It was around 6pm when Kalu returned from Rosaline's place.
He had immersed himself so deeply in the love world. And finally known how it felt to be in love.
He had been subjected to a great emotional torment all this while searching for Rose, now he had found her and she had accepted him, that alone was enough for him for nothing is as refreshing to a man's soul as an answered prayer or the discovery of something dear.
It won't be long again before he would be settled and become a boss of his own.
He had started dreaming of how he would get married to Rosaline once he was settled without wasting time.
The question of, if Rose could be his father seemed to be cleared now, though a minute doubt still lingered.
Not long after he had gone inside the house Abuchi returned.
Abuchi had brought some food and soft drink that were given to each of them as a takeaway package at the burial, so he came to Kalu's room to hand them over to him.
Kalu had been the first beneficiary of such gifts, only what he rejected could go to others, anyone he wished to give.
He hadn't washed the bedsheet he removed early that morning, he didn't even care to replace it with the spare one, the foam was still bare and unkempt.
He had been struck with laziness that resulted from over-excitement as soon as he got home.
The thought of the day's event with Rosaline had taken all the space in his mind.
"Why are you lying on a bare foam without the bedsheet? Abuchi mentioned en passantly while enquiring how his day had been.
He had forgotten to knock first before entering the room so he caught Kalu unaware lying on the untidy bed.
"I removed the bedsheet, I wanted to wash it" replied Kalu.
"You wanted to wash it by this time, where you not at home since morning?" he questioned like he had been informed about his movement.
Kalu was fast to give a response that question.
"I was at home but I didn't remember to wash it earlier" he lied.
"Well that's your business" Abuchi shrugged "take!" dropping the take away bag on the small stool beside the bed and left the room.
He was so tired from the heavy stress of the burial that all he cared about was just to take his bath and relax.
Kalu rushed at the bag immediately, he was famished then, for he hadn't taken anything apart from the bottle of Coke he took while he was with Rosaline.
He pounced on the plate of rice and the can of soft drink that was in the bag and dismantled them in no time.
After he had finished attending to his stomach, he then went to the bathroom to wash the clothes he had soaked, he didn't have the strength to do it but he must do it for no one would do it for him.
He lied on the bed after he was through with all he had to do for the day.
He was thinking of how to schedule his movement the next day.
Visiting Rosaline was sure no one could dispute that. But that question the customer who directed him to the spiritualist asked the other day, was still ringing Bell in his mind.
" Has your friend gone to show his appreciation?" the customer had asked.
Kalu knew that showing appreciation was the right thing to do now that his desire had been fulfilled.
If not for the spiritualist, he would still be wandering in a vain hope, and would never have peace of mind.
"Just in case of next time." the customer had added.
Though it seemed for now that his business with the spiritualist was over but an unanticipated matter could still take him back to the place who knows.
There was an African adage which was always quoted by his mother that said ' The dog that forgot who provided shelter for it during the rainy season just because the rainy season was over, was a foolish dog because it had forgotten that there would always be a rainy season.'
part of the numerous lessons about morals which he had learnt from his parents was to always show appreciation to whatever help that was rendered to him no matter how little and never to undermine his moral construct.
One could argue that there was no help rendered to him by the spiritualist since he paid for the service that was provided to him.
But Kalu considered it a great help for though he paid money, he wasn't charged any particular amount he was simply asked to drop any amount he felt like dropping.
He knew that there were many other spiritualists that would charge for their service without rendering that service by the end of the day and they would never refund your money instead they would fabricate a story that would lay the whole blame on you.
And those types of spiritualists are like sand at the sea shore.
The next day would be a Sunday which wasn't part of the spiritualist's visiting day.
On the other hand it was the only day he could be chanced to make the visit.
"Since the house is his office and also his place of residence, is better i just go and give him what i have for appreciation... am not going for consultation, it's just for a casual visit" he suggested to himself.
He went to his small wooden safe which was hidden in the wardrobe and carefully brought out the whole money in it to know how much he had left.
After he had straightened and calculated the whole money he realized that it was five thousand naira in total.
The money was more than enough to take care of the transportation to anywhere he needed to go and take care of any other thing in mind.
He placed the whole money in the pocket of the trouser he was going to wear the next day.
He had already arranged the clothes he was going to put and had them ironed for the next day, he wouldn't want to waste any time once he was ready to go.
He thought about those disparities he observed from the face of the Rosaline he met and the Rose that visited him in his dreams.
He wished he could see the Rose again in dream that night so that he could be able to assess the face properly.
