Nairaland pls behave now. I already had a cool bath and grabbed popcorn in anticipation of the update.

First time commenting... You know what i love most about this piece AudreyTimms? Your clever infusion of humor, especially in the Felix part really cracked my ribs. Felix is more like a comic relief for me. Thumbs up girl!

Wats ds nah?pls op,dnt give up ooo

OMG! The Felix part is such a comic relief. Got me rolling on d ground in laughter. Wherever is the toe nail of a chick born blind going to be found? Now to think of d first poo of a frog!
Its me Essydiamond now Essyprity. I miss my friends from 'unfulfilled promises' especially ToriEmanson. Glad to hv u back. There are inadequacies but that's for another day.

Finally it has been resolved. Thanks obinnau. Thanks Jonathan2787 for passing on my message. I hereby declare you thread prefect. Thanks everyone for your concern and patience.

I wish I can just purchase this book right away. But sadly, I'll have to wait. And nairaland isnt helping. Gosh!!!!

Essyprity:
OMG! The Felix part is such a comic relief. Got me rolling on d ground in laughter. Wherever is the toe nail of a chick born blind going to be found? Now to think of d first poo of a frog!
Its me Essydiamond now Essyprity. I miss my friends from 'unfulfilled promises' especially ToriEmanson. Glad to hv u back. There are inadequacies but that's for another day.

Lol. Good to have you here. Missed you too. Please i'm all ears concerning the inadequacies. I learn everyday. Thanks dear.

"Oh, God!" With a hand to her mouth, Fiorella hunched, unaware that her brother was watching her from behind. Her teeth sank into the soft underside of her lower lip and she tasted the sweet tang of her own blood when what she most wanted was Tosin's to keep him from talking.

"Fi," came the soft call behind her. Her head snapped up and she took deep breaths in trying to steady her nerves while staring straight ahead without minding the students who were walking to and fro and wondering why she'd taken the pose of a statue.

"Fi," Gio called again and held her arm. He made to turn her around but she yanked her hand from his.

"What is it?" She pasted fierce eyes on him. He was to blame for everything.

Gio grew alarmed. Fiorella had never ever spoken to him this way before. Was it that time of the month?

"What's going on between you and Tosin?"

"Oh, so you've finally realised I exist. Nkiru no longer around to lick your a**, hmm?" she sarcastically threw at her brother.

"Don't talk to me like that, Fi." Gio's eyes were getting darker.

Fi put her hands on her waist and drew her head back  to look up at him and gave a soundless laugh. "Why shouldn't I talk to you like that? After all, you're just a stranger to me," she slammed back at him with angry emphasis.

Gio raised his hands to shake the nonsense out of his sister but thought against it. He dropped his hands slowly. His teeth were clenched however.

"Don't toy with my friends. You have enough dummies chasing you. Leave my friends out of it," Gio pronounced with care.

"Since you don't own my life, I'll do whatever I want," she responded curtly and tried brushing past him but he held her hand.

In dangerously low tones, he whispered into her ears. "Don't test me, Fiorella."

Tears wet Fi's eyes. She couldn't remember the last time Gio had used her full name. They hadn't had this sibling rivalry in a long while. She really didn't want to fight with him but she was so angry and bitter at him all because of his girlfriend.

A part of her heart cracked and along came the rest, piece by delicate piece. "Why couldn't I make you smile? Why wasn't I the one who brought back the musical sound of your laughter. Why wasn't I the one to soften the contours of your face? Ever since Dano died, I've been trying to be like Mum to you but you've never noticed but she...she..." Tears clogged her vocal cords. Gio dropped his sister's hand slowly.

Gosh! Two female tantrums in one day? How had his life become so dramatic? He brushed her tears away with his fingers, took her hand and led her to his favorite spot with his girlfriend-- the stone benches.

He sat down and made her sit also before putting his arm around her. She placed her head on his shoulder and snuggled closer to his warmth.

He kissed the top of her sweet-smelling artificial hair. "I never asked you to be Mum. You're my sister and I love you that way. I don't need another mother. Mum will always maintain that position in my heart."

Fi sniffed. "I just want us to go back to the way we used to be."

"But that's impossible, Fi. We've lost two members of our family. Things can never be the same again but I'll try my best to make it close."

"All these because of her? Is it any wonder that I'm jealous of her?"

Gio chuckled. "You don't have to be jealous of her, Fi."

"Why? She's just after your money."

"Dad's money you mean. She doesn't know anything about mine. Fi, Luna...I mean, Nkiru is...she's my Luna."

Fi lifted her head to glance at her brother. "Your moon?"

"Yeah."

Gio saw a flash and heard a click behind him but when he turned around, he saw no one. Fi snuggled closer to him and he rested his head on hers. Fi smiled. Just like the good old days. Well, she had something to thank that tramp for. This hadn't happened in years.

**********

Nkiru was still fuming in her room with Hassana trying to calm her down when her Iphone beeped to signify an email had entered her phone. She was so engrossed in moving from one end of the room to the other, muttering insults at her boyfriend, she didn't bother checking it. Hassana sat on her bed, yoga style, smiling. She'd never seen her roommate this angry before. She looked cute in a weird sort of way but dare not tell her so. Nkiru was definitely on a warpath. The hausa girl rose and went for her friend's phone, convinced the message was from an apologetic Gio.

"Does he think I like the fact that everyone calls my boyfriend a jerk? What is so hard in replying a greeting? What?" Nkiru hissed and continued pacing.

