A TASTE OF CHRISTMAS

All rights reserved.

This work is entirely fictitious and any resemblance to any person living or dead is coincidental & is highly regretted by the author. You can reach me at infoleric@gmail.com

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            JOY

“The First Noel the angel did say
Was to certain poor shepherds
in fields as they lay;
In fields as they lay, keeping their sheep,
On a cold winter's night that was so deep.

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel”.

It was a cold chilly day on 25^th December 2013, the harmattan haze was in full swing. Twelve year old Joy Akan stood on the altar of “Mountain of Christ” church with a microphone in her hand. She was the lead vocalist of the children’s choir and her task was to solo the verses of the The first Noel Christmas carol. Choosing a good soloist for the song had been a hectic task for aunty Peace the choir mistress as there was fierce competition among the choir members. The contest was mainly between Joy and Tina. Both of them had good voices but Joy’s voice was slightly better than Tina’s own. During the rehearsals Aunty Peace had to call for a vote to pick one of them. Tina had a snobbish attitude and so naturally majority of the choir members voted for Joy.

The 15 members of the children’s choir looked angelic and beautiful, they were all dressed smartly in their splendid christmas clothes with the traditonal red & white Santa claus hats.

The church was decorated with Christmas decorations. Fresh evergreen wreaths and ribbons hung on the front door to welcome the worshippers. Jingle bells, pines and berries were stringed along the windows, a multi coloured painting of the scene of the nativity was displayed on the church altar, fresh greens and balloons hung on the end of the church pews added a festive look to the worship space.

Joy looked out into the crowd of worshippers, the sea of eyes made her a little bit unnerved and edgy. The church was filled to capacity as expected on Christmas day. She could see the smiling but anxious face of her mother on the second row, Bobby her one year old brother was sitting next to her mom. She could see his small shiny head and the movement of his mouth indicated that he was chewing on a snack. He was looking at her, she had told him earlier in the day that Santa claus will visit the house & drop a gift for him if he follows her to church.

 Booby had refused to be dressed up for church, he had been watching Spongebob squarepants cartoon on tv and had kicked against going to church. Now she knew he was expectant that a gift will be waiting for him at home.

Her dad was sitting on his favourite pew in the third row, he had a serious look on his face. Joy knew that sequestered somewhere in the crowd was Uncle Mark their neighbor who lives two blocks away from them and who attends church only two times in a year; the Christmas service and New year service. He had agreed to be at the service early enough to watch her take the solo. David her elder brother had skipped church and was busy at home playing with his playstation3 game console.

With a high pitched voice she sang into the microphone.

“They looked up and saw a star
Shining in the east beyond them far,
And to the earth it gave great light,
And so it continued both day and night”.

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel!”.

The choir ended the third verse in a climax and received a thunderous applause from the congregation. Joy saw her dad and mum smiling, she knew they were proud of her, her Christmas meal portion will double in size. The choir took a bow and went back to their seats.

Reverend James the parish priest got up to give the sermon. He was a tall man with a solemn looking face. He looked dazzling in his priestly robe and began his sermon on “the essence of love and giving in the Christmas season”.

“Joy look at Mercy’s dress, it is too big for her!” Ekemini whispered to Joy as she nudging her with her elbow. Ekemini was Joy’s friend and also a member of  the choir.

Joy took a quick glance at Mercy who was sitting on her extreme right on the second row and replied;

It looks a little too big for her but it is okay”.

The children were busy admiring each other’s Christmas clothes and frowning if their rival dresses looked nicer than theirs. Some of them wore their Christmas dresses complete with the designer labels sticking out.

Joy looked at Gina who gave her a sour look and turned away. Joy shrugged her shoulder, Tina was still mad at her for being chosen to solo the carol song, maybe they will never become friends.

“Look at Mary, she is wearing the same old dress on Christmas day” Ekemini said pointing to a dark haired girl on the back row.

“Leave her alone! Joy replied, she was becoming miffed with Ekemini’s vain nature. Mary’s parents were casual labourers and had six children. They struggled to feed and clothe their kids. Joy liked Mary because she was a humble girl who always had a cheerful face. She was going to invite Mary for Christmas dinner.

Joy thought about the day’s activities. After church they will head home for Christmas lunch, the delicious fried rice salad with chicken and turkey meat was waiting for them. Home had been tastefully decorated for Christmas. A sparkling Christmas tree was standing in the center of the sitting room with an effigy of Santa claus on top of it. Christmas carols will be playing on the Music player. Dad had stocked the fridge with assorted drinks.

