Featherlight Heart

Episode 20

”It’s your fault, it’s your bloody fault Belinda!!!”Ambross screams into the phone
”Why are you shouting on me eh Ambross?” Belinda’s voice is heard challenging him over the phone

”Because of you, that money finished under a day, a day; buy this Ambross, buy that Ambross, do you think the money falls from trees? NGN70 million poof like that!!”

”So the cars you promised my parents weren’t you going to get it? And the house too, wasn’t that what you promised, and the shop? See don’t try me oh, other men are busying taking care of their wives and their families without complaining and here you are crying like a baby for common small money, you are talking as if I was the one who spent it all on my own, our house and cars and other things nko? Don’t try me!!”

”NGN70million is small money? I don’t blame you Belinda!!” he shouts over the phone
”Stop shouting on me jor, besides because he screamed at you? Why did you tell him sef? isn’t it your company, aren’t you the owner?”
”But he is the investor, he has a right to be angry”‘

She sighs ”I tell you, you are useless, I have a better chance with him than with you, the money is yours as much as his. Take it, I have my Dubai trip all planned out and shopping to go for, don’t dull me Ambross don’t!! if not this time I am leaving you, I will divorce you and take everything you own, try me, I need money for my foreign trip and you must get it, I don’t care how you do it!!” the line dies
He curses ”Useless woman, going to ruin me!!!” he spat

The knock on his door causes him to look up and frown when the person enters ”What happened to your hand?”

”The men who came looking for you sir, they keep coming, I can’t keep telling them I have no idea where you are sir, I can’t!”
”So what do you want me to do, I am not their legs to stop them?”

”I think we should call the police Sir, they are here again, I saw them and left my desk!”
Ambross stands to the window and peers out, ”Go back out and tell them I am out of town”

”Me? No sir I will stay here with you” Luke seats down ”Look at my hand”‘
”If you don’t go you are fired”‘
”Ehen fire me Sir, what if he bursts my eyes as he threatened? What if they do something worse? They wanted to know where you stay Sir? But Sir, why are you avoiding them, they seem dangerous, what did you do to them Sir?”
”I don’t pay you to sit and ask me stupid questions!! Go out there now and tell them I traveled”‘
”Sir, me I can’t oh, see my hand, no I can’t, I think we should call the police or the securities Sir!!” Luke says stubbornly frowning at his bandaged fingers

He can’t call the police but the securities. He makes a call telling the securities to escort the men that came out of the company’s complex.
He was planning to give Luke his new house address in case he needs to send some documents to the house but he changed his mind, if he did, they might get the information out of him or one of his other staffs. Right now it is better they can’t find him. He owes them a lot of money, his payment is long overdue, but if he keeps avoiding them long enough, maybe they would forget about the NGN 50 million naira he took from them over a year ago or so ago.

He wasn’t the only one who borrowed money from the loan sharks, so they should relax,.

Then he sees them leaving ”They are leaving, go tell the securities not to let them in next time, call the police if they do “‘

Ambross knew they wouldn’t want the police involved, because they were criminals ; they got their money from illegal means, and despite he owes them a lot of money, they too wouldn’t dare go to the police either.

He smiles to himself, he can evade them as long as he wants, good thing no one knows where his new house is. He should be thinking of relocating out of town, by the time the company makes a lot of money, he can open another branch out of town, relocate there with his wife and set up a manager here, they would never see him, he didn’t have that amount of money to dash them and even if he did, he wouldn’t give it all up, NGN 50 million? HA!! They should take a chill pill, they got a lot of money from where they get it from illegal, a little change like the one he owed shouldn’t dent their vault.

He leaves the window, he needs to call Mr Odinaka and apologize, if he pulls out of the company he will take all his money, those investors where probably coming because of his presence, he would be done for, and all of his money? That fat account that was constantly rising? It was his life wire; he intends to cash in on that soon but first, he needed that NGN 30 million for himself, not even for Belinda, she can make do with the five he has left, it would shut her up for a while.