Hassana's jaw literally dropped when she saw the contents of the mail. She was about deleting it when Nkiru grabbed the phone forcefully from her hand. Hassana braced herself for an explosion from her friend. To her amazement, Nkiru slowly walked to her bed and sat down heavily on it. She dropped the phone on the tiled ground and used both hands to cover her face.

"It's over," she whispered brokenly.

Hassana picked the phone and looked at the picture again. It was Gio locked in an intimate embrace with an unknown female on one of the stone benches. The picture was captioned, "See your so-called boyfriend. If the cockroach wants to rule over the chicken, then it must hire the fox as a body-guard."

"You can't end your relationship over this. Maybe it's photoshop," Her roommate argued with passion.

Nkiru took her hands away from her face and eyed her friend. Hassana sat beside her and put an arm around her shoulder.

"A picture paints a thousand words," was the silent reply that came out of her Nkiru's trembling lips.

"Oh, please!" Hassana waved a hand of disgust in the air. "Please don't give me that. At least hear him out."

"There's nothing to hear, Hassana. It's over," Nkiru whispered and gazed ahead of her unseeingly.

"You don't know that. Maybe it's his sister. You know Gio isn't a flirt. Give him the benefit of the doubt. Like you always tell me, don't change horses in midstream. Please think about this."

Nkiru got up and paced the room again. She went to the window and looked out of it at the students moving up and down the school.

"I'm not breaking up with him because of the picture."

"Huh? Then why do you want to break up with him. Don't you love him anymore?" Hassana walked up to her. Nkiru turned to stare at her.

"I love him with every fibre of my being but I can't do this anymore." She went to her bed and sat down. Hassana followed her.

"Make sense, Nk. I don't get you." Nkiru fell back on the bed and nearly hit her head on the wall. She sat up again and used her hands to rub her face.

She narrated to her roommate the different but subtle plots by faceless persons to get her and Gio to break up. The secret notes she got from supposed lovers in Gio's presence, to setting her up with guys whenever she was reading or in the computer lab whenever Gio was around. In the two months plus since they declared their love for each other, they'd been over ten attempts to get Gio to break up with her. The recent one was last week when she got a parcel of an exotic perfume and a note for her to meet whoever he was at their secret spot behind the microbiology lab that night. Gio who had been amused by the previous attempts had for an unknown reason been pissed that day. She'd told him continuously that day that she had nothing to do with it. Someone was trying to set her up and now this. This was the last straw.

The heartbroken girl threw her hands up in helpless defeat. "I'm tired. I give up. Whoever is behind this has won. I can't fight it anymore. They can have him."

"Can you hear yourself. You want to give Gio up because of some losers?" Her friend yelled.

"Hassana, I'm tired." Nkiru pushed herself to her feet and went to the window again. "I'm not in his league so society is frowning at our relationship and doing everything possible to end it. Why not end it now than in future when it would be more painful?"

"Is he complaining? You claim to love him yet you can't fight to keep him. Nk, you're not playing with a full deck here." Hassana went to her bed and laid on it. Nkiru moved to face her, her back to the window.

"You don't get it, do you? He's the son of senator. I'm the daughter of a farmer," she growled impatiently.

Hassana shot up on the bed with disbelief on her face. "So? We find love in the strangest of places. Love doesn't care about status or position."

Nkiru slowly shook her head. "You from a wealthy family engaged to a man from a wealthy family also won't get it." She went to her bed to lift her phone and then she sent the same mail to Gio and told him it was over between them.

"He who is destined for power does not have to fight for it. If we are meant to be, we will end up together. If not..." She left the statement hanging and went to the bathroom with the phone and locked herself in. She put on the shower to drown all what Hassana was saying to her from the other side of the door.

Her tear ducts did what they were designed for.

**********

Tosin from his room's window saw Gio walk slowly into the building and braced himself for a beatdown. He'd already made up his mind not to throw a single punch. Earlier on, he'd seen Gio walking down to his favourite spot with his sister. He knew the cat would be let out of the bag then. He cursed himself for his gullibility and stupidity again. He hit his hand against the white wall and turned towards the door from the window. He prayed Gio wouldn't land him in the hospital. Their exam time-table was already out and he had to travel the following day to get materials for his project. They'd just finished their seminar defense.

Gio quietly opened the door. As usual he didn't spare Tosin a glance. He went to his bed and sat down. He placed his elbows on his knees and held his head with his hands.

Tosin was taken aback. This was unexpected. Or was Gio trying to make him lose his guard before throwing the first punch? He swallowed thickly and scratched his head.

He cleared his throat.

"Ahh...emmm...Gio, it's not..." He immediately kept quiet when Gio raised dark eyes to look at him. Tosin involuntarily took a step back. His gaze transferred to the door. He mentally calculated the distance from his stance at the window to the door. Would Gio be able to get to him before he reached the door? He slowly directed his gaze back to his supposed tormentor. Gio's hung head made him rethink his escape. The guy looked more heartbroken than furious. He took a tentative step towards his friend.

"Gio..."

"She dumped me. She chose a week to exams to dump me," Gio muttered and looked up at the ceiling and closed his eyes.

WTH! So he'd almost confessed for nothing. Was this a joke? Nkiru who was crazy about Gio couldn't have dumped him. It definitely wasn't puppy love on her side. Tosin took a step back again. Was this Gio's way of leading him on before giving him a beatdown?