Towards the evening some relations and family friends will begin visiting and the food and drinks will flow. She disliked the way her dad calls her to come out to greet every guest that comes. It has been a long while since she last saw her cousins, she hoped aunty Mfonobong will bring Idara and Oto her cousins when she comes visiting. She hoped to catch a glimpse of the masquerades that will parade the streets in the neighbourhood. Later in the evening Dad will take her and Bobby to the central park for a fun time at the Indomie Christmas fiesta. David often declined to join them as he uses that time to throw firecrackers with his buddies in the street.

“Jesus Christ is the reason for the season, let’s us rise to our feet and thank God for sending his son to die for us, let us also ask him to give us a specific gift this Christmas season”, Rev James admonished his congregation.

They rose to their feet and the prayer train was on. Joy prayed that God should keep and protect her family and friends, she prayed for Uncle Imoh and his wife residing in USA, they had been looking for a child for 5 yrs, she prayed for twins for them.

At the end of closing benediction, it was time to exchange Christmas wishes and gifts. As the congregation went around exchanging banters, shaking hands, hugging each other, the church band struck up a tune;

“Feliz navidad, feliz navidad

I wanna wish you a merry Christmas

I wanna wish you a merry Christmas

From the bottom of my heart!”.

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          DANNY 
 Danny removed two marijuana leaves from the small can on the shelf. He placed them on a small square sized paper and rolled it into a long strip. He took the lighter lying on top of the wooden shelf and lit it up. He took a long puff and inhaled deeply, his rib cage expanded as the smoke filled his lungs. He closed his eyes and exhaled, the smoke came out through his mouth and nostrils. After taking five puffs, the familiar feeling of highness was setting in.

It was 6:30 am on 25^th December 2013. Christmas day meant nothing to Danny. He was seating inside his small gloomy and drab looking room. His few possessions were scattered around. A threadbare curtain covered the tiny window in the room, a mattress was on the floor, a faded “Ghana must go” bag filled with rumpled clothes, a small transistor radio with a broken pole laid on the floor, two worn out pairs of palm sandals & a black cover shoe laid by the side of the door. His cutlery was inside a basket placed on top of the wooden shelf.

Danny was a hustler or in more precise terms a motor park tout who earned his living by loading vehicles at Rainbow motor park and engaging in any racket that came along. He sluggishly got up to his feet to prepare for the day’s hustle.

He grabbed the blue bucket outside the room, draped a small towel around his neck and walked along the dark narrow corridor that led to the bathroom at the backyard. The compound was quiet as most of the tenants had travelled home for the Christmas celebrations.

The bathroom was an enclosure at the back of the building separated from the block of rooms by a small clump of bush. It was a roofed structure with cement walls. Danny slipped on the floor where green algae and molds were growing luxuriantly and cursed out as he regained his balance. He searched the wooden support to see if anybody had left him a tiny bar of soap to bath with. Luckily he found one.

At 8 am he was ready for the day’s hustle. Wearing a faded torn jean with a large sized tee shirt and a bandana tied round his head, he hit the streets. The total amount of money on him was N300, breakfast will have to come later in the day.

“Adiok uno fien!! He cursed as a car narrowly missed him on the road.

“Ol boy you never travel go see your people for villa?” Don Pedro one of the touts at the park asked him.

“Money no dey, you sef you no wan go church?” he queried Don Pedro.

They both laughed out loud, none of them could remember when last they attended any church service.

“This Christmas get as e be, e dry pass stockfish”…another tout “Money boy” said as he joined them. He had bloodshot eyes and a cigarette stick was hanging between his lips.

“Drivers just dey stingy, dem talk say dem neva see passenger load” Don pedro said.

“Money boy” cut in…….“Devil on road” dey owe N200, i load im bus last nite e no wan pay my commission, make i see am today i swear i go flat im tire! He threatened.

A young man and his wife came to board the bus Danny was loading to Eket. They had three lovely children with them dressed in splendid clothes. Danny watched them from a corner with admiration and nostalgia. The kids reminded him of his childhood.

He was once like those kids, he had good clothes and toys and celebrated Christmas, his dad even drove a car. One day which was the saddest day of his life, he lost both of his parents in a ghastly motor accident. Things went downhill for him from that point. His paternal uncle came and took him away. One night, tired of being treated as a slave by the uncle and the wife, he stole N500 from his uncle’s purse and ran out, never to come back.

