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Room 406 was the room number. As soon as I saw it, it stuck to my brain like iron does to a magnet.
"Please what are we doing here?" I asked him
"You see I lodged here for today and tomorrow so this is where I'll spend the night" he said as he unlocked the door.
He opened the door with a card rather than a key. It was indeed a very fancy hotel.
Uncle Femi entered the room and signalled me to do likewise. It was very dark and hot inside.
He then inserted the card into a slot and suddenly the lights came up and the air conditioner was turned on.
The brightness of the lights revealed the beauty of the room in it's magnificence.
"Wow!" I heard myself say.
This is luxury at it's best. The room was very spacious and well furnished. It had a king size bed, a 42 inch plasma tv and an extremely soft-looking sofa. There was also this very beautiful painting of a woman carrying a calabash with her little child just beside her.
It was amazing and to think that the arrangements were made extraordinarily perfect was just so mind blowing. I could only wonder how much uncle Femi had spent.
"It's wonderful, don't you think?" he asked
"Yeah; it's absolutely astonishing" I said.
Our conversation was short-lived as it got interrupted by the beeping sound of his phone ringtone. I took a quick peek at his phone and SONIA was displayed on his phone screen.
I noticed how he acted when the call came in, he didn't want to pick up at first. I didn't know if it was my presence that made him behave that way but after much hesitation he answered the call.
"Hello… yes. Ok, not now please. In like thirty minutes time,
ok then I'll be expecting you" he said and ended the call.
"I'm sorry for the interruption, I would have loved you to stay for longer but you need to go home before my wife gets back from work" he said. I felt like he no longer wanted me around.
"Ok then, I should be leaving" I said.
Even I had started getting restless and my body itched to leave the room.
"You don't have to be bothered, you can come see me again tomorrow"
"Tommorow?… I'm sorry sir but that won't be possible because tommorow is a Saturday. I don't have any excuses to leave the house since there'll be no evening lessons. Apart from that aunty Jennifer would also be at home through out."
"Don't worry" he said confidently "I've already prepared for that. Here's what you'll do; I'll call her and ask her to give an envelope containing one "document" or the other which you will bring to me, that way you can still meet me in the hotel and we can both go together to get you a new phone. My wife won't even suspect a thing" he said confidently.
"Sir I'm very sorry but I'm no more comfortable with this idea, what if she finds out or someone sees me"
"You're sounding like a kid, how would she find out or do you plan on telling her that you'll be seeing me in the hotel?"
"No, not that I plan on telling her anything but I don't understand why I have to meet you in the hotel to buy the phone"
"Don't you remember when I told you that if you want the phone then you have to do what I tell you?"
"Yes?" I answered interrogatively.
"Then if you're ready, you'll just do as I say and come see me tomorrow."
Trust me if you be an obedient daughter; the phone will be the first of many more things to come" he said forcing a smile up his face.
"Ok then, if you say so" I uttered in a low voice.
"I'm sure you know your way back, right?"
"Yeah" I said.
"It's alright then. You can go, I'll see you tomorrow. And please do not disappoint me"
"Ok but sir I don't have enough transport fare; I need some money to pay back home"
"Alright" uncle Femi said as he pulled out a lot of one thousand naira notes from his pocket and handed me three thousand naira.
"Thank you" I said visibly smiling, it was a lot more than my transport fare which was just two hundred naira.
"Expect more of that tommorow" uncle Femi said as he opened the door for me to leave.
I left the hotel, boarded a taxi and in no distant time I was already at home. Luck was indeed on my side today as aunty Jenny wasn't yet back from work.
I went straight to my room, pulled my clothes and changed into something more simple. I was folding some of my outing clothes when I heard a knock on the door. Who could it be? my best guess was Frank.
I opened the door and as expected Frank was the one at the door.
"You can come in" I said. He walked into the room and sat on the plastic chair that I usually use for studying
"What's up" I said trying to break the silence.
"I'm fine, you didn't attend lessons today?" he asked with his face looking blunt.
"Yea… I had to…"
"So where then did you go??" He asked sounding like a police officer.
