Chapter 32 A PUZZLE

Literally no way I could shorten this chapter with all the drama within, so . . . enjoy?

E V E

The sudden pitter-patter of feet getting close to the room puts me on a high anxiety level but when they pass without stopping, I release the in-held breath I didn't even know I was holding.

The hustle and bustle outside the room is the total opposite of the silence that reigns inside it.

I don't need any distraction from my mission right now.

As I turn back to look at my best friend, my heart plummets when she decides to side-eye me instead of looking me straight in the eyes.

Yes! She's definitely hiding something.

She opens her mouth to speak, but I don't expect what comes out of it. "I'm feeling sleepy, I'm going to be ----"

"Don't even think of it. You just woke up from sleep. I want answers . . . now."

Her eyes flit this way and that, avoiding my gaze.

That's alright though, we've got all night.

I put a hand on my hip and arch a brow. This time she looks at me but quickly averts her eyes.

"I . . . well . . . actually. No one told me."

I'm even more confused now. Why's she being unnecessarily evasive?

Ebere closes her eyes and opens them not a second later, sighing as she speaks. "I messed up, didn't I?"

I regard her for a bit before replying slowly. "It depends on what you're going to say next."

She drops her gaze to the bed and then looks up almost immediately. "I want you to know I didn't mean ----"

"Save it! I'm tired of your speeches, Ebere. I need to know right now what's going on, and who told you about my . . . " I take a deep breath and plunge on. ". . .  barren state."

She lets out a long drawn-out breath and nods in finality. "I received a package one day in the morning after coming back from my work travel. I was in a meeting when the front desk officer interrupted . . ."

One look from me and the unnecessary information stops. "Alright, she said I had a package from DHL and I needed to sign for it. Long story short, when I got my hands on it, it was a tape recorder. I pressed play and heard a man calling your full names, and . . . and he said you wouldn't be able to give birth again."

This time she stops and looks pleadingly at me.

Not happening sis, keep speaking. I silently reply with my eyes.

"At first I was confused, and didn't know what to make of it but I noticed a small note stuck to the back of the tape recorder. It read -----"

"Where is this tape recorder and note now?"

"I got r ----"

"I don't want to hear you got rid of it because that would be a lie."

She sighs once more and digs into her bag that's on the bed beside her. She brings out a small tape recorder --- the type journalists use --- and hands it to me.

As I collect it from her, I notice a small tape inside it, so I press play.

A man's voice fills the whole room, clear and concise as if he were actually present wirh us.

Two things strike me when I finish listening to him speak.

He's the same doctor who told me I will never be able to give birth again . . .

And the gasp at the end.

That was me.

I remember gasping at the end of his shocking revelation.

That means he recorded it while he was talking to me.

Something niggles at the back of my mind.

Why did he record it though, and to what end?

And why send it to Ebere?

And why did she not tell me about this sooner?

Something doesn't feel right.

As I keep pondering on this, I absentmindedly stroke the tape recorder, and my hands touch something rough. Turning it round, I notice a fading yellow post-it note stuck to the back.

The words on it are unclear but with lots of squinting, I'm able to make them out.

A gift for you.

A gift? For Ebere?

Immediately I look up, I see her watching me with an emotion akin to dread.

"Why haven't you shown me this all this while?" I regard her the way a judge regards a convicted felon.

"I . . . I don't know what I was thinking. I just didn't know what to make of it at first, and ----"

"And when you eventually did, why didn't you come to me?" I can't believe she didn't tell me. We're supposed to be best friends.

"Can't you see?" With despair in her eyes, she throws her hands up in the air. "You were in a coma then, and when you eventually came out of it, you were very depressed. You didn't want to talk, you didn't want to eat. You didn't want to do anything except mope."

"CAN YOU BLAME ME?" It's out before I can even stop myself.

She rears back like I just slapped her. She should have expected this reaction. Matter of fact, she better expect more negative reactions from me.

"I'm so sorry, I was just trying to -----"

"Protect me . . . really? I say otherwise. I think you were trying to control my life like you always try to do." I know my words hurt but I can't stop talking, not now. I glance at the recorder in my hand and look up at her, shaking my head in the process. "No more, Ebere, I'm not giving you the chance to stomp all over my life like grapes you need to extract juice from and then sit back and drink from your achievements. No more!"

"Please! It wasn't like that." There are tears in her eyes now. I know I shouldn't be mad at her, at least not at a time like this and definitely not when she's just given birth, but I just can't do it anymore.