Christmas celebration was not for people like him. How do you celebrate Christmas with only three hundred naira in your pocket?

Two buses loaded with young men & women suddenly drove into the park. Melodious Christmas carols were sounding in the speakers attached to the bus. The young men and women wore branded tee shirts with a logo and “Radicals for Christ” inscribed on them. They had only one message, a man with a microphone in his hands was saying;

“We have come to celebrate Christmas with you all, join us!”

The touts and drivers viewed them with suspicion. However the gaiety of the youths and the sight of the food items lured out the few touts and drivers in the park. They approached the invaders.

Some of  the “radicals” were handing out packages of rice, some others were giving out cans of soft drinks and others were handing out hand bills. Danny collected four packages of rice and three cans of soft drink. One of the females distributing the handbills was counseling him.

“Jesus came to die for our sins to make our lives better. He is the reason why we are celebrating Christmas. You need to give your life to Christ to experience freedom from the devil and his agents”.

Danny was paying rapt attention to her. He was struck by the simplicity of her message and was ready to do anything to experience what she was saying. The lady looked attractive to him.

“Can you read? She asked him.

“Yes i fit read small”

She handed him a small bible study booklet and said “come to our prayer meeting on Saturday by 5 pm at this address on the handbill”.

He gave her his phone number.

Danny sat under the shade at the ticket counter, his cheeks bulging with the hot peppered rice and bulky meat. He came to a conclusion in his mind that Christmas was worth celebrating after all.

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           CARLOS

Carlos Eteng drove slowly on the road in his Toyota Camry. It was 7 pm on 25^th December 2013 Christmas day. Traffic was a bit slow as many vehicles were on the road. He admired the refined splendor of Christmas decorations in the streets of Uyo. He saw Christmas symbols everywhere as he drove past flashing neon lights at shopping malls, supermarkets and streetlights with breaktaking features . Carlos was coming into town to meet Eva his fiancée for a quiet Christmas dinner at Magnet lounge.

He eyed the glove box of the car which contained the engagement ring he had bought for the special dinner.  He had made up his mind to propose to Eva tonight. They have been dating for one year and were both ready to settle down.

Carlos had rehearsed and practiced the scene many times in his mind; “go down on your knees and pop the question, catch her unawares and she will say Yes!”.

 He had the assurance that Eva won’t say “No” to him. He was a top management staff of an investment bank with very bright prospects, Eva a university of Uyo undergraduate will rush at the offer.

The dating book he read claimed that the best time to propose to any female was on Christmas day as Christmas was borne out of love and therefore the spirit of the season will compel anybody to accept a love/marriage offer.

As he turned into Ikot Ekpene road, a car suddenly veered off its course and rammed into his side. He hastily pressed the brakes and engaged the steering wheel to make an instant u-turn resulting in the screeching of the tires. Just at the moment another car came speeding down on its way towards him. A crash was inevitable.

“Jesus!!!!!” He screamed.

The impact of the crash threw him against the front wheel, fortunately the seat belt held him in check. His car was wrecked.

“Cut the seatbelt to take him out!” “Take him to the hospital”, “He is still alive”, “No leave him alone”…those were the voices Carlos heard in his state of semi-consciousness, they were the bystanders & sympathizers that came around the scene of the crash.

Carlos opened his eyes and found himself lying on a hospital bed.

Eva sat by his side teary eyed. She had received a call around 8pm by a doctor informing her about Carlo’s accident. They had found his cell phone in his pocket and called her, he had stored her number as “Fiancee”.

She had rushed to the hospital and met a nurse who directed her to Dr Adewale. The doctor assured her that all the necessary scans and checks have been done on Carlos and that they found nothing serious. He said it was a Christmas miracle that Carlos survived the crash unscathed. They were only monitoring him and treating him for shock.

Carlos called on Eva softly. He felt light headed as the effect of the crash was waning.

“Thank God you are awake dear! Eva said as she rushed to his side.

“I am sorry dear, you will be fine. The doctor said you’ll be discharged tomorrow. She took his hands in hers and gave him an encouraging squeeze.

“I am glad I am alive” Carlos said, where is the ring? he asked weakly.

What ring?

It suddenly registered in his mind that the ring was in the car. He had to propose to her tonight. He sat up on the bed propping the pillow for support.

 “Will you marry me Eva? He popped the question fast.