Gio laid on his bed, designer clothes, loafers and all. He brought out his phone and pushed it towards Tosin. Tosin hesitated for a fraction of a second before moving to take the phone. He saw a snapshot of Gio and a girl who was no doubt Fiorella and underneath it a message from Nkiru just below the inscription on the picture from the initial sender.

"I really can't do this anymore. I love you but it's over between us. I don't want to be your girlfriend anymore."

Wow! Because of this innocent looking picture? Something wasn't right here. Gio wasn't a love rat! He stared at his friend who looked as if he'd lost his dog.

"This is too flimsy an excuse to call it quits with you. What really happened?" Tosin took quiet steps to stand beside his friend's bed.

Gio sat up and placed his feet on the tiled floor. He shook his head slowly.

"I really don't know. She was pissed earlier on 'cause I didn't say hi to her so-called friends. That was before that scene at the restaurant. Fi and I went to talk and on my way to her hostel in order for us to kiss and makeup, she sent me this message. I tried calling her to explain myself but she kept rejecting my calls. I have sent her countless messages and emails but she hasn't replied any." Confusion and frustration were etched on his face.

"This is serious." Tosin sat on his bed. He picked up his phone and dialed Nkiru's number but it was switched off. He dialed Hassana's number. She picked and told him Nkiru was in the bathroom and refused coming out for them to talk. Tosin didn't know what to do then. He stared at Gio laid sprawled on his bed like a boneless figure. His heart went out to him. He prayed this wouldn't cause another psychological problem for the guy. He'd moved back to the room after he'd had weighed everything that happened and had realised that Gio really needed him. Staying alone would have pushed him back deeper into his shell. Typical of guys, he'd only apologized and they'd put everything behind them unlike ladies who would have continued beefing till they were grandmothers. Gio had even thanked him for indirectly bringing Nkiru into his life. The set-up, prank and all had been a blessing in disguise.

Da*n! He needed to see Nkiru. She might not realize the fact that she meant the world to his friend. Gio was head over heels in love with her. He would see her before he traveled the following day. He couldn't watch such a match made in heaven go down in flames.

"Hang in there, bro," Tosin comforted his friend.


As usual, Gio was talking to himself.

Audrey... please gimme more oh because you have turned me to oliver twist

"This girl dey plait my armpit hair daadaa o!" Felix exclaimed to his friend and kissed Ivie's picture on his phone's screen. Oghenero who was seated on his rug in front of his television, watching a movie, reached for the remote and lowered the volume of his home theatre system.

He was getting used to his friend's love outbursts. It was still astonishing to him that since Felix started dating Ivie, he hadn't spared another girl a glance. It was Ivie twenty-four hours of the day to Felix. He ate, drank and slept Ivie. At first he'd thought it was a fluke but the more his friend got into the relationship thingy, the more he lost his head over Ivie. There were times he thought that Ivie must have jazzed his friend. Felix went home twice a month now just to see his girlfriend, even though they spoke on the phone for hours every blessed day. Scary was the fact that Felix showered her with gifts. He never went home empty handed. Even scarier was the surprising fact that Felix, after about two months of dating his very first girlfriend, was yet to see her underwear let alone her unclothedness. The guy was so bedazzled that he didn't see it as an issue and was even talking about holding on to her and marrying her after his service year. Utter madness!

"Guy, your high fever don start again abi?" Oghenero asked his friend who was pacing his small room with a grin as wide as the pacific ocean.

"Oghenero, you no go understand. This girl is tight, as in she's complete. Beauty, brains,  good character...just name it." Felix couldn't contain the joy inside of him at discovering all these wonderful qualities in his girlfriend.

"Hmm...you sure say no be mammy water she be?" Oghenero lifted an eyebrow.

Felix who had taken off his thistle-coloured shirt and flung it on his friend's bed to reveal his ghost white singlet paused for a millimeter of a second before bursting into hilarious laughter. He even doubled over.

"Continue laughing, big foo.l. Until you see wetin pass you." Ogheneor hissed and faced his television, stretching forth his hand for the remote before Felix playfully fell on him. Oghenero pushed him away but couldn't help smiling when his friend fell beside him, still laughing.

"I pray make she be mammy water o. Make she come bless me with money make I no ever suffer for future," Felix announced to his friend as he sat up.

Oghenero hissed. "No be all of dem dey come bless o. Some come to ruin. Who knows if you haven't upset one of them in the past."

It was Felix's turn to hiss. "Make she come ruin me na. Wetin I get before? Am I not living at the mercy of my father? Na kill she go kill me? I'm not afraid of death o. I've enjoyed my life thus far. Any how e wan be, make e be."

His friend wasn't placated. "Do not say I didn't warn you. Do her and drop her like a hot plate. To be forewarned is to be forearmed. All these marriage and future plans you have in your mind towards her won't work. You go wake up one day discover say another guy don enter am while you dey form gentleman for corner. No be only you be sharp guy o."

For an answer, Felix looked towards where his friend kept his pots and plates. "Abeg I dey H. Anything dey make I take settle the worms for my belle?"

Oghenero could only shake his head as the tall, dark and handsome guy jumped to his feet and went to open his pots one after the other.

