Story: The President

Episode 6 years ago

Story: The President

We turned around and saw Nancy standing in the middle of the entrance; I didn’t shut the door when I came in.

Me: Nancy, you’re back


Nancy: Yeah… I came to check on Promise and the door was opened so i… I’m here


Promise: Welcome


Nancy: Thanks! So… what’s going on?

Me: She has agreed to break-up with him

Nancy: Really? Whoa… great! Call him now and break the news to him


Me: Not on phone, she’ll have to meet and tell him face to face


Nancy: Huh?


Me: Yea

Nancy: Can she do it? Promise can you?

Promise:The following day in the afternoon, I got myself ready and zoomed off to the apartment with my mother’s car. I called Nancy and told her about my coming, she said she’ll be at Vincent’s place so I can speak with Promise.

I got there; Promise received me in to the house. I noticed how she was trying to hide her bruises from me. I don’t want to do as if I already know about it, so I just played along with her as we engaged in conversation.

[b]Promise: You didn’t tell me you’re coming; I would’ve prepared something better

Me: What did you cook?

Promise: Beans and friend plantain

Me: You like beans too much, just give me plantain jare

Promise: Is it every day one will be eating rice? (Walking into the kitchen)

I waited till she came back with a plate of fried plantain; she pushed a side stool in front of me and dropped the plate on it. I saw some bruises on hand, but I didn’t say anything yet.

Promise: Should I bring water or juice for you?

Me: No yoghurt?

Promise: Nop

Me: Ok a glass of water will do
She went in and came out with a bottle of water and a glass cup and dropped it on the stool.

Promise: (About to go back to her seat)

Me: Pour the water for me na

Promise: Do that yourself na

Me: I asked for just a glass of water but you brought a bottle of it

Promise: That’s how it should be na

Me: Just pour it

The bruises on her became more visible when she was pouring the water…


Me: Promise? (Holding her left arm)

Promise: What?

Me: What happened to you?

Promise: **hissed** some hoodlums robbed and beat me up yesterday on my way back to the house

Me: Where?

Promise: On the street

Me: Which street?

Promise: Along that Masukwai crescent

Me: Hoodlums on Masukwai cresent?

Promise: Yea

Me: Promise are you lying to me?

Promise: Why should I lie to you?

Me: Because there have never been anything like that on that street, there are no hoodlums or criminals around here

Promise: Yea maybe those ones came from another area

Me: Ok Promise tell me the truth now, what really happened to you?

Promise: I just told you na


Me: I don’t believe that, tell me something else

Promise: There’s nothing else to tell, that’s what happened and I’m trying to forget about it

Me: Fred did this to you right?

Promise: What kind of question is that? Why will Fred beat me up?
What is wrong with girl??

Me: I did a background check on him and he isn’t what we think he is

Promise: Really?

Me: He is a bad guy, a very bad guy. He is on drugs and even owns a club where many ungodly acts takes place

Promise: What are you trying to say?

Me: Break up with him

Promise: I should break up with him now because you tell me to?

Me: Promise you have to, that guy is no-good

Promise: Look! I’m sick and tired of you telling me what to do ok? What do you take me for?

Me: **Shock** Promise?

Promise: What?!

Me: **Speechless**

Promise: Not even my Father has dictated on me like this, what’s your problem? Why telling me who to be with and who not to be with?

Me: Look I’m very sorry I got you involved with Fred, I really sorry I made a very huge and expensive mistake; please forgive me and break up with Fred

Promise: No I won’t break up with him and stop telling me what to do! (walking out on me)

Me: Promise? Promise?!

Promise: **Out of sight**

Oh my God! Not again!! What have I gotten this girl into? No no no no no no… another girl’s life must not be ruined because of my mistake. Oh God forgive me, it wasn’t intentional.
(I dialed Nancy’s number)

Nancy: Hello bro

Me: Nancy the situation is now worse

Nancy: What happened?

Me: Promise is not listening to me, she’s so mad at me

Nancy: What do we do now?

Me: Is Vincent there with you?

Nancy: He is in the kitchen

Me: Please go give the phone to him

Nancy: Ok hold on for a sec

Vincent: Hello

Me: Vincent

Vincent: Yea?