She looked overwhelmed with the question and paused for a long while.

“Yes dear, any time, anywhere!!” she blurted out, her eyes wild with surprise and excitement.

A warm embrace followed.

“I am sorry the engagement ring is inside the wrecked car, I would have….

“It is okay dear” she assured him.

Carlos gave out a sigh of relief, it has been an eventfull Christmas day. The car had been insured and will be replaced in no time. It was a memorable Christmas day.

"Deck the halls with boughs of holly, Fa la la la la la la la!
'Tis the season to be jolly, Fa la la la la la la la!
Don we now our happy apparel, Fa la la la la la la la!
Troll the ancient Yuletide carol, Fa la la la la la la la!"

THE END.

MERRY CHRISTMAS FRIENDS.  Thanks for taking time out to read each and every one of my stories this year, may God richly bless you all. Expect more from me in 2014. Don’t forget to show someone some love this season.

LOVE IN A PORTRAIT

All rights reserved.

This work is entirely fictitious and any resemblance to any person living or dead is coincidental & highly regretted by the author. You can reach me at infoleric@gmail.com

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Emem sat cross-legged on the chair facing the side window of the room posing for her portrait. I held the paint brush as i gazed into her eyes, tracing the outline of her face on the canvas. With a racy heart and shaky hands, nervousness was written all over me.

She was a light complexioned lady with a ruby shaped face, her hair was braided in the corn row pattern, her face radiated inner peace & warmth and she looked more or less like an African goddess. A curvy body with long legs she looked great. It was 6 pm, we were just the two of us alone in my art studio. A chill of excitement ran down my spine as i beheld her beauty, her eyes and mine met and we looked fixedly at each other. The paint brush slowly slipped off my fingers and a natural instinct slowly led me towards her. There was something surreal about the atmosphere…time stood still and i could hear the tick-tock sound of the clock on the wall. As I moved towards her she uncrossed her legs, got up and walked towards me. I moved closer…..closer until I could feel the sound of her heartbeat. We enveloped each other in a warm spontaneous hug. This was the culmination of our previous meetings, we had found love, we were soul mates.

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Emem Prince was a Systems analyst at Green light foundation, Ikeja, Lagos. A graduate of Computer science from Kwame Nkrumah university of science and technology Kumasi, Ghana. I met her through Wendy a mutual friend of ours on Wendy’s birthday party. Wendy was a regular client of mine and I had done many photo editing works for her at my Challix Arts & photo studio.

Wendy held her birthday bash at Prime spot Arena. I recall the party was just getting started when Wendy spotted me walking aimlessly around the venue. She hailed me and invited me over to her table. I walked over to her. She turned to a lady who was sitting beside her and said;

“Emem meet my friend Charles” he is one of the best fine art artists in this city, he draws and paints beautiful pictures, he is also into digital photography.

“Charles meet my friend Emem”

I stretched my hand towards her for a quick handshake. I was smitten by her striking beauty, something inside me stirred and i knew that our paths were destined to meet.

“Hi Emem, it is my pleasure to meet you, how do you do”? I asked.

Her hands were soft and tender and as i held them I was afraid that i might bruise them by my rather tough hands.

“I am fine, good to meet you too”. She spoke in a soft voice that sounded like music to my ears, her tiny pair of blue eyes gazing mildly into my eyes.

“Charles speaks a little Spanish”, Wendy said to Emem.

“Really”? Emem questioned glancing at me with an upturned eyebrow.

I was a Spanish language enthusiast, my brain did a quick scan of the few Spanish words and phrases in my vocabulary.

“Eres hermosa” i said.

“Gracias, usted es un guapo” she replied with a wide smile.

                                                                                                      

Two gentlemen friend of theirs came over and the flow of the conversation changed. Feeling a bit pressed, i excused myself from the table and walked towards the restroom.

All through the duration of the party i couldn’t help stealing glances at Emem. She left the party before i could get her number but i wasn’t fazed as I knew i would get it from Wendy.

Lionel Richie’s “Hello” kept on playing in my head.

“Hello is it me you are looking for? I can see it in your eyes, I can see it in your smile, you’re all I wanted…tell me how to win your heart for I haven’t got a clue…..and i want to tell you so much I love you!”.

I was falling in love with the pretty girl who speaks Spanish.

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Three days after the party, Wendy brought Emem over to my studio on a short visit. She was enthralled by the paintings in the gallery and walked around admiring them. I gave her a guided tour and explained details of some of the paintings works I had done.