This is something that involves my life. She should have come to me about it, instead she kept it away from me and decided to play devil's advocate.

As I turn my back ready to stomp out, her voice reaches out to me. "There's . . . more."

Not trusting her anymore, but out of respect for our fast-dying friendship, I turn round to face her.

"A few months after I got the tape, someone contacted me. She said ----"

"She?" This is getting more surreal.

"It was a lady's voice. She said if I didn't want Segun to find out about your . . . state, there was only one thing that needs to be done."

I know what's coming next, but I wait for her to say it.

"She said I should pay some amount of money into an account so as to keep the information about your situation under lock and key from Segun."

I close my eyes and swallow hard. "Please tell me you didn't go along with such . . ." As I open my eyes and see the woebegotten expression on her face, I swallow the bitter word I was gunning for, and decide to settle with something less negative. ". . . act."

She doesn't need to say anything, because as her gaze falls to the bed, a single tear drop slips from her eyes and falls onto it.

"Ebere . . . how could you? Really, how could you." I inch closer to her.

"I . . . I don't know, I guess I just panicked when she asked for a million naira and I ----"

"A MILLION WHAT? Please tell me you didn't give her that amount." She chooses to sob into her open palms instead of replying. "ARE YOU FUCKING CRAZY? Where did you get such amount of money, anyway?"

"My dad's house was sold when he died and ----"

"WHAT! DAD IS DEAD?"

She begins to sob even louder.

All my initial anger ebbs completely.

How can it not?

One thing's for sure. No! two things. Actually, three things are quite sure and visible for me to see.

a. Ebere's father is dead.

b. She kept it to herself, because she didn't want to stress or disturb me.

c. She went through the emotional pains all by herself.

d. She went through the stress of selling her family house and used part of the money to pay off a misplaced threat to me.

So that's four things she went through on her own without informing me.

Her actions were stupid, yes, but nevertheless, honourable.

Still think I should be mad at her?

I cover the distance to her within seconds and crush her to me, her sobs mingling with mine as we cling to each other.

"I didn't mean . . . hic . . . any . . . hic . . . harm, I only . . . hic . . . wanted . . . hic . . . to . . . hic."

I nod into her shoulders amd make soothing motions on her. back. "I understand. It's okay. Please pull yourself together. Remember you're a mother now. You can't afford to feel all these negative emotions now, please."

I pull away from her and wipe a hand across her tear-stained face.

I've come to a sudden decision. I have to tell Aurey about not being able to have children anymore.

That way, all this drama will end once and for all.

Picking up my bag I'd initially abandoned on the chair, I make to walk out but Ebere stops me once again with her next words. "Don't do it, Eve. Please don't tell Segun."

"And why not?" All my initial anger rushes back as I turn to face her.

She shakes her head and looks very tired all of a sudden, and my momentary burst of anger immediately dissipates.

"Please don't tell him just yet. Wait awhile. I just don't want you to spoil what you both have."

"For how long, Ebere? I can't take this pressure anymore."

"Please listen to me." She puts her hands up in a form of supplication, and continues speaking. "You two seem to have settled down and I just . . . I don't want anything to spoil that. Now I'm not saying Segun won't understand when he finds out, no. All I'm saying is what with him finding out Stacy is his real daughter and all the drama about Mr. Faseun being his father, I don't think you should lay another shock on him just yet."

My shoulders slump in despair.

She's right.

This might break him or break us, or even both.

We haven't talked about the future yet, but when I go over to his place, I sometimes catch him watching me with a wistful expression on his face and that tears me up inside.

A thought suddenly pops into my head.

What if he decides to propose? What do I do then? What, say --- I forget to tell you. I'm a man, 'cause I can't ever have children.

"Babe . . . " Ebere's insistent voice draws me back to the discussion at hand. "Please, I beg you. I love you too much to see you get hurt again. Please."

Once again, my feet carry me across the floor to her. We hug each other tightly, until a knock sounds at the door breaking us apart.

"Hello new mummy, it's time to feed baby again."

I turn around to see a nurse coming into the room cradling King in her arms, a wide smile on her face.

I'm just in time to see Ebere rolling her eyes as I turn back to her. "Suck it up, mummy King, mummy duty calls."

As I watch the nurse putting King in his mother's arms, a pang tears through me. As he suckles, Ebere looks up at me. "We can co-parent, you know. We can share him, I don't mind at all. I'll let him know he has two mummies from the get go."

