Sisterhood episode 7

TITLE: SISTERHOOD

WRITTEN BY: OGECHI ALABI

PART 7

Esther had met another guy who had been disturbing her. He was a Tech guy who she met at an eatery close to school. He sat across her at a table.

“Hi. My name is Efe.”

“Hello, I am Esther.”

“Nice to meet you.”

They had talked on that day and exchanged numbers. When she told him she was in a serious relationship, he backed down and agreed they to be just friends. He sent her messages and called her as often as he could. They spoke every day on the weekdays as friends. He never called her at weekends because she would be with Jake.

Esther was depressed while staying in the hostel. She called Efe and asked him where he was. He said he was at his residence. She asked for the address and told him she wanted to visit him as she was bored. He couldn’t believe his ears. “Are you sure? What happened to Jake?” he asked.

“It is a long story. Can I come? I am bored out of my mind.”

“When are you coming? I don’t have food at home so I can rush to the eatery to get you something.”

“I will leave in an hour, let me round up what I am doing.”

Efe cleaned up his room quickly. He drove down to the eatery to buy food and snacks for her. He also stopped to buy drinks. He didn’t know if she drank alcohol but he bought it for her.

Efe liked her. He liked her figure too but he loved her mind more. The day they spoke at the eatery, he realized she was intelligent. He hardly invites people to his home; he likes his space. He hasn’t had a girlfriend for some time now. He had girls he could call to satisfy his needs and pay, no strings attached.

Esther dressed up to go out. Her roommates watched her get ready and were suspicious she was going to see Jake. Jake had been calling her phone and visiting. Leaving the hostel helped get rid of him; he appeared as a stalker.

She was done with Jake. She decided to give dating another try. At least, she was faithful to a man for almost two years. He was her first. He lavished money on her. But her heart ached each time she remembers. The hurt wasn’t that he was sleeping with another girl, the hurt was that he didn’t come after her when she left. Instead, he went back into the room with the girl. It showed he had no regard for her or he felt she would take whatever he dished out.

“Where are you going? I hope it is not where I am thinking?” Nkem asked.

“I am going to see my friend, Efe.”

“Better. It would be sad if you go back to that disrespectful guy.” Nkem concluded.

Esther got to Efe’s flat in less than twenty minutes. He lived in the top second a two-bedroom flat upstairs. She walked to his door and rang the bell. She rang it a second time since no one responded. Someone from the opposite flat asked her who she wanted to see and she said Efe. He asked her to call him as his bell doesn’t work. She called him and came to the door. The neighbour waited for her until he came out to confirm.

“Hi. You are welcome, please come in.” Efe led her into his flat. It was sparsely furnished a real bachelor’s den. She took a seat on a couch while he went inside to conclude what he was doing.

He offered her a drink first and then they talked. Efe was uncomfortable; Esther could sense it. She wondered why. She tried to talk freely with him but he seemed a bit withdrawn and shy.

Efe asked her if she would like to eat something. She refused. She said there was still time for that. She asked to watch a movie since he wasn’t flowing well with her. He left the flat and after a few minutes, he came back with a movie for them to watch. They were both engrossed in it. It lasted for two hours and it held them spellbound. They discussed the events in the movie freely.

Esther asked to use the toilet. Efe took her there and then set the food for them to eat. He brought out a packet of juice they would drink after the meal. Efe was uneasy around Esther. He was attracted to her and was finding it difficult to control his emotions. Talking to her increased his anxiety. He liked her and enjoyed talking to her on phone. But her being so close to him physically was making him restless.

When she came out, she joined him on the couch. She took a plate of the food served and took a few spoons. She watched Efe eat. She hadn’t been to a guy’s house before except for Jake’s but here she was with this guy and she could feel the chemistry between them. She was also attracted to him.

“Are you always shy around girls?” Esther asked Efe. “Or is it me making you shy?”

Efe’s hand stopped midway as he wanted to put a spoonful of food in his mouth. He couldn’t believe what he heard. How did she even guess right? He dropped the spoon and replied without looking at her, “I am not shy. This is how I am.”

“Really? Do you avoid eye contact and can’t keep up a conversation? Or should I leave? That’s if I am making you uncomfortable.”

“You are not. I’m glad you are here. It just takes some getting used to. I didn’t expect your call or the desire to see me. What happened? Why aren’t you with Jake?”

“Jake? I have broken up with him.”

“Jake?” Efe laughed and said, “Can you break up with Jake? Jake is doing very well, he has a nice car and apartment. He owns businesses. And he loves you. Why would you break up with him?”

“Because there is more to life than the things you mentioned.”

“Such as?”

“Fidelity. Being faithful in a relationship.”

“He cheated? That’s not new. Guys will cheat once in a while but it doesn’t mean they don’t love you.”

“Did you cheat on your last girlfriend?”

“No, I didn’t. But we are not all the same. I don’t like having people in my space, your guy does. It will be difficult for me to cheat because naturally, I want to be alone. If a girl understands this and doesn’t trouble me, then I don’t need anyone else.”

“You haven’t been in love. If you have, you will always want to be with the person. You wouldn’t let the person out of your sight. You wouldn’t want another man trespassing.”

“Until I enslave and cage her, I don’t love her? That’s not love, that’s an obsession. If I love you and I believe you love me too, I will allow you to be you. I won’t get jealous if I see you with other guys because you are mine. Unless you are not. You were in love with Jake. You would spend your weekends with him, did it stop him from cheating? He has to decide you are enough for him.”

“Well, it was the disrespect after. He went back into the room with the girl when I stumped out. I remembered I bought some foodstuff to cook with so I went back. He opened the door for me and she wasn’t in the sitting room anymore.”

Efe had a good laugh. The laugh was genuine and deep. Esther liked it. “Your guy is funny. I get him though. Did he come back to apologise?”

“He came back in the evening and asked me to go home with him. He wanted me to sleep on the same bed he had sex with another girl. I won’t do that. I ended it instead.”

“Has the love died or you are looking for a rebound guy?”

“What’s a rebound guy?”

“Someone to help you heal from your heartache. Is that what you want from me.”

“I don’t know. I just needed a friend right now. A male friend.”

“Esther, I don’t do casual relationships. I am not the guy for you. You need to get over Jake and then we can have a real relationship but to be used to get over your ex, look for someone else.”

Read also – Bad boy’s crush episode 1 – 2

Esther looked at Efe as though it was the first time she was seeing him. It was the first time she was observing his lips, they were full and as he spoke she just wanted to kiss them. She did. She kissed him. She expected him to stop her but he didn’t. He was shocked but his speech didn’t get to his body, it responded. The kiss got deeper and more serious, both of them were overwhelmed by emotions or would I say lust.

Esther stopped the kiss. She looked into Efe’s eyes and then he released her and said, “This is what I was avoiding.” He stood up and adjusted his trousers, his arousal was evident. “I think you should go before we do something crazy.”

“Like what? Make love? That’s what I want. I would rather you be my rebound guy than to be with a fellow student who will tell the whole world.”

“Esther, I can’t have a casual relationship with you. You are angry at this guy and you will eventually forgive him and go back to him. You are accustomed to that lifestyle. I don’t have anything yet. I am just trying to build my business. Please understand.”

“I’m not going back to Jake, I have made up my mind. Where is your bathroom, I want to take a bath?”