Ann2012:
This is serious and heartbreaking

You can say that again.

Uniquechild:
I'm telling you

izaray:
Oh my God, this is really sad but its better than having anemia for a child

True talk, my sister.

Kendrick80:
2 bad for both of them...I guess this is the perfect time 4 oga bayo 2 strike.

I quite agree with you, Kendrick80.

JamesKudooski:


True talk, my sister.

Boss mi give us update na

Episode 22 (Chapter 21)


ALL SIGNS OF LIVELINESS had departed from Rachael and her gloominess was evident in her demeanour. The confused state of her mind was taking a heavy toll on her. Bayo noticed it and walked up to her to find out what was wrong with her. She confided in him and Bayo showed concerned for her. He placated her and tried everything within his power to cheer her up.

“Don’t worry, Rachael. I know what will help. After work, I will take you some place and I know you will feel a lot better after that.” He concluded as he walked back to his cubicle; the customers were already coming in and they needed to be attended to.

Back in his cubicle, Bayo’s lips gave way to a wry smile. The opportunity he had been waiting for just dropped at his feet! It was time to act.

After work, Bayo tidied up his cubicle and called out to Rachael, “Rachael, are you through?”

“Almost done; just rounding up.”

Bayo went over to Rachael’s cubicle and assisted her to round up. He held her hands and cracked jokes that were meant to cheer her up but the jokes lacked the potency to dispel Rachael’s gloomy countenance. Not long after that, Rachael was done and they left the office together.

“Rachael, I quite know how heavy your heart is right now. But you need to be strong and think with a clear mind. Otherwise, before you know it, it will start affecting other areas of your life including your job and you know how delicate our job is. Anybody without a clear and sound mind cannot do this job. So, I need you to be strong, please. I beg of you.” Bayo advised as they walked on the sidewalk of the road leading to Apple Spot Restaurant and Bar simply called Apple Spot.

“I will try to remember that. Thanks a lot, Bayo.”

“Don’t mention. What are we friends for? You will really like where I’m taking you to, believe me.”

In no time, they approached the well-guarded gate of Apple Spot. It was manned by two heavily-built bouncers in black tightly-fitted outfits that revealed their strong muscles, and pairs of dark sunglasses to match. They looked scary to newbies like Rachael but not to the likes of Bayo who were frequent club goers and familiar with several popular nightclubs in Lagos. Talking about popular nightclubs in Lagos, Apple Spot was one of the contenders for the top three positions. It was the rave of the moment and a denizen for the crème de la’ crème of Surulere.

The moment Bayo and Rachael stepped into the bar, they were greeted by the blast of the inviting party grooves from the massive speakers that stood imposingly at a corner of the bar. So heavy was the resonance that it felt as if the ground was shaking to the rhythm of the music underneath their feet. The deejay was at a corner with his face cap facing backwards and the huge speakers of his headphones resting comfortably on his ears. His fingers were scratching masterfully on the wheels of his mixer as he nodded his head in unison to the flow of the beats. It was obvious he enjoyed his job. Different colours of lights flashed and oscillated about the bar and ladies with outrageous makeup and overly revealing cloths were seen at another corner apparently waiting for men that would request their company for the night. The well-arranged tables that played hosts to a wide array of customers were fully loaded with assorted drinks and dishes. Neatly dressed waiters and waitresses with number tags for easy identification moved up and down and from table to table taking and serving orders. At the extreme corner was a live performance by an Afrobeat band spewing out music full of messages that touched the soul. Belly dancers graced the stage shaking their derrières to the elevating songs. The place provided a colourful spectacle that was powerful enough to distract anyone from the greatest of worries.

Rachael was wowed by the sight and feeling of the place that the worries that had drawn caricatures of confusion in her head varnished with immediate alacrity. She allowed herself to be immersed in the fun of the moment and could not thank Bayo enough for taking her to such a place where sorrows were washed away. They both enjoyed themselves and at a point, Bayo took hold of her hand and lead her to the dance floor—for Rachael, it was to dance away her sorrow, while Bayo danced in celebration of his newly found golden opportunity—either way, they both danced heartily.

“Bayo, how did you discover this place?” Rachael asked in the midst of the groove.

“Well, a fun loving guy always locates where the fun is. And if you don’t mind there are still other places I could take you to.”

“Really? That won’t be a bad idea.”

After satisfying themselves, they left and Rachael soon got home. The outing had really helped her forget about her worries but not for long. As she retired to bed, thoughts of Tomiwa and the surrounding complications came back and the gloom returned.

The following morning at work before they opened to customers, Bayo went over to Rachael’s cubicle.

“Hello Angel, how do you feel now?”

“Hi Bayo, not too bad. Thanks for last night.”

“You are welcome. Did it help?”

“Hmmm … yep … it did. But you know that such feelings don’t just disappear like that.”

