Missmossy:
Aww such a beautiful piece, thumbs up.


Babe2sure you are invited to come read.

Okay dearie. I will read it tomorrow.

Babe2sure:


Okay dearie. I will read it tomorrow.

Okay babe.

Missmossy:
Aww such a beautiful piece, thumbs up.


Babe2sure you are invited to come read.

Thanks. Good to know people are reading. Let me post more chapters. Thanks also for calling your friend's attention to the story.

kayo80:


Thanks. Good to know people are reading. Let me post more chapters. Thanks also for calling your friend's attention to the story.

Don't mention. It's an intriguing story. Kudos.

Chapter 24


A passer-by was staring at her as she crossed the street to Dapo’s house. She was thinking; it could be the car, it could be the beauty, it could be anything. Dupe just didn’t want it to be that the man recognized her.

She waited for her brother to catch up with her after she had gone through the gates of Dapo’s house.

“Relax; the shades are doing a great job, I hardly even recognize you.”

“Very funny.”

“But you do look different in an elegant way.”

“Thank you; just be a sweetheart and knock on the door for me. I’m a bit nervous.”

Kole hesitated for a while before obliging. Dupe got a phone call and retreated a few steps away from the door to answer it.

Lola opened the door and stood ‘jaws dropped’ as she stared at the guy in front of her.

“Kole; don’t tell me…”

“Lola. Wow! This is a very funny coincidence.”

“Wait a minute, you two know each other?” Dupe asked as she came from behind.

“Yes.” Kole answered with a shocked smile on his face.

“So you’re Dupe’s brother? That is really…oh, sorry.” She said when she realized that she was keeping them at the door for too long. “You guys should come in.” Lola said and led them in “By the way Dupe, your brother and I went to secondary school together.”

“No kidding; now I understand the shock.”

“Yea! And the funny thing is that I ran into her a couple of months ago, after like ten years, and now I find myself in her house.”

“Thanks to your sister here” She said with a smile. “You guys should have a seat; I’ll go and get Dapo.” Lola added, as she ushered them into the living room. “And by the way, that is Anu.” Anu’s face lit up with a smile, and then a little bow of the head.

“I remember you; of course you didn’t get to meet me the other day at the cinema but I saw you and…whatever, so how are you doing?” Dupe couldn’t complete her sentence because she didn’t know what to refer Dapo as. The little girl was filled with smiles as Dupe sat beside her on the sofa and held her in an embrace.

“And I know you too; you an actress.” Anu said. Kole took a quick look at her. He thought she sounded older than her age.

“Who told you that?” Dupe retorted with a comical look on her face.

“I know; I’ve seen you on TV a bunch of times.”

“Well, from now on, you refer to me as your friend, alright?”

“Okay.” The girl answered, smiling all the time. Dupe looked around the living room; not bad, she thought. All the essentials were available; plasma, DSTV decoder, home theatre system, and good leather furnishing. It would all look better in a duplex, and not a flat, she thought to herself.

“Hey guys; what’s popping?” Dapo said, buttoning his shirt as he approached the living room. Dupe was by the door checking out a painting on the wall when he came in. She playfully nudged him with her shoulder, knocking him off balance.

“Watch it, lady.” He said facing Dupe, before turning his attention to Kole. “So, I guess you have met little Anu here? She’ll be accompanying us on the outing.” He said as he shook Kole.

“No problem with me.” Kole said.

“So where should we head to?” All the while he was talking, Dupe had been poking him in the back with her finger; offended by him not acknowledging her. He turned around and lifted his hands in the air as a sign of exclamation, and then later smiled at her and went over to join Kole on the couch

“I think we should head out to the island and decide from there.” Dapo said.

“Good idea.” Lola boomed as she entered the room, wearing a gown that did little to hide her bulging belly.

“Dapo, do you know that I and Dupe’s brother attended the same secondary school, from back in the day.”

“Tell me she’s kidding.” Dapo said and Kole just shook his head and smiled. “What? Things just keep getting weirder and weirder around me.” Dapo concluded.

“So, have we decided on where to go yet?” Dupe asked, obviously tired of all the re-union going on.

"Let's just hit the island and we'd decide..."

"Maybe we should drive down to the Galleria, and then we can conclude on where to go from there." Dupe suggested; Cutting Dapo off.

The little girl just sat there, her eyes moving from one adult to the other, depending on who was talking at the time. She was thinking of how she just lost the man she had called father all her life, and she got to know that he was not even her real dad.

