4:30pm somewhere in Enugu. Jane is seen lying beside a
good looking young man. It appeared as if they just
finished making love,
Jane’s side of the story
‘’my love I do need you here with me every minute,
every hour. We can’t continue like this. It hurts my
pride’’ Charles breathed, softly biting my lips. I smiled
as I stared at him with great love. Yes he was the love
of my life. My breath, my everything. But
unfortunately he wasn’t financially buoyant or even
employed. He was incapable of being my boyfriend talk
more of husband. He was just my weakness, the dark
side of me.
He was my boyfriend right from my first year in
university of Nsukka. The typical bad boy every girl
drooled to have but unfortunately after graduating, he
faced the realities of life. He couldn’t get a job and we
both knew we couldn’t marry each other. Val eventually
came along through my parents. It was just the typical
matchmaking between rich parents. Luckily he fell very
much in love with me and I equally adored him because
he was very young, resourceful and hardworking but
what I felt for him wasn’t as strong as what I felt for
Charles but still enough to take us to the altar, to be
his wife.
For a year and six months I had managed to keep both
Val and Charles under my control. Yes it was a very
super game only the most brilliant chicks could pull off.
Seriously I really didn’t know where my relationship
with Charles was heading but I couldn’t let him go. I
needed him as much as I needed Val.
Leaving Val’s family house later that afternoon,
(minutes after the new girl Isadora arrived). I had
headed straight to Charles apartment to have a breath
catching quickie with him. Yes he was so good at it. He
was very much stronger than my fiancée Val who just
wasn’t himself the previous night.
‘’so how about the money you promised to lend me to
start up a business once you return from the U.S’’
Charles asked, bringing back my wandering mind.
‘’I’m still working on it dear. Three million Naira is a
whole lot of money and I don’t have access to such
fund. I can’t pull out such amount from my father’s
business without my brothers questioning and blocking
the move since they are the ones now virtually running
the business. The only way right now is to rely on Val’s
money and I can’t just ask him to give me such an
amount. I have to work out a strategy’’ I explained
while he frowned.
‘’you better be fast my love. I can’t continue being
idle. My mates are all doing well right now and I’m still
here. You are my guardian angel and you know that. I
have never done anything to hurt you even though you
have done a lot to hurt me’’ he sulked while I sat up on
the bed and stared at him for a while.
‘’yes I know moving on with Val really hurt your pride
and everything but must we talk about this every
time?. I did what I had to do as a woman. We are still
here together. I never abandoned you’’ I defended
weakly.
‘’but you still will one day. I know that’’ he added
feebly while I rolled my eyes.
—————————————————
Val’s side of the story continues from the previous
episode
Seeing Isadora that fateful afternoon really made my
heart jump. I was lucky that my reaction wasn’t noticed
by anyone. Isadora on her own part acted as if she
didn’t recognize me and I couldn’t tell if she did or
not.
Minutes later, Jane left the house while my mother and
Jane’s mum went to the sitting room to chit chat,
leaving me with an opportunity to talk with the new
girl. I quickly headed to her room but she wasn’t there.
After a little search I found her at the backyard with
our old house help Martha who was putting her through
some tutorials.
‘’can you excuse us please Martha’’ I politely demanded.
She looked at me with great surprise, shrugged and
walked away, leaving Isadora and I alone.
‘’you never bothered to be friendly with me the very
first day we met. You never even told me your name.
Yesterday I drove round Nsukka looking for you but
fate brought you here Isadora’’ I breathed with a smile
while her eyes dropped as her color changed.
‘’perhaps coming here wasn’t a good idea’’ she
muttered. I drew closer.
‘’I’m so glad you are here. You can’t imagine the joy in
my heart right now’’ I breathed. She raised her
beautiful eyes to meet my gaze.
‘’can I ask for one thing please?’’ she softly demanded.
‘’yes of course’’ I nodded.
‘’can you please leave me alone?. I don’t want you
putting me into trouble. Many women rejected assisting
me because they felt I would cause more harm than
good. Only your fiancée’s mother assisted to help me
and I’m very grateful and loyal to her. I came here to
work and not to play your game sir. I need food,
shelter and money right now. I won’t risk anything for
that sir. Please I need no special treatments or favors
from you. You are my boss, let it remain that way’’ she
breathed quietly hurting me immensely with her words.
No woman had ever addressed me that way and I was
just thrown off balance. I didn’t know what to say or
act before her.
All I did was just breathe her name “ISADORA”