“I know. Just give it time and it will go. Do you mind if we repeat same today?”

“That will be fine. At least, it helps keep my mind off my worries for some time.”

“After work it shall be then.”

Bayo went back to his cubicle happy that his plan was still working. When he walked up to Rachael earlier he was a bit jittery because he didn’t know what to expect. He had seen cases where after such outings, the lady came back feeling remorseful and wanting to stop further associations of such. Hence, he wasn’t sure of what her reaction would be. Fortunately for him, Rachael was not one of such cases; she wanted more of the fun and that brought him happiness.

The day flew by speedily and in no time it was time to close for the day. Like the previous day, they both headed to Apple Spot. The events of the day were a bit different from the previous day’s. Instead of a live band, what they had was a karaoke session where people were allowed to mime to the beats of some selected songs. There was also a dancing competition. It seemed that the management of Apple Spot had different programme for each day. It was one of their strong selling points. It was also to avoid getting their customers bored with a monotonous set of events. Such was necessary in a highly-competitive industry like theirs. They had to be on top of their game otherwise, they would lose their customers to more innovative ones and there was never a shortage of such aspiring ones. For, Apple Spot, that wasn’t a risk they were willing to take!

Rachael came to like the place more and enjoyed it more than she did the day before. While they were seated enjoying their drinks and pepper soup, Bayo went up stage and collect the microphone to mime to a song. He chose Michael Bolton’s Lean on Me. On collecting the microphone, he announced that he wanted to dedicate the song to a friend who needed someone to lean on at the moment.

“Her name is Rachael Jackson and she’s sitting right there.” He announced pointing at Rachael who quickly cupped her face in her hands. Everyone cheered and applauded. Bayo sang the song so emotionally that it brought tears to her eyes especially when he left the stage to where she sat, placed his hand on her shoulder and sang the chorus as high as his pitch could go. Everyone clapped again and muttered different comments to themselves.

“Oh, how romantic!” a plump woman cried out as she clapped her hands vigorously. She probably thought they were on a date. Words could hardly describe the joy that flowed within Rachael. She enjoyed every bit of the outing. It was soon time for them to leave and on the way home, they continued chatting.

“Bayo, that was a pretty performance. I never knew you could sing that well.”

“Really? Thank you for the compliment. I am actually a member of my church’s choir.”

“Oh, I didn’t see that coming.”

“Well, you now see it. There’s going to be a movie at Ozone Cinemas this Saturday. I’m sure you will love it. I’ve already gotten tickets for two. Will you be available?”

“Are you asking me or telling me, Bayo? You’ve already bought the tickets for the two of us and you are asking if I would be available! To me, that doesn’t sound like asking.”

“Hmmm …”

“Well, Saturday is meant for Tommy. I have to see him.”

“Tommy?” Bayo was surprised.

“Yes, and … what about it?”

“Oh, nothing. I just don’t think it’s a good idea to see him at this time. Rachael, see you have a big and weighty decision to make and you need a clear mind to make it objectively. Seeing Tommy now will only cloud your judgement. If you asked me, I think what you need right now is what will take your mind off him and not to him if you want to clear your head. It’s an advice anyway. It’s up to you to decide.”

“But I still love him, Bayo.”

“Well, like I said, it’s only an advice. I’m not saying you shouldn’t see him.”

The rest of the journey home was marked by a deafening silence. Bayo was disappointed at the turn of events.

Saturday came and Rachael decided to go with Bayo to the cinema instead of seeing Tomiwa as she contemplated earlier.


* * *

Two weekends had passed without Tomiwa seeing Rachael. She also spoke less to him and came up with different lame excuses for her elusiveness. She deliberately missed his calls without ever returning any of them. Whenever she decided to talk to him, it was usually very short and cold, claiming she was tired and had to sleep. It was completely out of tandem with the Rachael he knew and loved dearly! Tomiwa knew something was terribly wrong but didn’t know what it was.

It was Good Friday and Tomiwa thought the four-day Easter break could afford them ample time to discuss and iron out any issues that might have gone wrong. Tomiwa decided to call her.

“Hello Beautiful, good morning. How are you doing?”

“Hello … fine.” She responded with a voice that was as cold as ice.

Tomiwa was taken aback but he continued anyway, “Okay. Are we seeing today?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Okay. What about tomorrow?”

“I can’t say.”

“And Sunday … Monday?”

“Tomiwa, why don’t let’s take things one thing at a time. Today is Friday and you are already asking about Sunday and Monday. You know what? I’ll call you to let you know if I will be available. This break is going to be very busy for me.” She snapped at him.

“Okay. At least can I …” Before he could finish the sentence, she ended the call.

