Category: The Dice

The Dice#12

“You can close your eyes to the things you don’t want to see, but you can’t close your heart to the things you don’t want to feel.” Johnny Depp

Moses used his key and let himself in. The house was shrouded in darkness except for the light from the Television. Dunni lay fast asleep on the sofa. He chuckled, putting off the TV and switching on the lamp at the far end of the room to give enough light to see but not bright enough to wake her up. He watched her sleeping so peacefully and did not want to disturb her. He glanced at his wristwatch, it was past 9.00pm. He could prepare the guest room Ola used whenever they worked late although Dunni always crashed on the sofa.

He gazed at her tear-stained face listening to the rhythm of her breathing. Dunni was beautiful, and for the years he had known her, he doubted she had any clue of the power of her looks. She had no coquettish female bone in her, which made it easier for her to fit with the boys. He had watched the gangly teenager who they started university blossom to a lovely woman as the years went by. They had been friends for so long that even when he had jokingly told her, she was the one she did not believe him. He had been hoping that as the years went by, Dunni will begin to see him with the same eyes he saw her. Unfortunately, it had not worked out that way. It seemed it would be easier for hell to freeze than that to happen.

Moses had a lovely time with Becca. She reminded him of Dunni in many ways that he was beginning to feel maybe she was the one to help him count his loss and move on.

He was brought out of his reverie when Dunni’s eyes fluttered open. She first looked confused as to where she was but seemed to realise by the flicker of recognition when her eyes fell on Moses face looming over her.

“You are back,” she said more of a statement than a question, struggling to sit up.

“Yeah! You must have been exhausted. It appears you have not been sleeping well this week,” Moses replied, feeling guilty she caught him watching her sleep.

“Don’t we all? How did your date go?” Dunni asked, shifting the attention from her.

Moses groaned, “It was not a date, but our meeting went well. Thanks for asking. I got some contacts from the Expo. Becca is lovely, she reminds me of you. I told her you both will get along well.”

Dunni did not think it was a good idea becoming chummy with Moses soon to be girlfriend. Another procession of exes she had to smoothen the feathers when the relationship ended or went awry.

On second thought, Moses may be serious this time compared to his little or no relationships in the last five years, not that she was counting. She was embarrassed to say she knew every single of the girls he had dated. The ones Dunni knew will not last and the one girl he nearly married but did not. He never told her why they broke up although she pestered him till, she had to give up when he refused to give in. She could not hide her delight when the relationship ended. Jumoke was a bitchy, selfish dimwit girl who had Moses wrapped around her finger. It was good riddance to bad rubbish when she exited their lives.

They had been each other plus one to several social functions they had to attend. She should be happy for Moses, but all she could feel was intense sadness worse than the betrayal she suffered from Emma’s revelation. It was like her heart was being ripped apart.

Moses was sitting beside her with deep concern in his eyes. “Tell me what happened what made you so upset earlier.”

She scooted to the other half of the seat, she was feeling hot with Moses so close by and confused as to why she was so conscious of him. What was wrong with her? She wondered. She was not coming down with Malaria or something.

Dunni narrated Emma’s story and why she was upset that Emma could even buy in the idea for a second when she knew how much Dunni believed in the sanctity of marriage.

“I think you were hard on her. The woman in the story did not go out to hurt her friend by dating her husband. It just happened. And it was only easy to believe, no one is saying you can do such. Still, people in your position have found themselves in worse situations. I think you would have done the same thing Emma did and you are judging her because you only think you know yourself.”

“You are taking sides with her,” Dunni accused.

“I am not taking sides with anyone. I am only being objective. Marry me Dunni, and you will end the drama around you. How many times do I have to ask?”

Dunni’s eyes went round, then she burst out laughing. “Moses, oh, please be serious. Emma betrayed my trust. How can she think I could ever do that to her? That is my point. Not that the stories are not true just the fact that Dunni Adesida cannot stoop that low to start an affair with her best friend’s husband. And as for marriage to you, hell will sooner freeze than I marry you because your dice said so.”

“It is not my dice saying so now. It’s me asking you.”

Dunni threw a throw pillow on Moses. “Please be serious. I am pouring my heart out to you, and you are making light my predicament.”

“We can make a pact. Should we both still be single at 50, then we can get married to each other.” Dunni smiled, her heartbreaking and wishing Moses was serious with the proposal and not some joke or effort to make her feel bad.

Moses smiled sadly. Dunni will never see him for what he is, a man madly in love with her for sixteen years. Maybe it was time he moved on.

The Dice#11

Moses smoothened his sky blue bold check Charles Tyrwhitt shirt over his black jeans. Picking up his wallet and car keys, he stepped out of his house and about to get into his car when he heard the blare of a horn at his gate. A frown creased his handsome face as he wondered who could be visiting without first giving a call. He hoped he could disperse whoever it was quickly. He could not afford to be late for his appointment.

Moses was meeting up with Becca Williams, the new interior designer, he hoped to add to the team they currently used on their projects.

He chuckled at how riled Dunni was with the idea he was considering a relationship with Becca. However,

Moses found it an irony that Dunni could be worried about him getting heartbroken.  On the contrary, she was daily breaking his heart with her constant rejection by not taking him seriously.

Moses stood swinging his keys while waiting for Audu, the gateman to open the gate. His eyebrows arched with surprise when he saw Dunni’s black Honda CRV 2013 model drive-in. He still remembered how he and Ola spent a day convincing Dunni to go for a range rover similar to theirs only for her to opt for the same Honda CRV they had tried convincing her to stay away from.

Dunni was like that, once her mind was made up on something. It took a lot to sway her. She was never hasty in making decisions, but when she did, you could be sure she had all the angles covered, nothing and no one could and would stop her. He smiled, always happy to see her, even though she never considered him more than a partner and friend.

Moses walked over to where she parked, but Dunni was already out of the car. Moses let out a low whistle. The girl will not be the death of him. He thought her skirt was rather short and the top too fitting sculpturing her body and showing all her curves. He swallowed hard, reigning his thoughts to order.

