High Falling #7

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Asher sat in his car for a while, after pulling into his driveway. He was on the phone with his ex, Melody, who his backup singer. She reached out to know if he would attend Taiye’s party.

“I’m going.”

“And Nnani?”

“Em… I don’t think so.”

Asher was aware that Melody still had feelings for him. He liked her too, but not in the way he used to. Four years ago, they dated briefly and kept things non-sexual. However, they connected so deeply that there wasn’t a thing that he couldn’t share with her. With Nnani, Asher was in for the fireworks and good times, the escape from reality. Melody, on the other hand, was the woman to whom he could open his soul. Plus, she had a brilliant mind. Asher had a theory that all amazing singers were intelligent. It took a level of smarts to be able to sing like he and Melody did.

“You…want me to come and pick you up?”

“Yeah. But you can’t come to my house. I told my aunt that we have vigil tonight.”

“You bad girl.”

Melody laughed. “Please, don’t make me feel worse than I already do. You know I can’t tell her I’m going for a party. At the same time, I can’t turn Taiye down because he literally begged me to show up.”

“Told me to drag you there. So, I pull up at the church and get you?”

“Not exactly. When you make the U-turn, I’ll be on the other side of the road.”

“Okay, Sister Melody.”

She laughed again. “Stop.”

Asher looked up and found Nnani standing at the entrance of the house, waiting for him.

“So, ten-thirty-ish?”

“Yeah.”

“Aiit.”

“Ash?”

“Yeah?”

“Are you sure you’re okay going for this party?”

“Am I okay? No. Do I absolutely have to do it? Yeah. Taiye’s still my guy and he runs my studio. We’re still good.”

“I know. I just felt like you still punish yourself for what happened and being there would be awkward.”

“No, we’re good.”

“Okay. See ya!”

Asher stepped down from the car and walked up to the front door. He put an arm around Nnani and kissed her. “Is it me or every time I look away and look at you, you’re yummier?”

She blushed. “How did it go?” she asked.

“They took it rather well. Lowkey, I think they think I’m possessed.”

Nnani chuckled.

“But we’re good.” He held on to her with one arm and poked her side with his finger. “Fear not.”

Pulling her face to his, he kissed her.

“Clint is here, eating what’s left of the poundo and egusi that Mommy brought.”

Asher took Nnani’s hand and entered the house. Clint was seated in the living room, enjoying Phoebe’s meal, watching a football match. On a stool in front of him was a bottle of vintage whiskey, a birthday gift to Asher from Davido.

“Hey, man.” Asher picked the drink and settled on a sofa.

“Spoken to your fam yet?”

“Yeah. We’re good to go.”

“Awesome.”

Clint pulled out a piece of bone from his mouth and sucked on it. He was a man in his early fifties who loved to wear expensive tracksuits and unnecessary jewelry. Phoebe said he looked like a pimp, but according to ladies online, he was zaddy material. Asher suspected that it was his gray bread and bald head that did it for them.

“So, we need to talk.” Clint sucked his fingers. “I’ve got great news. No, awesome news that will blow your mind.”

He was always trying to blow someone’s mind.

“Baby girl.” He looked at Nnani who was seated beside Asher. “Can you get me water to wash my hands?”

Nnani stood, but Asher stopped her.

“Let’s talk in the kitchen, Clint.”

Clint followed Asher to the kitchen, leaving his plate behind.

“As I said, great news,” Clint said loudly, washing his hands. “So, Durex is running a campaign on safe sex. You know that HIV is somehow on the increase now. For some reason, people are fucking without condoms again. Anywho, I am in talks with the ad agency running the campaign to make you one of three brand ambassadors.”

“No shit.”

“I’m for real man.”

Clint shook the water of his hands. “I don’t know who the other two are, but you have a spot. All I’m doing now is working out the funds.”

“Durex?”

“Yeah, baby.”

“That’s huge, but condoms?”

“You’re into safe sex with Nnani, yeah?”

“None of your business.”

“No, I’m asking if you believe in safe sex because the way you’re saying condoms, as if…”

“Bro, I just literally walked away from the church. This isn’t a fantastic way to announce the next stage of my life.”

