By Nightengale Ben-Onyeukwu
At Chioma's home, just as she finished having dinner with her mother and brother and headed for the living room to rest over a glass of milk, her phone began to ring. It was a video call from Michael. Feeling happy, she took a sip of her milk and accepted his video call. Michael was at home, so the scene behind him was his bedroom. He was already dressed in his silk pyjamas, looking refreshing and handsome.
'Honey, have you had dinner?' Michael asked, looking at the drawings for the expansion of his new resort.
'Just finished with my dinner...'Chioma giggled. She was wearing an olive green shirt dress, and hadn’t changed into her night dress yet.
'Remember to drink a warm glass of milk before you go to bed,' Michael gently reminded her.
'You really want me to turn into a pig. Men will be scared away if I become fat,' she pouted.
'How will I let any man come near you? They must be courting death.' Just then, Michael saw a glass of milk on the centre table. 'Figured out you're already drinking your milk. You really wanted to turn into a pig...'
'Of course...I am certain that even if I turn into the fattest pig in this world, you'll still love and adore me.' Chioma smiled happily at him before hanging up the phone.
After Michael hung up, he curled his lips into a beautiful smile. Then, he reached for the bowl of fruits on his nightstand, picked up a strawberry and took a small bite. As he munched the strawberry, he couldn't help but smile at the conviction that Chioma was his alone.
At this same moment, Catherine had finished having a long refreshing bath. So, feeling a bit hungry; she walked downstairs to the kitchen. Opening the fridge, she took out a carton of milk and an apple and turned to head back to her room. Just then, Felix who was coming downstairs, dressed in his blue pyjamas, bumped into her by the stairs.
'Tomorrow is Celine's birthday. I am really glad to be her friend,' Catherine said to Felix with smile in her face.
Just as she was about to take a step, Felix pulled her back with his long arm, pinning her in his embrace. 'Let's go together,' Felix whispered.
Catherine's eyes widened as she had never expected Felix to say something like that. How could she easily fall for his words? Yes, she was already in love with him but hearing him just now made her think that he must be toying with her feelings. Her eyes became watery, looking like she was about to cry as she stared at him pitifully. She suddenly let go of his hug.
'I will love to go with Audrey and Celine...' Catherine found her voice after a moment of silence.
'I don't love you, that's the truth. But I can still learn to love you.' Felix said. He reached out and put his arm around Catherine's shoulder, and said again,'You need to dry your hair or you'll catch a cold.'
Audrey, who was coming out from her room, holding Barack Obama’s The Audacity of Hope, stopped in her tracks when she saw them. She was dumbstruck, was she hallucinating? But after a while, the corners of her mouth revealed a sweet smile.
Pushing the door of her room open, Catherine turned to Felix and asked,'Do you think it's right for you to come into my room?'
Felix curled his lips and said, 'I don't think so,' then, he paused and said again, 'This is my house. You're free to move out anytime.' Catherine looked up and stared at him with a curious look.
Catherine bit into her apple, smiling as she looked back at him and said, 'I know that you wouldn't throw Chioma away. But she belongs to your brother.'
'I thought you were about to cry? What happened to your tears? Did you suck them out?'
Catherine chuckled and said, 'Yes, I had tears in my eyes, but I remembered that I shouldn't cry before someone like you. I don't want you to act smitten everyday.'
'Then, I must let you catch a cold for talking stupidly to me.' Felix blocked her path and folded his arms at his chest as he stared at her.
Catherine flung her wet hair and said, ' I might catch a cold. I need to get my hair blown dried.' She pushed him away and went to her drawer to get her hairdryer and went to the sofa to sit down. Plunging the hair dryer into an outlet, she began to blow-dry her hair.
Felix followed, glancing around the pink decorated room as she began to blow her hair. 'Don't you want to finish your apple and milk?' Felix teased her.
Catherine didn't say anything and continued to blow her hair. She wanted to eat her apple and drink her milk. But Felix was here, so how could she drink her milk in one gulp in front of this very handsome man who had a god-like figure.
'I know you eat like Chioma Chima...' His eyes were full of smile at the thought of Chioma. 'So finish your apple...'
Catherine showed him the hair dryer in her hand and curled her lips, saying, 'How can I eat in front of a man who is only talking to me just to get over Chioma?' She disdainfully waved her hand at him. 'Go away...I know that my heart beats only for you but I don't wish to star in any love story. I can't bear to die of heart attack.' She reached for the apple she had placed on the coffee table and took a big bite, ignoring Felix.
Felix snatched the hairdryer from her and said, 'I will help you dry your hair.'
Seeing that Felix meant to dry her hair, she revealed a gentle smile. How would she reject his service? She knew that he was trying to be nice to her so that he would forget about his love for Chioma and move on. Catherine didn't mind at all. As long as Felix was going to make her his woman, she wouldn't mind whether he love her or not.
She took another bite and asked, 'Don't you think I look beautiful in my red hair?'
Her hair was beautiful, silky, smooth and very soft. Instead of answering her, he couldn't help but imagine how Chioma would look like with red hair.
'I don't care whether you speak or not.' Catherine took a few bites of her apple and put what was left of the apple on the coffee table, and took out her phone, enjoying the way Felix dried her hair.