He sighs, if only he had a wife who isn’t money conscious like Belinda, who would love and care for him unconditionally, who wouldn’t mind but be content with all that he had and gave to her, but Belinda, has been a thorn in his flesh, maybe because she was younger and her needs were higher and more demanding.

Once upon a time he enjoyed the life of peace, with a woman who gave up everything for him,…
Mercy! And a son whom he never loved. He never thought about them all these years, not knowing if they lived or they died.

She was a village girl, he was just a young man, and he married her, not out of love but necessity, she was just a woman to him, to bear children, to cook and enjoy his bed with, and when he got the job with the Ibekwe’s and eventually he got the job to work in their company because of their love for Mercy, for her genuine care, loyalty, he soon began to see and enjoy life. The women came and they came in numbers, he had the money, he had the free time, because his wife, she was quiet, she was loving, too loving it pissed him off, so when his days were bad he lashed out on her, buried his fist into her, and when his days were good, he went out to enjoy the warmth of other women, and when the Ibekwes died, he gained the company because he was practically the one left in charge, and the house too. Everything became his, money in the bank, this company and the only house which their relative couldn’t take belonged to him .

But, the house belonged to Mercy, but she would never know that, Mr Ibekwe and his wife had told him that when they finally relocate, they were going to leave the house in her name, he burnt the document the day they died…

And when he had the opportunity, he sent her away along with her son. His son. He never loved her, he never felt remorse for that, and her son, her son wasn’t much of his either, because a woman he never loved, he could never love her child even if he were his.

And his son, was just like his mother, he loved her too much, he hated that. He expected him to follow in his footsteps but he clings to his mother like a little chicken. He stopped taking care of him as long as he could remember, the day he stood up to him was the opportunity he needed to rid them from his life, and he did it and he never regretted it.

Now, he wonders if they are alive, maybe, she would have being the perfect wife here, helped him, and his son too. She always had a good business aside being a village girl. She was a quick learner, and his son, he was handy, he saw him fixing his car when it had an issue before he comes out to beat him up, he just never loved his son. Never thanked him when the car worked the next day.

Maybe, maybe his son would have helped him, two heads are better than one, his business wouldn’t have gone under that he had to be at the mercy of a man who is half his age and more, might very well be same age with his son who he has no idea where he is, whether he was dead or alive.

He sighs.

He never gave them much of a thought for over ten years, why today?.

He sighs, shaking the thoughts away. No!!! Belinda was his wife, she was a pain, materialistic but his wife nonetheless, if only she would be content!!.

He dismisses Luke and places a call to his accountant after compiling a mail ”I sent you a mail Jackson, I need you to release the amount of fund for the project”

”But sir, I am looking at it, which project is the Bronx-tillage?”

”Érm, it’s a french affiliate, we are..erm working on the modalities, I need you to approve the fund so we can begin work”‘
”NGN30 million naira? I would have to run it pass Mr Odinaka’s accountant, to speak with him, any money above that should be signed off by him sir!!”
”Who is paying you your salary Jackson?”
”You sir!!”
”Good, whose company is this?”
”Your’s sir!!”
”whose orders should your follow without questions?”
“Yours sir!!”
”Good, now release the funds to my personal account, I am going for a meeting with them, no need to run it by Mr odinaka the investor, I am already on my way to see him and he has okay-ed it”
”But the project isn’t mentioned in the books Sir, no french affiliate associates documentations either Sir, maybe I should cross check if I got a mail to that regard so I record it!!”‘
”Do not irritate me or I will have you fired, do what I say, release the funds and sign off on it Jackson, in fact, don’t sign off on it, fax everything to me I will give it to Mr odinaka myself, sign the money to me and get back to work, NOW!!”

”VERY WELL SIR!!”
Ambross leans back and waits, within an hour he had been credited, his bank account manager confirmed payment, he got the fax of unsigned funds documents, as soon as he got it, he prints it out, and tosses it to the paper shredder. All evidence gone.
He cleans his forehead as beads of sweat breaks out.

