Chapter Four

The whilsts of birds could be heard after the little droplet that afternoon. The roads were still wet and the pedastrines stayed a good distance from pods to aviod been splashed mud from the careless drivers. Muna realised she was among the few that were trekking and most likely the few were just casual workers at the estate, she could tell by their appearance. It was one of the richest estates in Enugu incubating most people of higher calibre.

Muna made sure she was walking to the right street as she looks for the number she was told. Kachi sporadically said that in one of their conversations and she hoped it was correct. Their frienship has been stable and casual, Kachi was the fun and jovial type who could drive any unsocialable person off character. She didn't tell him she was coming, she only wanted to surprise him. They haven't seen or spoken to each other for days but only over text. She didn't exactly come for Kachi.

Tolani has been a little obsessed about Ife ever since the day she met him and couldn't stop moaning about his awesome looks. Though the last post from his social media account was from 2 years ago. The other day Tolani had joked about Muna having a boyfriend to Muna's brother Arinze.

She finally stopped at the house with 3D number hoping she wasn't walking to the wrong house. Olu had opened the gate and began she question her, she said she had come to see kachi and Ife before he could let her in.

Ife went to get the door on hearing a knock but to his greatest surprised, it was Muna. He was shocked on seeing her but he had to maintain his indifferent gesture sticking his eyes on her face. This is the second time he was seeing Muna after that day Kachi introduced her and her friends to him, he knew she was pretty even with her bold canine teeth. Ife had nicknamed her rabbit each time he wanted to ask Kachi after her.

"Hi Ife, it's good to see you again". She gave an awkward smile. Ife left a horrible impression on the first meeting because he was mean and had a demeaning exchange with Alex. Atleast Alex hit first.

"is it?" giving a grin which Muna found really sexy but rude. then she replied running her eyes to hide her embarrasment

"I am here to see Kachi, can you tell him I am at the door please, he doesn't know I was coming",

Ife replies with a smile, "Ofcourse he doesn't, he is not home, but you are too pretty to lack the decency of showing up announced".

Muna was already vexed she replied, "You can't just use any word that comes to your head on others, I might just leave". She makes to turn but Ife grabbed her by the hands and drew her back.

"hey hold on lady I am sorry" Muna turned and was surprised as she looked at his face and it changed from mean to a peaceful calm look. Her brother was right.

At one time Tolani was showing her brother a picture of Ife and Kachi that the took from the internet, stating she had a crush on Kachi and also claiming Muna was dating Kachi. Then Arinze recognized Ife in the picture. They were both in colleagues in the same school of medicine but Arinze was in a nursing department. The story of Ife's arrest and detention went viral in the school because he was one of the most popular guys in school. Arinze described him as sweet and friendly personality but who she say that first day was totally the opposite.

"You are quick to temper please come in", Muna gently sneaked out her hand

"Kachi will kill me if he found out about this terrible reception, atleast let me offer you a drink to make up",

After much persuasion, she hesitatedly followed him in. It was a beautiful and classic interior. The house smell so nice and neat with every part of the glass end shiny.

"quiet house" she said

Ife smiled and answered, "the owner loves quietness a lot".

Muna threw a weird smile at him and looked as Ife speaks again while scratching his palms and comes closer, taking Muna's handbag from her as she was acting confused, "I think i should hold this in case you might wish to run" then takes her up by her hand.

She then asked inquistively "Why would I think of running and what are you doing?"

Ife smiles sexy and he walks away, dragging her along and he answered "save your fears for who can hurt you not me".

He pulled her to the kitchen to keep her company as he planned on cooking that day, Muna had quietly followed him though still in bewilderment. Ifunanya was in the kitchen chopping vegetables when the entered, she had jerked in fears as she always does anytime she sees Ife. That always pisses him off and makes him wonder

"why do you always do that?" he queried her. Ifunanya had apologized but it was not satisfying to Ife, it was disturbing and anyone would think she is been abused. Ife had told her to go so he would continue with the cooking. Muna asked when Ifunanya was out

"Why is she scared of you, do you hit her?"

Ife ignores her, drops her bag on the table and heads to wash his hands in the sink, Muna knew she asked a dumb question, Ife may look and act tough but she knows he wasn't that terrible. She tried to talk again but Ife interrupted,

"She does that to everyone else, atleast I know of Kachi"

"She is probably traumatized" Muna said.

