Intoxicated romance episode 11-20
INTOXICATED ROMANCE.
Episode 11
Steven: Today has been bizarre. I had
woken up thinking about antonia
just like every other day since the day
i met her. I was pondering if
maybe she wasn’t a gold-digger like a
thought. Maybe she was really
drunk like me that night. I had dialed her
number which i collected from her friend who worked here several
times without calling her. What
would i say to her?. The last time we met,
she said she never wanted to see
me again. I knew that She wouldn’t
be so happy about my call. I had forced myself to concentrate on
work until my lawyer called me. I
had asked him to check if antonia had
any claim on the land my dad desperately wants. “what have you found out?”i had
asked without any greetings. I
was anxious to know “miss antonia’s name is on the
land’s deed just like you thought”
he said in his gravely voice. “so, give me legal advice. If i am to
get married to antonia, how much claim would i have on the land?” “legally, you would have no
claims at all sir because that land
was hers before your marriage. It
wouldn’t be marital property” “so there’s no way my marriage to
her would get me her land?” “no, except she willingly gives it
to you or you could make her
sign away her rights to you without
her knowledge” i know she
wouldn’t willingly give the land to me but
would i be able to deceive her like that?. I was still thinking about my
next course of action when my phone rang in my hands. As soon
as i saw antonia’s name, my heart leapt and i became as giddy as a
teenage boy with a crush. That
was when i knew that i couldn’t
deceive her like that and that this feelings i have for her was more
than just attraction. I never expected her to accept my
wedding proposal though. What
could be her reason?. Now that i know that our
marriage wouldn’t get me her
land, there’s no need to get married
right? But when i saw her waiting
for me in the cozy restaurant i chose,
looking so beautiful and innocent in her black maxi dress, i
proposed. Not for her land or for
my father. I just proposed. I didn’t
expect the restaurant to have a romantic feel but it was perfect
with the candles making our
dinner romantic. When she accepted, i
couldn’t help but kiss her. It
started out like an innocent kiss but the
chemistry between us ignited and
i just wanted to taste her more. Our
moment was spoiled when the
media made their entrance though.
Antonia had groaned like she
Didnt want our kiss to end, making me
wonder if she felt the same way i
did. I wonder who called them. After
the media left, antonia and i
agreed to get married next month. She
seems to be in a hurry to get
married. She may have other agendas for this
marriage but i intend to make her
love me before our 1 year ends. I want
to wake up every morning of my
life to her sweet smiling face. I want
to be a part of her family that makes me feel welcome. I just
have to make sure she is not a gold-digger. I still cant fall for
another Jane. When i get to my suite, i call my private investigator
to find out Everything he can on antonia especially about her social
life and the guys she have dated before now. After talking with my
p.i, i turn on the news channel. Nothing interesting is on but then
i see antonia’s fiance on the news. I turn the volume up and i am
shocked to hear that he is dead
and that he had a pregnant wife. Weren’t
they supposed to get married this month?. I cant believe the b-----d
deceived my antonia. Or could it
be that antonia knew he was married
but just wanted money. No, she
looked shocked when she saw him with
the pregnant lady two weeks ago.
The dead fiance doesn’t seem rich
either. Could this be the reason
why antonia changed her mind?. I am
still pondering this when my
phone ring in my hands. Its antonia! “hello” i say trying to make my
voice seem detached when all i
want to cuddle her and console her. “Steven, my parents just saw our
engagement on tv. Everything is
in chaos right now. They say its too
soon” she says “we could try to convince them.
Maybe we should push the
wedding back to two or three months from
now” “no!. I want the wedding now!. I
mean, i want it to be soon” why is she in a hurry? “why do you want it soon?” i ask
because i need to know if this is
about money. “umm. I want it now so that umm.
So i wouldn’t lose my nerve. Yes,
so i won’t change my mind” she
says. She is definitely hiding
something. “then what do we do? How can
we change their mind?” “well, i don’t know. Think of
something” an idea hits me. This is
the perfect opportunity to put my
plans of making her love me, into action. “i am not sure, you would like my
idea” i say nonchalantly “what is it?” “we have to elope. Lets leave the
country. Get married in Paris, maybe. That should convince
them?” i expect her to refuse or
even back out of our marriage. “yes!. Why didn’t i think of that?.
When do we elope?” she asks and
i am stunned. “umm tomorrow morning. But i
want you to pack some
necessities. I’ll pick you at your house in an
hour. Do you have a passport?” “no. I have never travelled out of
the country” “that would delay us a bit but for
now, you’ll live with me before your passport is processed. Can
you do this?” again i expect her to say a resounding no but she
surprise me. “yes, i can. Make sure you park
your car some distance from my
house so you wouldn’t alert my parents.
Call me when you get here and I’ll sneak out” “alright, take care” i say and the
line goes dead.
[12/1, 11:15 PM] +234 706 712 6964: INTOXICATED ROMANCE.
Episode 12
Toni: WOW,we are going to Paris!Okay, i
never expected this turn of event but its perfect.Paris, the city of love
is the perfect place to entice Steven and if we are already
married, my parents would have
no other choice but to trust me and accept
the marriage. Waiting to convince
my parents would have been the best
option but how long would it
take? I want this as soon as possible,
before my pregnancy starts
showing. Steven would be here soon so, i
need to start packing. I bring my
small suitcase down from the top of my
wardrobe and something falls
with it. I bend down and see that its a
bracelet.The goodluck charm i
was given eight years ago in the
hospital when my brother was
admitted.I remember this bracelet for years
after that.The only time i didn’t wear it was during my 2months
coma. When i woke up, the only
thing i remembered for a week was that
boy and this bracelet. He was kind
of my first love. I took this bracelet off
three years ago when kacy and i started courtship. What a waste.
Maybe that’s the reason why such badluck has been following me.
Right now, i need all the luck i can get so i put the bracelet on again
then, i continue with my packing. An hour later, my phone starts
ringing and when i see that its
Steven, i double check that i have
everything I’ll need, then sneak
out of the house. We are now at steven’s suite.
Thankfully, i was able to sneak
out without my parents notice. I
wrote a note telling them that i am eloping and left it on my bed for
them to find tomorrow morning. I don’t want to make them worry
but i have to do this for my baby
and for myself. Steven takes my suitcase inside to
his room and that’s when i realise that we will probably have to
sleep in the same room tonight. I
sit awkwardly on the sofa and wait
for him. He comes out minute later
with his jacket and tie gone and his
sleeves rolled to his elbow, showcasing muscular fore arms.
He looks so good i could eat him.
Wait, where did that thought come
from?. I shake my head at my
thinking. He looks so casual right now and i
don’t think i have seen him in anything other than his suits
except that night that brought us together. The suits fits him
perfectly but kindof make him
seem distant. Right now he looks
comfortable and approachable. “i have good news and bad news,
which do you want to hear
first?”he says as soon as he sits on the
same sofa that i am seated. His
knees brush my legs and i gulp down
air. He looks at me with raised
eyebrows and i clear my suddenly parched
throat. “sorry, wha-t were you saying?” i
ask him and he smiles like he
knows how much he affects me. “i said i have goodnews and
badnews. Which do you want to
hear first?” “oh, the badnews” “ok. I did some research and
found out that we cant get
married in Paris immediately. It would take
too long because they have alot
of legalities for foreigners” oh. I cant
wait “oh,what’s the goodnews?” “i have a better idea. We should
still go to Paris and have a fake wedding. We will dress the part
then take pictures and send to the media here in Nigeria. This way
your parents would think we are married and when they give their
consent, we would get married
the proper way here in Nigeria”he
says “why do you have to come up
with all the good plans?. I should
have thought of that” i say and he
laughs. A full belly laugh with
thinking eyes. His laugh is doing crazy
thing to my heart. Right now, he doesn’t look like a business
tycoon that i cant reach. He looks
so care-free and the fact that i had a
hand in it makes me swell with pride. “i cant help it love, i am an evil
genius”he says after he stops laughing and grin at me
showcasing the dimple on his left
cheek. I really wish i could lick that d--n
tempting dimple. I shake my head again at my x-rated thoughts.
What is happening to me? ‘Steven
is happening to you’my inner mind
says and i laugh. “what’s funny now?” he asks me “oh nothing. When do we leave?” “three days from now. I just need
some of your documents” “wow, that’s fast. I thought it took
weeks or even months” “with money, everything is
possible, love” he says. Wow!.
That’s the second time he’s calling me love.
What’s the reason for his warm attitude towards me?. Maybe he is
just acting. But we are alone so
who is he acting for?. Well, i don’t care.
I love how it makes me feel. Awkward silence descend upon
us after awhile. I wonder what
our sleeping arrangement would be
tonight. Steven clears his throat
then grab the remote and start channel
surfing.He stops at mbc2 and my
eyes bulge when i see the kiss scene
they are on.AWKWARD!. Steven
quickly change the channel and Nat geo
wild comes on showing two
monkeys mating. I start coughing and
stand up as i run away from the
sitting room. “am off to bed!”i say and i hear
him stifling his laughter. I turn and toss in bed for an hour
then i hear the door open,i close my eyes and pretend to be asleep.
I feel Steven get into bed with me. He drags me to him with my back
to his chest and we fall asleep like this.
[12/1, 11:17 PM] +234 706 712 6964: INTOXICATED ROMANCE.
Episode 13
Toni: i wake up the next morning still in
steven’s arms.His left hand is on my waist and my head is now on
his firm chest. He’s so warm. I
press my cheek to his hard chest and
sigh contentedly. Last night, i slept like a baby. Who knew someone
so hard would be so comfortable.
He looks so young and care-free as
he seems. His features are relaxed making him look super
handsome. I use this opportunity
that he is asleep to admire his features. His
chisel jaw, his small-ish nose, his eye lashes. Wow, his eyelashes
are longer than mine. Its that kind that girl’s would give for. My eyes
move to his perfect lips. Lips that has been on me several times.
Oh the man can kiss. I don’t have many experience but i know a
good kissed when i kiss one. ‘He
must have alot of experience with
other ladies’ my subconscious
tells me and i shut down that thought. The
thought of Steven with other
women just makes me red with jealousy.
Wow, now i am even being
possessive. What is Steven doing to me?.I use
my finger and trace his bottom lip. He mumbles in his sleep and i
freeze. Okay, i have to get up and
cook breakfast. Five more minutes
won’t hurt. Get up lazy bones you
have to cook for your man, i chastise
myself. I reluctantly drag my body
out of bed. Steven groans in his sleep
and his hand moves on the bed as
if searching for me. I stand silently
so he wouldn’t wake up. Its still too early. Wait a minute, i look
down at my self. Why am i in my nightie? I don’t remember putting
it on last night. No no no. Steven must have undressed me. I am
normally a light sleeper. How
come i didn’t wake up?. I shake my head
at my self then tip toe to the sitting room. I search the mini-
fridge and i don’t find anything i
can cook with. He must survive only
on the home’s food. I go back
into the room and throw some clothes on.
I have to go to the market and purchase some things i’ll need. I
hurry through the mall beside the hotel and purchase everything i
need. I have to hurry before
Steven wakes up. I am rushing out of the
elevator when i barge into a hard body. My purchases scatter
everywhere. “am so sorry” i say and bend to
gather my pack of groceries. The stranger bends too and helps me. “thank you” i say and stretch my
hands to retrieve my things from
him but he doesn’t give them to me. “let me help you. The bag is torn
so, you cant carry all this on your own and it seems i am going your
way” he says and smiles at me
and a cold shiver runs through my
spine. I don’t know why but the
air just freeze over as soon as i look into
his eyes. This guy just gives me the chills. Its not that he’s ugly.
No, actually he is very goodlooking but there’s
something cold about how he
smiles. I wave my hand at him to indicate that i don’t
want to bother him and his eyes fix on engagement ring. I snap
my hand down and his eyes
narrow. “come on. Let’s get your groceries
off the floor” i just want to get this over and done with so i just
nod and allow him help me. We
pick the groceries we can savour then
we walk towards steven’s room.
As soon as we get to the door, i
stretch my hand to relieve him of
my things but he shakes his head and
motion for me to open the door. I
am about to say something when the
door bursts open and Steven
comes out. “oh my God antonia, where have
you been? You got me worried. I
thought you changed your mind and left
me” he says as he hugs me and
the groceries i am holding. Wow, i
never knew he cared this much. “i am sorry, i just rushed out to get
some groceries. I would have been here sooner but my grocery
bag tore up and i had to gather
them from the floor.Thankfully this man
helped me” i say, pointing to the stranger and that’s when Steven
notices him. The stranger grins crookedly at Steven and his
breath hitch.Steven drags me
behind him. “get inside toni”he grinds out.
Okay, what’s going on, i wonder. I
am being shoved inside by Steven
when the man speaks. “hey brother, you don’t have to
hide her from me”i hear him say
and Steven stiffen and stop but
doesn’t look at him.Brother?. “is this Jane’s replacement?. Wow
brother you are fast. How long as
it been since you broke up with
your fiance?.Two weeks? Three?.