Me: Promise is in bondage, she needs all the prayers she can get please I beg you

Vincent: Nancy just told me about what Fred is doing to her, that’s not good


Me: It’s getting out of hand; she’s not listening to me, the solution I seek for now is prayers

Vincent: Ok bro, we shall go on three days fasting and prayers for her

Me: That’d be great

Vincent: Don’t stress yourself, the devil will surely bow in defeat again

Me: A big Amen to that

Vincent: Later bro, lemme check what I have on fire

Me: Ok ok
**Hangs up**

I did a conference call with Mirabel and Cynthia to let them what’s going on.
They were also disturbed about it. They suggested we confront Fred but I impeded them from doing that, at least not yet. Once Promise agrees to break up with him, he won’t be a problem.

After the call, I slowly walked towards her room and entered without knocking; I saw her sobbing on the bed. I got on the bed next to her and tried to raise her up


Promise: Leave me alone (crying)

Me: Please Promise… I don’t want to lose you because of this foolish mistake I made I’m begging you

Promise: Why? (Seating up) tell me why? Do you know what I’ve been going through because of the love that I have for you? Do you have any idea on what I’ve been going through inside of me? As if not loving me back was not enough, you went ahead and hook me up with a beast! A tyrant!

Me: I’m really sorry; I never wanted all that to happen

Promise: What can your sorry do? Will it ease the pain that I’m going through? I accepted Fred in order to stop my love for you, thinking I will get to love him and forget about you, but what happened? I’m still at the losing end…
Fred beat me like i deserve nothing but pain. He is jealous of our closeness that he deleted all the pictures of us from my phone. He first beat me up because of the position he met us with on the day of our second to the last exam. I never fell from any bike, he was the one that hurt me because of our closeness we’ve been having long before he came into the picture


Me: Promise you should’ve spoken out

Promise: How could I when the guy I love gave me to the beast himself?

Me: Promise you know it can’t work between us please I beg you, kill that love I beg of you. Mirabel and I are getting married soon; please don’t do this to yourself.

Promise: I have tried and tried, but I can’t help it

Me: Break up with Fred and the right person for you will eventually come

Promise: Do you love me?

Me: Promise…

Promise: Just answer me

Me: Please na

Promise: I know you do, you had the intention of asking me out back when we were in 100L but you couldn’t talk to me because I didn’t give you a “go ahead” signal


Me: I love Mirabel

Promise: You loved me first

Me: That can’t change anything now; you know I’m getting married to Mirabel soon please don’t make things difficult for me and yourself

Promise: It’s okay… I know I can’t do anything about that and I wish you both well

Me: Thanks, I really appreciate your understanding

Promise: Just facing the reality

Me: But you have to break up with Fred

Promise: It won’t be that easy

Me: Leave that for me to handle, I got you into this mess and I’m getting you out from it

Promise: **Tears dripping down from her eyes**

I wipe the tears off her cheeks with my bare hand and we both hug each other for many seconds… we broke off when we heard someone coughed out.
Victor I don’t think I can


Me: Of course you can, we’ll stay behind you


Promise: I can’t face him anymore


Me: He won’t leave you alone by just sending him a break-up text or call; you have to be bold to tell him to his face


Promise: I can’t


Me: You’re not going to face him all by yourself; we’ll be there for you. Just break the news to him with all sincerity and boldness and walk away from him, I’ll take over afterwards

Nancy: That could work


Promise: And if he keeps coming? I don’t want what happened to you and Mirabel by Dorothy and Marcus


Me: I don’t want that to happen either and that’s why we have to act now

Promise: Ok, we should do it tomorrow

Me: No problem


Nancy: What if he comes by today? I don’t think they’ve met today


Me: **Looked at the time** it’s 17 minutes to 6:00

Nancy: Not late for him, he even comes around 7 or 8pm

Me: Then we do it today if he comes around, Promise hope you can handle it?

Promise: Ok


Me: Good

Promise: What about you?

Me: What about me?

Promise: Will you sleep over or you’re going back?

Me: I’m sleeping over

Nancy: So… since she’s agreed to break-up with him, are we going ahead with the fasting and prayer?


Me: Yes so that everything will go well

Promise: Fasting and prayer?

Me: Well ermmm… the thing is, I thought you lost it because of how you reacted when I asked you to break-up with Fred, so we wanted God to intervened and bring you to your senses **teasingly**


Promise: You’re not serious


Me: You won’t understand, because I’ve never seen you like that before…


Promise: And whose fault was it?


