Chapter 19 THE BEACH HOUSE

E V E

So a man must bend to the whims and caprices of women and what we stand for and want.

Flick.

It's a tale as old as time --- women playing hard to get, and it always works with the men, you've got to hold out on sex.

Flick . . . static.

My man knows he can't get it when he wants it. The only way is for him to accept when I want to do it and not the other way around. It's time for a change.

Alright, we're going to take another call from Ji ----

Flick . . . Static . . . Static . . . Silence.

"Damn radio stations mouthing off about crap, when there are much more important things to talk about in the country. This is why I don't listen to the radio." I watch as Aureliano sends himself into a state, thanks to the ongoing debate amongst female callers talking about sex and whether women should play hard to get, or give in when their boyfriends or husbands want it. I decide to keep silent and let him muse, or fume, as the case may be.

Lightening suddenly flashes across the sky, briefly illuminating everything in neon-white, including unfortunate hawkers crowding under umbrellas that are too small to shield them from the unrelenting rain. Vehicles are lined bumper to bumper, moving at a snail's pace as a result of the mini-swimming pools on the road caused by the rain. Its making our journey to Femi's beach house in Lekki a tedious one. Every corner of the ground is filled with water, pointing at our poor drainage system.

The elements are angry today, that is clearly evident. Even though it's been raining since before I woke up, it doesn't look like it's about to let up anytime soon and it's already past 12 in the afternoon. A journey that should have taken about twenty minutes --- tops --- is now taking over an hour and counting.

Aureliano fidgets beside me as he gets increasingly antsy. Enclosed spaces make him this way. I know he prefers to crank up the speed so he can drive unhindered like a maniac, unfortunately for him that's not going to happen anytime soon.

I sense his gaze on me, but I stare straight ahead, maintaining a stoic expression.

I never did ask him about Stacy and why he didn't talk to me about her coming to live with him, neither did he bring it up, so we have a white elephant that none of us wants to address, and it looks like the chasm between us keeps growing bigger by the day.

So it's safe to say things have gone from bad to worse.

After crying on Ebere's shoulder, she'd wiped my tears and told me to take things easy with Aureliano because he was under a lot of pressure. I initially didn't want to come on this trip to Femi's beach house, but she'd convinced me into doing so, and here I am, stuck in a car as the heavens relive itself of water.

In Ebere's words: You guys have such amazing chemistry, I'm quite sure things will come back to normal again.

Me: Not so sure about that.

"You okay?" Aureliano takes his eyes off the road and looks at me.

Still staring straight ahead, my answer is short and clipped. "I'm fine."

He sighs and puts his attention back onto the non-moving vehicles. It's just as well he doesn't try to initiate conversation, because I'm going to be unresponsive.

As the sky darkens, so does my mood. Where Aureliano quietens down and settles into some semblance of peace, I become restless and fidgety. Seems we've exchanged temperaments. Once or twice he tries to initiate conversation again, but seeing how I brush him off, he backs off and switches the radio on again. Luckily for him they've begun to play some music.

Soon after; the darkened sky, the rain beating against the windows and the slow movement of the car, lull me into a deep sleep. Something or someone nudges me on my shoulder some few minutes later.

"Wake up, princess!" Aurey's voice pierces the last vestiges of sleep clinging to me, making me sit up wide-eyed. In a voice still slightly muffled, I ask where we are.

"We're at Femi's beach house."

One of his hand is holding my small compact suitcase by the long handle, while his duffel bag is slung across a shoulder. He looks tired.

"How long was I out?" I don't recognise my voice. It sounds thin and taut.

"Three hours." He replies immediately, tiredness tinging his words.

Not wanting to add to his woes, I climb out of the car hurriedly, almost falling out in my haste but he holds me by the waist. The sky has brightened a bit, and the stillness of the area is uncharacteristic of Lagos. Two other cars are parked beside Aurey's. Touching the bonnet of one, it still feels warm. The others probably just arrived as well.

I take a look around, and that's when I see it. A wide expanse of bluish-grean sea water as far as the eyes can see. The skyline seems to almost merge with the ends of the sea, but I know that's not possible.

I stand and stare, taking in the beauty and stillness of the surroundings. Not a soul is visible, not one. It's a far cry from the ever bustling public beaches with lots of activity and the ever present milling crowd. The white sand beneath my feet is so clean and the smell of the sea so fresh, that I immediately let out a sigh.

