The moment Derek drove into Port Harcourt, he felt it was waiting with closed arms and unwilling to welcome him even after nearly four months of his departure.
He felt so because Port Harcourt was blazing hot, nearly as hot as Zaria's sun.
The heat in Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, especially in Samaru campus where he schooled was very hot, he had expected Port Harcourt to be cooler and so when he had called his father yesterday to inquire about the weather in Port Harcourt, he had responded that it had rained and the weather was cool but today he had driven to meet the sun and a defiant one at that.
At that moment it felt like the sun was saying.
Go away, we don't want you here.
Derek sighed nostalgically the moment their gate began to come into view. The drive from Zaria to Portharcourt had taken him thirteen long hours.
He horned by the gate and waited for the gateman to open the door, despite the sun. His heart leapt the moment his father's house came into view. Four months away from home was no joke.
The gateman was a fulani man in his thirties with two tribal marks by the side of his face. He opened the smaller gate and looked outside. He broke into a wide grin the moment he sighted Derek and quickly rushed to open the bigger gate.
"Welcome oga." he tittered. "Ah Oga this your car pine well well oh." he complimented with a wild rush of excitement in his voice.
Derek nodded and smiled in response. It was the first time he was driving in a car. His car.
He had usually flown and used Uber from the airport to his home but because he had bought a new car, he had decided to drive and the experience had been physically draining.
Derek pulled the car and applied the brakes on the car, the brakes squeaked and seemed to protest. He tried again and this time, the car came to a halt.
He sighed and face palmed. "Oh God, not again." he said exasperatedly. This was the third time in one month something in his new car was faulty.
Pushing his worries aside, he stepped out of the car, locked it and sat on it. "How are you Abdulsalam?" he asked the gateman.
The gateman responded that he was fine.
Derek folded his arms and asked. "Is my father in?"
"No Oga ." He responded.
Derek sighed, stood up and began to in.
Midway, he turned back and saw the gateman run his hand on the smooth sleek outline of the car. Derek grinned and walked in.
The house was eerily quiet and every lazy step he took, echoed in the dead house.
When he approached the sitting room, he breathed deeply and smiled.
He was home.
On the table was a note, he picked it up and looked at it.
It read;
Derek, I went to the bank to withdraw some money so I might not be around when you come in. I know you must be hungry and tired considering the fact that you chose to drive here. I have brought egusi soup from the freezer. It's in the kitchen and I believe it should be defrosted by the time you arrive.
Derek tittered and dropped the note.
He was dead tired to eat and so he walked into his room.
The moment he walked into his room, he threw himself on his bed. His room smelt of lavender and his bed had been neatly arranged.
After thirteen hours drive from Zaria to Portharcourt, his entire body ached and all he needed now was to get out of the dust filled clothes, have a bath and sleep and that was he got.
Six hours later, Derek woke up to the sound of someone in the room. He slowly opened his eyes and allow it adjust to the brightness of the room.
It did not take long for him to feel the presence of someone in the bedroom with him. Someone who was chuckling.
He quickly turned to the direction of the sound to meet Dozie, his best friend on the other side of the bed, watching a movie with his headphones plugged.
He was surprised and tapped him. Dozie chuckled, paused the movie and removed the headphones. "Doctor Derek Onoja, why do you look like you've seen a ghost?" he asked.
Derek pushed the bed sheets that had clung to him aside. "when did you come in?" he asked.
Dozie pressed his lips into a thin line and pretended to think. "I think about one hour ago." he replied, checking his wristwatch. "I met you snoring and did not want to wake you up."
"Snoring," Derek chuckled. "You and I both know I don't snore."
Dozie raised his hands in agreement.
"Wait, is that my laptop?" Derek asked.
"Yes of course." Dozie replied. "I had to get busy because I did not want to die of boredom."
Derek shook his head and sighed. Typical Dozie.
Everyone knew that Derek and Dozie had been friends right from their high school days till now. They attended the same church and served in the maintenance unit.
"The Dee." Dozie hailed. "The Dee my guy."
Derek folded his arms and stared at him. "What do you want?" he asked.
"Do you have any food in this house?" Dozie asked rummaging the room with his gaze. "I'm hungry."