Me: Mine

Promise: So you know? Good thing you admitted it

Me: So what’s for dinner?


Nancy: I think we still have some left over beans

Promise: Yea


Me: For who and who? Abeg make una go cook something else


Nancy: Yes sir

Promise: What do you mean by yes sir? We’re going to cook again because of him?

Nancy: Yes because I want to sleep peacefully tonight, let’s go if you want that too

Promise: Not me


Nancy: Ok o **walks away**

Me: You won’t follow her?


Promise: As your cook or gini? Better know those you boss around


Me: Really?

Promise: Yea

Me: Oya get up


Promise: No


Me: Get up

Promise: No
I rushed her and start tickling her playfully, she starts to giggle and laughing anyhow till I grabbed her up and took her out of the room heading to the kitchen while she was still laughing out loud. We stepped into the parlor and saw Fred stepping in as well. He paused immediately he saw us in that position and removed his glasses from his face.

Didn’t he come with a car? Why didn’t he horn so we’ll know about his arrival?? So he is so regular around here that the security/gateman will just open up for him???

Our laughing face immediately turned normal, and then I slowly dropped Promise on her feet. He let out a smile of which I know it’s a fake one. I’m sure he’ll try to beat her up for that.

Fred: I can see you guys are having fun

Me and Promise both didn’t say anything


Fred: Hey mahn **giving his hand for a handshake and I shook hands with him** Baby… go dress up lemme take you somewhere special


Promise: Fred we need to talk


Fred: Yea we can do that when we get there or on our way in the car


Promise: No, now please


Fred: You sound serious, hope no problem?

Promise: Let’s meet outside **walking outside**

He smiled at me while doing a cross sign before going out.

I sat on the couch to watch Tv but didn’t pay full attention to it. Nancy came to the parlor and said she heard Fred’s voice.

Me: They’re outside


Nancy: By their selves? What if he hurt her?

Me: I doubt it, he can’t do that


Nancy: But we have to be sure, lemme go and see what’s happening


Me: Nancy let it be, he can’t… (I got distracted when Promise stormed in and headed straight to her room)
I stood up then Fred also walked in following and calling her name. He came back to the parlor about two minutes after he knocked and knocked and called out Promise’ name but she didn’t open the door for him.


Fred: You got to help me mahn, Promise is breaking up with me


Me: **speechless**

Nancy silently walked to the kitchen.

Fred: Why’d she decided to break-up with me all of a sudden? Please help me talk to her


Me: Sorry I can’t do that


Fred: What? Why??

Me: I don’t want to meddle in her private life anymore, I’ll respect whatever decision she decides to take


Fred: But this is a terrible decision!
Please talk her out of it


Me: You’re a man, talk to her and fix your relationship and leave me out of it. If she accepts you, fine, and if she refuses there’s nothing I can do about it


Fred: She doesn’t want to listen to me, she listens to you more than anyone mahn… please talk to her for me, I really love her

Me: No you don’t


Fred: Excuse me?

Me: You don’t love her

Fred: Of course I do!

Me: How can you be beating up the girl you claim to love? A gentle and responsible man will never do that to a lady no matter what she did to you


Fred: She told you that I beat her up?

Me: No she didn’t had to, the constant bruises on her says it all


Fred: It could be something else that happened to her, like an accident or…

Me: **Cuts-in** Spare me all that Fred, Promise has never had a single scratch on her body for the past four years that I’ve known her then she started having them constantly from when you both started your relationship


Fred: The truth is I didn’t mean to be hurting her, just that, that ugh, just some little misunderstanding that every couple have and i….. Ok look I promise never to hurt her again


Me: Go tell that to her not me, I will respect whatever decision she make


Fred: You and I know she’s not coming back to me if you don’t interfere, and you also know we would never have dated if not for you


Me: And that made her loses her trust and respect that she has for me because I got her involved with a guy that hurt and disrespects her

Fred: I’m sorry it’s all my fault, it won’t happen again trust me, just give me a second chance

Me: Sorry mahn, I’m not gonna do that mistake again. It’s her decision to make

Fred: You don’t want to help me because you’ve been sleeping with her!


Mirabel: What?

I turned and saw Mirabel at the doorpost.