Must Read: The Cartel (18+)

7 years ago

Must Read: The Cartel (18+)

Not until 5:30 pm did Vivian call to tell me she was at the parking lot of the hotel. I had just my trouser and inner vest on while lying on the bed. I was barely awake when her call came in as I wondered if she was going to make it at all.

I told her to give me five minutes as I hurriedly wore my top, brushed my hair again, used the perfume and after a last look in the mirror, I went down to join her.

And as if we had planned it, Vivian was surprisingly dress in white traditional gown, with the design pattern on the materials used in sewing both our outfits looking almost the same. She smiled approvingly at me when I opened the passenger seat and got in next to her. I couldn’t help but smile back at her because of how pretty she looked. And my remembering the fact that she was caring my child made me reach out for her as our lips met in a short but very deep kiss.
“You need to stop looking at me before you dress” I said, teasing her
“Yea. I wore it first. This was my outfit to church and I haven’t had time to change” She said defending herself
On the drive over, I couldn’t point to what we talked about, but I was sure I almost had a panic attack when we drove into her street. I spent the better part of the short trip wondering what the evening would look like.

Was her mom aware she was heavy and demanded she wanted to see who was responsible? What about her dad?

Up until that moment, all I knew about her family was that her dad was a top medical officer/consultant at the UCTH, her mom was/is a teacher/house wife. I wasn’t even sure about her mom’s occupation. The only information I was sure of was that Vivian is the last child and only female in a family of about five or is it four elder brothers who were all medical doctors. Damn, Vivian never talked about her family, so it was hard for me to successfully create a mental picture of what the evening might look like. Even the few times I came to their house to pick her up, she always came out to meet me. I never went into the compound.
“Christ…, Fury you’re scaring me right now. I can hear you breathing. It’s just a simple dinner party and not a disciplinary committee.

You need to relax” Vivian suddenly said as we approached their gate. I had been lost in my thoughts that she saw uncomfortable I now was.

She parked the car outside the fenced compound. A lot of cars were already parked by the roadside as we made our way into the compound together. There was loud music coming from within the compound.
“This is more than a simple dinner party, the crowd here looks like a wedding reception” I whispered to her seeing people seated all over the vast compound. Ushers could be seen moving around with trays of food for guest, while some kids with protruding tummies ran around the compound holding different soft drinks.
“My dad is hosting some senior staff of UCTH and a couple of them from Unical and their families” She replied as she led me towards the main building amidst stares from some of the guest.
“So where are you taking me now?” I asked her.

She was about to answer when we heard a familiar voice call out to us.
“Bonnie and Clyde” The voice had remarked in obvious reference to us just as we stepped on the veranda
“Oh my goodness, sunshine in rain. Where have you been all these while?” I asked, turning to hug Jane Duke who came out from beside us. She was dressed in a blue jean which did justice to her curves and a white t-shirt with a beautiful graffiti.
“Hello Fury. Good to see you again” She replied pressing her body into mine a little more than necessary while also rubbing my back tenderly.
“Good to see you too. You’ve been avoiding me abi?” I asked pulling away from her when the hug was beginning to last a longer than that necessary. It wouldn’t have mattered if I wasn’t now involved with Vivian
“Mi love, you didn’t tell me Jane was already here?” I turned to ask Vivian.

I deliberately referred to her as “mi love” so as to remove any doubt from her as to where my loyalty was after the stunt Jane just pulled.

My reaching out to hug Jane was borne of the fact that it had been a while since the last time I saw her, but I wasn’t sure about her reason for not wanting to let go or the way she pressed b0s0m into me.
“Hi Jade” Vivian said brushing me aside as she hugged her friend.
“Hello babes” Jane replied as they both hugged
“When did you guys get here? I just rushed to pick your friend? She declared, referring to me as Jane’s friend
“We just got here about a minute or two ago.