“No, no, no, no,” Clint said, coming toward Asher. “You’re not seeing it boy. It’s the best way to rebrand. And that’s what we’re going to do to you. We are rebranding your rich Omotosho ass with all the controversy that will surround it. You’re no longer going to be daddy’s good boy. You’ll become a man of your own. But you know, still keeping it high on that moral scale by telling the world to fuck safely. Boom!” He gave Asher a light jab on his chest.

Asher crossed his arms and leaned on the fridge. “I don’t know.”

“You know, baby boy. You do. But that’s just the start. Wait till you hear this one that will blow your mind. Are you ready? Say you’re ready.”

Asher couldn’t help but smile. Clint slammed a palm on the kitchen counter. “Guess who wants to feature you in the remix of her new hit single!”

“Who?”

“Niamee.”

“Niamee?”

“YES, BABY!”

“Get out of here!”

“I kid you not! And she is going to pay you, man!”

Asher couldn’t believe his ears. Niamee was the hottest female musician in Africa right now. She was part-Nigerian, part-Haitian, part-African-American. She looked like Ayra Starr but sounded quirky like Macy Gray. Niamee had a unique sound that combined indigenous music from her three heritages. But beyond her music, she was controversial, which made her mega famous. She stood for abortion and LGBTQ rights. Nigerians loved to hate her—especially the religious society.

“Damn!” Asher swore. Being featured by her would open doors for him beyond Nigeria. But her ethics were the issue here. Was he ready to shock the church that had played a pivotal role in making him famous? What about his young audience who looked to him for guidance?

“Hey, let me know if you’re down with these two gigs by tomorrow. I have to run.”

And Clint was out the door before Asher got the chance to say anything.

“Are you going to do it?”

Asher smiled at Nnani. She was leaning by the door.

“I…don’t know.”

“I’m happy for you though.” She went to him and slipped her hands into his t-shirt. The feel of her breasts against his chest brought his woozy head down to earth.

“Don’t go for the party,” she requested. “Let’s stay in and watch short horror movies on YouTube.”

“You know I can’t.” He kissed her softly. “I’ll drop you off at Besi’s and pick you up in the morning.”

“Okay.”

They showered together and Nnani chose Asher’s outfit for the party. On their way out, he picked the vintage whiskey bottle as a gift for Taiye. Nothing he would give him tonight would cost him as much as this, and he was ready to make sacrifices to Taiye for the rest of his life.

He dropped Nnani at her best friend’s house and drove to BCC. Following Melody’s instructions, he made a U-turn and pulled up by the sidewalk. Melody was seated outside a Hausa man’s shop, wearing a long dress that covered her body.

He laughed when she entered the car. “There’s no way you’re going to that party dressed like this.”

“Chill.” She stared at the backseat. “Shey your windows are tinted?”

“Yeah.”

“Oya be driving while I change.”

“Change?”

Melody jumped to the backseat, which was easy for her as she was petit and slim. Shaking his head and smiling, Asher drove away from the area. A few minutes later, Melody returned to the front passenger seat, wearing a shorter dress.

“Okay! I see you, mama! This is nice.”

“Nice?”

“Well, I was expecting something—”

“Shorter, like what your girlfriend always wears.”

Asher. “No, it’s a lovely dress.”

“Not sexy enough.”

“I didn’t say that o.”

“You know I don’t do sexy, or even parties. This is because of Taiye.”

“Calm down, Melody. You too dey para. It’s a beautiful dress. And it’s em… It fits you nicely. Me, I’m just here, innocently looking for adjectives that will not annoy the sister in you.”

Melody punched him. “Go joor!”

They laughed together, but Asher kept his eyes on the road. Kenny’s death had taught him many things, but the greatest of them was always employing his entire mind on the road. That night, he had trusted his car and even his non-inebriated mind. He hadn’t been drunk; neither had he smoked anything. But he had been overconfident of himself and his control of the wheel. It had taken an insane driver to show him that you could be in control behind the wheel and still find your friend’s lifeless eyes staring into yours from his decapitated head.

“Are you okay?” Melody’s hand was on Asher’s thigh.

“Yeah, I’m good. Great.”

Her hand remained on his thigh. It felt small and different from Nnani’s, but it calmed him in a strange way.

