GIVE ME A HEART
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CHAPTER9??
” Can we be friends?” Veronica asked.
Cain appeared from behind her. ” Andrew, you monster.”
Then I was in a prison cell and dad stood over me, cursing at me. ” I’m not your father. I didn’t give birth to a murderer.”
” I am not a murderer,” i yelled at him but then he’d transformed back to Cain.
Cain snatched me by the collar and threw me a punch. ” You and I are no longer friends. Wake up animal. Wake up.”
I jumped to my feet, soaked in sweats. It was just a dream. Nothing more than a nightmare. I glanced at my alarm clock. It was 7:43 am in the morning. I laid back on my bed and ran my palms over my face. This was the second nightmare I’ve had this week.
It’s been ten years now and I had thought within those ten years a lot would happen to make me forget about home but it didn’t. Every single day I kept malice with myself for the wrong I’ve done in the past. Everywhere I go I always see her face. Veronica! I wondered where she was now. I wondered if she’d forgive me if she saw me again. I wondered if she was still alive. I did some serious research on coronary artery disease some few years back in the university. On many occasions, the patient usually lose their lives. I wasn’t sure if Veronica would be alive all through these years. Cain had once said she had a strong heart. I hope he was right because I couldn’t bring to forgive myself for putting Veronica’s life at risks. I just wanted to make things right with her if I’m opportuned to see her again.
I glanced at my study table and stared at the handbag from the lady I gave a ride last night. There was a fifty thousand naira cash in bundle and her ATM card right there staring at me. But they didn’t belong to me. I got up and brought out her number which I’d copied to a piece of paper.
For a long time I ran the paper over and over again in my palms, thinking deeper. Why did she leave her bag with me? Was it deliberate? Was she trying to test me? Maybe she wanted me to call her. Did I want to see her again?
I grabbed my phone, a button phone and dialed her number. I walked over to my window and stared out. The little kids in my neighborhood were already off to school and madam Shola was out to sell her food for the early men. My stomach grumbled making me realize I was hungry.
The phone buzzed for a long time then a sleepy voice answered. ” Who is it?” She asked, speaking softly and tired.
” This is Andrew,” I said, wondering why she was still in bed.
Her voice woke up. ” Oh, hi Andrew. How nice of you to call. I wasn’t expecting your call Soo soon.”
I didn’t want to beat about the bush so I went straight to the point. ” You forgot your bag in my car. I have it here with me.”
” My what?” She asked.
” Your bag,” I took in a deep breath. I was having a hard time breathing. ” You forgot it in my car. I found it after you left.”
” Oh, shoot,” she exclaimed and she made it sound as if she meant it. ” That was very careless of me.”
” What do you want me to do with it? I could bring it to you or I’ll be at the pizza villa in the evening so that you can get it back,” I suggested.
There was a pause then she said. ” Why not I meet you this afternoon at Grills garden.”
I was surprised. ” Grills garden? That’s a place where rich people hang out. I’m not sure if that’s a good idea.”
She laughed. ” You’re a rich man too. Bring the bag and wait for me at Grills garden. I’ll be there before 12:00 pm.”
I was about to say something else when my airtime finished. I waited a little longer but she didn’t call back. I decided it’d be better to wait at Grills garden. I became a little restless and scared all of a sudden. Grills garden isn’t a place where guys like me hang out. It was a place for the rich man. If I was going to make an impressive on this lady, I’ve got to dress to the part.
I went to my neighbor, he was a classic guy who has a wardrobe any guy would’ve been proud to own. He always dresses well but he was a broke a$s guy. I met him, gave him one thousand naira and borrowed his most dashing clothes.
” Ah, bros, you just saved my life today o,” he said. ” For this one thousand naira you can wear the cloth for as long as you like today.”
I wasn’t going to wear it as long as I like I was only wearing it for her.
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Around 11:59 am in the afternoon, I sat waiting for her in the parking lot. I was glad I wore a face cap else the sun would’ve baked me to toast. They say women are always late. Turns out that saying was wrong cause at exactly 12:00 pm, she arrived but with a different car this time. A dark Corolla Camery. This got me wondering how rich her father or boyfriend must be. I took a look at myself and I felt ashamed. I had used my last money to pay for public transport down to Grills garden. Once I gave her back her bag, I’d then have to walk all the way back home or if she’d be soo compassionate, she might give me a free ride back home.
