The Moment I Met You (Chapter 354)

 

By Nightengale Ben-Onyeukwu

Audrey returned home. Meanwhile, Felix had just returned from meeting with a client at Paradise Hotel. Without knocking, she walked straight into Felix’s room pointing at Chioma’s portrait on the wall and said calmly, ‘Are you aware that Chioma’s mother was accused of stealing? Do you want to visit Aunt Louisa and ask her how she is doing?’                                                                                                                         

‘Is Chioma’s mother still at the police station?’Felix raised an eyebrow. ‘Didn’t the police release her after I paid for her bail?’                         

Chioma had made it clear that she was in love with Michael and not Felix, but why would Felix still help her? That was because; Felix was still in love with Chioma.                                                                                      

   Audrey chuckled. ‘It was you that bailed Aunt Louisa…’                     

‘I had to help her because I couldn’t stand watching innocent people pay for the crimes they didn’t commit. Besides, Chioma was too poor to hire a good lawyer,’Felix explained hurriedly.                                                  

‘I know you still love her…’                                                                               

‘How could you say that?’ Felix immediately turned his face away. ‘It’s no big deal…’                                                                                                       

‘Okay,’Audrey laughed lightly. ‘But how did you find out?’                

‘With my status, as long as I want to find out, I can find out anything.’                                                                                         

Audrey wasn’t surprised about his brother knowing about the incident. She knew that he was still in love with Chioma and was ready to do anything for her. She smiled at him. ‘I understand clearly how much you still love Chioma. You are free to love her as much as you want, but please don’t break your brother’s heart.’                                                           

Felix smiled. ‘Our relationship is pure; it’s not what you think.’                    

‘I know your relationship is pure, but Chioma doesn’t want you to get too close to her. She is afraid to cause you trouble.’                     

‘I understand,’Felix nodded.                                                                    

Audrey smiled. She wanted to tell him about how the landlord wanted to chase Chioma out of their house, but she decided against it. She didn’t want her brother to worry too much. Instead, she turned and walked out of the room, leaving Felix to his thoughts.                      

                   

The next morning, breakfast was laid on the dining table by Louisa. The clock on the kitchen wall said it was only seven-thirty and the morning sun was already beginning to shine. Chioma was the first to arrive, dressed in a plaid kilt and knitted sweater. She took her seat, ready for the breakfast; she was joined a few minutes later by Andrew and Louisa, both still in their night dresses.                                                 

Andrew appeared to be sad. Chioma knew that it was because he had lost his job and hadn’t gotten a new one. Louisa sat down opposite Chioma and poured only a tiny amount of cereal. Chioma looked at her brother, then grabbed the cornflakes box and began pouring herself a giant portion of cornflakes.                                        

‘Andrew, you need to eat to have enough strength to look for a job’, Louisa said with a smile.                                                                                      

‘Mum, maybe, Andrew wants to eat another thing for breakfast,’Chioma suggested.                                                                                       

Louisa stood up and went to the kitchen, and she came back to the dining with plates of rolled omelets, boiled eggs and fried bread and she placed them in front of Andrew, they smelled and looked appetising, but yet, Andrew didn’t feel the urge to eat.                                                 

  ‘Big brother Andrew, don’t worry I will help you look for a job. I know you will surely get another job. Besides, being a roadside mechanic isn’t suitable for you,’Chioma murmured.                                            

As Andrew ate in silence, wishing he would go to work when he was done with breakfast, he began to feel how much he needed to be happy, so that his sister and mother wouldn’t worry too much because of him. He would have to look around for work after breakfast; he would search online jobs, and then, stroll around. Perhaps, he might find a job advertised on walls.  Just as he was about to speak, he saw how noisily Chioma ate her food. Looking up at her, he felt nauseous; she was chewing with her mouth wide open, smacking her lips and barely stuffing one mouthful before stuffing in another one into her mouth. It was a disgusting sight but Andrew felt that Chioma was doing this to get his attention, and maybe make him focus his attention with the way she ate instead of worrying about losing a job.                                                

Over a cup of achara tea and a fourth piece of omelet, Chioma said, ‘Big bother Andrew, do you like my eating style?’She chuckled.   