Her words dislodge the ice wedged in a corner of my heart, replacing it with warmth.

As she stares with adoration at King, she looks up at me suddenly and winks. "I got you."

Now how can I remain mad at this woman?

_@_

S E G U N

I'm not one of those men who like to be called 'sir.'

Feels foreign to me.

All I've ever done in my life is call others that, so when someone hangs that tag around my neck, I'll wear it proudly.

As I inspect the work going on, a site worker calls out with an ear-splitting smile on his face. "Good afternoon, sir."

Unfortunately for him, calling me sir doesn't favour him much.

"Watch ou ----" A misplaced beam suddenly breaks away from the third floor just above his head, but he darts away just in time and it falls to the ground.

He throws a grateful look my way before he looks down at the beam now lying on the ground, shattered, with chunks of cement scattered all around it.

It could have gone left pretty quick if it had hit him on the head. I don't even want to imagine what could have happened, all because he wasn't wearing a hard hat. I admonish him and walk away amidst profuse apologies.

I raise my hand in greeting for almost the tenth time as I walk past more men, the calls of 'good afternoon sir' ringing out.

Building seems to be moving quite well. Half of the mall has almost been built, and the blocks of shopping complex is coming on quite well. We already have ten people vying to become shareholders, each of them dangling ridiculously high offers under mine and Dipo's noses.

But no, we want it all to ourselves.

Zero drama is our motto.

I never would have thought things would actually work out this way, and definitely not this fast. I make a sweep of my investment with my eyes as far they can see from where I'm standing.

Not bad for a small town boy from Mexi -- Nige ---

Let's just leave it at small town boy from around the world.

I wave to some more workers as I make my way into the bungalow where the studio for the modelling shoot is taking place.

A flurry of activities greet me as I walk onto the set.

Huge bright overhead lights beam from the ceiling all around, starkly illuminating the hustle and bustle of the place. Cable upon cable of wires dangling from stationery cameras litter the floor, and I have to practically tip-toe to get around them. I move close to where several people are standing around the cameras, checking, assessing and nit-picking the best of model's pictures. To the left, the hair and make up stand is situated, with almost ten male and females chatting around, waiting for their time to work their magic on poor unsuspecting models.

The whole place is abuzz with noise and activity. As my eyes continue to make a sweep of the place, bright light suddenly explodes from the flash of cameras, makimg me shut my eyes against the glare. Once I open them, I squint, trying to adjust to the little pin-points of light dancing in my vision. When I'm finally able to see properly, my eyes fall on something. Someone, actually.

Is that . . .?

Blood rushes to my head as I see none other than Nathan. He's standing in front of a large white backdrop, naked, save for a white pair of Calvin Klein briefs sitting low on his waist. With a stupid smirk on his face, he strikes a pose he thinks is sexy as cameras snap away.

"WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING HERE?" I suddenly boom out.

Several people turn round, wondering who dared interrupt their shit-show, skewering me with daggers from their eyes. The photographer stops taking pictures and breaks away, coming to stand in front of me.

His eyes light up in recognition as he begins to speak. "Sir, Nathan is a well-sought after model. He was gracious enough to fly out on such short notice all the way from the United Kingdom to help us out on our project, and -----"

One look from me silences him, and he crawls back to stand behind his camera. My eyes flick to Nathan once more as 'take five,' gets shouted out.

Some giggly females immediately break away from the make up stand and surround him. They begin flirting, all in the guise of touching up his face.

I can't take more of this crap.

I turn around and storm out, but run straight into Dipo.

"You knew about this?" I point to where one of the female's is drawing Nathan's briefs down. Probably looking to check how well endowed he is. Suddenly he looks up and our eyes clash. He lifts a brow and smirks, and I immediately feel like grabbing his neck and not letting go.

Instead, I shake my head in disgust and turn back to look at Dipo who raises a brow.

"I thought you knew?"

"How'd you think I'd know this?" I'm getting irritated by the second.

"Didn't Eve tell you? She's the head project manager. She's meant to keep you up on speed of things." He gives me an odd look, but I don't reply. I choose instead to storm off.

Guess who I run into next?

"Oh this is just great, why don't we make it a family and friends reunion right here. "

"Hello to you too, Mr. Grouch." Ebere holds a carrier with King inside it.

I make to pass her, my anger simmering at the surface, but she stops me. "Aren't you going to say hello to your godson?"

I swallow back the sharp retort already rising to my tongue and grudgingly stoop to take a peek at King.