__________

Sochi was in a mess this morning. She had woken up at 5:00 a.m., looked for her sister, and gotten into a hysteric state. Ishi and Oby could do nothing to calm her. So, Ishi packed a bag for her and took her to Kyenpia’s home. Kyenpia was still asleep but her husband, Leonel, was up and just returning from a jog. Once Sochi saw him, she clung to him, as if Ishi was the stranger and Leonel was her real father.

“How long has she been like this?” Leonel asked, rubbing her back.

“Since five. Oby and I tried everything. She was literally shivering, and I feared that she couldn’t breathe at some point.”

“She’s still shivering.” Leonel sat on the entrance stairs and spoke calming words to Sochi until her sobs stopped. Ishi was stunned.

“Let me take her in. Give me a minute, we need to talk.” Leonel opened the door. “Or do you want to come in?”

Ishi followed him into the house and waited in the living room. He didn’t want to talk to him or stay longer than he should. Leonel wasn’t his favorite cousin, but their family dynamics made it such that they had to tolerate each other. Ishi feared that he was the least tolerant one these days.

Several minutes later, Leonel returned. He came with two cups of coffee. He handed one to Ishi.

“So, this is going to be an uncomfortable conversation to have, Dozie.”

“It can’t be more uncomfortable than the stunt Sochi just pulled.”

“She didn’t pull anything. I suspect that what you witnessed was an anxiety attack.”

“Anxiety?”

“I’m not certain. You’ll need a child psychologist to make a proper assessment—”

“But you’re speaking from a psychologist’s point of view.”

“Just speculating. But I’m certain that what we saw had all the symptoms of an anxiety attack. It may be a one-off or it could be cause for concern, which shouldn’t be something you should panic over.”

“I’m confused here.”

“What I mean is that if it’s serious, then it’s a good thing that we’re catching it early.”

“It can’t be serious. It’s never happened before.”

“Good. Then, it’s a one-off thing and you should make sure it never happens again.”

“How? I don’t even know what triggered it.”

Leonel had a taste of his coffee. “So, em… Your wife and mine are quite the best friends these days, and they’ve been talking a lot about your em… Your marital issues.”

“We don’t have any issues.”

“Oh? Your move to BCC and Oby not wanting to move with you?”

“Not a big deal.”

“Well, apparently, it is, and it upsets Oby very much. Maybe she’s projecting her feelings in some way and the girls are catching on? Maybe Sochi has heard you guys fight about it? Emem actually did and she told her mother.”

Ishi remembered the last fight he and Oby had over the BCC move. It was the day before the girls left for Malta. Eliana had walked in on them.

“Let’s not do this, Afam.”

Leonel stared at his cup. “I’m not insinuating anything.”

“Then, don’t.”

“Okay.” He sipped his coffee again. “Or it could just be that this whole arrangement is affecting the poor child. I don’t think she’s yet to grasp the dynamics of our family situation. She wants Emem with her all the time.”

“She is with Eliana all the time.”

“Ishi, we can come up with something less…back-and-forth. I suggest Sochikaima stays here with us for the time being, so that I can monitor her to see if she has any more episodes. Then, when we’re all ready, we can talk to her about why Emem has to be here sometimes and she can’t be.”

“That’s fine.”

“I’ll keep you updated on anything that comes up. Hopefully, nothing will.”

“Thanks.” Ishi left his untouched coffee on a stool. Leonel walked him to the door and held it open.

“Have you seen an expert to test her for ADHD? You know these things run in families.”

Ishi stopped and looked at him. “What’s wrong with you, Afam? You want to show off your PhD in psychology? Practice on your own children.”

“Actually, the twins have both been diagnosed with ADHD.”

“Well, looks like you have a lot on your plate to worry about. Leave my daughter alone.”

“Dozie, Sochi and Emem are my daughters. Just as you’re a father to the twins. Deal with that.” He gave Ishi a stern smile. “Congratulations on the new bun in the oven.”

Ishi nodded and walked to his car. He was mad at Oby for revealing their private issues to Kyenpia. He had done his best to put up a picture of marital perfection to Kyenpia and Leonel. Now, the bubble was burst and Leonel felt like he had one over him. The cockiness in his tone had said as much. Ishi felt embarrassed and exposed. But it didn’t disquiet him as much as what Sochi had gone through a short while ago. Driving home, he prayed for her peace and asked God to show him what had gone wrong and how to deal with it if it happened again.