“Dunni, what brings you here?” She stopped in front of him a little surprise to see him all dressed and unsure as to why she came here in the first place. It was easy to talk to Moses about anything.

“What’s going on? You look upset” Moses had not seen this look on her face ever since she broke off her relationship with Benji when they were still at the University.

Dunni opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out only a torrential fall of tears pouring down her eyes.

“Did someone die?” he asked alarmed. Kemi was back at home to the best of his knowledge and doing fine too.

She shook her head vehemently, tears flowing down her face like the release of water from Kainji dam.

Something was definitely off. Moses glanced at his watch, discreetly. He had to leave now if he intends to make his appointment. He had no intention of standing up Becca. Taking Dunni by the hands, he led her inside while she followed docilely. Something was definitely wrong. The Dunni he knew would have snatched her hands from his grip and match into the house with words worse than a whip. He was becoming more worried.

“Please talk to me, you are getting me scared. Should I call Emma?”

The tears increased, but she shook her head.

“Is it about Emma?” she nodded.

“Is she okay?” Dunni nodded again

Moses was getting a little exasperated. He did not have the time to pull every syllable out of her as he was running late for his appointment, yet he did not want to leave her alone in this state.

“Can you tell me what Emma did or did not do or should I call her and ask why you are so upset?” He prodded as one will do to a child.

Sitting on the high stool in his kitchen, he offered her a cup of cold water.

Dunni took the glass cup not without taking in his dressed look.

“Going somewhere?” she croaked her voice still laden with tears.

“Yes, got to meet Becca at the Expo 2013.

“Oh, she murmured, but that drew a reaction he saw in her eyes for a fleeting moment and then it was gone. He wondered if she was beginning to feel something for him. It was selfish of him to think of his feelings when she appeared to be in one of the lowest moments of her life.

“I had better be going. I should not keep you. Dunni struggled to come down from the high stool leaving the glass of water untouched.

“Not sure I am comfortable with you driving in the state that you are. You can stay here, and I will drive you when I am back.  Putting his both hands over her shoulders, I don’t know what happened today, but I know you will be fine. Whatever it is may not be as bad as you think. A problem shared is half solved.” He teased, trying to elucidate a smile from here.

“You have to go, or you will be late for your date.”

“It is not a date, he retorted a little miffed angry that she wanted to discharge him so quickly.

 “She may be the one who will take you off my hands,” Dunni teased.

“You should have told me long ago you were tired of me and can’t wait to get me out of your hair. And here I am waiting for you to make an honest man out of me.”

He was rewarded with a small smile that tugged her lips.

“Moses, off you go. Your date is waiting. One of us should at least get married soon, and since it does not look like it is going to be me, we should at least give yours a try.”

He mumbled some words, not worth repeating out loud before giving her a hug. He loved the feel of her and how she fitted into him perfectly. Her head directly under his chin, the smell of coconut in her hair intoxicating his senses. He kissed her hair.

Dunni felt things in her heart by his show of affection, but she reprimanded herself not to give any meaning to such a gesture. Moses will never see her beyond a friend and partner. They joked about their marital state. It was just that endless teasing that started from the use of his dice.

Moses hesitated at the door, “Are you sure you’ll be okay? I can cancel the appointment.”

A little part of her wanted him to stay, but she could not tell him so instead, she commanded him to go convincing him she would be fine and waiting for him.

“Don’t go driving about in this your state. Lagos is full of mad drivers, and you need to be more than alert when driving on Lagos road.”

“Oh,” Dunni groaned. “Not again. I am not a baby.”

“I am a grown woman,” Moses finished the sentence and rushed out of the door narrowly missing being hit by Dunni’s sandals.

Dunni heaved deeply as she sank into the posh black leather sofa. She picked up the remote control and to put on the TV switching between stations and not finding any exciting program. She finally decided to watch CNN .

The Dice#10

Some friends are worse than enemies. If you find a good one, keep them close, for they are diamonds.

The weekend came faster than she expected. Good thing she had a date with Emma. Dunni did not know how much she had missed their time together until Emma showed up with their favourite wine, Barefoot Bubbly Pink Moscato. Dunni had ordered the ice cream and masa, and some grilled spiced meat popularly called suya.

Wearing a mini jeans skirt and a yellow fitted tee-shirt, Dunni slotted the USB drive into the Samsung TV and settled to watch the Matrix.

It was an intense two and a half hours film. Anyone seeing them would have thought they had exams to write after the movie.

“Gosh! That was so my movie!” exclaimed Emma. There should be a sequel.

“Yours truly is a Nigerian. If the film does not have part 2 or 3, then it is not complete. The film is okay as a standalone.” Dunni argued.

“Well, I still feel there should be more.”

 “You could write to the producers,” Dunni teased.

“I just might,” Emma replied, seriously thinking of it.

“Wow! Now I have to face the not so nice part of driving home when all I want to do is go straight to bed. “You could sleepover but don’t know how many husbands will let their wives do that.”

“Definitely not Greg.”

“I am surprised that he has not called you all this time.

Emma laughed. I warned him not to monitor my time out. He had the kids to himself and will see me when he sees me.

“Hmm, is that the boss lady speaking or Emma, the docile wife,” Dunni teased.

“Boss lady, sometimes we mothers and wives need the time to let down our hairs and be girls again. We get too bogged down with our roles as wives and mothers and forget who we are, what our dreams were and who we wanted to be. Then the kids are out, hubby has made a good career. In contrast, we have either gotten stuck in a flexible career or remain sit-at-home mums feeling defeated, and that the world is our enemy.”

Dunni looks on thoughtfully.

“Aww, should not have said that,” Emma apologised.

“None of what you said is wrong. It makes a whole lot of sense and useful information for the future when I fulfil my mother’s wish of taking on the MRS title,” replied Dunni.

Emma looked at Dunni with remorse. “I have to ask you for forgiveness before I share this with you and I don’t want you to be offended. The last time you called me, I was a little bit off because I had allowed someone to mess with my head. Don’t ask me who but I was told to be careful of you being a single lady and all…. The possibility that you may have something to do with my husband. An affair or a love child whatever.  I was stupid to let that get to me,” she grimaced.