She came out of the car and approached me, moving lightly and with easy grace. When I saw her, I frozed.
She had the most beautiful body I’ve ever seen. Her skin was olive coloured and spotless, her hair was shoulder length and natural. She didn’t need a weavon. Unlike the regular Lagos girls I see everyday, she wore her natural hair and they were chestnut coloured and shiny. She wore a blue gown that showed her creamy lovely slender laps. Her small breasts strained against the loosed clothing she wore as if trying to break loose.
Then she had the shape of a fashion model with a small waistline, solid hips and really spotless clear face. She reminded me of Nengi of the ongoing big brother naija this 2020. She stopped in my front and glanced up at me. I couldn’t see her eyes for she wore big donut sized sunglass.
” H…h..hi,” I stammered not sure of what to say because I was stunned by her beauty.
She smiled. Wow, she had the most beautiful smiles ever. Her teeth were snow white and even. ” Hey, Andrew,” hope I’m not too late.”
I checked the time. ” I’m surprised you came earlier than I expected.”
She laughed. ” I love being punctual,” she paused and ran her eyes over me. I suddenly felt ashamed. ” You know, you look handsome, Andrew.”
I wasn’t expecting that from her either. Wait a second, was she just fl!rting with me a second ago?
I handed her the bag. ” Well, I think this belongs to you.”
She didn’t collect the bag, instead she continued to stare at me as if she wanted to swallow me up. I would’ve loved to see her eyes and understand her expression but I couldn’t because of the sunglasses. It was a mask I was unable to penetrate.
” Are you hungry?” She asked.
” Umm…no thanks, I’m good,” I lied. I hadn’t eaten a thing since I got up from bed. I only bought groundnut and chewed on my way to Grills garden. I was as broke as a begger.
My stomach started grumbling louder. She listened then laughed. ” I thought so, come on let’s go eat.”
She grabbed my arm and locked her arm into mine and we walked like a couple into the restaurant. I stared at her from the corner of my eyes. She was smiling. When we entered the luxurious restaurant, we got many heads turning. Many men oohed and ahhed as she passed them.
We found a seat for two and sat down. She didn’t consult me. She ordered for fried rice with chicken and wine.
” And don’t forget to add the salad and roasted prawns. And also add the crabs, you know how I love them. And bring my pepper soup after our meals,” she said.
I stared at her in wonder as she gave her order. After she was done, she turned to me. ” I guess you’re thinking terrible things about me.”
” No,” i said. ” I just wasn’t sure if I was dreaming this.”
She smiled.
” Think nothing of it,” she took off her sunglasses. I became startled. Her eyes were like rubies in the dim lights. They were the biggest eyes I’ve ever seen and they were very pretty with long natural eyelashes. Not those eyelashes you see a regular Lagos girl fix on her eyes these days. Everything about this lady was natural.
It wasn’t just only me, the men in the restaurant turned their heads and gaped lovingly at her. When they turned to me, they glared at me.
” Close your mouth,” she said, putting her finger under my chin to close my mouth up.
” Sorry about that,” I apologized. ” You must have a rich father.”
” Not really,” she said. ” I worked for my own money. Why do you ask?”
” It’s kind of strange for a person of your class to entertain a stranger like me,” I said.
She toyed with her glasses. ” Let me just put it out straight to you. I liked you the moment I saw you. Is that honest for you?”
My heart began thumping against my side. I didn’t say anything.
” I just can’t understand why a man like you should be a pizza delivery boy,” she added sharply. ” As an intelligent person you deserve better.”
” There’s no other work I can do. It’s difficult to get a job these days,” I said, glad she changed the topic.
” I can get one for you if your certificate is good. High Bonds Incorporated will be happy to have a honest person like you to work with. It’s rare to find your kind in this country,” she said as she saw the waiter coming.
” So that’s why you left your bag in the car,” I said with realization. ” You wanted to test me.”
” Not really, silly,” she laughed as the waiter dished our meals for us. ” I did forget my bag but I was also curious to know the kind of person you are so I didn’t bother to come looking for it.”
I looked at the meals on the table and my stomach began making an embarrassing noise.