When he arrived home, Oby was in the kitchen, listening to loud music while making breakfast for herself. She was dressed in her typical boho-chic style, ready for her first day at work at St. Andrews Hospital. She had been hired by Ishi’s elder brother, Aaron, who ran the place. Oby had not practiced in more than a year. She was happy to be back in her scrubs but not as happy as Ishi was. Working in the hospital meant reduced office hours at church and more time with him, as she was only going to be working part-time. On her own, she had come up with the arrangement. Same way she finally accepted his move to BCC.

“Hi!” She let out a wide smile when she caught him staring at her. He waited for her to lower the volume of the music before walking into the kitchen.

“Excited about your first day?” he asked.

“Mm-hm.” She covered a small flask that was filled with tea. “How’s Sochi?”

“Good. She just needed to be with Ellie.”

“I told you she’d be fine.”

“I hope it doesn’t happen again.”

“It won’t. So…” Oby stepped out from behind the kitchen table and showed herself to Ishi. “Is this appropriate for work?”

Her outfit was an Aztec print poncho worn over black jeans and a black top. Her silver necklace made an ethnic statement.

Ishi smiled. “Love it.”

“Make up on point?”

“Always.”

She curtsied dramatically and Ishi laughed.

“Let’s do lunch later,” she suggested. “One-ish.”

“I’ll come pick you up.”

“Good. But first…” She grabbed her phone from the table and ran to him. “First work day selfie?”

She took a pose, and just as the shutter was about to go off, he left a peck on her cheek. She giggled and put her arms around him.

“After lunch, we can just come back home and chill,” he said. “No kids, nobody, just two of us.”

“Tempting, but I’m swamped.”

“You’re pregnant, Oby. You have to take it easy.”

“I know.”

He pulled her in for a tighter squeeze and kissed her before letting go. She went for the tea flask.

“This tea is the holy grail of pregnancy,” she said. “Kyenpia recommended it and I have been craving it like mad, though my doctor says I can only take it once in four days.”

She put the flask into her handbag and picked her stethoscope from the table.

“So, you and Kyenpia are a thing now?” Ishi asked.

Oby gave Ishi a puzzled smile. “We always were.”

“I didn’t know.”

“She and her clan were there for me after Sochi was born, and we’ve been cool since then.”

“But you went cold on them—”

“Because I was doing the Father’s work. Why are you—?”

“Ignore me.”

“You don’t want me close to her because of the history you guys had?”

“No, no. I’m actually happy that you’re opening up to someone and allowing yourself make friends again. Just make sure I’m your best friend.”

“But you are.”

“I want you to tell me everything that bugs you or makes you happy. Hold nothing back.”

Oby smiled. “I will.”

“You’re sure? Like this BCC thing, you’re not doing it to please me?”

“And is that a bad thing?”

“You shouldn’t.”

“Ishi…” She walked to him. “Anywhere you go, I go. That’s how we do, right?”

“Yes, but if you don’t want to go with me—”

“God wants you at BCC. I know he does. I have fought it, but…” She held his hand. “We’ve prayed separately and together, and we’ve not gotten any contrary message from him. All we’ve seen are signs. Like this one.” She placed his hand on her tummy. “I’m with you, man of God. Have no fear. Now, pray for me on my first day of work.”

Ishi hugged her. Resting his chin on her shoulder, he whispered a prayer, asking for productivity and healing for her patients. He followed her to her car where her security aide was waiting.

“Lunch at one,” she reminded him as she got behind the wheel. Ishi went back to the house.

__________

Daylight met Asher and Melody in a hotel. Asher stirred before Melody and found her asleep on his chest. Careful not to wake her up, he reached for his phone and checked the time. It was a few minutes after seven. He had missed calls from Nnani, his mom, and assistant, who had just resumed from the holiday.

He put the phone away and lay still until Melody opened her eyes. She blinked a few times before it occurred to her that she had woken up in a strange bed. She jolted up and glared at Asher with wide eyes.

“You shouldn’t have eaten those brownies,” he said.

“Oh God!” She stared at her body. “I can’t even remember how I got here.”