Dunni sat stunned at Emma. “You believed that crap about me?” asked Dunni, disappointment was written all over her face.

“I am sorry, Dunni.  She had shared the story of two friends we knew who used to be really close, and the other friend had her children for the friend’s husband. Every time her friend asked her who the father was, she never said, and they were tight friends. All the while, the two women had kids for the same man only that one was married and the other was outside. They were tighter friends than we are. I don’t think it was the intention of the friend to go after her friend’s husband. Just that stuff happens, and I shudder to think such should happen to us.”

“It is depressing that you could think that of me. I would protect what we have with my blood, Emma if it means me going out of your life for good I will do it before such evil befalls us. How can you even think about it? That I will go after your husband. This is crazy. You have messed up with my head too. Gosh, good for you to share but bad for us to still be close friends.”

“What do you mean?” Emma stuttered, seeing the angry look on her friends face.

“I mean, our friendship is over. I can’t come near you or your husband without me thinking that somewhere you may have thought I could cause a rift in your home. I am not that friend and trust has been broken the moment you believed I could betray you.”

“You are joking, right?” Emma asked, shocked at Dunni’s reaction.

“No, I am not, I can’t be friends with someone who finds it so easy to think the worst of me. If you don’t mind, I think I need to be somewhere now.”

“I am sorry, Dunni.”

“Apology accepted. We can be acquaintances, but we can no longer be close friends.”

Emma felt Dunni was taking this out of proportion, but nothing she could say or do at this moment will change her mind, so she grabbed her bag and car key and left.

Dunni did the same as soon as Emma was out. She drove around aimlessly until she found herself in front of Moses house. What was wrong with all her friends?  Her mother stopped mounting pressure on her while her friends had picked the baton even her gate man appeared not to be left out!

The Dice#9

Dunni stood up from the sofa to get to her desk when she caught sight of a gorgeous caramel skinned lady dressed in a knee-length navy blue suit. She was about 5 feet, 8 inches tall with long box braids cascading down all the way to her waist.

The fact that the lady was with Moses piqued her interest. She wondered if there something beyond work as she watched their interaction. The way Moses’s eyes lighted up and the grin across his face like he was practically eating from her hands increased her curiosity. Suddenly she remembered an idea to run by Ola.

Moses stopped holding the mystery lady by her arms as he introduced her.

“Becca Williams meet Dunni Adesida, one of the principal partners. Dunni, Becca Williams, MD La Forte Designs. She is the interior designer who handled the Lekki Horizons Estate. I met her yesterday at Akin and Anu’s function. I think it would be nice if she handled the Awoyaya Gardens Project.”

Dunni stretched out her hand to shake Becca warmly and smiled at Moses neither agreeing nor disagreeing with his proposal. She excused herself to Ola’s office, leaving Moses with his guest. There was no way Becca or whatever she was called would handle her project. She already had a reliable designer. Moses could use her for his project but not hers. She fumed still in that state when she got to Ola’s office.

Ola looked up and could not hide his smile when Dunni walked in. He had wondered how long it would take her to barge into his office complaining of the new designer Moses had just recommended.

“I did not know we were shopping for new designers. I thought we were happy with the works of Exquisite Interiors and Bubbles Interior designs.”

“You will have to ask Moses. I don’t think there is any harm in introducing one more designer considering the number of projects we have to execute. He was introduced to her and requested she bring her portfolio.  Who knows we may need her soon.”

“She won’t handle any of my projects,” Dunni announced Ola to disagree.

Moses strolled in whistling the song baby, now that I’ve found you by Alison Kraus. She knew the song as it was one of the soundtracks in the list of songs in his car.

Dunni rolled her eyes, shaking her head. “Moses be serious. What have you found, a good designer for our projects or what?”

“She is the one,” Moses replied dreamily clasping his hands together.

Both Ola and Dunni turned to look at Moses like he had grown a horn or something.

“What do you mean she is the one,” Dunni tried to keep her voice regular, she could barely breathe as she waited for Moses to say something.

“I have finally found her. The one I have been looking for,” Moses answered.

Dunni busted out with a peal of forced laughter that sounded strange even to her ears. “See you when you get back from La la land.” She turned to Ola, “talk to him. I will not be there when it all falls like a pack of cards.”

Moses kept whistling with this look on his face Dunni had not seen since he dated Sophie Adams in his third year at university. That was the only serious relationship Moses had been in. She was not privy to why they broke up. His other relationships have been less intense. Moses breaking up with Sophie had led to her break up with Benji. She was spending more time with Moses knowing he was shaken from the break-up and wanted to help.

It was one of the worst moments of his life since they had become friends. Her heart ached for him in that period, and she felt she owed it as a friend to be with him. Benji, for some reason, had always seen Moses as a threat even when he knew Moses was involved with Sophie. She had to keep telling him then that Moses was only a friend and nothing more. Dunni called off the relationship when she could no longer take the badgering. Benji has trust issues, and Dunni could not deal with it.  He was one of the few guys that got on with Moses and Ola, but somewhere along the line, he had let jealousy ruin what they had.

Moses and Dunni got closer during that season of their lives. She had not had any relationship after Benji, she still felt stung by his betrayal. It was barely a month after Dunni broke off with Benji he started dating another girl in her dorm. There has been no one after Benji. She just could not find anyone she connected with.

For a weird reason, she found herself comparing all the men that came to Moses. None of them measured to him. She wanted someone who understood her like Moses.

Dunni sat behind her desk, lost in thoughts. She was not sure how she got there. She worried that Moses may get hurt with this new relationship. At a time, she had to reprimand herself not to take Panadol for someone else’s headache as was commonly said. Who knows it may not work out like all his other relationships?  Moses was a grown man she could not be worrying for him like she was his mother.

Searching for a drawing pen, she got busy on her project with a little frown on her face. Not sure why she was bothering her head over Moses relationship.

