“Wow! He took off his singlet ke?” Dapo’s eyeballs had widened to about twice their original size.
“I’m for real! I was shook!!! I literally froze. He stood in front of me with that glass of water for close to ten seconds. Jeez!”
“What was he thinking?”
“You are asking me? I am sure I looked like a bush girl who had never seen six packs before. I was so embarrassed.”
Ifedapo had had enough laughing sprees over my encounter at Jed’s place the last time I was there. I had told the story over and again at her insistence.
After my frozen state had thawed, I hurriedly collected the water and gulped down some. Of course, the water chose that moment to go the wrong way. I started coughing and spluttering. Jed ran in to get me a towel. When I finally calmed down, my greatest wish was to be able to teleport out of there.
“I am sorry my awesomeness blew you away.” Jed was obviously enjoying my sorry state.
I laughed at his comment and gradually regained composure. I finally got him to put back on his singlet but not before he convinced me to kiss him without them.
My hands had overcome whatever ininital shock and inertia his bare body had provoked. They moved from holding his neck, down to his chest before resting on his nipples. And boy, it felt good!
“Immaculate, you have to be careful.” Dapo’s voice brought me out of my reverie, “What if he is like Folusho?”
I sighed, “There are still good guys out there, dear. Besides, he put his singlet back on and nothing happened. We watched The Equalizer2 and ate popcorn. Ce fini.” I shifted uncomfortably at how I easily said that.
“Okay oh. Motigbo.” Dapo continued her halfhearted attempt at loosening her braids.
I did not tell her about the kiss… part truth was what I gave. I had come to discover that lying to Dapo about anything was usually a red flag.
But, she obviously does not like Jed and I’m here, swooning.
Five minutes later, Dapo’s phone was ringing and my girl had dozed off. She never enjoyed taking off her braids and I was always recruited to help out. She said my fingers were soft and soothing to her scalp. The end result being, she always dozed off. Always.
“Aunty… Dapo… Ifedapo, stop dozing and pick up your phone joor.”
She startled awake and picked the phone. She never used a ringtone. Her phone was always on vibration. Actually, most medical students are like that. We can’t afford to have Nokia ringtone or any of our favourite songs as ringtone. Simply because, phones must not ring out in the presence of our senior doctors.
“Hello? Daddy…”
I half listened to Dapo’s side of the conversation with her dad, Pastor Duduyemi. I respected the man. I mean, the church he and Dapo’s mum had started barely ten years ago had become a mega church. It was near impossible to be in any major city in Nigeria without coming across a branch of His Light Appears Ministries. Fondly called HLA, I had attended many services there on the Sundays that school allowed me a normal life. Both pastors had been bankers before God called the husband who then went ahead to call his wife too. They were rich. Very rich. Good thing was, even though their surname gave them away most times and Ifedapo and JJ had a striking resemblance to their mum while Tofunmi was his father’s carbon copy, they did a good job of being modest and humble.
“Daddy, I would be coming home soon. We would discuss all that then, please.”
She ended the call without the usual, “love you dad”. I waited for her to stop sucking on her lower lip before I said anything.
“Okayyii, who beat you?” I asked.
“I don’t even get again. He travelled last weeked and the weekend before that. Now, he is travelling again. Or he is at least planning to.”
“Ehn, he is a pastor with branches all over Nigeria and he even gets international invitations. So, travelling is like… normal?
“Imma, this travelling is not normal. For crying ot loud, mum is in her eigth month. I know I am in O&G posting but I have not even delivered a placenta, talk more of a baby… and twins for that matter!”
“How long does he plan to be away?”
“A week! A whole week!”
“Calm down…Just go home and speak with him on this too. How about the strange woman issue?”
“Still not resolved. Please, let’s quickly finish with this hair. I would just go home straight.”
“Not washing it again?”
“I would do that at home. Who even knows if we would have water in this BQ today?
*
“Mummy, I told you, I do not want to meet him by surprise.”
“He is your father. He is rich and he owes you… he owes me.”
“I don’t really care what business you have with him… he doesn’t know I exist. Does he?” The young man’s voice betrayed his impatience with the woman sitting down across him.
“Shut up! You know nothing! I almost lost my life for that man. He wanted me to get rid of you, to have a third abortion for him. then, he up and dumped me and married someone else within three months.”
“Yes, I have heard that story times without number. And he never looked back except to send you meagre amounts monthly.”
“God bless your memory. If you had a father figure, I am sure you won’t be sleeping around, selling and doing drugs like a bastard.”
“That’s enough, Mrs. Famisola. You chose not to abort the pregnancy, he sent you the money, didn’t he? You chose to remain unmarried, you chose to fester hatred towards the man, you chose not to bring me up better or didn’t you raise me? You have now chosen that your next step is to destroy the man, please, do not draw me into your messed up life.” He picked his sunshade from its place on the centre table and walked out on her.
