Episode 17: Title: I see things I explained the whole story to her, how I had been abducted by her father in law, how he had set me up to appear mad and thus my incarceration in the hospital, and how I had finally freed myself from his creature. She listened wide eyed and trembled occasionally. Obviously she had been through some experiences of her own and I asked her what she was doing here. “I don’t know chuks, really!” She said, still looking bewildered. “The last thing I remember was coming back to your apartment to bring your clothes for you. I got to the hospital and my father- in- law took the clothes and told me to wait in the car. I said, no I wanted to see how you were doing. The rest was like a dream. Like I wasn’t myself. I’ve been dreaming a lot lately, but the most scary is that once in a while it is as if I wake up and my father- in- law is there, asking me, almost pleading with me to do something, something that I can’t remember right now. And each time I refuse. Then he takes me to a small room, that small room we were in, and I sit there for hours and hours! Wait…did I quit my job, or was that a dream as well? I told her she had been hypnotized and yes she had quit her job but that could all be sorted out once we escaped from this place. Right now I felt we were in the belly of the beast, this was Mr A****’s hideout, where he came to do his shady deals while in lagos. We needed to leave here as soon as possible. She agreed and I stood her up from the bed. “One thing,” I said, “Why do you keep calling him father- in- law? Have you agreed to marry his son now?” She shuddered. “Are you crazy? After all this? Never! It’s just force of habit I guess. I have never been comfortable calling him M r A****.” “Okay then, just to be sure.” I said although my heart had missed a few beats just then She eyed me mischievously. “What, you wouldn’t have come to save me if I had agreed to marry his son?” “What? No!!! I mean Yes, of course I would have come to save you even if you…” She kissed me then, a sudden, full mouthed kiss that left me breathless. I now understood why American movies depicted kissing in the direst of situations. Even now, as we faced unknown danger, that kiss drew us away from our predicament and into a wondrous sphere of peace and calm. Stars exploded in my head, imaginary stars, not spiritual, and I could sense chuks the stronger savoring the kiss as well. When she finally let me go it took all my willpower not to drag her back in my arms for another one. “I was just teasing you, you know.” she said smiling, “I knew you would come to rescue me. Let’s go. And she went ahead of me. I savored the kiss a little while longer and made to go when I felt a gentle tug in my mind. I held my hand to my mouth and pretended to be coughing. “What is it?” I whispered under my breath. This girl…that kiss…wow. This girl is something else, said chuks the stronger. “Now? Really? You want to analyze a kiss now?” I thought angrily. “The taste of her, the aroma of her breath, the softness of her skin, even her spirit went into that kiss.” I moved forward and tried to ignore chuks commentary in my brain. This was not the time to be behaving like a schoolboy having his first kiss. We were through the corridor and were almost out the door when I heard the sound of a vehicle approaching. We both froze at the door, hoping the car would pas but it didn’t. it remained purring at the front gate and then somebody came down and opened the gate from the outside. We ran back inside and watched from the windows as the car drove in. It parked across the front door and the driver went back to close the gate. We waited in anticipated breath, hoping he was alone, maybe he came to collect something but we were having no such luck. The driver went to the back of the car and opened the doors and out stepped Mr A*****. Nina let out a small scream and I closed her mouth with my hands and led her to the kitchen. We hid behind the kitchen door with the hope that when he entered and went to check on her we would be able to make our escape. We heard the parlor door open and Mr A****’s calm voice, telling the driver he could go. He obviously handed him something of value because the driver started to thank him profusely and finally we heard the car come to life again and drive out of the compound. Mr A*** seemed to settle down in the parlor and for a while everything was silent. Nina’s body trembled beside mine as we stayed behind the kitchen door, waiting for a chance, for him to make a move. After about what seemed like an eternity although in reality it couldn’t have been more than ten minutes, we heard Mr A**** yawn and say to himself, “I’m tired of all this.” There was a little more silence then he shouted. “Mr Chukwudi, will you please stop hiding and come out where I can see you!” Nina almost fainted. I felt her knees buckle and held her up as she trebled even more uncontrollably. We were still silent then I heard his voice again: “Surely you remember what I told you before about my pet bats, or wasn’t that what you called them? They are my lookouts, my sentries. I have been alerted of your visit ever since you entered this compound. Please come out.” In my mind I felt Chukwudi the stronger giggle. “That’s more like it. Let’s have this over and done with!” Then he became quiet again. I stood up and decided I might as well come out, but Nina could stay behind, he had no way of knowing I had freed her from his spell. If he did I would find out soon enough. I motioned for her to stay hidden and came out. Tears were streaming down her eyes and she looked terrified. I smiled at her and whispered there was nothing to worry about, we’d be fine and then I walked out of the kitchen into the corridor. As I approached I felt Chuks the stronger in my mind pushing, straining to say something. I stopped. “What is it?” I asked. “The girl…that kiss” “Honestly Chuks, now is not the time! We are about to face Mr A***! The one who put us in a psychiatric hospital! Goodness knows what arsenal he has at his disposal and you are here going gaga over a kiss!” “Well, yes.” Chukwudi the stronger said. I could feel him becoming uncomfortable, like he was about to admit something that was very unpalatable to him. “What is it?!” I asked out loud. “Good, you finally decided to show, Chukwudi.” Mr A**** said. “Come out, come out, I won’t hurt you” “Are you happy now? He has heard us!” I said angrily. “You were going to meet him before anyway, weren’t you?” Chuks said. “Relax. Besides, from what I have seen I don’t think he is the one you should be worrying about.” I stopped short. “What do you mean?” “Well, I’ve been trying to tell you…” he said with a jovial voice, “The kiss… the girl we left in the kitchen. She is stronger than both of you.”
Posted on: Thu, 04 Sep 2014 19:49:11 +0000
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