ENTANGLED 1

Abigail hugged Vince tightly with tears in her eyes as he was about to join the departure line to leave for Canada. It has been a sweet ride three years into their relationship. He had to make this trip now – it would be for their good and to secure a better future for them. He promised to see her parents to ask for her hand in marriage when he returns. She watched him walk as he pulled his bag behind him waving goodbye at her. They will have to be far away from each other for the first time.

While she was still in bed the next morning, her mobile phone rang, she picked it up from the side table but became hesitant to take the call. It was Austin, not her Vince whose call she expected. She had stayed up all night, tossing and turning in bed. Her bed felt so empty even though she barely shared a bed with Vince. She received the call and Austin talked sweetly to her like he has been doing for the past five months, but she wasn’t in the mood for his seeming annoying talk because she was worried about Vince; eager to hear from him, to ask if he arrived safely.

Austin, a graduate of English Studies from Abia State University had just completed national service and was still in search of a job believes that his financial status should not deter him from finding love. He was a persistent fellow – one any lady would tag annoying. He had met Abigail in a taxi along Choba when she was on her way to the University of Port Harcourt where she is studying to earn a degree in Microbiology. He told her how beautiful she was but she was indifferent, as she didn’t like it when guys come around her that way; they got along anyway.

The weeks that followed saw her become soft towards Austin by the day. It was as if he had broken the mighty walls she built against other men or that she let her guard down. Austin kept coming with the speed of an unstoppable train. On one occasion, Austin asked her to pay him a visit at an apartment he shared with his friend but she refused and invited him over instead. Being a reclusive type, she did not have many people she called friends and she needed someone to talk too, so they saw each other more often now. Amidst his search for a proper job, he still found a way to reach out to her. He had promised himself that he would get married two years after he secures a job, so he needed to start a serious relationship now. Besides, Abigail is a beautiful fruit that could not be ignored.

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She was in class when an unknown number called her mobile phone but because of the lesson which was ongoing then, she couldn’t take the call. After that class, she called back the number but the phone wasn’t answered. Later that day, she asked to visit Austin and he gladly accepted. She wanted some time alone with him, so she was surprised as to why Austin did not inform her that Paschal, his roommate was at home. Paschal excused himself to go see a friend. She knew it was ploy to give them some privacy but she liked it anyway, she needed it. She still loved Vince so much but emotionally, the breach in communication was telling on her and it has caused her to begin to like this handsome young man who has no job more than normal.

He moved closer and touched her face, planted a kiss on her lips and to his astonishment, she didn’t object. She just froze. Though she expected it, she wasn’t ready. He tried again but as she was about to reciprocate, her mobile phone rang... the voice from the other end sent chills down her spine. It was Vince!

Vince narrated how he had tried to settle down before calling and apologised for not having done the needful. He assured her that everything is now in place and that she could contact him whenever she wanted. They said other things and the line went dead after he reaffirmed his love for her. She turned to Austin who was staring at her all along, he asked who the caller was and she answered it was her boyfriend who went abroad and have not been able to reach her for quite a while – the reason why she was cold towards him initially. He didn’t ask further questions but their connection has been interrupted, so it wasn’t conducive for him to continue or try again.

Despite the distance between Vince and Abigail, they manage a healthy relationship. He has been away for eight months, but he calls regularly now and sends stuffs. He provides for her everything he can but for his presence. Austin on the other hand has not stopped chasing after her. He believes he has an advantage since her other man is away; if he pressures further, he would have her entirely to himself in no distant time.

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MY PAIN

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Growing up as a child, I never knew pain or regret; I had everything in place and everyone at my beckon call. My mother made sure I lacked nothing, even if it required her to travel to France to buy me a doll.

I experienced my first moment of pain with my first menstruation. I know it might be normal for every female to have a painful menstruation their first time, but mine was different; it was as if a trailer dumped a heap of heavy concrete on my waist. I felt like I was dying as there was nothing anyone could do for me but to take me to a hospital where I spent four days screaming in pains especially as mummy was on a trip to Dubai to get me a present; I was going to be sixteen in two days time. After that day, pain became a usual thing twice a month; on my monthly flow and ovulation period.

My mother took me to the best hospital in town and even outside town but all medications were like pouring water into a basket, for my condition showed no signs of improvement. A witchdoctor said that my late great grandmother was not happy with me because I did not inform her before I came to mother earth for she is in charge of releasing her great grand children, so she has decided to make me suffer. Required of us were things too many and unmentionable, of which mother provided cash for them but after all said and done, it seemed like my late great grandmother was angrier.