I must say, this one is really stunning
though but why did you have to
give her jane’s ring?” i gasp at this
information and i start to slow
walk away from Steven.what? He had a
fiance?. A tear falls down my eye
and Steven groans.Steven who has
been silent snaps and rushes to
his brother and seize his collar. His
brother doesn’t seem fazed by
this . No, he is actually smiling. “go ahead brother, show her how
violent you can be” he says.
Steven raises his fist to punch him. “stop!”i scream.Steven who’s
seething in anger turns to me and
i shake my head for him to stop. He seems
to be calming down but his face
goes pale as i slump on the ground.He
leaves his brother and rushes to
me. “baby are you okay?.Please let me
explain”i cover my mouth with
my hand as a wave of nausea hits me
and i dash into the suite with
steven behind me..
.
.
To be continued.
[12/1, 11:21 PM] +234 706 712 6964: INTOXICATED ROMANCE.
Episode 14
Steven: “antonia!” i yell and run inside my
suite. I don’t forget to slam the door on James’ face before i
continue my chase. I expect to
find antonia in the room packing her
belongings but i see her sitting on the toilet floor with her face in the
toilet. I rush to her side and help her arrange her hair to her
side to avoid its falling into the toilet. Her body shakes with
violent heave and i pat her back. “go away” antonia says into the
toilet as she tries to bat me away. “I’m sorry” i mumble and she
turns to face me. “you should have tol–” her
sentence is caught short as
another violent heave rakes through her
and she throw up on me. Gah!. “oh my G–” my own sentence is
caught off as i dry heave. I shrug antonia off the toilet sit and puke
my guts out. Why am i vomiting too? I never felt nausea even
when my mother used to vomit
and sometimes excrete on her body.
This is bizarre. My stomach settles
and i sag on the toilet seat. I feel
antonia’s head rest on my back
and i stay still. ” i am sorry, i should have told
you about Jane. She’s no longer important so i didn’t think to
mention her to you” i say without turning to face her. “its fine. I am just your pretend
fiance. You don’t need to explain yourself to me” “ofcourse i do. Because i –” i want
to tell her i love her but the words hang in my throat. “because you what?” she asks
and i quickly change the subject
of discussion. “you must be hungry after all this”
i say “am not” “well i am, let’s get out of here” i
say and stand up then look down at her when she makes no move
to stand up. “well?” i say raising my eyebrows
at her. “i cant feel my legs. Just go, I’ll be
out when my blood starts flowing normally” she says but i
don’t leave her. I bend and carry
her up from the floor. “you don’t have to carry me” she
says but she stays perfectly still in
my arms. “okay” i say and pretend to want
to drop her. She yelps and hook
her hands around my neck and bury
her face in my neck. I laugh then
carry her to my bedroom after flushing
the toilet. When i get to the foot of the bed, i tap her to indicate for
her to let go of my neck. She reluctantly lets go then i hear her
sniff my neck. “did you just sniff me?” i ask
incredulously. I expect her to
deny it but she just grins at me and my
heart beat accelerates. She’s so beautiful. “you smell sooo good” she
drawls and i look at her like she’s
grown horns. She just blushes and i have
this intense need to kiss her but i stop myself. I don’t want to go too
fast. I still don’t know her intentions. We look at each other
for a while and when i see her
eyes go to my lips, i clear my throat. She
blushes again and i groan inwardly. She just radiates
innocence. “you have to let me down now”
she says and i drop her on the
bed. “so what should i order for you
from the kitchen downstairs” i ask
her “i am not really hungry” she says
then her stomach growls and i
burst into laughter. “this is so mortifying” she says
and i stop laughing to see her
eyes brim with tears. “oh baby, what’s up. Why the
tears?” “you’re laughing at me” she sobs,
crying more. She’s like a hormonal pregnant woman, switching
moods in seconds. “sorry love. Hush now” i say as i
sit on the bed beside her and rub her back. After a while, she wipes
her tears with her hand then cup
my right hand in her hands. I look at
our entwined hands then look at
her eyes. “i want garden eggs and
groundnut” she says “you need to eat some
substantial. You must be very
hungry” “but i want garden eggs” she
sobs out again. Chai, what kind of tantrums is this woman
throwing?. Where do i find garden
eggs in this neighborhood. Would the mall
have some?. “okay, I’m going. Stop with the
tears” “thanks” she says and hug me
tightly. After squeezing the air out
of me she finally release me and
gives me a big smile. Okay, this
smile is totally worth the troubles. I
leave her lying on the bed after i dress up in readiness for my
garden eggs hunt. An hour later, after searching for
garden eggs without success, i walk dejected back to my suite
with a bottle of groundnut clutch
in my hand. I hope i can pacify her with
this. I am almost at the hotel when i see a man walking towards me.
He’s carrying a polythene bag
which looks like it contains garden eggs.
I hope its garden egg. Maybe he would agree to sell to me or he
may be able to direct me to where
i can buy. I walk to him with my
fingers crossed. “excuse me sir, is that garden egg
you’re carrying?” “yea, is there is a problem?” he
asks “no sir but there will be if i don’t
get garden eggs for my fiance. She was even crying when i left
her to buy some.” “oh i understand. My wife was
also the one who sent me. It
seems your wife’s pregnancy cravings is
similar to my wife’s” he says
laughing. “it is?” “yea son. Don’t worry I’ll give you
a few of the ones i bought for free. But make sure you stock up
on garden eggs if you don’t want
her to wake you up in the middle of
the night” he says and i don’t
bother to correct him about antonia not
being pregnant. If he’s going to solve my problem, i don’t mind
any misconceptions on his part.
He gives me some garden egg and i
thank him. I rush back to my suite to avoid
more crying and everywhere is
quiet. I call for antonia and when there’s
no reply, i panick. I drop my purchases on the glass table then
dash to check the room and i see antonia sleeping peacefully. I
check my watch and see that its
just quarter to 10. I watch her for a
while before i wake her up. When
she wakes up, she says she already
ate as she ordered food from the reception. I shake my head at her
and she smiles at me. Apparently, she doesn’t need the garden eggs
anymore. What a day!
[12/1, 11:25 PM] +234 706 712 6964: INTOXICATED ROMANCE.
Episode 15
Toni: I cant believe i cried just because
Steven was laughing at me and again, because of food. What must
he think of me now. My mission is supposed to be to get him to love
me but i think i almost chased him away. When he left for a long time
to get me garden egg, i though
he’s left me. Thank God he came back.
While he was gone, there was a
text from his brother. Steven had left
his phone on the bedside table
and when it kept ringing, i checked to
see ‘James’. Not knowing who
James was, i left it but when i heard a
message alert i checked again and
it was James. When i saw the
highlight of the message, i
couldn’t stop myself. I opened it. Wow brother, you’ll go to great
lengths to win me. Btw, Does she
know about your plans or should i tell
her? That message was on my mind for
a while until my dad started
calling. I paced the room thinking of if i
should answer the call or not. He calls for about 6 times before he
sends a message. Come home sweedy. Lets talk this
out. As a daddy’s girl, i already miss
my father but i have to Steel
myself for this. After waiting for Steven
for awhile, i order food from the reception then fall asleep after
eating. I am woken up by Steven
who’s bought the garden eggs i was
craving hours ago. Well, i don’t
want it anymore. I check the wall clock
and i see that’s it almost ten and i know Steven hasn’t eaten. I need
to redeem myself after all i have taken him through today. “am sorry for taking you through
so much today, Steven. I was just craving garden eggs so much, i
couldn’t help it” “craving?” he asks and look at me
thoughtfully. “yea. Anyways let me cook for
you” “don’t bother your self, I’ll just
order from downstairs” “its past breakfast time. There may
not be any food left and i want to cook for you. So just let
me.okay?”i ask and pout my lips
at him “alright. I agree before you start
crying like a pregnant woman” he says and his eyes go to my
stomach for a second. I place my
hand on my still flat tummy. “i am not pregnant!” “i didn’t say you are. I only said
you cry like a pregnant woman” “ok, whatever. I’m off to the
kitchen” i say and dash off. This
talks of pregnancy isn’t good for my
nerves. He is not supposed to
know yet. I still don’t know what his
reaction would be if he finds out. I
think he is beginning to warm up to me
though. I enter the kitchen which is like
every chef’s dream with all the machines and stuff and prep
everything I’ll need for a fast
brunch. I lift my head from my task when i
see Steven walk in. “need help?” he asks and props
himself on the high stool by the
counter. “how good are you at cutting?” i
ask with a smirk. I expect him to
say ‘no good’ but he gets off the stool
and goes to the cupboard to retrieve a knife. He flips the knife
in the air and catches it with a flair then walk to my side. “I’m super good. What should i
cut?” he asks me. After picking my
jaws from the ground, i assign him to
tomatoes and pepper slicing
duties. I’m making fried plantain and
eggsauce.As i fry the plantain, i
watch Steven dice the tomatoes and
pepper with a chef’s precision. “wow, where did you learn that?
It took me a year to be that
good”l ask him. “i developed a crush on cooking
while taking care of my mom
when i was younger”he says grinning at me. “you cooked for your mother?
Wow, that’s so sweet” “well she was sick so i had to” he
says and i see sadness in his eyes. “was?. Is she okay now?. I’ll love
to meet her” i say. “well, you cant” he says and my
face falls “i understand. Who would want
his fake fiance to meet his
mother”i say “that’s not what i meant. I mean-”
he says, rubbing his forehead and
i cut him off. “oh, the plantain needs my
attention now” i say with fake
cheerfulness and hurry to the frying pan. I flip
the plantains as i close my eyes to hold my tears at bay. “ow!” i scream as the hot
groundnut spray on me. Steven is
by my side in seconds and he drags me to the
sink immediately. He turns on the tap and places my hand under. He
lifts my hand up again and brings
it to his lips as he blows on my
fingers. “i am okay” i say and try to
retrieve my hand but he doesn’t
let go. I look at him and see that his eyes
are fixed on my bracelet. Does he think its weird?. I know it looks a
bit old. I use my other hand to cover the bracelet and his eyes
goes to mine. “what’s this?” he asks, pointing to
my wrist. “its my lucky charm”i say and i
feel him stiffen. “i know its old and weird but it
was kindof a gift”i say and
retrieve my hand. “a gift from who?” he asks. I don’t
want to tell him, i got it from a strange boy eight years ago. That
would make me seem weird. “a guy i met somewhere” i say “by
the way, your brother kept
calling. You should go call him back. I’ll
take care of the rest cooking” i continue just to change the
subject. “I don’t need to call him back.
And he’s not my brother, he’s just
my father’s son” he says and i crease
my forehead. Well, atleast i diverted his attention from my
bracelet. We don’t talk for the rest
of the time we cook. After cooking, i
set the table for two. “i thought you said you’ve
eaten?”he asks “well, i am a little hungry now”i
say and move to the fridge to get water. As i open it, the smell of the
meat i bought this morning hits my nose and i feel my belly turn.
Not again. “um excuse me” i say and dash to
the toilet to gag. I come back to
see Steven has finished setting the
table for me. “you should go for a check-up”he
says “i don’t need a check-up, i am
fine” i say “then what’s with the vomiting?” “um. Its the flu. I’ll be fine” i say
and sit on a chair. “i love eggs” i mumble as i shove
a spoonful in my mouth. This food needs more seasoning but i stay
put. “wow, this is delicious” Steven
says as he swallows down the
whole meal and i blush. The rest of the
day is taken up by packing as we
are leaving for Paris tomorrow. We
ordered pizza which we eat as we
pack. By the time we are done, its
already 10pm and we crawl to
bed together and without thinking, we spoon.
[12/1, 11:27 PM] +234 706 712 6964: INTOXICATED ROMANCE.
Episode 16
Narrator:
Cynthia groans as her ringing
phone wakes her up. She stretch
her hands to the night stand and
hit ignore. The phone stops
ringing and she sigh contentedly as she burrow into her pillow. The
phone starts ringing again and
she reluctantly sit up, cursing
whoever is on the other end of
the line.
“hello” she grumble. “why are you so useless?. You
cant even answer your phone.” all
thought of sleep fly out of
cynthia’s head as soon as she
hears the cold voice.
“i was sleeping. Isn’t it too early to be awake”
“why didn’t you tell me about
your friend’s new engagement”
the voice asks
“what new engagement?
“you see your stupidity. Isn’t she supposed to be your best friend?”
“yes but i don’t feel right about all
this Amy more. Why cant we just
get married. I don’t need money, i
need you”
“well, i need money and i cant get it until i get that land from antonia
so if you don’t want to end up like
your friend kacy, you will pack
your bags and be at the airport in
20minutes”
“but where are we going?” “we are going to Paris, baby” he
says and the line goes dead. ***********************
Steven:
The sun coming through the
blinds wakes me up and i raise my
hand to shield my eyes. Antonia
moans beside me and move closer to me. Being here with her
is like heaven to me but we have
to get ready for our flight to lagos
where we take another flight to
Paris. This would be fun. I already
have our five-days trip planned and by the end, i would propose
to her for real. I can feel that she
wants me too. After seeing my
bracelet on her hand yesterday, i
called my private investigator and
asked him to get hospital records of antonia for me. I need to know
if she’s the one. My soulmate. I
have thought of that teenage girl
who risked her life for my mother.