Ife nods his head and replied "I know", wipes his hands on the kitchen towel and excused himself to pick something from the room. Not quite long he left Naomi entered the kitchen, surprised on seeing a stranger there, Muna tried not to behave awkward because she knew the woman infron t of her was definitely a relative and she could sense some kind of disgust in her gestures on seeing her there. She greeted twice and was ignored, rather Naomi asked,

"who are you, young girl?". Muna panicked at the sight of Naomi, she has never seen someone so pretty and yet fearsome before and without being told she could say alot about the woman standing infront of her with a look on her face.

"a friend" she said hesitatedly, trying hard to withstand Naomi's strong gaze.

"The last i checked, Ife has no friends and Kachi only has girls he sleeps with so which are you then?" Naomi queried again.

"She already told you. A friend", That was Ife's voice replying to Naomi as he entered the kitchen. Muna felt a bit relieved on seeing him. somehow Muna could sense a bigger trouble with Naomi now turned to face Ife.

"Indeed Ife, have I ever told you that No stranger is allowed into my house", Naomi yelled but Ife interrupted in a louder tone.

"What is ever wrong with you Naomi, she is my guest. you dont have to be rude". Naomi dimmed her eyes at the mention of her name, she immediately slapped Ife hard on his face. Muna screamed with her mouth at agape because she never envisaged that moment. Ife rubbed his check and looking desperately into Naomi's eyes.

"Did you just hit me". Muna immediately interrupted as she tried to ease the tension

"I think I should leave" she grabbed her bag and squeezed her way pass Naomi, Ife tried to hold her hands but she slipped off his hands and headed out quickly. After a while of looking angrily into each others eyes, Ife said to her softly.

"I will come back for more slaps I promise". He walked out and went after Muna.

Ife had gone to see KAchi in his room, he knocked once and entered even without getting any response, Kachi was lying on the face and facing at the other end of the room. Ife knew he wasn't sleeping even though he didnt see his face. Ife used his eyes to examine the whole room like he was looking for something. Not long he broke the silence

"Muna was here. ". though those words came as a shock but he was irresponsive because he was very week.

"Naomi was not nice" Kachi didnt respond again. Though he was not surprised at Naomi's action, he never expected her to be nice, but he was only dissapointed.

Ife sulked his lips and said finally, "call me if you need anything". He then makes to leave, almost close to the door, Kachi called with a faint voice

"thank you". Ife looked back at him with tenderness in his eyes, looks away and without response he walks away closing the door gentily behind him.

It was a cold saturday afternoon as a lounge at the heart of the city, Raphael has finally succeded in taking Ife out for lunch after trying a coupling of times. They had choosen to drink instead, over a plate of french fries which Raphael snarfed into his mouth like he was in an eating competition. Ife could see he was very hungry.

"Why dont you order for some food, you are almost choking yourself with fries". Ife said to him.

Raphael shakes his head and replied, "I need something light to help me stay awake, unlike you some of us work".

Ife chose not to pick offence on his word, he knew Raphael to be very annoying he just asked, "you work weekends?" Raphael nods still focused on his food and drink, Ife said again, "Why didn't you ever get married?". Raphael paused immediately, Ife noticed the changes on his face "I am glad I hit a nerve". Ife said again. Raphael had swallowed the food in his mouth with chewing properly and then gulping his glass empty. Raphael had a lot to say to him but at the moment, he felt he owed in no explaination in that aspect, so he poured himself another glass. Ife got more irritated at Raphael's reaction, he wondered the kind of person but he wasn't ready to give up. "I heard you have been in the country for over 10 years now. You had two options but you chose Naomi over and then got your eyes over me. It must hurt she hates you and I hope that feeling never changes".

Raphael adjusts moves his brows looks at him and replies, "Does your mother know you call her by name. That's disrespectful".

Ife interrupts "No the only thing she would find disrespectful his you inviting over for some stupid lunch, she could kill me if she found out". Raphael could feel thye seriousness in his face, he asked "does she hate me that much". Ife replied sarcastically "could you believe it. but trust me I am sure shye does hate you more than I do". Tears were already clustering Raphael's eyes, he tried figting it back as he spoke, "what did I ever do to you boy?".

"Needless to say, but you abandoned me".

Raphael grins and replied, "If I did, you wouldn't be sitted here with me, do you know the danger I went through to get you out, I put my life along the line. 10 years and trust me Ifedinanwa, 10 would have been the shortest term you would have gotten if not for me, We are talking about a murder case here. Ife a girl died in your hotel room".