The Dice#8

Dunni walked into the office mid-afternoon on Monday still tired from acting as a chauffeur to her mum and aunt over the weekend.

All hell broke loose when they found out that Kemi was in the hospital and had undergone a surgery. An emergency family meeting was called where the family decided Kemi was moving out of her matrimonial home until there was a change in her husband. Otherwise, the family was ready to support her to file a divorce.

Dunni sat through the meeting, wishing she was anywhere but there. The arguments got heated, and some elders were almost at the point of brawling.  Insults were hurled from one end of the room to the other like a tennis ball across the tennis table.

Unfortunately, she was unable to accompany Moses to his party. She had to work on Saturday and Sunday night to meet up with her deadline. Her mother and aunt were still in Lagos.

Dunni dropped her mum off at her elder brother’s place on the mainland before heading to work. Her mother still found time to complain about how quiet Dunni’s house was and what a difference it would make with the presence of a husband and children.

It was on her lips to retort that at least it was better than the boxing ring of a house her married cousin had found herself.

         ******

Dunni was glad to be in her office. She made her way straight to the fridge at the right corner of her office.

Taking out a bottle of cold water, she turned the cap open and guzzled the water in one go in a bid to quench her thirst. The heat outside was unbearable, and the slow traffic did not help.

Dunni gazed through the glass window overlooking the prestigious offices of some of the Nigerian banks on the busy Idowu Taylor Street. She never got tired of appreciating the edifices, the structures were intricate work of art.  Dunni was glad to be inside though, the scorching sun outside could make a perfect toast. Taking off her jacket as she felt the cooling effect of not only the water but the Air conditioner now blowing cold air over her face. She basked in the luxury of the cooling relief.

Stepping out of her four inches Louboutin shoes, she retrieved her flats from under her table, settling for comfort rather than a luxury. The shrill noise from her phone had her scrambling to pick the call but not without hitting her head, wincing as she rubbed her head in a bid to rub the pain away.  When did her ring tone change to such a miserable sound. If not the closeness of the noise, she would have no idea it was her phone. She checked the caller wondering why Emma was calling her at this time. The last time they had a conversation, something she could not place was amiss, but she had been too busy to follow up on any of Emma’s drama.

“Oh, Emma,” she sighed into the phone.

“Were you expecting someone else?” Emma queried with a giggle, Dunni could hear over the phone line.

“Not really.”

“I have not heard from you in a while and decided to give you a call.”

Dunni rolled her eyes with a weak yes. She still remembered their last conversation and how off Emma had sounded. Still, it appeared that whatever was bothering her at the time must have gone away.

“I am fine, just being busy.”

“Yeah, Moses said so. We met yesterday at Anu’s baby’s dedication. I thought he would come with you.”

“He mentioned it, but I could not go as I had other things to attend to.”

Wishing Emma to hurry and end the call. She had a busy day ahead of her and starting late was not helping matters. Another girl chit chat call during office would set her back by days if she wasn’t careful.

“Yeah,” Dunni answered drily.

Emma usually caught up with her monosyllable answers except for this time she appeared oblivious to Dunni’s reluctance in engaging in a conversation.

“It would have been so good to catch up. I have missed you.”

“I have missed you too.” Dunni smiled as she walked around to sit on the sofa’s she used for her clients.

“What about this weekend, your place or mine?” Dunni asked. She could hear the hesitance in Emma’s voice before she responded.

“Your place, I guess.”

“Geeez!” Dunni, let out a laugh. “What is up, Emma? I feel you’ve got something up your sleeve and you have to come out with it.”

“Not on the phone, see you over the weekend. Ice cream from the Chocolat Royal!”

“See you then babe, got to go back to work or this weekend may not happen.”

Dunni stared into space with a smile on her face. That’s what happens when your girlfriend knows your weakness. You can’t stay mad for long.  She tapped the keys on her phone, entering the details for Friday date night to her calendar, adding a reminder to pick up Suya and Masa on her way home.

The Dice#7

Dunni met a dark, robust ebony woman. With glasses placed over her nose reading the chart who informed her the operation was successful and the internal bleeding had stopped. She had a broken arm and some cuts. Despite all that, she was out of danger and responding well.

Dunni heaved a sigh of relief and thanked the Nurse.

“How soon can we see her,” she wanted to see her cousin.

“Not yet,” came the disappointing response. “Your sister is resting and would not be up for visitors until later this afternoon.”

Dunni refused to correct her that the lady inside was her cousin and not her sister. She wriggled her fingers together, wanting to say more. Moses could tell she was getting apprehensive and retook her hands in his as he joined her. It was becoming natural.

“Can the hospital ensure that no visitors are allowed except us? Her husband is not allowed near her,” he requested, his look and posture intimidating.

“That should not be a problem, sir,” the Nurse assured him. “I have just told your wife that she is unable to receive visitors this morning. I am afraid you would have to come back in the afternoon.”

Dunni gazed at him thankfully. Her heart melting many times over. How could someone read another person so well?  She guessed it came with the terrain of working alongside each other for many years. But hey, did the Nurse just say, wife?

She was on the verge of correcting her, when Moses, increased the pressure of his hands over hers. She looked at him, and he shook his head slightly. Dunni stubbornly removed her hand. She was about to speak when Moses explained to the Nurse how worried they were that her husband may come in to finish what he started.

“While the family is yet to decide if we want our sister to go back to him or not.We want to know she is safe here,” Moses appealed to the Nurse.

“As I said earlier, you and your wife do not need to worry. I will inform the Nurse to take over from me and put the information on her chart.”

“Thank you very much. Nurse Akoh,” he appreciated using the name he read off the name tag on her chest.

“Why did you not correct her?” Dunni asked Moses after the left the Nurse.

“She sure won’t want to be taking orders from an unmarried sister about a married sister.  And she is entitled to her opinion,” Moses winked at her “Relax. It felt good to be married to you for some seconds there.”

“Oh!” Dunni groaned, “can you be serious, please?”

“Okay,” Moses replied, not without a small smile tugging at his lips.

Dunni could not but help laugh at his feeble attempt.

