The Dice#19

Sometimes love does not always have to have it’s own way. Sometimes love is letting go!

Dunni stood by the aisle, reading through the composition of the coconut shampoo and conditioner available. Unfortunately, they no longer supplied her favourite brand. She was wary of changing hair and body products and wished she was among the lucky few who switched products at will with no adverse impacts on their skin or hair. She could not say the same for hers as there was a visible difference when she changed. She stuck to what she knew and devised a creative means by looking for products with a similar composition to the one she used.

 Dunni was so engrossed that she failed to notice the young girl who bounced and threw herself at her. They both landed on the ground. The little girl cocooned in the safety of Dunni’s arms whose feet were sprawled at odd angles. Dunni was more than glad of her choice of clothing today. A skirt would have been disastrous.

The fiasco was a sight to watch as items came tumbling down with a loud noise. I grimace at each item calculating the estimate of the cost and the final bill. Someone had to pay, and the supermarket won’t be the one paying the bills.

Dunni heaved a sigh of relief. Glad she had saved the girl but was further surprised when she saw who it was.

“Toni are you okay?” She fussed over the child, feeling every part of her body to check she was not hurt.

That was the scene Tade met upon his arrival. He was aghast to see Dunni kneeling over Toni frantically checking her face and hands. He felt the tight contraction in his heart again. Dunni could easily pass for his daughter’s mother.

He cleared his throat to attract her attention.            

Dunni turned to look at him suddenly becoming conscious of her sorry state. “It was a minor accident, but I think we will be okay.” She managed a small laugh.  Dunni was not sure if it was a good thing seeing Tade. She was beginning to accept that whatever she thought of the chemistry between them must have been a figment of her imagination. Welcome to the reality highway where life happens.

 Tade looked at the bruise on her forehead. “I think that thing on your head says otherwise. I’ll take you into the hospital just to check.”

Dunni tried to convince him she was fine.  The earlier she found her way home, the better for her before she made a fool of herself, but he won’t hear any of it.

“Okay, let’s go,” she gave in reluctantly not without realising that was the same thing Moses would have done. Why did she always have to bring Moses up? she thought to herself. Shaking herself from her self-induced Moses trance.

 She suddenly let out a yelp of pain like a wounded dog, and gingerly took her right foot off the floor.

 “I think I am hurt,” she stated the obviously meekly.

 Tade got down to one knee to observe the leg. “We will need to take you into the hospital. Please keep the feet still.” Turning to check his daughter, “Buttercup,” he could not get a word in as the girl was chirping away how Dunni saved her from hitting her head on the floor and asking him how cool that was?

 Tade looked back and mouthed “a thank you,” while Dunni’s grin was punctuated by a grimace from the pain on her now swollen ankle.

 Tade came over and asked, “May I?” Not waiting before lifting and gingerly carrying her like she weighed nothing. She was so embarrassed being carried out of the store like a toddler.

 Sensing her discomfort, he talked her through soothingly, asking questions to keep her talking and focusing on him.

 They were almost at the door when one of the store attendants made his way to them to ask for a refund for the broken items.

 Tade closed his eyes, and anyone could see he was visibly calming himself. “Can I see your manager? And if you could make a chair available, I will put the injured lady down whose medical bill should be paid by your store.”

 The battle on the store attendant face was comical, but no one found it funny. The fear in his eyes turned to confusion, replaced with uncertainty and the gradual sag in his shoulders. Eventually, he said they could leave and settle when next they came.

 Tade was irritated yet gritted, “thank you and went out of the store looking out for Toni.

 He placed Dunni in the backseat of his lamborghini, so her feet rested on the seat while her back to the door.

“What is your car’s registration number and where did you park? I will arrange for your car to be taken to your house.”

Dunni reeled out her car details while Tade spoke to someone on the phone to meet him at the hospital to pick up her car keys.

 They drove in silence joining the light traffic leading to Adetokunbo Ademola street.

 “If you don’t mind, I will get the nurses to bring out a wheelchair, so you don’t put pressure on the feet.”

 “Thank you, was all she could think to say. Dunni was so used to being strong gratefully that being the recipient of such care and devotion was doing a number to her brains and heart. She was grateful not to have been carried into the hospital in the same undignified manner as she was taken out of the store.

After a couple of hours at the hospital, Dunni was more than glad when it was time to leave. She had undergone so many tests she was beginning to think maybe she had contracted a disease and was not aware.

She did not see Tade until it was time to leave. Toni was already fast asleep at the nurses’ station.

 “Has she been checked,” she inquired.

 “Toni is with no bruises or broken bones. I think you took it all.”

 This elucidated a small smile from Dunni.

 “I am more exhausted from the tests and checks than the actual fall itself.”

 Tade chuckled. “You sure? It is better to be safe than sorry. You may feel differently tomorrow when you begin to feel the aches and pains from the fall.”

“I hope not,” Duni stifled a yawn that Tade did not miss.

“I need to get you girls home.” He liked the ring of it. The girls he thought to himself.

                ********

Fifth evening in a role Tade spent with Dunni. He first went on a neighbourly mission, at least that’s what he convinced himself he was doing.

 Tade loved the look of shock and awe on Dunni’s face when he told her he made the amala and ewedu soup with goat meat himself. The awe will be etched in his memory for an awfully long time. The way her lovely eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open gave a new meaning to sexiness. He thought of doing things to her that will mark her as his which had nothing to do with obtaining a license certificate to take on his last name. He was going to need a cold shower as an anecdote tonight. This girl was doing things to heart, he thought was no longer possible.

 The look of wonder as she savoured the dish was priceless, but he knew it was time he took his leave as all the restraint he had been holding was departing with the speed of lighting.

 “Being an invalid suck but you’ve made it something to look forward to,” she joked smacking her lips with satisfaction.

He stared at her lips…. and jumped out of his seat like one stung by a bee.

 “I have to go now,”

 “You only just came, she whined obviously wanting him to stay.

 “I have a patient to check,” he fibbed. It was for a good cause.

 He cleared the dishes and let himself out.

What do you think you are doing? The voice of guilt in Tade’s head spoke. Your wife is barely cold in her grave, and you are thinking of another woman. Get a grip on yourself and leave her alone. You will hurt this woman just like you’ve done to every woman that has crossed your path.

Not knowing why, he was in a hurry to leave when he just came. Dunni watched him through her window, noticing the droop in his shoulders and how he hung his head in defeat.

She wondered if he really had a patient to see or was wary of her presence that he could not wait to be far from her.

 “You will get hurt girl,” she told herself, but nothing she said could make her heart not beat for him. Infatuation or love, she could not get him out of her head.

 Tade had not planned to go back to Dunni’s place, but he did the next and the next day. And each day he came with a dish he prepared and left like a man being chased by a thousand demons leaving Dunni confused and heartbroken. She wanted more with Tade, and no amount of reason and guilt trip she tried could exorcise Tade from her head or heart.

She wished she had someone to talk to about her feelings. She was going crazy thinking of Tade who she thought did not feel the same way about her. Dunni would have called Emma, but she was still miffed at her and did not take any calls from her. Moses was far away in China. They rarely spoke. There were missed calls and chats on the phone, but the time difference did not help. He was having some issues with the project and has been a bit stressed of late. She did not want to add her heart problems to his buffet of other problems.