"It could be because of dream that was why she appeared more beautiful" he thought.
The next day, he woke so early and started making his plans for the day.
"I have to go and see the spiritualist before John comes to visit me.. I would like him to go with me to see Rose, I can't wait to introduce my beautiful baby to him, the most beautiful girl in the whole wide world" he smiled.
After he was through with the morning chores, he quietly got prepared and was monitoring Abuchi who was still seated in the sitting room to leave the sitting room before he could go out for there was no other way to get to the outside except passing through the sitting room door.
The way Abuchi relaxed in the sitting room it was like he wasn't going anywhere that day.
Or even if he would be going out, it would be much later in the day.
Kalu didn't need any question from anyone while leaving the house because there will be no genuine answer to give.
On a second thought he identified that it was necessary he let John know he wasn't around so that he won't come and look for him later in the day.
He needed to leave the false impression that he was in John's house in case anyone looked for him or noticed that he had left the house.
He prayed in his heart that Abuchi should go back to his room.
He needed to leave in time so that he could be able to come back early to visit Rosaline.
He paced around his room with his head protruding once in a while from his door in peep to check if Abuchi was still seated in the sitting room.
It was almost twelve before Abuchi finally left the sitting room and went back to his room. That was after the news was over.
Kalu quickly sneaked out of his room closing the door gently to avoid unnecessary noise and tiptoed out of the house like a prisoner escaping from the prison while the guards in charge were fast asleep.
He went straight to John's house to let him know that he was not at home.
John was so inquisitive about his whereabout and Kalu knew that he needed to tell fabricate a story, any story at all so that he could stop the pestering.
He lied to him that he was sent to an important errand by Abuchi his uncle. The story almost got choked for John willing volunteered to accompany him but he was fast enough to come up with a suitable excuse claiming that the errand was confidential and the uncle had warned him not to go with anyone.
Abuchi had delayed him enough he couldn't bear any more delay, so he left John as he was still busy with his questions.
He promised him that he would be back in no time so that he could accompany him to a special place.
"Make sure you come back in time o!" John shouted as Kalu hurried towards the bus stop.
John never wanted to miss that Sunday's outing with him, that was all he was trying to secure.
It took a while before the door could be opened, after Kalu had knocked for a long time and was about to give up with the conclusion that no one was inside, in the house of the spiritualist.
The door was then opened by a little boy whom he hadn't seen for the first time.
Though there was no introduction between them, but from the facial look of the boy, there was no way he could escape being the son of the spiritualist.
The little boy simply told him that his father wasn't at home without caring to know what he had come for.
Kalu was standing reasoning if he should drop the envelope that contained the two thousand naira he had brought for the appreciation when the little boy hastely jammed the door at his face.
The boy was hurrying like he was trying to escape from a kidnapper or he had something that was about to burn on fire.
But at his age it was very clear that no one could allow him close to the kitchen let alone putting something on fire.
"It could be that he is watching a cartoon" Kalu thought, for those children could gladly skip a full day meal than to miss a single scene of cartoon.
If the boy were to be his little brother, he would have given him a good spank for such a rude behavior. But he could also understand that the quality of home training differed in every home.
He knew that he couldn't leave the envelope with the small boy, there was no way the boy could deliver any message that he would leave with him in a clear and understandable way.
But he needed to inquire from him if his father was normally at home on Sundays so that he could know if he should come back the next Sunday or rather if there was a bigger person at home that he could leave a message with.
As he was about to leave, he noticed a human figure standing right at his back, he was so surprised to know that it's the spiritualist as he turned.
"Is it that he appears and disappears." he wondered.
"I don't attend to people on Sundays!" the spiritualist roared thinking that kalu had come for consultation.
Kalu almost got angry with the manner he talked to him, and wanted to leave immediately without giving him the envelope.
But on a second thought, he decided to overlook his rude behavior and still presented the envelope to him. He could now understand why his little son behaved the way he just did.
"I just came to show appreciation for the work you have already done." he replied gently.
On seeing the envelope the face of the spiritualist that initially folded in frown gradually unfolds in a lavish smile.
He collected the envelope from Kalu and then invited him in, for him to explain to him how his prayer was answered and how he came to find the Rose.
After the little boy who had opened the door initially came to open it again, that was when Kalu believed that the spiritualist didn't appear as he had earlier imagined and followed him inside.
Had the door opened by itself, he wouldn't have doubted his imagination.
As Kalu narrated the way the discovery went to the spiritualist, he was doing it in a hurry so that he could be able to meet up with visiting Rosaline.