Dad just told me when they were leaving home that there were coming over here. Decided to tag along.” She replied, thereby telling me Vivian wasn’t aware she was around
“Glad to see you. Thank God for Easter, you came out of your shell” Vivian told her.
“As in eh, na only she dey nursing department” I chipped in
“My dear. Forgive me o. Na nursing department no gree me” Jane replied chuckling, while giving me a little jab in “Gerrarahere” way for predicting correctly what her excuse would be for cutting us out.
“Viviannnn!!!” We all heard Vivian’s mom call out her name from inside the house
“Ma” She screamed back, disgust written over her face. She obviously wasn’t happy with the way her mom called her name.

Then thee mom said some things in their local dialect, to which she responded before excusing herself
“Yea I forgot, I went to the kitchen with (my) mumsy, and your mom asked if I had seen you when I asked about you. She said you were just outside so I came back out through the back door” Jane told her. This explained why she came out from where she saw us
“Yea right. The VIP’s have arrived, let me rush and assist her with the table. Fury, I’ll live you with your sunshine in rain for now” She said as she entered the house.

It was at that point I realized she was angry with me. Probably because of how I addressed Jane earlier, which to her must have been the reason Jane flirted with me in front of her.
“You’re the perfect couple you know?” Jane remarked as soon as Vivian was out of sight
“Why? Because of the white traditional outfit?” I asked her
“No, not just that. But because in truth you are” She explained
“Ok. I get. But the traditional outfit is part of the reason you said so. No?’ I accused her again
“Get lost Fury. I missed you by the way” She said before asking me to follow her to seat down under an almond tree in the compound. As she led the way, I couldn’t help stare at her butt0ckz in those jeans as she swayed her hips.
“So what have you been up to Fury” She asked as soon as we were settled into two free seats facing each other. From our position we had a clear view of the entrance of the house and could easily be spotted by Vivian if she came out looking for us. Again most of the guest were seated under the canopies and around the lawn.
“I’ve been good dear. Doing my thing you know. Like minding my business, surviving, while also trying to keep out of trouble” I replied her before adding “This compound is huge”
Her next question was intended to mess with me and she did catch me off guard
“Yea, there are. Guess you like what you see?” She had asked
“Yea” I replied pausing briefly, before adding “It’s a beautiful art work”
“The art work huh?” She repeated after me, which made me look up to her face in which I saw a cheeky and mocking smile all over it.
“Get lost Jane” I said laughing realizing she had asked the question because I was staring at her chest. “I wasn’t looking your b0s0m but the graffiti on your shirt, yeye girl”
“Would have been disappointed if you agreed you were. Who lie pass una men?” She mocked me
“I don’t like big b0s0m for your information. Vivian’s are just perfect” I defended myself
“Na today we don dey here that kind talk?” She asked in disbelieve
“No need convincing you’ I said wanting to end the b0s0m talk. My impression about Jane had always been a very decent girl, who just had a terrible friend in Vivian the bad girl. So I was never comfortable having such discussions with her, even when Vivian brought them up
“You don’t even have to try, Yoruba man” Whatever that meant, but she said it sounding victorious as she continued “But once a lady opens it up for you guys, you’ll be acting like little kids playing with toys”
My curiosity about this otherwise once good girl had the best of me and I was forced to ask “What movies have you been watching in your closet Jane? You look worked up? It’s Eastern Sunday, abeg no come spoil me on the anniversary of my baptism” with that I did the sign of the cross
“You’re a very yeye somebody Fury” She said laughingly (speaking what neither English nor pidgin) while reaching out like she was going to slap me. “And for your info, we girls know a lot more than you guys give us credit or would admit to you”
“I hear you ma” I said while making a facial gesture of doubt
“Jane.” We heard someone call her name.

