Chapter 16: Chapter 16

: A NEEDED MIRACLE

This woman was about to drive Chris over the edge. He really couldn’t seem to understand her. So far, she has only been frustrating and annoying. He had been working 18 hours a day and all he wanted was peace.He had missed her call earlier as he had been in a meeting. The anticipation and joy of having her call again, after she ended the call in the morning gave him tingles in his palm. He really wanted to hear her voice, it seemed to have a calming effect on him. This woman does strange things to his mind and sanity. Then she turns everything around and throws accusations at him. He was certain Nina wasn't the problem, she is one of the most capable lawyers he had been privileged to know so he didn't bother calling to check the facts with her.

He walked into his penthouse suite angry and sad. Why does she have to complicate everything? He had given her 18% percent which was more than fair but she shoved it back in his face. He tried to imagine her furious face. Her hair must have stood on its ends, creating a shimmering halo, making her look like a mad angel.

Nah, maybe the devil's agent sent to torture me.

But you like her a lot still. You maybe love her.

He groaned. Even in anger, he still thought about her. Taking a quick shower, he got ready for bed and took a sleeping pill which had become a constant for some years now. He seldom took it, only when he needed to keep his demons at bay.Some demons can't be held down anyway, as some nights he woke up screaming. Tonight, he would love to hear his voice, her subtle teasing, her simple laughter, her annoying personality. He missed them both.

"Next"

"Next"

"No. Next!!! All these plans are not feasible, or worth my while. Bring me something different. Thanks"

Chris said exasperatedly as the head of the strategic planning department walked out.

He had spent four hours listening to ridiculous proposals. What the hell? Did they think he made his billions by playing safe? He wasn’t a novice in the transport business. He had worked as a bus conductor from Amen estate to under the bridge enough times to know what happens in the sector and the plans presented to him were mediocre at best.

"Sir, you have a call from Nigeria on line one" his secretary popped her head in through the door.

"Alright"

"Would you like anything to eat sir? Its past the lunch hour" she flipped her hair, biting her lower lip and gave him a seductive stare.

Wow, she is so not subtle. Chris thought with instant irritation.

"No thanks. Excuse me".

"Christopher Gbenga speaking” he picked the call.

"Ayomide, I heard you just left home. When are you coming back? You couldn't have come home to see your father? I have resorted to calling your office with a different number. I am still your father you know".

"Oh trust me, I know you are. I stare at your face in the mirror every day. I don’t need a daily reminder" Anger and ice coursed through him.

Anger, that he could still get to me, that he thought he deserved filial respect from me or I owe him a damn thing. The ice was the feeling of deadness to this man, the self-acclaimed richest man in Nigeria as a whole.

"You don’t speak to me that way Ayomide. Your mum wants you to come home, so come home". MrGbenga shot back, the familiar anger lacing his words.

"I don't have a home wherever you reside. I haven't had one since I was 12. Let mum know I will see her when I come back"

"Which is when?" His father ignored the first half of his sentence. Chris could hear the tiredness in the older man’s voice but what had he expected. They hadn't been father and son since his birth, not once.

"Whenever I decide to". This was the longest interaction they had had in three years. Chris never liked to talk much but after all his life encounters, he developed selective mutism and hated talking even more but between the two, was a different kind of gulf. He was rarely out rightly disrespectful. He was more nonchalant towards his father than any other thing.

After that episode, Chris ordered lunch while trying to get some work done before he was interrupted by Nina. He only knew it was Nina because she attached a specific ring tone to her number on his phone and he hasn’t been bothered to change it ever since.

"Nee" he cooed.

"Hey Chris. How is Italy? Please get me that perfume you always buy, you know how I love it. I seem to always forget the name. It’s really hard to pronounce."

"Alright ma, why are you calling?"

"Can’t I call you again? You left me here. Alone might I add?"

Chris didn’t respond, knowing it was going to piss her off more. He actually didn’t have a reply. He knew Nina enough to know that she was just fishing for mere consolations that he couldn’t just find the words to render. He had to work and pay his bills and not spend every waking moment fondling her insecurities.

"Your girl, didn't take the deal. At first, I planned to increase the percentage from the initial 10% I had in mind to 12%, but she dared threaten me with legal proceedings. Now, we’ll settle in court and I can’t wait. I’m so pumped at the thought. It’s going to be my first case since my return to Nigeria." Nina rambled rapidly as she did whenever she was excited.

"Wait. What?!" Realization suddenly hit him as he remembered the call Pamela put across to him four days ago.

"I'll be representing you in court! Phew, lucky you. You will be my first client post return" she continued.

Chris ended the phone call abruptly as he needed to think without the sound of Nina’s ramblings blocking all his thought channels. He remembered that she kept saying his word meant nothing, now he understood what she meant. Nina had offered her 10% as opposed to the initial 18%. She definitely had a right to be angry since Nina had changed it without his permission. He thought of calling Nina to set her straight.

No you should call her first and let her know it wasn't you and you will get her the deal.

Would she be mad?

Just call her already.

Chris was filled with a strange kind of excitement because he finally had a reason to call her and apprehension when he imagined the sharp words she was definitely going to throw at him.

"Hello" He said into the phone immediately he heard the line connect.

"Who is this?" A different voice answered.

The voice on the other end sounded younger and cute. He thought it might be her younger sister.

"Where is your elder sister?" he questioned.

"She forgot her phone at home. Are you her boyfriend?"

"No. Why?" Chris answered, smiling. He didn’t even know what triggered his smile. Maybe, it was the idea of being addressed as her boyfriend even though their situation was miles away from that.

