(WRITTEN BY JOY A. ADEWUMI)

‘Mehn! Skinny, last night was mad! But after you downed that cocktail, you just disappeared, and no one could find you. Wetin happen?’ BJ asked as he sighted me and came over to join me in the club the next night.

I threw one incredulous look at him and shook my head. Alcohol sure does crazy things to people’s heads. How could I not remember any of what happened to me last night? Just how possible was that?’

‘BJ, a quick one, yea?’

‘Hit me!’ My G replied.

‘What on earth did I mix last night?’

It was his turn to look at me incredulously. ‘You seriously don’t remember?’

‘No, I don’t remember a thing!’

‘Mad ooo!’ The stupid fella laughed, ‘Man, you were high!’ He croaked as he laughed harder.

That was not possible. I couldn’t possibly have been high. I was the guy who always, without fail, had his shit together! ‘Impossible!’ I scoffed.

‘Man, swears, you were legit high! Okay, consider the facts. You did something unthinkable, and now you can’t even remember a single detail.’ He laughed again.

I was getting irritated. I hated hearing that I didn’t have my act together. If there was one thing I prided myself in, it was having my act together. No matter the situation. Every flipping time! ‘Bro, just tell me what one earth I mixed!’ I growled.

READ ALSO: REDEEMED – EPISODE 1

‘Whoa, whoa! Man, relax!’ BJ cooed as he held his hands out as though to relax me. I hated what that implied and the clown knew it!

‘Okay, man, I know you’re the boss, but last night you broke your own record. If I knew you didn’t know what you were doing, I would have stopped you, honestly!’ My eyes furrowed at the seriousness in his expression. That was BJ for you; he was either kidding or serious.

‘You broke your own rules man! You flipping downed six glasses of Aunt Roberta! Yesterday ehn, I was half-afraid for you and half-amazed! Kai! You’re the man, Skinny!’ He said as he shook his head.

‘What on earth?!’ I bellowed.

‘Easy man! I thought you were taking your game to another level, so I just let you be! Besides, you had a real mob in your house yesterday. I would have legit been mauled had I tried to stop you. Those fools wanted to see you do your thing. I don’t think anyone cared what you were mixing. They just wanted to see you mix!’ BJ shrugged.

‘Guy, are you high?’ I asked with a calm I was not feeling at all.

‘Man, it wasn’t my fault! Sometimes, no one knows what you’re going to pull off. You made your own rules man; you are allowed to break them! No fault of mine!’

‘So, you mean, I was about to kill myself and you simply thought I was taking my game to the next level. What did I tell you the other day I mixed it when we were alone together? I said the day I take more than three glasses of that mix, e mean say life don tire me and you’re here blabbing about level! What stupid level is that?!’

‘Guy! I thought you-‘ BJ was saying, but I cut him short when I felt my phone vibrate in the back pocket of my jeans.

I held out a finger to him, ‘Hold that thought.’

Download a free copy of Dare to Hope

Every single muscle in my body tightened and knotted as I saw the caller ID. I picked the call and answered with a docility I certainly wasn’t feeling, ‘Hello.’

‘Are you awake now?’ The voice on the other end sneered. I ground my teeth as I held back a snarly reply, whoever tattled on me was sure going to pay for my efforts. If only I could lay my hands on such person.

‘You know, even the most foolish choose their follies wisely.’ I allowed a tight smile to settle on my lips as my breathing labored. He was trying to get a rise out of me. Futile. I wasn’t going to lose my cool no matter what and I know he hated the fact that I kept proving over and over, that this particular apple did not fall so near to his tree.

I loved the that I kept taunting him with the fact that I was still a better man than he was and since this self-control was the one thing, I had working for me, I wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction of ripping it off me. Never!

BJ’s Adam apple bobbed several times as he watched my rigid reactions. I could tell he had guessed who was on the line.

‘A poisonous alcohol mix, a raucous party that hosted the lowliest of earth’s scum, and a stupid son, all under the respected name of Kalejaiye. But then what was I expecting of you anyway?’ He continued. My breathing got shallower with every single syllable, but I held out! I thought my iPhone would snap considering the way I gripped it for dear life, fisting my other hand so hard that I could feel the bite of my fingernails in my palm.

After a short pause, he continued with an exaggerated sigh, even as several retorts I could have thrown back danced around my curse-bank.

‘Anyway, I expect to see you first thing tomorrow afternoon. 12 noon, the Palace.’ With that, the phone beeped signaling the end of the call and I brought my hand down carefully, scared that a muscle would snap if I dropped it carelessly. My muscles protested at the motion, and I knew I must have outdone myself with the control thing this time. I almost retorted. I was glad I held back!

READ ALSO: THE SNARE

As I dropped my hand, BJ released a sigh that made me chuckle mirthlessly. The poor guy looked blanched.

I swallowed as I put myself together and asked with a strained smile, ‘Dude, how far you? I was the one on the phone, na you dey shake.’

BJ rolled his eyes as he replied, ‘Man, I could cut through the tension with a knife, if I had one. He called me this morning, you know?’

My eyebrows shot up.

‘Okay, better put, he had his secretary call me.’ He corrected.

‘Kaka,’ I answered, nodding. I knew there was no way Otunba would have made the call himself.

‘What?’ BJ asked with furrowed brows.

‘Kaka, that’s the name of the secretary.’ I clarified.

‘Oh! I see. Anyway, thankfully I was busy,’ he continued, ‘When I returned the call, he said they had gotten hold of you. How did you go AWOL like that?’

I was relaxed now and I leaned back on the chair as I replied, ‘That one is boring story! Just save the secretary’s number and ignore it henceforth.’

BJ stared at me like I had sprouted a pair of horns.

‘What?’ I asked wondering at his reaction.

‘I should ignore Otunba’s calls?’ He asked incredulously. I shrugged.

‘Today, you were busy, tomorrow, you could be at dinner with your girl, the day after, with your family. Anything! Just avoid getting into his web. He won’t come at you for ignoring him because his secretary won’t dare tell him you didn’t pick. Kaka will just find another person to call. So don’t think Otunba knows you or even knows that you’re a friend of mine. If however, you turn yourself into Kaka’s trusted informant, it’s only a matter of time before your name starts popping up in their conversations, and once that happens and Otunba commits your name to memory, OYO is your case.’

BJ just stared at me unblinking, like I had morphed into a zombie. I shook my head at his naivety as I slid my MasterCard towards him and stood, ‘The bills are on me. Pin’s 8742. Return my card tomorrow. That’s for at least caring that I was high yesterday, even if I don’t how that mere knowledge helped me, and for being busy this morning, because I doubt you would have been able to withstand Kaka’s interrogation.’

I left the guy with his jaw kissing the floor as I sauntered out of the club. I had to be at the Palace tomorrow. It meant something was fishy, but I learnt a long time ago how to do my homework, so I didn’t walk into the lion’s den unarmed. I had a lot to do tonight. A smirk worked its way into my features and a spring found its way into my steps as I thought of how much fun I was going to have tomorrow!

Could hardly wait!

***********************************

Dear reader,

How’s the story coming along? Talk to me in the comment box below and let me know what you think.

Episode 3 coming right along tomorrow! Subscribe to the blog to get updates and a free copy of my new ebook- Dare to Hope. See you here tomorrow!

Yours truly,
The Girl with the Winning Smile,
Spirit Pen!