"Check the kitchen. My father told me there was egusi soup."
"Egusi soup?" Dozie nearly screamed. "Now bro, that's what we're talking about." he replied and darted from the room.
Derek giggled and looked into the laptop. Dozie had been watching Avengers endgame.
Minutes later, Dozie came in with two plates of soup and eba and two bottles of chilled water. He washed his hands in the bathroom sink, sat down and begin to eat.
Derek joined him.
"How is school treating you?" Dozie asked.
"Med school is tasking but the Lord is my strength." Derek replied with a sigh.
The room became silent and the movie played. Dozie shut down the laptop with his left hand. "This food is so delicious, who cooked abeg?" Dozie asked
Derek shrugged. "My father says there's a new housekeeper, he says she cooks well."
"Very well." Dozie complimented. "Is this your new housekeeper available to cook for me?" Dozie asked rhetorically.
"Ask Ronke to cook and bring for you." Derek replied.
Dozie guffawed. "Why do I feel attacked?"
Derek smiled.
"I can't wait to be coming to good homemade meals like this. I am tired of ordering meals." he said.
Derek snickered. "That would mean you'll be marrying for food."
Dozie stopped eating and looked at him.
"What?" Derek asked puzzled. "Why are you looking at me?"
"Please tell me you have a woman in your life now"
Derek sighed and shook his head. "I don't want to talk about woman matter." he replied.
"The Dee." Dozie laughed. "You are not serious right?"
"I am," Derek replied. "I don't want to talk about woman matter because I haven't served God in the way I want to."
"And you think marriage will prevent you?" Dozie asked.
Derek sat, his back against the bed. "I don't know, I'm so scared." Derek replied, running his hand over his face. "I want.... I need a woman who fears, loves and serves God but Dozie such women are hard to come by these days. The ones I know are only after my looks, money and affluence and they bring absolutely nothing to the table." he replied.
"What about Olivia?" Dozie suggested. "Olivia loves God and her father is a pastor. The girl likes you for real and her family is wealthy. I'm sure she isn't for the money."
Olivia was the last daughter of the pastor in their local church. She served in the choir unit was a very devoted member in their youth group.
Derek tittered. "Olivia is like my baby sister. it's what I see her as and what she will ever be."
Dozie shook his head. "Your matter choke."
Derek chuckled. "When will you propose to Ronke?" he asked.
Dozie breathed deeply. "I don't know. I'm scared bro, I don't know if she'll accept to marry me."
"You can only try. You won't die." Derek suggested. "I think she really loves you though."
Dozie laughed sardonically. "What does a singleton like you know about love?" he asked. "What?"
Derek laughed and Dozie joined too. That was Dozie, always bringing humour to every discussion. No matter how serious it felt.
Dozie stopped laughing and open his mouth to speak. "When I was coming in, I saw a new car." Dozie spoke. "Did you buy a car?" he asked.
"Ah. Yes oh. That one I told you about." Derek replied.
"The one from the online vendors?" he asked.
"Yes, I boug-"
"Derek I warned you. Those guys are not reliable."
"I told you I trusted them." Derek replied.
"Did you not pray before buying the car?"
"I don't need to pray over everything when all I have a brain to think."
"A brain?" Dozie asked. "Derek what do you think God meant when He instructed us not to lean on our own understanding?"
Derek was dumbfounded. A part of him wanted to tell Dozie that he was right and that the car had been developing faults but he was ashamed.
"Dozie, I-"
"Derek." they were interrupted by a familiar male voice.
Derek turned towards the direction of the voice to meet the eyes of his father.
****
Derek's long moments of genuflecting was cut short the moment the mechanic turned on the ignition of his car and the engine roared to life, he turned towards the direction of the sound watched as the driver drove the car into the garage and came out again.
A rain drop fell on his nose, he wiped it off and looked up. Dark clouds were looming and threatening rain.
Port Harcourt.
He checked time on his wristwatch. It was past one pm. He couldn't get soaked in the rain.
"How is the car now?" he asked the mechanic.
"Oga, your car is in good shape now," the mechanic smiled, revealing his brown teeth. "e no go ever spoil again."
