Love Lies And Divorce – episode 17

LOVE, LIES AND DIVORCE
EPISODE 17
‘Come in, I left the door open for you…’ Omale called.
‘How is you doing’? June winked and trotted towards him.

June was a beautiful woman, she was tall and slender with a cream complexion and pink l-ips which was her most arresting figure.
Omale was glad she had found a good man at last, though he was yet to meet her fiancé but from the way she talked about him, he had to be a good person.
‘Hey June, you look ravishing!’ He smiled as she handed him something in a black polythene bag.
‘Suya for you…’ she eyed the living room and sat next to him.
Omale Ibrahim was the man of her dreams, even while her friend had been alive, she had wanted him with all her heart.
Ene’s untimely demise had hurt her for a while because they’d been really close friends but she easily got over her because Omale had been all she desired and the perfect opportunity had just presented itself.
She had been secretly in love with the man she called bestfriend for more than four years now, she’d done everything to please him; spending time with him and helping him forget his wife but he never cared for her or felt the same way.

So she’d come up with a stupid lie about being engaged so not to look desperate but now it could backfire on her.
She saw the way his face had lit up when he talked about the lady he met at the seminar, she hadn’t paid attention because he’d told her once he could never love another woman like he did Ene but one look at his face at church betrayed all the words he’d spoken.
And it worried her. How on earth would she get over Omale? How would she accept the fact that he would never love her? But maybe he did, deep down in his hearts of hearts; maybe she should tell him her true feelings.
‘Thank you. Where are you coming from, did you go to see him?’ Omale was curious.
‘Hmmmn, not really.’ Did she just feel a hint of jealousy in his voice? Her heart danced to the tune of possibilities.
‘Are you hiding something from me? You’re glowing you know?’ he winked briefly and tore open the paper that enclosed the steak meat.
‘Are you jealous?’ She rolled her eyes waiting for his reply.
‘Nope, I’m happy you’re happy,’ he lifted a piece of meat into his mouth.
‘Oh, I’m happy for you too,’ she dropped her shoulders feeling disappointed.
‘Oh about Edima… She hasn’t called me. Do you think I should call her? What if she thinks I am a bug?’ Omale stopped eating and faced June, she always knew the right thing to say.
‘Uhmmm… Do you want my opinion?’ June licked her l-ips nervously. She knew what she was about doing was wrong but she couldn’t help it. Why was he so blind to her love for him?
‘Well yes, go on…’ he waited patiently for her.
‘Frankly, I don’t think she’s your type. She isn’t the woman for you. You don’t need someone like her. I know you’ll probably hate me but with time you’ll see your relationsh¡p with her wouldn’t work out’ she was blunt about it.
‘Why?’ He hadn’t expected this.

‘Well, you said yourself she’s a widow, what if she has kids for the other man? What if she doesn’t want to move on with her life? If you ask me, I’ll say too much drama’she shrugged and rose to pour herself some water.
Omale was silent for a while allowing June words to sink in, what if June was right? And he hadn’t had time to ask if she had any children but even if she did, he would’ve met them on Sunday and her kids wouldn’t matter to him.
‘But I really like her June….’ He insisted.
‘Okay, fine. Do what your heart tells you but whatever you do, don’t tell her you’re a widower, keep that part from her and you should bring her over so I meet her too. We’re in this together.’ she returned with her glass of water.
‘You think so’? why would he keep such a huge part of his life from a woman he planned on being serious with?
‘Yes, I hate to admit it but the first time I saw her, I thought she was Ene’ June paused and looked directly at her friend.
‘Yea, one of the reasons I was attracted to her but definitely not why I want to be with her. Edima is a different person and I find her interesting… I’ll pursue what I’m feeling’ he pointed to his chest.
‘Alright, I guess I need to sleep. I’m on duty tomorrow Doctor’ she yawned and rose to her feet, she worked at Omale’s hospital.
‘Okay dear, you should get some sleep. Have a nice night.’
He raised the glass to his l-ips.
‘Alright’ she replied and fetched her bag.
He sighed and pondered on June’s words, but he wouldn’t act on them this time. He needed to find himself but he would keep the part of being a widower out; that could freak her totally. June was very wise and the man that would marry her was a lucky man.
He would call Edima by morning if she still didn’t call, he was crazy about her.
‘Morning baby….’ He k-ssed her and prayed she didn’t push him away as Ben was around, he’d returned to the house very late.
‘Morning honey…’ She forced a smile and k-ssed him back.
‘Goodmorning everybody….’ Ben sat comfortably close to the dining table. He had deliberately stayed out that late to avoid her. Why couldn’t he get his mind off of his cousin’s wife? She wasn’t the prettiest woman he’d met but she had this effect on him and he felt like a young schoolboy having his first crush.
‘Benson my guy, where were you last night?’ Sly winked and approached the table. While Amaka ignored them both and headed for the kitchen.
‘Guy, a nigga got to take care of himself.’ Ben replied and looked at Amaka’s vanishing behind, the lady was hotness.

‘Good for you, you should get a wife then, so you could return to Germany a new man.’ Sly suggested.
‘Yes, I would get a wife as beautiful as yours.’ He smiled as Amaka returned with some steaming plates of Custard.
‘Here you go…’ Blood crept up her cheeks as she heard those words. Was he admiring her?
‘Hey! Look at your food and not my wife’ Sly teased and they both laughed.
‘So Amaka, where are you from? Do you have female relatives that aren’t married?’ Ben focused on her, she was very beautiful and his adulation couldn’t add more to it; she was perfection.
‘I’m from Imo and no, my sisters are all married’ she looked away as their eyes met, why was she acting this way?
‘Oh….cousins’? he asked.
She shook her head in response, she didn’t know what it meant but anytime Ben was around her, she had goose bumps and her skin tingled. She was just unusually nervous.

Maybe it was the tension between her and Sylvester that caused it, maybe she was lying to herself.
‘So darling, where would you like to celebrate your birthday’? Sly cut in trying to make conversation with her.
‘I don’t know’ she replied flatly.
‘Maybe we should go for a picnic… All of us’ Ben suggested and watched her features transform into a smile.
‘Wow, how did you know I love picnics?’ She was stunned, was she that easy to read?
‘I guess my cousin has other skills we don’t know about, like witchcraft’ Sly lowered his eyes at Ben.
‘Okay then, I’ll treat you to something special on your day. Meanwhile, I got you something. I know models love things like this…’ He handed her a little box that contained some designer l¡psticks. Ben was serious about it, anything that could put a smile on her face would do him good.
‘Wow, that’s amazing, thank you.’
‘I’m still here people.’ Sly tried to fit into the conversation. He felt a bit jealous that his wife would reject his gift and accept Ben’s.
‘Let’s go already, we’re late for work and I cannot steal your wife, give me credit bro’ Ben winked and rose to his feet.
‘You better not, let me go get the keys’ Sly drank some water and rushed to his room.
‘Are you okay with the food?’ Amaka asked trying to distract his eyes from boring into hers.
‘No, I need more’ he replied. Without thinking, he bent and pressed his mouth on hers. He couldn’t resist that urge in him, he’d thought of doing this all day and night and had fantasized about her returning the k-ss, he was about to find out…

…. To Be Continued.

⬅️ PREVIOUS episode