This is how peace must look like.

I suddenly remember that Aurey's hand is still around my waist, so I move away from him. It's his turn to sigh as he locks the car and begins leading the way.

We keep walking until we round a bend, and that's when I see a modest-sized one storey building, situated at some distance from the shore. As we get close, raucous laughter drifts over to us, and Aureliano quickens his steps, leaving me struggling to keep up with him.

Even though I'm not the one carrying the luggages, by the time we're close to the building, I'm already panting and out of breath. A door sits wide open with the mosquito screen door firmly shut in place. Aureliano raps on it twice, causing the hook and eye to jingle, and then he pulls it open.

Immediately we step inside, I notice two things. First of all the cool air from the air conditioner hits me, making me sigh in relief. Secondly, the raucous laughter siezes abruptly as we walk inside a huge and lavish sitting room. Four curious pairs of eyes stare up at us from the plush black and gold leather seats.

Ebere with her pregnant self sits beside her fiancee, Dipo. He's wearing a small smile on his face as he looks up at us, and then there's Femi who has a smirk plastered all over his face, sitting very close to his wife, Fiku, with an arm firmly wrapped around her waist. She smiles at us warmly and gives us a little wave.

"Bestieeeee!" Ebere suddenly screams shrilly, and with an agility that belies a pregnant woman, she springs up from the chair and dashes towards me.

Good God, not again!

I move aside just in time. Instead of crashing into me as originally planned, she almost crashes into the ground, but thankfully that's averted, as Aureliano holds her, steadying her with one arm, otherwise she'd have fallen flat on her face, and that wouldn't have been good for her nor her pregnancy.

I'm not evil, I'm just not ready to get my breath knocked out of me again. She turns to me and gives me a death glare.

"I'm sorry." I'm wary as I hold out my hands open for a hug.

At first she hesitates, but then moves in for a hug. As soon as we pull apart, everyone begins to talk at the same time. Dipo and Femi get up to give Aureliano a bro hug, while Fiku joins Ebere in welcoming me.

"We finally get to meet again under less tense circumstances." Femi stands in front of me as he takes my hand in his.

Gone is the oily smirk that was pasted on his face the first time we met. In it's wake is a wide smile.

"Thank you for having us here." I reply, also giving him a wide smile in return.

He bursts into laughter and turns to Aureliano. "This your babe get manners o." And then he turns back to look at me. "Don't sweat it, babe." And winking, he walks off to join his friends, leaving Fiku and Ebere asking me how the trip went.

"I'm guessing you took the third mainland bridge, that's why you got here later than we did?" Fiku asks, after we pull apart from a brief hug.

I sigh tiredly and nod. "It was terrible. It didn't seem like we would ever get here at all today. Wait a minute, how were you guys able to maneover through the traffic and get here before us?"

Ebere answers this time. "Dipo guessed there would be a lot of traffic on the third mainland bridge, so he decided to make an educated guess and use the Eko bridge instead, and there wasn't that much traffic there. Although we got here an hour earlier than you, only because we stopped on the way to get some things. This one here. . . " She indicates with a thumb at Fiku. " . . . begged me to buy some food supplies at ShopRite on the way here, otherwise we'd have been here much earlier." She leans close to me, regardless of the fact that Fiku is standing right next to her, and whispers. "Incase ya didn't know, they spent two nights here ahead of us and ate most of the food after some marathon . . . well you fill in the gaps." Fiku just laughs and shakes her head.

I watch as Dipo breaks away from the guys who have begun opening bottles of beer, and walks towards us. "Hey ladies, is it okay if I talk to Eve alone, please?" Fiku nods and moves away to go stand beside her husband who is laughing at something Aurey is saying, but Ebere just moves away a few paces and pretends to gaze outside the floor to ceiling glass windows, when I know she's actually going to eavesdrop on what Dipo has to say to me.

"Well um . . . " He starts, but then stops to fidget with his fingers and stare at the ground. Looking up suddenly, he squares his shoulders and speaks out more confidently. "I guess I owe you an apology." A look of horror flashes across his face and he hastily puts his hands up in a form of supplication. "Let me rephrase that. I definitely owe you an apology. The last time we met, it wasn't under favourable conditions. I kind of insulted you, and I'm really very sorry. I don't want you to think that's how I am, going about being mean to people, no. Just . . . I would love it if you could please put it behind you and let's move on." He shuffles on his feet and gazes at the floor once more, not able to look at my face, obviously waiting for me to say something.