“Dear 60 seconds husband. I think your services for the day is ended. I am ready to go home, get some food for Kemi and I’ll be back by noon.” Dunni walked out of the hospital towards the car park and Moses followed.

“I can bring you back,” Moses offered.

“No thanks, that would be me asking too much – oliver twist . I don’t want to take any more of your time. My cousin will be fine. I am sure her mum would be on her way to Lagos by now.”

“No worries. Glad to be of help.”

“Thanks for helping me. Deeply appreciated, unfortunately, I can’t repay you.”

“I know how you can. I have a party tomorrow, and I don’t want to go alone. Would you mind coming with me?”

“Anyone, I know?”

“You may not remember him, but Akin was in Agric Economics, one of my roommates in our second year.”

“Is that Akin and Anu? Those inseparable guys.”

“Yes, they got married ten years ago while in America and only had their first child this year. They are back to the country, and it’s their baby’s first year birthday.”

“Would be nice to see them both. Gosh, how do you do it?” Dunni asked. “Keep in touch with all these people? She gesticulated. “I can barely keep up with my immediate family, and here you are taking on people that can form a whole nation.”

“I don’t know, its not something I do deliberately, it just happens.” Moses shrugged. Meeting people and keeping relationships was something he did like drinking water or blinking one’s eyes. You don’t calculate you just do it.”

“It’s a gift,” and that’s one of the many things I like about you. You value people and relationships.

“We all do, we just have different ways of showing it. Are you in?”

“I have some unfinished work for one of the projects I am working on” Dunni responded hesitantly torn between working and going out to have some fun.

“I could help you with that,” Moses offered.

Dunni snorted, “you have the bulk of the work to do, remember?”

Moses suggested she could come over to his place, and they could work together before setting out for the function. Dunni was quick to ask if he would be preparing his vegetable stir rice in snail sauce. Moses replied he was more than happy, but she had to be for it.

“How much, a diamond dice?” Dunni asked with mischief written all over her face.

“Must you always go there?” Moses groaned, and Dunni broke into a giggle. I am not the one who basis all my decisions on a dice.

“If anyone heard you talk about this dice, they would think it was a human and you were jealous of her.”

“No, I am not.”

“Yes, you are,” and both went on with no – yes, no – yes like two naughty children.

“Fine! “, giving up but not without a pout on her face that was so comical that Moses started laughing and Dunni reluctantly joined in.

“Come, let’s get you home,” Moses linked his arms with Dunni, and they walked towards his jeep.

They had barely driven out of the hospital when the music Ara by Brymo which Dunni used for her ring tone came alive from her phone.

“My mum,” she groaned, showing him her phone screen.

“Hello Maami,” Dunni greeted her mother over the phone.

“I am in Lagos with Kemi’s mum. We are on our way to the house. Is Kemi with you?”

Dunni looked at Moses, not sure what to tell her. They had not told them she was in the hospital. She had sent a text that she was with Kemi, and they did not need to worry.

“Yes, Maami, you can come to my house,” Dunni replied, not answering the question about Kemi’s whereabout.

“Where are you now? Do I need to come and pick you from the park?”

“No, your brother sent his driver to bring us.”

“Oh! I will meet you at my house. I am on my way home.”

Dunni cut the phone and rolled her eyes.

“What is with the eye-rolling?” Moses chuckled as he asked knowingly.

“You know my mother; the next thing is to start reeling instructions and all the drama I am not ready to deal with right now.”

“Dunni takes it easy on her, it is a mother’s love, you know….”

“Grrrrr, spare me the preaching. You would do the same if you had my mother as yours.”

Taking his hands momentarily off the wheels, Moses gestured a mock surrender.

Dunni felt guilty.  She had not intended the words to come out that way.

Moses never knew his mother. He grew up with his grandma, that was as much as he let on. He rarely talked about his parents and often deflected any conversation tailored in that direction.

She stole a look at him. If he was upset or not, Moses did not let on, and she did not want to make him feel worse if he did not allude anything to what she had said, so she kept quiet.

They settled into a quiet drive that Dunni found discomforting. When she could not help it, she blurted out.

” I’m sorry for what I just said. That was not what I meant. It came out…..”

“bad…” Moses finished the sentence for her with a sad smile.

” I sometimes wonder what it would be like to have known her. I think all you who have mothers are the luckiest ones. It would be nice to be able to whine the way you all do.”

Dunni punched his right arm playfully. “For the records, I do not whine, and you can gladly have Maami.

“Too late, you know I already do. She is my number one girl.”

“Cool. No need to be jealous. Maami shoes are too big to fill in. I can t compete.

Dunni smiled, her mum doted over Ola and Moses like they were her children. That was Mami, Iya gbogbo ero – mother to all.

The Dice#6

Dunni woke up with a start, reluctant to leave the source of her warmth.  The cleaning lady was at work at the far end of the reception, working her way towards them. The smell of antiseptics making her feel sick.

“Good morning, sleeping beauty.”

Dunni sat up, abruptly wide eyes. How did she get into Moses’ arms? The event of the night before all coming back.

She covered her face too shy to look at Moses and groaned, “Did I just turn you to my bed?”

“And Pillow but not complaining. You were as light as a featherweight. Looked like you have not added a single kilogram since we left school, and that was how many years now.”

“Go away,” she playfully slapped his arms.

“It’s not like adding weight will get me a diamond or transform into money. I am happy the way I am,” she defended.

Moses turned her face so he could see her eyes, “you are beautiful the way you are and more beautiful each day”.

Dunni could feel the sincerity of the words. Even though she was plain without makeup and waking up from sleep, she looked everywhere, but Moses, wondering why the words were having such an effect on her. This was Moses for crying at loud.

He turned her to face him again. “Never forget that.” The moment was broken, he had gone big brother on her. She always hated it when they treated her like their little sister.

“And you never forget you are one hell of a guy. Can’t wait for the girl to come and take you off me,” She laughed nervously.