He's fast asleep, lying amidst cozy-looking blankets. I stop short when he opens his eyes and smiles at me, causing my heart to almost sieze some precious beats. I'm absolutely captivated as he makes suckling noises. He opens his mouth and yawns, darting out a pink tongue, and then he promptly closes his eyes and falls back to sleep.

My heart does a little flop as I keep gazing at him, my mind wondering to one place only . . .

Eve.

An odd yearning sears through me.

I close my eyes and imagine us holding our very own child.

The yearning tugs at my heart harder.

When Ebere stoops to my level, I don't know, but when she speaks softly into my ear, I snap my eyes open and straighten up fast, embarrassed to be caught staring at King for more than is necessary.

"You're his father too, you know."

I nod and turn away instantly, the yearning dissipating, immediately replaced with anger.

"Hey! Have you seen Miss. Eve?"' I ask the first man I run into outside.

He grins lecherously and licks his lips before he replies in a gravely voice. "Oga! If you dey talk about that fine madam wey get fine body, I no know where she dey." (If you're talking about the pretty woman with a great body, I don't know where she is).

I refrain from giving him a knock on his head and keep walking on.

I ask several more workers I come across, but they all echo the same thing --- they don't know where she is.

Suddenly I pat my pocket searching for my phone, but groan when I realise I left it on my desk in the office that Dipo and I share. And that's close to the studio where I've just walked away from.

Almost giving up, I decide to try one more time by asking another site worker I come across. Thankfully, I'm told Eve is inside the left wing of the mall and that's still a distance from where I am.

That would take me almost ten minutes to walk there and all the site vehicles are back where I'm coming from. Still, I decide to brave it.

Three minutes in and I'm a hot mess.

Whoever said taking a long walk helps rid you of your anger never tried doing it under a hot piping 40° celsius sun wearing a suit.

Dripping with perspiration, I remove my jacket, sling it across my shoulder and pop open two buttons of my shirt.

The farther I walk, the more angry I get.

By the time I get to the left wing of the mall, I'm almost foaming at the mouth with anger. I walk briskly into it, taking care not to step on some broken blocks.

No sign of building activity seems to be going on here. Neither are there any workers in sight.

What's going on? But most importantly, where is Eve?

I get almost to the end of the corridor when I decide to turn back.

Wasted journey.

But then I hear voices filtering down from the top floor, so I take the stairs two at a time.

The voices lead me to an uncompleted room that is meant to be one of the many shops in the mall.

Here, I spy her in a corner standing with a man I've never seen before, peering at a site plan drawing.

As I stand and watch them, I notice something odd. The man keeps inching close to her and Eve doesn't even realise it. She's intent on the drawing in her hand.

I knew I shouldn't have agreed to the stupid idea of keeping our relationship under wraps here at work.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" My voice comes out normal, but I'm seething inside with jealousy and anger.

They both turn round, startled to be caught in an uncompromising situation, at least that's what my brain is screaming out to me.

Thankfully, Eve's eyes light up immediately she sets eyes on me, but the man I recognise as one of the structural Enginners who flew in from Australia, doesn't seem happy to see me.

She moves away from him and comes to stand in front of me. "Babe . . . Aurey . . . um, I mean . . . Mr. Segun, Mr. Johnson here noticed some water-logged area on the ground floor and we were just discussing the need for it's extraction before building can resume."

My eyes flick from her face to Mr. Fuck face. He's got this look on his face, like he's trying to ascertain if something's going on between us.

So I decide to show him.

I draw Eve close to me and kiss her full on the lips, taking my time to slide my tongue inside her mouth. I must have taken her by surprise, because there's no resistance from her whatsoever. After a few short seconds, I pull back and swipe my thumb across the edge of her lips where her lipstick has been smudged by me. Pulling back a bit, I make sure my voice carries to where he's standing. "I missed you, baby."

Fuck face's pasty white face goes red immediately. "I . . . I'll just . . . um . . . leave you two to it."

"How kind of you." I drawl, as he scurries away.

I turn round to see Eve, an angry look on her face. "That was highly inapropriate and uncalled for."

"What! Kissing my own girlfriend?"

"We agreed to ----"

"Well that agreement is officially over." I flick my wrists, dismissing her words.

She shakes her head in anger and walks off.

"She'll get over it." I say to no one in particular.

I frown as I remember my reason for coming all the way here to look for her.

Nathan.

He's got to bounce.

And I know just how to do it.