Amanda would have a field day with her predicament, being she was the one who first suggested she dated the widower. Dunni tried a small smile. How time flies.

She had totally forgotten that episode. Hmm, someone needs to eat humble pie. She was not going to Amanda with her heart troubles.

She wondered how pathetic her life was—a minimal number of friends in her inner circle. Moses and Ola made up for more than a hundred friends, but she could see the tunnel she dug herself in by not expanding her circle of friends.

Dunni picked her phone against her better judgement to buzz Moses and decided against it. She had not told him of her ankle in a cast. She had warned Ola not to mention her sprained ankle to Moses. He would bombard her with calls she needed to avoid, and her head was in a mess not to blurt out her silly heart problems.

The Dice#18

“Here’s my phone, Moses is on the line.”
Dunni looked at him quizzically, “has he been on the line all this while?”
“Yes, and please can I have my phone when you are done?”
Toni rolled her eyes at him, “Of course you’ll have your phone back, or maybe I should have it?” she asked mischievously. Ola wagged his finger at her, and he was out of her office.
“Hello, stranger,” the sound of Moses’s voice made her almost want to cry. Dunni closed her eyes, letting the sound of his voice wash over her.
Taking in the sound of his breath over the phone. She smiled at his silence. He always did that thing – greet and wait for her to speak first. It was a game they played, and she was always the one to give in and break the silence.
This time around, she was taken aback by the power in the sound of his voice and how she could literally feel him standing in her office.
“How are you?” she asked, forgetting she was waiting for him to speak.
“Ahhhh! Are we not too old for this game?” Dunni queried, miffed that he had beaten her to it as always.
Moses held his phone tightly, allowing the softness of her voice cut deep into his soul. He was not sure how long he could stay away from her. He wanted to see her, gaze into her eyes and feel the connection they had. The project was taking longer than expected. He’d been tempted so many times to take a week off, but he knew what that would do to the project, and he was not ready to take that risk. This was a massive project, and not only did he need to do a perfect job, but he also had a reputation to maintain for future projects. He heaved. Savouring the sweetness of Dunni’s voice and the smile he could imagine on her face would do for now.
Ignoring her question, he asked, “How are you?”
“Fine as can be. So much work to do here but we got it under control. And yourself?”
“These guys here are slave drivers. I don’t think they ever rest. Trying hard to keep up.”
“I think you are the chief slave driver. They must be rushing to finish the project to get rid of you.”
His peals of laughter could be heard over the phone, which brought a smile to Dunni’s face.
“I don’t mind getting rid of me too if it would bring me to you.”
“Is that a line engineered by the toss of your dice?”
Moses groaned in frustration.
Dunni laughed. “I am not the one who makes critical decisions from the toss of a dice.”
“You should try it sometime,” he retorted drily.
“Yeah yeah!”
He wanted to ask of Mr Flowers, he heard Ola alluding to over the phone but was not sure if he really wanted to know. Ignorance they say is bliss.
The jealousy he felt was suffocating him. For all, he knew this could be one of Dunni’s many admirers that would fade away with time. The thought of anything else was too scary. Losing Dunni would make life not worth living. This was no cliché. It was his reality.
“It’s been so hard to keep in touch. Your phone is either dead or just ringing.”
“Guilty as charged. It’s the timing. I have called you a couple of times and gave up. On other occasions, it’s the wrong time. Your midnight over there is morning the next day here. It would be nice once you are back.”
“That should make me feel better, but something tells me, the work you have for me will be worse than the slave drivers here.”
“You could not be more right,” Dunni concurred.
Moses wanted to spend more time talking with her, but he knew he had to let them go, she had work to do.
“You sure you are good?” he asked Dunni again.
She wanted to tell him of her heart troubles but changed her mind. He was facing a challenging project, and she was insensitive by wanting to dump her personal problems on him.
“Nothing I can’t handle,” she replied.
They chatted for a few more minutes before Ola came back for his phone.
Dunni rounded up with Moses and passed the phone to Ola.
“Guy, I need my phone,” Ola spoke into the phone now on video.”
“Dunni, your phone should be charged by now, but I don’t think you should be using the business time to chat.”
“What!” she grabbed his phone back while he objected throwing his hands up in resignation.
“That’s precisely what I have been suffering since you left. Please wrap that project up, or you may not find me in Designtex upon your return.”

” Why did I not think of a video call, Moses you look like a stone age man. I could walk past you and not recognise you.” Dunni teased him going around her table to Ola so Moses could view the two of them at the same time.

Moses swallowed with no come back for her as he drank in her beauty like a thirsty soul. If her voice was making a mess of him, seeing her was breaking every resolve to be patient. He had to find a way to make Dunni begin to see him in more than the capacity of a friend and business partner.
“Now I think you need to leave. You are using business time for frivolities.” Dunni smirked, happy to have the last word as she ended the video and handed Ola’s phone to him, pushing him out of her office.

The Dice#17

“Let your hopes, not your hurts, shape your future.” Robert H. Schuller

Two months went by, and Dunni did not hear from Tade much to her disappointment. He had sent flowers and a thank you card to her office the following Monday after lunch at his place.
Dunni dug into her bag frantically searching for her phone that was ringing somewhere from the depth of her bag. In frustration, she emptied the contents of her bag on the table just as the ringing phone stopped ringing.
There you are she spoke to her phone and grimaced at her lack of social interaction that she was now talking to her phone. She needed to do better, start going out and meeting people rather than spending her weekends behind her drawing board and back to the office again. Moses was still away in China, and Tade had totally ghosted her.
The call had not ended, it was the battery to her phone that died—another rummaging on the table in search of her charger. Dunni was organised in everything but the contents of her bag. Receipts from months before used and new tissues with ideas and drawings barely readable were part of the items on the table. A cosmetic bag with items enough to fit a suitcase yet never used was all part of the contents spread on her table.
She had attempted housekeeping many times, but it only took a couple of days, and all the discarded items were back. Her designer bags were to die for on the outside, but the inside was a no go area.
Ola walked in, with his eyebrow twitched to the side in question.
“Looking for something?”
“Don’t go there.” She warned him with the scariest of looks that she could muster.
Ola guffawed. “Here, you can have mine.”
“Are you stalking me now?” She took the charger from him gratefully, swirling her seat around to plug the charger into the socket behind her.
“Thank you, that’s what I missed while you were away.”
“Moses was trying to reach you. He was the one on the phone.”
“Now it makes sense you walking in with a charger.”
The guys knew her like they knew themselves, and that was one of the joys of working together. They had a synergy that worked and could even tell what the other was thinking.
This had worked for several deals and negotiation they had to make. So, when Dunni had to handle the company in Ola and Moses absence, she was filled with pride at the fantastic job, despite her lack of faith in her abilities.
“How is Mr Flowers doing?”
“Fishing for the information you won’t get?” Dunni replied, masking the pain of rejection that haunted her. She has been regularly checking her phone from any message from Tade but none. It was not like they planned any after her visit, but she just assumed texts and calls will follow just as it had been before their lunch date. Not that it was a date anyway.
She wondered if she was so out of the dating game that she missed the signs. It was all there, or so she thought that Tade was into her, but she must have been wrong.
Its hurts. Dunni wondered if she was desperate? If there was just a parent-teacher relationship. Why had he sent the flowers to her office?
Thankfully he’d been smart to sign the card with his initials, TB and that she was grateful.
Rubbing her temple with her fingers in a cyclical motion, which she did whenever her migraine started.
“I am eager to unmask the mystery guy. You know he has to pay respect to us and gain our approval before…”
Dunni did not let him finish when she replied too sharply than she intended.
“So you can scare him away like you all did to the guys on campus.”
“We did not scare anyone away. I guess the guys coming did not have good intentions and did not want to get into trouble for nothing.”
“My point, they did not have to think of you guys to come to me,” Dunni argued.
“You never complained before why now?” Ola asked bewildered at Dunni’s outburst.
“I am doing some soul searching. I think guys stayed away because they were afraid of you guys while it was cool on campus. It’s not cool anymore.”
“Hey! You don’t need to get worked up. We did nothing to scare anyone then and obviously we are not doing any of that now. But since when did you start bothering. I got the impression you were happy with your life the way it was.”
Toni kept mum. She had shared too much.
“Does this have to do with the mystery, Mr Flowers?”
“That’s not open for discussion.”
“You sure?”
“Yes, boss.” Dunni did that whenever she wanted to get rid of Moses or Ola or get them off her case. They both hated that term. They were all partners, and no one was a boss.