"Are you sure?" Derek asked, placing emphasis on the last word. Two weeks ago when the car had developed a fault for the second time and he had gone to a different mechanic, that was what they had told him.
"I cannot lie to you oga. Na me be the best mechanic wey dey for this town. This is the last bus stop for all your car needs I swear. Ask around." The mechanic boasted.
To prove his point, the mechanic went into the car and began to drive. He drove towards the road and swerved to the nearest street, the dust stirred as he sped by.
Derek nodded, satisfied the car was in good shape and could only hope it lasted, unlike the other one but deep down, he was very disturbed.
Three weeks ago, when he was in Samaru campus of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria under the blazing sun, his heart internally bursting in happiness of a big gig he had gotten when he had fallen into a trance.
In his trance, he saw himself in an orphanage home preaching to the children and handing gifts to them. When he fell out of the trance, he knew immediately that God wanted him to use the money he had gotten to visit the orphanage.
That had made him very sad because he wanted a car badly. In all his years as a Blockchain and crypto currency trader, he had hit the biggest gig ever and he was determined to buy a car in order to crown his efforts.
He had not listened to God but went online and ordered a car. It was the latest Camry TRD and it's price very cheap because they were on promo sales compared to the price from other offline vendors.
He had not listened to his father and friend who warned him against buying a car online when he presented the matter to them and that no matter what, most of them were frauds and could not be trusted.
And now every week, the car developed a new fault. Three weeks ago, the alternator had failed, two weeks ago, the bonnet had spoilt and today, the brakes were squeaking and giving warning signs of a looming failure. Plagued with the awareness of this, he quickly went to repair it.
The mechanic drove back, stepped on the brakes and the car came to a full halt.
"You see?" the mechanic smiled and spread his arms in happiness immediately he stepped out of the car.
Derek nodded and brought some fresh mint naira notes from his pocket and began to count.
"Oga, your money fresh like you." he complimented as he glanced at Derek with a smile.
Derek did not know how to reply to such comments. It was something he was still trying to get used to even after the twenty eight years of his existence on earth.
His anthill colour skin was always the centre of attraction wherever he went. On the flip side, he detested it but was now begining to accept it due to the fact that everything God had made was perfectly made.
He handed the notes over to him, walked into his car and slowly drove away. He turned his car's stereo on. The station was on commercial break and jingles were on. He turned it off and turned his air-conditioner and music on.
He nodded his head as Buchi's mma-mma played.
The road was relatively free but tiny. Several buses and trailers were parked on the roadside such that it became tinier.
He sighed. Nigerians!
As he drove, he felt the strong urge to pray but he shoved it off because right now, he was avoiding God, not when he was sure he had disobeyed God.
His phone began to ring, he stared at it to to see the caller's identity. It was Olivia.
His heart did a flop when he saw her name. He sighed and breathed deeply, he had not yet informed her he was back even after three days of his arrival.
"Hey," he chuckled, it was forced and brief. "How are you?" he asked as he tried to turn of the music of the car.
From the other end of the phone he could hear Olivia hiss and say. "Derek I am not happy with you." her voice was accusatory. "You came back home and never informed me of your presence. Do you know how painful it was to hear it from Dozie? I thought we were friends. Why-"
The rest of her voice became inaudible immediately he spotted a lady crossing the road. The road was calm and solitary so his car was on a high speed. He horned continuously and tried to reduce his speed but his car was getting nearer to the lady. She didn't even seem to hear the horn, she just walked slowly.
The speed did not reduce, one look at the speedometer made him know it had developed a fault too. He tried to apply his brakes but they failed. He sighed exasperatedly and hit his hand in the steering in frustration.
"Lord, if you save my life I'll abandon this car and visit the orphanage, I promise." he whispered to the Heavens.
"Derek are you there?" Olivia asked, she was crying.
The lady on the road suddenly turned and stared at his approaching car with widened frightened eyes. He moped at her scared and confused. She was too beautiful to die, at least not yet.
"Derek." Olivia called again. "What's happening? Please talk to me." she pleaded. He ran his hand over his head in frustration and ended the call. He needed to concentrate.
His tires screeched on the tarmac and headed for a dangerous collision with the lady. He shook his head and swerved right towards a parked bus by the roadside while prayed silently to the heavens and watch his life flash before him. He silently prayed.