"Guy, why your pots be like say barber barb skincut inside dem? See as dem be like say you just buy dem." Felix threw the smallest pot he held on the rugged floor angrily. A cacophony of sounds was heard as the dropped pot hit the other pots and plates. Just as he was about raining abuses on his friend, he heard a knock on the door. Angela, Oghenero's neighbour, with a sexy bum short and spaghetti top covering her svelte shape, came into the room with a tray covered with a checkered napkin. A shy smile graced her face as she greeted the occupants of the room before placing her goodies beside the seated Oghenero. Without saying a word, she swung her luscious hips to the door and shut it quietly behind her.

"Jungle don mature," Oghenero murmured as he flung the checkered napkin away and opened the deep ceramic plates to peruse its contents. One contained starch, while the other contained banga (palm nuts) soup. He lifted his head and smiled at Felix who was still standing beside the door.

"Shebi you say you dey hungry that time. Go wash hand come," he invited with a wink.

"I dey mad? Even if i first craze. Otomokpor (love potion/jazz) is very real. God forbid make girl turn me to mumu." Felix moved closer to his friend.

Oghenero laughed heartily. "The one wey you dey no pass mumu. Leave matter for Matthais abeg." Oghenero rose and took water from a plastic jug to wash his hand inside a small plastic bowl while Felix folded his hands across his chest, watching his friend in bewilderment. In all the years he'd known Oghenero, he'd never seen him eat a girl's food before. They both maintained that they wouldn't eat from girls after they heard numerous stories of how guys parted with huge sums of money or sold everything they owned just to make the girls happy. He wondered why this particular girl was different.

He thanked God Ivie wasn't like that. A smile brightened his face as he remembered her. He'd thought at first that he would give her a week or two before putting on his deadly charms to get her into his bed but the more he'd communicated with her, the more he'd realized that he actually liked the girl. She was very shy, though she was quite a brilliant girl from his many conversations with her. He did all the talking while she did the listening. He loved the fact that whenever she opened her mouth, something sensible came out unlike the previous girls he'd known who spewed thrash out of their mouths. She wasn't demanding. Even as she didn't have anything since she was still waiting to gain admission into the university and her aunt was just a teacher, she never complained and always hesitated to take things from him. Even her aunt didn't know he'd gotten her the phone she was using. She'd lied to her that it was bought from her savings from the recharge card she sold close to the market everyday to keep body and soul together even though Felix sent her money regularly for her upkeep. Without battling an eyelid, he'd shared his generous monthly allowance from his parents into two and sent her a portion whenever it came. He was that crazy about her.

Two months down the road in his very first relationship, he realized he was in love with her and wasted no time in telling her the precious three little words. Ivie had replied shyly that she loved him too and for the first time since their relationship began, she'd allowed him kiss her on the lips unlike the chaste kisses he placed on her cheek, which she'd grudgingly allowed one month into the relationship. The fact that all he had to make do were little kisses on her lips when his loins were screaming and begging him for fulfillment didn't bother him. He felt like wrapping Ivie in a cocoon, to shelter her from the other side of him, his past and other ravenous guys. She wasn't the type one just took to bed and moved on. She was for keeps. He'd already been hinting to his nosy mother--who'd been asking after the girl who had shot down his eagle--that Ivie might be the one. To his annoyance, his mother had laughed and said till then. She couldn't however deny the fact that she'd seen some changes in her son. Her son who was so boisterous and down-right disrespectful at times was now calm amd listened to whatever she or his father said. She'd pleaded with him to bring her over to the house but he'd refused, saying he would bring her at the rigjt time. He didn't want his mother to think she was like those loose girls he'd brought home in the past.


Ivie was special.

Forgive me for asking for more. I'm so hooked to this story

Modified; And she just gave us more. Can today get any better than this?

"So this girl is gong to come from nowhere to just get the guy we have all been struggling to get? Lies!" Obehi mused as she watched Ivie trying on the things Felix sent to her through Kenneth who'd come home to get some food stuff and other things. The clothes were beautiful and clung to her like a second skin, bringing out her beautiful figure.

Obehi looked around her at the bare room which Ivie called her own. The tattered mattress was on the bare ground while for furnishings, the room could only boast of a very old cupboard, torn curtains and a half-broken mirror hung on the wall. The ceiling was yellow with age and had ugly patches at some places which showed signs that at some point in time, the roof had leaked. The whole place reeked of poverty. The three-bedroom, unplastered, unpainted house built by Ivie's grandfather in his prime had seen better days. Rumour had it that the family was cursed. The number of funerals that had taken place in the family was enough to make an undertaker a millionaire. Ivie, her grandfather and her aunt were the only surviving members of the entire family. Everyone had thought her aunt dead until she resurfaced with her niece in tow some months ago. People had also counted the number of years left for her to live for coming back to live with her father who they believed was the one responsible for the numerous deaths in the family. It was said that he offered his family members as replacement for his life to the god he served, in order to keep him on the earth longer. When the last family member had died, people had thought, now, he would surely die but then Ivie's aunt had foolishly shown up to give him more years on earth with her death and that of Ivie also.