Fear To Fall Isn’t Shy To Talk About Life’s Brutality And That’s A Good Thing

Although a work of fiction, Fear to Fall is didactic, as it tells of how unpredictable and brutal life can sometimes be; throwing you curveballs
— Read on blog.okadabooks.com/fear-to-fall-book-review/

The Dice#16

My heart bleeds for Moses but hey! Life is filled with twists and turns. The story continues. Happy Friday guys!!

Dunni smiled at Tade’s text message, feeling warm all over. “Looking forward to this weekend.” 

She was more excited about falling in love than the concept of being in love? 

She shrugged off the look of disapproval she could literally see on Moses’ face like he was standing before her. That was a phase in her life she had to close and move on. If a relationship could have happened between them, it should have long ago, or so she liked to think. She did not need his approval on who she could date.

Dunni replied to the text, “same here.”

I better get back to work, she muttered to herself, putting her phone away. She had just finished her Skype meeting with Ola and Moses. Ola was due back next week, but Moses had to stay back. 

She hated the feeling of emptiness that his absence triggered. She could not explain the reason for the feelings than allude to the close relationship they shared. However, she reached the conclusion that things had to change. 

She could not wait for Ola to come back. She smiled as she remembered the grief in her mother’s voice when she was told Moses would be away longer than expected. Dunni loved to tease her mom of Moses being her acquired sixth child. 

“He will come before you, dear. You will still remain the last,” was her mum’ swift response.

It was a sore point for Dunni, growing up she hated the fact that she was the last and had often begged her mum to have another child so that she would have a younger one.

“Not to worry mum, Moses will find a way to come to home at least twice before the end of the project,” she encouraged her mum who in turn teased back that Dunni needed it more.

Mother and daughter laughed about it as they caught up over the phone. Dunni had been very busy lately to make the trip to visit her mother in Ibadan. 

She could not wait for Moses and Ola to come back and get her life back not that she had any before now.

                               *****

Dunni did not have any difficulty locating the house. She meandered the muddy dirt road grimacing with every roll of her tyres at the need to go straight to the car war wash. She heaved a sigh of relief when she turned into a well-tarred road, a look of wonder on her face when she saw the edifice of a house situated on a cul de sac. She blared her horn as the electronically controlled gate smoothly slid into the left side. At the same time, the security guard stood by the right in his sharp blue shirt and black trousers. Did anyone need a security guard with an electronic gate she wondered? If the house looked gigantic from the outside, it was humongous when you drove in. The house was a masterpiece design. She fell more in love with the architecture the moment she stepped out of her car. Tade was already out walking down the mini road that led to the car park filled with exotic cars that Moses will hate to know he missed when she told him. 

“Wow! What a piece. This is a beauty. Did you say you want to sell it or rent it out?

“Tade smiled. She is doing a number of you. I should be jealous because it would be nice to get half the look in your eyes for me than a house.”

“I can’t help it. Houses are my dream and passion. That’s why I am an Architect.”

“What about a tour when you settle down?”

“Oh, I would be delighted. Thank you,” Dunni gushed with the excitement of a little child.

“Where is Toni?” Dunni asked, a frown forming on her forehead, afraid she had not noticed the girl in her moment of ecstasy drooling over a house?

“She is inside -suddenly remembered that her room had to look perfect. She wants to show you her room and all the drawings pasted on every available wall space in the room.”

“I think you have a budding Michael Angelo. You just don’t know it yet.”

“Ha! I can’t wait, and it better translate into money during my lifetime,” Tade joked. One could not miss the pride in his voice.

“Would you mind if I took a tour of the house? She is beautiful.”

“Is the house now a she?” Tade asked with raised eyebrows and a tinge of amusement spreading over his lips.

“I like to think of houses as women, and it has nothing to do with feminism,” Dunni warned.

“I know,” Tade answered drily which earned him a laugh from Dunni.

“What was that?” She asked getting more intrigued with her attraction to this man and excited that it was the same, and he was not hiding it. 

She would not think what next and would simply enjoy the moment. Relationships don’t have to always end in marriage; maybe that’s why ladies burden themselves with too much pressure looking for Mr Right rather than enjoying the relationship. She was going to go with the flow for the first time. Just let’s see where it would lead her. No demands, no expectation just out of having a good time and being a friend. 

“Do you want to share?”

She turned aghast that she had tuned out.

“I am so sorry.”

“That’s fine. It’s just funny the way you’ve turned all excited like Toni when she’s offered a new toy.”

“Did you just call me a little girl?” Dunni asked with a frown and her hands akimbo mustering every effort to look stern amidst the laughter building up and twitching at the sides of her mouth.

“I think you need some excellent grandma spanking, she tried in the voice of Big Momma.

Dunni wowed and ahhed around the house as Tade gave her the tour.

“What’s the name of the architect?” Not sure but it was some Arab guy, Solape met while doing her masters.

“Does he live in Nigeria?”

“Oh no, he lives in Abu Dhabi- they met in the UK.

“He is very creative.” 

“I think so too, but hey! That’s not my department. It is just sad she could not have lived long in the house she was so passionate about.”

Dunni turned her gaze away from the view to Tade. The pain in his voice mirroring the anguish on his face.

“You miss her?” Dunni asked which sounded lame even to her ears.

But if Tade felt so too. He did not say but answered her question without missing a bit.

“Every day and in every way. Buttercup is the spitting image of her.”

“Talking about Toni, I have not seen her.”

Dunni glanced at her watch and gasped! “I can’t believe we’ve spent over one hour touring the house. I think I should go and check for her.”

She turned around to go in search of Toni but not sure which direction.

“This way Tade propelled her forward, holding her hands as he led her through the maze of walkways and doors to the living room.

Toni was propped in one of the setees watching a cartoon that had just finished. Dunni recognised as Beauty and the Beast. The little girl’s face brightened with a broad smile that tugged at the strings of Dunni’s heart. 

“Do you want to see my room?” Toni asked with excitement that rubbed off quickly on Dunni.

“Yes, I will be more than happy to, and she tickled Toni who squealed with delight running off in the opposite direction.

 “I’ll leave you two and finish the cooking.”