The adults were still debating on where to go, and she focused her eyes on Dupe. 'Wait till I tell my friends back in school who I spent my weekend with.' she thought.

Chapter 25


It was Sunday morning and Dapo laid in bed all dressed up and ready for church. Lola appeared from the bathroom, naked, apart from a shower cap on her head and a towel hanging from her shoulders, which she used in drying herself as she walked into the room. She headed straight for the dressing table.


Dapo looked at her bulging tummy ‘How many months now? 5? 6?’ He thought and wondered how his wife would be at 8 to 9 months of pregnancy.

Lola playfully threw her towel at him. "Hey! Where is your mind?" Dapo didn't answer her; he just looked at her as she applied cream to her body. He remembered her holding Kole, Dupe's brother's hand and was sympathizing with him after she had heard that his 'wife to be' had left him months to their wedding.
He had never really known anybody from Lola's past and now he felt threatened. The way she laughed and talked about people that only she and Kole knew; how she was so free with him got Dapo feeling jealous.
"You know what? Just go without me. I really don't feel like going anywhere today." Lola said and dropped the comb she had been using on her hair.
"What's the matter?" Dapo asked her, looking concerned. He walked up to where she was sitting and held her in an embrace from behind.
"Nothing, I just don't feel right. You know how pregnant women can get..." she was saying then just stopped and smiled.
"Are you sure you want me to go? I could stay here with you."
"No. Go! Go! You staying here would just make me feel worse. I just need to be alone for a while." she said and Dapo poked his face in front of her to get a pretty look at her, and his eyes showed concern. "It's not you, it is me. Please, just understand." Lola concluded.
"Okay." Dapo said and started living the room
"Wait." Lola said and got up from the dresser. "Drop by Dupe's house and give her this." Lola picked a little purse from the table and walked over to hand it to Dapo. "She must have left it by accident in the car yesterday. Tell her I said hi?"
The pregnancy is really getting to Lola, he thought to himself as he drove. He was at an intersection now, either take a right turn to church or a left to Dupe's house; he took the left.


Maybe it wasn't just the pregnancy; maybe she saw something or someone lately that got her thinking. He looked at his watch; it was 8.45a.m, which was 45minutes before church was supposed to start. The drive from Lola's house and back wouldn't take him more than 30 minutes he thought.

Someone ran up to the gate as he was about to park his car outside Dupe’s house. It was the guard’s son, and he let Dapo in without much questioning. The door to the house was unlocked, so he just let himself in. He heard some humming coming from the kitchen and moved in that direction. He stopped at the dinning section and waited for the person to emerge.
"What? How did you get in here?" Dupe asked, shocked to see Dapo in her home. She was holding a bowl of ice cream, and wearing just a t-shirt, that stopped at her knees.
"Sorry, I should have called; your guard let me in." Dapo took a critical look at Dupe and it was like she was a different person. She had no make-up on, but she had that kind of beauty that was eminent, regardless of make-up. And she kind of looked older to him today, but he didn't know why that was so. Her hair was scattered here and there; for the first time, Dapo saw her as a woman. He noticed her full breast for the first time; her hips were ever so evidently outlined as the lower part of the t-shirt rested on them. There was an uncomfortable silence in the room.
"What? Are you actually checking me out?" Dupe said, with a mischievous smile on her face.
"No." Dapo answered, very composed, but not taking his eyes off her.
"I better go and put something else on." she said and started heading for the stairs.
"Wait, I just came over to give you this." he said and held up her purse. Dupe turned around and her face lit up at the sight of the purse "I hope you have not been looking through that." she said and started running towards Dapo. "Give me that." she tried to snatch it but Dapo raised it a bit higher. "Hey! Stop. Just give it to me."
"Calm down. What's the big deal with the purse anyway?"
"Just let me have It." all the while, Dupe was face to face with Dapo, her body pressed up against his. Then she stopped and looked him straight in the eyes; after a couple of seconds of staring she stood on her toes and was going to kiss him on the mouth, and then deviated and kissed his neck instead. The purse dropped to the fall. Just then, Dupe retreated and picked it up. "That is how you disarm a man." She said with a little sexy cat walk to a corner of the room. She quickly went through the content of her purse. "Are you sure you didn't go through this?"
"Why would I?" Dapo said, with his face to the floor, embarrassed and feeling guilty that he had been thinking of Dupe in ways he shouldn’t have.
He saw her walking towards him from the corner of his eyes, and then she stopped just a few inches from him. She held his face up and kissed him passionately on the mouth. He kissed her back for a while, and then realizing what he was doing, he withdrew.
"Hey! I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that." Dupe said, feeling guilty. She walked back to the corner of the room, like a naughty girl that had done something bad.
There was silence for a while, and Dapo just felt uncomfortable with what had just happened. The message alert from Dapo's phone broke the silence. He read it, and appeared to be taken aback from what he was reading.

