her hair bond and held her hair firmly behind her head. She was worried about Luciana. Lucy had not said much to her ever since she fled from the police station about a week ago. She had become withdrawn and quiet. Teju wished she had heard what transpired between Lucy, Raymond and that Oyin girl who turned out to be Tinuke, Raymond’s fiancée. The only part she had heard was the part where Tinuke declared that she was pregnant. She wondered if her pregnancy was what made Lucy flee. Even though Teju was sure that the child was not for Raymond, she wondered why that information would affect Lucy so much. Except…

Teju shook her head. Lucy was not one to date several men at a goal, in fact, she was not into men. That brought her to Lucy’s attitude with Deolu. Deolu was a man that every woman would dream to have – someone who is loving, handsome, faithful, hardworking, established and so on; but she noticed that Lucy still behaved with him the same way she used to when they were friends. Teju did not see the spark of a woman in love in her eyes but she had noticed something when she was with Raymond in the station. It was not the look of a fan to celebrity she saw in Lucy’s eyes, she saw that glow, that discomfort that the presence of a man could bring out of a lady; especially a lady in love. “No” she murmured to herself. She needed to see Lucy and make her talk by all means.

She heard a knock and went there to open. Her heartbeat skipped severally when she saw the person at the door. “What are you doing here Deolu?”

“I actually love it when you call me Dee” his deep voice vibrated around her and she shifted nervously.

She smiled softly. “That does not answer my question”

“And I suppose that is the newest mode of greeting. Are you going to invite me in?” he did not wait for her answer as he stepped into the well furnished apartment. Teju bit back a groan as she closed the door slightly, not wanting to take anything for granted. She would not allow what happened in Abuja to repeat itself. “I have missed you Tee, I have not seen you for eight days now, which is ever since you left Lucy’s place, giving the lame excuse of an ‘unofficial’ engagement”.

Teju swallowed and breathed slowly, as slowly as she could manage. “Listen Dee” she wondered if she just called him that spontaneously or if she did because he said he liked it. “I know I should have forgotten that little accident in Abuja but I have not because I can’t help the feeling of guilt whenever I am with Lucy. I can’t have you around me Deolu” she took a calming breath.

“And do you think you are the only one with feelings? Listen; ever since I kissed you, I have not been able to think straight. I have had-”

“Stop it” she yelled. “Don’t make me hate you”

“You can hate me all you want but please listen to me” he paced restlessly and Teju could see how he struggled to keep his emotions at check. An instant panic grew within her as her heart raced wildly. Deolu went to stand in front of her and took a calming breathe. “I don’t know when you started growing on me Teju” he began and anger came up within her as she looked at the man who was trying to come between two friends.

“Deolu”

“Please let me talk Tee” he groaned and walked to the window, staring out. His fists folded and unfolded. “I don’t know if it was when Lucy introduced me to you, you were putting on a flimsy short gown which barely covered your thigh and you had me wondering how you could wear that cloth comfortably” he breathed. Teju was stunned that he could remember what she wore that day. She also remembered that he had been looking too handsome in a grey suit and a white shirt. “Or maybe it was when we had to deal with Lucy’s disappearance together” he turned to face her and she was thrown off-balance by the look of struggle and discomfort she saw. She concentrated on breathing properly. “I found myself thinking about you at very inappropriate times. You occupied my thoughts and I discarded it, thinking that my feelings towards you were platonic. Even though I was terribly worried about Luciana’s safety, I discovered that being with you made me feel great and happy and I always found one excuse or the other to see you”.

“Deolu-”

He grabbed her hands. “I love you Teju. Ever since we left Abuja, I could think of no one else but you. Hearing what you Ex did to you made me want to live the rest of my life putting smiles on your face. I –”

“Jesus, Deolu” she yelled, snatching her hands from his. “Are you crazy? I found out that men were cruel and heartless but I never counted you with them because I thought you were different. Jesus! You are Lucy’s boyfriend!” she exclaimed. “Do you know who Lucy is to me?” she roamed her sitting room in anger. “She is my best friend. Did you hear that? My best friend!” she screamed, throwing her hands up in the air. “You know what? Just leave. I know what to do; I would go and clear my conscience with Lucy. Leave Deolu, please” she yelled.