"Liar.Why did she save your name as ‘Annoying CEO’ then?”

"Because your sister is weird" He was enjoying the conversation. Although they hadn’t conversed for long, he could just guess that she was intelligent.

"Oh yes! Finally, someone else sees it too". A smooth childish giggle followed.

"Of course, but we have to manage her. Right?"

"Are you handsome?” There was a pause as he didn't reply, then she added "We don’t do anything short of handsome men in this house"

Chris threw his head back that it was resting on his chair and let out a loud laugh "What do you think? I’m going to let you decide when we meet"

"Alright, you better not be a Yoruba demon o" she warned mildly.

"Yes ma, what's your name?"

"She didn't tell you about me? Hmm, Sis Pamela"

"Don’t mind her o, I wonder why"

"I might just snatch you from her you know."

"I doubt it; you are too beautiful for me" that smile was back. This child was fun to speak with. She totally made him forget about the work before him.

"Hey, stop whining me. I’m Tolu "

"I dare not whine you, your sister is scary and would try to kill me if she found out. So tell me about you"

Here he was having a conversation with a child and enjoying it when he normally wouldn’t care. Long conversations usually made him angry and bored. There was the presence of pure innocence in her voice. She talked gently just like her sister. The only difference was the edge. Temi's voice always had an edge of anger or strength, whichever you got.

"Nothing to tell. You have to figure the rest out when we meet"

"Alright smart ass. At least tell me your age and your current class"

"I’m 13 in JSS3"

She was now talking less and he could detect her desire to stop talking. He figured they were kin spirits. It turns out apart from the initial excitement, she doesn't talk much also. He felt the need to draw her into a conversation. He hid himself in his shell because he knew pain and that made him wonder what her reason was. For a 13-year-old, her voice was gentle and still, hardly containing emotions. Plus, after the call with my father, I needed this. She made me smile easily.

"Why aren't you in school?" he asked in a desperate attempt at drawing her back into the conversation.

"I’m done. With my exams"That was all she said, then she was quiet again. With that, he knew he had already lost her and it would only take a miracle to reel her back in.

"Tell your sister I called when she gets back okay?"

"Did she tell you I was adopted?” she asked suddenly.“Was that why you lied that she didn't tell me about me, because I’m closest to her. I wonder why she won't tell you about me considering how close you two seem to be. And you are super cool".

Chris could sense the insecurity in her voice.

"No. She didn’t tell me a thing about you and I mean, not even a squeak. We are not that close you know?" After which he went on to tell her all about their first meeting to the emergency encounter, the dinner and even the shares disagreement.

"O M G!!!" She was laughing loudly now."You like her, but sister is always so annoying and serious"

"No, I don’t" he went on to deny it the same way he had been doing for weeks now.

"Yes you do, but you like someone else more though. What a shame"

Chris couldn’t believe he was arguing with a 13-year-old girl and having a conversation about his love life with her. He had even told her everything from their first meeting to the last call.

"Who do I like more?"

"Duhh. Yours truly, of course. Please, don’t fall in love with me though because you are too old for me" she said laughing.

"Alright. I have to go back to work now. I had a good time talking to you, Tolu. Tell your sister I called."

"Sure I will. I'll put in a good word for you too so she isn't so mad at you."

This girl was probably going to be successful at killing him with laughter.

"Bye Mr. hot CEO” she added

The anger he had garnered from the previous calls disappeared. Her call had put him in a better mood. It’s true, a good laugh will fix anything.

Chris immediately sent a mail to his COO (CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER) in Nigeria, asking him to go to Ibadan and sign the deal at 18%. As for Nina, he would deal with her later.

Chris sat down to eat pizza in his suite. Not just any pizza, Dominico's pizza. He believed Italy to be the home of the best pizza. Here, the crust was thick and heavenly the sauce, divine and fillings are out of this world. He wasn't really a foodie. He could eat whatever was available. Leaving home at the young age of 12, he had gotten used to not having a lot of choices. A gentle smile touched his lips as he remembered one of the foodies he knew.

HER.

Chris couldn’t understand the pull he had towards her. He didn’t have lustful thoughts about her rather what he felt was gentle and peaceful.Yes, she was beautiful but he was more drawn to the task of unwrapping her mind and seeing through her angry eyes.

"Temi" as her name rolled off his tongue.

His libido wasn't raging. This may be because he had been celibate for 4 years, since his last night with Nina.

He cleaned his plate and made the kitchen lights go dim.

Since that day four years ago, he had always had migraines. Especially when he tried to suppress the memories. He made a mental note to stop by the hospital and read to Christiana. Christiana is his twin sister, his first friend and partner. She was everything I wasn't. She was kind, good to the core, sweet and light. Their mother always said she was the light and Chris, her radiator. Sometimes, Chris wished he never left. He wished he had endured it all and stayed, at least for her. He was waiting for a miracle to work in her favor. Hoping for one.

He lay on the couch and closed his eyes to pray. As he muttered the words ofhelp to his maker, tears rolled down his cheeks. He was in that position for hours praying and crying, drifting between the conscious and unconscious until the incessant rings of his phone brought him back.

He wondered who the person might be as the person had been calling incessantly. He checked his phone and found 15 missed calls; 10 from his mom, 4 from Nina and one from his father. He returned his mom’s calls.

"Christopher!!! Where have you been? We have been trying to reach you" she spoke frantically into the phone which left Chris slightly uneasy.

"What is it ma?"

"Come home as soon as you can. She's awake"

"Awake?" he asked, excitement rolling off him in waves and causing him to shake almost uncontrollably.

If this was true, then miracles do happen.