God forgive my sins and shortcomings. Please grant me entry into heaven when I finally die.
The car veered towards the direction of the parked car and hit it with a strong force. Derek groaned as he felt a sharp pain in his arm which was followed by a warm trickle of crimson. He placed his head on the steering as he felt the world close in on him.
He didn't die.
****
Jane wiped her swollen eyes with the tenth tissue paper that Phoebe handed over to her. She sniffed as fresh rivulets of tears ran down her eyes.
"You would have told me the truth." Phoebe whispered. "I would have been willing to help you spill the truth and it wouldn't have been this worse."
Jane wailed.
Phoebe patted her back. "When I told you not to check your Facebook, I knew it would lead to this."
"Dave will pay for this. I will kill him I promise." Jane cried. "For putting me into shame and ridicule." she sniveled.
It had been two days ago since the entire Facebook fiasco but the wound was still as fresh as ever. She had never imagined Dave would do this to her.
These days, she could barely go outside without donning a baby face cut wig or caking her face with excess makeup that hid her identity.
"Nobody is killing anybody Jane," Phoebe sighed and handed her another tissue paper. "Lay low for now and this will pass too."
"It doesn't look like it's going to end anytime soon. It's not everytime someone posts nudes on fb but when they do. It goes viral."
"It's okay Jane. Facebook took this post down already." Phoebe spoke and rubbed her back.
"But that doesn't delete the ones in their gallery," Jane cried. "I am doomed."
"No," Phoebe shook her head. "You are not doomed."
Jane cried more. "I don't want to live again. I want to die."
Phoebe hugged her and patted her back. "Don't say that. You will live, take care of Junoir, watch him grow and take care of you. You will fulfill your days on earth. Okay."
"My world is crumbling, I thought Dave loved me and he'd accept Junoir when I told him the truth." She sniffed. "He claimed he would never hurt me, he told me I was his everything."
Phoebe sighed. "That is man for you. Man will fail promises."
Ever since that day, Dave's line never went through again. She had called him, texted too but they never got through to him.
When she tried calling with Phoebe's phone, he had picked on the second ring but hung up immediately he heard her voice.
She had sent a quick text that said.
Dave you will rot in hell (if there is one) and if there isn't, karma will hurt you and you won't die well.
He never responded and his silence killed her more.
Three days passed by and she stayed in her room all day sulking and listening to sad songs. She called in sick at work Phoebe volunteered to do the task of taking and bringing Junoir back from school everyday.
She barely cooked. Did not brush or bathe and cried all day. Junoir stared at her all day and said nothing, he looked starved of attention and good food except crackers and noodles.
On the days he couldn't take it, he cried.
One day Phoebe barged into the house and met her lying wornout on the bed and listening to a song by Taylor Swift.
She shook her head and said. "I don't know what you think you are doing to yourself but please do not starve the boy of food, your love and attention. Junoir needs you now than ever."
That day, Phoebe had carried Junoir to her house, bathed and fed him. She prepared him for school the following day and by afternoon when it was past dismissal, she said to Jane. "I cannot carry Junoir from school today. Sorry, I have a case in court tomorrow and I need to pray and prepare well for it. I cannot lose."
That day, Jane hurried to his school as she plotted many ways to kill Dave in her mind. She did not know that a car was coming. She did not hear the horning or screeching of the vehicle.
She thought about her life. "Ah I have seen shege in this my life," she cried. "but none surpasses this."
She had been walking and was lost in thoughts that she had not realized that she was crossing the road and that a vehicle was approaching with a high speed.
When she turned and saw the approaching car, she stood transfixed and too afraid to move. The car swerved and headed towards a parked bus by the road side.
He hit the vehicle with full force and for many minutes that she stared at the scene, she thought he had died until she saw a young man coming out and clutching his bleeding arm.
She stared at him for a moment, and suddenly the young man metamorphosed into Dave in her mind.
Dave was staring at her with a bashed car and bleeding arm.
Dave had sat on the floor, holding his bleeding arm and was gritting in pain.
But Dave was not dead.
Jane was angry with the fact that he had not died after what he had done to her and so she hissed and asked.
"Why didn't you die?"