I was in a state of dilemma, I was completely torn between two minds; a huge part of me wanted me to lie and save myself the stress of making him see reasons with me while a part of me wanted me to come clean and bear the consequences of whatever action he wanted to take.
Well I ended up telling him everything! Franke was dumbfounded but rather than complain or threaten me he actually began to develop trust in me. He felt that if I could tell him everything then that shows that I do not have any ulterior motive.
As he was still trying to recover from what I told him my phone rang and when I looked at the caller ID Uncle Femi was boldly displayed on the screen.
"He is calling me" I told Frank
"Who is calling you?" he asked
"Your dad"
I picked the phone call and turned on the loud speaker.
"Hello, good evening sir"
"Good evening my dear, how are you?" he asked
"I'm fine, thank you sir"
"Are you done with your chores?" he asked
"Yes sir"
"Hope you've been reading?"
"I'm trying" I began wondering why he was asking me such unusual questions.
"Is there anyone else with you in the room" he asked.
"No, I'm the only one"
"Are you sure" he questioned further.
"Yes sir, there's no one here with me"
"Okay, that's good. Esther do you know I've being missing you since you left. I can't stop thinking about you, you've being stuck in my head ever since." he said
"I can't wait to see you tomorrow"
"Yeah, me too" I responded.
"Hope you won't disappoint me tommorow??" He asked
"I won't"
"I know you know what I mean, I hope you won't disappoint me" he asked once again.
"I won't disappoint you" I said trying to sound convincing.
"I hope so, I want to have some rest, please take good care of yourself. I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight dear, I love you" he said.
That last sentence changed Frank's mood, he instantly became restless.
"Aren't you going to respond to me" uncle Femi asked sounding hurt.
"I love you too, goodnight" I said and hung up immediately.
My statement must have added salt to injury as Frank kept pacing up and down the room.
"Did you just tell my dad that you love him??" He fired
"In my presence??"
"I just needed to say that so that I can end the call" I said sheepishly
"Is that why you told him that you won't disappoint him, or are you hoping to sleep with him??"
"No o, God forbid!"
"I just want him to get the phone for me then after that everything will be over"
"So you want to give him your body just because of a phone? Why can't you just ask my mom she'll definitely get it for you" Frank said visibly angered.
"Your mom has done a lot for me already, it would sound very ungrateful going to ask her for a phone. Besides I never asked her before she did all the things she did for me. I know what I am doing; there's no need to be worried" I said.
"So that's the flimsy excuse you want to give, I should have just told my mom everything the day she met me in your room" Frank said as he stumbled out of my room banging the door on his way out.
****
The next morning
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It was a very sunny morning, there were very few clouds in the sky and the sun radiated it's heat energy. It was the perfect weather for doing the laundry. As I washed my clothes I could only imagine the events that would unfold today. If that man is hoping to have s*x with me then he has failed because I can't lose my virginity to soneone as old as he is. No!! I can't do that.
I was brought back to reality when Solomon — my aunt's youngest son came to call me
"Aunty Esther, my mummy is calling you" he said and ran back inside.
I washed my hands, got up and went to meet my Aunt.
"Yes ma, you sent for me"
"I need you to give this envelope to your uncle, he said he's at Oben junction. He sounded very urgent so you have to be fast and please be very careful with it, ok?"
"Yes ma" I replied
She then gave me the sum of eight hundred naira to use as my transport fare. I rushed into my room and changed into a better looking gown, packed my hair and rubbed a little powder.
In less than five minutes I was on my way, I stopped in front of the hotel which was actually very far from Oben junction. Uncle Femi must had it all planned because he knew very well how far Oben junction was from the hotel; so he told my aunt won't get suspicious when I stay for a long while.
As I entered the elevator a lot of voices kept speaking in my head. What if he succeeds in defiling me, what if he r@pes me? What if this turns out to be the first of many extra marital affairs with my uncle. I kept pondering upon my thoughts until I got to the front of his room— room 406. It wasn't too late, I still had the chance to turn back and go home. I wanted to leave the hotel, I wanted to go back immediately. My spirit was willing but my flesh was weak, and my flesh overpowered my spirit. I knocked softly on the door, and uncle Femi opened…