Tomiwa had never been that shocked in his entire life before. His system unleashed a good dose of adrenaline and his heart began pumping like the end of the world had arrived. He couldn’t comprehend the reason behind Rachael’s sudden change of attitude. The way she spoke to him was devoid of any emotion or warmth. She chose her words carefully to ensure that the usual expressions of affection and the different affectionate monikers they called each other by were completely left out. Tomiwa sat down and thought hard. He wanted to remember what he must have done wrong that warranted such treatment from his Rachael but he found nothing. Whatever was wrong must be very serious. This was completely unlike his Rachael! Where did all these come from?

Rachael was someone that literally could not sleep without speaking to Tomiwa each night and was one who never joked with any opportunity to be with him. If at all possible, she would be with him everyday, every minute and every second. She frowned each time he forgot to give her a goodbye kiss at the end of each phone conversation. And here she was saying she wouldn’t be available to see him for four whole days! More so, she could now stay for as much as three days at a stretch without talking to him and she was fine with that. What baffled him the most was the suddenness with which all these started happening!

Something was wrong … yes, seriously wrong!


To be continued...

izaray:
Boss mi give us update na

You now have it, izaray.

JamesKudooski:



You now have it, izaray.

Aww...Thanks plenty

This story is getting more captivating!


Op thanks for the update

Recheal is acting immature. Thanks for the update

Rachael is making a mistake by falling for Bayo's scheme, I pray she realizes it fast b4 she hurts my Tommy

Thanks for the update Sir

Hmmm. Ok oooo. Hands crossed. I knew it - the AS AS thing will cause problem. Rachael should wisen up and wake up from her slumber.
Tommy need to acts fast. I don't want another heartbreak.

James, thanks for the update. God bless.

Tomiwa u know her address yes? Go see her and have a talk for God's sake..

Boss, the update is taking longer than usual o

eventually Rachael has 2 move on...but she should talk 2 tommy tho.I hope bayo his not AS too...Dat Would be crazy

Ann2012:
Rachael is making a mistake by falling for Bayo's scheme, I pray she realizes it fast b4 she hurts my Tommy

Thanks for the update Sir

Amen ooo in Jesus Name!! fireeee!!!.... Rachael is just confused ni jawe

Ann2012:
Rachael is making a mistake by falling for Bayo's scheme, I pray she realizes it fast b4 she hurts my Tommy

Thanks for the update Sir

Abeg let her fall for the scheme oo so that she will regret it later... Shebi her head no wan correct again. By that time, Tommy would've moved on

becca2017:



Amen ooo in Jesus Name!! fireeee!!!.... Rachael is just confused ni jawe

She better wakes up from the confusion

IAmXcessiz:


Abeg let her fall for the scheme oo so that she will regret it later... Shebi her head no wan correct again. By that time, Tommy would've moved on

Abi

Ann2012:


She better wakes up from the confusing

Lol abi ooo..

Even if Rachael have decided to move on it shouldn't be with Bayo because he's just taking advantage of the situation on ground. Kudos to the writer

Uniquechild:
Even if Rachael have decided to move on it shouldn't be with Bayo because he's just taking advantage of the situation on ground. Kudos to the writer

He's grown fond of her nah...beisdes its glaring she can't stay with tomiwa.
In the end she'll have 2 move on and bayo isn't a bad option.

You think so? To me Bayo shouldn't be an option o.

Kendrick80:

He's grown fond of her nah...beisdes its glaring she can't stay with tomiwa.
In the end she'll have 2 move on and bayo isn't a bad option.

Uniquechild:
You think so? To me Bayo shouldn't be an option o.

Why not? They work closely 2geda plus the attraction is there.I'm sure with time she'll be willing 2 play ball.My only concern is i hope bayo isn't AS....that would really freak me out

Rachael should wake up from this slumber nd think wisely o

Thanks for the update sir

aprilwise:
Recheal is acting immature. Thanks for the update

You are welcome, aprilwise.

Ann2012:
Rachael is making a mistake by falling for Bayo's scheme, I pray she realizes it fast b4 she hurts my Tommy

Thanks for the update Sir

Nice advice, Ann2012.

Godwindanielboy:
Hmmm. Ok oooo. Hands crossed. I knew it - the AS AS thing will cause problem. Rachael should wisen up and wake up from her slumber.
Tommy need to acts fast. I don't want another heartbreak.

James, thanks for the update. God bless.

You had your thinking cap on, Godwindanielboy.

excelmerry:
Tomiwa u know her address yes? Go see her and have a talk for God's sake..

Abi oooo, excelmerry.

pacifust058:
Boss, the update is taking longer than usual o

Oh-oh! Sorry, bro.

Updates cooking...

Kendrick80:
eventually Rachael has 2 move on...but she should talk 2 tommy tho.I hope bayo his not AS too...Dat Would be crazy

Ooooooh Jeeeeeeeeez!!!! Bayo too being AS? That will be insane!

Uniquechild:
Even if Rachael have decided to move on it shouldn't be with Bayo because he's just taking advantage of the situation on ground. Kudos to the writer

Hmmmmmmm!