Love's Second Chance (6 page)

“
Thanks and I also hope we’ll do more business in the future.”

They sat down, and Kevwe pushed the file across the desk. However, Adetiba seemed to be in a chatty mood, asking about the industry and his company in particular. He wanted to know how they obtained for materials, and what the business climate was for his, and similar, made-in-Nigeria products.

Kevwe wasn’t in the mood to talk and replied in as few words as he could. It was with a silent sigh of relief he took his finally signed cheque and the other necessary documents from the manager.

“
Just get it stamped in the payments division, and you’re done.”

Kevwe got to his feet and cracked a tight smile while he fished around in his pocket. “Thanks again. I know you may not have this already. This is my card.”

They exchanged cards, and he left the office after another handshake. The manager was an affable fellow, and Kevwe knew his aloofness was misdirected. It was pure and unvarnished jealousy. Efe was meant for him and no one else. No one else, agreeable or not!

He stomped to the pay office, gritting his teeth when he passed by Hauwa in the corridor. She almost smiled at him, but she must have been put off by his expression. He couldn’t have cared less. In fact, if it was the reason the accountant finished with him in quick time, then he was happy.
A staring customer, fixated on his limp, got a growl. The burning sun after the coolness of the
hotel did nothing to improve his mood as he drove to the bank.

A text came from Ofure as he marched back to his parked car, after depositing the funds.
“Hope you got your payment. Call me?”

Kevwe sent a curt reply, his fingers flying over the keys of his BlackBerry,
“I’ll see you soon, in Abuja.”

His phone began to ring immediately.

The idea to go to Abuja had not just popped into his mind. The suspense had been bugging him, and after his reaction to the manager, he had to find a way to confront Efe. She owed him, and it seemed the fates wanted them together again. After jumping hoops to make her the most essential person in his life all those years ago, she’d thought his heart too small and had smashed her way out. Then, he’d accepted from others that she abandoned him, but now he needed to hear it from her.

**

6

Abuja
. November 27,
2009. 2.30pm

Efe swung around on her swivel chair as she picked the receiver.

“
Please don’t start,” she begged when Nneka immediately lit into her, mad she hadn’t called in the week since their last meeting.

“
OK, so what have you been doing with yourself eh? I mean, apart from avoiding your goddaughter o.”

“
Sure you want to know?” Efe asked. “But let’s set the record straight, I’m the greatest godmother who walks the earth!”

That got Nneka laughing. She told Efe about her botched shopping
at Emab Plaza, and asked for them to have lunch at the new Indian place on Kashim Ibrahim Way. As they were about to agree on the time to meet, her laptop beeped.

“
Hold on, Nneka,” Efe muttered.

“
You want to cut me off, eh?” Nneka asked.

“
No please, I’ve got a message.” A window had popped up on the corner of her computer screen, and she now maximized it to scan the email from a prospective customer. A surprised
 and happy shriek escaped her.

“
What is it?” Nneka asked.

“
I just got a confirmation from Don Jazzy.”

Efe clicked on a
 
link in the email as she spoke.
 It led to a Facebook page about a
party
in Abuja
with Hilton as the venue
.

“
Don Jazzy? What’s the deal?”

“
He wants the hotel to host the music album launch for a member of the Mohits crew. And we’ll provide rooms for all their guests.” Efe had already planned how to handle it all.

“
Congrats! You did it, girl. But, I could kill you right now.” Nneka ended on a note of envy.

Efe laughed at her. Her friend clearly wished to change places even more than to kill her. “I’m thinking you’ll want me alive to get you backstage with Dbanj, eh?”

“
Of course! Don’t even joke with me. Next on the agenda is Banky W. His song, dey do me strong thing.”

Efe raised her eyebrows, “And you a married woman…”

“
Go and sit down jare!” Nneka laughed. “Are you immune?”

Efe laughed. “Relax dearie, I no fit try you. Banky makes good music, but me I prefer Dbanj.”

“
P-square is not bad too.” Nneka added. “I can bank on tickets for the launch then? Lucky you, meeting all these Naija stars.”

“
Of course I’ll invite you and Dozie.” Efe assured as
her BlackBerry began to vibrate on top of the desk. “Hold on,” she said to Nneka on the office land-line and picked the BlackBerry.

“
Hi babe, can you talk?” It was Stanley.

“
Please, hold on Stanley,” she said and switched phones.

“
Nneka, I’ll call you back. Or better yet, see you at Wakkis by three.” She whispered the next words, “And there will be fresh
gist.”

Nneka was still screeching when she returned the phone to its receiver and placed the BlackBerry to her ear.

“
Hello Stanley, I hear you’re in Nigeria?”

The phone call didn’t last too long, and soon she was on her way to Wakkis for the lunch with Nneka.

An hour later,
Efe was full enough to
glance around at the wooden tables and benches
of the restaurant. Her navy jacket hung on the back of her seat, and air blew over the skin of her bare arms and pushed against the ruffled red silk of her blouse.

It was her first time here, and she found the casual atmosphere even more charming than the food. Asking Nneka to put off all talk till they were done, s
he’d ordered the excellent roast lamb the restaurant was known for
, the meat grilled and then prepared within their sight.

Nneka said something as she adjusted her white cotton baby-doll blouse over her Capris, her baby snoring against her left arm.

“
Say that again?” As they ate, she’d enjoyed how the breeze from the open windows
wafted in the spicy scent of grilling meat, but the non-shuttered windows also meant the noisy traffic was right in the room.
Swirling her drink around her mouth to clear her teeth, Efe
tried to
tune out the afternoon bustle as Nneka repeated.

“
What is the gist you promised me?”

“
Stanley is coming to Abuja this Sunday.”

A slow smile broke over Nneka’s face and then she nodded. “I like his timing. He reminds me of Dozie in those earlier years, a persistent man.”