And if it turns out that antonia is
her, i would be so happy. The bracelet is just too identical for it
to be a coincidence. Its even tied
at the same place i tied it eight
years ago when it broke. If it
turns out she isn’t the girl i have
been looking for, it still wouldn’t matter. I love her and that’s what
matters. My private investigator
also informed me of the fact that
apart from kacy, the dead fiance,
antonia hasn’t dated any other
guy. According to him, she’s a conservative girl who doesn’t
even attend parties. This news
elated my heart. It means antonia
isn’t a gold-digger. I just wonder
why she got drunk if she really is
conservative. Okay enough reminiscing. I have to wake
antonia.
“hey” i whisper and tap her
shoulders but she just mumbled
something sleepily.
“wake up love” i whisper in her ears but she still doesn’t wake up.
I drag away my arm that’s under
her head and she follows the
hand. This is hilarious. She is such
a deep sleeper. Antonia is
currently lying on her back with her legs slayed wide. I bring my
face closer to her and i hear her
sigh my name. This makes my
heart leap. She must be dreaming
about me and by the expression
on her face, its definitely a good dream. She sighs my name And
her lips poker up as if in a kiss.
Wait a minute, is she dreaming
about me, kissing, her?. Her
pokered lips moves as if
searching for my lips. I look at her face to make sure she’s still asleep
then i bring my lips closer to hers.
I am about to kiss her when my
phone starts screaming ‘its time to
wake up, the time is 6:30am”. The
noise wakes antonia and her eyes pop open with me still above her,
our lips almost touching. She
jumps off the bed too fast and our
head collide.
“ouch! What’s in that head of
yours? It feels like a big hammer just hit my head” i say and pout
playfully.
“That’s good. I hope it hurts more.
What were you trying to do you
pervert?” she screeche at me.
“oh so i am the pervert? Atleast i wasn’t the one dreaming about
kissing an innocent victim” i huff
and place my hands on my waist.
“what? You wish! That’s
preposterous. Thinking about
kissing you is just disgusting. I have endured it once and i don’t
want a repeat even in the dream”
she fire at me. Ok, ouch! That hurt
my ego.
“oh really?” i stalk towards her
and she stands her ground. Brave girl. As soon as i get to her, i
snake my hand around her waist
and pull her tightly to me.
“so, you think this is disgusting?” i
ask and she nod her pretty head
slowly while looking at my lips. Disgusting my foot!. I look at her
lips and she suck her bottom lip
into her mouth. I wish i could do
that for her. I use my finger to pull
her bottom lip out then i caress it.
Antonia gasp then she step on my foot hard.
“ow!”
“that’s what you get for thinking
of doing disgusting things”she
says and she flicks at little tongue
at me. I run after her and we run around the house until antonia
slumps on the floor breathing real
hard. I laugh at her and tickle her
feet till she almost pee her pants.
An hour later and we are already
at osubi airport. We board after about ten minutes of waiting.we
sit side by side with me by the
window.
“i am so nervous” antonia says
beside me and i look at her to see
her sweating. “are you okay?”
“what if we crash?”
“calm down. We won’t”
“how are you sure?”
“well, i don’t know”. The plane
starts moving and antonia shreaks.
“why don’t you have alcohol to
calm your nerves”
“i don’t drink”
“so you have never had alcohol in
your life?” “no”
“but i thought you said you were
drunk that night w-e, we did that”
“umm i think someone spiked my
drink”
“what? How? Have the person be caught? Where did it happen?”
“at the hotel. It was my birthday
and no, he hasn’t be caught”
“did you report this?”
“no”
“why the hell not!”i scream. Why would someone want to drug her.
Something worse could have
happened to her. I have to find
the b-----d who did this.
“what’s done is done Steven. I
don’t want people to know about it.
“don’t worry. I’ll take care of it”
“what would you do?”
“your pretty mind wouldn’t want
to know” i say and antonia goes
quiet. The rest of the flight was uneventful except during landing
when i had to sing for antonia to
get her to stop screaming. She
was too surprised at my singing. I
do have a nice voice. It always
calmed my mom when I sing and it does the same to Antonia. As
soon as we get to Lagos, we
board another plane to Paris and
again, I sing during take off and
landing. After we alight from the
plane, we are greeted by the people I hired to take us to a
bridal shop. We have to purchase
Antonia’s gown and my tuxedo
[12/1, 11:28 PM] +234 706 712 6964: INTOXICATED ROMANCE.
Episode 17
Toni: Oh my God. We are finally in Paris.
I thought the 15 hours flight was never going to end. The only plus
side of our flight was listening to Steven sing. It was just amazing.
As soon as we land, i see a group
of nigerian people with a card
saying ‘steven and company” on
it. Steven takes my hand and we walk to
them. “welcome sir, madam” one of
them says and shake our hands. “is everything ready?” Steven
asks. “yes sir, your hotel room has been
booked and you have an
appointment with the bridal shop’s manager by
4pm.” “okay good. We’ll just head to the
hotel for a nap.”Steven says as we walk out of the airport. The
welcome party leaves us after
showing us the car they hired for us. Steven
opens my door and i slip in while grinning. “what’s the big smile for?” he
inquires “i can see the city of love is
already affecting you” i tease him
and he laughs. “you should be grateful. Do you
know how many people want to
be in your shoes right now?” he teases
me back “oh. Really?. Then forgive me for
being an ingrate” “you are forgiven madamoiselle”
he says then lift my hands and
brush my knuckles with his lips. I gasp
like a fish on land and he raises his head and wink at me. I blush
and cover my face with my head. I hear steven’s laughter before he
moves to his side of the car and start the engine. We drive for
about 20 minutes during which
my eyes are glued to the car window as i
watched the beautiful scenery
pass with open-mouthed awe. Steven
just remain silent beside me. He
has been like this ever since the call
from his father some minutes ago. “how can you not be fascinated
by this?” i ask him as he comes to
open my door. “i am fascinated” “well it doesn’t show. You have
been quiet ever since you talked
to your father on the way here. Is
everything okay?” “yea, come on lets go in. I am
famished”he says and give me a
small smile. “okay” i alight the car and we
walk into the hotel(which is just
too beautiful to describe). Steven
guides me with his hands on the
small of my back, to the reception to get
our key card. His pinkie finger caress the top swell of my a-s and
i look up to see his eyes twinkling with mischief. I don’t stop him
though, i just place my hand on
the small of his back. He raises his eye
brow at me and i smile sweetly as i move my hand slowly to his left
a-s cheek and squeeze. His eyes bulge and he gets into a coughing
fit while i giggle. A beautiful black woman walks to us in
concern. “are you okay monsieur?” she
has a French accent. “oh, I’m fine. Thank you” Steven
lifts his head up and smile at her and i hear her gasp. Why does my
man has that effect on women?. I watch as the woman’s face light
up as she extends her hand to
Steven. “I’m Beatrice, by the way”she says
not even paying me any attention. Since when did i become miss
invincible?. Steven is about to
shake her but i extend my hand instead. “hi, Beatrice, i am the wife” i say
and shake her hand firmly while smiling at her. I hear Steven laugh
behind me and i elbow hisib “we have an honey moon to get
to so, run along now, b---h” i say
the ‘b---h’ silently but Steven hears
me. Beatrice slip her hand into purse and hand Steven her card. “call me when you want someone
classy” she says and walk away
with her voluptuous a-s swinging like no
man’s business. “did she just imply that i am
classless?” i start going after her
but Steven grabs my waist. “we just got here so please don’t
get us thrown in prison, love” i remain still then pout. “wow!” Steven says laughing “what?” “she’s the bridal shop manager
we’re supposed to meet by 4” he
answers “well, I’m not going” i huff and
walk away. Steven collects our
key card and runs after me. He opens
the door and i storm to the first room i see and slump on the bed.
I hear steven’s footsteps
approaching but then i hear his phone ring. My
eyes goes heavy as i doze off. I open my eyes when i feel
someone kiss my hair. Steven is
lying behind me with his hand on my
stomach. I rest my head on his
shoulder and relax into him.. “good morning” he says into my
ear and i jump off the bed. “good morning?!. I slept for a full
day?. Why did you wake me?” i
cry. “calm down baby. I am just
kidding. Its just 2:30pm. You were
sleeping like a log while snoring pigfully”
he says and i raise my eye brows
at him. “pigfully?”i ask and he laughs and
i shake my head at him. My
stomach growls and we both laugh. “even after the food you
consumed on the plane, you are
hungry again. Its like you’re eating for someone
else too”he tease and i laugh at the truth of his words. “well go take a shower so we can
go find something to eat before
we go to the bridal shop. We need to get
ready for the wedding tomorrow” “alright” some minutes later, we’re on the
street of Paris, holding hands
while we purchase street food from
vendors. Steven looks awkward
in these little stores but he seems to be
enduring for me. “come on, taste it” i whine at him.
I have been trying to get him to eat a delicious treat on the street
but he won’t bulge. “it could be infected with germs”
he says and i laugh at him. “whatever, your loss.”i say and
stick my tongue out at him. “Votre femme est belle(your wife
is beautiful)” the vendor says. “oui, elle est la plus belle femme
Que je connaisse. Et je Jaime tellement” Steven replies and
smile at me. “okay, what did you just tell her?”i
ask him “she said you have a big appetite
and i said she has no idea seeing
as you cried just because of food the
previous day” he laughs and i
glare at him. “you told her that?!” he continues
laughing and i storm off angrily. My anger increases when we get
to the bridal shop and i see miss Beatrice. She fawns around Steven
but when Steven sees my
expression he shuts her down. “can you please do your job and
get my bride a gown as beautiful
as she is?” he says and i smile. We
spend two hours there before i
find a perfect gown. Its simple and
beautiful. The gown is packaged
for me and i hide it from Steven. Steven
pouts but let it go. as soon as we get home, we crawl into bed
together too tired.
[12/1, 11:30 PM] +234 706 712 6964: INTOXICATED ROMANCE.
Episode 18
Steven: This is it! I am getting married
today. Ok not really getting
married but today’s very important to me.
Today, i profess my love to
antonia. I’ll also tell her about my previous
scheme to own her land. I want to remove all the fake between us
and make everything real. I can
feel it in my guts that she feels
something for me but i am so
d--n nervous about how she’ll feel if she know
about my scheme. I am afraid,
she’ll leave me but i cant continue lying
to her. I’ll fight for her till my last breathe. I also suspect that
she’s pregnant. After last night’s fiasco, i cant continue denying it.
Antonia woke me by 1:00am this morning crying for ice-cream. I
tried to persuade her to wait till
the sun rose but she just cried more. I
had to drag my jet-lagged body
off the bed and take her out to look
for ice-cream. It had turned into a date. After buying ice-cream from
24-hours mall, we walked hand in hand to the eifel tower and
boarded the elevator which took
us to the top floor. The view up there was
so breathtaking. I saw antonia’s
eyes twinkling in wonder and i was so
d--n proud to have been the one
that made her that happy. I still
remember how she felt resting on
my chest with my arms caressing her
stomach. I hope my suspicions
are correct and antonia married me because
she is pregnant with our child.
This would make me so happy. I can
already imagine how handsome
or pretty our child would be. I hope He/she
takes after their mother. We’re supposed to be at the
church i rented for the afternoon
in about three hours. Antonia is still
sleeping and i don’t wake her up. My phone pings and i sigh. I
know it’s surely my father. He has
been Congratulating me for supposedly
doing the right thing by marrying antonia so i can get the land for
him. He sent me five texts yesterday, all of them
commending me for being like
him. He has no idea that i intend to protect the
land from him. The phone pings
again and i reluctantly pick it up. Just
like i thought, there’s a text from my dad but there’s also a text
from my private investigator. I
click on the message. According to my research, Eight
years ago antonia was in a coma
for months after she was hit by a
truck while trying to save a
woman of about 40 years. I have emailed
the records to you. My heart leap as i read the
message over and over again. I
knew it! Yes! Yes! Yes!. I am so excited
right now. I don’t think i can wait till this afternoon for the wedding,
to profess my feelings. I feel like my heart is going to burst out
with excess excitement and love for antonia. I have to do it now!.I
jump into the bathroom for a shower and i even whistle while
showering. After i finish getting ready, i tap antonia and
thankfully, she wakes up. “why are you dressed so early?”
she asks then yawn and i grin at
her. “i have to show you something.
Come on, go get ready” “what about the wedding?” “we will be back in an hour
max.”i say and when she takes
alot of time to stand up, i pick her off the bed
and carry her on my shoulders carefully to avoid hurting our
baby. Just incase. She squeals out
of surprise and her hands land on
my a-s. “what do you think you’re
doing?” i ask her as i start walking
to the bathroom. “I’m holding on to you, so i won’t
fall”she answers giggling. “you just love my a-s, don’t you?” “i cant help it” she punctuates this
with a squeeze of my a-s and i laugh so hard. I so want this for
the rest of my life. ************************ Toni: “where are we going?” i ask
Steven for the seventh time since
we left the hotel. We have been driving
for awhile. “be patient, we will be there
soon” he says then take my hand
in his and place it on his lap as he
drives. These past few days have
been the best days of my life. I think
Steven cares about me now and i
hope he accepts our baby when i tell
him about it today. I snap out of
my thoughts when i feel Steven kiss
my knuckles. He seems so
excited. I wonder why. I hope its because
of our wedding and i hope that
my suspicion is right that he has fallen
for me. I hope today goes well,for me and my child’s sake.
