Chapter 40 ALL THINGS DARK AND UGLY

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Dear Miss. Olaitan,

It is with great pleasure I announce to you your early retirement from A&D.

In other words -- you're fired.

Make no mistake -- you will get your severance pay, and we'll be very generous.

We can't say it was very nice working with you. We have mixed feelings about that.

One thing's for sure; soldier go, soldier come, barracks remains.

Have a nice life!

"He sacked you?" Ebere holds up A&D's letter headed paper on which Segun had painstakingly typed those horrible words, and signed as well.

He didn't even have the decency to give it to me himself.

By the time I got to my office -- the one in which we'd both shopped for furniture with so much love -- the letter was lying on my desk like a bad omen.

"And what did you do?" Ebere pierces me with angry eyes, and it's all I can do not to laugh. Instead, I coil my mouth into a smirk and shrug. "No! You didn't?" She gasps, eyes big and round.

I nod now, clearly enjoying where this is going.

"Are you going to make me beg?" She impatiently stamps her feet.

I wave my hands in the air, an indication for her to calm down.

"Alright, so when I read the letter, I had the mind of just packing up my things and walking off with my head held high, but I decided to write him a repl---"

"I want to see it!" She demands excitedly.

"Turn it over!" I flip my hand, indicating for her to turn the letter to the other side. She does so and begins to read out loud.

Dear Mr. Macho,

I'm going nowhere. Yes! You read that correctly.

You can't fire someone you never hired in the first place, dum dum.

Make no mistakes about it. I deserve that money which will be my constant salary, as and at when due.

Trying out different styles is no easy job, so next time you feel the itch to pen words on a harmless sheet of paper, think --- COWARD!

And, oh, I guarantee you'll never see a soldier quite like me --- EVER!

Yours, never again.

By the time Ebere raises her head and looks at me, something shines in her eyes, and it smacks of respect. She gets up from my bed and comes to stand in front of where I'm sitting on the chair. "Babe . . . this is amazing. I'm in awe of you. How did you get so good? Finally, my teachings have paid off."

"Wrong! If you were in my shoes, you'd have gone ballistic, and cursed him to hell and back."

She gives me a doubtful look, and then smiles. "You're quite right. I would have thrown him a few choice words. So tell me, what was his reaction?" She puts a hand on her hip and strikes a pose that reeks of payback.

I shake my head, remembering how I'd waltzed into the office he shares with Dipo. Immediately Dipo saw me, he'd jetted up, ready to walk out and leave us alone, but I'd told him it wasn't necessary. I put the letter on Aurey's desk and walked out.

Next thing I know, Aurey walks into my office looking crestfallen, and begins profusely apologising, saying he can't live without me. When it was apparent he wasn't going to leave, I'd walked off, leaving him drilling holes in my back.

"So tell me -- how can you fire someone you never even hired in the first place? I mean, I never even signed a contract. It's like I've been doing him a favour all this while, except it comes with benefits, which is the salary. I've been so stupid." I sag against the chair, sadness beginning to snake up my spine.

"It's called love, dear, but damn, you put him in his place, girl." She puts up a hand, ready to high-five me, but I shake my head as I stand and walk towards the window. This time, sadness completely engulfs my whole being, and I feel my eyes water.

"Oh no no no, not the water works again, what is it this time?" Ebere asks from behind me.

How did she know I was about to cry me a river?

I'm beginning to think she's physcic. I swipe at my eyes and turn around to see her looking at me avidly.

It takes summoning up a lot of courage for me to reply her, but I do so anyway, and begin talking. "Remember that date I went on with Mr. Fash, the one where he took me to a nice restaurant and I ate Tofu for the first time?"

"Yes . . . what about it?" She shrugs, as a frown creeps up on her face, and I inwardly cringe.

"You're going to call me a hoe when you hear this, but I . . . well, I . . . I . . ." I take a deep breath and go for it. "I think I might have had sex with him enroute to dropping me off."

When I'm done stammering my way through, I gaze at the ground. I can't bear to see the condemnation in her eyes.

"That's not possible!" Her reply is immediate and emphatic. She shakes her head as a sad look creeps onto her face. "That was the same day . . . " It's her turn to stall as she takes a deep breath and continues speaking " . . . of the memorial of my child - the one that never got to see the light of day. I was in church when you called that morning and you complained your period had just started, and you were going on a date that evening with someone, but you didn't tell me with who, remember?" She taps her chin meditatively. "And also, if I do remember, your first day periods are always gushy."