“Teju-”

“Leave” Teju screamed and propelled him to the door, slamming the door hard. Tears clung to her eyes and she blinked them away. She had vouched never to cry for a man; she just was not sure why men always tried to toy with her feelings. As must as she tried to prevent the tears, they came rolling down her cheeks and she wiped them away furiously. She had successfully locked away her feelings for Deolu, not willing to allow a man come between she and Luciana. Why must men behave so unfairly with her? She grabbed her purse and left the apartment with a mind to put a stop to this drama.

**********
**********

Lucy lay on the bed looking lost. No one had been able to get her out of her moody state. Life was so unfair to her. How could she love the brother of someone who had brought her so much sorrow? How could she be in love with a rapist’s brother? Her head ached terribly as she made her way to the window. Then the second obstacle: he was expecting a baby!

Lucy had never felt so miserable in her life. She never fell in love but now that she was, she was in love with the wrong person; in love with the brother of her worst enemy. Lucy wondered what sort of test God was putting her through. She just wanted to be happy, to feel loved for once in her life.

Her door flung open and she spun, wiping away the tears in her face. Lucy had never seen Teju so shaky and uncertain. She looked like she had been crying. “Teju, are you alright” Lucy asked, alarmed with concern.

Teju prevented Luciana from moving close to her. “Please don’t come closer Lucy, don’t make me feel guiltier than I currently do. Please”

“What is the matter T.J?”

“I have betrayed our friendship Lucy; I need to tell you something before the guilt kills me. Please promise me that you would forgive me”

Luciana breathed. If she were to choose a friend over and over again, she would always choose Teju. She opened her arms and hugged Teju, knowing that they were both going through trying times. “I know what you are about to say”

“You do?” Teju was bewildered as she left Luciana’s arms.

“Does it have to do with Deolu?” Lucy asked with a faint smile

Teju blanched. “I knew it. When you refused to speak with me, I knew that something was wrong. I did not mean to do it. It was a… a mistake. Please forgive me babe, I did not mean to do it” she rushed with pleading eyes. “He told you?”

Lucy nodded. “Do you love him?”

Startled. “What sort of question is that? He is your man Lucy; I can’t take him from you. What happened was a mistake which would never repeat itself again. Please”

“He is not my man” Lucy dropped, sitting down with a sour look. “I am not in love with him”

“What are you saying?”

“I accepted him not because I loved him the way I ought to but because I thought that I should be able to love him after some time”

Teju regained her composure to a certain extent as her earlier suspicion materialized. “Does this have to do with Raymond?” Lucy froze and Teju got her answer.

Lucy changed the subject. “Deolu told me how he felt about you T.J” Teju shifted uncomfortably and stood up furiously. “He loves you a lot. I have never seen him so confused. I advised him to tell you how he felt”

“He already did”

Lucy jumped out of the bed. “He did? What was your response?”

“What do you expect? That I would jump into the arms of my best friend’s boyfriend? I can never do that?” Lucy swallowed and pulled Teju back to the bed.

“Teju. You know how much you mean to me. You are my friend and sister and I can never deceive you. When Deolu told me of his feelings for you three days ago, I saw the sincerity in his eyes. Even when he had asked me out, I did not see what I saw in his eyes. You deserve to be very happy T.J and I know that Deolu would make you the happiest woman in the world. I have noticed the way you look at him Teju. Answer me honestly; do you love him?”

Teju swallowed and looked down. She had never felt more like a complete idiot in her life. Here she was receiving love lectures from the same Lucy whom she always confronted with the idea of getting a man in her life. “I don’t know” she said softly.

Lucy smiled. “Think about it. Don’t be unfair to Deolu. The heart goes where it wills; it is not his fault that he is in love with you. Believe me when I say he is the man of every woman’s dreams, it is just a pity that I could not fall in love with him, and instead, I loved the wrong person”. Her heart ached even though she knew that loving Raymond was the best feeling she ever had.