I decide to niggle him a bit as I keep quiet and watch him squirm. I feel a pinch, as Ebere materialises beside me, making me jump and squeal. I send her a death glare and she jerks her head towards Dipo who is still gazing at the floor, so I clear my throat and smile. "It's okay, I harbour no hard feelings towards you."

Dipo raises his head up and smiles slowly. "Thank you for being so generous."

Ebere suddenly claps her hands in delight. "Awesome! I'm so pleased right now. We're all going to have sooo much fun." She goes to stand beside Dipo and links a hand in his, and draws him away.

Fiku decides to come back at that exact moment, leading me to the belief this was a planned synchronised move. She takes on the role of the gracious hostess as she gently takes my hand and leads me away. "Please, let me show you to the room you and Aureliano will be staying in. It's the only room with a lovely view of the sea, and . . . " She continues talking as we step into a corridor.

I look back just in time as my eyes catch Aurey's. He spears me with a sad look, just as Fiku continues leading me deeper into the corridor.

The moment I step inside the room, I'm immediately drawn to the sea.

You can't not see it.

It overlooks the wide floor to ceiling windows. Fiku was right --- it is an amazing view. After what seems like ages, I drag my gaze away just as it begins to churn restlessly, and sweep my eyes across the room.

It is big without being cavernous. Even with an inexperienced eye I can tell right away it was made strictly from a male's point of view because of the strong masculine colours. My eyes move to the king-sized bed. The pillows and throw pillows have frilly pillowcases on them toning down the strong masculine colours and lending a beautiful contrast to it.

I flit my eyes away from it only for my attention to get arrested by the art portraits dotting the wall. While I can't tell cheap art from an expensive one, these one's look quite expensive. They're of different scenes. One is of a man standing by the sea, while another is of a man inside a boat. The third portrait is also of a man, but this time, he's dipping his fishing line into the sea.

It takes me a moment to realise they're telling a story of a man having a peaceful day at sea, fishing. Whoever painted it captured every scene artfully well.

As I keep looking around, something at my feet catches my eyes, and I'm suddenly drawn to the rug I'm standing on. It's a unique shade of red and green and the tapestry looks seamless and expensive.

"That's an antique central-persian carpet. Femi's dad is into tapestry and art." Fiku's voice cuts across to me and I become startled, because I'd absolutely forgotten she was still in the room. The room had captured my entire attention. "You like it?"

I breathe out deeply before answering. "It's all very mesmerising. The view from the window and the one inside this room, even the carpet. It's all quite spellbinding. Thank you very much for having me here."

She comes close to me and puts a hand on mine tentatively. "You're very welcome here, Eve. I never did say this, but I'm terribly sorry for what Chioma did to you, and -----"

"You've got nothing to be sorry about. It wasn't ----"

"She was my best friend." She interrupts in a small, quiet voice. "So that makes it my fault as well."

There's a far away look in her eyes, as if she's mentally going back in time.

I can't help but wonder if Chioma talked to her about me and the situation with Aureliano.

She catches me staring and averts her eyes. Feeling flustered, she turns round and begins walking towards the door, and I feel I've annoyed her somewhat, but that feeling dissipates when she stops and looks back at me with a note of sadness in her tone. "Please make yourself at home and remember you're very welcome here." She begins walking away, but stops once again as she gets to the door. "Get some rest, I know you're tired. We still have two hours before dinner. It's at 7." And she walks off, leaving me feeling strangely exhilarated.

The first thing I do when she leaves is close the door, peel off my clothes and take a leisurely bath. The shower is big and spacious, enough for three people. There are many complicating looking bottons. I turn on all of them before I'm able to get the hang of it. Once I'm done with my bath, I change into a bath robe and sit on the bed. Before long, I'm lying down and drifting off to sleep.

*

Dinner is a quiet affair. The scintillating aroma of spicy grilled roasted chicken and chips wafts into my nostrils as I dish a portion into my plate. I spy assorted veggies dipped in soy sauce next to it and my stomach grumbles hungrily. Femi and Fiku brought along the chef that cooks at home to cook for us for the duration of our stay at the beach, and all I can say is his cooking is yum.