I remember it all clearly now. I'd bled heavily on the ride back home. I was embarrassed, because I didn't want to bleed all over his leather seats, so I suggested we stop at a restaurant so I could use the toilet, but he'd insisted we go to his house because of hygiene. Once I'd cleaned up and come out, Mr. Fash had started kissing me. One thing had led to another, and I'd found myself waking up an hour later on his bed in just my underwear. I was still wondering what was going on when my eyes fell on him lying down beside me, watching me with a creepy smile on his face, and guess what - he was wearing only his boxers.

At first I was confused because I didn't have any recollection of what led to it, but seeing the look in Ebere's eyes now, it suddenly dawns on me. "Does it mean ----"

"He lied to you, babe. Probably drugged you as well."

"But how? I don't remember him giving me any . . . " Immediately the words leave my lips, the memory floods into my mind.

Take this - it will rid you of the headache and clear your hangover.

"He gave me some pills when I got out of the toilet because I was having a bad headache and I was also feeling cramps. He said it would help me."

"That man is manipulative as well as dangerous. Look at what he did to his son, how much more . . . Babe, you need to be extremely careful, please. I just have this feeling he might have it in for you, why, I don't know, but now that you and Segun aren't a thing, he might think you're up for grabs, once again."

"That will never happen." I crack my knuckles, anger growing inside of me.

"We can't have you getting this way. Alright, that's it - we're going out. And when I say out, I mean we're pulling an all-nighter -- we're hitting the clubs."

For the first time in my existence, I actually smile on hearing this. At least it will help me take my mind off all thats been going on with Aurey and the guilt eating me up about sleeping with his father. I suddenly remember it's not possible for me to go, and my shoulders slouch. "I can't!"

"Why the hell not?"

"Isn't it obvious, though? I love you for suggesting it, but you're a mother now, you've got King, and ---"

"And he's got a loving father and two grandparents. He's also got two very competent maids at his beck and call. What other excuse do you have?" She lifts a brow and puts a hand on her hips.

"Um . . . milk?"

"I'll pump out enough to feed two kids. You're not getting out of this one." Taking my hand, she drags me to my wardrobe where she begins filing through my clothes.

She turns round and holds up a dress transporting me back to the first time I saw Aurey. I stare dumbfounded at it, because it's the exact one I wore to the club, the very first day I saw Aurey.

I smile as I remember how he'd jumped from the first floor down landing at my feet and earning the name 'Batman' from me.

"From the smile on your face, I see you agree with my choice without any fuss. Thank goodness."

It's all because of him. My Batman.

*

"This man drive faster na. Why is your car moving slowly?" Ebere voices out for the third time. The driver doesn't even listen, all he does is increase the volume of the radio. "Do you see how insolent this man is?" She turns to me, annoyance splashed all over her face.

"Please calm down. Maybe he's upset and doesn't feel like talking. Just let him take us to the club at his own pace." I pat her hands, but she huffs and throws her head to the side and gazes out the window.

It's pitch black outside, except for street lights and a few cars. I know she's not looking at any of these things. She's scared. She's scared the Uber driver is trying to kidnap us or something more gruesome. Frankly speaking, so am I. After all, we've heard a lot about their tactics, especially at this time of the night.

It's the ripe time to showcase their nefarious acts.

We'd left the house around past eleven, but even at that time, there was a bit of traffic and before we were able to make our way to the third mainland bridge, it was already past twelve midnight.

I shouldn't have agreed to this.

The stakes are higher now. We're not teenagers anymore. Ebere has a son and a fiancee, and I have . . . well I have my nuclear family and I know they'll be worried about me, dad especially. It's not like mum won't be, she'll just go mama bear mode on me by telling me not to go. Taye is spending the night with a family friend, playing catch up . . .

So I only told Dad.

Suddenly, the car makes a choking sound and stops right in the middle of the bridge. Try as much as the driver can, the car refuses to start again. Luckily, we're at the incline of the bridge, so he navigates the car until we land at the foot of it.

Ebere and I turn and stare wide-eyed at each other. Fear is tattooed solidly all over her face. It's clearly evident from the wide set of her eyes and open mouth shaped into a wide o. I know my face mirrors her look as well.

"Madam's, please come out and help me push o." The driver pokes his head through the front window. Fear seems to be tattooed all over his face as well.

"Push, fire you there!" Ebere thunders. She seems to have gotten her spunk back.

We both scramble out of the car with our skins on display. Me, wearing a scarlet red above-the-knee dress and a jacket slung over my arm, just incase it gets chilly, and Ebere with a mini dress on, as usual.

She walks away from the car and stands directly in the middle of the road at the foot of the bridge, stretches out her hand, and begins flagging down the few cars that pass us.

"What are you doing?" I whisper-shout, as I walk over to her.

"Do you want to stay here all morning, 'cause it's already past one in the morning?" She fires back immediately.