No one would find out of this NGN30 million, he would have to fire Jackson. He calls the HR.
”I need you to fire Jackson from the accountant department, cite incompetence, pay him for two months and send in on his way”‘

”Why sir?”
”I just told you!! Incompetence, find another accountant !!”

”Okay sir”
He leans back smiling. Good. Now he would call Mr Odinaka and apologise profusely for even suggesting to borrow money.

He laughs, how can he have all this much money within his reach and not be tempted to take out of it. Now, what luxury does he desire?
He smiles to himself.

---

”As long as it doesn’t happen again Mr Chikurdi, apologies accepted” Emeka cuts the call with Ambross and turns, his phone rings again,

”Yes?”
”A debit just occurred from the account you linked to the Chikurdi ventures company sir”
‘How much?”
”NGN30 million!! “‘
”Sent to?”
”A personal account, Mr Chikurdi’s!!”
”Was it filed, reported, documented?”
Oh Ambross, you make it easy for me.
”None sir!””
”Who signed off on it?”
”No one!!”
“‘What do you mean no one, someone ought to have signed off on it!”

”No documentations, no one.”
”Fair enough, do some digging, we might need the ghost eventually!!” Emeka cuts the call from the bank manager and makes another call immediately.

”Mr Tammy, it has begun! Be ready when you would be needed”
”Has the clause being bridged Sir?!!”
”Just as we expected!!”
”Very well sir, good day!”
”Good day!!”

Emeka leans back and relaxes, he stares out his window, some days… it felt good to be precise in prediction ”Oh Ambross, why did you have to be so predictable, why?” he laughs
”Karma is coming father, and you opened the doors for it!!”

---

Emeka got home very late, he doesn’t go upstairs, he takes the hall down to Diana’s room, a flower in his hand and a box of jewel, he saw her car parked outside, he figured she had seen it already.

”Who is there?” Diana answers when she heard the knock
”it’s me Dee, can I come in?”

She goes to open the door, he leans there ”So I got a beautiful rose for a beautiful lady, I wasn’t sure you were awake but I came to say goodnight!!”

She takes it, smelling the flower ”What’s in the box?”

”Something equally beautiful, you want to see?”

She nods smiling, he opens it for her, she gasps ”it’s beautiful”
”You want to see how it looks?”
”But its late, I can’t wear it!!”
”Doesn’t matter, I want to see how it looks on you!!”

She steps back for him to enter and shuts the door behind him. He drops the case on the table, pulling her close to stand before him facing the mirror as he puts her the necklace around her neck, touching it above her skin. She was wearing a silky nightwear; he could tell she wasn’t wearing anything underneath.
He should leave.

”This is really beautiful Emeka, I love it, thank you, you make me feel special every time” she says staring at him from the mirror, why?”
”Because you are Dee, my Dee” he stares back at her

She places her hand over his, she felt her throat closing

”If you want this for real with Emeka, then you have to let yourself feel it, there is something there in your heart Diana, I don’t know when it happened and neither do you, but you have feelings for Emeka, and its surfacing that’s why you don’t want to hurt him, you feel guilt and shame and if you want to make amends you can either get your bags and walk out of his life and give this man a chance of happiness with another woman or you love him, with your heart and body and with your soul and your everything, love the man not his money Diana, only then can you truly be deserving of the love he is showering on you, only then.!” She remembers Grace’s words
”Goodnight Dee” he kisses her temple and made to leave

She stops him ”Please, don’t go!!”
”Why?”
”I don’t want you to!!”‘
Leave Emeka,.
”Okay!!” he takes off his jacket and places it over the chair,

She pulls his hands and takes him to the bed.
Don’t have any emotion Emeka, shut off your emotions, he tells himself.

For the first time, she didn’t want to make love to him, she didn’t want to s£duce him, she just wanted to be with him, bask in the warmth his presence brings, she didn’t know what feelings she was getting, didn’t understand it, but it felt different from what she normally feels. This wasn’t her, she felt funny, but one thing was certain, the presence of Emeka in her life right now was making her have different feelings all of a sudden and it didn’t make sense, and the insight his mother gave made her see things differently, and in her hearts of hearts, she didn’t want to hurt him again, she didn’t. She really couldn’t.
She climbs the bed next to him and lays on his chest, Emeka is trying not to think.

