Chapter 33: Chapter 33

Tunde lived alone in a small place that was just fit for the cream colored bungalow and two cars. After parking behind the second car, a black Lexus I had never seen him drive, he went back to lock the gate. He did not have a gate house or a gateman.

Inside his house was painted in grids of brown and cream. The floor was arranged with black tiles making the room appear dim. The only colourful thing in the room was his cream colored curtains and white ceiling.

I sat on a sofa which was draped in coffee brown. I looked around the room, noting the beautifully carved wooden centre table. It was still shiny and the same as the dining table. It was all beautiful.

I heard the sound of the generator but I paid no attention to it till  the air conditioner began to hum the same time the fan began to rotate. Tunde came in afterwards.

"Is this ok for you?" He asked, pointing  to the air conditioner on the wall.

I nodded. He went out and I took that time to let my eyes explore my surroundings. He had a shelf which was covered with a glass door that one could see the stack of books arranged there in order of size. His sitting room lacked paintings for a painter's house but one painting was hung at the dining- the painting of a woman bent over a child.

"Your mom? " I asked when he came into the parlor, pointing at the painting.

"Yes," He replied then sat beside me. His strong masculine musk missed with the scent of fruits passed through my nostrils. He had just showered, I could see it in the lines of water that still ran down from his hair to his face.

"I made pasta before I came to pick you," he said, "Do you mind or do you want to have something else? "

"I don't really know. You said it yourself that you only cook for your consumption. "

He laughed. "Come on, I was joking. I'm an eligible bachelor. I should know how to cook."

"Alright," I said with a wide grin, "Surprise me then. "

He went into the kitchen and proudly returned with two plates of pasta.

"I want to warn you now," He said, handing me one of the plates, "If you take a spoon of my food, there's no turning back and you might not want to eat any other food apart from mine. "

He was right to brag; I knew that immediately I tasted his food but I kept my face scrunched up and all he did was laugh when he looked at my face.

I noticed that night that he loved to watch wrestling. He watched the funny ones. The ones where robust people climbed a ladder and the ladder broke, the ones that did nothing but cause laughter in each wrong move. I sat beside him till late at night.

He later changed the channel to an Indian channel. He had a bored expression and I could bet mine was the same.

"You see why I don't like watching Indian movies," He said, waving his hand at the television. "A bullet that should travel in nanoseconds, travels for five minutes."

I laughed at his exaggeration and we continued watching the Indian movie. He seemed to enjoy the action in the movie. At a point he pulled me to his chest and after a while, he slept off. I kept my hand on his chest while I relished the moment.

I woke him later and he  took me to a room to shower. Everything there smelt of him from the moment I stepped into the room.

"I'm sorry. I did not have time to set up a room for you," he apologized, "but you can manage here."

"It's fine, " I said, looking at the large bed that was big enough to fit two people and one more.

I sat on the bed while he laid out a white wrap round towel on the bed with a polo and a short I could wear.

"I'll be in the parlor if you need anything, " He said before leaving the room.

I had my bath quickly. The heater was not working and the water was too cold as it beat against my skin. I wore his polo and shorts and I still needed another covering. I lay on the bed and pulled the duvet to cover me up to my face.

The next morning, I woke up with a headache. I managed to walk to the bathroom in very slow steps like someone that was moulded in ice. My teeth clattered without restraint even as I lay back in bed counting the time before Tunde would wake up and check on me. I never needed anyone like I needed him that morning.

I slept off. I felt light taps on my arm then a kiss on my forehead. It could have been the sickness so I instead dragged the duvet but it didn't bulge. Tunde was sitting on it.

"You have a fever," He said. I knew because the impact of my head on the bed made it feel so hot.

He went into the bathroom and came out with a face towel which he placed on my forehead.

"I need to rush out and get you drugs. Call my line please if you need anything. "

I nodded, wishing he would have stayed longer in the room. I did not want to be left alone. If my senses were right, it was a Saturday and I did not want to spend my whole day in bed.

The towel on my forehead was hot. I removed it and placed it on the nightstand , thinking of what I would have been doing if I was in my place alone.

That day, my appetite went with my strength. It was Tunde that spooned cereals into my mouth, after which I took the drugs he bought for me.

The whole day, Tunde stayed in the room. I did not need anything but each time I blinked, he would ask,

"Do you want me to get you anything ?"

It was like he stood by the door of the bathroom when I went to shower, unsure if I could carry myself.  When I came out wearing his big pullover and joggers, he smiled then moved to the bed and sat waiting for me to walk to him.

"I don't want to sleep again," I said.

I had regained a little bit of my strength and I did not want to lie in bed anymore. My nature did not agree with it.

"Okay," He said, standing up.

Outside, we sat on his black Lexus. A squirrel feasted on a coconut tree in the next compound. Tunde got little stones and threw on it till they scurried away.

"You are wicked," I said, smiling weakly. My head still ached and I could not bring myself to laugh.

"I'm looking after my neighbors property. So in case I can not look after mine, someone would do the same for me, " he said then nudged me, "Don't you agree? "

"I agree," I shrugged, kicking my leg back and forth.

"Is it okay if I ask _" I started out of curiosity.

"Ask anything, " he replied hastily.

"Tell me about your relationship life."

He laughed. "I hope I don't bore you. I have not really been in much."

"I was in a relationship from my first year in university to my second year. I was given a post in the church so I had to break up with the girl." He said and ended with a shrug.  "I met someone  when I moved into Umuahia recently. We attend the same church. We were close enough to date but it just ended like that. We hardly talk now even. "

To be honest, I never imagined him with a woman but he is a man- a fine specie.  My insides knotted in jealousy thinking of all the women in his church that could want him.

"Does he still disturb you?" He asked piercing the silence that followed after his revelation. "I mean Mathew."

"He comes around once a while."

"He has a disorder. A mental disorder. You should forgive, " he said then he looked at me briefly, then at our hands which were intertwined.

His phone rang and I heard him greet the caller.  I tuned out, suddenly realizing that I was at the stage where we could easily date. I liked him that much but I knew I was not ready for commitments. We might end up not talking like we used to with time especially when he moved to Delta. But I was just deceiving myself. We were dating just not with a title.

The call continued but I heard only Tunde's contribution. My ears perked up when I heard him say, "She's here. She's fine."

I looked at him in askance. "Who's that ?"

He smiled at me. "Do you want to speak to my mom? "

How would I not want to speak to her? With the number of times he spoke about her, I was intrigued and also curious.

"Hello Ma," I greeted.

"How are you doing Nene? "

My heart skipped as she called my name, wondering what else they discussed about me.

"I'm very well, Ma and you? "

She did not reply to my question, instead she said, "My husband used to call me Nene."

I could imagine her smiling and I also smiled like she could see me.

I don't know how it happened but the call later turned into a service of prayers. It  was not in English but Yoruba. I put the call on speaker while looking at Tunde in question. He smiled and took my hand in his.  He nodded to the things his mother said and I nodded with him even when I did not know what was said.

"You guys talk about me? " I asked, after the call ended.

"Not really. She once asked me to tell her about beautiful women in Umuahia and I told her about you, " He said. "Forgive her Yoruba. She mostly speaks that."

I nodded, smiling. "So you speak Yoruba too? "

"Yes."

"Say something to me in Yoruba."

"Mo nife re."

"What does it mean ?"

He gazed up, smiling at the starless sky. "You are beautiful. "