"Can I use your phone? I got to make this really important call." he talked liked nothing just happened between them.
"One second." she said and disappeared into the kitchen. She re-appeared a couple of seconds later with a phone in her hand.
"Thanks" he said, and held the phone in his left hand, and his own in his right. He located the number he was going to call, and typed it on hers. His eyes got bigger at what he saw. He looked up at her, and then rubbed sweat off his face, and copied the number from his phone again, thinking maybe he had made a mistake the first time. Then he looked at her again, this time with disdain.
"What?" Dupe exclaimed.
"Why didn't you tell me you knew Kike?"
"What? Who is Kike?"
"I don't get it. We saw her together at the mall..." he stopped himself, looking really confused.
"Who are you talking about?"
"Her number is stored right here on your phone; Mrs Cole." he said as she walked towards him in a fast pace.
"Oh!" she exclaimed, and took her phone from him.
"Oh! What? You've known her all this while?"
"It's not like that."
"While I told you all my problems with her, you knew her all along?"
"Dapo, do you trust me?"
"What are you..." his phone rang and stopped him in mid-sentence. He looked at the screen for a while before picking up. "Hello Kike, I was just about to call you." he said into the phone. He kept quiet as it seemed the person on the other line had a lot to tell him. "Okay, I’ll be there." he said, after about a minute and hung up. He stared at Dupe for a while, and from his eyes, she could tell what was on his mind was more about what he just heard on the phone. He walked out of the house without another word.
"Dapo! Dapo! I have to tell you something." she rushed to the door, but he was already gone. She wanted to chase after him and tell him the truth, but with what she was wearing, her neighbors would just read the wrong meaning to the whole situation.

Chapter 26


Dapo got to the shopping mall that Kike had asked that they meet in less than 10 minutes. She flagged him down as he approach. "Park behind my car, I want you to see something." Dapo's heart skipped a beat. She had told him it was something urgent about his wife, and he wondered what it could be about.

He got out, lost of words from all that had happened so far today. She looked at him for a while, and then turned him to look in the opposite direction. There he saw his lovely wife, Lola, with another man in the front seat of a BENZ 200. And when he looked hard enough, he found out that the man wasn't just any man, but was Dupe's brother, Kole. He couldn't tell if she was laughing or crying. He quickly looked away, because he couldn’t take it anymore.

"You've been neglecting her, now she has a lover. If you had not been running around with that girl, then..."

Dapo's eyes lit up and his expression made her stop herself in mid-sentence. "Yes, about the girl; how come she has your number on her phone?"

"So she has my number on her phone? She must be a fool. Anyway, she came to meet me some time ago..."

"About what?" Dapo barked out; obviously angry that it seemed like the two ladies had been playing him all the while.

"She said she needed to get you away from your wife, and that she needed my help."

"What?”.

"Yes. You probably told her all about me, because I wondered how she got to know about my position in your life."

"No. No." Dapo said and kept shaking his head. He looked towards where Lola was and saw that they were no longer in the Benz. His eyes wondered and saw that they were standing by Lola's space wagon now. A closer look showed him that Lola had been crying.

Kike noticed his divided attention and raised her voice. "She was at my place all the time; begging me and telling me how in love she was."

"And what did you tell her?" Dapo demanded, with a stern look on his face.

"I told her I couldn't help her. At first, I thought she just wanted a fling with you, but she kept persisting."

"And why didn't you tell me?"

"That's very funny." Kike said with a little laugh to go with it. "I kept warning you every chance I got, all you would do was to defend her." she laughed a sinister laugh. "You wouldn't have believed me if I told you. I'm sure you would have thought I had gone crazy or something."

"She looks so innocent and young." Dapo said, with his face to the floor.

"Young? I bet she isn’t as young as she claims to be. So, how old did she say was?"

"That does not really matter right now. I just want to know all she has been up to; every little detail."

"Okay, let me see. She planned for those photographs to be taken."

"Wow!"

"She thought she had my trust, so she told me everything to get my own opinion. I had to make her believe she could trust me, so that I could get more information from her."

