Chapter 9.

Chris didn't know much about solving puzzles, but It was high time he started learning. He simply couldn't comprehend what was happening before him. He should give them privacy.

"Sorry," he said to the dumbfounded duo on the bed, then proceeded to close the door and leave.

Floral wriggled out from under Iyke and rushed to hug Chris. He automatically withdrew from her.

"What?" Chris asked, with a raised eyebrow.

"He...wanted to rape me!" Flora accused fiercely.

Iyke laughed humorlessly, "That explains why you were crying out in euphoria".

"I wasn't!" Flora retorted heatedly. "I was screaming for help."

"I thought you said you were dying?" Chris asked, interrupting their exchange of words.

"Yes, I was. Then... He came and carried me to his room to rape me," She narrated, glaring at Iyke with all the angry pretense she could inject into her eyes.

Chris was nodding at the story. "So, during the 'rape,' you got better and stopped dying abi?" he queried.

"No! I had to fight for myself," she said, trying not to fidget.

"Okay, good. But you're no longer dying now, right? That's what's more important. I'm going back to the office. I trust you're in good hands. Enjoy," Chris concluded, turning to leave.

Flora threw her arms around Chris. "Please don't leave me with him. You don't believe me, do you? Because he's your friend, but I'm telling you the truth. I have no reason to lie," she cooed tearfully, laying her head on his chest.

Chris was now getting confused. He glanced at Iyke, who lay quietly on the bed watching Flora's performance.

"Now Iyke, what exactly was happening in this room," Chris asked, withdrawing from Flora's arms to sit on a couch.

"Don't tell me you're buying her story," Iyke said with a smirk.

"Hey bro, let's get serious here. I don't see why she should lie. And from what I saw, you seemed to have been forcing the lady," Chris said, trying to sound strict.

Iyke rose from the bed boiling with indignation. "Fine."

Then he faced Flora squarely. "I had intended to discuss your case quietly with Chris and see if we could help you see a doctor. But since you obviously don't want it that way, I will spell it out. You're emotionally, psychologically, spiritually, intellectually unbalanced. Only a sick person would do this to her friend. You're a witch. You're a whore! A liar, a thief, a devil's incarnate..."

Flora slapped out the remaining words from Iyke's mouth, at the bewilderment of their audience, Chris. Her eyes were blazing with fury. Iyke took a moment to absorb what just happened. This bitch slapped him? He made to tear her one fine slap, then mustered all his self control and stopped.

He turned to Chris, "If you know what this bitch here did, you won't even want to set your eyes on her again."

Chris was now totally lost, looking from Iyke to Flora, with mouth agape. Just what the hell was going on. "Tell me about it," Chris said.

Flora flared up like a firecracker. "You don't want to listen to this fool, do you? Of course he would concoct stories so you will throw me out. He's just a..."

Iyke suddenly reached the apex of his anger. He pushed Flora down to the seat and was about to return the slap she gave him when Chris grabbed his hand.

"Relax bro. Relax. Flora, please shut up. I've heard your own," Chris said, pacifying both parties.

Iyke took his position again, facing Chris. "She," Iyke started, pointing a finger at Flora, "Set up Lily so she could be with you."

"It's a lie!" Flora shouted, in panic. She was now sitting at the edge of the only couch in Iyke's room, begging him with her eyes.

Iyke turned to her, looking menacing. "I remember you were asked to shut up."

"Go on," Chris said with clenched jaws. Any Lily related topic just had a way of setting off something in his system.

"She was the one who sent that breakup text. She paid Flames to tell you off, impersonating as a nonexistent Lily's fiance. When you saw her, Flames was actually beating her for not paying him fully."

Chris was struggling to digest all these. Too much stuff was happening too quickly.

"Wait. You mean, she's been lying all along? Making up stories?" Chris asked hesitantly. It was all too natural to be lies.

"Exactly!"

Chris turned to look at Flora, "And what do you have to say Miss?" He asked gently. He was sure Iyke got it all wrong. No, it wasn't true. There was a mistake somewhere.

"He's lying of course!" Flora screamed. "He just wants you to throw me out. And he tried to rape me, he should leave this house. He should get thrown out. He should..."