After dinner, the guys file outside to talk and drink beer, while we girls stay indoors watching a movie on the theatre-type screen on the wall. Ebere is already sprawled, dozing off on the sofa beside me, while Fiku's eyes are fixed solidly on the flickering screen. After a few minutes, I plead a headache and retire to the room. Once I change out of my clothes and into cotton pyjamas, I decide I probably won't get much sleep tonight, seeing as I slept before dinner, but as I lay down on the bed, I'm shocked when my eyelids immediately become heavy and I drift off into sleep.

Sometime at night, I wake up with a start when I feel Aureliano's hand across my stomach. I'm flush against him. His hand is heavy on me like a log of wood and I don't want to wake him, but my bladder is suddenly full and needs to be eased of the pressure on it.

I wiggle around to face him, staring when I see his lashes splayed across his cheeks. He looks so peaceful in sleep that I can't help leaning into him and planting a light kiss on his lips. Before I do something stupid, like wake him up, I ease away gently and rush to the toilet.

_@_

S E G U N

I think being a boyfriend sucks.

I think I suck at being a boyfriend.

I think it's also safe to say the relationship between Eve and I isn't going places.

All evening I'd been wishing I could wipe away the sad look in her eyes, but I couldn't even do that when she kept shutting me out.

Everytime I tried to initiate a conversation with her, she'd either turn away, or give me a cool look, effectively shutting me up.

How the fuck am I going to get through to her, if she keeps shutting me out?

Sometimes I just want to shake some sense into her or kiss her, or do both, but I can't even do that, and it's silently killing me inside that we don't talk at all.

This isn't how it's meant to be.

Yet, here we are. At an impasse.

To move forward or not to move forward, that is the question. And I don't even like Shakespeare.

Sleep eludes me these days, so I mostly just lie down and try to stop my mind from drifting down memory lane to my past. As a result of this, I know the exact moment she wakes up and finds my hand across her stomach. She stiffens considerably and stays still. I in turn don't move. I need to see what her next move will be.

Will she fling my hand away from her or will she tap me to remove it?

What she does next surprises me, giving me hope for us.

She turns round and moves closer to me. I feel her hot gaze on me and then she leans close to me and gives me a kiss on my lips. I almost loose my cool and tighten my hold on her, but I will myself to be patient and lay still. Then gently, ever so gently, she eases off me.

While she's in the toilet, I slip out of the bed and into a pair of shorts and a tee, and walk out the door.

I honestly can't be here when she gets back. I wouldn't be able to stop myself from touching her. It's best to put some distance between us.

I find myself gravitating towards the kitchen and the stack of beer loaded inside the fridge. My hand closes around one and before I can talk myself out of opening it, I'm already ripping the cover off with my teeth and throwing the cool liquid down my throat. Before I can take any further steps, I grab another bottle before closing the fridge.

Everywhere is silent as I open the screen door and let myself out of the house. The ocean night air calls to me in a way that's soothing and peaceful. As I walk towards the shore, my mind is deliberately blank. I make sure to dip my feet into the sand that's quite cool now. Earlier on when the boys and I were out here, it was hot ---- scorching, even.

Even before I get close to the ocean, I can see the restless waves. Big fat choppy crests surging up and down. Dangerous high tides. The moon glints from above, casting a purple sheen on it's surface.

I gaze at it, mesmerised at how similar nature and humanity is. One moment, everything is peaceful, the next it's turbid and violent.

I shake my head and crank open the second bottle of beer, sighing as the cool liquid slides down my throat. When I'm done, I toss it onto the sand and stand gazing at the sea.

How long I stand thinking about nothing, I don't know, but I'm startled to find myself curled up in a ball on the sand a few minutes later. What surprises me most of all, is that the sky has begun to brighten.

You've got to be kidding me.

I slept out here, on the sand?

Shit.

I jump up and sprint towards the house --- towards Eve.

I don't know if you've tried running on sand before, but it's definitely no mean fit. For a guy that does high intensity walk out regularly, you'd think I'd be sprinting across it in leaps and bounds. When I stumble and fall after a few walks in, I decide its time to take it slowly.

So I dig my heels into the sand, anchoring them firmly and begin the painfully slow walk to the house.

Eve is never going to talk to me again. And I won't blame her either, 'cause when she wakes up and doesn't find me on the bed beside her, all sorts of thoughts would definitely run through her mind, and top of the list will be ---- I don't want to be with her anymore, which is so far from the truth.

Once I make it through the door and into the sitting room, I try to walk to the room, but a voice stops me. "You went out jogging in that, only?"