"Are you sure of all what you are saying? You wanted my matrimonial home broken as much as you claim she did, so how am I supposed to believe you?"

"I never wanted your home broken; I was just still in love with my lost boyfriend, and...Whatever, I never wanted your home broken, I would never wish that on anybody."

"So, why didn't you come direct and tell me what she was up to?"

"As I said earlier, which I guess you didn’t hear, you wouldn't have believed me. And when I saw the girl was going too far and wanted to inform you, my husband died."

"So she planned with a photographer?"

"Of course; what did you think? We do not have paparazzi here, just writers that live off rumors. And she isn’t even that big a star in the first place; she was just looking for some cheap publicity."

"It just doesn't sound right."

"There you go again. You so much want her side of the story to be true. Do you even love your wife at all?"

"What are you insinuating?"

"Don't kid yourself, you don't sound like a happily married man and you are sure not living like one."

"I got to go; you've started your talk again." Dapo said and headed to his car.

"Wait." Kike said and ran after him. She held his hand and looked into his eyes; her facial expression changed from that of a woman in charge to that of a disturbed woman. "Dapo, this is a sign; a sign that we should get back together. We finally have our second chance. You can't trust anybody around you right now, except me."

"Please." he said and wiggled his arm free. He took a despiteful look at her before entering the car.

"No one of these girls can give you the kind of love that I can give you." she said, leaning on the door of his car. He ignored her and fired up the engine. "I love you; always have, and always will. None of them know you like I do. And we have Anu to cement that love."

"There you go again, always using your bait to get at me. It won’t work. I'll give Anu all my love and care, but that is where it stops. Don't ever dream that I will leave my wife for you." Dapo said and raved up the engine as he drove off.

Chapter 27


Dapo kept driving around town with no direction or destination. He didn't want to go home to his wife because of what he had just seen. What had he seen? He thought to himself. There might just be a logical explanation for it. He wanted there to be an explanation because he loved his wife so much. 'At least I didn't see her kissing a guy' he thought to himself.


His phone rang and he didn't even want to attend to it, because he didn't want to talk to all the people that he felt might want to call him right now; his wife; his old girlfriend; and Dupe. Then as an afterthought, he decided to answer the call. He looked at the caller ID and it was an unfamiliar number.

"Hello?" he said into the phone.

"Hey! Hi? What's up?" The person on the other end said. The voice sounded so familiar, but in the midst of all the drama, he couldn't make himself remember who it was.

"Sorry, who is this?"

"Dapo, you don't recognize my voice? This is really disappointing. Anyway, it’s me.”

“Who?”

“It’s me, Tosin.”

"Hey! Tosin, what's going on? You...hey! Are you in Nigeria?"

"No, I’m not. I just got this line that shows Nigerian numbers on the phone screen of the people I call in Nigeria. Of course I am." Tosin said and laughed.

Tosin had been out of the country for the last 7 years, and Dapo was happy she chose now to return.

"Wow! That's incredible. Boy do I need someone to talk to right now. Where are you?"

"Okay, that is why I called. I wanted to surprise you and pop up at your place, but my plans messed up. So right now, I’m stranded at the airport."

"I'm on Badagry Express-Way; I should be there in like 20 minutes or less."

"You are a life saver; thanks."


Dapo's mood changed; at least he had someone neutral to talk to. He got to the airport in fifteen minutes, parked and hurriedly headed to the arrival terminal. He didn't even think of how he would contact her or how he was going to locate where she was. The phone she used in calling him couldn't have been hers because she just got in.

He saw her as he approached the arrival gates. She had changed a little; complexion, weight, but the face was still the same. Tosin had practically grown up under his care, and seeing her as an adult gave him a funny feeling. She had on jeans and a white t-shirt, and was talking to another lady. She screamed as she saw Dapo.

"Ahhh! Big man; you're looking good." she said and gave him a hug.
"You're not looking bad yourself."
"Yeah, this is Chioma." Tosin introduced the girl she had been talking to. "Chioma and I were in the same work place before I travelled."

"Okay and where was that again? Wait, I think I can remember; you were working with that advert company."

"Yeah. ADFAD."

"So are you still there?" Dapo directed the question to the yellow beauty that had been staring at him.

"No! I left there a long time ago." she said shyly

"It was her phone I used in calling you. I was just lucky to run into her" Tosin said.

"So where are you headed?" Dapo asked the girl as he walked up to pick up Tosin's luggage.

