Deadly Desire

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 42

Months went by and she no longer goes clubbing with her friends. She disassociated herself from her friends and served God.

She usually thinks of Nosa because Eghosa had told her that he went mad too. In her heart she prays secretly that God’s healing power locate him.

Nicole is also bothered that age is no longer on her side.One day she looked at herself in a mirror and wept. All the ladies she knew are married with kids. Here, she is with nothing except her wealth.

Two months ago, a neighbour invited her for a wedding. On the wedding day, Nicole after dressing up for the wedding, she removed her clothes and sat on the bed. She was through with buying of Asoebe or attending other people’s weddings.

“Even people that are not as beautiful as me are getting married. I have turned to an old woman” She murmured.

Nicole rarely goes out in the day. She was afraid people will recognize her as the once mad woman. One day, she decided to stretch her legs for she has been home since morning. She opened the gate and walked down the street. It was a long street. She crossed to the other side to buy some fruits. The fruit seller greeted her. The fruits were fresh and Nicole liked them. She selected what she needed and paid for them.

“I know you” The woman said smiling.

“Ehen, for where?”

The woman said nothing but scrutinized her face.

“E be like sey you just start this business new” Nicole asked.

“Yes oo!. I just pack come this area newly”

“Eyah!, Welcome to the neighbourhood”

“Thank you”

Nicole picked a bunch of banana.

“I like bananas oo. Add this one to the ones in the nylon” She said handing it to the woman.

She opened her purse to bring out money, when the woman said something that broke her heart.

“I just dey thank God for you” she said.

“How do you mean?” She asked raising her head up.

“Rukewve come here” She called.

Nicole saw a girl running towards them.

“Look this aunty well well and tell me who she resemble”

The girl of about 13years looked at Nicole and frowned

“Na she be that mad woman for Salami market na”

“I talk am!” The woman screamed in excitement.

” As I see you I start to thank God for my heart”

Nicole stood transfixed. It was as if the ground should open and swallow her.

“Thank God sey you no dey mad again. The day wey I see you, I cry. I say God, where you dey when this fine woman come naked dey mad for market”

While the woman was talking, Nicole picked the nylon containing her fruits and handed her money without collecting her change. She walked so fast, as fast as her legs could carry her. She regretted not carrying her car. Crossing the road, Nicole practically doubled her steps.

When she got home, she dropped the nylon on the table, rushed to the room and wept.

Few days after that incident, Nicole decided to relocate. She paid off her domestic staff, sold two of her cars and left one for personal use. She had the option of either relocating to Port Harcourt or Abuja. After weighing the options, she settled for Abuja. She was going to start her life over again where she knows nobody and nobody knows her. No one will associate her with madness. She didn’t close her business. She locked her house and relocated to Abuja with all its boisterousness.

Nicole bought a house, she set up a business and settled down with her life. She lived a quiet life. It was from the house to her business place and straight home after the days hustling. She changed her line and no one could reach her. She decided to focus on her business.

No longer was she going to be desperate about getting married. Few months after her relocation, she joined a church and became a worker there.

There, she met Adenike a Christian who loves the things of God. Through Adenike’s lifestyle, Nicole caught fire. Adenike influenced her positively. Like Nicole, sister Adenike was above 40 and unmarried but never ceased to believe that God will settle her with a good man. Nicole and Adenike became so inseparable.

No one knew how wealthy Nicole was, even Adenike did not know that Nicole own the house she lived in. She thought it was a rented place. When Adenike had an accommodation problem, Nicole asked her to move in and their friendship blossomed.

Four months after Adenike moved in with Nicole, she told Nicole about Sebastian.

“He likes me Nicole. He is interested in marrying me and of course I have prayed about it and it is okay”

“Alright. Do you like him?” Nicole asked.

“I do. He has even told Pastor his intention to marry me and we are good to go”

“Okay!. I am happy for you Ade”

Adenike moved towards her and held her hands.

“God will do yours Nicole”

Nicole had already given up on ever getting married, she never bothered to say ‘Amen’.

She watched the relationship between Adenike and Sebastian blossom.

With time Nicole began to notice that Sebastian was a sweet talker. He would promise Adenike one million things but never fulfilling any.

She would listen to Ade endlessly as she talks about the promises Sebastian made to her.

“Our honeymoon is going to be in Dubai and he is going to buy a big house in this area”

“This is good news”

Every evening Sebastian would park his car outside and wait for Adenike to come out so that they would go out. Nicole would sit up and wait for her to return before locking the gate. Nicole wasn’t complaining.

Once she dozed off and didn’t hear Ade knock on the gate. She woke with a start, checked her phone and saw several missed calls. She started calling Ade’s line but after several rings, the line was switched off and she went back to sleep.

By morning when Adenike eventually returned, she was fuming with anger and Nicole had to apologize profusely.

“Sebastian was really angry” She told Nicole.

“He didn’t like the fact that he had to knock and knock”

“I have said I am sorry”

“It’s alright” She said taking a slice of bread from the plate

“I have good news Nicole”

“Wow!, Let me hear oo”

“Well.., he wants to get me a car”

Nicole screamed and hugged her.

“This is great news. When is he buying it?”

“He has not said when, but he said he will surprise me”

To celebrate the news, Nicole promised to get her a bowl of ice cream and snacks when returning from her business.

Both of them sat for breakfast, munching, gisting and laughing.