My hand goes to my stomach at
this thought and i caress it. “antonia” Steven says and i turn
to face him. “are you okay? Or is there
something you have to tell
me?”he says and his eyes momentarily goes to my
stomach. My eyes bulge. Does he
know? Well, this is my opportunity. I have
to tell him now. I clear my throat and turn my body to face
him. “Steven, i am um” “you’re what?” “um I’m–” my phone rings in my
hand, interrupting me. “hello” i say as i answer. “you can’t get married to Steven.”
the voice says and the line goes dead. I frown at my phone. The
voice was muffled like something, probably a cloth was used to
disguise the voice but it seems like
a woman’s voice. “are you okay?” Steven asks “yes, i am” “good, because we are here” he
says and jumps out of the car
excitedly to open the door for me. I slip out
of the car and my eyes crinkle at the sight before me. “what’s this?” i ask as i walk
towards the wall in front of me, covered with writings in different
languages. “this is the wall of love. You see
this writings, they all mean i love you in different languages” he
says and i swallow forcefully.
Where is he going with this?. Steven moves
closer to me until his chest is pressed to my back, his hands on
my stomach. “there was this girl i met eight
years ago at a hospital, we
bonded for just the few minutes we talked.
I even gave her my bracelet for luck and for years i couldn’t stop
thinking about this girl. Few
weeks ago, i met this girl and she makes
my heart leap. She makes me
smiles and i want her to be mine forever.
You see these red dots scattered across this wall, it signifies my
broken heart and i hope you can
put them back together” my eyes
cloud with tears as he speaks.
Could this be true?. Is he the little boy i have
been crushing on for years?. Wow! I cant believe, i am in love
with the adult version of my
teenage crush. I look at him and whisper
his name. “Steven”He smiles at me and I on
his knees. “I love you so much antonia. And
i’ll say it in as much languages that I can. Te amo,saranghae, to amo,
se agapo,mahal kita, and since we
are in Paris,je t’aime” I start crying and
he kisses my stomach. “I love our baby too” he says and
I gasp. “You knew?” “I suspected and you just
confirmed it love.” I drag him to
his feet and kiss his breathe away. Is this their happily ever after?
[12/1, 11:31 PM] +234 706 712 6964: INTOXICATED ROMANCE.
Episode 19
Narrator:
Cynthia sits beside James in the
car and ponder her situation. Her
mind goes back to how she met
James. She had just finished her
exams that fateful afternoon when a thief snatched her bag.
She yelled for help and thats
when she saw him for the first
time. James saved her bag that
day and she fell in love with him
instantly. Now that she think about it, everything concerning
that day they met could be staged.
For the many years that they have
been dating, James only wanted
two things from her: sex and
information. She has been so blinded by her infatuation that
she betrayed her friends. Kacy
and his wife even died because of
this. She was the one who got
kacy involved in James plan and
now his death is on her conscience. Now, James is going
after her bestfriend’s life. She is
the only one who can stop him
and she is determined to. They
arrived in Paris the previous
morning and had booked a room at the same hotel as antonia and
Steven. They have been following
them since this morning. Cynthia
knew what would happen if
antonia marries Steven so she
called her this morning, when James was in the bathroom. She
was not able to say much before
he came back out. Seeing as
antonia was still with Steven, it
shows that they didn’t take her
warning seriously. Cynthia brings her phone out and secretly dial
the police.
“so, you are going to kill her at
the wall of love?”she asks James
trying to alert the police of their
whereabouts without his knowledge. She disconnect the
call, praying that the police
understood her message then she
turned on her phone recorder.
“so James how do you intend to
get her land if you kill her?” Cynthia asks
“i won’t kill her until she Signs off
her land to me.”
“do you think killing kacy and his
pregnant wife was necessary?”
“yes!. The b---h was going to tell antonia about my plans so i killed
her and kacy”James says and
Cynthia press send. ************************ Toni:
We kiss for what feels like hours. I
am so overwhelmed with joy, i am
shaking.
“i love you so much Steven”
“i know you do”he says then grin at me and i laugh.
“you look so beautiful when you
laugh” Steven says then peck my
lips and i sigh contentedly.
“i know. Am so beautiful, you cant
resist me” “wow, arrogant much?”
“its not arrogance. Its the obvious
truth” i grin at Steven.
“okay, miss beautiful, are you
ready to get married to me?”
“i thought you’ll never ask. Come on let go. Our wedding awaits”i
grab steven’s hand and we walk
to the car.
My phone pings in my hand and i
see another text from the number
that sent me a text earlier. I enter into the car then click on the
message. I warned you. What are these messages about?
Is this a prank? I look to Steven.
He is currently grinning while
driving. I need to tell him about
this.
“Stev–“my voice is cut off when the car jerks forward and i almost
fall off my seat.
“who the hell is that?”Steven says
and we look behind. A car is
currently bumper to bumper with
us. Steven drives to the corner and give way for the car to pass
but it moves with us to the right
and we are bumper to bumper
again. Steven motions with his
hand for the car to pass but it just
hit us again and this time is harder than the last and i scream. Steven
steady the steering wheel then
look at me with concerned eyes
“are you okay?” he asks and i
nod.
“Steven, i think we are in danger. A number has been sending me
warning message to not get
married to you” i say and start
crying.
“what?!. Why didn’t you tell about
it?” “i thought it was just a pr–“i am
cut off again as the car is launched
forward. This time the steering
goes out of control. The car divert
off the road and speeds towards a
broken car at the side of the road. Steven step on the brake and
thankfully, our car barely hits the
broken car. As soon as the car
stops, Steven jumps down and
lets me out. I hear siren and i turn
to see about three police cars chasing the car that hit us.
“are you okay?”steven asks and i
nod.
“you are bleeding!” i scream and
Steven touch his forehead and see
blood. “i’m okay. It doesn’t hurt
much”Steven assures me.
An ambulance arrives and i
motion for them to help Steven.
Steven is taken to the back of the
ambulance where a band-aid is applied to his wound. Thankfully,
it isn’t a serious injury so no stitch
was required. Some uniformed
police men asks us for our
statement. Steven is currently
explaining our ordeal and i stand in front of him lost in thoughts of
how we just escaped death. I feel
steven’s eyes on me so i look up
to him. His eyes are glued to my
legs.
“baby, you are hurt” he says and walks to me.
“no, i am fine” i assure him.
“no, baby there’s blood on your
legs. You must have hurt your
thighs. Did you hit it on
anything?” he asks “no, i don’t feel any pain” i raise
my gown upwards a bit to inspect
the source of the blood but i see
nothing. I keep raising my gown
up and my heart stops as i realise
the blood is coming from my crotch.
“the baby!”Steven and i yell at the
same time. Steven scoops me up
and carries me into the
ambulance. The ambulance starts
moving immediately i am put on the stretcher. Steven holds my
hands through out our journey to
the hospital. He keeps mumbling
that our baby would be alright
while crying. I don’t cry though,
my tears just won’t fall. This is a disaster. I silently pray to the
heavens that my baby be safe.
When we get to the hospital, i am
quickly transferred to a room.
Steven is with me holding my
hands all the way. The doctor and nurses carry out various tests on
me and we are asked to wait for
the test results. Steven paces
around the room with his phone
in his ear. Who is he trying to call?.
His pacing is making me dizzy though
“Steven calm down”
“i cant seem to calm down love,
our baby–. No, i cant lose another
family member”he says and
continue pacing. I have to distract him from his worrying.
“i’m thirsty. Please go buy me
some water.”Steven drops his
phone with me and goes without
arguing. A message comes in and
i click it. Weldone son, now that you have
deceived this naive girl into
marriage, I expect her land to be
in my name in three days. Oh no! I can’t believe I fell for
another Kacy. Well never again
[12/1, 11:33 PM] +234 706 712 6964: INTOXICATED ROMANCE.
Episode 20
Toni:
I cant believe this. No wonder he
was in an hurry to get married. Or
was i the one in a hurry?. Stupid,
stupid me!. My body shakes with a
violent sob. I really am naive. I could i have trusted someone i
met few weeks ago when Steven
whom i dated for years was able
to betray me. I cant believe a day
so amazing could turn out like
this. Thoughts of our time together flash through my mind
and i wail in agony. Letting go of
Steven is like peeling off my flesh.
He is forever stuck on me. The
thought of leaving him makes my
breathe seize but i know i have to. Being with him
would just cause me more pain
and i don’t want my baby to be
with a callous man that would use
a woman for selfish reasons. I
have to get out of here before Steven comes back. I cant face
him right now. I stand up frantic
and a wave of nausea hits me and
i dash to the toilet and empty my
stomach. I lie on the toilet floor
and cry my heart out. I have to stop crying and get going before
Steven comes back. I wipe my
tears then rush back to my room.
I pick my bag and flee the
hospital. I have to get to the
airport. Twenty minutes later, i am at the
airport. After moving my flight to
the next flight, i sit down and
think about a way forward. What
am i going to do?. Steven will
surely try to convince me that he loves me but i cant believe him
because anything he says now
would just sound like a scheme to
get my land. Tears start falling off
my eyes and i do nothing to stop
them. My hand goes to my stomach and i sigh. I am not even
sure if i am still pregnant. Its less
than 10minutes for my flight to
start boarding and i still cant
move. Its like my body wants to
go back to Steven and beg him to convince me to stay. Another
wave of nausea hits me and i run
to the airport toilet. ************************ Steven:
I rush into antonia room after
purchasing the bottled water from
a mall, outside the hospital. There
was an accident on the road
which caused slow traffic movement. As soon as i got to the
hospital, i parked my car and
rushed in. I don’t want to leave
antonia alone. I can only wonder
the kind of pain she is in right
now. I just found out about our baby but it still hurts so much.
When i open the door, i don’t see
antonia on the bed. I knock on
the toilet door and when there is
no answer, i panic. I open the
door and find it empty. Ok, now i am worried. Where could she
have gone in her condition?. I
hope she isn’t trying to do
something to herself. I stand in
the middle of the room thinking of
where to start searching for antonia when i notice my phone
on the bed. I pick it up and when i
click it on, i see my father’s text
open. Oh no! No no no no!
Antonia must have seen the text.
What do i do now?. D--n my father. Why did he have to insult
her onto of everything. My mind is
not processing all this well. I
breathe in and out slowly to calm
my nerve so i can think of my
next course of action. Okay, where would should be?. The
hotel? No she’ll probably be trying
to run away from me. That means
the airport!. Yes, the airport. I
should be able to catch up with
her if i hurry. I jump in my car and zoom off to the airport. As soon as
i get there, i park my car
haphazardly probably blocking
other people from leaving but i
don’t care. I rush into the airport
and look around. How do i find her now?. Charles de Gaulle is the
second most busiest airport in the
world. Its so full with people.
Where should i start? She would
probably be at the boarding area
for people going to Nigeria. I rush there and i look around. No
antonia. I walk around the area
bumping into people without
even apologizing. I am getting
desperate.
“antonia!” i scream attracting people’s attention. They probably
think i am a crazy black man but i
don’t care. I know calling out her
name wouldn’t help but i am
getting frustrated. I sit on the
airport floor and cry. We have only just started and i cant believe
she’s leaving me. An airport
security walks to me.
“sir, are you okay?. Do you need
help?”i get off the floor.
“did you by chance see a beautiful black woman in a blue summer
dress with flowers on it?. If no
then you cant help me” i say and
start to walk away but then i stop
when he touches my shoulder.
“isn’t that the lady you are talking about?” he says pointing towards
the airport restroom. I look and
behold its antonia. She looks so
pale. She’s walking towards the
line of people waiting to board
the plane. She doesn’t see me as her back is turned towards me. I
rush to her and grab her waist
from behind. She stops and burst
out crying. She must have
perceived my presence. We are so
in tune with each other, we know when we are close.
“antonia” i say and breathe out a
sigh of relief. She rest on my chest
for a second before she tries to
free herself from my hold.
“get off me!” she screams “antonia listen to me. You have to
let me explain” i say holding her
tighter.
“did you plan to take my land
from me?” she asks without
turning to look at me. “yes, but–”
“that’s all i want to know” she
says and finally free herself from
my grasp. I grab her hand and
swirl her to face me then grab her
hips. Her eyes moves from my eyes to my lips and i cant stop
myself. I kiss her right in front of
everybody. She relax her body
and wrap her hands around my
neck. Maybe there’s still hope. I
move my hands from her hips to her face and she freezes. She
pushes me away from her and
slap me.
“goodbye Steven” she says and
starts walking away.
“no! Baby please don’t leave me” i cry and try to follow her but i am
stopped at the gate.
“you cant go in there without
your pass-port and ticket sir”
“please, I-”
“sir please leave before i call security”. I stand there and watch
antonia walk away. ************************ Narrator:
James stops his car after checking
his rear view mirror to make sure
he had out-ran the police.
“you b---h!. What have you done”
he screams and points a gun at cynthia’s temple.
“you have to stop now James.”