Both the waiter and the lady heard it and she laughed. ” Come on big guy, dig in.”
When the waiter left, we began eating. I was soo hungry I forgot my manners and ate like I was seeing food for the first time. It was of no doubt, the best meal I’ve eaten in a long time. Some onlookers glared at me. She just stared at me with curioisity.
I saw her watching and I got a hold of myself. I felt ashamed and embarrassed.
” When was the last time you ate?” She asked, pouring wine into my glass.
I was too shy to say it but I said it. ” About thirty six hours ago.”
She looked surprised. ” No wonder you’re skinny. Haven’t you really any money?”
” I manage.”
” Just answer the question,” she insisted and I saw a frown on her face.
” My job doesn’t pay much and I’m mostly paid late. I’m broke now but it doesn’t worry me. I’m used to it.”
She stared at me for a while then she lifted her shoulders. For a long time she said nothing. I suddenly lost my appetite, knowing I’d screwed up. After like four spoons, she asked casually.
” Tell me, do you have a girlfriend?”
That was a question I didn’t expect. ” No. I don’t have any friends either.”
She seemed surprised and she asked. ” Why is that?”
” It’s a long story,” I said. ” It’s not something I want to tell.”
” I’ll keep an open mind,” she said. ” You know you can tell me anything.”
I hesitated for a long time. I don’t want her to know I was once Andrew the bully nor did I want her to know about Veronica. But something like a strong force compelled me to. As we ate I told her everything. I told her about Cain about Veronica about her illness and how I made her life miserable. I also told her about Cain’s accident and why I’ve never been accepted by anyone since then. I also told her the reason why I didn’t have any friends because everyone I met were always rude and distant to me. So I pushed everyone away and preferred my own company. I also told her of my daily prayers before going to bed. ” Oh Lord give me a heart.”
She listened attentively without saying anything. ” Wow, such an interesting story. You should write a book about it, you know.”
” I’m not a writer,” I said.
” Time to pay the bills,” she placed her hand before me. ” My ATM.”
I remembered I had her bag with me and I gave her the bag. She collected it and brought out her ATM card. The waiter came over with a POS. After paying her bills, she told me it was time to leave. I stared at her plate. She hadn’t even touched her chicken whereby my plate was already cleaned without a trace of rice. I grimaced, such a waste of food.
I followed her and together we went to the parking lot where we got into her car and drove off. ” Where do you live, dear.” She asked.
I told her, surprised she referred me as dear. We drove in silence for a long time without saying anything to each other. I wondered what went on in her mind. She had wore her glasses and I hated the fact that I couldn’t see her eyes.
” How would you like to work in High Bonds Incorporated?” She asked all of a sudden.
” It’d be a dream come true,” i said not sure if she was serious.
She nodded as she parked her car at a corner in my neighborhood. ” I’ll get you the job on one condition.”
I waited. ” What condition?”
She turned to me. I wasn’t sure if she was smiling or frowning but her face was as cold as Ice. ” I want you to quit your job.”
I opened my mouth. ” For real?”
“That’s not all,” she said. ” You’re going go inside your house now and bring out your certificate and CV, right now. I’m giving you five minutes.”
” I….”
” Don’t say anything,” she spoke. ” Five minutes.”
I opened the door and raced to my house. I’m always an organised person so it was easy for to find my documents and return back to her. She took the documents and ran her eyes through it. She nodded her satisfaction.
” Yes, this will do. I’ll give you a call when I’m ready,” she said and engaged gear. ” It’s nice knowing you, Andrew.”
” Wait,” I said. ” When am I seeing you again?”
She raised an eyebrow. ” Are you interested in me?”
I slapped myself behind her back. What was I thinking? I made it sound as if we were together. ” Sorry about that. It was a slip of tongue.”
She stared at me for sometime then she nodded. ” Close the door.”
I got out and close the door as she started the engines. I want sure if she was angry at me or not.
” And one more thing,” she said from the window.
I turned and waited for her. She then smiled. ” Can we be friends?”
I was stunned. She’d said exactly what Veronica had asked me ten years ago. I nodded like a fool because I was too shocked to say anything.
” I…. I really didn’t catch your name,” I finally spoke.
She paused for a while then she spoke. ” Call me Ronnie.”
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