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Aunty Tutu, mother's bosom friend suggested I engage in early sex, that it will make the pains go away. It took my mother a very long time to agree to what she termed child abuse, so that when I turned eighteen and the pain didn't stop, my mother introduced me to Tommy. He was handsome, though but there is this strange thing about him that made me disapprove of his person, but Aunty Tutu said he was good at what he was going to do for me and that it will take the pain away. I had no choice but to agree so long as the pain would go away. I was desperate. That evening in my room, Tommy stared at me for almost five minutes, I can't say if he was amazed or shocked or scared but he just stared, later he said 'pull off. Don't be scared I will be gentle'. Mother asked me to do anything he says, so I did as he ordered because it sounded more like an instruction, even though the words were meant to soothe.

'Lie down, close your eyes and dream... erh erh open too,' he instructed.

'Open what,' I asked.

He didn't bother to ask again. All I remember of that day was that I felt another form of pain. Tommy did not stop coming to me and this went on for a whole week, but the pain was the same as the first day. My mother cried every time I had to come out of my room limping and crying.

The next month and the next year, and years to come, doctors couldn't say why I felt so much pain, and suggestions proved abortive, for none ever came close to reducing the pain.

I met Dr. Charles this year, tall and handsome with the intelligence of  Zeus, the Greek god. He told me all about himself and his achievements but disappointedly he was married. With my test result in his hands, he started by encouraging me to be strong for the journey ahead is a long one. He said menstrual cramps are every woman's worst nightmare but that my case was special. He tried to be nice with his words but his face showed no emotion. What is it with this medical doctors? Is one of the ethics of the medical profession to show no emotion? At that moment, I wondered why my late great grandmother would want this life for me. A life of pain. I always thought that mothers loved their children. Why is my case different? For a moment, I wished I had informed her of my leaving – just if that story was true – I would have been a free woman.

Dr. Charles kept saying so many things which I could not comprehend but I knew I listened. I came to full consciousness when he started the sentence which has become my new reality. He said 'unfortunately there is no known cure for endometriosis, aside you taking pain killers every month to reduce the growth, and surgery to reduce the scar tissues'.

I will have to live the rest of my life in pains.

THE DREAM CRASHER

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I do not know who she is  but she was in my dream last night. It is quite unusual to dream about ladies these days; I prefer to dream about money, cars, duplexes and vacations in Paris, Miami or a wild adventure somewhere in Kalahari. So when I saw her, it was not as though I dreamt; it was vivid like a vision shown to you by some higher force.

When I saw her, I was about to get into my hotel room to change before going downstairs for the party, conference, dinner – whatever it was, I do not know. She sat on a sofa with her friend or sister, both dressed in spectacular gowns that made their beauty blossom like flowers in a garden. I did not really look at her friend or sister; I only saw a red gown and that was it. But this lady of whom I now write, who crashed into my dream and left me searching for her came so close to me, that even the scent of her body hangs in the air I breath as I write these words.

She was dark with black wavy hair and her blue gown cascaded down her body just like flowers creeping down the columns of a castle. Her eyes were hazy and seemed to dream their own different dreams and when I looked into them, I felt the strange feeling that I had lost myself to her.

They were call girls, I thought, for all the other ladies around were same. But here sits a call girl. I walked up to them, politely. Greeted the lady in red gown but facing the one in blue. "You are beautiful. I need you to be with me tonight. I'm not thinking of sex, I just need your company." But I suddenly realised that she was a business person too and won't spend the night on a man who simply wants "company". Then I added, "I will pay you your full fee, just be with me this night, please".

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I cannot remember what she said, but she smiled that type of smile that reminds you of paradise and beautiful landscapes. I remember we agreed and I took her hand and felt a rush of emotions gush through my blood. I remember my heart beating at a faster rate than normal and I knew I had lost myself to her. This can't be me.

This can't be love I thought. Love is a decision that comes with time and test; there's no love at first time. But, I could not hold back the fire that was beginning to burn.

Dreams often interface with memories and experiences and you see that what hasn't happened in real life will remain strange in a dream. Last night, in my dream was the first time I asked a call girl out. And it was strange, for my mind kept saying "You have not done this before". I tried to learn fast, I thought of how to make it lively and fun – what to do and not to do.

We passed through the reception to get upstairs. There, the dream became blurred. Nothing happened next. Then, we were talking and she said, "I am not a prostitute, I dance for people and they pay me. That's what I do". That's more convenient I thought, I'm not thinking sex and you are not selling sex. That makes the both of us. Whether we were downstairs or upstairs I cannot remember but I remember giving her a bottle of wine to keep in the room while I ran some quick errand. I felt totally happy that such a lady was with me.

The dream became blurred again and I found myself searching for her, with that bottle of wine in my right hand. I searched like a crazed young man who has lost his certificate right after his convocation. We had taken a picture together, so I used it ask around to know if anyone had seen my missing queen – no one has. What the hell is going on? No one knows.

