Continuation : Other than my skin!

Lunch at my family house was as usual, suffocating. I knew the conversation would some how tilt to my direction and I would be interrogated on how the new job was turning out for me. Since I was d only single child , I had to make sunday dinner a routine. Not like I had something better to do. " So, how are you settling in? Have you seen any young man that you have your eyes on? Hope u r on your toes at the office? When are you bringing a young handsome man home?" My dad and mum threw these questions expecting answers. I stopped eating and played with the napkin I had neatly placed on my thighs. Looking up feebly, I stared at my father and gave a reassuring smile as I said, "I'm on my toes dad". I ignored my mum and continued eating with little or no interest. She shook her head and heaved a sigh. She knew I wasn't ready to open that page. Not now, not yet, not ever! Scratch that, may be later. She knew Lekan! she had met him twice or thrice. She was impressed and considered him charming but that was the way he was. He could crawl his way into anyone's heart. Lekan bribed my gate man with a thousand naira.  Judas Iscariot sold my number for just one thousand naira. I wouldn't say my tummy didn't bubble at the sound of his voice when he called. He sounded refreshing. He made me want to listen even if all he uttered were in chinese. He introduced himself as Lekan Thomas, he was 32, a well established architect and came from a long line of architects who were behind most of d beautiful buildings on the island. All these brought me back to the question I asked him next, "so why are you calling?" Lekan was quiet for a few seconds. He however answered, "because you are different". Different? What d hell did he mean by different? The fact that I lacked melanin , yeah, lacked melanin instead of that stupid word, gave him no right to..."Annie, are you there?", Lekan sounded worried. "Did I say something wrong?" Lekan asked again. ' Annie, compose yourself!', I said to myself. "No you didn't",I answered finally. The conversation ended seconds later. That was d beginning of something that I thought would last just as long as the first call. Lekan made me conscious! I took the gym more seriously in hopes of finding him there. Lekan never showed up there. Apparently, he was a one timer at the gym. We chatted so often, we even went as far as given each other secret identity names. He called me grey because of my eyes and I called him muscles because of his body that I couldn't get my mind off. Lekan made me open up doors and explore both mentally and emotionally in ways that I knew would scar me for life if whatever we had ever ended. A thought I could never think of without my heart skipping beats. I wondered what got into me but I knew I was like a bird who after so long in a cage, finally tasted freedom.

Grey was the colour I chose to wear the next day to the office. I was in all sorts and couldn't help the feeling of indifference. Akpan pulled out of the compound and I could swear he dived right into traffic purposely. Akpan used the 'no movement' situation to talk flippantly about the world, traffic, life and so many topics that the only way of surviving was to either knock him or zone out of the scenario. Being a calm person, I chose the latter. Work would  be uneventful. After meeting with the expatriate, I would b back to my open wound of an office pretending to be super busy so as to avoid some of my colleagues who have been trying to get my attention. it would b nice if dandelions were placed in my office today. I let my mind wonder from the most irrelevant things to the most important things. I am single again. Although it had been for a while now, I began to ask myself, am I that bad? Was it a sin to be an 'anyali', as the ibo people would call it. The few friends I had got married and left me. The ying yang angels appeared again. The evil one suggested I run away but that's a no no since I just started a dream job. The good one went on with patience. Why did Lekan go all the way if hurting me was going to be the outcome. I adjusted myself, Lekan blew me away. After three months of talking without ceasing, he asked me on a date. He let me pick the restaurant so that I could be comfortable. My sister went nuts in preparation that at a point , I wondered who was going for a date. She made me wear the gown her husband got her on their 3rd anniversary. It was a red,long-sleeved knee length dress that was so tight. I also had to wear shoes so high, I wondered if my sister wanted me to look more of her. After I had almost ruined the eye liner because of my eyes, my sister Joan was done with my make up. She kissed my cheek and I walked shakily to the car Akpan had pulled out. I was to meet him at 8 o'clock at Victoria Island. He was waiting for me and I contemplated turning back especially as the dress gave me little or no room to breathe. Akpan pulled into the restaurant and for a few minutes I sat there looking at the door. "Make I park madam?, Akpan asked. 
I opened the door slowly and walked up the stairs.  The surprised look on the face of Joseph the door man, only made me more nervous. I stopped and squinted, looking for Lekan. He wasn't seated. I called his number severally but no response. Just when I thought of calling Akpan to pull out, I felt a peck on my neckline. I turned slightly to the warmest smile I had ever seen. I blushed, he smiled 
wider. "Annie...", there was a way he pronounced my name. I could swear he made it sound more interesting than the two syllabic word that it was. We walked to the table at d farthest corner and he pulled out a chair for me which I sat in....The burning sensation from the leather of the car seat dragged me from my remembrance. Akpan had put on the car heater by mistake. We were few blocks away from my office by this time. I pushed myself up using my palms as the seat cooled off. Finally at the office, I dashed out of the car. The day was going to be gloomy, I could feel it! To be continued! Cheers


Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN