minutes in silence, cooling off the tension. When we
were both relaxed we continued with the silence,
waiting for the first person to make a speech. Whenever
I looked at her, she would pretend to be looking at
something else to avoid making eye contact with me.
And when she finally turned to look at me, I would do
the same. So about 10 minutes more was spent in
silence. Then I started talking.
"So how’s the hooker thing going?"
"What? What hooker thing?"
"Come on girl, I’m not trying to be nasty or something.
I’m just trying to make a good conversation here."
"And calling me a hooker is your idea of a good
conversation? I think I better get going right now in
case you think you can just say anything to me
because you paid for this room."
"Oh no, you don’t have to do that! Okay, I won’t say
anything again till we leave. It could be dangerous out
there. You could have told me you didn’t want to talk,
and I would just keep shut."
"You don’t get it do you? I’m not a hooker!"
"Seriously? Then what the hell were you doing out
there with the hookers by this time of the night?"
"This time of the night? It’s just after 11pm, and this
isn’t my first time of returning home late. I return home
after 10pm on Friday nights because my fellowship
holds a prayer meeting to pray and commit the
weekend into God’s hands. We dismiss by 10pm. And
what just happened today doesn’t take place this early.
For some reason it did today and I happened to be at
the wrong place at the wrong time. Thank God I didn’t
fall prey into the hands of the police."
"(Smiling) Yeah, thank God I was there to rescue you."
"(Laughs gently) You’re not serious. And you, what
were you doing there? You went to pick up a hooker
right?"
"I didn’t want to tell her why I was there because of
shame. After all, we’ll go our separate ways in the
morning. So why should I begin to let her in on such
information."
"Not really. I felt so bored at home. I had been
sleeping all day and there wasn’t any sleep left for the
night. So instead of just lying on my bed like that, I
decided to…….."(Ogechi interrupted)
"I know! You decided to go there and get yourself a
woman to keep you company till morning. ooOOhH’
Guys!"
"That’s not what it was. I just went there to have a
drink and then, you know, feed my eyes a little."
"Oh yeah? You expect me to believe that?"
"Of course! How on earth could a man who went to take
home a hooker be sleeping on a rubber chair in a semi
bar with a bottle of water in front of him? Haven’t you
thought of that?"
"It’s possible you just fell asleep, or you could be
waiting for a girl you had already concluded
arrangements with."
"No! None of that happened! Just like you, I was at the
wrong place at the wrong time okay?"
"Okay, I believe you. (Turns away from me and
whispers) wrong place at the wrong time my foot.
(Speaks out loud) I need to take a shower."
"Yeah me too. You go first. When you’re done, I’ll do
same."
She got into the bathroom while I lay on the bed
waiting for her to come out so I could also get in and
take a shower. After we both took a shower, I asked if
she wanted anything to eat before going to bed. She
didn’t, neither did I. There was no pajamas whatsoever
so we went to bed with the cloths we had on. Before
we went to bed we watched TV a little. She sat on the
couch while I lay on the bed. It crossed my mind to
switch and let her have the bed in case we slept off,
but the bed was so soft and comfortable to lie on, plus,
I paid for the room and that was the first time I would
be spending the night in such a comfortable place
since I got to Enugu, so I should get all the comfort
there was to get. I was still contemplating on whether
or not to make the switch when she stood up from the
couch and turned off the TV. Next thing I heard was,
LET’S PRAY. I said okay and stood up without
hesitation. We held hands, sang some worship songs,
and then prayed. After the prayer, she at once made
way for the left hand side of the bed and lied down,
not minding if I was gonna sleep on the bed or not. I
wasn’t really sure of what to do, but I decided to lie on
the bed with her, expecting to get an objection from her
but instead, she turned and faced the ceiling, closed
her eyes and said goodnight. Good night, I replied. I
was so happy she made no objections because I really
wanted to sleep on that bed.
By 6am in the morning I heard a tap on my shoulder.