"Why would he want me to throw you out?" Chris asked again, brows furrowing. God if this is true... He didn't know what he might just do.

"He's jealous. That's it, jealousy," Flora said, spouting too many words in quick succession.

Iyke burst into laughter. Very hilarious.

"Even a beggar won't be jealous of you," Iyke said in between fits of laughter. "Ewo. Jealous ke. What's there to be jealous of biko? Hian!"

"Iyke, please what's the source of your information?" Chris asked. He wasn't finding this funny. It was definitely not funny.

"She said so with her own mouth. Was narrating to someone on the phone. I overhead them. Guy, I can't believe we are doing this. Telling stories like children. It's me, Iyke. I could never come up with any stuff. We've always got each other's back," Iyke said, getting irritated. He was pissed that Chris didn't take his word for it.

"I'm sorry bro, but this is a sensitive issue. Maybe it's not what you think. Might be a movie or something. Lily and Flora have been friends since time immemorial. I don't think she could do that to Lily," Chris reasoned.

"Ohoo," Flora said in agreement, looking triumphant.

Iyke stood, disappointed. Either this girl was using jazz on Chris or he was simply too heartbroken to think objectively.

"How about we call Lily and ask her?" Iyke reasoned.

"She will deny everything of course," Flora interpolated.

"We will see again on this matter," Iyke said to Flora. Then giving a now thoughtful Chris a friendly punch, left the room.

"Are you letting him go?" Flora asked Chris with wide eyes. "Won't you throw him out for laying his filthy hands on me?"

"Oh. Speaking of throwing out, please pack up and leave this house," Iyke said, coming back to drag Flora out.

"No, you will be thrown out," Flora retorted, getting ready for a fight.

Iyke laughed. "If this is your method of getting rid of me, then I must say you are not smart at all. Oya, hanlele," Iyke said, pulling her out of the couch.

Chris suddenly had enough, "Just stop!" He bellowed, startling the two. "Nobody is leaving this house. Unless that person is me, since you two have sworn to make this place miserable for me."

Iyke slowly released Flora who eyed him seriously, stubbornly folding her arms across her chest.

Chris needed to think. He got up, left the room and slammed the door. He needed to clear his head. Something was clogging his brain. He felt more like a zombie. Watching everything with an odd sense of detachment, as if he was elsewhere and the person in his body was not him.

Iyke and Flora kept glaring at each other.

"Tufiakwa," Iyke spat, picking his shirt. He would see Lily and they would put an end to this.

"Tufia," Flora replied defiantly, hoisting her legs on the sofa to lie down.

Iyke noted the move with exasperation. "By the way, this is my room. Now get out."

Flora stood up and swaggered to the parlour, then took the same position again.

Iyke knew trouble when he saw one. Either this girl left the house or nothing else. He would see to that. He knew Lily's place even if he walked backwards with his eyes closed. Weeks of delivering love letters, sneaking edibles through her window, placing vases of flower at her door anonymously, taught him the way.

He walked out of the room, then locked it. You never knew what a witch could do. He mentally rehearsed how to convince Lily that Flora was behind all her misfortunes with Chris. On his way out, he met Flora, sprawled on the couch with her nose in the air. He ignored her totally and left the house.

Immediately Iyke left, Flora jumped up and picked her phone. Who said Flora wasn't smart? She knew exactly where he was going. She would do the same if she happened to be in his shoes. People said she was a bad girl. Very true after all. She cackled evilly. You didn't mess with Flora.

She contacted "bull dog," a certain gangster that had been making advances at her. She promised to date him, but he must do something in return. The plan was concluded in few minutes and she blew him a kiss through the phone. She danced gaily for a while, then stopped. Wouldn't Chris suspect her? She picked her phone again.

"Change of plan," She announced. "Make it a hit and run. Make it look like an accident," She ordered. "I love you too baby," She responded with a grimace, then hung up. The dude must be a dreamer. Oh what was she doing idle? Shouldn't she be making preparations for Iyke's funeral? She laughed hysterically for a long while. The plan should be in motion now.

To be continued...