But as he was about to go, he remembered something that had been bothering him that he had wanted to ask the spiritualist about the visitation of his father.
Although he had already believed his intuition and from the way things played out after he had seen Rosaline face to face, that Rosaline was a different person from his father.
He used the opportunity of the spiritualist giving him an audience to chip in the question.
The spiritualist loosened the tiny speck of doubt that was still hanging by telling him after raising his head for sometime in incantation that Rosaline didn't in any way possess the spirit of his father.
He was glad to hear that and he left immediately after the spiritualist had said a little prayer for him for coming to show appreciation.
It was already time when he normally hanged out with John on Sundays.
And John had already dressed up and was waiting for him so that they could go to that special place he had mentioned before he left.
John almost wanted to go to Kalu's house to check if he had come back, forgetting that Kalu had told him not to go and check on him at home before he sighted Kalu from far hurrying back to his place.
John walked to meet him on the way instead of waiting for him to come close since they would be heading back to that same bus stop he was coming from, and they set out to Rosaline's place at once.
Rosaline had been outside the compound waiting for him.
She was already prepared to go out with him as soon as he arrived since he was not comfortable with going inside the house the previous day that he visited.
As she set her eyes on him, her heart exploded with joy. For her doubt was now cleared. She had been doubting if Kalu would be able to make it.
As Kalu was approaching the compound she ran to him at once on the way and hugged him holding him so tightly.
John whom he never told that the special place they were going was to visit a girl, was surprised to see a girl hugging him, a girl he had not seen before.
John stood speechless admiring the beauty of Rose. " Kalu has never mentioned to me that he has a sister here in Lagos" he wondered.
Kalu and Rose was lost in greeting that they forgot that John was standing by the side like a chick left behind by the mother hen.
It was as they were on their way to the same eatery they had chilled out the previous day, which was suggested again by Rosaline, that it occurred to Kalu that he came with someone.
He rendered a humble apology to John and made a formal introduction between him and Rosaline.
John was not just amazed to hear that the girl was Kalu's girlfriend he was shocked as well to see how intimate they had been.
For the first time that his friend would introduce a girl to him as his girlfriend. Kalu that had always been against the idea of keeping a girl friend. "How come the sudden change" he kept wondering.
They all proceeded to the eatery with John blending with them in the conversation like they had all known one another for long.
This time in the eatery, Rosaline was not ashamed to request for what she wanted.
They were seated at a table having fun, with cups of ice cream and hamburgers all round.
Rosaline was seated beside Kalu this time, and they were holding each other across the shoulder from time to time, while John was seated opposite them.
As they were about to go, after they were through with the snacks and had spent a little time together, Kalu summoned the courage to kiss her lips. And John was astonished by the act.
He never believed that Kalu had got to that level with girls. "That means he had been hiding somethings from me" he thought clearing his throat in an attempt to inform Kalu that he was taking notice of what was going on.
After Rosaline had saw them off to the bus stop and the two of them were inside a bus, John began to express his surprise to Kalu.
Kalu now took time to explain to him about the girl and how they had come to meet.
John was amazed to know that she was the same girl that Kalu once told him about that was visiting him in his dreams. He could remember how he dismissed the discussion telling Kalu that it was only a dream.
John kept contemplating on the mystery behind the whole situation with the girl. It was something extra ordinary.
That same night, when Kalu had slept, the father visited him in his dream again.
The father met him at the same joint he had met him the last time.
This time around, from his facial expression, he wasn't that happy.
He warned Kalu with all seriousness about falling in love with Rosaline.
"Make sure you don't fall in love with that girl, Rosaline, because she is not the girl I have prepared for you..." he warned.
He left immediately after he had said those words without waiting to entertain any question from Kalu.
Kalu was seated Wondering what his father meant by those words when he suddenly woke up.
It was almost 5pm as his look was directed towards the clock.
He lied still on the bed for he was weak from the message of the dream.
He kept meditating on those words of his father. Wondering what he meant by saying that he shouldn't fall in love with Rosaline.
A girl he had already fallen for, right from the first day. After all the prophet had assured him that Rosaline had nothing to do with the spirit of his father.
To Kalu, his father was just crying over a spilt milk. It's too late to stop loving Rosaline. "Why didn't he give the warning all this while that I was searching for the girl.. why now that I have already found her.."
He tried as much as he could not to get bothered by those words of his father as he went about his daily activities.
Clara was alarmed to find Alex lying beside her on the bed as she woke up at the middle of the night.