“I saw the look in your eyes when you stared at Raymond”

Lucy breathed deeply. “He is Fred’s step-brother”

“He is not” Teju gasped wide-eyed.

“I am in love with the brother of the guy that raped me and almost killed me. Am I not lucky?” tears streamed her face.

“Oh Lucy” Teju held her tight, barely taking in what she just heard. She could only imagine what Lucy was feeling. “It is alright honey” she whispered.

“No. it is not alright. How am I supposed to deal with that? Upon that, Deolu’s step-sister is pregnant for him”

“Wait a freaking minute, Deolu’s what?”

“Yes. Tinuke, Raymond’s fiancée is Deolu’s step-sister.”

Teju jumped to her feet. “That is the woman that snatched Tunde away from me”

Lucy’s eyes widened. “Holy Father”

**********
**********

Lucy and Teju happily entered Teju’s apartment with bags in their hands. After their heated discussion a week ago, they had both decided that they needed a break. They left their apartments and went sight-seeing. They both dropped their phones at home, not wanting their problems to interrupt their break. They had gone to the zoo together, went to the museum, to amusement parks and finally went to the beach before deciding to go back home. They had lodged in a hotel for the week and the two friends had made their friendship stronger. They were no longer best friends but they were sisters. Sisters whose ties were stronger than the legendary blood tie. They dumped the bags on the floor and collapsed on different chairs.

“Don’t just lie there, go and prepare food. You want me to die of hunger?” Luciana muttered.

“We would both die of hunger if you don’t stand up and enter that kitchen” Teju responded, removing her shoes.

None of them could stand up due to fatigue and were both startled when they heard a knock. “Can those neighbors not allow me to breathe a bit before bombarding me with questions about where I have been all week?” Teju murmured slightly as she made for the door. When she opened the door, she saw an unfamiliar face.

“Please, how may I help you?”

“Sorry to disturb…”

Lucy jumped up at the sound of that familiar voice. “Vicky” she called and moved towards her with smiles of surprise and happiness.

“Well, I was not wrong” Vicky said with smiles and hugged Lucy.

“How did you know this place?”

“Well, I was driving somewhere when I saw you. I knew I couldn’t be mistaken so I followed you guys until I found you. Why did you run off?”

“Do I get an introduction?” Teju asked cynically. Lucy smiled and introduced them. They all sat in the sitting room some minutes later until Teju excused herself in order to take a cold shower.

“Raymond is almost going crazy. He has been to your house three times but he could not find you. Your parents told him to be patient that you would be back soon but he had been killing himself with worry. He called your line but it was always off”

Lucy sighed, a bit happy that Raymond had been searching for her. “I had to take a break Vic, it had been really rough recently and I needed some fresh air to wipe away my pains.” She swallowed.

“I understand but I have never seen my brother that worried. I know you love him, I have always known. It was so evident in the way you looked at him”.

Lucy looked away. “It doesn’t matter. He is going to be a father and I also can’t be with him under the circumstances”

Vicky breathed. “Ray told me everything Lucy. You can’t let Fred stand between you and the man you love. He caused a lot of havoc in our family too and partially caused the death of our parents, that is why everyone hates him so much”

Lucy was shocked. “What are you saying? Your parents died in a plane crash” she murmured.

“Yes. Fred arrived all of a sudden, claiming that our father had fathered him which my father confirmed. It brought a lot of rift in the family, especially between mum and dad but even when mum had forgiven dad and had her arms wide open to accept Fred, he was only intent on destroying the love in our family. Dad gave him a house in Abuja but still, Fred was so bitter. He did a lot of things and even set dad up in a hotel with a woman, got pictures and sent them to mum. It almost got them divorced. Thanks to the confession of the photographer, the situation was solved and we the children asked them to go on a vacation in order to forget the incident. That was when they were involved in a crash. It affected Ray a lot because he was the one that suggested that vacation. He was the closest to our parents. He was the one that even got them to accept me after they discovered my little secret, though, it took a long time”.