“You will. Take a few seconds, stop panicking, and it will come back to you.” He got off the bed. “We didn’t do anything, by the way.”

“I’m not thinking that. I know we didn’t. What’s the time?”

“Past seven.”

“Past seven? Shit, shit, shit!” She stumbled out of the bed. “My aunt will kill me.”

Asher laughed. “No, she won’t.”

“You’re acting like you don’t know her. The moment she woke up at six and didn’t see me, she definitely said, ‘that girl didn’t go to church.’ Then, she concluded that I went to a man’s house. Where’s my phone?”

Asher passed her phone to her. “I had to switch it off because the alarm kept going off. Who sets alarms for every thirty minutes?”

Melody switched on her phone. “I will never ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, EVER eat brownies in my life again!”

“It was so hilarious.” Asher chuckled. “You should have seen yourself, so cute. You were crying and saying you were going mad.”

“I literally was.”

“You wanted to slap Taiye. That was when I knew I had to get you out of there. I couldn’t take you home or to mine, so we came here. And you just passed out.”

“Shit. She sent me a text. Asher, I have to go.” Melody looked at herself again. “I can’t go out like this. Is my other dress still in your car?”

Asher pointed at the dress, folded on a chair in a corner.

“Thank you, Ash. You’re such an angel.” She grabbed the dress and dashed into the bathroom. Asher put a call through to Phoebe. She answered in a sleepy voice.

“Sorry, Ma. I went for Taiye’s birthday,” he explained.

“It’s fine. Come over and let’s have a talk about this thing with Ijo Records.”

“Dad told you?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you angry?”

“No. Just come for lunch. Clint is coming too. 2pm.”

“Okay.”

Next, he dialed Nnani. “I’m on my way.”

She mumbled something and hung up. Melody stepped out of the bathroom.

“I still feel high,” she muttered.

“Yeah, the weed is in your system. Might last all day.”

“What am I going to tell my auntie now?”

“That you slept off in church.”

“Asher, you know she liked you a lot. She still does. What if you drop me off? Once she sees you, she won’t ask any questions.”

“Aiit.” He walked to the door and opened it. “After you, mademoiselle.”

Melody hurried to the door and stopped. “Thanks for not listening to me last night.”

“You mean the part where you asked me to kiss you and you said all that other stuff about missing me?”

“It was the weed talking.”

Asher teased her with a leer. “No, that was all you. Weed is sometimes a truth serum.”

She smiled in embarrassment and walked out. “Go joor.”

__________

“I need you to come out with the truth.”

Nathan, seated on the other side of Ishi’s desk, laughed.

“Did I say something funny?”

“Is that why you asked me here?”

Ishi rested both elbows on his desk and leaned forward. He looked into Nathan’s eyes until the man got uneasy. “We know you did it, man. Own up to the truth.”

“I didn’t do anything.”

“You’re ruining two good women here. Chioma and Agatha.”

“Look, if you have nothing better to tell me, Pastor Ishi, I’ll have to take my leave.”

“Chioma is not interested in having you arrested. All she wanted was to tell her truth.”

“What truth?”

“Let me finish speaking. She wanted to share her story, and she has done that. But she’s a mess. She’s been a mess since you assaulted her—”

“I did not assault her.”

“She’s depressed and has been put on suicide watch.”

“Suicide watch.” Nathan laughed and looked from Ishi to Kyenpia, standing beside Ishi’s chair, arms crossed, face in anger. “I really like what you people do here at The Refuge. The fancy structures, the therapists and rehabilitative care. It’s all wonderful. But it’s not for opportunists like Chioma. Look, we picked her up from nothing and gave her a life, just for her to turn around and try to destroy my marriage and good name. She’s a—”

“She’s HIV positive, Mr. Good Name,” Kyenpia said.

“Yeah.” Ishi pushed a piece of paper toward Nathan who became like one that had seen a ghost.

Kyenpia moved closer to the desk. “According to her account of how you raped her, there was bruising, which led to her bleeding. This means that you came in contact with her blood. I’d advise that you go for a test. Your wife too. Chioma has been with the virus for almost two years now.”

Nathan reached for the paper and took it with a shaky hand.

“HIV is no longer a death sentence,” Kyenpia continued, “but I hardly know anyone who wants to live with that virus all their lives.”