“You would not be the death of me.  One minute you get me thinking I am the only girl in the universe. It is bad enough you keep using me to practice. I know the girl is out there waiting for you.  You do not have to prove your dice is right.”

Moses sighed. How was he ever going to convince Dunni that his feelings had nothing to do with his dice and he had always loved her? There could never be any other woman for him. It just happened that his dice that was never wrong should never have been cast that night.

Dunni kissed him on his forehead and walked over to the Nurses reception, to find out about the surgery ashamed that she had slept off.

Eyes opened wide. Moses whistled. “Should my hopes be up?”

“Silly, that’s what you get when you go big brother on me,” she stopped halfway and turned back to face Moses arms akimbo.

“What should I do to get out from the brother zone to the boyfriend zone?”

“To get out of the brother zone, stop treating me like your little sister. You know I always hate it when you and Ola did that, and I still do. I am one of the three senior partners at the firm.

And the boyfriend zone? He asked masking the hope in his voice with humour.

“Never!”

“Oh, he clutched his heart like someone who has been shot.

Dunni rolled her eyes and walked away, laughing. Muttering how incorrigible a grown man like Moses could be but secretly loving the playful side of him.  While she was profoundly serious, Ola and Moses were too playful to a fault, but they could work to the bones. She loved what she had with them and would protect it fiercely. Even it if it meant never giving her heart to Moses.

The Dice#5

Can you imagine if life’s major decisions could be made from the toss of a dice! I threw the dice today if to publish episode 5 or wait till the weekend and it fell on 5! Haha! I won’t try it next time. But seriously what is your life’s compass? That one thing that guides our decisions both big and small decisions. I would love to hear from you!

Dunni glanced nervously for the umpteenth time at her cousin who lay lifeless at the back seat of Moses brand new 2012 Range Rover.

She was barely breathing. Worry etched all over Dunni’s face as she kept wringing her hands, a sign that she was apprehensive.

Moses took his eyes off the road, momentarily alarmed. It was bad enough they had an almost dying woman in the back of his car, on the other hand, looking at Dunni, she did not seem to be faring well. She looked on the verge of passing out.

He searched for her hands, holding her left hand while he controlled the car with his other hand, wanting to reassure her and make sure she stayed with him. He could not imagine having to deal with two unconscious women before getting to the hospital.

“Your cousin will be fine,” he reassured with more confidence than he felt as the woman behind did not like she would make it through the night. It would be a miracle if she survived the ordeal without being maimed.

“What if we had gotten there five minutes after? She could have died.”

Dunni shivered, pulling her hands from his and wrapped her body like one trying to shield herself from harm.

The drive to the hospital was the longest Dunni had experienced. Lucky theirs was the only car on the road. She stole a look at Moses but could not read his expression. His eyes were focused on the way as he drove along yet sensing her, he momentarily gazed at her the grim look a while ago lost to a weary smile.

She felt guilty for disturbing his sleep and bringing him into her family drama. “I am sorry,” she mouthed a second time that night.

“For what?” Moses asked

“You know…. all this,” she gestured with her hands.

“Dunni, anything for you. You don’t have to apologise. I would have been more upset if you had to go through all of this on your own.”

 Her heart did things to her when Moses was so kind and attentive, but she was not going to dwell on it. Moses was that way with everyone.  He treated you special. Sadly, over the years, she had watched many ladies fall deeply in love with him, suffering from broken hearts without Moses even trying. She’d been looking for the day he’ll finally introduce a girlfriend or fiancée. She often wondered that if Moses treated random strangers this way, she could only imagine what would happen when the person was his object of affection. She could bet her life on it; he would literally worship the ground the girl walked upon.

Whatever she wanted to say died when Kemi at the back started struggling to breathe. Luckily, Moses arrived at the hospital. And Dunni ran out of the car to alert the nurses barely waiting for him to park.

A stretcher was brought to carry her while an oxygen mask placed over her nose. She had to go in for surgery immediately. The best news that night was the presence of a surgeon whose patient scheduled for surgery declined to be operated at the last minute and was still in the hospital.

Dunni signed all the paperwork scanning through the content briefly and went to join Moses where he sat.

“What next?” Moses asked stifling a yawn. It was 3:55am.

“I was not told how long the surgery will last. I’ll be here. You can go home. I will catch a taxi later in the morning.”

“I think I will wait for you—no need driving again this night.”

Dunni gazed into his eyes in a bid to be sure that this was okay with him. She felt guilty for disrupting his night and wondered if she would have reached out to him this way if he was married. She was not too sure what the wife will feel about it. On the other hand, a glimpse of Ola’s wife was an indication that things may not change. She accepted Dunni’s place in the firm and her husband’s life. They were always in each other’s company at social functions of their clients. She had an excellent relationship with Ola’s wife and hoped it continued when Moses got married.

Placing his arms around her shoulder, he pulled her toward himself, her head resting on his chest. She could hear the gentle rhythm of his heartbeat lulling her tired eyes to sleep as they sat on the hard chairs in the waiting room of the hospital.

The Dice#4

Dunni had been trying to reach Emma all Saturday morning, but her line was not going through. She had left several voice messages for Emma to return her call.

After several more tries, she decided to call Greg, Emma’s husband, hoping he would be at home and not at the gym. Fortunately, he picked the phone on the third ring.

“Dunni, how are you doing?” Came his jovial voice over the phone

“Mowa pa o! And you?”

 “I am doing great. Thanks to your friend, what more can I ask for?”

“She is the one I want to speak to. I can’t get her on her phone.”

While Greg was speaking to Dunni, Emma came into their bedroom with a scowl on her face.

“I better give it to your friend, she has this scowl on her face that may disappear when she speaks to you,” Greg tried a lame joke, handing his mobile over to his wife who did not look too happy.

“Why is she calling you? She has my phone,” sighed Emma, taking Greg’s phone from him.

“Dunni said your phone was off.”

Emma quickly checked her phone and confirmed it was off notwithstanding she was still not happy that Dunni had called her husband’s line.

“She should not be calling you,” Emma complained to her husband.