Her thoughts came back to the present as she watched Ivie speaking to Felix on the phone, all smiles and twirling a strand of hair along a forefinger. Envy exploded inside Obehi. After she'd warned the silly gir not to give Felix a listening ear, she'd gone behind her to tell him yes after the playboy had played her like a song. What did Felix see in her anyway? Was it because she was stunning to look at? So stunning to him that he'd broken his rule and started dating. She, Obehi was beautiful too, wasn't she? A black beauty. Was it because her father's wealth showed on her body? Didn't Felix know Ivie was slim because she didn't have much food to eat? Keep Ivie in a house filled with food and watch her become a participant in the show 'Biggest Loser' How can she, Obehi, see good food and allow it pass her by? But, oh, she so wanted Felix as her boyfriend. She would be the envy of all the girls in Ubiaja as they all envied Ivie now. It was unfortunate that it was Ambrose Alli university, Ekpoma that she'd finally gained admission into, not Felix's school which she'd originally intended. But no hope lost. If she played her cards right, Felix could be hers. He was handsome and from a wealthy home. But first things first, she had to lose weight. After trying to catch Felix's eyes several times without success, she'd overheard him telling someone he didn't like girls on the heavy side. Time to change her size eighteen into size twelve, preferably ten. But first she had to go home to eat dinner of fufu (cassava meal) and egusi soup garnished with goat meat, pomo and, stock and smoked fish. Her taste buds salivated. Her last supper.

Ivie watched her friend go and wondered if she was imagining things. There were times when she suspected that Obehi wasn't really happy with her relationship with Felix. Sometimes, she even felt it was more than unhappiness, that jealousy was in the picture as well. Obehi tried to hide it but Ivie knew the difference between her genuine smile and her fake smile. Whenever she was talking to Felix on the phone or talking about him in general, the fake smile would be pasted on her face but when it was on other matters, she would smile genuinely. Her aunt had warned her about her relationship with the girl but since she was the first girl to befriend her, what was she to do? She noticed some girls stopped talking to her ever since she started dating Felix. Where girls that petty these days? He was just a guy for cryimg out loud. Some guy though, her mind corrected her.

She sat down on the tattered bed with the faded bedsheet and held her phone in her hands to stare at Felix's picture for the hundredth time that evening. Love was such a beautiful thing. Who would believe that she who had been locked up in one dead village some few months back would meet and fall in love with the best guy on earth? Now she knew all that had been said about Felix were fabricated stories. Maybe they all saw the attraction between them that very first day and decided to put a halt to them ever being together. Thank God fate had decided otherwise. Was there really another guy like Felix out there? So sweet, so caring, so understanding, so generous, so considerate? How come a womanizer who is rumoured to have slept with half the girls in the village had never asked her to bed, was contended with chaste kisses and respected her heart desire of keeping the marriage bed scared? Girls! They were devious and conniving. The earlier she stayed away from them, the better for her. She would keep an eye on Obehi as well.

When the moon is shining the cripple becomes hungry for a walk.

**********

Angrily flinging her book to the other side of the room, Nkiru put her head on the table. There was no doubt about it. She was going to fail all her exams if she didn't put Gio behind her. But she missed him so so much! Tears burned her lowered eyelids and she fought them back bitterly. She left her reading table and went to the window. She pushed back the curtains and looked outside and prayed for a glimpse of him. She hadn't seen him in a week since their break up. The school authorities maintained that all lectures should stop a week before exams in order to give the students ample time to study and revise all they had been taught. They'd done revision in all their courses two weeks before their exams. Now all they had to do was hit the books. She had written her first paper "System modelling and simulation" the previous day and knew she wouldn't get an A in it. How could she study when she couldn't study with her study partner? She who used to enjoy cracking a book. How could she study when her heart was broken into two? Yesterday was the only time she'd left her room to the exam hall. Hassana brought her meals for her and she got info about what was going on in her department through her phone. She knew the whole school was abuzz about their break up but she didn't care. She hoped they were all happy about it. Hassana had talked her ear sore about going back to Gio but adamantly, she'd refused. There was no hope for them. This was just the first hurdle and they'd failed to cross it. What about his father? What about his family? Would she be accepted by them? Fiorella had already shown her a glimpse of what she would face in their hands. But she loved Gio so much, she wanted to wither the storm just for him but what about her family, they would suffer also. They weren't rich but they had their pride and would feel insulted that she'd been rejected simply because of her status. Oh, how bad her dad would feel! But wasn't she jumping the gun here, trying to put the cart before the horse? Shouldn't she wait to cross the bridge when she got there? Oh, God, she was so confused. Their relationship had been perfect, too bright, too dazzling, like a day in spring which promises sunlight, but ends in weeping rain.

Slow tears brimmed up in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. She swallowed back her sobs in the seething silence. Her heart felt as if it was aching. Her tummy muscles contracted in a sickening spasm of frustration, her slim shoulders hunching as she lost colour. She felt as if a part of her was missing and she was living someone else's life, in the shadow of hers. His smile, his voice, his gait, his beauty, his body, his brilliance, his sexy musky scent, everything about Gio swam into her memory bank.

"I miss you so much, boo," she moaned pitifully and turned away from the window to fall heavily on her bed as sobs racked her slim body.

He who fears the sun will not become chief.

**********

Gio flipped through his answer booklet to make sure he'd answered all the questions correctly. He checked for his name and registration number in front of the booklet and got up. His seat mate looked at him in awe. He walked slowly to the front of the hall where the examiner was seated. The man gave him a queer look when he told him he wanted to submit his booklet. The man glanced at his wristwatch and looked at him in amazement. They'd started the paper about thirty minutes ago and this dude was saying he was through. He smelt foul play. He was about to tell Gio to empty his pockets when the second examiner who'd been going round the hall to check for those cheating walked up to him. He shook his head at him. He was used to Gio being the first to submit from previous exams.