Breathing heavily, Nathan’s next words stumbled out, jumbling over each other. He told Kyenpia and Ishi that what happened between him and Chioma was consensual sex but it was rough. Then, he went silent for a bit before letting out a groan that led him to plead guilty to his crime against Chioma. He didn’t notice the security camera that documented his confession. After he was done, he left Ishi’s office a distraught man.

“Okay, that was intense,” Ishi said, exhaling.

“The best part was him blaming the devil. Classic!”

“I really hope that he didn’t get infected and pass it on to Agatha.”

“Me too.”

“So, what next?”

“We get Chioma back on the case and convince her to get him arrested.”

“And if that doesn’t work?”

“We make him pay for his crime. Literally.”

“A settlement?”

“Yes. A few millions in his victim’s pocket won’t hurt.”

Ishi spun his chair and looked at Kyenpia. “You don’t give up, do you?”

 “Ishi, I will do anything to get justice.” She snatched the paper off the table and gave him a creepy smile. “Anything.”

As she began toward the door, a chilling thought hit Ishi.

“Does Chioma have HIV?”

Kyenpia turned, the smile back on her face. “What’s that Bible verse again? The children of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the children of light.” She chuckled. “My love to Oby!”

Ishi inclined backwards on his chair, stunned. Then, he burst into a laugh.

__________

 Out of her job and battling depression, Agatha spent most of her days at home. Christmas had come with its usual festive spirit but it had passed over her like a dreary cloud. When Nathan’s family came visiting, she put on a happy face. Nobody talked about the Chioma scandal and she was thankful for that. She would have broken down if her ear had caught even a whisper of it. The holiday was over now, and her son, whom she had decided was better off in boarding school was gone for the term. She had made the decision with Nathan’s consent because she wanted to shield the boy from the scandal. The silence from Kyenpia’s end left her terrified. She knew the woman could do anything she set her mind to.

This morning, restless after an hour of prayers, Agatha chose to clean the exterior of the house. The flowers at the verandah had been unattended in a while. The flowerbed had grown weeds that looked as dehydrated as the flowers themselves. She wasn’t sure if the house would be theirs soon, as it belonged to the church—and she had learned that Pastor Meredith was adamant on not reinstating her to her position.

Agatha connected a watering hose to a tap and dragged it to the flowerbed on the right, where she left it running. Then, she began to uproot the weeds from the one on the left. It took her longer than she imagined, and when she was done with it, she went on a break.

Wiping off sweat from her brow, Agatha sat on the steps that led to the front door. She was about to go in for a drink of chilled water when her eye picked out a blue object in the flowerbed on the right, hidden behind an African Mask Plant. She bent and touched it cautiously, discovering that it was a jean. It was covered with soil, dust and debris from the plants. When she tugged it out, a roach and other tiny insects fell from it. She shrieked and jumped up. She picked a rake and poked the jean with. It opened out, revealing other clothing items that were worn with age. 

Agatha knew immediately that they belonged to Chioma. A pink blouse, a black bra, and a leopard print panty. The jean was a skirt. She also knew that they were the clothes Chioma had worn on the day she claimed that Nathan raped her.

Agatha spread out the items with her gloved hands. Using her pinky, she lifted the panty. It was torn on one side, and this hadn’t happened because it had been left outside for long. The blouse was without buttons—the threads sticking out from where the buttons had been showed that the buttons had been yanked off.

At this point, Agatha knew that she couldn’t stop lying to herself. Chioma’s version of what happened that evening was beginning to play in her head. She imagined her running out of the house after Nathan gave her Agatha’s dress to wear, holding on to her own clothes. Then for some reason, she stopped outside and hid the clothes in the flowerbed.

“Why?” Agatha wondered.

To leave them as evidence? Or simply because she didn’t have the time to pack them in a bag as she was running away from Nathan?

Agatha heard the blare of his horn at the gate and gathered the clothes. She hurried into the house hide them. Afterward, she took off her gloves and waited for Nathan to come in.

He entered the house a couple of minutes later. One look at him and she knew that something was off.

“I’m finished, Aggie,” he uttered. “Finished!”

“What happened? What are you talking about?”

He sat and began to take off his shoes.

“Nate, what happened?”

He gave her a pathetic stare.