My toasting skills were a bit rusty as I had shunned the company of ladies and buried myself in my work after experiencing series of heartbreaks in the previous year but at 5ft 8 inches tall, I had an athletic body and above average looks that any woman would have died for. I was able to convince her that a beautiful lady like her needed to have a life portrait painting and she promised to come back for a second visit.

It was on this second visit on the course of the painting that the power of love brought us together in each other’s arms. The stage was set for our first date night.

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Dulis Garden is the quintessential hangout for lovers and fun seekers. A sprawling open air outfit with plenty of space, beautiful bougainvillaea and rose flowers hedges, a small water fountain to boot and strategically located park seats. There’s also a sports bar with wide screen tv sets and a snack/wine bar manned by smartly dressed waiters. A live band serenades the patrons with soothing and soulful tunes.

Emem and i sat on one of the park benches with a flower hedge behind us. She looked dazzling in her satin dress and black leather jacket combo, the jewelry she wore added a touch of the exotic to her appearance giving her a sexy yet modest look. I was on a classy black jean with a blue matching shirt and a black suede trainers shoe.

“You look wonderful” I complimented her.

“You look good too”.

She confided in me that she was in a difficult relationship and had been looking for a way to end it. Davis her boyfriend she said was a guy who had at first attached himself to her under false pretences, however it wasn’t long before she found out his true nature and she had managed to put him on a leash but he was still lurking around her. I on the other hand was as single and free as a bird, loneliness had always been a friend of mine. I assured her that together we will cut him loose.  

I ordered a bottle of Ariel sauvignon wine, two plates of Jollof rice with quarter chicken and it was promptly served by a waiter.

It was obvious to us that we had found our special thing, we were flying without wings like Westlife sang.
“I am worried for you Charles, Davis has a vindictive nature and I am afraid he will come after you”, she said with a forlorn look.

“Don’t worry dear, cheer up! I’ll take care of him. I believe in you Emem, whatever obstacle that lies before us will be surmounted, with the power of love! I love you" i assured her as I took her hands in mine.
"I love you too" she replied resting her head on my chest.

A sense of joy filled my heart, this was what i had been looking for a long while; the ecstasy that comes from loving someone and being loved in return. From that moment i lived only for her happiness, my dreams came through because of her, life suddenly had a new meaning.

I uncorked the bottle of Ariel sauvignon wine for a toast to mark the beginning of a new era in our lives.

"loving you is because you are so beautiful...lalalala lalalala, no one else makes me feel the colours that u bring, stay with me while we grow old and we will live each day in spring time..lalalala"
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 Our whirlwind romance was in full swing. In the process of getting to know each other better, i discovered that we shared similar interests and goals. She was a well disciplined lady and had a good family upbringing. Her parents resided in Abuja. Emem often accompanied me to watch English premier league and champions league matches at Dublis garden sports bar, she switched allegiance from Chelsea fc and became a fan of my team Manchester united. She became a regular caller at my arts shop, closing early from work to keep me company and sometimes helping out with the paintings when my three staff were off duty. I learnt a lot of new Spanish words and phrases from her. When she first came to my house; a two bedroom flat in Wayiki street, she changed the seating pattern in the living room and replaced the window curtains with new ones. Then she took charge of the kitchen operations effectively cementing her place as the madam of the house and the first lady of my heart.

Working late at the art shop as my custom was, i felt a shadow fall across me on the table, I looked up in alarm and saw a tall figure wearing a face cap in a casual dressing staring down at me.
"Are you Charles Etim?" he asked.

“Yes, how did you get in and who are you?” I asked inquired.

A tiny smile crept along his face and was quickly replaced by a frown.

“I am Davis, i guess Emem must have told you about me”

I got up and my hands involuntarily tightened slowly into a fist, I was wary that he going to attack me. However with a huge frame like his, i doubted if I would stand any chance against him in a fist fight.

He continued, “She has broken up with me. I made some findings and found out that you are her new catch”.

I was on my guard as his stern looking eyes gazed down at me probably assessing me. He glanced round the spacious room….”nice place you’ve got here” no wonder she is into you.

“What do you want?” I asked him once again.

“I came to tell you lover boy that I will have the last laugh!”.

I silently watched him as he turned and walked away as quietly as he entered.

The die was cast. Emem was my jewel and no force on earth will take her away from me. It would be a fight to the finish.