Luciana could not take in all she was hearing. “Wow” he breathed. Suddenly, she understood the painting she had seen. Fred was the shadow! She took a deep breath. “You have gone through a lot” she whispered.

“Ray has gone through more. He fought for me, neglecting his own problems. I would be extremely happy if you can make my brother very happy” she said.

“He had Tinuke and a baby to do that” Lucy said sadly.

“The baby is not his”

“What?”

“The baby Tinuke is expecting is for someone else”

**********
**********

The tension that Ray was feeling was enough to make him turn to alcohol but he did not. Ever since he met Lucy, everything in his life had changed. He had a cause to smile again. Discovering that he was not responsible for Tinuke’s pregnancy had relieved him of some stress but thinking about Lucy had almost drove him crazy. Fred had always been in the shadows of his life, tormenting him over and over again. How could he tell Lucy that he was in love with her? How would she take it?

He had damned the consequences and had gone in search of her but did not find her. He dropped the weight he was lifting and started running on the treadmill, this time, he did not see the ghosts that usually haunted him but he saw the angel that saved him from his ghosts. He saw the one woman whom he would love till his last breath.

He left the treadmill and picked up a towel, mopping away his sweat. “This room must be your favorite room”

Raymond rotated and his eyes met Luciana’s. He had thought about her so much that she had materialized in person. “Lucy” he breathed as his heart contrasted painfully in his chest.

Lucy tried to control her reactions as she stared at him but she couldn’t. He was standing bare-chested with sweat making his muscled body look moist and inviting. She altered her gaze and blinked. He looked tired and terribly sexy. He moved towards her and her heart pounded wildly. It took all her willpower to keep her feet rooted to the ground.

“You should put on a shirt” she murmured.

He grinned as he stood directly in front of her, too close for comfort. “Am I that appealing? I have been told that I am irresistible”

She lifted her eyes to his. “And you don’t hesitate in flaunting it”

“As long as it makes you notice me” he smiled and pulled her into his arms. “I have been going crazy in search of you, and you are right, this gym is one of my favorite places. This is where you gave me a calming kiss” he bent his head and took her lips urgently. He never knew that kissing a woman could make him feel so much. His heart pounded wildly as he cradled her face in his arms gently. Luciana held on to Ray feeling the uncontrollable joy that was so overwhelming. She felt so complete.

“I love you Lucy” Ray said, gazing into her eyes. She gasped. “Yes. I love you so much sugar. How could I not love the woman I found in a sack” he smiled.

Luciana was so happy that she jumped on him. “I love you Ray” he pulled her tighter and kissed her deeply. “So, I am the girl in the sack uhn?

“The sexiest one I have seen” he kissed her nose and they stayed there and talked endlessly. She told him everything about her past and he was terribly furious when she mentioned what Fred had done to her.

EPILOGUE

Teju, Lucy and Ray sat in the sitting room of Lucy’s parents’ house. Her parents had travelled for some function and she missed them. She lay with her head on Raymond’s lap as she talked endlessly with him. Dana went to open the door when they heard a knock and Deolu entered. Teju saw him and her heart skipped. Luciana held her hand and squeezed. She had invited Deolu over, wanting Deolu and Teju to be as happy as she was with Ray. Deolu looked at Ray after greeting. “If Tinuke hadn’t been such an idiot, I would have said something nasty to you Ray”. Tinuke had gone to meet Tunde who was the real father of the child but he had denied responsibility and threw her out of his house.

“If you hadn’t left my sweetheart, I would have snatched her from you” Ray retorted, giving Lucy a peck. Lucy stood up and walked out of the house with Ray.

Teju stared at Deolu. It had been one month and she hadn’t set her eyes on him. He was looking extremely handsome in casual black trousers and a T shirt. “I figured you liked me better in casual wears”

“I like you in anything you put on.” She swallowed. She stood opposite him and when he tried to speak, she stopped him. “I owe you an apology Dee; I should not have behaved the way I did”

“I expected nothing less than that” he brushed away a stray hair from her face. “Anything is forgiven when you call me Dee”

“You might be sorry you said that in the future” she said when he took her in his arms.