“What happened nau?” She moved closer to him. “Where are you coming from?”

“You need to sit down.”

“Nate, talk nau.”

“Sit, Agatha!”

Agatha sat, the heels of her hands holding onto the edge of the couch.

“Look… I know that HIV is not a death sentence anymore, but—”

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s still not good news. And passing the disease to you is the last thing I would want to do because I love you.”

Agatha drew back. “You have…HIV?”

“Yes, maybe… I don’t know.”

“Talk to me nau, Nathan! What is this all about?”

“Chioma.”

“Oh God.”

“I’m just from The Refuge, and they said that she has HIV. She’s had it for two years now.”

Agatha’s eyes pierced Nathan’s. “So…?”

“I think we should get tested.”

“What does that mean, Nathan? You told me you didn’t rape her. You said that you didn’t.”

He didn’t respond.

“NATHAN!”

“I did it!” he confessed. “Yes, I did, okay? But she-she seduced me! When she entered our room in your dress and sat on me while I was sleeping—”

Agatha jumped to her feet. “STOP LYING TO ME!”

Nathan retained his composure, but his eyes showed his defeat.

“I saw the chats and her clothes, Nathan! I saw everything!”

“I didn’t mean to. I don’t know what got over me!”

Agatha stomped out of the living room and went into the guestroom where she locked herself in. Nathan didn’t come after her. For a long time, she sat on the floor, her mind suspended in nothingness. She watched ants going about their business in a straight line.

Eventually she returned to the living room. Nathan was where she had left him. He didn’t look as despondent as before. His face bore a familiar expression of anger.

“We should go and get tested,” she said.

“I said that earlier.”

“I’ll go and have a shower.”

As she turned to leave, he called her back. She turned.

“There’s more.”

“Okay?”

“Ishi and that Kyenpia woman made me look like a fool. They made me confess—”

“To what?”

“To what happened between Chioma and I.”

“How? What did you tell them?”

“They told me about the HIV thing, showed me the test results… And I freaked out and said I did it.”

“You said you did what?”

Nathan was quiet.

“Do you know what you just did, Nathan?”

“I know. You don’t have to ask me that stupid question. I know, Agatha.”

“GOD!” she screamed. “You’re done for! We’re done for!” She put her hands on her head, scratched her plaits, and dropped her hands. “Did they record you?”

“Didn’t I just tell you to stop asking me stupid questions?” Nathan yelled.

“I just want to know!”

“I don’t know! All I know is that they coerced me to confess!”

Agatha slumped into the couch and her head went into thought. Many things came to mind, but the only one that stuck was something she strongly wanted to hold on to.

“What if…? What if they lied about Chioma having HIV? What if she doesn’t have it and they used that to get you to confess?”

Nathan turned his head slowly at Chioma.

“I think they’re lying and the only way to be sure is to take the test. If it’s positive, then—”

“It won’t be positive.” Nathan’s face went angrier. “I know it won’t be positive. Get up, let’s go.”

“I need to shower.”

He jumped up. “Agatha, let us go.”

“Okay. Let me get my slippers.”

She hurried to their bedroom and came out with a sweater and a pair of slippers. But before she walked out the door, Nathan stopped her, pinning her against the wall.

“Look, if that test turns out negative, I’m going after your friend and his baby mama.”

“Nathan—”

“Even if it’s positive, I won’t let them go. Because they could have stopped this but they kept pushing. How can Ishi claim to be your friend, my friend, and do us dirty like this?”

Agatha couldn’t speak. She also felt betrayed by Ishi. She held Nathan’s face. “Let’s just run the tests now and know our fate. But I know the God I serve, Nate. We’re both negative. Once we confirm that, I will do everything to make sure you don’t end up in jail. Trust me.”

Nathan moved away from her and walked out. Agatha closed her eyes, feeling the sting of tears. She remained in the living room, seeking for the fortitude to take her next breath. She was exhausted. Nathan being accused by Chioma was enough to make her lose her mind, but Nathan admitting to it was breaking her heart in a way she couldn’t comprehend.

She needed strength. She needed God now more than she had ever needed him.

“Agatha!” Nathan called.

Agatha wiped off her tears and left the house.

©Sally Kenneth Dadzie @moskedapages