Efe felt Nneka’s sharp gaze on her as she speared the last of her lamb chops into her mouth, and she chewed with fervor. Nneka didn’t ask her why she was reluctant to continue with Stanley now he was back in the country. Efe guessed she already knew the answer. She’d told Nneka the break up in America was because of the distance since Efe wanted to return to Nigeria, and Stanley hadn’t been ready. Now it had to be clear it was tied to Kevwe, and the unresolved feelings Efe had for him.

“
I wish he wasn’t coming, though,” she finally said.

“
He’s coming to sweep you off your feet,” Nneka pointed at her with a laugh.

Efe laughed too, even though she didn’t find Stanley’s renewed pursuit welcome, or funny in any way. “I don’t want any more complications in my life,” she said, her voice low but vehement. “I made a mistake when I dated him in the United States, and I’m not about to repeat it. When he called this morning and said I should meet him at Sheraton, I agreed, but I’ll use the opportunity to break it up with him.”

Her best attempts to dissuade Stanley had not worked so far. He’d called her three times since Temi informed her of his return to the country. The first time he’d called, she picked it and had what she thought was a final chat with him. She wasn’t happy he still harbored romantic ideas about both of them getting back together. She’d made her displeasure on this issue plain, but he hadn’t been fazed one bit. Efe took a last sip from the glass of Coke and gathered the papers scattered on the slatted table into her outsized handbag.

“
You’re so stubborn, Efe. Why won’t you take my advice?”

“
Did I tell you I joined Ovie and Bernard at Play Sports Bar yesterday, for ‘Thursday’s Bring your own bottle’?” Efe said, changing the subject.
Nneka might choose to be a champion for Stanley, but she didn’t have listen. When he got here on Sunday, she would close his page once and for all.

“
I trust Ovie,” Nneka replied. “Who else was there?”

Efe searched Nneka’s face for sarcasm. “You know Ovie’s crowd. They are fun, so I don’t complain. The more the merrier.”

“
It was never hard for Ovie to roll like that, but what about you? Are you sure this is what you want, clubbing every day?”

“
Nneka…” Sometimes, her friend’s nagging got on her nerves.

“
I know you, Efe. You may say I don’t know what happened while you were in America, but I’ve watched since you got back.”

“
Nneka, abeg I don tire for this talk. I have to go.”

Nneka shrugged and then got to her feet. “Where are you off to?” She strapped Anuli back into the mobile carrier beside her. The baby had been shunted between their laps and shoulders while they ate, but now she slept soundly.

Efe got to her feet too. “I think I’ll go straight to see Kevwe’s brother, the doctor. By the way, I know that’s why you asked for us to have lunch together o.”

This was the reason she had avoided any phone calls, knowing Nneka would ask for what she would do during the meeting with Dr. Mukoro. Efe was herself unsure of what to do.

Nneka smirked. “Will you ask him?”

They stood in the car park next to Nneka’s car while she strapped the baby carrier into a car seat. The hotel’s official driver who ferried Efe around was right across the yard, and already waiting.

Efe rolled her eyes. “I’m not going to, unless he brings up the topic.” She paused before adding, “If it doesn’t come up, then there’s no need. Nneka, let sleeping dogs lie, OK?”

Nneka eyed her with a shrug. “I hear. Will you call me later?”

“
Sure.” They exchanged a hug before Nneka got into her Peugeot 306 and drove away.

Efe walked over to the Hilton vehicle and got in the back. She gave the driver the address in Utako and leaned back with a sigh of dread. She didn’t think the doctor recognized her last week, but he might this time. He’d been fully aware of her relationship with Kevwe, and she guessed he would have some questions for her today. She was so confused right now.

Honestly, while she had feared meeting Kevwe again, a part of her had looked forward to it. The possibilities had definitely increased when she moved back, but she hadn’t seen him or his twin on Facebook, and had kept her hopes buried. She hadn’t lied, but the mass of knots squeezing her insides had made her not as open as she usually was with Nneka.

**

Abuja. November 27, 2009. 5pm

Kevwe stood at the window in Ofure’s office shifting looks between the view outside and his brother, who was making notes on the records of his patients. Half an hour earlier, an airport taxi had dropped him off following the flight from Lagos. Ofure had tried to dissuade him from coming, but he’d insisted.

Now, nerves and impatience crawled over his skin like ants. He pushed open the blinds and blinked. The glare of the sun drew his attention to the massive pylons of the shadow roof over the Julius Berger head office building in the distance. He studied the sprawling Utako Market wondering if Efe was already on her way. Whatever happened, he was determined to speak with her today.

Kevwe dropped the blinds and joined his brother at the wide table strewn with papers. Ofure’s gaze was fixed on the screen of the computer placed near the end of the table, and his right hand pushed and clicked at the mouse.

Leaning into his chair, Kevwe sighed and closed his eyes. If he weren’t so exhausted, he would still be watching for when Efe arrived. He wanted to see her before she entered the office. Feeling Ofure’s gaze on him, he looked up to see his brother had vacated his seat and stood by the window.

“
Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Ofure asked.

“
Yes and thanks, I got tired.”
His right leg throbbed, and he bent to massage it at the knee. After a while, h
is brother’s
silence prompted Kevwe to sit up. Now facing inside, Ofure stared through the glass wall overlooking the lobby. Kevwe followed his gaze and felt a jolt when he recognized Efe standing in front of the receptionist’s desk. His first impulse was to rush out, but he forced himself to remain seated.

When the knock came to announce her arrival, Kevwe was propelled into action. Standing, he walked over the desk and leaned against it. He wanted to be the first person Efe saw when she entered the office. He glanced over his shoulder, and realized with Ofure would be out of view from the door if he remained by the window.