“Jedidiah Oluwalade Famisola! Come back here!!!” The woman wasn’t going to let him just walk out on her plan. He was the master key for her grand plan to get even.
*
“Dr. Imma…”
I turned back to see Kezia, her face lit up beautifully and her weavon stylishly packed.
“Are you getting married today?”
We hugged as she laughed and responded to my question, “I wish. I came back to see Dr. Mamoud.”
“Oh yes, true. My group was not with her at clinic today. How about the symptoms?”
“The discharge is clearing up and the itching is less. Dr. Mamoud said the initial antibiotics are working fine and the sensitivity result matches anyway. So, no change of medication for me.”
“That is really great. And your boyfriend?”
“He refused to come. But, hey, maybe it is actually time for me to move on. I am still a hot babe you know.” She flipped her imaginary hair for emphasis.
“Err… what happened to patience?”
Kezia put on a serious face for some seconds, as if contemplating the right answer to give. When she looked up, she innocently said, “Patience got kicked out with goodluck many years ago.”
I laughed, despite the seriousness of her issue, “Okay, you’re funny. But you know what came after that wasn’t any better. But, I trust your decision. Sorry about it all though.”
“Thank you. I would be fine. Tell me about your boyfriend?” She winked at my blushing face.
I was about launching into my romantic history with Jed when Dapo came out of the clinic to call me.
“Imma, come quick, the Senior Resident (SR) is finally signing our booklets.” Dapo seemed breathless from running.
“Oh…”, I turned an apologetic face to Kezia, “… I am so sorry. We would have to catch up later. Here is my bestfriend, Ifedapo. Dapo, meet Kezia.”
Dapo smiled briefly at Kezia before we both ran into the clinic. God knows some SRs are as unpredictable as PHCN. He could just change his mind about signing after a few booklets.
*
“Fikayo, I really do have to travel again.” Pastor Duduyemi could read his wife’s stern face. It was not going to be easy convincing her this time around.
“Akinjare, no way! I know you are a man of God but these constant travels and these recent events are making me question your integrity. What ministrations have you been going for? You have not shown me these invites that have been taking you away from your family. And you still have not told me who Susan is!”
“Baby, please calm down…”
Ifedapo walked in at that moment. With the pregnancy well advanced, her mum spent most days downstairs and slept in the guest room. She had joked that she was not taking the chance of having to manouver her way downstairs when labour begins. Dapo took one look at her parents and she knew what the topic was. She decided she was not going to stand by and watch anymore.
Dropping her bag on the closest sofa, she faced her dad, “Daddy, settle this now. You can’t keep running away. Who is Susan? What does she want?” She looked at her mum who looked close to fainting, “Mum, please sit down.”
Pastor (Mrs) Duduyemi sat, shaking her head at her husband as she did.
“Ifedapo, this is between your mum an me. Get what you want from the house and get back to school.”
“That is not happening, SIR! This pregnancy… mum is 45years old and she is having twins. Her life is at riak and the lives of those babies. Whatever it is you have to confess, after 22years of marriage, I think mummy can handle it.”
“Fikayo, talk to your daughter…”
Dapo’s mum shook her head, “I can’t talk. At this point, she is making more sense than you are.”
Akinjare’s face flamed with anger, “You do not talk to me like that, mummy Dapo.”
“I am sorry, dear.” Fikayo Duduyemi was tired and it was written all over her. Her husband couldn’t even stay angry.
How can I be angry? I am at fault. I guess I can’t keep running truly.
“Susan was an old flame of mine.”
“Toor, we make progress…” Pastor (Mrs) Duduyemi sighed deeply and picked up her phone. A green light at the top left corner indicated that she had just received a message.
Father and daughter watched her click open the message and saw color drain from her face and her mouth opening in a strangled scream.
“Akinjare Duduyemi…”, that was all she said before collapsing.
*
“Jed… oh my… hmmm… God…”
The last time I had felt this much pleasure was with Folusho. Now, I could feel Jed’s middle finger gliding in and out of my vagina. Not too fast, not too slow, it seemed like his finger was exploring the insides of a tunnel. Whatever his left hand was doing to the my thigh at the same time added intensity and pleasure, turning me to mush.
“Baby, take a deep breath, okay?” His voice was husky and low.
I gasped as his index finger joined in the exploration.
“Oh my God!!!” I reflexively closed my thighs against his hand. Jed was patient, he didn’t pull them apart. He waited, knowing that I was going to open them again myself. And when I did, his fingers picked up a faster rhythm and his left hand moved up to stay over my navel.