After a while, Felix was done drying her hair. He put down the hairdryer and turned to leave. No Matter what he does, it was a pure fact that he was still in love with Chioma Chima. Instead of going into his room, he decided to go to the garden. As he walked towards the luxurious garden, Audrey who was watching Ellen in the living room quickly stood up from the sofa and followed him.
Just as Felix was about to sit on one of the benches, Audrey asked, 'Are you trying to catch a cold?' Her hair and dress fluttered in the wind. She was wearing a white button up A-line dress.
Felix turned around to find Audrey standing behind him. His tall, slender sister was smiling sweetly at him.
Concern wrinkling her brows, Audrey said softly, 'Let's go back inside.'
'I don't feel like going inside,' Felix said softly as he sat down.
Audrey let out a breath, and walked to the bench, sitting beside him. 'You still love her?'
Felix nodded.
'I agree that you love her very much and will always love her, but never fail to remember that for a relationship to be perfect, love must be the fulcrum. Yes, there are people that believe that it's just enough to find someone that will be there to pour them a glass of hot water when they are sick, and hang up clothes for them after washing them. But no, you have gadgets to do all of that for you...so what you need is simply someone that will love you back and not being in an unrequited relationship...'
'I still love her… If she won't love me back, do you think I will love someone else even if they love me more than their life?'
Bright light lit up the entire garden. It was a beautiful night, but Felix seems not to like the peacefulness of the night because Chioma wasn't here with him. He tried to forget her but instead his memories of her kept flashing in his mind.
Felix looked around the beautiful garden, his eyes deep and misty. He sighed and said, 'When I traveled to the United States, I thought I would forget her but no, all that I could see was Chioma Chima. I kept dreaming about her. I remembered her smile and the sweetness of her voice.'
'That's all in the past.'
'Yes, I might be able to push her behind, but I will always cross path with her...because she's going to be a part of the Njemanze family.'
'You should move on....I remember during your secondary school days, girls fell crazily in love with you and big brother Michael,' she chuckled. 'I can never forget those girls who made banners to profess their love for you two...something like, 'Felix, Michael, we love you. We won't grow tired of loving you even if we grow old, even if you had wrinkled face in the future...'
Felix turned his head, looking at Audrey and said, 'I still remember that even when you were still in kindergarten, several boys were vying to marry you and make you their bride. How is it now, are you going to marry all of them?'
Audrey sniffed as she felt that Felix was trying to tease her.'But when I saw those banners I knew that you and big brother Michael would never fall for those girls,' Audrey continued after a while. 'Through out your life, you have always been in the headlines...your grades on every examination you took had always been one of the best...very prestigious universities offered you admission. Finally, you still chose Harvard University instead of the universities here in Nigeria while big brother Michael chose MIT...you had countless fans in school and outside school. However, you looked at the girls who were in love with you, like they were idiots. You are extremely germophobic and always kept people at arm's length. At school...'
'I had my own desk and maintained a strict distance between the rows. I even had my own time during mealtimes,' Felix interrupted, wondering what Audrey was aiming at. 'I was only very close to Michael who was extremely germophobic as well...we were treated with special treatment. Why are you remembering the past?'
'Because I want to let you know that you don't need your past...move on already? Chioma is the only woman you have falling for but...I don't want you to keep pursuing dreams that will never be fulfilled. Jessica has moved on already. You should do the same.' She raised her hand and placed it on Felix's shoulder. Enunciating each word, she said, 'When I first saw her at Star Restaurant, I thought, 'I'm going to make this girl my brother's wife for sure' I had gotten attracted to her, wanted my brother to marry the woman that I found for her, but no, destiny doesn't work that way. I didn't know that everything would turn out this way. If I knew that big brother Michael would win the sweep, I shouldn't have introduced her to you...'
'It's hard to believe that I lost in the game of love. Going back to the starting point when I had first met Chioma, I wish it will all come back again. I wish I met her before Michael did,' Felix breathed. 'I can't have Chioma but I will forever love her in my heart and I am also very happy that Michael my brother was the one that won the sweep and not a stranger.' Felix turned his head towards the apple tree, and said, 'Tomorrow is Celine's sweet sixteen birthday and two days later become Chioma's wedding...I am going to be Michael's best man,' he laughed subconsciously, as though he was going to cry.
'Everything will fall into place,' Audrey smiled. 'Let's go back inside.' Audrey stood up as she waved at Felix to follow. Together they went back inside.
That same night, Celine got too excited to go to bed, and she chatted with Catherine as they sat in the rocking chair at the balcony. Suddenly, Celine got a Whatsapp message. Immediately, she took out her phone to check who had sent her a message. It was from Prince.
'What are you doing now?' Prince asked.
'Chatting with Catherine,' Celine replied.
'You should go to bed else you will wake up looking like a panda,' Prince teased her.
'You dare say that to me?'
'Yes...that's because I care for you.'
Celine's heart melted at Prince's words. 'I will go to sleep in a while.
'Before we travel back to Harvard, I will take you to the new seafood restaurant in the northern end of the city. I went there today with Nathan after he came back from the seaside. You'll really like the place.'
'If you take me to the seafood restaurant, then I will take you to the movies. Catherine just told me that a good movie just came out and had gotten good reviews. I will buy the tickets and take you to go and watch it with me,' Celine smiled.
'Which movie theatre?' Prince asked.
'It will be a surprise...'
'Are you ready for tomorrow?'
'Of course my prince charming,' Celine chuckled.
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