“i cant” he says and fires the gun.
Episode 11
Steven: Today has been bizarre. I had
woken up thinking about antonia
just like every other day since the day
i met her. I was pondering if
maybe she wasn’t a gold-digger like a
thought. Maybe she was really
drunk like me that night. I had dialed her
number which i collected from her friend who worked here several
times without calling her. What
would i say to her?. The last time we met,
she said she never wanted to see
me again. I knew that She wouldn’t
be so happy about my call. I had forced myself to concentrate on
work until my lawyer called me. I
had asked him to check if antonia had
any claim on the land my dad desperately wants. “what have you found out?”i had
asked without any greetings. I
was anxious to know “miss antonia’s name is on the
land’s deed just like you thought”
he said in his gravely voice. “so, give me legal advice. If i am to
get married to antonia, how much claim would i have on the land?” “legally, you would have no
claims at all sir because that land
was hers before your marriage. It
wouldn’t be marital property” “so there’s no way my marriage to
her would get me her land?” “no, except she willingly gives it
to you or you could make her
sign away her rights to you without
her knowledge” i know she
wouldn’t willingly give the land to me but
would i be able to deceive her like that?. I was still thinking about my
next course of action when my phone rang in my hands. As soon
as i saw antonia’s name, my heart leapt and i became as giddy as a
teenage boy with a crush. That
was when i knew that i couldn’t
deceive her like that and that this feelings i have for her was more
than just attraction. I never expected her to accept my
wedding proposal though. What
could be her reason?. Now that i know that our
marriage wouldn’t get me her
land, there’s no need to get married
right? But when i saw her waiting
for me in the cozy restaurant i chose,
looking so beautiful and innocent in her black maxi dress, i
proposed. Not for her land or for
my father. I just proposed. I didn’t
expect the restaurant to have a romantic feel but it was perfect
with the candles making our
dinner romantic. When she accepted, i
couldn’t help but kiss her. It
started out like an innocent kiss but the
chemistry between us ignited and
i just wanted to taste her more. Our
moment was spoiled when the
media made their entrance though.
Antonia had groaned like she
Didnt want our kiss to end, making me
wonder if she felt the same way i
did. I wonder who called them. After
the media left, antonia and i
agreed to get married next month. She
seems to be in a hurry to get
married. She may have other agendas for this
marriage but i intend to make her
love me before our 1 year ends. I want
to wake up every morning of my
life to her sweet smiling face. I want
to be a part of her family that makes me feel welcome. I just
have to make sure she is not a gold-digger. I still cant fall for
another Jane. When i get to my suite, i call my private investigator
to find out Everything he can on antonia especially about her social
life and the guys she have dated before now. After talking with my
p.i, i turn on the news channel. Nothing interesting is on but then
i see antonia’s fiance on the news. I turn the volume up and i am
shocked to hear that he is dead
and that he had a pregnant wife. Weren’t
they supposed to get married this month?. I cant believe the b-----d
deceived my antonia. Or could it
be that antonia knew he was married
but just wanted money. No, she
looked shocked when she saw him with
the pregnant lady two weeks ago.
The dead fiance doesn’t seem rich
either. Could this be the reason
why antonia changed her mind?. I am
still pondering this when my
phone ring in my hands. Its antonia! “hello” i say trying to make my
voice seem detached when all i
want to cuddle her and console her. “Steven, my parents just saw our
engagement on tv. Everything is
in chaos right now. They say its too
soon” she says “we could try to convince them.
Maybe we should push the
wedding back to two or three months from
now” “no!. I want the wedding now!. I
mean, i want it to be soon” why is she in a hurry? “why do you want it soon?” i ask
because i need to know if this is
about money. “umm. I want it now so that umm.
So i wouldn’t lose my nerve. Yes,
so i won’t change my mind” she
says. She is definitely hiding
something. “then what do we do? How can
we change their mind?” “well, i don’t know. Think of
something” an idea hits me. This is
the perfect opportunity to put my
plans of making her love me, into action. “i am not sure, you would like my
idea” i say nonchalantly “what is it?” “we have to elope. Lets leave the
country. Get married in Paris, maybe. That should convince
them?” i expect her to refuse or
even back out of our marriage. “yes!. Why didn’t i think of that?.
When do we elope?” she asks and
i am stunned. “umm tomorrow morning. But i
want you to pack some
necessities. I’ll pick you at your house in an
hour. Do you have a passport?” “no. I have never travelled out of
the country” “that would delay us a bit but for
now, you’ll live with me before your passport is processed. Can
you do this?” again i expect her to say a resounding no but she
surprise me. “yes, i can. Make sure you park
your car some distance from my
house so you wouldn’t alert my parents.
Call me when you get here and I’ll sneak out” “alright, take care” i say and the
line goes dead.
[12/1, 11:15 PM] +234 706 712 6964: INTOXICATED ROMANCE.
Episode 12
Toni: WOW,we are going to Paris!Okay, i
never expected this turn of event but its perfect.Paris, the city of love
is the perfect place to entice Steven and if we are already
married, my parents would have
no other choice but to trust me and accept
the marriage. Waiting to convince
my parents would have been the best
option but how long would it
take? I want this as soon as possible,
before my pregnancy starts
showing. Steven would be here soon so, i
need to start packing. I bring my
small suitcase down from the top of my
wardrobe and something falls
with it. I bend down and see that its a
bracelet.The goodluck charm i
was given eight years ago in the
hospital when my brother was
admitted.I remember this bracelet for years
after that.The only time i didn’t wear it was during my 2months
coma. When i woke up, the only
thing i remembered for a week was that
boy and this bracelet. He was kind
of my first love. I took this bracelet off
three years ago when kacy and i started courtship. What a waste.
Maybe that’s the reason why such badluck has been following me.
Right now, i need all the luck i can get so i put the bracelet on again
then, i continue with my packing. An hour later, my phone starts
ringing and when i see that its
Steven, i double check that i have
everything I’ll need, then sneak
out of the house. We are now at steven’s suite.
Thankfully, i was able to sneak
out without my parents notice. I
wrote a note telling them that i am eloping and left it on my bed for
them to find tomorrow morning. I don’t want to make them worry
but i have to do this for my baby
and for myself. Steven takes my suitcase inside to
his room and that’s when i realise that we will probably have to
sleep in the same room tonight. I
sit awkwardly on the sofa and wait
for him. He comes out minute later
with his jacket and tie gone and his
sleeves rolled to his elbow, showcasing muscular fore arms.
He looks so good i could eat him.
Wait, where did that thought come
from?. I shake my head at my
thinking. He looks so casual right now and i
don’t think i have seen him in anything other than his suits
except that night that brought us together. The suits fits him
perfectly but kindof make him
seem distant. Right now he looks
comfortable and approachable. “i have good news and bad news,
which do you want to hear
first?”he says as soon as he sits on the
same sofa that i am seated. His
knees brush my legs and i gulp down
air. He looks at me with raised
eyebrows and i clear my suddenly parched
throat. “sorry, wha-t were you saying?” i
ask him and he smiles like he
knows how much he affects me. “i said i have goodnews and
badnews. Which do you want to
hear first?” “oh, the badnews” “ok. I did some research and
found out that we cant get
married in Paris immediately. It would take
too long because they have alot
of legalities for foreigners” oh. I cant
wait “oh,what’s the goodnews?” “i have a better idea. We should
still go to Paris and have a fake wedding. We will dress the part
then take pictures and send to the media here in Nigeria. This way
your parents would think we are married and when they give their
consent, we would get married
the proper way here in Nigeria”he
says “why do you have to come up
with all the good plans?. I should
have thought of that” i say and he
laughs. A full belly laugh with
thinking eyes. His laugh is doing crazy
thing to my heart. Right now, he doesn’t look like a business
tycoon that i cant reach. He looks
so care-free and the fact that i had a
hand in it makes me swell with pride. “i cant help it love, i am an evil
genius”he says after he stops laughing and grin at me
showcasing the dimple on his left
cheek. I really wish i could lick that d--n
tempting dimple. I shake my head again at my x-rated thoughts.
What is happening to me? ‘Steven
is happening to you’my inner mind
says and i laugh. “what’s funny now?” he asks me “oh nothing. When do we leave?” “three days from now. I just need
some of your documents” “wow, that’s fast. I thought it took
weeks or even months” “with money, everything is
possible, love” he says. Wow!.
That’s the second time he’s calling me love.
What’s the reason for his warm attitude towards me?. Maybe he is
just acting. But we are alone so
who is he acting for?. Well, i don’t care.
I love how it makes me feel. Awkward silence descend upon
us after awhile. I wonder what
our sleeping arrangement would be
tonight. Steven clears his throat
then grab the remote and start channel
surfing.He stops at mbc2 and my
eyes bulge when i see the kiss scene
they are on.AWKWARD!. Steven
quickly change the channel and Nat geo
wild comes on showing two
monkeys mating. I start coughing and
stand up as i run away from the
sitting room. “am off to bed!”i say and i hear
him stifling his laughter. I turn and toss in bed for an hour
then i hear the door open,i close my eyes and pretend to be asleep.
I feel Steven get into bed with me. He drags me to him with my back
to his chest and we fall asleep like this.
[12/1, 11:17 PM] +234 706 712 6964: INTOXICATED ROMANCE.
Episode 13
Toni: i wake up the next morning still in
steven’s arms.His left hand is on my waist and my head is now on
his firm chest. He’s so warm. I
press my cheek to his hard chest and
sigh contentedly. Last night, i slept like a baby. Who knew someone
so hard would be so comfortable.
He looks so young and care-free as
he seems. His features are relaxed making him look super
handsome. I use this opportunity
that he is asleep to admire his features. His
chisel jaw, his small-ish nose, his eye lashes. Wow, his eyelashes
are longer than mine. Its that kind that girl’s would give for. My eyes
move to his perfect lips. Lips that has been on me several times.
Oh the man can kiss. I don’t have many experience but i know a
good kissed when i kiss one. ‘He
must have alot of experience with
other ladies’ my subconscious
tells me and i shut down that thought. The
thought of Steven with other
women just makes me red with jealousy.
Wow, now i am even being
possessive. What is Steven doing to me?.I use
my finger and trace his bottom lip. He mumbles in his sleep and i
freeze. Okay, i have to get up and
cook breakfast. Five more minutes
won’t hurt. Get up lazy bones you
have to cook for your man, i chastise
myself. I reluctantly drag my body
out of bed. Steven groans in his sleep
and his hand moves on the bed as
if searching for me. I stand silently
so he wouldn’t wake up. Its still too early. Wait a minute, i look
down at my self. Why am i in my nightie? I don’t remember putting
it on last night. No no no. Steven must have undressed me. I am
normally a light sleeper. How
come i didn’t wake up?. I shake my head
at my self then tip toe to the sitting room. I search the mini-
fridge and i don’t find anything i
can cook with. He must survive only
on the home’s food. I go back
into the room and throw some clothes on.
I have to go to the market and purchase some things i’ll need. I
hurry through the mall beside the hotel and purchase everything i
need. I have to hurry before
Steven wakes up. I am rushing out of the
elevator when i barge into a hard body. My purchases scatter
everywhere. “am so sorry” i say and bend to
gather my pack of groceries. The stranger bends too and helps me. “thank you” i say and stretch my
hands to retrieve my things from
him but he doesn’t give them to me. “let me help you. The bag is torn
so, you cant carry all this on your own and it seems i am going your
way” he says and smiles at me
and a cold shiver runs through my
spine. I don’t know why but the
air just freeze over as soon as i look into
his eyes. This guy just gives me the chills. Its not that he’s ugly.
No, actually he is very goodlooking but there’s
something cold about how he
smiles. I wave my hand at him to indicate that i don’t
want to bother him and his eyes fix on engagement ring. I snap
my hand down and his eyes
narrow. “come on. Let’s get your groceries
off the floor” i just want to get this over and done with so i just
nod and allow him help me. We
pick the groceries we can savour then
we walk towards steven’s room.
As soon as we get to the door, i
stretch my hand to relieve him of
my things but he shakes his head and
motion for me to open the door. I
am about to say something when the
door bursts open and Steven
comes out. “oh my God antonia, where have
you been? You got me worried. I
thought you changed your mind and left
me” he says as he hugs me and
the groceries i am holding. Wow, i
never knew he cared this much. “i am sorry, i just rushed out to get
some groceries. I would have been here sooner but my grocery
bag tore up and i had to gather
them from the floor.Thankfully this man
helped me” i say, pointing to the stranger and that’s when Steven
notices him. The stranger grins crookedly at Steven and his
breath hitch.Steven drags me
behind him. “get inside toni”he grinds out.
Okay, what’s going on, i wonder. I
am being shoved inside by Steven
when the man speaks. “hey brother, you don’t have to
hide her from me”i hear him say
and Steven stiffen and stop but
doesn’t look at him.Brother?. “is this Jane’s replacement?. Wow
brother you are fast. How long as
it been since you broke up with
your fiance?.Two weeks? Three?.