"No problem with me. I'm here with my brothers. I would have given Tosin a lift, but she insisted on seeing you first."

"Okay." Dapo said and turned to Tosin. "You look good; I mean really good."

"Thanks. It's really been a while. So how is your wife? I hope she is cool?"

"Yeah, she's cool."

"Cool, I can't wait to meet her."

"So what brings you to Nigeria on such short notice? Or should I say, no notice at all"

"Well…Bambam's dad is dying; cancer."

"Oh! Sorry about that."

"Poor man; He has less than a month to go; at least according to the doctors."

"So what's up with ba..."

"Bambam."

"What is his real name anyway?"

"Bamidele."

"Okay. Yeah, I remember now."

"Silly you; how could you forget? You where there when I first met him."

"Really?"

Yes. And…Wait, what's with you? There is something wrong."

"Well...Nothing really. So as I was saying, why isn't Bambam here?"

"Oh! He's coming in next week. He couldn't get a leave so soon."

"So you would be staying with us, right?"

"Umm! No. I got to be by his pops side, so I’ll be staying at their family house. The driver was actually meant to pick me up, but there was a mix up. They thought I wouldn't be here till tomorrow."

"Dapo checked his watch, it was 2.30p.m, just then his phone rang. It was his wife; he put the phone on silent mode and kept walking.

"Why didn't you pick that call?"

"It is somebody I don't want to talk to right now. So…do you want to get something to eat?"

"Oh! Yes. Lord, I am starving. I hate eating on planes."

"Okay, we'll get to an eatery real quick." Dapo said and stopped at the rear of his Camry.

"Is this your car? What a coincidence. I drive the same car, but not the same color though."

Dapo loaded the luggage into the trunk and went over to the windshield to remove a hand bill that was on the wiper. He didn't bother to read what was on it before crushing it and throwing it away. Tosin was standing in the middle of the car park drive way, looking around like a tourist. "Something has changed here." she said.

"Yes. The car park used to be on the other side of the road." Dapo pointed at where the car park used to be. "Now get out of the way before that car runs you over.” There was a black Chrysler 300CC driving up. Tosin got off the drive-way and walked to the passengers’ side of the Camry.

The Chrysler came to a sudden halt as it got in front of their car. The driver said something to the person in the passenger’s seat then got out.

Wow, this is breathtakingly beautiful. As a writer too I must commend your work, you are actually very good. The piece is so articulate. Shine on dear

lolaHikmat:
Wow, this is breathtakingly beautiful. As a writer too I must commend your work, you are actually very good. The piece is so articulate. Shine on dear

Thanks.I really appreciate your comment.

Chapter 28


"Hey D!" Dupe said, as she headed towards Dapo.

Dapo looked up as Tosin tapped his arm. "Isn't that that actress?"

"Yes it is." Dapo answered. "I do not need you in my life right now, just go." Dapo said to Dupe and moved to enter his car. She stood in front of him, not saying anything. "Okay, I didn't mean it like that, but after I heard all that you have been up to..."

"Heard what I’ve been up to?"

"Mrs. Cole told me all that you have been doing."

"That lying...wait, did she tell you how she came to me?"

"Don't start; I don't want to hear. Dupe, I got to go."

"Just hear me out."

"No. I don't want to." Dapo said and started getting to his car. She moved up to his door, determined to tell her side of the story. "Just listen to me."

Just as Dapo was about to lose his composure and shout on her, his eyes caught the figure of someone coming out of the car Dupe had been driving, and he stopped. It was an elderly man; surely royalty, with beads hanging from his neck. He called out to Dupe. "What is happening there, Dupe?"

"Sorry dad, I’m just trying to set something right with him." She said, as she hyperventilated.

"Young man, please listen to what she has to say, and let’s be out of here."

Dupe and Dapo locked eyes and Dapo spoke. "Okay, you got two minutes." He said and got out of the car.

"Before I start, do you trust me?"

"Just talk."

"Okay. I didn't tell you I knew Mrs. Cole because I thought it was a woman thing and I had to handle it my own way. I actually got to know her before I knew you. Her husband and my pop used to be members of the same country club and I met her one day at the club." she said and paused to catch her breath.

"I didn't even recognize her when I saw her at the mall, but she called me afterwards and reminded me that we had actually met before." Dupe stopped again, wanting Dapo to sink it in. "Then she called me over to her house; saying she had something important to discuss with me. When I got there, she told me she needed me to mess up your life. She told me all about how you guys used to date and how you ruined her life." A frown appeared on Dapo’s face from Dupe’s last sentence. “Well, that is how she put it.” Dupe said

"So what exactly did she want you to do?" Dapo asked.

