Chapter 18 Wishes
She had almost walked off the door when Ferguson called her and said he wished he was her man that would hold her arm and run the race ahead. She slammed the door and Ferguson reached quickly to the door, stood in it and gazed upon her rolling buttocks until she walked into the elevator.
Before Opula checked into the factory, she had put Agu through a call and stood impatiently under a pmelina tree for his arrival. After hovering nervously for a while, a motorcycle dropped Agu.
“What’s up? You sounded worried over the phone,” said Agu after paying the motorcyclist.
She was looking into the fallen cloud on the landscape. “I want the truth, Agu.” She turned to him. “What’s Monkeys software? Did Azuaka steal his father’s gratuity for any project?” she gave a mean face as disappointment swept through her eyes.
Agu swallowed a large lump of saliva down his throat. His heartbeat jumped several irregular beats. Who told her? How did she know? Could it be Azuaka? He thought. “Who told you if I may ask?”
She lied, “Earliar today I had a feud with Azuaka and he told me everything.”
So why do you want to bring me into it? So Azuaka could be such an asshole. Let’s blow off the secret box then, he thought. He cleared his throat before he said, “We came to California for one purpose; to render the world broke with our software, the Monkeys. I gave up my only inheritance just to meet the ten million dollars demand. Azuaka stole his father’s gratuity.” He paused to reason. Should I tell her about his father’s death? Azuaka has messed up. It is revealed already. I owe him no apology. ” Did he tell you he also murdered his father before doing away with his gratuity?”
“Murdered his father?” she yelled, frown held.
“Shush, calm down.”
“I know Azuaka can do anything for money,” she said.
“This must not get into a third ear. Am I understood?”
She kept staring into the space. I got to go to the factory,” she said.
“OP,” Agu called, “Azuaka mustn’t know I told you about the murder, please.”
She ignored him and ran off.
Opula was naked in Ferguson’s head. He wanted her most. He wanted to tell her and be sincere for the first time in his life. But software first, he thought, what if I tell her about my feelings for her and we run away with the software. If I spend more time in California that asshole is going to kill me. But Nku, hmmm. How can I do this to him? We are in this together. I got put a hold first.
As she lay in Azuaka’s arms she wanted to blub but she fought it back and blubbed inwardly for her insecurity in the world of Azuaka Jnr; if he could lie to her and leave her in the dark then her death to him would be a mere adventure; the catastrophe of the limbless chaff in the wind. Earliar in the day, on her way from the factory, she had reasons to sob in the taxi.Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.
“Will you go out this morning?” she asked, hoping she did not sound feeble.
Agu stared at her, expecting the beginning of her tiff with Azuaka Jnr. over his dishonesty and secrecy.
Something struck in his head. “About what we’ll eat for breakfast Agu can you help us fetch it?” He didn’t want Agu to be around while they discuss anything.
She passed a five hundred dollar note to Agu. “Here Bread and sauce.”
He held his sagged jeans, hung his T-shirt across his neck while he walked out of the room, thoughtfully warning Opula not to put him in the middle of it.
The door slammed.
“Yeah, we’ll be having a meeting with the whitie at 10 o’clock. I don’t know what he’s up to this time around.” He could feel lies spewing in his brain. He sneezed. “Bless me.” He sniffed.
“I just want you to know I’ll be running two shifts this week for my colleague who travelled to her hometown to see her sick mother.” She wondered how soft lies were on her lips; how she delivered effortlessly until she nailed it perfectly. “I may not be coming home.”
She was unaware when it started but Ferguson’s other eyes suddenly became an urge and his hotel room became the only place she wanted to be.
“Oh one whole week! I will miss you.” He held her face.
“I will miss you too.” She adjusted her body, getting beaten by his heartbeat; the harvesting of more lies. But she wished she was good at winkling secret out of men like Azuaka Jnr.
“Brief me about the task. Did you hire the girl?”
“Yes. Iniola.”
“Is that her name?”
She shook her head. “One of the most beautiful and dauntless girls at the factory. She has started seeing Ferguson.” She looked into his shoddy face. “We’ll get results very soon.”
“I trust these Mexican bitches. Can I meet with her?”
She butted. “Hell no, Iniola has a shy personality. She warned not to be seen even after she’s done with the job.”
“Really tight ass, if I may say.” He rubbed her arms. “I can’t thank you enough, OP.”
Silence hung over them. She stilled in his arms, knowing how silence inspired his lust. He squeezed her breasts.
“NO, Azu. No fuck today.” She sat up and beheld his smitten face. “I just told you how my week would run. I don’t want to dawdle. I don’t want to lose my strength to sex. Infact I got to bathe and get going.” She crawled out of the bed like a baby hasting after cookies.
He threw a dead stare at her, letting his thought run; You Can Go On And Avoid Me. After The Software We Won’t Last. He looked forward to beholding her nakedness. But his disappointment was coincidental; Opula tucked away to the wall, tied up her white towel over her wrapper before letting the wrapper drop to her feet; her nakedness didn’t show and her deep secret just begun…