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“Ol boy this love don shack you well well” John said as he poured his drink into the glass. Martins and Uchenna laughed out loud.

I was in the company of my friends hanging out at Abba lounge an entertainment outfit at the heart of the city. We met back in university of Lagos six years ago when we were undergraduates. John was a civil servant in the ministry of Science and technology, Martins a Lecturer in Lagos state university was the intellectual of the group, a well read gentleman who always had facts and figures at his finger tips, Uchenna was an entrepreneur dealing on general merchandise in Lagos mainland.

“You guys don’t understand how it feels to be in love with your soulmate” I said shaking my head at them.

“Love is overrated bro” Martin said with conviction, he continued “love is a deceptive emotion, it makes you give out your heart and whole being into it but at the end it leaves you disappointed!....”

“You are right” John interrupted, “do you know how many girls have jilted me in this city? Now my heart is like a granite!, no girl can break into it!” he exclaimed beating his chest with a sense of pride.

We all laughed out loud.

“Love is real but it is hard to find true love these days” Uchenna countered, “we should be happy that one of us have found love”.

“You guys have met Emem what’s your candid opinion on her? I asked them.

“She is okay, she is beautiful, has a good character, good intellect….go for her!, you are lucky mahn”  John said. They all nodded their heads in unison to affirm this statement.

I leaned back on the chair in relief, I have gotten the validation I wanted from them.

When you are close to a person, in time, you will experience the negative side of the person. Emem’s major character flaw was her fiery temper that wasn’t easy to douse. I experienced this when i failed to keep up an appointment with her at a bakery, she flared up when I came three hours late to pick her, she sulked afterwards and it took a huge effort on my part to restore things to normalcy. I didn’t give much thought to her temper as her other angelic qualities eclipsed this aspect of her character. Marriage was on our minds, at 32yrs i was due for marriage, at 26 she was ripe, waiting and willing to be plucked by me.

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To be recognized as a professional fine artist in Nigeria, you must be a member of the Society of Nigerian Artists(SNA). I was a registered member of the association and therefore was chosen as one of the delegates to attend the Annual Arts conference sited for the city of Lokoja. This would take me out of Lagos for one week. One week without Emem would seem like an eternity, the longest time I would spend by myself without her.

“Sweetheart, make sure you come back to me in one piece” she said sweetly as she waved me goodbye at the motor park.

“Don’t worry dear, i can’t wait to get back to you!”.

Lokoja the confluence town, the meeting place of River Niger and river Benue welcomed us the delegates with open arms. We were lodged in Grangeland hotels and resort a hotel with a view overlooking the table mountains of the city.

The conference started on a high note but as we entered the second day, the paper presentations became long and boring, boredom set in and the hall was filled with sleepy delegates. The daily lunch break and my conversations with Emem on phone were the highlights of the day.

On the third day, an archaic looking professor was delivering his paper on  Modern art symbology, the prof appeared to have been dragged out from the 18^th century to the 21^st century to deliver the lecture, he pronounced his words in a calculated slow drawl that was intended to lull the listener to sleep. I glanced at the back row, two thirds of my fellow participants were dozing off. I looked around aimlessly for a distraction, anything else that could keep me busy. I saw her.

 She was a pretty young lady on a skirt suit with a ponytail hair, she quickly flashed a flirting smile at me, I looked away.

 “Concentrate Charles, you don’t want to break your vow to Emem!” I told myself.

Boredom makes you take irrational decisions and I found myself glancing once again in her direction.

We met inside the lobby of the hotel as we were retiring from the conference hall. A short chat led to an exchange of phone numbers. She was Sandra, based in Owerri, a fine arts teacher  in a school I didn’t hear the full name.

She invited me for a drink later in the evening which i politely declined.

Day 4 was the arts exhibition day, we met once again. It wasn’t a chance encounter as i had a hunch that she was following me. She invited me again for a drink in the evening. I accepted the offer this time around. It would be just a harmless chat.  It wouldn’t hurt to build a professional relationship with a colleague. Just two glasses of sherry wine and i will take my leave under 20 minutes.

 The bar was feisty and crowded at7pm, we found a seat in the back. She looked even lovelier that she was during the day, viewing her at a close range made me realize that she was a temptation that must be resisted.  Three cans of Don simon drink and red label wine was on the table. I had not tasted alcohol in months, Emem was a teetoller and frowned on alcohol consumption. However i had to live up to the expectation of this beautiful lady seated beside me, a little alcohol will not hurt.