Lifting his bag from among others outside the hall, the young man put it on a shoulder and walked away. He really didn't care if he made only 'Ds' this semester or notnmake the grade. His past grades would cover for him. He didn't even care if he fell from his first class position to third class. He didn't care about anything in this cruel world anymore. The moonlight that chased away his darkness was no longer with him, so he was willing to remain in the darkness forever. He couldn't believe he hadn't seen her in two weeks. Two weeks! Someone he used to be with every day. And those two weeks seemed like two thousand years to him. She'd turned herself into a hermit. Her number was forever switched off. His messages always came back to him undelivered and he was sure she never read his mails. Gosh! He never knew she could be so stubborn and determined. Hassana had done her best but Nkiru had remained adamant that it was best this way despite the fact that she was was deeply affected by the break up. Gio took consolation in the fact that she was miserable also. Hassana said his baby had lost weight and was getting gawky. He cursed the school for putting a ban on opposite sex visiting one another in their hostels. She would have nowhere to hide when he barged into her room.  If only she would give him five minutes of her time. He would tell her he was prepared to take on the world for her sake, to fight the greatest gladiator for her light in the darkness he called a life. He just wanted to hold her again, smell her and believe everything was gonna be alright. Loneliness and frustration was slowly turning into despair.

And that despair drove him to her hostel with the wish of getting just a glimpse of her.


**********

Eyes filled with glee, Jessica watched as Gio sauntered away after watching out for his ex-girlfriend in front of her hostel for some minutes. She felt like breaking into a dance and clapping her hands in euphoria. From her position at the saloon adjacent to the building, she watched Gio till he was out of sight. His sister who was under a dryer and flipping through Vogue magazine didn't see him. Busy bodies who saw him began commenting on how they were unhappy that he and Nkiru were no longer an item. They'd been so perfect for each other. Some felt it was inevitable while some really couldn't hide their satisfaction at the turn of events.

Jessica felt like telling them she'd masterminded the whole split but thought against it. Even though Fi couldn't hear them because she had ear plugs in both ears, she didn't want the losers to relay her statement to her somewhere else. She'd had help in the person of Brenda who had scores to settle with both Gio and Nkiru. Jessica had approached her knowing ever since the shameful incidence with Gio and the rumoured double slap she got from Nkiru, the poor girl had maintained a low profile in the school. Brenda had relished exchanging the love birds' cup of tea filled with sugar to the one filled with salt which would cause them pain and heartbreak.

The evil girl laughed softly. A fight between grasshoppers is a joy to the crow. She hadn't even needed to use her killer plan that would definitely have driven a wedge between them forever. Gio would be hers, come rain, come shine.

What is bad luck for one man is good luck for another.

**********

The whole hall was agog with complains. Gio ignored the buzz and continued solving Maths on his answer booklet. The students in the exam hall were complaining because some minutes ago, the examiners had told them to move places because some students were coming to join them in the hall. Gio didn't give a dam.n if the whole school was coming to join them in the hall. He had just two more sums to solve before leaving. He however raised his head a little just in time to watch two of his classmates exchange question papers. He smiled. He was used to seeing such. He did the same with Tosin sometimes. Tosin however always being the one to demand for answers from him. Then everyone else would get the answers from Tosin because they knew he didn't talk to anyone in the exam hall except his roommate. No one knew however that it was Dano who told him most of his answers. Dano was the genius not him but no one knew that except his late mother. She had caught on that Dano was the genius while Gio was just brilliant.

He had just one more sum to solve before leaving the hall when the other students started trooping in one after the other in a single file after they'd shown their clearance card to the examiner in charge of that. Gio didn't even lift his head as seats were apportioned to them by the examiners sequentially. Dano was telling him the answer to the last question when he suddenly disappeared as someone sat beside him. Gio continued writing what Dano had told him so far when a waft of the person's perfume got to his nostrils. No. 5 de Chanel . He tensed. He did a dramatic turning of his head and came in contact with what he considered the most beautiful eyes in the whole world; hazel eyes.

Nkiru quickly looked away and groaned inwardly. When she'd noticed she'd be placed to sit beside Gio, she'd tried to manipulate it but her course mates noticed and made sure she got her rightful place. How was she going to write this paper with Gio beside her? She sat back and allowed her eyes to waver without been obvious to his answer booklet and then his question paper. Good! He was in number six. The final question. He'd probably be leaving soon after all, he had the reputation of always being first to leave the exam hall. She thanked her stars. However, she was mortified to realise that their table was now the cynosure for all eyes around the hall. Even her course mates kept turning back with idioti.c grins and knowing looks. She ignored them and filled her answer booklet. When her question paper was passed to her, she thanked God inwardly. She'd something to concentrate on instead of her ex-boyfriend who was busy scribbling on his answer booklet without sparing her a glance again. She however cringed when she saw the questions. That sadistic bastar.d! The lecturer for the course 'Ordinary Differential Equation' had told them he'd only bring out questions from tests and assignments but here were questions from his text book. She looked around her at her course mates and noticed some grumbling while some where bringing out chips from their pockets and bras. The examiners were sorting out answer booklets in front of the hall. They however told them to face their work. Nkiru had never had any cause to cheat in an exam before. What had possessed her into agreeing to go into a relationship with Gio? This was why she'd stayed off guys; to focus on her studies. She knew without any doubt that she was going to fall below her 2.1 grade this semester and might have to give up her scholarship. Could her parents afford to pay her fees for an extra year? It was in millions. She grimaced. What was she going to do? She chewed her Bic biro. She looked at the questions again and realized she could attempt two questions from the five they were required to answer.  She cursed herself again for her carelessness. She usually didn't take chances when studying no matter what the lecturer said.