 Louisa grimaced. ‘Gross.’                                                                                            

‘Oh mother, I wasn’t asking you.’                                                                             

‘Her answer was right,’Andrew said, then after a moment, he told them, ‘I will find a job soon. After breakfast, I will look around…’                    

Chioma smiled. ‘I’m glad to hear that.’

                  

                  

After breakfast, Chioma bid Louisa and Andrew goodbye, and then left for work. But first she would have to stop at the garage where Andrew had worked. She wanted to plead with the owner, Mr Ali, to give Andrew back his job.                                                                                            

  Arriving at the garage, she saw Ali sitting out as if he was waiting for someone to arrive. His other employees never arrived this early aside from Andrew.  No one arrived yet, so the only reason he could be there now was to wait for Andrew to pass by on the way to the market or anywhere of his interest. The gate was wide open that he could see passers-by, hope Andrew would be among them. He wanted to ring Andrew but hadn’t the courage to do so.    

                   

Not afraid of what the outcome of her visit would be she went inside, heading towards Ali. Ali opened the newspaper in front of him, and at this moment Chioma knew that he had spotted her, he merely nodded and then feigned to be reading.                                                               

The garage workshop had at one time been the warehouse where the Nnaji kept cements. But as they town expanded, most part of the warehouse had disappeared into streets; all that was left of the garage was small which was still quiet nice.                                                   

Ali had worked as a gate-man for the Nnaji during that time the cement factory was here, but when it was moved to a bigger-better place, and far from Ali, he had to resign. Few years later after learning mechanic in Abia State, he returned back to Abuja. Luckily, he met Jessica one of the days, helped her fixed her flat tire. He told her about looking for a place; she gave him this place-without payment of rent.                 

‘Good morning, Sir Ali,’Chioma greeted him politely, and Ali nodded, patting the bench for Chioma to sit beside him. Ali knew why she had come, but he wished he hadn’t listened to Jessica command for him to fire Andrew.                                 

 Andrew was his best employee, and he got numerous customers because of him. No doubt, Ali regretted doing what Jessica asked him to do, but then the damage has been made. He had called Andrew several times to apologise and explain things to him, but Andrew never picked up his calls. It was obvious that Andrew was still mad at him, so seeing Chioma right now made him nervous as well as excited. He was what the society of today call, ex-nervous. But somehow he had his excitement hidden. Chioma saw through him, and pretended not to have seen through him.                                                                         

‘There is still the chance of accepting Andrew back, right?’Chioma said hopefully as she turned off her phone.                                    

‘Look…’ Ali held his newspaper out and Chioma took it, sitting down beside Ali on the bench as she read the headlines, Obinna Ojukwu to officially host Nathan and Jessica’s engagement party at Aso Rock Villa next month; Michael loves Jessica more?...                                                           

‘I don’t understand,’Chioma looked at Ali and said.                             

‘Nothing, I just wanted you to have a look…’Ali muttered with a sigh. ‘To the world Jessica is already engaged to Nathan, but to Jessica, her dream man is still Michael. Newspapers lie a lot. What you hear is not the same as what you see… You are going to have more problems ahead.’                                                                                                             

‘What do you mean?  You did what you did because you are afraid of displeasing Jessica,’ Chioma said pointedly, raising an eyebrow.’      

‘Chioma, I am so sorry,’Ali said wretchedly. ‘I should never have listened to Jessica when she ordered me to fire Andrew. If it hadn’t been for Andrew, I wouldn’t have gotten numerous customers, but since he left, most of my customers are heading to the neighbouring garage. I should have known better! I should have followed my heart instead of Jessica’s selfish order. Honestly, I called Andrew so many times but he refused to pick my calls. I know that he is still mad at me. I wanted to explain to him that Jessica ordered me to do this because she rented this workshop to me without payment,’ he paused, turned his face away and said, ‘Andrew, doesn’t deserve to work in a place like this. He deserves something better…Jessica will never stop until she was satisfied with her dish of revenge. This world is owned by the rich and powerful, and we poor folks obey the rich without complaining at all. We don’t have a choice.’