She raised herself to a sitting position, the effect of the alcohol seemed to have cleared from her eyes. "Who gave him the permission to spend the night here?" she questioned inwardly as her eye lids fluttered in a rude manner at the sprawled figure of Alex.
"Let it not be that he tried anything stupid with me cause I am going to kill him" She assessed her body to see if Alex had taken advantage of her.
"He is so lucky he didn't try any rubbish with me" she murmured after she was sure that her virginity was still intact.
She raised her hand in submission to the urge to wake him up but on a second thought, she decided to let him be till day break for he was fast asleep and it was five minutes past 3am by the time.
"It is inhumane to send someone out by this time" she thought. "let me just allow him to sleep."
She went to the rest to relieve herself. Bolting the door inside to ensure that Alex could not mistakingly walk in on her in the rest room.
She lied down after she had come back shifting farther away and placing a pillow at the middle of them to ensure that there was no way no matter how he rolled, there would be body contact between them. And she slept off again after sometime.
It was 6am when Alex finally woke up. He stared at the face of Clara who was still sleeping contemplating whether to wake her and inform her that he wanted to go home or to relax and allow her wake at her own convenient time.
It was a weekend and a work free day so there was no need of rushing back home.
He decided not to disturb her so that she could have enough of the sleep.
After about thirty minutes,Clara opened her eyes again.
This time she discovered that Alex was already awake, standing by the window side staring outside at early morning stars as they gradually disappeared with the emergence of the bright morning sky that depicted the sun rise.
Clara gave a loud yawn in an attempt to inform Alex that she was awake. And her message was properly noted by Alex who turned to face her at once.
The frown on her face as her gaze met with that of Alex was deep enough to be noticed by a blind man.
Alex knowing what was already on her mind was the first to greet her and she mumbled in response.
Before she could ask the question on her mind, Alex had started explaining why he spent the night.
She was able to see the good intentions in his explanations.
The face slowly began to brighten up.
"Thank you" she said in appreciation.
"you are welcome!" replied Alex with a warm smile in his face. He then gained the confidence to introduce more discussion.
"I hope you slept well? " he inquired.
"Good!" she replied. But she wasn't really in a mood for further discussion so she closed her eyes pretending to be still sleepy.
Alex needed to tell her that he wanted to be on his way before she would get deep into this second round of sleep.
"Let me be on my way!" he said.
Clara opened her eyes at once at that comment.
It occurred to her at that time that she heard Alex mentioned something about her sister last night.
Though she was battling with the seduction of the alcoholic wine that she took but she was sure about what she heard.
She needed to be clear about what she heard concerning Rose.
Alex took his wallet which had fallen on the bed from his pocket while he was sleeping. And as he opened the door and was about to step outside.
"Alex!" Clara called gently.
Alex paused as he heard his name, he refused to turn at once, he wanted to be sure that it was his name that was called.
"Alex!!" repeated Clara who understood that he needed a second call.
This time Alex turned to face her.
"please come" she pleaded.
Alex came back inside the room, standing by the bed side staring directly at her face to read every reaction on it.
"please seat down" she appealed with a welcoming expression.
Alex got seated on the bed.
Clara began by appreciating him once again for sleeping over just for her safety.
Then she went straight to the issue of Rose which was what she was craving to hear.
Clara was overwhelmed as Alex affirmed what she thought she heard last night.
She had been contemplating if what Alex just said about believing what she told him about Rose was real or if she had been molested by hallucination.
She pouted inorder to conceal her joy but little did she know that the puffed cheek that accompanied the pout doing a lot in exposing her feelings the more.
She was amazed at the sudden change of mind that Alex had exhibited, at least for the first time that someone would believe her story about Rose.
Though she was still not totally convinced about the sudden turn around but it was a good start at least.
She was lost in words and didn't know what to say to him.
"Thank you!" Finally escaped her lips after she had taken a deep breath.
" you are welcome replied Alex.
He got on his feet once again to go, from the look in Clara's eyes, he understood that she wanted him to stay.
But he had to go, for he needed to take his bath.
Clara was lost in words, he wanted him to continue but didn't know how to tell him. Moreover from Alex reaction it was clear that he needed to go.
As he opened the door the second time to leave, Clara succeeded in breaking the speech barrier.
"Alex" she called.
Alex turned once again to look at her face.
"Please could you come later in the day or maybe tomorrow?" she requested humbly.
"I will try" replied Alex, then he walked out of the room and jammed the door behind him.
Alex knew that he had finally won. for the first time Clara had demanded a visit from him.
He was puffed with delight and smiled to himself as he walked to the the road to board a taxi.