Shade of Lust (Episode 51 & 52)

Jude’s side of the story continues
We barely had arrived at Tracy’s house when a
hostel
neighbor called to give me very shocking news.
‘’hey guy where are you?’’ Tony asked as soon as I
answered
his phone call. I couldn’t help but wonder the
reason he was
calling by that hour. He was just nothing but a
neighbor to me
and even though we had each other’s phone number
we never
spoke on phone.
‘’I travelled to Enugu early today’’ I replied softly.
‘’I think someone broke into your room. The door is
wide open
and your things scattered all over the place’’ he
informed me
softly. I gasped.
‘’are you serious?. How did that happen?’’ I asked
without
thinking straight.
‘’I don’t know ooo. You just have to come back and
check
what was stolen. I have already informed the hostel
president
and gateman’’ he added and hung up while Tracy
stared at me
curiously.
‘’what happened?’’ she asked.
‘’my room was just ransacked. That was what Tony
called to
tell me’’ I informed her slowly.
‘’that can’t be true!. Our hotel is the most secure in
the
vicinity. It has never been robbed before’’ she
breathed with
disbelief.
‘’a record always takes a day to be broken my dear.
I guess
our hostel isn’t as secured as we think’’ I answered
faintly,
slowly searched for the hostel Gateman’s number in
my phone
and dialed it. He picked up after three attempts,
‘’hey bro. how far na?’’ he greeted.
‘’please I heard my room was just robbed, is it
true??’’ I asked
calmly.
‘’yes ooo my oga’’ he answered quickly.
‘’please kindly help me shut my door. I will be there
tomorrow’’
I informed him weakly.
‘’no worry. I dey your room already. I’m very
surprised oooo.
Only your room was robbed and no much visitors
came into
the hostel today’’ he replied, mixing English with
pidgin. I
simply hung up, without saying any other thing to
him. My
greatest fear was losing my school documents
which
unfortunately were all in the room.
‘’I just pray thief didn’t tamper with my school stuff’’
I opened
up to Tracy.
‘’I don’t think so. Moreover it’s of no use to anyone’’
she
answered with a smile.
‘’but dear, I think it will be better you bring over
your school
documents here for safe keeping. My mum is good
at it. All
my documents plus that of my siblings are with
her’’ she
suggested softly while my thoughts wandered off
again. I
couldn’t help but wonder if my room was ransacked
by
students who probably were looking for some
money and
electronics to steal or by the same set of thieves
that
ransacked my father’s house in the village. But then
I knew a
stranger couldn’t pull up such stunt in the day time
without
being noticed, leaving me with the conclusion that
my room
was ransacked by either a neighbor who had been
waiting for
an opportunity to rob me or perhaps someone paid
him to do
the job.
‘’I will return to the hostel early tomorrow to see
things for
myself’’ I informed my girl with a sad look. She
frowned and
looked down.
‘’I really was hoping we would spend the weekend
together. It
isn’t your fault though. You have to go check your
things’’ she
muttered with understanding.
—————————————–
Kelvin’s side of the story continues from the last
scene of the
previous episode
I slowly squatted beside the unconscious girl,
shaking her
softly. My heart pounded furiously with great fear.
‘’dear lord I hope she’s fine?’’ I prayed. Cynthia
sneezed,
opened her eyes and quickly sat up, holding her
head.
‘’you want to kill me right?. You better finish it up
because
that’s the only way I’m leaving you’’ she threatened
seriously.
I knew I had to keep myself in check and act
wisely.
‘’I’m sorry dear. You just got on my nerves with
your behavior.
Kindly go to one of the rooms and sleep. Tomorrow
we will
figure things out’’ I begged. She breathed deeply,
stared at me
suspiciously for a while, shrugged, got up and
headed to the
toilet without another word. I fell back on the floor
and
swallowed hard.
I needed no telling that I was in for a tough ride
with her.

Episode 52
‘’Dear Lord. I don’t want to marry this lady; I equally
don’t
want her to be the mother of my child. Help me.
This is too
much a punishment’’ I prayed sadly.
I couldn’t sleep that very night. My head was just
filled with
many impossible ideas and silly thoughts. Yet I
couldn’t come
up with a solution and the next day I woke up with
a terrible
headache.
I managed to take some pills before slowly heading
to my
sitting room to see if I could find an interesting
program on
TV.
—————————
On getting to my sitting room, I was shocked to
see Cynthia
calmly seated and watching a movie like a happy
housewife.
She was tying only a wrapper as if she was in her
matrimonial
home. I lost it again.
‘’Cynthia what is wrong with you?’’ I barked furiously,
but
before she could turn and answer, Jessica stormed
into my
apartment, carrying a big food flask.
The shock that befell her was really killing as her
eyes fell on
Cynthia and I.
I couldn’t believe the id.i-t guarding my gate let her
in without
notifying me.
I just didn’t know what to say as I faced Jessica,
who quickly
regained her composure, ignored Cynthia and
walked towards
me with a cold smile.
Her face was simply plain and expressionless as
she walked
towards me. I couldn’t help but wonder what was
going
through her head that moment.
Cynthia equally was stunned by Jessica’s presence.
She
couldn’t say a word as she watched her walk up to
me.
‘’I made this breakfast for you. I never knew you
had a guest. I
just got back from church and rushed over to bring
it over.
Happy Sunday dear’’ she breathed calmly, offered
the flask to
me, smiled, turned and left my house without
another word.
I couldn’t even make a move or say anything to
her. My head,
my tongue, my speech all were frozen with tension.
However I
thanked God for the calm and matured way she
acted. I never
expected such calmness from her.
Cynthia soon sprang to my side, snatching the flask
from me.
‘’I knew it. Yes I knew it. That w.hore, she even had
the
nerves to offer you food in my presence. You guys
have
enjoyed enough romance already. I’m here to stop
it. Enough
is enough’’ she breathed fiercely and headed to the
kitchen
like an angry cow. I cursed inwardly as I followed
her.
I felt like smashing her head to the wall but I knew
it would do
me more harm than good. She really was tempting
me,
knowing full well that I could lose my head any
moment.
On getting to the kitchen, she opened the food flask
and threw
the contents into the dustbin while I bit my lips in
anger.
‘’I can’t tolerate this nonsense anymore. She has
bewitched
you’’ she muttered furiously.
‘’listen Cynthia. You are not my wife and I will never
marry
you. Simply get your things and leave my house. I
don’t want
to kill you but you are tempting me’’ I shouted
angrily.
‘’you can’t do anything to me. You can’t’’ she dared
me.
‘’I won’t lay my hands on you again. You are sick.
You are
looking for someone to kill you but I won’t give you
the
pleasure. I will get the police to throw you out of
my house.
You don’t know what I’m capable of’’ I shouted, left
the kitchen
and headed to my room to freshen up.
I left my apartment minutes later without saying a
word to
her. I had to leave my house in order to cool down
my
temper.
As I drove out of my house that morning with a
heart full of
anger and confusion, I totally was at lost on how to
deal with
Cynthia. She just was a wild lady capable of
withstanding
anything and she had no atom of shame in her.
‘’how did it all get to this level’’ I asked myself over
and over.