"She wanted me to get pregnant for you."

"What?"

"Yes, that is when I kept telling that you had to worry about her. She said she was still in love with you, that she was ready to go to any length to get you back."

"So what happened?"

"I told her I couldn't do any of the things she wanted done. I left there angry, feeling insulted. She actually wanted me to get pregnant, and then abort the baby after the scandal had successfully broken your home."

"Your story sounds so clumsy; I don't know what to believe."

"I'm serious D, she even had some guys follow me around, that's how she got those pictures of me and you, and she’s crazy over you. She even encouraged my brother to try and get your wife away from you."

"What?"

"Yes, she kept coming to our place trying to parley us. And after she found out that my brother used to have a crush on your wife back in high school, she encouraged him to go after her."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes. But, there is a little more to the story, which makes all her actions understandable."


"Dupe we have to go." her father called from the car.

"Just a second Dad." dupe shouted back and faced dapo. "She's schizo."

"What?"

"After she kept persisting on me ruining your life, I did a little digging...I asked people at the Country Club." Dupe was saying and paused for a minute to look in the direction of where her car was. "I found out Mrs. Cole actually suffered from Schizophrenia after she got pregnant for her boyfriend in 1998" Dupe looked up at Dapo waiting for what she had revealed to sink in.

"She had mental issues?"

"Yes. That's the main reason why she never came back all those years."

"Oh my God!"

"She is still on drugs till this day, and she blurs between sanity and insanity anytime she forgets to take them."

"That explains a lot."

"I got to go now." She said and started running towards her car.

"Wait, so what is happening now with my wife and your brother?"

"He is not heartless. He actually made Mrs. Cole believe he was following through with her strategy. But we had a long talk last night after the outing, and we concluded that he was the only one that could make your wife change her mind."

"Change her mind on what?"

"Your wife still believes...She thinks there is really something going on between us. So all she had been doing, getting close to me and all that was all a strategy. So my brother decided to meet her today, alone, so they could talk in private."

"About what?"

"About me and you being just friends, and all Mrs. Coles devices."

"You seem so sincere; so sure." Dapo looked around before pulling her aside. “You kissed me today, remember? What was that about?"

"I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have done that." she said covered her face with her palm. "I don't know why I did it. It won't happen again. Not to bruise your ego or anything, but I didn't feel anything."

"Hmm!"

"I'm glad I got that out of the way." she said with a smile and hit him on the arm playfully. "Now, go and get your wife back and show her all the love and care she deserves."

"Thanks." Dapo said and stood there as she ran off.

"That was an episode back there, I’m still looking for the cameras, where are they hidden?" Tosin said as they got into Dapo's car.

"That's very funny."

"So what's the story?"

"It's a long story."

"It's a long drive; just start at the very beginning."

Chapter 29




"That's one hell of a story. I think I really feel for Kike, probably because she is the only one of your girlfriends that I really got to know. Hell, I don't even know your wife."

"You'll get to meet her soon. I think we should make that this weekend." He said and there was silence the rest of the journey.


People were already outside waiting for Tosin when Dapo dropped her off at her in-law's place.

"What you need to do right now is head on straight to your wife." Tosin said after they got the last box out of Dapo's car.

"Thanks."

"No; thank you! Now, go on home..." she stopped and got close enough to whisper "…make some good loving to her."

Dapo just smiled and got in his car.

"I'll call to see how you are doing, and if you need anything, don't hesitate to call me." Dapo said before firing up the engine.

"You've done enough, just go home." she said and winked at him.


Lola was on a wooden chair outside the house as he entered the compound. She smiled when she saw him. Without a word, she got off the chair and led him into the house.

"I'm sorry I’ve not been as supportive and understanding as I’m meant to be. Maybe it's all this hormones." she said as tears rolled down her eyes. "I love you." she said and he held her in a tight embrace. She sobbed for a while, and Dapo just let her exercise that right.

"I heard the whole story from Dupe's brother; so what do we do now? She's never going to let you go. I think we should re-locate to another country."

"No, we are not running away for any reason. As long as you understand everything now, it will be easier to fend her off."

Dapo spent the rest of the day in-door with his wife and was awoken around 5.00a.m the next day by a familiar voice on the phone.

"Hello?"

"My mom..." the sobbing voice was saying.

"What is wrong with your mom?"

