Ofada Kitchen V
The day was old as it was gradually succeeded
by the full moon and twinkling stars. Both illuminating the night’s serenity, as
Sewa relaxed in Demi’s encompassing arms. Sewa sold out the dominant silence,
tickling Demi who jolted backwards and wasted no time in reciprocating the act.
And in no time, they were lost in the realm of fun, giggling uncontrollably at
the tingling sensation of the continuous tickling. Sewa was still trying to
regain composure in-between tickles by Demi when a message popped on Demi’s
phone placed beside her. And before Demi could reach for it, Sewa had playfully
grabbed it.
Demi tried retrieving the phone from
Sewa proved abortive as Sewa kept dangling the phone evasively before him. It was like
gaining pleasure in dangling a piece of bone before a dog. Demi decided to give
up, consoling himself with the fact that he would see the message later. Sewa
was obviously enjoying the moment..
Sewa was now laughing out loud,
amused by Demi’s childish look of toddler denied his toy. In the process of
taunting Demi, her fingers mistakenly clicked the screen of the super sensitive
smartphone, thereby opening the message.
"Oops...I opened the message
already." Feeling guilty, Sewa was about to sheepishly return the phone to
him when something caught her eyes.
Sewa almost judged her eyes a liar, finding it hard to believe what she just saw. Demi noticed the change in her countenance and grabbed the phone from her, desperate to know what had modified her facial expressions. And what he saw almost halted his heartbeat.’ Good lord.’ he muttered.
“Hello, sweetheart. Just decided to check up on you. London has never been so austere. I can't wait to return to Nigeria and see you again. I miss you so much, Demi. Talk to you later. I love you.” was the message.
Demi turned to Sewa unsure of how to start proving the racing thoughts in her head wrong. But on facing her, he had never felt so terrible in his entire life. The disgust and hurt in Sewa's eyes made him wish the earth could have him for a temporal dinner. She had never stared at him in such manner.
"So you've been playing me all
the way right? Tell me, you've been toying with me all along right?" Sewa
was forcefully restraining herself from giving in to her emotions..
"No, no, no," Demi
started, shaking his head desperately. "You're getting it all wrong. I
have never..." Sewa rudely interrupted him.
"Enough!," Sewa flared up. "I don't want to hear anything!"
Demi tried to touch her but she
flinched like some stranger was trying to molest her. Demi was devastated seeing
Sewa act that way towards him. She was always warm and submissive to his touch.
"You've succeeded in toying
with my feelings, alright? And now we are done." With that Sewa stood up,
grabbing her strap bag.
A distraught Demi bolted from
his sitting position, finding the whole scenario totally bizarre. "Sewa,
you can't be serious right?"
Sewa was staring indifferently
at the green grass which no longer seemed green to her. "Do I look I'm joking?"
Her tone was ice cold.
Demi didn't know what came over
him. He stared hard at her before forcefully grabbing her hands to sit her down
watching her defiant face while settling beside her. "Just listen to me.
Okay?" He was determined to explain himself. He felt the issue was a
triviality which seemed to possess an unseen power about to take away his
happiness.
Demi shut his eyes now, taking a deep
breath to calm himself. "Her name is Annabel," Demi started, staring
into space. "She is in my department. We both attended the same high school
and has ever since...been in love with me." Demi faced Sewa now with the
most innocent eyes. Sewa knew better than to look into his eyes. They always
made her lose her sense of reasoning. "Trust me, Adesewa, I've never and
will never have feelings for her, not to mention loving her. She has been the
ever pestering pest while I’ve been the choiceless host. I swear to you, Sewa,
I've never cheated on you with her or any other girl. Believe me.
Sewa sighed, bowing her head. She was
conflicted. She raised her head again. "You should have told me all these
at the initial stage of us. Am I supposed to care-freely believe and tell you everything
is alright? At this point, that seems very difficult for me."
"Sewa," Demi’s heart
already cracking, at the verge of shattering. He was apprehensive. He didn't
want to hear any more words from her.
Sewa stood up again, grabbing
her bag. "I need time to think Demi. Please give me time." And with
that, she walked briskly away from a shattered hearted Demi who sat staring
‘cluelessly’.
* * *
A miserable week passed by for Demi who found
it difficult getting himself together. Sewa had refused to see or talk to him.
Demi had kept on calling her all through the week, but she never, not for once
made a mistake answering the calls. All the messages he left her on phone through
text messages and social media were either read and ignored or not read at all
despite her availability online.
For the first time in Demi's life, he
felt emotional tortured. No lass ever had him at her mercy, not to mention
being heartbroken by one. All these were new to him. He seriously needed Sewa
for solace. She seemed to have carted away his livelihood. He now visited Ofada
kitchen more often not to satisfy his stomach’s hunger, but his heart’s desire-
wanting to hear the voice and see the face that now seemed so distant.
Meanwhile,
Sewa now seemed so different as she indifferently acted towards Demi, acting
like she had never known him. If she happened to be the attendant attending to
him, which Demi always made sure, she served him like every other customer.
Thus regurgitating memories, when she’d serve him food giving him that naughty
wink alongside that head turning smile. This memories further tore Demi apart. He
was in a devastating dilemma…
Biography
Yetunde Oyelude, an indigene of Ogbomoso, Oyo
State, loves watching movies, singing and reading novels. She studies in the
department of Communication and Language Arts, University of Ibadan.
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