I must say, this one is really stunning
though but why did you have to
give her jane’s ring?” i gasp at this
information and i start to slow
walk away from Steven.what? He had a
fiance?. A tear falls down my eye
and Steven groans.Steven who has
been silent snaps and rushes to
his brother and seize his collar. His
brother doesn’t seem fazed by
this . No, he is actually smiling. “go ahead brother, show her how
violent you can be” he says.
Steven raises his fist to punch him. “stop!”i scream.Steven who’s
seething in anger turns to me and
i shake my head for him to stop. He seems
to be calming down but his face
goes pale as i slump on the ground.He
leaves his brother and rushes to
me. “baby are you okay?.Please let me
explain”i cover my mouth with
my hand as a wave of nausea hits me
and i dash into the suite with
steven behind me..
.
.
To be continued.
[12/1, 11:21 PM] +234 706 712 6964: INTOXICATED ROMANCE.
Episode 14
Steven: “antonia!” i yell and run inside my
suite. I don’t forget to slam the door on James’ face before i
continue my chase. I expect to
find antonia in the room packing her
belongings but i see her sitting on the toilet floor with her face in the
toilet. I rush to her side and help her arrange her hair to her
side to avoid its falling into the toilet. Her body shakes with
violent heave and i pat her back. “go away” antonia says into the
toilet as she tries to bat me away. “I’m sorry” i mumble and she
turns to face me. “you should have tol–” her
sentence is caught short as
another violent heave rakes through her
and she throw up on me. Gah!. “oh my G–” my own sentence is
caught off as i dry heave. I shrug antonia off the toilet sit and puke
my guts out. Why am i vomiting too? I never felt nausea even
when my mother used to vomit
and sometimes excrete on her body.
This is bizarre. My stomach settles
and i sag on the toilet seat. I feel
antonia’s head rest on my back
and i stay still. ” i am sorry, i should have told
you about Jane. She’s no longer important so i didn’t think to
mention her to you” i say without turning to face her. “its fine. I am just your pretend
fiance. You don’t need to explain yourself to me” “ofcourse i do. Because i –” i want
to tell her i love her but the words hang in my throat. “because you what?” she asks
and i quickly change the subject
of discussion. “you must be hungry after all this”
i say “am not” “well i am, let’s get out of here” i
say and stand up then look down at her when she makes no move
to stand up. “well?” i say raising my eyebrows
at her. “i cant feel my legs. Just go, I’ll be
out when my blood starts flowing normally” she says but i
don’t leave her. I bend and carry
her up from the floor. “you don’t have to carry me” she
says but she stays perfectly still in
my arms. “okay” i say and pretend to want
to drop her. She yelps and hook
her hands around my neck and bury
her face in my neck. I laugh then
carry her to my bedroom after flushing
the toilet. When i get to the foot of the bed, i tap her to indicate for
her to let go of my neck. She reluctantly lets go then i hear her
sniff my neck. “did you just sniff me?” i ask
incredulously. I expect her to
deny it but she just grins at me and my
heart beat accelerates. She’s so beautiful. “you smell sooo good” she
drawls and i look at her like she’s
grown horns. She just blushes and i have
this intense need to kiss her but i stop myself. I don’t want to go too
fast. I still don’t know her intentions. We look at each other
for a while and when i see her
eyes go to my lips, i clear my throat. She
blushes again and i groan inwardly. She just radiates
innocence. “you have to let me down now”
she says and i drop her on the
bed. “so what should i order for you
from the kitchen downstairs” i ask
her “i am not really hungry” she says
then her stomach growls and i
burst into laughter. “this is so mortifying” she says
and i stop laughing to see her
eyes brim with tears. “oh baby, what’s up. Why the
tears?” “you’re laughing at me” she sobs,
crying more. She’s like a hormonal pregnant woman, switching
moods in seconds. “sorry love. Hush now” i say as i
sit on the bed beside her and rub her back. After a while, she wipes
her tears with her hand then cup
my right hand in her hands. I look at
our entwined hands then look at
her eyes. “i want garden eggs and
groundnut” she says “you need to eat some
substantial. You must be very
hungry” “but i want garden eggs” she
sobs out again. Chai, what kind of tantrums is this woman
throwing?. Where do i find garden
eggs in this neighborhood. Would the mall
have some?. “okay, I’m going. Stop with the
tears” “thanks” she says and hug me
tightly. After squeezing the air out
of me she finally release me and
gives me a big smile. Okay, this
smile is totally worth the troubles. I
leave her lying on the bed after i dress up in readiness for my
garden eggs hunt. An hour later, after searching for
garden eggs without success, i walk dejected back to my suite
with a bottle of groundnut clutch
in my hand. I hope i can pacify her with
this. I am almost at the hotel when i see a man walking towards me.
He’s carrying a polythene bag
which looks like it contains garden eggs.
I hope its garden egg. Maybe he would agree to sell to me or he
may be able to direct me to where
i can buy. I walk to him with my
fingers crossed. “excuse me sir, is that garden egg
you’re carrying?” “yea, is there is a problem?” he
asks “no sir but there will be if i don’t
get garden eggs for my fiance. She was even crying when i left
her to buy some.” “oh i understand. My wife was
also the one who sent me. It
seems your wife’s pregnancy cravings is
similar to my wife’s” he says
laughing. “it is?” “yea son. Don’t worry I’ll give you
a few of the ones i bought for free. But make sure you stock up
on garden eggs if you don’t want
her to wake you up in the middle of
the night” he says and i don’t
bother to correct him about antonia not
being pregnant. If he’s going to solve my problem, i don’t mind
any misconceptions on his part.
He gives me some garden egg and i
thank him. I rush back to my suite to avoid
more crying and everywhere is
quiet. I call for antonia and when there’s
no reply, i panick. I drop my purchases on the glass table then
dash to check the room and i see antonia sleeping peacefully. I
check my watch and see that its
just quarter to 10. I watch her for a
while before i wake her up. When
she wakes up, she says she already
ate as she ordered food from the reception. I shake my head at her
and she smiles at me. Apparently, she doesn’t need the garden eggs
anymore. What a day!
[12/1, 11:25 PM] +234 706 712 6964: INTOXICATED ROMANCE.
Episode 15
Toni: I cant believe i cried just because
Steven was laughing at me and again, because of food. What must
he think of me now. My mission is supposed to be to get him to love
me but i think i almost chased him away. When he left for a long time
to get me garden egg, i though
he’s left me. Thank God he came back.
While he was gone, there was a
text from his brother. Steven had left
his phone on the bedside table
and when it kept ringing, i checked to
see ‘James’. Not knowing who
James was, i left it but when i heard a
message alert i checked again and
it was James. When i saw the
highlight of the message, i
couldn’t stop myself. I opened it. Wow brother, you’ll go to great
lengths to win me. Btw, Does she
know about your plans or should i tell
her? That message was on my mind for
a while until my dad started
calling. I paced the room thinking of if i
should answer the call or not. He calls for about 6 times before he
sends a message. Come home sweedy. Lets talk this
out. As a daddy’s girl, i already miss
my father but i have to Steel
myself for this. After waiting for Steven
for awhile, i order food from the reception then fall asleep after
eating. I am woken up by Steven
who’s bought the garden eggs i was
craving hours ago. Well, i don’t
want it anymore. I check the wall clock
and i see that’s it almost ten and i know Steven hasn’t eaten. I need
to redeem myself after all i have taken him through today. “am sorry for taking you through
so much today, Steven. I was just craving garden eggs so much, i
couldn’t help it” “craving?” he asks and look at me
thoughtfully. “yea. Anyways let me cook for
you” “don’t bother your self, I’ll just
order from downstairs” “its past breakfast time. There may
not be any food left and i want to cook for you. So just let
me.okay?”i ask and pout my lips
at him “alright. I agree before you start
crying like a pregnant woman” he says and his eyes go to my
stomach for a second. I place my
hand on my still flat tummy. “i am not pregnant!” “i didn’t say you are. I only said
you cry like a pregnant woman” “ok, whatever. I’m off to the
kitchen” i say and dash off. This
talks of pregnancy isn’t good for my
nerves. He is not supposed to
know yet. I still don’t know what his
reaction would be if he finds out. I
think he is beginning to warm up to me
though. I enter the kitchen which is like
every chef’s dream with all the machines and stuff and prep
everything I’ll need for a fast
brunch. I lift my head from my task when i
see Steven walk in. “need help?” he asks and props
himself on the high stool by the
counter. “how good are you at cutting?” i
ask with a smirk. I expect him to
say ‘no good’ but he gets off the stool
and goes to the cupboard to retrieve a knife. He flips the knife
in the air and catches it with a flair then walk to my side. “I’m super good. What should i
cut?” he asks me. After picking my
jaws from the ground, i assign him to
tomatoes and pepper slicing
duties. I’m making fried plantain and
eggsauce.As i fry the plantain, i
watch Steven dice the tomatoes and
pepper with a chef’s precision. “wow, where did you learn that?
It took me a year to be that
good”l ask him. “i developed a crush on cooking
while taking care of my mom
when i was younger”he says grinning at me. “you cooked for your mother?
Wow, that’s so sweet” “well she was sick so i had to” he
says and i see sadness in his eyes. “was?. Is she okay now?. I’ll love
to meet her” i say. “well, you cant” he says and my
face falls “i understand. Who would want
his fake fiance to meet his
mother”i say “that’s not what i meant. I mean-”
he says, rubbing his forehead and
i cut him off. “oh, the plantain needs my
attention now” i say with fake
cheerfulness and hurry to the frying pan. I flip
the plantains as i close my eyes to hold my tears at bay. “ow!” i scream as the hot
groundnut spray on me. Steven is
by my side in seconds and he drags me to the
sink immediately. He turns on the tap and places my hand under. He
lifts my hand up again and brings
it to his lips as he blows on my
fingers. “i am okay” i say and try to
retrieve my hand but he doesn’t
let go. I look at him and see that his eyes
are fixed on my bracelet. Does he think its weird?. I know it looks a
bit old. I use my other hand to cover the bracelet and his eyes
goes to mine. “what’s this?” he asks, pointing to
my wrist. “its my lucky charm”i say and i
feel him stiffen. “i know its old and weird but it
was kindof a gift”i say and
retrieve my hand. “a gift from who?” he asks. I don’t
want to tell him, i got it from a strange boy eight years ago. That
would make me seem weird. “a guy i met somewhere” i say “by
the way, your brother kept
calling. You should go call him back. I’ll
take care of the rest cooking” i continue just to change the
subject. “I don’t need to call him back.
And he’s not my brother, he’s just
my father’s son” he says and i crease
my forehead. Well, atleast i diverted his attention from my
bracelet. We don’t talk for the rest
of the time we cook. After cooking, i
set the table for two. “i thought you said you’ve
eaten?”he asks “well, i am a little hungry now”i
say and move to the fridge to get water. As i open it, the smell of the
meat i bought this morning hits my nose and i feel my belly turn.
Not again. “um excuse me” i say and dash to
the toilet to gag. I come back to
see Steven has finished setting the
table for me. “you should go for a check-up”he
says “i don’t need a check-up, i am
fine” i say “then what’s with the vomiting?” “um. Its the flu. I’ll be fine” i say
and sit on a chair. “i love eggs” i mumble as i shove
a spoonful in my mouth. This food needs more seasoning but i stay
put. “wow, this is delicious” Steven
says as he swallows down the
whole meal and i blush. The rest of the
day is taken up by packing as we
are leaving for Paris tomorrow. We
ordered pizza which we eat as we
pack. By the time we are done, its
already 10pm and we crawl to
bed together and without thinking, we spoon.
[12/1, 11:27 PM] +234 706 712 6964: INTOXICATED ROMANCE.
Episode 16
Narrator:
Cynthia groans as her ringing
phone wakes her up. She stretch
her hands to the night stand and
hit ignore. The phone stops
ringing and she sigh contentedly as she burrow into her pillow. The
phone starts ringing again and
she reluctantly sit up, cursing
whoever is on the other end of
the line.
“hello” she grumble. “why are you so useless?. You
cant even answer your phone.” all
thought of sleep fly out of
cynthia’s head as soon as she
hears the cold voice.
“i was sleeping. Isn’t it too early to be awake”
“why didn’t you tell me about
your friend’s new engagement”
the voice asks
“what new engagement?
“you see your stupidity. Isn’t she supposed to be your best friend?”
“yes but i don’t feel right about all
this Amy more. Why cant we just
get married. I don’t need money, i
need you”
“well, i need money and i cant get it until i get that land from antonia
so if you don’t want to end up like
your friend kacy, you will pack
your bags and be at the airport in
20minutes”
“but where are we going?” “we are going to Paris, baby” he
says and the line goes dead. ***********************
Steven:
The sun coming through the
blinds wakes me up and i raise my
hand to shield my eyes. Antonia
moans beside me and move closer to me. Being here with her
is like heaven to me but we have
to get ready for our flight to lagos
where we take another flight to
Paris. This would be fun. I already
have our five-days trip planned and by the end, i would propose
to her for real. I can feel that she
wants me too. After seeing my
bracelet on her hand yesterday, i
called my private investigator and
asked him to get hospital records of antonia for me. I need to know
if she’s the one. My soulmate. I
have thought of that teenage girl
who risked her life for my mother.