Wake up, wake up, she said. I stretched myself a little
and went back to bed. Wake up, wake up, she kept
saying. Then I woke up still feeling sleepy. What is it? I
asked. It’s morning, she replied. This is just 6am;
allow me to sleep a little more. Besides, today is
Saturday and the pay for this room expires by 12pm.
So relax. Saturdays was usually my day off from my
N5000 job. I didn’t know about her but I assumed she
would also be free on Saturdays no matter what her
occupation was. If she had somewhere to go, she
could go ahead and leave. Why wake me up? She got
up from the bed and stood beside it, looked at me and
said; LET’S PRAY. I didn’t say anything more. I got up
and joined her and we prayed. After freshening up she
wanted to make use of body cream but there was none
there. Oh! She exclaimed softly. What is it? I asked.
"I can’t go out without applying cream to my body."
"You shouldn’t worry about that since you’re going
home from here. You’ll do that at home. Or will you
skin change its color if you don’t do so now?"
"Stop kidding! I’m not going straight home. First I’ll go
cash some money from the ATM, and then to the
market to buy some stuff for the weekend. I might not
return home soon enough depending on the queue at
the ATM and the total time I might spend in the market.
So I must apply cream on my body to avoid some stuff
like that. You wouldn’t know. You’re a guy."
"Yeah, right. You’ll have to go home then and do so
before proceeding with you plan."
"Good idea, but my house is nowhere close."
I didn’t know what else to say to her so I just proffered
a solution that never existed just to appear to be kind
and concerned.
"My house is just close by. I would have taken you
there so you could make use of my cream if I had one.
As it is now, na only Olive Oil I get."
"(Cuts in) That will do! At least half bread is better than
none.?
"(My eyes wide open)What? Olive Oil? no no no. That is
definitely not good for the skin"
"Don’t worry. It is my skin. I’ll wash it off before the
day is half spent. I just need oil on my body. So let’s
go. Let’s not waste much time. There is a whole lot
more to do today besides going to the market. I also
have to cook, clean my house and wash some cloths"
"Ehm…, ehm…, "
"What is it? You don’t want to go now? If you don’t
want to go now, just let me know so I can be on my
way. "
"(I stared at her, looking confused and then said); it’s
not that I don’t want to go now o o, but eeh…..,,"
"But what? In fact, I don’t know what the matter is with
you oo. I think I better get going. Thanks for
everything."
She made way for the door of the room and I rushed
towards her, held her back and said; you see…, the
truth is that I don’t have a place to stay for now. I just
got into town barely a month ago and have not gotten
an apartment yet. If I had known you were going to
buy the idea of making use of the Olive Oil, I wouldn’t
have mentioned it at all. I was just pretending to be
kind and concerned. You don’t have a place to stay?
She asked. How then do you survive here? I mean like,
where is your baggage? Where do you sleep, where do
you have your bath and all that? Wait a minute, you live
in a hotel? No I don’t, replied me. That place you saw
me last night is where I spend my nights. I then
narrated everything to her and she took pity on me.
"So how soon do you plan on getting yourself an
apartment?"
"As soon as I have saved up enough money for that,
let’s say two months."
"(She went into deep thoughts for a moment snapped
out and said) I live alone. I can’t bear the thought of
letting you continue like this when I can do something
to help. That would be against my believes. But that
will only happen if you promise to be of good character
during the period of your stay in my house."
"Haha, don’t worry girl, I can take care of myself. I’d
rather sleep on the streets than in the house of a girl
who will have me live by her rules. What do I look like
to you? Your kid brother? Kill that! I’m a big boy, and
big boys don’t cry. I’ve been in this position before
and I survived. Thanks but no thanks."
"Hmmm, I see your ego is getting the better part of
you. I wish you would just understand that I’m trying
to help. Come on, you’re a guy, and I’m even offering
to let you stay at my place. Isn’t that strange enough?