Dipo sits on the couch, gaping at me. I frown as I look down at myself. My shirt is missing, and the shorts I have on are crinkled and messy looking.

I must have tossed and turned on the sand while I was asleep.

I shrug and make to pass him without saying anything, but another voice pops up from the other side of the sitting room. "What's the rush, bro? You were with her all night, why don't you give her some time to rest, come sit and chat with us instead." Femi stands up and pats the seat beside him. "There's hennessy." He dangles a hennessy bottle in the air, like it's a juicy bone and I'm a dog and lifts his brows, waiting for my response.

If he thinks that's going to lure me . . . well, he's going to be very pleased to know that I'm always up for hennessy, anytime of the day.

I grin suddenly and reroute my steps towards him, where I snatch the bottle from his hand, break open the cover, and tip the liquid down my throat. Twenty --- maybe thirty minutes in, I've tapped out of the real world and into another where everything is spinning and I don't have to think about my girlfriend not responding to me.

Everything Femi says, I laugh at. My movements have become sloppy and uncoordinated. Eve comes into the sitting room looking delicious in a cropped top and bum shorts. Her hair is in a tight pony tail on top of her head. She looks snatched.

She makes to pass me without saying anything, but I grab her. "C'mere you pretty thing." And against her protests, I hold her to me and plant a big sloppy kiss on her lips. At first she stiffens, but then she becomes placid and wraps her hands around my neck, allowing me full access to her soft throat.

She giggles when I place sloppy kisses there, licking her neck all the way up to her chin, all the while telling her how amazing she smells.

"You're drunk!" She giggles. Her voice sounds funny and high-pitched. It makes me pause, but not enough for me to stop, so I continue fondling her neck, forgetting the fact that I might have an audience.

"Dude!" Someone's whines. "That's not . . . " but the words are cut off as Eve is wrenched from my grasp.

"What the fruck?!" I screech, slurring my words.

A fist rams into my face, making me see stars as pain explodes behind my eyes. The world tips on it's axis, but as I'm about to fall down, someone holds me up. When next I open my eyes, I see Eve looking down at me in shock, but what worries me the most is the rage brimming in her eyes.

Wait a minute, how come she's wearing a halter neck dress?

What happened to the cropped top and bum shorts she was wearing some seconds ago?

She runs off after giving me a scathing look. Suddenly everyone begins talking at the same time.

"Look what you've done now."

" . . . drunk ass motherfucker."

" . . . touch my sister that way."

I stand, rocking on the balls of my feet, my head spinning, my eyes heavy from the punch l was given. "Who the fuck hit me, and why?" I spit out in barely concealed anger. "Can't a man kiss his girlfriend?"

"That wasn't your girlfriend, asshole, you kissed my sister." A voice I don't know, pipes up from behind me.

I shake my head to clear it of the dizziness but this only heightens it more, so I seat down and turn around slowly. I see a tall light skinned guy standing behind me, fists clenched on either side of him.

Who the fuck is this Tyson wanna-be?

"That's right, I punched you because you were messing with my sister." He practically spits.

The sneer on my face is enough to make him come at me once more, but he's held back by both Femi and Dipo. Ebere and Fiku stand aghast, mouths open in an o, just like they're watching a real life thriller-movie play out.

That's when I see her. A tall slim, almost reed-thin female standing beside him, ogling me. She's wearing a cropped top and bum shorts. The smile she directs at me is slimy, to say the least. Takes me to back to Roxy.

Fuck! Tell me I did not just kiss that.

"What the fuck are you sprouting, nigger? Why would I wanna touch her, when I have my girlfriend, who by the way is bomb. This bitch can't even hold a candle to her." Immediately the words leave my mouth, I regret them, but at the same time, I feel a strange sense of release.

There! I said it. Now do your worst.

I stand up slowly, turn around to face him, and raise my chin in defiance.

"That wasn't cool, bro. You need to apologise to him." Dipo, ever the peacemaker, speaks up.

I throw my head back and laugh out loudly. "The only person who deserves my apology is Eve." And I turn around and walk off, head dizzy, eyes throbbing, heart heavy.

A whisper reaches out to me as I stalk off. "I hope this doesn't break them apart."

The heaviness in my heart increases the closer I get to the room, because for once, I begin hoping for the same thing as Dipo.

I just hope Eve doesn't end us.

I hope to God, this doesn't happen.