 Dunni smiled, she had momentarily forgotten Tade was with them.

“You look good together. Solape will have been pleased to meet you.”

“The pleasure would have been mine to see the lady who raised such an impressionable young lady.”

“Are you saying I had no hand in the job?”

“No, Dr Braithwaite, You must have done a fantastic job too. Just that we were talking about the mother. You did not come across as one with a jealous streak in him.”

“You women think that we are all wood and stones without emotions. I know a lot of men who do as much as raising the child as the women, but all you hear is society singing the women’s praises. It is not encouraging at all. I think we the men should revolt at society’s injustice.”

 I can just imagine you, men, with clothes stripped and rubbed in ashes like the Aba women’s riot of 1966.

This is 2012, we wear African designed attire looking like men stepping off an edition of the GQ magazine. All strutting the streets of Victoria Island, beautiful specimen of the male species. No noise. No words, just a single placard with words Dads contribute too.”

“Really,” Dunni laughed hysterically. “I got to go to Toni, I will be right back if I don’t lose my way.”

 “You can’t miss it. Turn left, right and left—the door with the picture of a pink teddy.”

Tade smiled pleased with the way they connected. Dunni made him laugh and forget his pain. He missed Solape every day, regretted the role he played at her last moments, the guilt eating at him. But with Dunni, he felt so alive again. It was like a breath of fresh air, and he wanted to keep taking it in for the rest of his life.

Slowly Tade before you scare her off. He cautioned himself.

Food ready and table set. Tade set out to look for his daughter and their guest. He could hear Dunni’s soft voice through the partially closed door. He stood outside the door listening, not wanting to interrupt.

Dunni was reading one of Toni’s books, he read to her before going to bed, and it appeared she was doing a better job than he’d done.

His heart contracted. Was it possible to fall in love so quickly with someone? He wanted her, and at the same time, the timing did not feel right.

He knocked and waited for an answer. Toni answered, knowing he was the one. 

Tade swallowed his breath, completely taken with the sight before him. Toni cuddled in Dunni’s arm which held the book for her to see as she read.

He knew he was totally lost to this woman, and there was no going back. He only prayed for time to mark his dead wife’s first anniversary before making any move.

The evening went incredibly well, and it was time for Dunni to leave. Toni cried, not wanting her to go. What Dunni did not know was Toni was not the only one who was reluctant to let her go. Tade wanted her to stay not just for a single day, but forever. A forever he had no right to ask of her.

The Dice#15

Moses sighed in frustration as he tried Dunni’s line. It was engaged. For the past thirty minutes, he has been trying to call her. He dropped a chat hoping she would respond. “Hey! Buddy, hope you are fine. Just checking. Please call me when you can.”

Dunni responded immediately by placing her call on speaker and typed away. “Hey, you! Feels like a lifetime ago we really talked. Anyways can’t talk right now- in a middle of a call, heard your chat come in and still on the phone but had to reply. Talk to you in our catch-up meeting later in the week.

 Moses frustration rose a notch higher. Was Dunni his curse or nemesis? Why could he not get her out of his system? There were many girls out there. Why can’t he get attached to one of them and save him from this misery? How long would she begin to see that he loved her beyond their friendship and work partnership?

“Calm down, man,” he chided himself. He needed to try harder and make her see what they could have together. With Dunni, it was mixed signals. Sometimes, he could feel she cared for him as much as he did, and other times she had this strong wall built around her heart.

 He could recollect the first time, he saw her. She was walking down to the lecture centre for the general studies class. GST 001 but looking lost as she wandered from one lecture room to another one. Moses and Ola were sitting outside, waiting for the rest of the other students.

 She walked up to them with a shy hello, asking if they were waiting for the GST 001 class. Ola answered while Moses stared at this gangly teenager with beautiful light brown eyes. She had her braids falling everywhere but her face all the way to her hips. The softness of her voice felt like the taste of butter in his mouth. One look at her and he was smitten. He knew without a doubt she would be in his future but what he did not know was the pain she would bring him.

Dunni as she introduced herself, got talking with Ola while he pretended to be too busy reading his notes with an occasional nod here and there but stealing glances at her. The caramel-skinned girl was getting under his skin, and his hormones were going overdrive. He was not looking for a girlfriend at this point. He had his academics to focus and could not afford any distraction.

 Just when he was about to join the conversation, a guy who he had not seen walked about to them.

 “Hi, Dunni,” his deep-voiced boomed from such a small frame as he greeted them.

 She smiled up to him shyly, Moses’s heart stirred, and all he could feel was jealousy for this guy.

 Dunni walked away with him, not before dumping her books on Moses lap.

 “I will be back. Please save a seat for me,” and skipped away without a backward glance. The excitement in Dunni’s eyes dulled any hope in his heart, but he quickly shrugged it off.

 Ola called him out when she left. “Do you dislike her?”

 “No, there was nothing to say, so I left the chit chat to you.”

 “When have you ever left the chit chat to me?” Ola inquired with a raised eyebrow. His curiosity peaked.

 “There can always be a first time,” Moses argued. How could he explain, in just the first five minutes of their meeting what the mere sight of her was doing to his heart? He felt pain and excitement together and was as confused as can be. Was this love at first sight?

Dunni came back and sat by him this time, taking her books from him, he could feel the electric shock when their fingers touched. He knew Dunni felt it too with the way she opened eyes and grabbed her books quickly as she stood up.” I think I have to go now,” she stuttered. Moses smiled; he was not the only one. Campus life suddenly looked attractive. He was not going to do anything about his feelings. He had a 2.1 to leave school with that he owed himself and whatever his heart was feeling now, had to go with what his head was saying.

 If the feeling was mutual, then they had years ahead of them. Moses was just 18 years old, although he still could not tell her age, he could guess that she was younger than them.

 “Was that your boyfriend?” Ola asked matter of fact.

 “Just a friend,” she replied and wanted to know why he asked. Moses pretended still busy reading the book opened before him although he could not make sense of what he was reading, he was all ears on their conversation.

“Nothing,” Ola shrugged his shoulder nonchalantly. “We need to know your friends and special friends so we can treat them nicely.”

 Moses was not sure what Ola was working at, but he had a feeling the guy must know something. These were questions he was dying to ask. For some reason, Dunni changed her mind from leaving and hung out with them, waiting for the lecture hall to be opened.

They chatted while they waited for the lecture that was later cancelled. The best thing that came out of that day was the friendship Moses, Ola and Dunni forged, and how inseparable the threesome became. Having Dunni around him was good enough. He could monitor and counter any other guy that came. Between Ola and him, guys stayed away thinking she was a girlfriend to one of them and he was contented with that.

 Their boats were rocked when Benji began dating Dunni. He’d never seen her that excited.

“Finally,” she beamed with a full smile lightening her face, as she stepped into the room Moses shared with Ola on campus.

 “Finally, what?” Ola asked

 Dunni twirled around. “Benji asked me out, and I said yes. I was beginning to think there was a problem with me. You know how no guy was hitting on me like my other roommates. It appeared they had something on me shouting, she’s taken. Stay away from her!”

Moses drawing pencil fell from his hands in shock. He grimaced with pain, engulfing his heart like none he had felt before—a feeling of emptiness, loss and despair.

 Dunni sashayed over to Moses workstation, with her chin resting in her palms, staring into his eyes from the opposite end of the table. “Are you not happy for me?” It sounded more like an accusation than a question.

