I woke up the next day feeling strangely Zen. Today, I would be taking a very huge step in my investigation. If someone had told me that the demise of my best friend would have gotten me to something as bold and daring as this, I would have laughed them off.
Like I stated before, I was introverted which clearly meant I never shared things with people except if I felt very comfortable with them, but that didn't stop me from following my dream of being a presenter, from reading Mass Communication.
I had always loved the way radio and TV presenters expressed themselves on air that I went ahead to read it despite my timid nature. I got a job after I left Uni, as a radio presenter for Cool FM, a trending radio station in Lagos. I ran the evening handle, but due to Chioma's demise, my manager gave me a month off to recuperate.
I popped open my laptop and checked my inbox. One message from Samuel.
Okay, see you tomorrow.
I replied Rex, telling him were to meet and I gave him my cell number. I had a bath and packed my hair into a bun after blow-drying it, selected a black T-shirt, black denims and black sneakers. I was mourning. I patted cream onto my face and put on my lipgloss. I packed my phone, my ATM card into my purse as I went downstairs.
I saw my mom in the kitchen and told her that I was headed out and I would eat out. She looked at me with worry filled eyes and hugged me placing a kiss on my cheek. She knew better than to stop me. I was a very determined person. When I wanted something, I got it.
"Stay strong okay?" She whispered. I nodded. Dad had gone to work and Kelechi might still be asleep. I took a bus to Kilimanjaro to see Samuel.
~~~~~~~
_Rex_
Okay, meet me at Kilimanjaro by 1. This is my cell no 0802xxxx451.
I smiled and texted back a reply.
Okay see you then.
I relaxed back in bed thinking about the only girl I ever thought about. Funny right? You would think that a handsome, rich biracial guy like me would have girls on my mind every time, but I hate to break it to you, it's only one girl, one lady; Chidinma Lillian Madu.
I've loved her ever since I came to Stars International High School in Ss1. I had been living in Nigeria for two years then after coming to my Fatherland from Britain.
I had been having problems at my former school, always lashing out at my classmates due to the anger I compiled after my parents breakup when I was in Britain. My Mom made me leave with my Dad. I felt betrayed.
When I got admitted, girls literally threw themselves at me at any slight chance, but Chidinma was reserved and kept to herself. Being part British, I got a kind of special treatment from everyone excluding her. She treated me the way she'd treat anyone else.
Now that should have put me off, but instead I became interested in her.
Before you know it, I and her had already become an item, and I told her things I never told anyone else including family. She was my rock and I loved her, loved the fire in her no one else saw. And to top it all off, she was a natural beauty; kinky hair, full lips, mesmerizing eyes and a nice figure.
But then, she ended us in Ss3. I knew it was for a good cause, but it got to me and I felt betrayed all over again, all my vices came washing over me like a wave.
The last time I saw her was at our grad party looking so beautiful. After that, I cut off every connection with her, telling myself it was for the best. But I was simply deceiving myself.
Then, all the issues I had suffered before in the past came back with a stronger force, making me do things I now regret. Things that made me want her back more than ever.
Then, I decided to show up at the party, and as I danced with her in my arms, I knew my heart belonged to only one person.
But she was hurting now. I needed to be there for her. I was seeing her this afternoon.
~~~~~~
I walked into the restaurant. It was 11:30. Samuel hadn't shown up. The restaurant was noisy and filled with people. Fireboy's 'Vibration' was playing in the background. I ordered a plate of beans and dodo as I turned my data connection on. So many condolence messages were pouring into my phone via social media; my classmates, course mates, even people from work.
So many pictures of Chioma were posted on their Instagram pages, with people describing how much they missed her, how beautiful she was, how much she helped them, how much they hated..Wait! What?!!
Furiously, I tapped on the offending comment.
"Thank God! The bitch is dead.
Always intimidating the rest of us with her oversabi manner. Ashawo! I couldn't have wished for anything better..🙄😈"
I banged my fist on the table in fury earning my self a bruise. Why were internet trolls so mean and senseless; I mean even after she died? I tapped the person's profile. It was a lady by the alias
Oby bekee💋💖
She looked very fake, with eyelashes that made her resemble witch. She was the one who looked like an Ashawo. She had just earned herself a space on my list of possible murder suspects.
I was still staring at the stupid lady when I heard my name.
"Chidinma?" I looked up to see a ghost of Samuel.
Lord! I had never seen him like this before. He looked torn, broken, turned inside out. Eye bags were under his eyes which were hollow and filled with a deep sadness. He looked five years older than his twenty-six. It was eating him up. He seemed to have grown a stubble in two days, his hair was awry, and he looked like he thrown anything his hand touched in his wardrobe on.
He was falling apart.
I put my hand on his and squeezed, communicating with him without words. He gave me a weak smile. It couldn't have been him. Samuel loved Chioma with all his heart. I ordered something for him.
"Thank you." He mouthed. We proceeded to eat in silence. Then I broke it.
"Samuel can I ask you something?" He nodded.
"What happened that night?"
I saw him ball his fists. He jammed his eyes shut as a dark cloud came over his face. I proceeded to putting my hand on his again, gently squeezing, reassuring.
"You can tell me, I feel the same way too" I whispered.
He inhaled and a tear slid down his face. I had never seen a guy cry before, it was unnerving.
He put his hand in his trousers pocket and brought something out. I couldn't make out what it was, all I knew was that it had a glint. He flipped it in the air and caught it. He placed it at the back of his other hand. When he opened it, I gasped at what I saw.