In another five minutes, I learnt that I could have an orgasm from just being fingered. Taking out his fingers gently, Jed smiled at me.
“Look at you, you kept calling God as if he was the one doing business down there. What happened to screaming my name?”
“Go joor! Do you think I even remembered your name in those moments? Maybe if you had named your index and middle fingers now…”
“Wow! Just imagine! Well, I named this one…” Jed pulled down his black chinos trousers. He had no boxers on.
“Jed…?” I unknowingly moved back and away from him.
“Oh, you are not freezing this time?”
“Uhm, no… what’s going on?”
“His name is Pink Panther.”
I laughed, albeit shakily. That was a funny but cute and befitting name. However, him standing over me with an erect penis was not my idea of comfortable.
“Nice to meet you, Pink Panther. Can you please go back insinde…?” I pointed at his trousers, expecting him to comply.
“No, ma’am. The only inside I am going to, right now, is there.” I looked at his index finger, pointing at my vagina and it suddenly looked weird.
“Jed, no. I am not haaving sex with you. Please.” I added the please, hoping that that would touch some kindness in him.
“I cannot hear you… you said?”
I raised my voice even though I knew he heard me the first time. “I said, no, we are not having sex.”
“That is funny. So, what have I been preparing that pussy for all this while? You girls are so interesting. You would allow every other thing to be done to you except… sex. What is exactly is sex again?”
“It is not funny, Jed. I am not joking.”
Our relationship was not even up to two months yet. We had had the occasional deep kisses and smooching and intense moments but I had been wary of going far with him. I had noticed how he got angry the times I had stopped him from going further. This day though, I was feeling confident, seeing it as a huge step towards actually living without Folusho’s shadow all over me. Now, the shadow standing over me was of the worse kind.
“Do I look like I am joking? What is this? I have pleasured you all this while and now, I can’t get some?
“I can give you a blow job. I-I… I am quite good at that.”
“Of course, why won’t you be?”. He was leaning over me, tracing a line from my neck down to my navel.
I shivered, partly from excitement and partly from fear and I berated myself inwardly for feeling excited in any way in the situation I was in.
“But, I want more than that.”
“Baby, please. I am still a virgin…” I had heard somewhere that some guys were wary of forcing themselves on virgins.
“No, Imma, you are not. I would know a virgin vagina any day. Yours, has seen a penis before.”
“Okay, yes, I lied. I am sorry. I just… I just don’t want us to have sex, yet.”
Oh… so, when shall we? When we get married?
I didn’t answer. I was indeed saving myself for marriage. Secondary virgin, as some people call it. I was not sure Jed was even husband material. So, I needed a way out, fast.
“Immaculate, you did not answer. Okay, do you love me?”
I gave a nod. I remembered Dapo’s Yoruba proverb about calling a cow/madman your brother just so he would allow you go.
Surprisingly, Jed leaned back and pulled up his trousers. I took a deep breathe as he left me in the room and walked out. He first went to the kitchen. I know because I heard him open the fridge. Then, he went towards the parlour. I heard him locking the door and panic settled over me again. I hurriedly put on my clothes, grabbing my things and calculating how many steps it was to the back door.
“Sweetheart… leaving already?” He was at the door, dangling the keys to both the front and back doors.
God, if you’d save me from this one, I would listen to Dapo from now on. God please, save me.
He stepped into the room, locking the door behind him. “We can do this two ways; with your cooperation or without it. I would prefer the initial but, it is up to you. Either way, I am banging you today and drowning out the noise, your screams, with loud music. What was that song again?”
My phone was in my right hand, behind my back. I found the speed dial for Ifedapo and called her. I did not know if she was going to pick or even if she knew the way to Jed’s house. I just had to try.
As he grabbed my left hand, I quickly glanced at my phone. Dapo had picked.
“Dapo!!! Ikolaba estate…” I screamed as loudly as I could.
It took Jed some seconds to realize what I was doing. He snatched the phone and switched it off.
As soon as he did, he increased the volume of his stereo. The song I had heard that day, standing in front of his door, came pouring out of two speakers in the parlour in high decibels. I knew it was useless to scream but I still did. He warned me severally to cooperate but I kept hitting him, pinching and kicking. One of my kicks hit his face and I guess that triggered the devil in him.
It was blow upon blow, slaps succeeding slaps and Pink Panther eventually having his way.
As he thrust himself in and out of me, I thought of Folusho.
I broke his legs. I came out with just a scar while he now limps. I should have continued missing him. he was an angel he did not force himself on me.
And as Jed pulled out, ejaculating all over my thighs, a strange face flashed… Joel, looking sad and concerned.
Why do I always end up with the wrong guys?