“Babe, please don’t get me in the middle of you and your friend’s squabble. One day you are upset that I am too distant from your friend and sister. Today I should not be receiving calls from her. I am no robot that you just press a button and say do this and tomorrow you press another button and say do that. Keep your friends to yourself and let me be. Please let me have my phone once you are done.” Greg stormed out of the room.

“Hello babe,” she greeted her friend none too enthusiastically, angry with herself for overreacting and venting her frustration on Greg.

“Hallos Emma, gosh girl I have been trying to reach you all morning. I took a blind call on Greg’s phone and was surprised he was at home?”

“Where was he supposed to be?” Emma asked sullenly.

“Silly for you to ask,” Dunni replied.” Gym, of course, that is where he spends his Saturday mornings,” she continued all in one breathe.  Very typical of Dunni to try to say as much as she wanted to say. The thought put a smile on Emma’s face.

“What’s come over you? It’s like you are in one of those your sour moods.” Not waiting for her friend to answer, Dunni went on.

“I have this movie ticket I was given, and I wondered if you and Greg would want to go. I could watch the kids if you want.”

Emma’s mood lightened. “You kidding me! What’s the movie title?” That was why she loved her friend but remembered Clara’s warning. She cursed Clara for putting doubt in her mind. She had to decline the offer.

“Be careful of your friend, Dunni. You know she is not married. The way she comes in and out of your house with ease, she may soon start doing the same to your bedroom with the same ease. A word is enough for the wise. Guard your home.”

“The last flight!” Shouted Dunni over the phone. She knew Emma was dying to watch the premiere of the movie and was so excited when she got a ticket for two.

“I will let that pass. Greg and I have decided to do something together this evening,” She lied. Not without a tinge of disappointment

“You sure you are okay?” Dunni prodded. “You sound off.”

“Tired and the hormones.” Emma forced a peal of laughter.

“Talk to you later. I have to run hubby things.”

Emma dropped the phone and turned to leave the room as she bumped into her husband.

“What was that about?”

“Nothing,” she shrugged.

“You refused the ticket to see a film you and I have been dying to see?”

Greg and Emma could be different as day and night on a lot of issues but were they agreed together on most time were films. They loved the same film genres, actors, directors and film producers.

“I have a mind to ring Dunni back and take my ticket if you don’t want to go. I could go with her.”

A knot loosed in Emma’s head.

“You would do no such thing, Greg,” she winced shocked at her own outburst. She was letting Clara’s words take seed in her mind, which was also affecting her actions.

“Why are you spoiling for a fight? If you have an issue, rather than go about in circles, let us sit down and talk about it.”

“I am sorry,” Emma apologised. She knew she had stepped out of her boundaries with Greg and was wise enough to realise she needed to retract her steps before the situation got out of hand.

She wondered how she could explain to Greg her fears. It was not something you could voice to a spouse. She’ rather keep it to herself and not talk about it.

“I think it’s just the hormones and I am a little tired,” she explained, glad he did not pursue further.

Dunni dropped the phone bewildered at Emma’s coldness on the phone. She did not believe it had anything to do with hormones or tiredness.  Dunni hoped Emma was not having problems with Greg.  Earlier in their marriage, it had been a war zone, especially when they started having children.

Emma focused all her attention on the children and neglected Greg, who in turn felt she did not care if he existed or not. Dunni was always the sounding board for Emma to voice all her frustrations. However, they came to a full circle after attending a counselling session, and things were more than good between them both, almost perfect.

She stifled a yawn, a signal she was tired, and sleep had come calling. It took all her will power to check the door was locked and all windows closed. Switching off her phone and lights, she climbed the stairs and fell into her bed fast asleep before her head touched the bed.

The shrill ring from the landline woke Dunni up. She wondered who was calling at this ungodly hour. Trudging down the stairs grumpily, she picked the phone not too happy her sleep was disturbed.

“Dunni!” shouted her mother through the phone line.

 “Mami, are you alright?” Dunni asked, confused, half asleep and half awake.

“I have been calling your mobile. I just remembered you had a landline.”

Dunni always switched off her mobile phone when going to bed. She hated interruptions in her sleep as she most often was unable to sleep back. 

She rubbed her eyes, squinting with one eye open to read the time on the large grandfather clock across the room. It was 2.00am

“I want you to go to Kemi’s house now. Ahmed ti fe pa o! Her mother just called me. You need to go and save her,” commanded Mrs Adesida.

Kemi was Dunni’s first cousin on her maternal side. Although she lived two streets away, they never visited. She was much younger than Dunni, and they really had nothing in common while growing up. She only got to know Kemi lived close by when Mami mentioned it in one of her visits and Kemi came to greet her.

Not sure what Mami meant by saving her but Dunni knew if she wanted peace of mind, she had better do as she had been told.

She quickly changed into a pair of black jeans and slapped a wrinkled pink t-shirt, removing her hairnet as she switched on her mobile phone and called Moses, who picked the call on the second ring.

“Hi Dunni, you are okay?” he asked with a tinge of alarm in his voice.

She did not blame him, who would not be when you receive a call in the middle of the night from your partner. On the contrary, she was not surprised; he picked the call.  He was most likely working on one of their projects.

“Hate to bother you, please can you meet me at my house as soon as possible? My cousin, who lives two streets away, is being beaten by her husband, and mother wants me to go and rescue her. Really don’t know what she expects from me. I am neither Jackie Chan nor Bruce Lee.  So before the husband beats both my cousin and me, I need a guy to intimidate him.”

Moses groaned, “I thought you have finally seen the light that I was your one and only just like my dice predicted.”

“You and your dice can jump into the Mediterranean. I am not leaving such an important decision to your dice. Shouldn’t we know by now if anything should happen between us? I have known you all my life, in between all the girls who frolicked around you and the ones you chased yourself, there seems not to be any heart left for the unlucky woman, you will end up with.”

Moses laughed over the phone. He loved to rile Dunni with the issue of his dice and their marital status, she had never taken seriously. He hated to admit it, he wished she did.

“I am parked in front of your gate.”

Dunni squealed with delight. “You know why I love you?”