"I wanted to propose to her y'know." He said with a sadness filled voice. I smiled as tears popped out of my eyes. It was the most beautiful ring I had ever seen. It was a simple band with an emerald in the middle.
"I wanted it to be so romantic, like in the movies when..when the lady comes across the ring in her food or drink. So I offered to go and get her something to eat. I took my time, executing my plan perfectly."
He sighed staring at the coca cola table mat under his plate. His eye were glazed, his voice shaky, he still looked so hopelessly in love.
"That was my plan...when she saw it in the champagne, I would get down on one knee and say the words." I squeezed his hand again.
"Chioma would have loved that. She would have loved it a lot." He smiled a sad smile. And then his face was serious again.
"I came back to see people crowded at the door of the patio, I was worried so I made my way to the front..and saw my baby, my Chioma..she..she was gone."
He stuttered his voice was filled with seething rage and saddness.
"That must have been after I fainted."
I asked. He nodded.
"I was broken, it broke me..I didn't know what to feel..I was just confused, numb. I got into my car and drove with no destination, that's when a police car flagged me down and an officer said he wanted to take me in for questioning..they think I did it Dinma, how could they think I killed the love of my life?"
The tears were spilling uncontrollably from his eyes now and was shaking all over from anger. The police suspect him because he was the last person seen with Chioma before she was found dead. But for me, all doubts had fled. Samuel wasn't the killer, he couldn't be.
I got up from my seat and went to his side to comfort him. People were staring but I didn't care. I wiped his tears with my cloth. I was shocked when I heard his voice again.
"Do you think it was me Dinma?" I shook my head and smiled sadly.
"No, I don't. You love Chi too much to do that." He smiled, as he squeezed my hands.
"Stay strong okay? Chioma wouldn't have wanted you like this..."
I said tearing up. He squeezed my hand again and nodded.
We spent the rest of the hour talking about Chioma's parents and how they were taking it. Chi's burial ceremony was a sore issue. It was a taboo for parents to bury their children.
I escorted Samuel to his car when he was leaving and hugged him telling him to be strong.
And then, I went back into the restaurant to await Rex.
~~~~~~
He came at exactly 1. I saw him at the doors of the restaurant and waved him over to were I was seated. As he lazily walked towards me I took a moment to take him in.
He wore black denims, a biro blue T-shirt and black leather jacket. His hair still looked as soft as it was back then in school. He looked so built with a lean musculature.
He took his seat opposite me as he got to my table. I smiled. We were quiet for a while. He looked at me with worry in his beautiful brown eyes, searching my entire face.
"Are you okay?"
He asked his deep voice husky with concern. I just smiled again and nodded. He took my hand that was lying carelessly on the table. A warmth passed through me as his skin came in contact with mine.
"Chidinma, I'm here if you ever need me..".
He started tracing gentle circles on my hand as her held it, his huge hand enveloping mine.
"I missed you." He whispered.
"I missed you too." I heard myself whispering back. He looked at me and smiled his stupid lopsided smile revealing his perfect teeth. I felt myself blushing. I pulled my hand out from under his, tucking an invisible strand of hair behind my ear.
"When there is something you can help me with, I'll let you know."
I wasn't ready to tell him about the investigation I was doing on my own. Wasn't ready to put him in danger. I didn't want the consequences of what I was doing to involve people I cared about. He caught me off guard with a mock bow taking my hand and kissing it saying,
"It would be my honor my beautiful Lillian."
I laughed and it felt good.
"You know you look beautiful when you laugh." Rex said.
I crossed my arms over my chest feigning annoyance.
"So I'm not beautiful if I don't laugh?"
He looked me in the eyes and I got lost in his.
"You're always beautiful Lillian."
I blushed furiously, thank God I wasn't light skinned.
He ordered a drink for both of us, and proceeded to tell him everything I had been through so far in life. The beautiful moments I had shared with my friend, her and Samuel, even his proposal, how I still can't believe she was taken away from us.
"I'm just so tired.."
I sighed, almost tearing up.
"Well look on the bright side", he said taking my hand again,"you now have someone to share that tiredness with."
I smiled.
"Rex, where you the one that took me to the hospital that day?"
He smiled and nodded.
"Thank you. I had a dream of her that night. There was something she told me when I asked her who killed her: that if she told me anything, the purpose of her death would be lost." I sighed. "I don't get."
"Maybe there's something she wants you to find out?" Rex suggested.
"You don't think I'm crazy?"
"Oh you have your moments, but this isn't on of them." He said smirking.
I laughed.
"Enough of me Rex, what about you? How have you been all these years? And how did you get my number?" He laughed and rubbed the back of his neck, but I noticed it was a bit strained.
"Nothing much, I finished Uni and got a job as assistant manager in Sandbox Construction Company, bought a house, a car which I sold for something more me, a motorbike, went abroad to visit my Ma..umm that's just about it. Oh, and Bennie gave me your number."
He finished shrugging. I noticed a change in his demeanor but decided not to push it.
"You have a motorbike? Is that why you are wearing a leather jacket?"I asked instead.
"Yeah", he said "want a ride home?"
"Yes!!" I squealed.
"Okay let's go. Luckily, I brought a spare helmet."
He paid and left a tip, and drove home with him on his motorbike, forgetting all that had happened in the last two days as the wind caressed my face.
~~~~~~
'Oversabi' literally means over savvy which means you act like you know it all.
'Ashawo' means prostitute in Yoruba.