Chapter 32: Chapter 32

It was raining. I sat in the car, waiting for the rain to stop. From my blurry window covered in mist and lines of rain, I could see people running into the restaurant for shade.

The rain did not seem like it was going to stop a bit instead it kept increasing. Even if I did not have an umbrella, I would not have been bothered about my hair. I stepped out of the car only bothered by my shoe. I had the urge to carry the heeled suede sandals in my hand while I walked barefoot but that thought went as quickly as it came like a moment of madness.

I crossed the road, holding my umbrella like a shield from the rain but it did little to stop the rain carried by the breeze from hitting me. It mocked the umbrella in my hand but I still held on tightly to it as I ran into the building.

Tunde was outside but I pretended not to see him. I put off the umbrella and tried smoothening my hair which I knew could have been disheveled by my little walk from the car to my work building.

"My lady," Tunde called.

I walked towards him, shivering and deliberately shaking more.

"Let me hug your cold away," He joked, enveloping me in his arms. I stood there, sharing in his warmth then he led me into his office. It was as if exaggerating the cold had worsened it because my teeth started to clatter. Cold and I never really got along well.

"I think you have underlying malaria, " Tunde said.

I laughed in my discomfort. "Are you also a doctor?"

"I don't need to be a doctor to know you are about to break down, " he replied.

The cold later reduced yet I was uncomfortable in my shirt and jean trouser which was a bit wet. I went up to my office. Blessing, the new sales girl and assistant I hired was already in the shop. She was not like Aku. She did not keep old newspapers or run around looking for gist she would bring back for me, she could not handle customers and she always directed them to me when it was getting tough to negotiate prices with them. And she did not notice that I was a bit off.

She greeted me as I passed into my office. I replied to her but that reply earned the beginning of a hammering head. I went into my office and removed my shirt to lie in just a bra. I found a duvet that was always neatly folded in a carton under the table and I spread it over myself praying that the headache would reduce.

I kept sleeping and waking up at short intervals. I knew when Blessing came in, I was too tired to look at her so I lay waiting for what she had to say.

"Aunty, a customer wan see you, " She said.

"If she's not buying at the price you told her, please let her go."

I knew it was only to reduce the price that she always came like that. She immediately left and after a while, returned. "Aunty, you no well? "

I nodded and there was silence then she asked, "Who I go call for you? "

"Nobody. I would soon get up."

She left silently. I did not hear anything from her again. It has been a long time, I had to take care of my sick self. I always bought drugs at the first symptom indicating malaria or typhoid.

"Let me take you home," I heard. It was Tunde. His voice sounded like it was coming from my dream. I had lots of dreams already before then and in all of them, I was driving myself back home.

I felt light taps on my arm and I opened my eyes to see Tunde squatting in front of me.

"Let me take you home, " He said again. This time it was clearer yet I rubbed my eyes before sitting up to make sure I was not in for another short dream.

He eased a hip on the desk as I wore my shirt. I could not tell if he had his eyes on me, I was busy buttoning my shirt and really, unconcerned about decency at the moment. I wore flat slippers that were always in the shop while carrying my sandals in my hand.

"I can drive," I protested, still giving Tunde my car keys.

"I know you can. I just want to take you home myself," he said.

That was what he did. He followed me to the door and watched me key in then he stepped back.

"I'll come see you later," He said, handing me my car keys.

After he left, I quickly walked to the sofa in the sitting room and fell on it. My head still ached badly. I managed to reach the room and I searched my cupboard for any painkiller. Leaning on the wall, I drank the one I found.

I pulled my shirt and trouser and lay under the duvet on the bed. I did not expect my day to go that way. I already made plans of going to scout for better sites to set up my shop. I wanted to expand, employ people even to make dresses, have a bigger shop in a place that had parking space. But all of that plan was lying on the bed with me.

I slept and woke up severally, then at noon, the headache and cold was gone. I walked to the sitting room not bothering to cover myself. I sat there sipping cold Hollandia from the fridge. There was nothing from the power company and I knew there would not be for days. It was always that way whenever it rained.

A knock came on the door. I first ran to the room and pulled an oversized white sweater over my head. Satisfied with the length which was at my knee, I ran back to the door just as my phone started to ring. It was Tunde calling and I knew he was also the one at the door.

"If you did not open up sooner, I'm sure I would have broken down the door thinking something happened to you," He said as I let him. He handed me the nylon in his hand. "Fruits. I got them for you."

"Tuntun, you are too sweet," I cooed, hugging him. It was a brief hug and I ran to the kitchen to drop the fruits afterwards. He was seated on a dining seat when I came out. I threw myself on a sofa, flinging my legs over the armrest so I now faced him.

"You are obviously feeling better now, " he stated observing me.

I nodded then stood up to put on the generator. I returned to the kitchen, noting the empty pots which were all stacked away. I had no food to offer him.

"Where's my juice? " Tunde asked as I entered the parlour.

For a moment, I stared at him confused then I remembered the orange juice he came with the time he ate in my house. They actually finished a decade ago.

I shrugged and picked up the remote to search through the stations . "I have finished it."

"Come. Come sit here."

I found a music station and allowed it to play then walked to the dining, got a bottle of wine from the fridge and two glasses from the bar before I settled opposite him.

"This is to good health," I said, struggling to open the wine before Tunde took it from me and began screwing it with the corkscrew. It was undone after a short while and the explosion sound filled the room as I clapped and shouted for it.

Tunde laughed. "I am sure you still play with balloons. "

He began to pour our drinks, acting like he did not notice I was glaring at him.

"I don't know, Nene. I wanted you to come home with me tonight,"Tunde said, passing my cup to me.

I was silent. I had never thought of going to his house or even spending a night there.

"It's just that, I would want to take care of you for the night to be sure you are fine."

"I'm actually fine now," I replied.

He nodded. "Okay" then he took a sip of his drink while I imagined spending the night in his house.

"Let me pack a bag," I said.

"A bag? " He laughed, "Do you want to stay the whole year? "

I hissed and shook my head. "Infact, forget it. "

"Oya sorry na. Go and pack a bag," He said, rubbing a thumb on my cheek.

"I don't want to go again," I said, pouting.

"Please."

"I don't want to. "

"Pleeeeeeeeease."

"I don't want."