And if it turns out that antonia is
her, i would be so happy. The bracelet is just too identical for it
to be a coincidence. Its even tied
at the same place i tied it eight
years ago when it broke. If it
turns out she isn’t the girl i have
been looking for, it still wouldn’t matter. I love her and that’s what
matters. My private investigator
also informed me of the fact that
apart from kacy, the dead fiance,
antonia hasn’t dated any other
guy. According to him, she’s a conservative girl who doesn’t
even attend parties. This news
elated my heart. It means antonia
isn’t a gold-digger. I just wonder
why she got drunk if she really is
conservative. Okay enough reminiscing. I have to wake
antonia.
“hey” i whisper and tap her
shoulders but she just mumbled
something sleepily.
“wake up love” i whisper in her ears but she still doesn’t wake up.
I drag away my arm that’s under
her head and she follows the
hand. This is hilarious. She is such
a deep sleeper. Antonia is
currently lying on her back with her legs slayed wide. I bring my
face closer to her and i hear her
sigh my name. This makes my
heart leap. She must be dreaming
about me and by the expression
on her face, its definitely a good dream. She sighs my name And
her lips poker up as if in a kiss.
Wait a minute, is she dreaming
about me, kissing, her?. Her
pokered lips moves as if
searching for my lips. I look at her face to make sure she’s still asleep
then i bring my lips closer to hers.
I am about to kiss her when my
phone starts screaming ‘its time to
wake up, the time is 6:30am”. The
noise wakes antonia and her eyes pop open with me still above her,
our lips almost touching. She
jumps off the bed too fast and our
head collide.
“ouch! What’s in that head of
yours? It feels like a big hammer just hit my head” i say and pout
playfully.
“That’s good. I hope it hurts more.
What were you trying to do you
pervert?” she screeche at me.
“oh so i am the pervert? Atleast i wasn’t the one dreaming about
kissing an innocent victim” i huff
and place my hands on my waist.
“what? You wish! That’s
preposterous. Thinking about
kissing you is just disgusting. I have endured it once and i don’t
want a repeat even in the dream”
she fire at me. Ok, ouch! That hurt
my ego.
“oh really?” i stalk towards her
and she stands her ground. Brave girl. As soon as i get to her, i
snake my hand around her waist
and pull her tightly to me.
“so, you think this is disgusting?” i
ask and she nod her pretty head
slowly while looking at my lips. Disgusting my foot!. I look at her
lips and she suck her bottom lip
into her mouth. I wish i could do
that for her. I use my finger to pull
her bottom lip out then i caress it.
Antonia gasp then she step on my foot hard.
“ow!”
“that’s what you get for thinking
of doing disgusting things”she
says and she flicks at little tongue
at me. I run after her and we run around the house until antonia
slumps on the floor breathing real
hard. I laugh at her and tickle her
feet till she almost pee her pants.
An hour later and we are already
at osubi airport. We board after about ten minutes of waiting.we
sit side by side with me by the
window.
“i am so nervous” antonia says
beside me and i look at her to see
her sweating. “are you okay?”
“what if we crash?”
“calm down. We won’t”
“how are you sure?”
“well, i don’t know”. The plane
starts moving and antonia shreaks.
“why don’t you have alcohol to
calm your nerves”
“i don’t drink”
“so you have never had alcohol in
your life?” “no”
“but i thought you said you were
drunk that night w-e, we did that”
“umm i think someone spiked my
drink”
“what? How? Have the person be caught? Where did it happen?”
“at the hotel. It was my birthday
and no, he hasn’t be caught”
“did you report this?”
“no”
“why the hell not!”i scream. Why would someone want to drug her.
Something worse could have
happened to her. I have to find
the b-----d who did this.
“what’s done is done Steven. I
don’t want people to know about it.
“don’t worry. I’ll take care of it”
“what would you do?”
“your pretty mind wouldn’t want
to know” i say and antonia goes
quiet. The rest of the flight was uneventful except during landing
when i had to sing for antonia to
get her to stop screaming. She
was too surprised at my singing. I
do have a nice voice. It always
calmed my mom when I sing and it does the same to Antonia. As
soon as we get to Lagos, we
board another plane to Paris and
again, I sing during take off and
landing. After we alight from the
plane, we are greeted by the people I hired to take us to a
bridal shop. We have to purchase
Antonia’s gown and my tuxedo
[12/1, 11:28 PM] +234 706 712 6964: INTOXICATED ROMANCE.
Episode 17
Toni: Oh my God. We are finally in Paris.
I thought the 15 hours flight was never going to end. The only plus
side of our flight was listening to Steven sing. It was just amazing.
As soon as we land, i see a group
of nigerian people with a card
saying ‘steven and company” on
it. Steven takes my hand and we walk to
them. “welcome sir, madam” one of
them says and shake our hands. “is everything ready?” Steven
asks. “yes sir, your hotel room has been
booked and you have an
appointment with the bridal shop’s manager by
4pm.” “okay good. We’ll just head to the
hotel for a nap.”Steven says as we walk out of the airport. The
welcome party leaves us after
showing us the car they hired for us. Steven
opens my door and i slip in while grinning. “what’s the big smile for?” he
inquires “i can see the city of love is
already affecting you” i tease him
and he laughs. “you should be grateful. Do you
know how many people want to
be in your shoes right now?” he teases
me back “oh. Really?. Then forgive me for
being an ingrate” “you are forgiven madamoiselle”
he says then lift my hands and
brush my knuckles with his lips. I gasp
like a fish on land and he raises his head and wink at me. I blush
and cover my face with my head. I hear steven’s laughter before he
moves to his side of the car and start the engine. We drive for
about 20 minutes during which
my eyes are glued to the car window as i
watched the beautiful scenery
pass with open-mouthed awe. Steven
just remain silent beside me. He
has been like this ever since the call
from his father some minutes ago. “how can you not be fascinated
by this?” i ask him as he comes to
open my door. “i am fascinated” “well it doesn’t show. You have
been quiet ever since you talked
to your father on the way here. Is
everything okay?” “yea, come on lets go in. I am
famished”he says and give me a
small smile. “okay” i alight the car and we
walk into the hotel(which is just
too beautiful to describe). Steven
guides me with his hands on the
small of my back, to the reception to get
our key card. His pinkie finger caress the top swell of my a-s and
i look up to see his eyes twinkling with mischief. I don’t stop him
though, i just place my hand on
the small of his back. He raises his eye
brow at me and i smile sweetly as i move my hand slowly to his left
a-s cheek and squeeze. His eyes bulge and he gets into a coughing
fit while i giggle. A beautiful black woman walks to us in
concern. “are you okay monsieur?” she
has a French accent. “oh, I’m fine. Thank you” Steven
lifts his head up and smile at her and i hear her gasp. Why does my
man has that effect on women?. I watch as the woman’s face light
up as she extends her hand to
Steven. “I’m Beatrice, by the way”she says
not even paying me any attention. Since when did i become miss
invincible?. Steven is about to
shake her but i extend my hand instead. “hi, Beatrice, i am the wife” i say
and shake her hand firmly while smiling at her. I hear Steven laugh
behind me and i elbow hisib “we have an honey moon to get
to so, run along now, b---h” i say
the ‘b---h’ silently but Steven hears
me. Beatrice slip her hand into purse and hand Steven her card. “call me when you want someone
classy” she says and walk away
with her voluptuous a-s swinging like no
man’s business. “did she just imply that i am
classless?” i start going after her
but Steven grabs my waist. “we just got here so please don’t
get us thrown in prison, love” i remain still then pout. “wow!” Steven says laughing “what?” “she’s the bridal shop manager
we’re supposed to meet by 4” he
answers “well, I’m not going” i huff and
walk away. Steven collects our
key card and runs after me. He opens
the door and i storm to the first room i see and slump on the bed.
I hear steven’s footsteps
approaching but then i hear his phone ring. My
eyes goes heavy as i doze off. I open my eyes when i feel
someone kiss my hair. Steven is
lying behind me with his hand on my
stomach. I rest my head on his
shoulder and relax into him.. “good morning” he says into my
ear and i jump off the bed. “good morning?!. I slept for a full
day?. Why did you wake me?” i
cry. “calm down baby. I am just
kidding. Its just 2:30pm. You were
sleeping like a log while snoring pigfully”
he says and i raise my eye brows
at him. “pigfully?”i ask and he laughs and
i shake my head at him. My
stomach growls and we both laugh. “even after the food you
consumed on the plane, you are
hungry again. Its like you’re eating for someone
else too”he tease and i laugh at the truth of his words. “well go take a shower so we can
go find something to eat before
we go to the bridal shop. We need to get
ready for the wedding tomorrow” “alright” some minutes later, we’re on the
street of Paris, holding hands
while we purchase street food from
vendors. Steven looks awkward
in these little stores but he seems to be
enduring for me. “come on, taste it” i whine at him.
I have been trying to get him to eat a delicious treat on the street
but he won’t bulge. “it could be infected with germs”
he says and i laugh at him. “whatever, your loss.”i say and
stick my tongue out at him. “Votre femme est belle(your wife
is beautiful)” the vendor says. “oui, elle est la plus belle femme
Que je connaisse. Et je Jaime tellement” Steven replies and
smile at me. “okay, what did you just tell her?”i
ask him “she said you have a big appetite
and i said she has no idea seeing
as you cried just because of food the
previous day” he laughs and i
glare at him. “you told her that?!” he continues
laughing and i storm off angrily. My anger increases when we get
to the bridal shop and i see miss Beatrice. She fawns around Steven
but when Steven sees my
expression he shuts her down. “can you please do your job and
get my bride a gown as beautiful
as she is?” he says and i smile. We
spend two hours there before i
find a perfect gown. Its simple and
beautiful. The gown is packaged
for me and i hide it from Steven. Steven
pouts but let it go. as soon as we get home, we crawl into bed
together too tired.
[12/1, 11:30 PM] +234 706 712 6964: INTOXICATED ROMANCE.
Episode 18
Steven: This is it! I am getting married
today. Ok not really getting
married but today’s very important to me.
Today, i profess my love to
antonia. I’ll also tell her about my previous
scheme to own her land. I want to remove all the fake between us
and make everything real. I can
feel it in my guts that she feels
something for me but i am so
d--n nervous about how she’ll feel if she know
about my scheme. I am afraid,
she’ll leave me but i cant continue lying
to her. I’ll fight for her till my last breathe. I also suspect that
she’s pregnant. After last night’s fiasco, i cant continue denying it.
Antonia woke me by 1:00am this morning crying for ice-cream. I
tried to persuade her to wait till
the sun rose but she just cried more. I
had to drag my jet-lagged body
off the bed and take her out to look
for ice-cream. It had turned into a date. After buying ice-cream from
24-hours mall, we walked hand in hand to the eifel tower and
boarded the elevator which took
us to the top floor. The view up there was
so breathtaking. I saw antonia’s
eyes twinkling in wonder and i was so
d--n proud to have been the one
that made her that happy. I still
remember how she felt resting on
my chest with my arms caressing her
stomach. I hope my suspicions
are correct and antonia married me because
she is pregnant with our child.
This would make me so happy. I can
already imagine how handsome
or pretty our child would be. I hope He/she
takes after their mother. We’re supposed to be at the
church i rented for the afternoon
in about three hours. Antonia is still
sleeping and i don’t wake her up. My phone pings and i sigh. I
know it’s surely my father. He has
been Congratulating me for supposedly
doing the right thing by marrying antonia so i can get the land for
him. He sent me five texts yesterday, all of them
commending me for being like
him. He has no idea that i intend to protect the
land from him. The phone pings
again and i reluctantly pick it up. Just
like i thought, there’s a text from my dad but there’s also a text
from my private investigator. I
click on the message. According to my research, Eight
years ago antonia was in a coma
for months after she was hit by a
truck while trying to save a
woman of about 40 years. I have emailed
the records to you. My heart leap as i read the
message over and over again. I
knew it! Yes! Yes! Yes!. I am so excited
right now. I don’t think i can wait till this afternoon for the wedding,
to profess my feelings. I feel like my heart is going to burst out
with excess excitement and love for antonia. I have to do it now!.I
jump into the bathroom for a shower and i even whistle while
showering. After i finish getting ready, i tap antonia and
thankfully, she wakes up. “why are you dressed so early?”
she asks then yawn and i grin at
her. “i have to show you something.
Come on, go get ready” “what about the wedding?” “we will be back in an hour
max.”i say and when she takes
alot of time to stand up, i pick her off the bed
and carry her on my shoulders carefully to avoid hurting our
baby. Just incase. She squeals out
of surprise and her hands land on
my a-s. “what do you think you’re
doing?” i ask her as i start walking
to the bathroom. “I’m holding on to you, so i won’t
fall”she answers giggling. “you just love my a-s, don’t you?” “i cant help it” she punctuates this
with a squeeze of my a-s and i laugh so hard. I so want this for
the rest of my life. ************************ Toni: “where are we going?” i ask
Steven for the seventh time since
we left the hotel. We have been driving
for awhile. “be patient, we will be there
soon” he says then take my hand
in his and place it on his lap as he
drives. These past few days have
been the best days of my life. I think
Steven cares about me now and i
hope he accepts our baby when i tell
him about it today. I snap out of
my thoughts when i feel Steven kiss
my knuckles. He seems so
excited. I wonder why. I hope its because
of our wedding and i hope that
my suspicion is right that he has fallen
for me. I hope today goes well,for me and my child’s sake.