Damnit Emeka, be a man, have no emotions. You can even have sex with her if she wants, just don’t let your emotions cloud you. You hate her; you will break her, that is all that matters.
When she didn’t make any move after a while, he is curious ”Are you okay Dee?”
”Why? Because I am not ambushing you like I did that day in your room?”

”Well..” he shrugs, you are the gold-digger,
”I just want you to hold me Emeka, that is all!!” she snuggles closer to him
Phew!!! That he could do.

---

He woke up in the middle of the night, his heart beating fast, she was sleeping soundly beside him. He turns to look at her, his eyes coursing over her body, he remembered her, sleeping beside him like this years ago, and he usually wakes her up with kisses, kisses she would respond to, and within minutes she would be in his arms, while he loves her… they were younger then, and he was so much in love with the girl who he gave his heart to.

And if it were the same girl, he would have done the same now, while her chest rises and drops, revealing perky n—–s beneath that silky wear, his eyes reaching her thighs were the silky wear stops, her soft thighs, her longs legs that ran up for miles, those s£nsat!ons that runs down his body when he touches her, and then there was the way she m0ans and calls out his name, the way his body blends into her and he sinks into her warmth letting her flower slowly swallow him up.

This was the girl turned woman he once loved, he touches his chest trying to calm his beating heart.

This was the girl he loved.

He is tempted to touch her, wake her, trail his hand over her, touch her in places even if when his eyes are closed he wouldn’t miss. He raises up his hands, to brush her lips with the tips of his finger, but he folds his hands.

Damnit Emeka!!!
He turns away.
When he turns back, her eyes are open, ”Emeka!”?
He says nothing, she seats up, ”What is wrong?”
”Nothing, was just watching you sleep, you are beautiful Diana!!” that was true but beauty of a woman is more than physical, it was her heart and your heart Diana is made of dark coal.
She says nothing
”Go to bed!!” he tells her lying on his back, she lays down back too. They are silent.
She turns to him, after staring at him she climbs on his body
”What are you doing?” he frowns
”I want to love you Emeka!!”
”You already love me!!”
”No Emeka, I want to love you, like I have never done before, I want to give you joy like I have never given you, before today… I want to feel all that you have felt loving me, I want to really love you Emeka, letting go of it all, I want to love you like the boy who have loved me, with my heart, my body, my soul my all. I want to fall deeply in love with the man you have become, not the man who owns all this… I want to be able to love you without all this… let me love you, tonight, tomorrow, always!!”
”Diana!!”’
”Please!!” her eyes pools
”You don’t need to prove anything to me”
”The last time, I asked you to prove your feelings towards me by kissing me, I was wrong, I was selfish, now, I will be the one to prove myself to you, today, now, I give you my body, my heart, my all Emeka, today I tell you I am sorry for the pain and torment you have gone through, I put you through… today… I want to be the one who loves you… I want to love you wholeheartedly, no conditions Emeka, None!” she says, he saw the tear drop.

Wanda!! She means it, she really does mean it.
Haha!!! Jackpot Diana, I have you where I want you.

But Satan, not today.!!
He reaches out and cleans the tears from her eyes
”I am letting myself love you Emeka, let me, please!!” she repeats
He can’t!!!

If he kisses her, if he touches her the way she wants to be touched, what if he..
No!!
He can’t.
But he got her where he wants her now, she was in love with him, there was no doubt about it, He won, but it was nearly over, he can’t let her go like this… he has to shatter her and intends to shatter her to pieces.
”Don’t cry Dee!! Why are you crying?”
”I don’t know, I don’t know!!” she covers her face, the feeling washes over, overwhelming her, from nowhere it hits her, she clutches her chests and cries more. What was happening to her?
”Ssssshh!!!” he pulls her down to him and rocks her ”Don’t cry Dee, don’t cry!!”
He never liked her crying, but now, he needs to shut his emotion to all her pain and feelings, that was the only way he was truly going to win. Cry Dee, go one, cry, I hope you have more tears stored up for when I am ready for you, I hope you do. He smiles in her hair.
She cries for some time, ”Are you okay!!?” he whispers
”Yes!!”
”Now, go to sleep Dee!”
She does after a while..
He stays awake, watching her sleep again, and this time, he slept..