Ife interrupted "I am innocence". his voice were shaky as tear drops

Raphael scratched his head and said "Nobody would believe, you words wouldn't have saved you, so don't start with me about abandoning you",

Ife repulsively hit his hand on the table and yelled to Raphael's face "That's not I am saying" everyone ones attention in the lounge shifted at their table. They knew they had created a scene but Raphael ignored them at that point, none of them could care less, he looked deeply into Ife daring wet eyes and spoke softly, "I was only 16, I had no choice, my parents forced me to deny it them flew out of the country, I was too young to fight back, my family blocked every linked I had with her. I lived all these years feeling guilty, horrible, I hated myself. I know you and your mother would never understand but you are always in my heart".

Ife had melted on those words, he clearly understood it wasn't his fathers fault but somehow he was still mad at him. Raphael stood up picked his glass of wine and gulp what was left inside, wiped his mouth, adjusted his dress and said to Ife; who has been staring at him all this while.

"Get up let's go".

After using the whole day to search for a good outfit, he finally settled for one. Muna had invited kachi over to her place for a reason she never told her, though he wasn't exactly okay with the idea but he had to honour her invite. Her brother Arinze had traveled and her mom isn't always home except at night after she had closed from work. Those gave him courage to aviod any form of embarrasment even though he wondered at the same time, why Muna invited him to her place. He knew how protective Africans are with their daughters and also how offensive an Average African family gets seeing boy as their daughters guest in the house. He looked at himself in the mirror while dressing up, he recently shaved his hair because they were already falling off. He smiled at the mirror to admire his new looks, adjust his dress and leaves. Tolani and Alex had relocated to Uk for their advanced schooling and since then had reduced communications with Muna, Kachi knew he was about the only friend she has now.

Muna was glad to have him over in her house, she was suprised to see his shaved her but she still thought he was still handsome. Ife loved the quietness in place, the house wasn't as beautiful as his but it still passed. He wanted to apologize again for the drama she witnessed in his place but he discharged those thought. Muna had over him a glass of water as he demanded as the had a conversation in the sitting room. Muna was inquistive about his family this time and Kachi told her everything.

"She young and beautiful, I thought you were joking when you said Ife was your niece". Kachi smiled because he was used to such questions. His mom named him miracle because he was born after many years of trying and a year after Ife was born. No child after Naomi, His mom had told him how she and his father looked for another child for years, even with many failed artificial way of conception but unfortunately his father died in a plane crash barely few months before he was born.

Muna took Kachi into her room, her room was very neat and arranged, it had more of pink colour items with stickers on walls, a typical girl room. It also smells very nice like a baby oil. At a corners of the room was a desktop computer which had books littered on it, Kachi could tell she loved reading books.

"I want to introduce you to someone", she said as she walked towards the desktop. "you should stop pretending like you admire my room, I am sure it's nothing close to yours",

Kachi smiled and replies, "I love your room, the scent specially".

Muna grin, sat at the desk and started clicking on the computer. "you just gonna think I will ignore your new hair cut, why did you decide to go bald".

"Is it that I stopped looking good?". Kachi trying to be sarcastic.

Muna plays a video and signaled to him to come closer and watch with her. It was a man in his 50s on the screen, he spoke really intelligently and well but Kachi still wondered who the strange man was, though he was patient enough to let her explain.

"That's my father" she said and immediately he could feel something rush down his spines as she got emotional while speaking.

"He made this video at the hospital before his surgery, I had exam that day, so couldn't afford to be present at the hospital with him. He sent me this video to make me feel better but he never made it". She bursted out crying before she could finish her words. Kachi felt pity for her, they had both lost their fathers, he made to come closer to console her but he felt stiff, his system where breaking down, he felt a rush down his nostrils, he knew he was bleeding again.

Kachi had kept his secret away from Muna and everyone else because he didn't want anyone feeling pity for him. Poor Muna was still crying but it was too late to stay around to console her in other to keep his secrets. He knew Muna would hate him for it but hoped one day she will understand. He staggered back, turned and left, leaving Muna to cry alone. It felt like the worst thing he had ever done but he had no choice at the moment. He managed to get to his car, drove a bit away from Muna's street, managed to pack at a corner a lonely road. His hands were already shaky as he reached out to his phone and called Ife.