He shrugged. “Don’t know what the fuss is about. It’s not like you are getting married. The relationship could fail, especially when the guy wants something that you are not able to give.

 He smirked. He knew Dunni’s virginity pact, and Benji did not look like the guy who would help her keep it.

 “Oh thank you, friend,” she stressed the word with a distaste he could feel in his mouth, “for your vote of no confidence. Killing my relationship before it even started.”

 She left him angry and went to Ola.

“Congratulations!” He celebrated with her and twirled her around. Raising his glass cup of water and passing another to her. He gave a toast, “To the boyfriend.” May this be the perfect one and lead to marriage.”

“Thank you.  Good to know one person is happy for me, unlike some people,” she pointed her chin in Moses direction.

 “I have a meeting with the departmental head,” Moses grabbed his sandals and rushed out of the room like one being chased by a thousand demons.

 “What’s wrong with Moses?”

 “Nothing, it’s his big brother instinct at work as you always say.”

Dunni giggled. “You guys are both my curse and nemesis. I left my brothers at home and met you guys in school.”

 “You sure Moses will be alright?” She worried.

 “Don’t worry that intelligent head of yours. He will be fine. His paranoia of someone taking advantage of you will wear out when he sees how Benji cares for you. You know we’ve taken you as our sister, and we have to protect you, but your happiness is more important.

Dunni walked up to Ola, dropping her glass cup on the table and hugged him.

 “Thanks, Ola. I desperately needed you guys to approve Benji. You are my friends, and I want you all to get along well.

Seeing Dunni with Benji was a constant pain, Moses learnt to live with. The problem was his feeling for Dunni did not just disappear. It increased like an inferno that threatened to consume him.

 Not too long, he started going out with a girl in another department but the same faculty.

Joke was petite like Dunni, but that was where the similarity ended. She was fair-skinned, mixed-race as her grandmother was American. She had the long Caucasian hair mixed with a little of the African texture which she most often than not braided without the extension. She was not the beautiful, drop-dead gorgeous type, but she was pretty and lovely in a way that got people drawn to her.

 Her eyes were grey with a mouth always coated in pink lip gloss. She could be loud and brash and in one instance and display the finesse of her American heritage at another. Still, all that would disappear when she spoke the Yoruba language with the air of one who grew up on the streets of Idumota market.

Moses and Joke had too many fights bordering around Dunni. Joke was obsessed with his relationship with Dunni that was becoming draining. Dunni was a name he rarely mentioned in their discussion as it always ended up in a fight. The girls were good together, but it was when they were alone that Joke seemed to find everything and anything wrong with Dunni. She had the most outrageous idea that Dunni was interested in snatching her boyfriend from her. Moses would not have minded if it was true. Joke was good for him, and she was his reality. What she did not know was that being with her was helping him get Dunni out of his head. He has even started avoiding her as much as he could, although that was difficult considering they attended the same classes and were in the same study group.

Moses had been with Joke for almost a year when she broke up with him. He was devastated as Joke had become less the anchor against the pain, he felt for losing Dunni and someone he could fall in love with. Joke walking out of his life really shook him, but that brought Dunni back into his life as she practically nursed him out of his heartache and not too long Benji broke up with her.

 Dunni hid the pain of her breakup by pouring herself into her studies and her friendship with the boys. But he did note that she built a strong wall around her heart and was weary of having any relationships after that.

Sixteen years down the line, they were not anywhere nearer to dating than they were when they first met. Moses wondered if he had been wrong in not making his feelings known when they first met. Was he wrong to think that chemistry will withstand the years till when they were ready? This was an unfinished business that Moses had to sort out upon his return to Lagos. It was time to lay the cards plain on the table, and if it did not work, he had to move on with his life no matter how hard that sounded.

The Dice#14

“Sometimes what you are looking for comes to you when you are not looking.” Unknown – if you know the author please send the name. Gracias

Dunni rubbed the back of her neck with her left hand turning side to side. She sat in her a car blaring her horn for Sule, the security guard to open the gate. A few seconds later it dawned on her Sule had travelled to his village this morning to visit his sick mother.

She grudgingly opened her door and walked barefoot to open the gate but was stopped midway when she heard “Auntie Dunni” in a very familiar child’s voice.

Her gaze fell on Toni from her art class and wondered what she was doing around the area. The girl ran out of the car and towards her flinging her small frame into Dunni as she wrapped her small arms around Dunni’s middle.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, bringing herself to eye level with Toni.

The girl was yet to answer when Dunni heard a baritone voice behind her, “Toni.” she rose and turned almost crashing into a man.

“Yes, dad,” Toni answered. Giving Dunni a clue to her relationship with the owner of the voice. But nothing prepared her for the handsome man standing at 6 foot 1 inch, well built and broad shoulders, but still could not hold a candle near Moses. Why did she have to compare every man she met with Moses.

Toni’s dad cleared his voice.

“Sorry for startling you, and sorry she almost toppled you over. She thinks everyone is as strong as her dad,” he joked.

Dunni smiled and could not help herself from blushing, although hidden by her caramel complexion. 

“She’s just herself. Kids are all the same.”

“Tade Braithwaite,” he introduced himself, stretching his hands out to her. Dunni Adesida, she replied, shaking his hands. She was amazed at the strength and softness of his hands and wondered what he did for a living.

“I am a doctor,” he said chuckling.

“Was it that obvious?” Dunni smiled self consciously knowing she must look a sight, standing barefoot and without her wig, she had removed and thrown to the backseat of her car?

“I get that all the time.” He replied with confidence devoid of cockiness.

Scratching his head looking unsure of himself with a boyish charm Dunni found endearing. The guy had done nothing, and she was completely smitten. She must be a pathetic case. Was she that desperate for a man in her life? 

“You must be Dunni, the art teacher,” 

“One and only,” she replied and repeating his line.

“I get that all the time,” Tade laughed nodding his head in approval. He liked her already.

The adults had forgotten about Toni until she tugged at her dad.

“Daddy, can we visit Auntie Dunni over the weekend?”

Tade looked helplessly at Dunni.

“Auntie Dunni is very busy, but you always see her in class every week.” 

He would not have minded any visit with this goddess of beauty standing before him. She’d taken his breath away. She was beauty personified with her round-shaped face, light brown eyes that drew you in, a pretty button nose and thin lips with traces of plum cherry lipstick.

He swallowed hard. He had not felt this way when he met Solape. Theirs was a love that grew over time. Here he was staring at his daughter’s teacher with like a lovesick teenager.

Can this be love? He must be suffering from not having any woman in his life. What was wrong with him? Solape was barely cold in her grave, and he was ready to replace her. Gather your acts together. A voice from within scolded him.

“No, it’s no problem. I am free this weekend and can squeeze some time for Toni. Dunni felt it was her way of helping the girl who had gone through the pain of losing her mum at such a young age.

Tade had no idea that he was holding his breath until he released it at her response. He was not sure who was happier at the prospect of visiting Miss sunshine, him or his daughter.

“You can drop her at 4:00 pm with the maid if you’ll feel more comfortable.”

Here he was getting his hopes high, and she appeared to want nothing to do with him. She had to try harder if she wanted to get rid of him. 

“I could come if that’s alright. We don’t have a maid.” He was happy about that fact but would have lied to be there.