“Yes, for my money and my looks,” Moses replied drily.

Dunni was out in a second. Knocking on the glass of his car window as Moses unlocked the car for her to come in.

“Thank you” she mouthed as she directed him to the address.

Nothing prepared Moses and Dunni for what they met when they got to Kemi’s residence. The house was in disarray, sofa and chairs tumbled over, TV and all the pictures on the wall smashed to the ground. The scene looked like one an earthquake had raged through leaving everything broken in its wake. Dunni gasped and ran towards the woman on the floor who looked nothing like the sophisticated Lagos banker she knew.

Swollen eyes closed shut with her left arm twisted at an odd angle, blood pouring out of her nose and mouth, breathing laboriously.

“Kemi,” she gently tapped her, willing her to answer. A sign that she was still conscious. The broken woman on the floor groaned, but it sounded musical to Dunni’s ears.

From the floor where she knelt beside her cousin, she lifted her head, looking around for Moses, who was at the door with Kemi’s husband trying to calm the man. His eyes were all bloodshot and wild. He was panting and raving. He also had a gash on his head with blood that was turning dark a sign it was drying up.

Where they on a suicide mission? Both determined to kill each other before daybreak?

“Moses, please help me, we need to get her to the hospital,” Dunni’s voice shook with emotion.

“He also needs to go,” Moses pointed out.

“He is not our problem,” a small frown spreading across her pretty face.

“I will be fine, take her out of here,” Ahmed shouted gruffly.

Moses looked helplessly at the man who also needed help but left to join Dunni as they carried Kemi as gently as they could into his car parked outside.

The Dice#3

Oladele Peters, Moses Akale and Dunni Adesida were all classmates at the prestigious Federal University of Technology, Minna, where they studied Architecture. They met as pre-degree students, Ola and Moses were 18 years at the time while Dunni was 16, all fresh from college but with one thing in common; a passion for designing houses.

Ola was the only one who knew from day one that he wanted to study Architecture, Dunni was more of Interior design, but since they did not have the course at the university, she felt the closest to it was Architecture. Moses had no clue.

They had met during their first year on campus and bonded fast although from different parts of the country but from the same western region.

On this fateful day, while they were filling their forms for their course of study after the pre-degree program, Moses brought out a dice from his pocket – one for Estate Management, three for Quantity Survey, and five for Architecture. Those were some of the courses in the School of Environmental Studies. Two, four and six will point me to the School of Science, two for Computer Science, four for Geology and six for he was scratching his head and Ola shouted, “back to your village!”

“Nah,” Dunni joined in cheekily. “We’ll send him to biochemistry or microbiology. He could help with research in the cure for cancer. His gambling dice could help him there.” Dunni brought out a coin and started tossing it up and trying to catch while laughing hysterically.

Dunni and Ola never thought Moses was that serious, until the dice fell on five, and he settled to fill his form. They both were looking at him like he had grown horns out of his ears.
“You serious about this dice thing man?” Ola asked shielding his eyes from the hot scorching sun while trying to look at Moses with disbelief.
“I have used it for every major decision, and it is yet to fail me,” He explained shrugging his shoulders.

“For my senior school leaving certificate, I asked how many A’s. I threw the dice and gave me five. I got five when the result came out.”

“It gave you five for architecture now, maybe the dice just falls on five every time and you know it that’s why you put architecture on five,” Dunni argued.

She challenged him to change the numbers and throw again. He put architecture on one this time, and the dice fell on one.

“Unbelievable!” Exclaimed Ola.
“We should be using this dice more often,” Dunni joked.
“Who would you marry? How many children will you have,” Dunni chanted one of the folklore songs she used to sing as a child while pretending to skip with an imaginary rope.

“Wouldn’t life be so easy if all decisions I made were from the toss of a dice?”
“Should I eat or not?” Dunni laughed so hard she failed to see the look of anger on Moses’ face.
“That’s enough Dunni,” Ola called out nodding at Moses.
“I am out of here,” Moses hissed. You know where to find me when you are all done making fun.”
Dunni ran off to pull him back which did nothing to his 6.2 inches lanky frame.
“I am sorry,” she apologised, stifling the laughter threatening to erupt out of her as she replaced it with a smile that inflicted pains to her cheek muscles.
“You can use your dice for all you want just ignore us when we joke about it,”
Ola nodded at him when he came back. A nod that said it all.
Dunni looked at them both and shook her head.
“I wonder why I am still hanging out with you guys when you start all this your secret code languages.”
“You are better off with us that all the other hungry sharks out there wishing to devour you. We are here to protect you,” Moses boasted, a little smile tugging at his mouth with crinkles around his eyes.

“Let’s fill these forms and get on with our registration,” commanded Dunni. She hated it when they went big brother on her. She had had enough of being babied at home. She was a big girl away from home in the university and on her own, making all the decisions and able to protect herself. No one will boss her out here.

Thirteen years after, they have remained not only close friends but Partners in Architex Designs. A company they formed and ran together. It was a scary venture for them but after working in other Architecture firms and kept feeling there was something more they could offer. They decided to put money together and set up the firm.

In the early days, they face rejection after rejection that they contemplated shutting down the company. Suddenly, things turned around for them after they designed a house for one of the city’s top Bank Managing Director in Victoria Garden City.

They had only gotten the job because Moses uncle decided to take a chance on them. He gave them the job after much pestering from Moses. He got more than he bargained for as his house became a cynosure on the Island. His friends wanted him to connect them to his Architects.

He was so pleased with their work that he asked them to design the Commercial Bank’s new head office in Victoria Island. From that moment, they have received more contracts than they could handle having to expand from a team of three Architects to twenty, all in the space of two years.

Five years after they started the business, running a small architectural firm raking in billions of dollars across the country and continent. They recently got a bid to be the exclusive architect for a project in London handled by one of the world’s top construction company with head office in Beijing.

Moses despised dice back at college was still being used by him much to their chagrin. However, they had come to accept the place of the dice as the fourth partner in the company but not without Dunni and Ola’s objection.