She attempted the two questions and her gaze moved round the hall. It was a pen-chewing and ceiling-staring festival. Her course mates stopped calling her name when she kept telling them she didn't know the rest. One naughty girl even told her to ask Gio. In her woes, she'd totally forgotten he was beside her. She was surprised that he was still there. She moved slightly to look at him and noticed he was murmuring to himself as usual. The crazy trait he had was still with him. She'd once asked him who he always talked to and he'd replied his brother's ghost. She'd taken it for a joke then but had gradually realized that either it was really his brother's ghost or he was the one conjuring up a non-existent ghost.

Gio's course mates who got up to submit gave him a queer look before walking to the front of the hall. This was highly unusual. No one had ever submitted before him in the past. They however smiled when they saw Nkiru beside him. The guy was probably trying to savor his ex-girlfriend's presence. Nkiru didn't even notice them on her biro-chewing expedition. When it was remaining thirty minutes for them to submit, her eyes bulged when Gio passed a question paper to her filled with the third and fourth answers. He got up and made his way to the front of the hall. Nkiru's eyes trailed him till he left the hall. How had he gotten a spare question paper? She gripped the table hard when she saw what he'd written underneath the solutions which blew her away. Wow! He'd just pulled a rabbit out of a hat.

"I'm sorry, Luna. These were all I could solve without Dano's help. I love you."

Nkiru had to take a deep breath and blink rapidly before she could pick up her biro again. Who was she deceiving? She loved Gio to pieces. She really couldn't live without him. She'd been fighting it but she couldn't anymore. She wanted her boo back. She wrote down the answers with quick strokes, blurred Gio's personal message to her with ink from her bic and passed it to her closest course mate who was seated behind her, who had been urging her to pass on what she'd seen Gio pass to her. Standing up, Nkiru rushed to the front of the hall to submit her answer booklet. She didn't bother about the fifth question. Her tests and assignments would cover for her. Worst she could get was a 'C'. Letting the grass grow under her feet concerning Gio would be major foolishness. She rushed out of the hall. It was time to kiss and make up.

Gio ignored Dano who was trying to get his attention as he walked to his hostel. Dano was fond of disappearing these days. He didn't stay with him all the time anymore especially when Nkiru was around.

"Stop ignoring me and talk to me," Dano finally said.

"What's there to talk about, Dano?"

"Gio, you still haven't figured out yet why I disappear whenever your Luna is around, have you?"

"I don't have time for this discussion," Gio murmured.

"You calling her your Luna is very appropriate. She drives away the darkness in your life with her light. Think about that."

Gio chuckled. "So you're my darkness?" Dano didn't laugh but stood in front of him which made Gio stop walking.

"Look at me, Gio. Can't you notice a difference in me?"

Gio wondered why Dano who had been an advocate of him never being made to look crazy was making it look that way by standing in the middle of the road staring at him when to others, he was staring into space. He wanted to say so but noticed something odd about Dano. Dano wasn't glowing like he used to. Infact he...he was fading! Gio's eyes widened. Dano was becoming blurry. When did this happen? How come he hadn't noticed it until now? He knew the answer to the million dollar question. His Luna, his Miss Hazel Eyes; Nkiru Chiwendu.

"Gio," Nkiru rushed out as she tried to catch her breath. She'd been running, in search of Gio.

Gio froze. She moved to stand in front of him, walking directly through his late twin.

"I can't pretend anymore. I can't live without you. If you'll have me, I want to be your girlfriend again. These past weeks have been miserable for me. I want you back. I love you."

A smile moved from the corner of Gio's lips that transformed his usually grim features.

**********


The senator walked out of his state of the art bathroom with a towel tied at his narrow waist. He trudged the oriental carpet to his wardrobe where he brought out a white terry robe and put it on. He removed his towel and carelessly placed it on his reading chair. Drawing out the mahogany chair, he sat heavily on it. From that position, he stared at the beauty on his bed. She had an arm stretched across her head towards the head board and the other hand beneath her cheek. She was the very picture of bliss and contentment while he was chaos and confusion. He didn't want to imagine what his kids would do, especially Gio if they found out the sort of relationship he was in. He sighed. They'd all be back soon on hols. He rose and went to his heavily draped windows. He pushed the drapes aside and stared at his compound.

His room was situated at the northeast end of the house, overlooking a deep lawn near an olympic-size swimming pool and cabana. Tall clipped privacy hedges marked the side boundaries of his compound and extended at the high iron fence. Clumps of palm trees, crepe myrtles, and giant hibiscuses were scattered about the grounds, with a tennis court situated on the far left. In the center of the lawn, a little flag fluttered from a short pole, marking the center of a putting green with short, dense grass that looked as if each blade had been clipped with manicure scissors.