"Uncle D, you need to come over. Please, my mom is very sick."

"Sick? What exactly is wrong?" Dapo said and started getting out of bed. He knew it had to be serious for Anu to have called at this time of the day, but he wanted to sound re-assuring on the phone, so he asked her a few out of the way questions to cool her down.

"Please come; hurry."

"Okay, I’m on my way." He hurried off the bed after the line was disconnected. Lola rolled over with sleepy eyes, wondering what was going on.

"I'm sorry darling, but I have to go this one time. I think there is some sort of emergency at the Cole's."

Lola sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes. "I hope it's not that serious? Just drive carefully." Lola said with sleepy eyes.

"Thanks, I’ll call you when I get there." he kissed her on the fore-head before rushing out.


The Cole's home was so silent when he got there that he wondered if it had been a joke; but he knew Anu couldn't have been pretending. The gate was wide open like a car drove out and there had not been time to close it. He drove in, and still nobody approached him. He got out of his car and walked fast to the main entrance of the house, his heart was beating fast all the while. Kate, the maid was squatted at the corner of the living room as he entered. She got up in a hurry when she saw him.

"Uncle D!" Anu shouted and ran up to Dapo. "I don't want my mother to die." she said, in tears.

"What are you talking about? She's going to be alright." he said, still trying to re-assure her. He searched the maid’s eyes for some answers, and he didn’t like what he saw.

"Madam don go hospital...oga! kai!" she said in broken English and started to cry.

"What happened?" Dapo asked.

"I no know; Jimoh don take am go hospital."

Anu held Dapo so tight like her life depended on that hold. After a while, he noticed that she had fallen asleep, and he carried her as he headed for the stairs. He dropped her off in a room he believed to be hers’. He was heading towards the stairs till he noticed an opened door, and decided to check it out. The first thing that caught his eye was a glass cup on the dressing table. There was a note underneath it; he walked into the room, and picked it up. Kike's hand writing had not changed all this years, so he knew she had written it. Tears rolled down his eyes as he read the content of the note.


To Whom It May Concern, I have taken an overdose of sleeping pills, and would be dead in a matter of minutes. I feel there is no life worth more for me to live. I do not want to live a miserable life which would in turn affect my daughter, Anu.

I know Anu’s father and his wife would take good care of her. And since I would be an obstacle in their lives, I decided to end mine.

P.S

Dapo, I loved you till death.


He lay on her bed for some minutes, and genuine tears rolled down his eyes. In a flash, all the memories he had shared with Kike while in college came back in bits. He sprang up all of a sudden thinking maybe she could still be alive. He ran down the stairs and went in search of the maid.

"Which hospital did they go?" he asked her.

"Saint Michael."

"Saint Michael?" Dapo repeated to confirm, and she nodded.

It was already dawn by the time he drove out of the Cole's mansion.

Chapter 29

Dapo got the bad news from the doctor that she was B.I.D, which meant Brought In Dead. He had to sign some papers because he was the only one close to family that was around. He called the Cole’s lawyer and explained everything to him.


His drive home was dreadful, and it was like he was doing so on auto pilot. His mind was not on the road. He felt what happened was partially his fault and he kept thinking maybe if he had treated her a little less harshly the last time they saw, maybe she would still be alive now.

Lola cried when she heard the news, and it was sincere tears. Even though Kike had been in the way, she would never wish death on anybody.


Anu came to stay with them for the times that the funeral was being planned. Kike's relatives wanted to take her, but the lawyer said the legitimate person to have her should be her biological father. The funeral was delayed a month because her family in the states wanted to be around for it.

………………..




The day Dapo planned to spend with his cousin, Tosin was spent at a new fun centre along the road to Ikorodu. Tosin was all over Anu, and they bounded so quickly.

"So how is the father in-law?" Lola asked Tosin.

"I won’t lie to you, the situation isn't improving."

"Oh!"

"Yeah, it's like we are just waiting for him to die."

"It's that bad?" Dapo cut in.

""Well, he's 79; that is old enough.


Dapo's phone rang and Caller Id read- 'Dupe.' He excused himself to pick it up."Hey! How are you doing?"

"I'm great, D."

"What's that sound...like..."

"I am actually at the Airport."

"At the airport?"

"Yea, I am travelling to the America with my Dad."

"Hmm!" There was silence for a couple of seconds. "For how long will you be away."

"I don't know...maybe 5 years...maybe forever.”

"Interesting." There was silence again."Dapo...I wanted to confess to you before leaving."