Sandra was a great conversationalist and it became increasingly difficult for me to excuse myself from the chat. Her subtle glances, suggestive phrases & words all teamed up to break down my stern resolve. The intoxicating effect of the alcohol also broke down my inhibition. I found myself leading Sandra on to the dance floor from where we headed to her hotel room.

I woke up on the morning of the next day on Sandra’s bed in her hotel room. I had cheated on Emem.

The guilt and remorse weighed heavily on my mind as i packed my luggage for the journey back to Lagos. Will Emem ever forgive me? I had broken my vow in a short moment of weakness. I had been seduced by Sandra. Maybe I will tell her what transpired here two or three years after we get married. It was my secret to keep.

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“Welcome Sweetheart!!!! “ how was your trip? Emem fussed over me in the living room.

“It was terrific dear!! Look what i got for you, I tossed the packaged designer corporate wear I bought at Kingsways stores for her, she screamed with excitement, rushed forward and pecked me on the lips.

“will she find out that a strange woman pecked this lips two nights ago?” I thought apprehensively in my mind.

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Four months after the incidence I had not brought myself to tell my angel what happened in Lokoja. I had given her no reason to doubt my faithfulness and sincerity, my commitment to our relationship was 100%. Within this time i had met her parents and spoken with her three siblings and they accepted me as a future in-law. We decided to take a step further by making our relationship official. Our engagement party was fixed for Sunday 17th November 2013 at Unilag’s poolside.

I was sitting with Emem on the leather couch in the sitting room on a Saturday evening. She had gone shopping with Wendy for some of the food items needed for our engagement party and had just returned. A knock sounded on the door.

“Are  you expecting anyone” she asked me.

‘No” I replied, lemme see who is there.

I pulled the door open and Sandra was calmly standing there hands akimbo, a sunshade on her eyes.

The shock quickly registered in my brain as i opened my mouth wide agape, damn!! How did she found out my residence, I never told her where I lived!

“What….what do you want?” I stuttered.

“Can I come in? she asked

She must be out of her mind!! Come in to meet Emem?!

“Sorry, you can’t come in”…I said as I shut the door and stepped out on the veranda.

“Sweetheart who’s that?” Emem called in a ringing voice, i could sense her walking towards the door.

“I am pregnant!” Sandra blurted out.

Panic gripped me.

The sudden entrance of Emem into the scene caught Sandra slightly unaware, I never told her I had a girlfriend.

“Pls who are you and what do you want?” Emem queried

“Never mind sweetheart, I’ll handle this…. I interrupted her and took her arm to lead her away, she shook me off.

“I am two months pregnant for him, we met at Lokoja during the SNA conference. Sandra insisted.

The ground refused to open up to swallow me. I knew Emem heard her clearly.

Emem turned towards me with a look of disbelief in her eyes waiting for me to deny the allegation.

My face was like an open mirror, i wasn’t a natural born actor that could put up a convincing deceitful act, all I could mutter was ‘there’s a mix up somewhere”.

She saw the truth in my eyes.

She gave a sudden twitching movement and I feared she was going to have a nervous attack but she turned around and ran into the living room.

“I am sorry Charles, I didn’t mean to embarrass you in this way“ Sandra said…..I need money for my upkeep”.

“Get out!!” I shouted at her and rushed inside.

Emem was huddled up on the sofa sobbing.

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She left me that day after a torrent of angry words, I could feel the pain in her heart as the fiery words poured out, our engagement was over. The bubble had burst and I was back to square one, a part of me was gone.

 Emem cut off all contact with me, I couldn’t reach her on her mobile phone or at her home. Wendy her friend avoided me like a plague, i had been declared a persona non grata.

 I turned into a hermit and became a recluse. I turned to Alcohol for relief, this resulted in me coming home late in the night totally drunk everyday. Consuming 7-10 bottles in a sitting trying to forget about  Emem but her memories still lingered in my mind. In my drunken state the wordings of a song by Don Williams really struck me at that point.

“some broken hearts never mend,

some memories never end,

some tears will never dry,

my love for you will never die”.

I tried contacting  Uduak, Emem’s elder sister to intervene on my behalf but the feedback I got from her was negative, Emem apparently never wanted to see me again, I had betrayed her trust. “Give her time to get over it, if she truly loved you she will find a place in her heart to forgive you” was the advice she gave me.

