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Inbetween 41
It was enough torture that I had to pass Tunde's office every morning to get to mine. The only good thing was that I knew he would not be sitting behind his desk inside there. It was always locked.
I got a gift in his absence, a painting of me.
" Mo nife re," the accompanying note read.
In the painting , I was lying down with my eyes closed . I could not remember the moment he took the picture but it was me. He lined my lips perfectly that I could not even doubt. I missed him. I called when I saw the painting. The call was filled with little talks and awkward silence so I was in a hurry to end it.
Sometimes while I lay in bed before my eyelids close in tiredness, I remember the moments I spent with him, the ones I held close and locked away. I knew that he must have felt bad, maybe even concluded that I was immature but I knew myself, I could not watch him
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We always said goodbyes without knowing when we are saying the last one but I knew. Each time he walked out that door, I stored memories because I do not want to forget how happy he once made me.It's up to four months since he walked out that door, I remember holding onto the scent of him, I remember standing at the window and waving even when he could not see me, even when I knew he would never turn to look at me. I knew then that while he mumbled a goodbye at my door before he left, it could have been the last one. It's also seven days exactly from the last time he came to my place and I ruined his clothes with bleach water.It is me, I have never loved enough to fight for anyone but this time I was going to try. That's why I'm in Delta, the same state that he is in. I don't know know the city or even his address. I did not ask before he left but I am here, I know I would find him before I leave. I just h
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Harmattan. It was my favorite time of the year. The cold and the dry wind circled around me. It was best at night, when I hid under the duvet, enjoying the little warmth it could offer. I could sleep peacefully ; no insomnia or thoughts that loved to revitalize in the darkness of the night.I stood at the balcony outside my shop to see the road. It was busy, not as busy as it used to be. Most people were not back from the Christmas voyage but those huge trucks that spoil the road still caused traffic.The breeze swished past, making the litters on the balcony rise in the air and move to a different point on the dusty floor.I happened to be the only one in the whole building of about ten shops. My neighbors always resumed the second week of January. The permanent honking of cars
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Sometime in the past that was not so distant, I used to be excited to see his face. I would have walked with a bubbling excitement to meet him. But that day, I took my time.I closed the car door and walked towards him. He sat on the pavement just outside my apartment."I have been trying to reach you. " he said."Mathew" I breathed out, pausing infront of him before I climbed upto the balcony ,"Did something happen? "That was me, being civil in the best way I could. I was being the Lady Uncle Joe knew me to be, calm and polite even when I wanted to bring out the perfume in my bag and smash it on his head.I climbed onto the balcony and he jumped down from the pavement . "I want to talk to you " He said.In that moment I imagined my voice would get too loud and I would entertain my neighbors even without them seeing me. I stayed at the last floor of a duplex with three ot
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It was Mid January when work started to come. It was a time I needed to get my mind off things . Clothes and needles came to the rescue so I gathered alot of work till my legs started to hurt. I had lots of work. I did not mind but the urgency they always stated was maddening! I knew I could meet up. Most days, I worked midnight like I'm conducting a clothe vigil.Aku mostly sold the clothes on display and she was good with the customers, especially the ones that wanted to eat off my profit and cost price. She was good with all of them, she was a beautiful girl, cheerful and easy going. She was always patient. I think most of the customers even amused her because of the way she twitched up her lips when they were negotiating. When we had no customers she would sit on a white plastic seat reading an old newspaper or revising her books for JAMB.It was alre
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The sun was at work before I got to work. I parked in the restaurant opposite my work building. Coming down from the car, I saw people gathered downstairs. Not under any shelter but outside! Vulnerable to the diligent sun.From where I stood, it didn't look like a peaceful meeting. I wanted to return to the car and wait for the hurricane to pass then I saw the landlord. He was a tall, scary looking man with his bushy beards that could even hide a small chick. My leg started moving before my brain realised.I crossed the road to where everyone was and began searching for familiar faces but! not madam Chinaka that was vibrating in the crowd. Then I saw Aku, sitting on the rail outside Tunde's office. I breathed a sigh of relief and hurried over to her. She jumped down on seeing me."Aku,
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I still could not concentrate the next day at work. I could not even hold my head up to look at Tunde for long. He was leaning against the closed door in my office, his legs crossed at the ankles and his hands in his pocket."What is actually bothering you?" Tunde asked as I cleared clothes off my table and dumped them on the sewing machine. I hopped on to the table, burying my head in my hands."I know that you are bothered about her coming down but didn't you ever want her to know ?"I told myself that I would tell her but I also knew I could not bring myself to tell her. I had to be drunk or not in my right state of mind for me to ever tell my sister that we dated the same man. I had evil plans of ending her relationship with Mathew but not telling her."No" I replied him.I raised my eyes slowly to look at him, to see his reaction. But his face bore no ju
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