It could be a very big risk because I don’t know you
and what you’re capable of. But none of those matters
because I’m doing this for Christ’s sake and I believe
God will save me from any danger should you turn out
to be undeserving of this kindness. But I can’t path
ways with you just like that after what you just told
me. Allow me to help. Just be of good behavior."
"I don’t need your help g..i..r..l. I can take care of
myself. And I must tell you to be careful of the kind of
kindness you show to people you don’t know. I could
just be a member of an occult group seeking whom to
kill and sacrifice to keep the money flowing, and then
you show up like this with such offer? You would have
succeeded in making things quite easy for me you
know? Be careful! I warn you. You don’t know who I
could be."
"Whoever you couldn’t be last night, you won’t be
within the next two months. Besides, if you were
anything that ugly, you wouldn’t be exposing yourself
would you? So let’s go."
(After much convincing words from her, I succumbed.
But I had already agreed to her offer in my heart the
moment she voiced it out. Just that I didn’t want it to
look like I was waiting for her to say that. It also
amazed me that a girl would take a guy into her house
to live with her without even knowing him. And that
she said she was doing for Christ’s sake. Or could it be
that she’s an agent of darkness looking for guys with
bright future to destroy? Well, I’ll find that out soon)
"Seems you don’t want to let it slide. Okay, I’ll do as
you say. And know for sure that I didn’t ask for this.
This is sorely your choice. I’m just playing along
because you said you’re doing it for Christ’s sake. I
wouldn’t want you go against your believe."
"(Murmurs) Egotistical fellow!"
"Say what?"
"(Sharply) Nothing. Let’s go."
We left the hotel room to the ATM. She withdrew some
money and we boarded a bus to her residence. You are
welcome to my humble abode. I hope you find it very
comfortable. By the way, where are you belongings?
She asked. I came here with just a school bag and I
keep it in a store at my office. I’ll go over there later on
and get it. She raised her shoulders and said; ok then,
let me prepare you breakfast before I head to the
market. Thanks, I replied. She quickly prepared tea for
me with left over bread that was there. While I was
consuming the bread, she went into the bathroom with
some set of creams and cosmetic. I wondered what
would happen to her if she didn’t apply cream for one
day. I used that time to survey the house she lived in.
It was a self-contain. She had a set of electronics and
a refrigerator in it, a bed big enough for two, a reading
table and wall hanger. I wouldn’t know what she had
in her bathroom and kitchen. This kind of houses cost
a lot in Enugu, so I concluded she must be a rich girl.
After a short while, she came out of the bathroom
glowing like a diamond in the sky. I stared at her in an
unusual manner, and she noticed. Immediately, she
dropped those cosmetic in its place and said; I’m
heading for the market now. See you when I return.
Okay, I replied. She got to the door of the room and
stopped suddenly, turned towards me and asked; I
forgot to ask what your name is.
"oOhH! My name is Jesusboy"
"Like seriously?"
"Yeah, that’s my name."
"Okay, enough with the joke. What’s your name?"
"I’m not joking. That’s my name"
"As in, that’s the name your parents gave you at birth?"
"Nope! I gave it to myself"
"And why would you call yourself Jesusboy?"
"Because Jesus is the one I claim."
"(Kind of short of words for about 5 seconds) Okay
Jesusboy, see you when I return from the market."
"Okay, goodbye."
She left shaking her head and smiling. I quickly got up
to analyze her from the window. That was when I
realized that she was a beauty to write about. She had
long black hair, amazing curves and was about my
height, probably my age. Her fair skin glittered at
making contact with the light of the sun. Her slow and
gentle steps made the guys around take a second,
third, fourth and fifth look at her. When I noticed these
things, I was glad that I was gonna be staying with her
for a while. I watched her until she boarded a bus to
the market before I returned to the breakfast she had
prepared for me. I couldn’t stop thinking about her
afterwards and couldn’t wait for her to return so that
we could enter into some real conversation.
...To be continued!
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