My hand goes to my stomach at
this thought and i caress it. “antonia” Steven says and i turn
to face him. “are you okay? Or is there
something you have to tell
me?”he says and his eyes momentarily goes to my
stomach. My eyes bulge. Does he
know? Well, this is my opportunity. I have
to tell him now. I clear my throat and turn my body to face
him. “Steven, i am um” “you’re what?” “um I’m–” my phone rings in my
hand, interrupting me. “hello” i say as i answer. “you can’t get married to Steven.”
the voice says and the line goes dead. I frown at my phone. The
voice was muffled like something, probably a cloth was used to
disguise the voice but it seems like
a woman’s voice. “are you okay?” Steven asks “yes, i am” “good, because we are here” he
says and jumps out of the car
excitedly to open the door for me. I slip out
of the car and my eyes crinkle at the sight before me. “what’s this?” i ask as i walk
towards the wall in front of me, covered with writings in different
languages. “this is the wall of love. You see
this writings, they all mean i love you in different languages” he
says and i swallow forcefully.
Where is he going with this?. Steven moves
closer to me until his chest is pressed to my back, his hands on
my stomach. “there was this girl i met eight
years ago at a hospital, we
bonded for just the few minutes we talked.
I even gave her my bracelet for luck and for years i couldn’t stop
thinking about this girl. Few
weeks ago, i met this girl and she makes
my heart leap. She makes me
smiles and i want her to be mine forever.
You see these red dots scattered across this wall, it signifies my
broken heart and i hope you can
put them back together” my eyes
cloud with tears as he speaks.
Could this be true?. Is he the little boy i have
been crushing on for years?. Wow! I cant believe, i am in love
with the adult version of my
teenage crush. I look at him and whisper
his name. “Steven”He smiles at me and I on
his knees. “I love you so much antonia. And
i’ll say it in as much languages that I can. Te amo,saranghae, to amo,
se agapo,mahal kita, and since we
are in Paris,je t’aime” I start crying and
he kisses my stomach. “I love our baby too” he says and
I gasp. “You knew?” “I suspected and you just
confirmed it love.” I drag him to
his feet and kiss his breathe away. Is this their happily ever after?
[12/1, 11:31 PM] +234 706 712 6964: INTOXICATED ROMANCE.
Episode 19
Narrator:
Cynthia sits beside James in the
car and ponder her situation. Her
mind goes back to how she met
James. She had just finished her
exams that fateful afternoon when a thief snatched her bag.
She yelled for help and thats
when she saw him for the first
time. James saved her bag that
day and she fell in love with him
instantly. Now that she think about it, everything concerning
that day they met could be staged.
For the many years that they have
been dating, James only wanted
two things from her: sex and
information. She has been so blinded by her infatuation that
she betrayed her friends. Kacy
and his wife even died because of
this. She was the one who got
kacy involved in James plan and
now his death is on her conscience. Now, James is going
after her bestfriend’s life. She is
the only one who can stop him
and she is determined to. They
arrived in Paris the previous
morning and had booked a room at the same hotel as antonia and
Steven. They have been following
them since this morning. Cynthia
knew what would happen if
antonia marries Steven so she
called her this morning, when James was in the bathroom. She
was not able to say much before
he came back out. Seeing as
antonia was still with Steven, it
shows that they didn’t take her
warning seriously. Cynthia brings her phone out and secretly dial
the police.
“so, you are going to kill her at
the wall of love?”she asks James
trying to alert the police of their
whereabouts without his knowledge. She disconnect the
call, praying that the police
understood her message then she
turned on her phone recorder.
“so James how do you intend to
get her land if you kill her?” Cynthia asks
“i won’t kill her until she Signs off
her land to me.”
“do you think killing kacy and his
pregnant wife was necessary?”
“yes!. The b---h was going to tell antonia about my plans so i killed
her and kacy”James says and
Cynthia press send. ************************ Toni:
We kiss for what feels like hours. I
am so overwhelmed with joy, i am
shaking.
“i love you so much Steven”
“i know you do”he says then grin at me and i laugh.
“you look so beautiful when you
laugh” Steven says then peck my
lips and i sigh contentedly.
“i know. Am so beautiful, you cant
resist me” “wow, arrogant much?”
“its not arrogance. Its the obvious
truth” i grin at Steven.
“okay, miss beautiful, are you
ready to get married to me?”
“i thought you’ll never ask. Come on let go. Our wedding awaits”i
grab steven’s hand and we walk
to the car.
My phone pings in my hand and i
see another text from the number
that sent me a text earlier. I enter into the car then click on the
message. I warned you. What are these messages about?
Is this a prank? I look to Steven.
He is currently grinning while
driving. I need to tell him about
this.
“Stev–“my voice is cut off when the car jerks forward and i almost
fall off my seat.
“who the hell is that?”Steven says
and we look behind. A car is
currently bumper to bumper with
us. Steven drives to the corner and give way for the car to pass
but it moves with us to the right
and we are bumper to bumper
again. Steven motions with his
hand for the car to pass but it just
hit us again and this time is harder than the last and i scream. Steven
steady the steering wheel then
look at me with concerned eyes
“are you okay?” he asks and i
nod.
“Steven, i think we are in danger. A number has been sending me
warning message to not get
married to you” i say and start
crying.
“what?!. Why didn’t you tell about
it?” “i thought it was just a pr–“i am
cut off again as the car is launched
forward. This time the steering
goes out of control. The car divert
off the road and speeds towards a
broken car at the side of the road. Steven step on the brake and
thankfully, our car barely hits the
broken car. As soon as the car
stops, Steven jumps down and
lets me out. I hear siren and i turn
to see about three police cars chasing the car that hit us.
“are you okay?”steven asks and i
nod.
“you are bleeding!” i scream and
Steven touch his forehead and see
blood. “i’m okay. It doesn’t hurt
much”Steven assures me.
An ambulance arrives and i
motion for them to help Steven.
Steven is taken to the back of the
ambulance where a band-aid is applied to his wound. Thankfully,
it isn’t a serious injury so no stitch
was required. Some uniformed
police men asks us for our
statement. Steven is currently
explaining our ordeal and i stand in front of him lost in thoughts of
how we just escaped death. I feel
steven’s eyes on me so i look up
to him. His eyes are glued to my
legs.
“baby, you are hurt” he says and walks to me.
“no, i am fine” i assure him.
“no, baby there’s blood on your
legs. You must have hurt your
thighs. Did you hit it on
anything?” he asks “no, i don’t feel any pain” i raise
my gown upwards a bit to inspect
the source of the blood but i see
nothing. I keep raising my gown
up and my heart stops as i realise
the blood is coming from my crotch.
“the baby!”Steven and i yell at the
same time. Steven scoops me up
and carries me into the
ambulance. The ambulance starts
moving immediately i am put on the stretcher. Steven holds my
hands through out our journey to
the hospital. He keeps mumbling
that our baby would be alright
while crying. I don’t cry though,
my tears just won’t fall. This is a disaster. I silently pray to the
heavens that my baby be safe.
When we get to the hospital, i am
quickly transferred to a room.
Steven is with me holding my
hands all the way. The doctor and nurses carry out various tests on
me and we are asked to wait for
the test results. Steven paces
around the room with his phone
in his ear. Who is he trying to call?.
His pacing is making me dizzy though
“Steven calm down”
“i cant seem to calm down love,
our baby–. No, i cant lose another
family member”he says and
continue pacing. I have to distract him from his worrying.
“i’m thirsty. Please go buy me
some water.”Steven drops his
phone with me and goes without
arguing. A message comes in and
i click it. Weldone son, now that you have
deceived this naive girl into
marriage, I expect her land to be
in my name in three days. Oh no! I can’t believe I fell for
another Kacy. Well never again
[12/1, 11:33 PM] +234 706 712 6964: INTOXICATED ROMANCE.
Episode 20
Toni:
I cant believe this. No wonder he
was in an hurry to get married. Or
was i the one in a hurry?. Stupid,
stupid me!. My body shakes with a
violent sob. I really am naive. I could i have trusted someone i
met few weeks ago when Steven
whom i dated for years was able
to betray me. I cant believe a day
so amazing could turn out like
this. Thoughts of our time together flash through my mind
and i wail in agony. Letting go of
Steven is like peeling off my flesh.
He is forever stuck on me. The
thought of leaving him makes my
breathe seize but i know i have to. Being with him
would just cause me more pain
and i don’t want my baby to be
with a callous man that would use
a woman for selfish reasons. I
have to get out of here before Steven comes back. I cant face
him right now. I stand up frantic
and a wave of nausea hits me and
i dash to the toilet and empty my
stomach. I lie on the toilet floor
and cry my heart out. I have to stop crying and get going before
Steven comes back. I wipe my
tears then rush back to my room.
I pick my bag and flee the
hospital. I have to get to the
airport. Twenty minutes later, i am at the
airport. After moving my flight to
the next flight, i sit down and
think about a way forward. What
am i going to do?. Steven will
surely try to convince me that he loves me but i cant believe him
because anything he says now
would just sound like a scheme to
get my land. Tears start falling off
my eyes and i do nothing to stop
them. My hand goes to my stomach and i sigh. I am not even
sure if i am still pregnant. Its less
than 10minutes for my flight to
start boarding and i still cant
move. Its like my body wants to
go back to Steven and beg him to convince me to stay. Another
wave of nausea hits me and i run
to the airport toilet. ************************ Steven:
I rush into antonia room after
purchasing the bottled water from
a mall, outside the hospital. There
was an accident on the road
which caused slow traffic movement. As soon as i got to the
hospital, i parked my car and
rushed in. I don’t want to leave
antonia alone. I can only wonder
the kind of pain she is in right
now. I just found out about our baby but it still hurts so much.
When i open the door, i don’t see
antonia on the bed. I knock on
the toilet door and when there is
no answer, i panic. I open the
door and find it empty. Ok, now i am worried. Where could she
have gone in her condition?. I
hope she isn’t trying to do
something to herself. I stand in
the middle of the room thinking of
where to start searching for antonia when i notice my phone
on the bed. I pick it up and when i
click it on, i see my father’s text
open. Oh no! No no no no!
Antonia must have seen the text.
What do i do now?. D--n my father. Why did he have to insult
her onto of everything. My mind is
not processing all this well. I
breathe in and out slowly to calm
my nerve so i can think of my
next course of action. Okay, where would should be?. The
hotel? No she’ll probably be trying
to run away from me. That means
the airport!. Yes, the airport. I
should be able to catch up with
her if i hurry. I jump in my car and zoom off to the airport. As soon as
i get there, i park my car
haphazardly probably blocking
other people from leaving but i
don’t care. I rush into the airport
and look around. How do i find her now?. Charles de Gaulle is the
second most busiest airport in the
world. Its so full with people.
Where should i start? She would
probably be at the boarding area
for people going to Nigeria. I rush there and i look around. No
antonia. I walk around the area
bumping into people without
even apologizing. I am getting
desperate.
“antonia!” i scream attracting people’s attention. They probably
think i am a crazy black man but i
don’t care. I know calling out her
name wouldn’t help but i am
getting frustrated. I sit on the
airport floor and cry. We have only just started and i cant believe
she’s leaving me. An airport
security walks to me.
“sir, are you okay?. Do you need
help?”i get off the floor.
“did you by chance see a beautiful black woman in a blue summer
dress with flowers on it?. If no
then you cant help me” i say and
start to walk away but then i stop
when he touches my shoulder.
“isn’t that the lady you are talking about?” he says pointing towards
the airport restroom. I look and
behold its antonia. She looks so
pale. She’s walking towards the
line of people waiting to board
the plane. She doesn’t see me as her back is turned towards me. I
rush to her and grab her waist
from behind. She stops and burst
out crying. She must have
perceived my presence. We are so
in tune with each other, we know when we are close.
“antonia” i say and breathe out a
sigh of relief. She rest on my chest
for a second before she tries to
free herself from my hold.
“get off me!” she screams “antonia listen to me. You have to
let me explain” i say holding her
tighter.
“did you plan to take my land
from me?” she asks without
turning to look at me. “yes, but–”
“that’s all i want to know” she
says and finally free herself from
my grasp. I grab her hand and
swirl her to face me then grab her
hips. Her eyes moves from my eyes to my lips and i cant stop
myself. I kiss her right in front of
everybody. She relax her body
and wrap her hands around my
neck. Maybe there’s still hope. I
move my hands from her hips to her face and she freezes. She
pushes me away from her and
slap me.
“goodbye Steven” she says and
starts walking away.
“no! Baby please don’t leave me” i cry and try to follow her but i am
stopped at the gate.
“you cant go in there without
your pass-port and ticket sir”
“please, I-”
“sir please leave before i call security”. I stand there and watch
antonia walk away. ************************ Narrator:
James stops his car after checking
his rear view mirror to make sure
he had out-ran the police.
“you b---h!. What have you done”
he screams and points a gun at cynthia’s temple.
“you have to stop now James.”
“i cant” he says and fires the gun.
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