I groan silently and stand beside her, the sound of the driver's complaints floating over to us.

"Una wicked o, common help me to push this car reach somewhere, make I find out wetin the problem be ----"

I block out the rest of his words as a car comes to a halt directly in front of us. A window winds down, and a man pokes his head out. "Fine babes, how much for you?" He leers at Ebere, with an upper tooth missing.

This. is. not. happening.

"You go fit pay (will you be able to pay?) Ebere leans close to the car and smiles at him.

I stare incredulously at her. Is she kidding me right now? I can't believe she's even replying this asshole.

"Na two of una I want o." The man fires back, sliding beady eyes to me.

"I am not for s----" Ebere's fingers press sharply into my hand, making me yelp in pain.

"She actually means she's for sale." She smiles and leans closer to him, still with her fingers digging into my skin.

I'm going to kill her when this man leaves.

My eyes almost pop out when I feel myself being dragged. I grab a hold of her hand and pry it away from mine. This doesn't deter her though, as she gets into the man's car.

"Ah ah! You no wan come again?" The man's beady eyes latch onto me. "Na two of una I want o, no be only one." He grinds out, as he turns to address Ebere.

The car door slams shut as Ebere walks out and once again, digs her fingers inside my arm and drags me to the side, away from ear shot of the man. "I understand how this must look to you, but please, I need you to trust me on this. We're not going anywhere near his house. He'll take us to the club and drop us off there."

"And you think he'll be willing to let us go, just like that?" I can't believe she's this stupid.

"I've got a plan brewing. Please I just need you to trust me." She takes a hold of my hand once more and this time I let her.

As we pass the Uber driver, still witb his bonnet open, he begins to talk. "So you two ladies are prostitutes? You would have told me your prices so we can all have a good ---"

His last word gets cut off by the sound of us closing the car doors.

"Correct! We don set." The man announces as he starts the car and begins driving.

Ebere sits in front, all the while throwing me meaningful glances, loosely translated to mean 'behave.'

I should have never agreed to go out clubbing.

The man tries to make small talk, but when he see's none of us is responsive, he laps into silence and switches the radio on.

At a point, I doze off, but become awakened when I hear cries for help. At first I'm disoriented, so I sit up with a start.

A horrific sight is waiting for me as I see Ebere screaming her lungs out and gesticulating wildly to the car -- to me. A small crowd has gathered round her, listening avidly to what she's saying.

The man who brought us is standing beside her looking confused.

"ARE YOU TRYING TO TELL ME THIS MAN GAVE YOU A LIFT AND TRIED TO RAPE YOUR FRIEND? Someone from amongst the crowd bellows.

Oh Christ!

"HE TRIED TO RAPE MY FRIEND. CAN'T YOU SEE HOW CONFUSED SHE LOOKS?"

I was raped, and I didn't know about it?

Everyone's eyes turn to look at me, and as if I've gotten into character, I immediately scramble out of the car and run to them, all the while clutching at my chest. I'm quite sure a fearful look must be stamped all over my face, but for a different reason.

"Don't worry!" A guy wearing a sleeveless tee steps out. His huge biceps flex as he points at the man that brought us. "We'll deal with this man. You and your friend should go into the club. You'll be safe there."

That's when I realise we're standing in front of a club.

They gently push us in the direction of the door from which loud music thrums. Ebere puts a hand around my bare shoulder and draws me close. As we walk to the door, I turn round, just in time to see the crowd encircling the man who brought us.

Immediately we're out of eye sight of the crowd, I round up on Ebere. "Are you insane? First you convince me to get into a strange man's car, then you arrange a group of people to mess him up because of a crime he never committed. And then finally, you used me as bait?" I throw my hands up in the air in exasperation.

Her hand drops from around my shoulders. "Look I'm sorry, but I had to get him away from us somehow, although he deserves the maltreatment he gets from those guys. How can he think every female lounging around at one in the morning on the road is a prostitute?"

I give her an incredulous look, shake my head and walk away from her into the club in search of the toilet.

Once there, I splash a bit of water on my face and lean my forehead against the mirror. The coolness helps to ease my suddenly throbbing head.

"Hello!" Someone announces from behind me, but just as I turn round, something heavy hits me on the head, eliciting a pain so great, I crumple to the ground.

As I lay on the floor, weaving in and out of consciousness, a sharp voice rings out - a man's voice. "Why did you have to hit her so hard?"

I don't hear any response, but through the veil of pain, I'm able to see figures hovering around me.

Just before I give into the darkness, a voice sounds close to my ear. "Where you're going, you wouldn't need these."

I feel my shoes being removed, but I can't stop the person.

I can't even move.

It's lights out for me.