Dunni looked at him queerly, unable to hide her curiosity, “Who cleans for you?”

“We have someone who cleans over the weekend.”

“And cook?” she asked, not convinced that it was just him and his daughter.

“I do that myself.”

Dunni’s eyes bulged. “You cook?” Not many men she knew cooked. Moses was one of the few she knew. She was doing it again.

“We could invite you for dinner someday.”

She loved the way he made Toni a part of the invite.

“Please come, my dad’s food is delicious,” the young girl bragged on her father’s cooking skills.

“I am not sure I have a choice here,” she winked at the child. “You’ve convinced me to try it.” Turning to speak to the father, “I’ll check my calendar for some possible dates, and let you know when you come over on Saturday.”

Tade felt something tugging in his chest all and more intrigued by this woman. Who was she, and what was her passion? What made her happy? What made her sad?

He kept his thoughts well hidden behind the calm look he used for all his patients.

“Okay, Buttercup, we have to leave. Miss Dunni must be tired after a long day.” Tade stretched out his hands to take his daughters’ in his.

“That’s a nice name. What’s the story behind the name?”

“That’s a story for another day. This young lady here is tired. Thank you for your time, and we are sorry for bumping into you like this. You must be tired after a hard day’s work” Tade apologised although reluctant to leave her presence. 

“No worries,” Dunni waved her hand into thin air. “Toni is a delight.”

Dunni got back into her car, once they left and drove through her gates. It was then she remembered she had not asked what they were doing in the area. Did they live here? She wondered. What happened to her there? She was practically drooling over the fine specimen of a man. And she was happy about it. For a long time, no one had inspired any feelings in her except the confusing feelings she had for Moses which she needed to stop analysing and this man she met today may just be her gateway ticket out of Mosesville. She still was not able to dispel her continuous comparison of Moses to any man she met. A good thing this stranger was meeting up in every way.

She went to bed that night with thoughts of Tade Braithwaite, and not the usual to-do list or design ideas in her head before going to bed. Dunni could not wait for the weekend. She slept with a broad smile across her face.

                                  *****

Sule was still not back, and she had to open the gate for Toni and her Dad. She made a mental note to install an electric gate similar to the designs she used in a lot of her clients’ houses but never considered for herself. 

She could imagine Moses and Ola’s surprise when she tells them she’s installing an electric gate. The guys were into every form of technology while it took her a long time to catch on. There had to be a need first, and others may have tried it out with positive feedback before she could venture into any trial of a sort. Well now is the time.

Dunni chose the garden to host them because the weather was good. Toni can play around the garden. She’d ordered jollof rice, fried plantain with stewed chicken and beef and vegetable salad from her food vendor, and also ordered a medium size box of small chops made by Twelve Baskets.

The Chapman drink, she opted to make by herself. That was relatively easy for a culinarily challenged person like herself. Cooking was not her fort. And she was not ready to make a mess of an outing because the food did not come out well. 

She was putting everything away and arranging the crockeries in a basket on a small table beside the garden sofa when she heard the horn at the gate.

She tried to quell the giddiness she felt as she went to open for her guests, excitement filling every fibre of her being. 

It was quite a sunny day, clad in yellow shorts, a white tank top matched with yellow sandals. Dunni wished she could throw her wig aside, but was plagued with the need to make a good impression, unlike the other day they first met.

Tade drove in his black Porsche car. She grinned. What was it with men and cars?

“She is a beauty,” she commented and was rewarded with a smile that reached Tade’s eyes. “I love women who have good taste in cars.”

“Don’t be deceived. My male friends have schooled me well.”

He laughed with a ring she had come to identify as his signature laughter.

Toni came out of the car with a tray of finger foods covered with a transparent cling.

“These looks yummy,” Dunni praised taking the tray from the little girl and leading them to the garden on the left side of the house.

“I hope you don’t mind. The garden seemed the best idea so Toni can have space to run around. We could go inside if she wants to do so later.”

“No, the girl will love you to bits for this. She loves the outdoors. I am not able to indulge her with that luxury between my work and the need to rest. Her favourite place is the Lekki conservatory centre.”

“Really? I go there a lot as well. I’ve seen some of her drawings but just thought they were merely drawings. She must be such a green thumb like my mum. You should try gardening with her.

The two adults settled on the garden sofa while Toni went straight for the swing.

“You’ve got a beautiful place,” Tade commented, wondering if there was a man in her life and thought it was not very intelligent of him to have assumed she was available. 

He had discreetly checked her ring finger when they met. There was neither engagement nor a wedding ring, and that was good enough for him. Nevertheless, he wondered the wisdom of coming. 

Dunni tacitly avoided responding and shouted to Toni so she could hear from the distance. “Do you want a drink now?”

“No! I have one later,” Toni shouted back squealing with glee as the swing went higher.

Dunni poured a glass full of Chapman and dropped some crushed ice into it, handing it over to Tade.

“Thanks, this is nice, he commented after sipping the drink.

“Thank you, that’s one of the few things I can do in the kitchen. The rest is a disaster.”

Tade smiled, relishing the cold drink in the hot weather even though they were under a shade.

“I hope you don’t mind me leaving you. I need to take care of my guest. You are the maid today.”

Tade guffawed. Suppose I get to sit sipping this drink and relaxing. I don’t mind being the maid. I will leave you guys to catch your fun.

“Or would you prefer inside?” She asked thoughtfully. Squinting her eyes from the sun rays that fell over her face where she stood. “Maybe watch football or something on the TV?”

“Thanks but I am fine here.”

“Awesome, see you later,” she waved and ran to meet Toni.

Tade chuckled, she could afford to run with a slim figure. His thoughts went places that dared not be viewed on a TV screen. The shots she wore showed off her slim long straight legs.

He sipped on his drink, but he was drinking in every bit of Dunni’s beauty as he watched her with his daughter. They made a good picture of a happy family. She could easily fit in them. 

He wanted this girl. He was not sure love at first sight existed, and for someone who has been married once, he was not sure what had hit him. He hoped that she felt the same way he felt or would feel the same way eventually. 

Most importantly, he prayed for time to mourn Solape before bringing another woman to replace her. He felt guilty that he could have a second chance at love when the love of his life lay cold in the grave. 

He lay back and closed his eyes hidden behind a set of Versace dark shades. He was not going to think of Solape now. He would when he got back home. Dunni may even be married or have a fiancé and was just being nice to them. Yes, another voice argued that he could lie to himself for all he wanted. He was going to have a hard time getting her out of his mind.

Dunni thoroughly enjoyed the company of father and daughter. She had so much fun that she was amazed at how quickly the day came to an end. 

She was more gutted than Toni when it was time for them to leave. Dunni wished she could hold onto the moment not minding the work that waited for her.

They were not the only ones. Tade lingered as long as he could even helping to clear up but the evening finally came, and they had to bring the visit to an end. He was no nearer, knowing her than he did yesterday. Their talk had centred on his daughter and her antics.

“Would next week Saturday or the next to be good for you to come over and try my cooking?”

Toni, who has leaning on her dad tired and playing with the buttons on her dress, was suddenly alert and looking up at Dunni with hopeful eyes, a small smile tugging at her lips with hands clasped together like she was saying a prayer.

“Say, yes! Say yes! Say yes,” Toni chanted. 