There was heavy breathing on the line but neither of them spoke. Dapo looked around and caught Lola staring at him, trying to guess who he was speaking with.

"Dapo..." more heavy breathing. "I...I am ashamed to admit this."

"Look...There is nothing you can tell me that would shock me right now, so just spit it out."

"Okay. I...I kinda stalked you for a while."

"You stalked me?"

"Yeah...I...When I saw you fixing your car on the side of the road, it wasn't a coincidence." She stopped to breathe and continued."I had actually been tailing you."

"Hmm!"

"I tried to control how I felt about you. I tried my best. But when you came to my house the other day, I couldn't hold the feeling anymore."

"Hmm!"

"Yea."

"Umm! The night I slept at your house...The night I was drunk, did anything happen?"

"No. I just...I just stared at you as you slept for most part of the night."

"Umm...What else do you think I need to know?"

"Umm! I didn't do anything crazy, other than stalk you...and probably go through all your Facebook posts." She said and laughed lightly. There was silence again. "I guess this ain't my fairy-tale where I live happily ever after with my prince charming."

"I guess not." Dapo said and looked back at Lola. She was laughing at a joke Tosin cracked."Maybe in another life."

"Yea…maybe in an alternate universe, where all men are single." There was heavy breathing again. "I am going to break this Sim Card after this call."

"So...So you are really leaving the country?"

"Yea...I have been a big fish in a small pond for far too long." More heavy breathing. "Bye, Dapo."

"Bye." Dapo said and the line went dead. He waited a couple of seconds, and then dialed her number; he heard the automated Airtel voice say 'the number you are trying to call has been switched off.' He put his phone in his pocket and turned around. Lola was waving him over to hear something Tosin had said. Dapo smiled as he walked towards his wife.
………………..




2 Months Later, It happened that Kike had willed almost everything she had in Dapo's name. She had inherited all the chief's real estate’s all over the country, so now they were all transferred to Dapo. The lawyer was calling him now to inform on the proceedings of the will, but that was the last thing he wanted to discuss, because he was driving home with a new member of the family. Lola was in the back seat holding the new born baby, and he took quick glances at the baby from time to time. Anu was waiting outside for them as they drove in. She ran over and gave Lola a hug; she probably was so happy to see Lola alive. The little kid had seen so much death in her tender age, that she had become paranoid. While in the house, Anu walked over to Dapo's side and whispered in his ear "is it a boy or a girl?" He answered her and she smiled, staring at the baby court like they had just bought her a new toy. The baby boy stared straight ahead, not focusing his look on anybody."So what would you call him?"

"Oluwakayode."

"That is so long; what does it mean?"

"God has brought joy. And for short, you can call him Kay."

"That's a good name." Anu said and excitement spread all over her face. Dapo thought it would be okay if she stayed home from school today. He was thinking how the baby had brought joy to them all. What an episode the last 6 months had been for him; but this baby had brought joy and sanity back into his life.

"I THANK YOU LORD!!!"
THE END.

That's all folks. Till I (Kayode Odusanya) come your way again, I say, thanks for reading.

I would love if my story is giving a shot at Front Page.

Lala. Seun.

Nice one, full of bittersweet experiences yet overly enthralling. Thumbs up.

This is highly intriguing bro. Hope this is converted to a movie, and for some reason I will like to work with you. Kudos!

Missmossy:
Nice one, full of bittersweet experiences yet overly enthralling. Thumbs up.

Thanks.

tobeetoe:
This is highly intriguing bro. Hope this is converted to a movie, and for some reason I will like to work with you. Kudos!

Thanks. I'll think about converting it into a movie.

It is a very interesting romance triangle story. Thumbs up!

Babe2sure:
It is a very interesting romance triangle story. Thumbs up!

Thanks.

kayo80:


Thanks.

You are welcome.

Wow...its bin a great piece..laughing...crying... Its jst perfect... Thumbs Up dear.

CRaIziee:
Wow...its bin a great piece..laughing...crying... Its jst perfect... Thumbs Up dear.

Thanks.

Thrilling, exciting and beautiful narrative you have here. Good job Mr Kay.

Akposb:
Thrilling, exciting and beautiful narrative you have here. Good job Mr Kay.

Thank you.

thank you so much for this story

elmogaji:
thank you so much for this story

Great piece of writing.

Nice piece..thumbs up man

kaecyy:
Great piece of writing.

Thanks. I just wish it would get pushed to Front Page and I get some exposure.