I ran frantically through a field to get to another side of the facility. I saw a huge auditorium that rose 50 feet above the ground and then formed an enormous dome at its roof. It had rows of seats which ran round the auditorium right to the top. In each seat sat a lady in gown. They all looked angelic in blue, black, red and purple gowns. I climbed from the ground reaching for the top in search of her. I could not find her. My heart bled and my limbs hurt for I had to climb with my hands reaching from one row to the next. At a point, one of the women got mad and kicked. My fingers slipped and I fell. It was like watching someone drown gradually. Their full life image begins to dissolve in the darkness of the water until you can no longer see them. That was it, I fell, and I woke up. Where is she? I do not know.

THE MISSING FLOW

Ugonma has never been this worried all her life; she thought of what to tell her mother and what explanations she would give her relatives. But the more she thought, the more confused she grew. Her mates would go for the compulsory one year national service, conclude and get a job,  get married and then start procreation; but she has secured herself a nine months job by returning home with a big tummy. She also thought of going  to Abuja to stay with Tony but no, they're not legally married. Tony is the one man who knows the way around her thing. Her mother will always say 'if a road is good, the man will pass through it again'.

Tony knew the road was not just new but beautifully tarred, so he kept going. He knew how to service her engine well with the right lubricant and he did that with so much dexterity. He made her noisy while they worked it out.

While she was immersed in thoughts, the sound of her mobile phone jerked her back to reality, her face was circled with a smile when she saw that the caller was her Tony, but the smile disappeared almost immediately.

'Baeby, good evening, she started.

'How are you? He asked softly.

'I am doing OK, she answered.

'What is happening? How did you know that you are pregnant? He queried

'Baeby, I just know. My flow was supposed to come three days ago, but this is the fourth day and I'm yet to see it. I feel so strange.

Tony took a deep breath and spoke again.

'You should go for a test tomorrow. Do you still have some money with you?

'Baeby, what if I am pregnant? She asked feeling scared.

'You are not pregnant provided you took those pills I bought for you. You are not. I just want you to go for that test to clear your fears and doubts. He continued.

'How can you say I'm not pregnant when I feel fatigued? I feel nauseous almost every morning, I have back pain and my head has refused to stop aching, I feel dizzy, and what's worse, my breasts have become swollen. They feel heavier and fuller and tender to the touch. The area around the nipples, have also darkened. I am pregnant!'

'Ugoo, just go for the test tomorrow. I love you and I want to make you my wife, things are moving too fast but don't worry I will follow the speed. He assured her.

27-year-old Tony have not had a sleepless night in a long while, the last time was when he was denied visa at the American Embassy. But after their phone conversation that night, it descended upon him. Tony who is the only child of his parents had to manage his late father's business in Oil and Gas after he graduated from the University. He thought about the huge responsibilities that lies ahead, he thought about if Ugonma would make a good wife, if his mom would approve of their marriage. The last time he took a girl to meet her, she gladly objected to the relationship because the girl is Yoruba and he is Igbo. His mother had clearly stated that he marry from Delta. Ugonma is from Enugu and she might be carrying his child. All those thoughts trickled in like drops of rainfall, and before he knew it he drifted away to sleep.

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At Ugonma's end that same night, she experienced a little discomfort around her tummy. She woke up and felt some wetness on her panty, she freaked out of bed and slipped her fingers into her thing, she flashed a torchlight on it, her face lit with smiles when she saw what looked like the colour of tomato paste. She broke down in tears praising God for nothing.

Her flow had never been that heavy she was so cramped up that morning. While she laid in bed she remembered she received a text message she is yet to read. She picked up her mobile phone from beside her and found it was a bank credit alert. Tony had credited her account with an amount more than enough for the pregnancy test. She sent a correspondence to Tony: 'Alert received, missing flow found. Thank you.'

Two months after she travelled to Abuja to see Tony. He wanted her to meet his mother. Mrs. Chiegwu was so excited to see them, she welcomed them warmly and made a delicious meal.  Tony was surprised as to why his mother was being too nice and excited, he had brought more than four different girls to see his mother but she never made a meal or treated them nicely –  she disapproved of them. He flashed back to how he had met Ugonma in a church; they sat in the same row, and after church service he ran after her to get to know. There was something about her that made him get stuck to her since then even though they have had their fair share of bad times in the relationship, he just knew she was the perfect one. Tony sneaked into his mother's room to speak with her after their dinner. He asked her if she liked her. She told him how beautiful she is and how much she liked her at first.

That evening before they left, Tony proposed to Ugonma before his mother. He went on his knees and begged her to be Mrs. Tony Chiegwu. Ugonma pinched herself severally to make sure she was not dreaming.

Their wedding is next week Saturday. I hope you will attend.