The sun was high in the sky and shining brightly down the swimming pool whose ocean blue water seem to be dancing in rhythm to the rays of the sun. His gardener with his shears was pruning the shrubs. He sighed again. Today of all days, he couldn't get Cecelia off his mind. Cecelia, his warm, loving and carefree late wife. He gripped the drapes hard. She'd been a dream-come-true kind of wife. She'd created the perfect home for him; a loving wife with loving children too. She'd never for once complained about his incessant travels. His late wife had been so understanding. She'd practically raised their kids in his absence to who they were until she died. He couldn't fault her for anything except the way she'd raised Gio. Gio had been sickly as a child and had needed his mother's attention always. That was how they became so close, so close that the other kids, heck, even him had been jealous of their relationship. He felt Cecelia had made a woman of Gio instead of a man. He couldn't blame her though, had he been around instead of chasing political appointments which was his passion, he'd have stayed back and gotten a regular nine to five job to stay with his family. Cecelia, bless her soul, had noticed his passion for such things and had given him free reign. He would never forget the day he told her he was resigning his ministerial position to run for senate. Tears had gathered in her eyes before she'd quickly wiped them away. That was the only time she'd pleaded with him not to chase his political ambition. He hadn't been able to listen to her because his people had specifically asked him to handle their affairs at the federal level. He didn't fail them. He'd placed his career and people above his family. His face tightened. Had he known his wife was dying, he would have listened to her. Just two years into his position, he lost her to lung cancer. A pharmacist, a former minister of health and a senator of the federal republic of Nigeria had lost his wife to lung cancer. His wife who had been asthmatic hadn't even known she was dying until it was too late. She'd hated hospitals having spent a large part of her childhood in it due to the asthma and so never went for check ups until her inhaler stopped working for her and she had had to be rushed to the hospital in his absence. He'd come back home from a conference abroad to meet his wife in a sorry state. He'd wanted to fly her to India, Germany, wherever, to save her life but it had been too late. His wife had died a month after she was diagnosed. It had been fortunate that her twin boys were at home for the holidays from their school in Italy else she would have died without seeing them.



He strolled away from the window and put on his television. His vision blurred when memories of the mourning period flooded his brain. His kids, Giordano, Fiorella and Gaetano had cried in his arms but Giovanni had mourned silently in his room. Giovanni hadn't even been able to stay till the end of her funeral mass. He'd watched from afar as his mother was lowered to mother earth. He had become a walking corpse after then. Alarmed at his emotional state, his father had withdrawn them from their school in Italy to his friend's private university in Imo state. Gio had gradually been getting better until Dano had crashed his car into a pole one rainy night. Gio had started seeing things then and talking to himself. He'd had him flown abroad to various psychiatrists and psychologists but Gio had remained the same. Senator Ekwe would never forget the day he'd gone to visit his son in the hospital in a pychiatric hospital in Maryland, USA and with tears pouring down his eyes, his son had pleaded with him to take him away from there and take him back home because there was nothing wrong with him. With tears in his eyes, his father had signed his release form and had flown his son back to Nigeria but Gio had never remained the same again.



He flipped off the television, dropped the remote on the table and went to sit beside the woman on the bed who was now lying on her stomach. How was he going to tell his children he'd found love again? How was he going to tell them he'd found love again with their late mother's sister?



*To be continued on Wednesday*



Thanking you.

Thanks dearie. You really made my day today

AudreyTimms:
Finally it has been resolved. Thanks obinnau. Thanks Jonathan2787 for passing on my message. I hereby declare you thread prefect. Thanks everyone for your concern and patience.

lol thread prefect ok o make i go cut cane sharp sharp

Hmmm...finally. Okay,I sort of saw felix's and ivie's love happening...Obehi and jessica,i feel like spanking you both with a strong long stick...girls like you are the reason some guys call us all sorts. Fi and Enkay, you both are just drama queens. Gio my crush...you are really a nut job like someone rightly said. Senator!!, Senator!!...of all women, you choose to fall in love with you sister-in-law eekwa,hmmmm. Alright o.
I umm...think I need a Gio in my life **winks**.Thanks a bunch ma'm Audrey for sharing. Kudos

kingphilip:
I'm tempted to get the rest piece to finish devouring it in one piece

She's so so good
AudreyTimms thanks for sharing.. Will surely get the rest though

Yes o enjoying the flow.

wowwwwww,out of my ghosmood finally...my dear u re d bestest..tnx for d update,

When i refreshed and saw the updates i cant help but stop what am doing to read it all and i must say its worth the wait, it gives me joy to see your story turning out the way i expected especially felix the playboy finally falling in love and gio the robot crazy to the point of allowing a heartbreak to punish him that way, it proves my belief that no one has a heart made of stone. And the humour in this update is so interesting especially the place where theres a proverb concerning a cochroach willing to rule a chicken by employing a fox, it really got me laughing hysterically to make my colleagues look at me like am freaking them out. Keep on improving Audrey and tnx for the update

Tnx 4 given us mre dan enuf update 2day

So captivating.....

wow!!! Amazing, simply amazing. you got me smiling, shaking my head, hissing and laughing out loud. good job Ma'am. P:S dis r true thoughts, no flattery intended. I became a sucker for ur work after U.P. Lolz, sighs, time to stop rambling. but I really appreciate ur work. see u Wednesday.

I can't wait for Wednesday

Wow!!! So captivating and thrilling.. I also love that name-AUDREY. Maybe I go name my first daughter Audrey for future.

More ink to ya pen

wow...this is getting more interesting... more ink to your pen Aunty Audrey

I did not know literature section was this interesting till I read Repogirl's story. Someone mentioned U on my forum here in Nairaland and I came looking for you ma Audrey . And found this delight. I am so following you on this one.