Looking up, we saw a girl walking fast paced and happily over to where we sat
“Audrey” Jane nearly screamed with sincere shock as she stood up running to meet the girl halfway. “Look at you”
“Longest time” They both screamed in unison as they hugged while most guest looked in their direction
The girl turned out to be Vivian’s cousin who had been a class below them back in their secondary school. She was now a student of University of Abuja and was only in Calabar with two of her brothers for the Easter break. Within the next twenty minutes, the almond three where we sat had eight folks including Jane, Vivian, Audrey and myself talking and laughing.

Three (Audrey and two other guys) were Vivian’s cousins, while the other two (girls) were their guests.

As it later turned out, her cousins were the folks she wanted me to meet and she introduced me to them as her boyfriend. Our group had our meal under the almond tree, with Vivian and Audrey making sure we had enough to eat, drink and take back home pack.

Our discussion centered on fashion, movies, relationships, and schooling. We also talked about our various campuses and lecturers, what was wrong with them and what could be done to salvage the Nigerian educational system. At a point Jane while directing her question at Vivian, asked if anyone of us would leave our current level to start afresh in one of the Ivy League universities if given the opportunity, like an all-expense paid scholarship.

It took me months to understand why Jane looked at Vivian and then turned her gaze to me when she noticed Vivian looking at me plainly while she asked that question.

Vivian on her part said she was of the opinion that University of Calabar was great, but she couldn’t wait to leave. So yes, she would take such an opportunity if it presented itself.

The other guys said they would rather stay back if they were already in their final years.

While Audrey said she wouldn’t hesitate to say yes if given such and opportunity. On my part I said it depended on several factors, factors which surprisingly Vivian was quick to ask me to state. I objected, saying the factors were personal. Her facial expression changed a bit.

Jane who at a point our eyes met and I realized she was keenly observing the both of us more than the rest of the group immediately said while faking a smile “An oxford trained nurse?

Make I hear say I no jump on the opportunity even if na my final year” when our eyes met.
Jane was the first to leave some twenty minute later after she asked that question. Her parents had come out of the house with Vivian’s dad and mom seeing them off. And on their way back, Vivian’s parents surprisingly walked over to where we sat to say hello to us. Vivian seized the opportunity to introduce me to her parents as her friend.
“Dad, mom, meet my friend” Vivian started, introducing me with my real names first before introducing the other girls, her cousin’s friends
“I’m not sure I’ve met you before son” Doctor Abang stated when I stood up to greet him, taking his out stretched hand in the process.
“No sir, you haven’t” I replied. “It’s a pleasure to meet you sir”. As I said these, I bowed down halfway in respect of him
“You must be the one?” He then asked still holding my hand
“The one? I repeated” With a look of confusion, I starred at Vivian, briefly at her mom who wasn’t exactly smiling and quickly back to her dad.
“You’re the first male friend I’ve met” He then added sounding serious. At this point I got his message and blushed. I wasn’t exactly sure if a reply was needed or what to even say.
“Daddy!” Vivian called out in protest “Leave him alone”.
“Oops, I forgot she’s a lawyer” He said with a smile while leaving me hand.
“Hope you’ve all had something to eat?” Mrs. Abang now asked, her question was more or less directed at the other girls.
“Yes, we have. Thank you ma” They both chorused like school kids who had rehearsed their response
“And I, who bought the rice and cow, I don’t get any thank you(s)” Dr. Abang chipped in, sounding jealous. Folding his hands across his chest, he bent his neck and began shaking his body like a kid protesting the seizure of her toy.

Every one of us including the mom burst out laughing. Our laughter was followed by several chats of “Thank you sir(s)” and “Daddy thank You(s)”
Laughing himself, he then said “That’s how one girl used to act years ago”
There was another round of laughter again, but time Vivian didn’t join as her cousins all chorused her name. Even before they mentioned her name, I and the other girls sort of knew she was the one being inferred by her dad.
“Have fun guys” Dr. Abang said as he and his wife then walked away to where some other guest sat.

They were nice fellows I concluded, especially her dad. Unfortunately, that was the only time I would meet face to face with them smiling.