Chapter 11 Friendship with Mike

 "Oh my God, Smallie, you can't live here. Give me Danielle's phone number, I need to call her right away." Mike said. 

"Don't worry, we are working towards that already. Thank you very much for your concern."

Gabrielle gestured him to the door. Mike stood up and walked tiredly. He knew Bangkok lodge very well and what the occupants could do. He looked around the lodge when he came out of Gabrielle's room, shook his head before proceeding to the entrance. 

"Is he your boyfriend?" Brian asked and opened his eyes. He was surprised she was unclad. She was relaxed as though the person lying on the floor was a girl. He quickly shut his eyes back and threw his head away. 

Gabrielle reached for a white towel on her cloth hanger and wrapped it around her waist, ready for a bath. 

"He is not my boyfriend. He is just a friend. I accepted his hands of friendship yesterday and he promised not to go beyond friendship," Gabrielle explained. 

"He is a good guy, but you need to be careful with him." 

"Why," Gabrielle asked. 

"He has a crazy girlfriend," Brian said. Gabrielle busted into laughter. 

"You are right. She almost tore my clothes a few days ago," Gabrielle smirked. 

"But the guy is nice," he said. 

"You seem to know everyone quite well." 

"I was born here. My father was a non-administrative staff of the school. That plot of land where my house is was given to my father by the school authorities as a reward for his devotion." 

Gabrielle sat down on her bed and supported her chin with her palm. 

"You are nothing like your mother, so I guess you took after your dad," Gabrielle said. 

"When you see my mom again, look at her very well. Gabby, go and bathe," he said just as she sat to chat. 

"Okay," she stood up again and left for the bathroom. Brian looked appreciatively at her as she swayed her moderate hips. He just liked her simple mind.

She came back to the room when she had finished bathing. Brian quickly stood up from the floor. 

"I'll wait outside," he said as he plunged his legs into his pair of sandals. He left the room immediately and continued wondering why she undressed so comfortably in his presence. He put on his shirt as he walked towards the gate. Gabrielle joined him when she was through and they walked away, chatting and laughing loudly.

Gabrielle and her friend sat on the foot of the Dogo Yaro tree when they had completed their lectures for the day. 

"Gabby, I will be traveling to my state tomorrow, my fiance got me a Motorola phone," Agatha said excitedly. 

"Wow, that's very thoughtful of him." 

"We can make calls without visiting business centers. You can call your sister and tell her all that has been happening in your lodge," Agatha said. 

Agatha had a fiance and a boyfriend. She was deeply in love with her boyfriend but treat her fiance with so much contempt. Her fiance was a car repairer. He repaired Japanese cars, and so had enough to give her. 

She accepted his proposal because she needed money for her boyfriend's education. She planned to ditch him when her boyfriend had graduated from the university. 

Her fiance was so obsessed with her and found whatever she did to him amusing. He laughed when she threw taunts at him. She transferred all the money he gave her to her boyfriend. 

"I hope you will not give Kinsley the phone," Gabrielle said. 

"Kingsley has a small Nokia, so we agreed to exchange the phone. He takes mine, I take his." 

"Agatha, grow up. Honestly, I hate what you are doing to Samuel. Does he really deserve the deception? He works under the Sun to make money. When he gives the money to you, you transfer it to his fellow man. This is not good and you need to stop." 

"I met Kingsley as a virgin. I am the first and only girl he knows; I'm not going to leave him...never for a poor illiterate mechanic!" Agatha said loudly. 

"If Samuel is poor and Illiterate, disengage him at once. I hate selfishness and I'm going to tell him one day."

"You don't mean it; do you?" Agatha asked. 

"You don't know me quite well," Gabrielle responded. 

"I will never take you to my state nor give you his phone number, then." 

"Hi, Smallie," Mike called from behind. The two girls turned and giggled at him as he tried to sit on a soft block.

"I'm glad you are here quite on time. We need to talk before our team assembles. Tell me, what is going on between you and that man who smokes weeds around?" 

"I live in a very bad lodge. Our caretaker thinks the best way to overcome their tricks and troubles is by having a man that would stand as my boyfriend.

Mike, that guy is very strong. They are scared of him. When he entered the lodge, all men retire to their rooms," Gabrielle grinned.

"You should have told me you needed a man that would act as your boyfriend, I would have gladly jumped into the offer, Smallie! Why did you choose that good for nothing pig?" Mike said. 

"Mike, please don't insult him. He is doing it for me. I'm not paying him anything. He is just doing it because we are from the same town. He sees me as a sister. Besides; the boys are something else, I wouldn't want you to contend with them. They would harm you and I would blame myself forever."

Mike's face beamed with smiles. He never knew she liked her that much to care for his safety. 

"I understand you, Gabrielle. When are you planning to move out of the lodge?" Mike asked. 

"Honestly, Mike, I don't know. I'm going to continue living there until I raise money for another lodge or wait for next semester so I can pay for the school hostel." 

"I'm not comfortable with this arrangement at all, Smallie. He is a man with blood in his veins. He may force himself on you one day." Mike said. 

"The caretaker said he is gay," Agatha said. 

"People think he is because he hasn't been seen in the company of a girl. He whines and dines with all the gay guys around to…" Mike paused. 

"To what?" Gabrielle asked.

"Never mind, but it is not enough to assume he is gay. You need to be careful around him. I'm sure you know how dangerous and fearless he is." 

"Mingling with gay guys and a testimony from a man who knows him very much is enough evidence," Agatha smirked. "What else do you need? Do you want him to stand on the school arena and shout, 'hei, everybody, I am gay?"