Dunni playfully put up an act of thinking so hard before replying Tade. “The week after next will be okay. I have next weekend loaded with work.”

What she did not say was today had cost her one day set back on her work schedule. She’d had to stand in for more executive meetings and briefings than her share with the absence of Ola and Moses although she could not complain.

“Sounds like a plan,” Tade responded while Toni leapt up with glee.

“What’s your address, please?” 

“We share the same fence, but you have to drive round to the next street to our access the entrance.”

“Oh! I guessed you lived around the area but did not know you were that close, which makes us neighbours.”

“We rarely use your side to drive in, but last week, construction work was going on along the road to our normal route and diverting traffic to this end.”

That kind of explains why she had never run into him before. Dunni thought to herself.

“How long have you lived here?” Tade asked curiously as to why he had never run into her before not that it would have made any difference.

“I moved about a decade ago.” 

“We moved here about seven years ago. Although I am considering moving out of the area and thinking of going somewhere much closer to the island.”

“I know traffic is a nightmare. Do you have anything in mind, build, rent or outright purchase?” Her eyes were lightening up as she spoke the language she lived and breathed in; design, construction and houses.

“Build will have been ideal, but that could take up to a year. I am not fussy about the layout of the house, just something for Buttercup and myself with enough space to run around and a swimming pool.”

“That doesn’t sound much,” Dunni joked which elicited a grin from Tade. She could tell he was loaded with money by the car he drove but a question of where and when?

“I am not into houses; my wife was the one who covered the full details.”

Dunni was confused and did not know her face gave away more than she intended. She thought the wife was dead. Had Amanda not said the girl lost her mum? What had she done? Invited a married man to her house and flirted with him half the time?

“It would be nice to set up a meeting with her. I could help as my work involves designing and building houses. I could link her up with one of our partners who manage estates if she prefers an outright buy.

The brief look of disappointed that flashed on Dunni’s face when Tade mentioned his wife lit a spark of hope that she may feel the same way he did. 

“Solape, my wife died nine months ago. I still talk about her in the present. I would be happy to come in for that meeting, but I am not in a hurry, the house is ours and can always sell or rent it out and move to another.

He sighed, shoulders crunching like he was carrying the whole world. From nowhere, Dunni felt like giving him a warm hug.

She knew what it was to lose a father but not a spouse. She could imagine that it must be a lot worse although time they say will heal the pain and she sincerely hoped so for him.

“I’m so sorry to hear of your wife’s. … She could not finish the sentence as she choked the words. She was feeling the sense of loss of her dad all over again.

“Some days are bad, and some days you get by. I am grateful for the time I had with Solape. She was a great woman.”

If ever anything happens between you two, you’ll be competing with a dead woman whose memories are so alive in the hearts of her family. Came the thought came from nowhere.

“We got to get going. Can I please have your number and I will text you the address and possible fix a meeting for the house project?” Tade asked, congratulating himself on how easy that came.

“Sure,” Dunni replied, reeling out her number as he tapped the keys on his phone.

Tade called the number and looked up, expecting her phone to ring. 

“My bad! My phone must be somewhere in the house.”

“Are you one of those whose mobile phone functions as a landline?”

“Got me there! My friends have given up, and I keep promising to improve. I do for a little while and fall back to the habit.”

“No worries, I can call you later this evening to be sure you’ve got the right number.”

“Okay, Dunni replied, the thought of speaking to him over the phone left her excited.”

She walked towards the gate to open it for Tade to drive out and waved until they were out of sight.

The Dice#13

“Women fall in love in a man’s presence. Men tend to realise they are in love in a woman’s absence.” Unknown.
Todays’ write up if for Omoyemi. Thanks for your comment. That was enough to ginger the next post.

Moses called Dunni’s mobile phone for the umpteenth time. He was exasperated that he could not reach her as her phone was switched off for the last two hours. A boarding call was made for his flight, he picked his bags, checking his surrounding that he had not left anything and joined the other passengers as they made their way to the final check-in.

Moses journey was not scheduled until a fortnight away. However, bidding for the project had come earlier. He saw the email that afternoon about their apologies to reschedule to an earlier date as the project time had moved. It was a good thing for the overall project from a business perspective, even though he had to drop everything and hop on the next flight.

This is one contract they desperately wanted. Architex Designs was not the only one bidding, there were architecture firms from London, US, and Dubai. They knew they could do this and would get the contract. This was one shot they were willing to take.

He could have waited until the next day. However, they were not ready to take any chances. Beijing was about seventeen hours away by direct flight. Unfortunately, there was no direct flight available, and he had to settle with connecting flights at two stops. The bid, according to the email, was in five days’ time. Ola who could not up, and leave would join him in a couple of days.

They had decided when planning the bid earlier in the year that Ola and Moses will handle the Beijing project.

Dunni had another project, she was handling up north of the country which was clashing with the dates for the bid. Hence, they agreed that while Moses and Ola will handle the Beijing project, Dunni could face the Kakawa housing project in Kaduna located along the Kaduna – Zaria road.

The project was a 3-4 housing units for a Stone milling factory that opened up about four years ago. They had employees moving from all over the country and where having problems with accommodation.

The company opted to build houses and rent to their employees through a subsidised scheme. This they found was cheaper compared to the annual housing bonus they paid.

Dunni was excited to get started with this project, it was a block of twelve flats each, and they had twenty of these blocks to design.

It was a hectic time for their firm, and everyone was pulling their weight.

*******

Placing her pillow over her head to block the bright daylight that streamed through her half-closed Venetian blind. Dunni reached out for her alarm to stop the shrilling noise that filled the room shattering every dream of any extra minutes of sleep she desperately needed. She groaned as she hesitantly dragged her sleep-deprived self from the comfort of her bed and trudged to the bathroom to brush her teeth. Staring at a pimple on the left corner of her cheek, she took out her face mask and rubbed it on her face. She grimaced at the additional minutes she needed to add to her morning ritual today. If she failed to attack the pimple today, she would be paying dearly by tomorrow.

She went downstairs to get a glass of warm water to drink and settled for a quick fifteen minutes yoga routine. That was all she could spare this morning or else she will not be able to beat the early morning traffic.

Forty-five minutes later, she dashed into her car, throwing her lunch and handbag to the passenger seat. Turning on the radio, she drove off towards Victoria Island, joining the already building traffic on the Lekki – Epe express road.

“Morning, she greeted the security guard cheerfully as she drove through the gates and stopped to have a brief chat with Dupe the receptionist.

“That’s such a lovely hairdo you have,” Dunni complimented her beautiful weave and was rewarded with a broad smile from Dupe.

“Thank you,” said Dupe. “You should try braiding yours one of these days. Come to think of it, she said with a crease across her forehead, “I don’t think I have seen braids on you before.”

“A look of terror flashed through Dunni’s face.

“Is it that bad,” Dupe asked with a chuckle.

“You have no idea. I can’t stand the tension on my head. You guys that can are lucky. I tried many times but failed. The farthest I got was spending 6 hours to braid and loosening it all the next day. The pain was just unbearable.

Moses and Ola would attest to it. Imagining engaging two clueless men to lose braids. Nah! Braids are not for me.”

This was news to Dupe, she recently joined the firm and loved the relationship among the partners. She found it hard to believe they were just friends. Nonetheless, there was nothing to show if they had been romantically involved.