“As long as you would be spending that future with me” he bent his head and kissed her deeply. He had wanted to do that for a very long time. No other thing felt so right or perfect. They held each other, both realizing that they needed the other as much as they needed their next breath.

“Are you planning to seduce me into accepting you?” Teju asked breathlessly.

He grinned. “As long as it makes you accept to be my wife”. Teju gasped. Deolu tensed as he put his hand in his pocket and brought out a tiny box and got down on one knee. Teju gasped as all their friends came out of the various rooms and Lucy entered the house back with Raymond. Suddenly, the house was filled with friends and family members. Teju blinked back tears but they came anyways.

“Teju, I don’t know any romantic word to say in order to soar your heart but I can promise to make you happy for the rest of your life. To put laughter on your face and to love you and you alone. Please be my wife Teju, please”

“Yes… Yes” she screamed and hugged him fiercely, kissing his neck in tears. He slipped the shinning diamond ring into her fingers and kissed her finger with the ring. The cheer in the room was deafening and chants of ‘kiss her, kiss her, kiss her…’ rang out on the large sitting room. Deolu pulled Teju into his arms and kissed her. They both forgot about the crowd and got lost in a world of their own. The kiss ended and they suddenly noticed that the room was dead silent. Teju was not surprised because she had known all along. The sitting room was dark except a spotlight which illuminated a painting.

Luciana gasped as she stared at herself. The painting was of her wearing the gown that Raymond had bought for her in the boutique. Everyone was struck by the mastery of the painting including Teju. Ray appeared and a spotlight captured him as he moved towards Luciana. “When I picked up a brush to paint again, only one image popped up in my mind. That Sunday, you had entered my room, wanting to drag me to church. I had pretended to be asleep and you stared at me longingly like you won’t mind joining me on the bed” everyone chuckled. Tears streamed down Luciana’s face. She never imagined someone painting her. “You had been so breathtakingly beautiful that I had taken my time to capture that image of you in my head, hoping that I would be able to paint again.” he got down on one knee. “Lucy, you gave me back my life and made me live again. You drove all my fears away and gave me love. I can’t spend the rest of my life without you; you sweeten my life; that is why I call you ‘sugar’. Please marry me Luciana Jones. I promise to never ever make you know a moment of sadness. I would be with you every time you need me. Please marry me sugar” his heart pounded against his ribs as he stared up at her with a sparkling ring in his hand. Everyone seemed to hold their breath.

Luciana knelt down, unable to control her tears. She wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. He quickly pulled her slightly away from him. “Is that a ‘yes’ honey?”

“Yes” she screamed. “Yes… yes…” she continued to say until Ray silenced her with a firm kiss. The kiss was so tender and deep and demanding at the same time. They were both oblivious to the resounding cheers as they held on to each other. Vicky wiped off the tears in her eyes as she stared at the ring in her own fingers. She smiled up at Duke who hugged her protectively, when he noticed the eyes of some guys on Vicky. He kissed her head. Bose smiled at the couple. She was very happy for them. She had also found happiness in the arms of another man and her business was booming.

Lucy stood up and hugged Teju tightly. People started congratulating the two couples.

“I am happy for you Vic” Lucy said to Vicky.

“You said I would not have to try, guess what? I did not try a bit. Duke swept me off my feet”

Lucy laughed. “You deserve it”

“And you and Raymond are made for each other.”

Bose hugged Raymond. “I am glad you could make it Bose” Raymond said and she smiled.

“I would not miss it for anything in the world”

*****

Fred was sentenced to 35 years in prison and the two couples got married two years after on the same day.

THE LAST SMILE Episode
#OpraDre

***THE END***

My heartfelt gratitude to everyone who made this journey worthwhile.

God bless you all as you comment and share.

Share – in the comments section – what you’ve learnt from this lengthy series.

Love you all. Kisses ? ? ? > Nissi Adeola