---

Olive meets him as he leaves her room the next morning, she follows him upstairs
”Did you sleep with her?” she closes the door after him
He shakes his head as he strips going to the bathroom
”Are you okay?”
”Yes!!” he says shutting the door.
She trips going into the bathroom to meet him, she slids the door open and enters, she wraps her hands around him..
”You are so tensed!!”
”I am not!!” he closes his eyes as the water courses down his body
”You wanted to though!!”
”Wanted to what?”
”Make love to her!!”
”No!!”
”Liar’, you did want to make love to her Emeka”
”Olive don’t!!” he says sighing.
”I feel you all tensed Emeka!!” she slides her hands down his tummy, grabbing his member ”I feel that, all hard, all alert, all ready, and I just walked in here, surely it wasn’t me you were thinking off all through the night , it was her, it wasn’t me that has your boy on full attention now, it is her, you wanted to make love to her so badly it hurts to admit it”
He turns facing her angrily; ”You KnoW noting Olive!!”
”I don’t? Then why don’t you look at me? Why don’t you look at me in the eyes, because you know it’s the truth, you still love her don’t you!!?”
He shakes his head ”No!!”
”Liar!!
”I don’t!!”
”You lie Emeka, that look in your eyes says it all, then why am I here huh? ”
”To help me!!”
”Do what Emeka, watch you fall back into her snare?”
”Olive don’t! Please!!” he pleads
”Not with you looking like a love sick starved puppy !!”
Argh!!

He grabs her shoulders and nudges her to the wall..he stares at her hard, really hard, then he bends his head, and places it on her chest.. letting go off her shoulders, he closes his eyes really tight and calms his heart, it was constricting in pain. He shakes his head, fighting it. She wraps her hands and holds him tight whispering into his ears, understanding .
”Breathe Emeka, Breathe, I know you, I know you so much it hurts even when I understand you, your silence, but I am here for you, here until you say otherwise, and as long as you don’t give up and give in, I will be here with you all the step of the way, whatever happens, I will be here, support you good or bad, okay baby?”
”I don’t get it Olive, I don’t get why-” he chokes
”Sssshh!! Don’t say anything, right now, don’t think of her!!” she raises up his face, ”You want closure, you want revenge then get it if not walk away, don’t give in, you have her where you want right?”
He nods
”Then a little more, a little more, I will push the final straw till she tips all over, but you have to not give in, shut it all away, okay?” she kisses his face and his lips ”I will be your distraction, anything you want, maybe for my own selfish reasons but I don’t care Emeka, I don’t… for you I will be anything even for a little while and if and when this all blows over… I will be here when you need me, and even when you don’t, I can be here for the man that I love”
”I can’t… I don’t want to hurt you Olive!!”
”I don’t care, I am here !!” she kisses his lips, he pulls away
”No!!! I don’t want to Olive!!” he really didn’t want to make love, not to her anyways, not to anybody.

”You have to, you need to, at least for this moment, and because I want to and if I let you go now, you might run down that door back into her bed and there would be no saving you, let me help you forget that woman, even for today… for now, till it’s all over” she kisses him again and again and again until he began to kiss her back.
She jumps wrapping her legs around him, as he catches her, she guides him into her entrance, soon after she is m0an!ng into his ears while he nibbles her b—m, he thrusts deep into her, in and out until both of them holds tight shattering over the top, with her name on his lips again he calls out, the same name she had been used to him calling before she met her.
She wishes she could make him forget her, she wishes.
But if only wishes were horses.

And sometimes people do stupid things for the people they loved, and one of them was making sacrifices.