“Was this recently?” she asked, curious as she tried to wrap her head around the other two bosses struggling with a woman’s hair. The thought was too hilarious that she could not help but release the pent-up laughter.

I know! Smiled Dunni, that was many years ago during our undergraduate days.

“Wow!

And you are still together,” Dupe gushed who had a secret crush for Moses, even though he never had as much as treated her in any way but professional. However, this did not stop her from daydreaming of a possible romance brewing with one of the Bosses. The picture of Moses loosening braids was not only hilarious, but it was also getting her all mushy.

“Any idea if Moses or Ola is in yet? I did not see any of their cars in the parking lot.”

“Ola arrived a few minutes ago, but Moses is yet to come in this morning.”

“Thanks. I have run along.  I have a couple of skype meetings this morning.  Please hold off all my calls till 11:00am.

She popped her head through Ola’s office on the way to hers. He was in a meeting on the phone, so she waved and gestured ‘talk to you later’.

Dunni set up her laptop for her skype meeting and presentation to Emesem, a housing development firm in Calabar. She had met with them last month and scheduled a skype meeting with their MD who was away in Italy but did not want to delay the start of the project. The outcome of the skype meeting would determine the next course of action and when she had to fly down to meet the Engineering and Project Management team.

Although she found the skype meeting strange at first, she was able to adapt quickly. This was not without some hitches.  An instance was when, for a weird reason, the image coming from the other end was upside down on her screen. It was halfway through the meeting she blurted out her problem. Only to discover, it was just a button she needed to click, rotate and it was fine.

Apparently, Emesem is a tech-savvy company, so using technology to work for them in 2013 was a no brainer. Dunni was still getting used to using the computer for her drawings and scaling. She preferred her drawings by hand. Although the tech world was not a comfort zone, she was ready to stretch herself to get this contract.

Dunni was all done with her meetings when Ola walked into Dunni’s office just as she concluded the skype meeting.

“All good?” he inquired.

“Perfect! I just sealed the Emesem deal,” squealed Dunni with the delight of a child.

“Fantastic! Great job, Dunni. Let me know where we can pitch in if you need help,” Ola offered with a smile of genuine pleasure lightening up his face and showing off his 5 o’ clock shadow.

“I have got this one. The MD loved all, but one of the designs sent and wanted two or more adjustments, and they are good. I will be flying to Calabar in ten days’ time,” Dunni replied, smiling with self- satisfaction.

“Where’s Moses, I have not seen him this morning?” she asked, changing the subject.

“I think he tried to reach you on the phone. He is on his way to Beijing.”

“Beijing! Dunni asked a look of surprise filling her round face. “Have I lost track of time? I thought Beijing was scheduled for three weeks or so away.”

“Two actually. Moses received an email yesterday scheduling an earlier date with apologies that the project was ahead of their schedule, which is a good thing business-wise. I don’t know how many projects happen that way. Still, the little experience we have, we know how projects are usually delayed. He got the first available flight last night. I would be going tomorrow.”

“Hmm, it would be nice if our competitors are not able to respond as quickly as we did.”

Dunni was excited at the prospect of clinching that contract but not sure why she felt so despondent at the thought that she missed Moses call before he left.

Swivelling her chair around to take her handbag from the side table by her right. She dug frantically into her handbag for her phone. Not successful in locating the phone, she started bringing out items from her handbag, a transparent cosmetic bag, pens, small notebook, sticky notes, face wipes, a novel, a bottle of water and a black poker dot neck staff.

Ola watched bemused. “Why don’t you just go for a suitcase? With the number of stuffs, you women carry in your handbags, it’s a wonder you don’t suffer from back and neck pain.”

Dunni ignored his comment. This was not the first of such discussions, and it won’t be the last. “There you are! Oh no, it is switched off.” She laughed, showing the screen to Ola.

“I wonder why you have a mobile phone when you cannot be reached at all times.”

 “You want to join Moses on that bandwagon?” she gave him the stinky eye. Moses always complained that with a mobile phone, you were always meant to be reached. “I will improve, it’s not something I do deliberately but maybe my subconscious rebels against this thing. No respite from the world.”

She switched in her phone, and several messages started popping in.

“You see! She said triumphantly how a sane person can keep up with all these distractions.”

“Welcome to the new world. You may be the only one living in the 16th century,”

“Whatever, she rolled her eyes.”

Dunni eagerly searched for Moses message on her phone. A smile spreading across her lovely face.

“Moses should be here to see this smile on your face.  If I did not know better. I will think you have fallen for him.

“In both your dreams,” She replied, typing out a message.

“Really Dunni. What is so repulsive about Moses?”

“You guys have become family. It just does not happen.”

 “It does not happen, or you won’t happen?”

She looked at him suspiciously. “What are you up to Ola, Did Moses put you up to this?”

“Nothing,” he raised his hands in mock surrender. “Just thinking it will be nice to keep you in the family and not lose you to someone crazy dude out there.”

“There are no crazy guys out there. Enough talk about the little or no romance in my life. Maybe, just maybe there I would have time to meet the right guy with you and Moses off my back.”

“Are you saying we are responsible for chasing guys away? I am hurt.”

“No, I am saying you guys keep me working so hard that I have no social life.” She giggled, knowing that was not true.

“That’s is something to work on when we get back. I will get Moses on it.”

“Grr, what did you say you wanted.  And when do you leave?” Dunni changed the subject from her to business. She never liked it when the guys zeroed in on her case.

She was a little petrified to be left to handle the company alone. It was not something she had done. She had always had the guys with her. They all made the decisions but sought each other’s input.

As if reading her thoughts, Ola said ‘you’ll be fine while we are gone and ramp up our profit margin.

“Will you be good for the period we are away?” He asked, looking out for her welfare.

“Would you have asked Moses this question, if he was the one seating here?”

“Dunni don’t bring up the sexist card, please.  I am only looking out for you on the honour of our friendship.

“I will be fine,” she said, putting on her big girl hat even when she felt far from it.

“No worries. I have this covered. All should be fine with the rest of the team we can handle any of the projects that can’t wait while you are both gone.”

She checked her phone to see if Moses had received her message, but it was still showing undelivered.

“What time does Moses flight arrive in Beijing?” Dunni asked scrolling through her phone hoping by some magic she’ll receive a message from Moses. He’d barely left for twenty four hours, and her world had become so small and empty. She sighed, taking her eyes from the phone to Ola.

“I don’t have the details, although I think it’s a fifteen hour flight. Moses is on a connecting flight which may take longer.”

“I will be on the lookout for his messages and keep my phone close by,” she said with a laugh at her lame joke.

Ola stood up to leave with a knowing smile on his face.

“What’s that smile about?”

“What smile, he asked innocently. He was not about to let Dunni know what she was yet to realise herself.

 “You have this mischievous look in your face,”

 “I think I just had an ‘eureka’ moment?”

“What’s that – a design?”

“Nope – but nothing to worry about.”

Dunni shrugged and went back to her work as he left her office. She had to energy to siphon any information Ola was not willing to give.  It was always a failed mission. She could hand tie Moses and blackmail him into telling her. It was a different ball game with Ola.

“See you later and we’ll keep our meetings via skype,” he said, closing the door after him.

Ola thought to himself. Dunni was in love with Moses, and she did not even know it. He may be wrong, but time will tell.

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 .