Two weeks after this our breakup my blood pressure shot up, coupled with my heavy bouts of drinking I became bedridden, i had to be taken to the hospital by Martins who turned up to checkon me. He placed a call to my mum in Calabar.

John, obinna and Martins were at my bedside at Tanoah Clinic, they had gotten a private room for me.

“Do you know that Prof Lahm of the Free University of Berlin says that one in every 3 male suffers from heartbreak?” Martins informed the group.

‘Leave these westerners and their voodoo statistics, how did he arrive at this conclusion? John queried.

“I really think it is unAfrican for a man like Charles to suffering over heartbreak, when there are billions of women out there, why should a man kill himself over one woman? It’s a pity”

“You guys will never understand that some broken hearts never mend and some memories never end” I responded in a weak voice.

They all shook their heads in pity.

On the second day of my stay in the hospital, a shadow fell over the bed and i looked up and saw the familiar face of Davis looking down at me.

“How did you get in here and what do you want?” I asked him.

“well  I see your lover girl has left you over your little indiscretion so i came to offer my sympathies” he said in a sarcastic voice.

“please leave”.

“Oh I also came to deliver this to you”….he tossed an envelope at me.

“I opened the envelope, a picture was inside. I brought it out and was stunned at the vivid picture of Sandra and me in a compromising position in her hotel room.

In my state of shock he said…..”You see when you took Emem from me, i was amazed at the ease at which you were able to get her in a matter of few days, do you know how long I struggled before I could even get her to talk to me?”.

“You bastard! I screamed rising up from the bed, “you set me up!”

“well if that is what you call it. When I got to know about your itinerary at Lokoja, I hired Sandra and put her on your trail, she is not a fine arts professional and it wasn’t difficult to get her a slot as a conference participant…you know what they say about money answering all things?.....I have got good news for you bro, she aint pregnant, the pregnancy scare was a stunt that worked.

I felt like a fool, Sandra was his accomplice all this while. I should’ve been wise enough to decipher this.

“why did you do all these? I asked him.

“Like I told you earlier, I always have the last laugh, I don’t lose”.

He strolled around the room, his hands in his pocket like a champ.

 “By the way there are only two copies of this photo, the second copy was delivered to Emem an hour ago. Guess who is having the last laugh now?”.

I rushed towards to punch him, to wipe that arrogant smirk off his face, he calmly dodged my punch and walked out closing the door behind him, I threw the plastic cup that was on the bedside’s table after him in frustration, the cup hit the door and rolled down the floor.

I couldn’t bear to look at the photograph a second time, Emem has seen this by now, what will she think of me?

I buried my face in my palms.

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“He needs to talk to a psychologist, I’ll recommend one for you”…..That was the voice of Dr Kenneth the resident medical doctor of  Tanoah clinic talking to my distressed mother. I had gone into induced sleep from the anti-depressant drugs administered to me the previous night.

 I was given a clean bill of health and discharged from the hospital that morning.

Mom insisted on staying with me at home for a while despite my assurances that i was okay and she shouldn’t allow her business to suffer by her continuous absence. I had told her every detail of the breakup story.

“Charles you need to let go of Emem, whatever happened was in the past. Start your life on a clean slate. If she was meant for you she’ll come back to you”.

I went back to work, burying myself in it. It was getting to a month after our breakup but no matter how hard I tried i couldn’t stop thinking about Emem. The hollow feeling in my heart was a constant reminder of how much I needed her back. I was addicted to her, she was a pattern I couldn’t break.

My friends shopped around and brought a lady in the hope that she will deflect my mind from Emem. I paid her no attention and after few futile visits she left.

A week to the Christmas festivities i was busy at work editing photos of clients. The volume of work was quick high and my staff had closed for the day. I heard soft footsteps approaching the door, a knock came on the door. I looked up from the work and went out to find out who it was. There was Emem standing at front door staring at me. She was in a flowing gown, her long hair resting on her shoulders and she had an angelic and a demure look about her.

I blinked my eyes in disbelief, it was real!

 Swept away in a wave of emotion i rushed towards her and she welcomed me with outstretched arms resulting in a tight and warm hug with tears streaming down our faces.

“I am sorry sweetheart” I whispered in her ears.

“ I am sorry too” she replied.

It was a Christmas miracle, we were back together in each other arms where we belonged.

"I have been touched by an angel, i have been blessed by the power of love".

“Our love is unbreakable”…this was the last thought in my mind as we fell on the couch still in each other’s arms

THE END.