C4 Chapter Four

Immediately I heard the knock, I froze.

“Chinyere.”

Someone was calling my name from outside.

For a moment, I thought it was Ngozi. My heart started beating faster as I imagined what I would do if she was the one standing behind that door. After everything that had happened, I didn't know if I would be able to control myself.

I walked toward the door and opened it.

But it wasn't Ngozi.

It was Precious, my friend and coursemate from school.

“Babe, what's up?” she asked. “You didn't come to lecture today. I've been calling your number, but you haven't been picking up.”

Then I remembered my phone.

I turned around and looked toward my bed. My phone was still lying there exactly where I had left it when I came back home.

“Ah! This is where my phone is,” I said. “I didn't even know it was ringing.”

Precious stepped inside and looked at me carefully.

“Babe, what's up? You don't look happy. What is the problem? You look worried.”

“Nothing. I'm fine,” I replied, trying to hide what had happened.

But Precious knew me too well.

“Babe, I know you. This is not you. What is really going on? Why are you so moody? Why is your face like this?”

I tried to hold myself together, but I couldn't anymore.

The tears came rushing down my face.

“Oh no, babe, don't cry,” Precious said, rushing toward me. “What is the problem? Talk to me. What happened?”

She pulled me into a hug and held me tightly.

“You can talk to me. Whatever it is, tell me.”

I wiped my tears, but I could barely speak.

“Babe… it is Ngozi.”

Precious looked at me in confusion.

“Ngozi? What about her? What happened?”

I looked at her, tears still running down my face.

“Could you imagine that Ngozi took my man?”

Precious's eyes widened.

“What? Took your man? How? I don't understand. What do you mean she took your man? Which man?”

“Ebere.”

“Ebere? How? What are you saying? The same Ngozi, your roommate? The girl who has been living with you? How did this happen? I don't understand.”

I broke down again.

“Babe, after I took Ngozi to Ebere's house, everything changed. We came back that day without any problem. We didn't quarrel or have any misunderstanding. I trusted her completely.

“But after that day, Ebere stopped coming around. He stopped picking my calls, and he never called me back. I kept wondering what was wrong, but I didn't know what was happening.

“I kept calling Ebere, but he refused to answer. I became worried and didn't know what to do. I told Ngozi about it, but she kept telling me to calm down. She said maybe Ebere was busy and that I shouldn't disturb him by going to his house.

“But after two days, I couldn't take it anymore. I decided to go to Ebere's house myself.”

Precious listened quietly.

“Babe, guess what?”

“What?”

“When I got to Ebere's house, I saw Ngozi there.”

Precious's eyes widened.

“What?”

“Ngozi.”

“Doing what?”

I swallowed hard.

“She was calling Ebere ‘Baby.’”

Precious covered her mouth in shock.

“Are you serious?”

“I thought I was dreaming. I thought maybe I was watching a movie. But it was real. Ngozi was in my man's house, calling him ‘Baby.’”

“So what happened?”

“We fought. I confronted her, and she started fighting me. We were shouting at each other when Ebere came downstairs.

“He didn't even listen to me. He didn't even want to hear what I had to say. He told me to leave the house.”

Precious shook her head in disbelief.

“And when I refused to leave, he slapped me.”

“Jesus!” Precious exclaimed. “Ebere did what? Ebere slapped you?”

She looked genuinely shocked.

“This is unlike Ebere. The guy I know, the one you introduced me to, can never do that to you.”

“I know,” I said, tears filling my eyes again. “Since the day we started dating, Ebere has never raised his hand against me. Not even once. But today, because of Ngozi, he slapped me and warned me never to come back to his house.”

Precious stared at me.

“I still couldn't believe it. I kept asking him what was going on, but he didn't care. When I refused to leave, he went inside and brought out a belt. He wanted to flog me.”

“And I ran.

“He shouted after me and told me never to step into his house again.”

I lowered my head.

“I don't know what to do anymore,” I whispered. “I feel like giving up.”

Precious sighed.

“Babe, calm down. But honestly, I blame you in all this.”

I looked at her in disbelief.

“How? How is it my fault?”

“You love trusting everybody. You love accommodating everybody. I have never liked that girl called Ngozi.”

“Something about her never sat right with me. That girl is too desperate. But you couldn't notice it because you trust everybody. You always think everyone is like you.”

I remained silent.

Precious continued.

“How could you even take her to your man's house, when he hasn't married you yet? Look at what happened. She has taken your man away from you.”

Her words hurt me even more.

I couldn't stop crying.

It felt as if Precious was adding more pain to the wound in my heart.

After a while, she asked, “Then what is your plan?”

I shook my head.

“Nothing. I have no plan. I just want to leave everything for God. Let God judge them.”

Precious suddenly became angry.

“What? Don't tell me you want to let this slide. You want to forget all this just like that?”

“What do you want me to do?” I asked. “Fight?" Fight who? Why should I fight my fellow lady because of a man? A man who choose another woman over me? If Ebere really cared about me, he wouldn't have left me for Ngozi. He rejected me. What am I supposed to do about that?”

“Who is talking about fighting?” Precious asked. “Babe, this is not ordinary.”

I looked at her.

“The Ebere I know can never choose Ngozi over you. Who is Ngozi? That poor girl you accommodated? Ebere loves high-class girls. He can never go that low to date Ngozi, not to talk of switching her with you.

“Something is wrong here. Something is not right. This is spiritual. It's not ordinary.”

I shook my head.

“I know. And that's why I have decided to leave everything for God. If God wants me and Ebere back together, let Him do it. If not, then I'll let them go. My own man is coming.”

Precious wasn't satisfied.

“No, babe. You have to stand up and claim what belongs to you. How can that girl overturn you? How can she overpower you like this?”

“What do you want me to do?”

Precious came closer to me. Then she bent toward my ear and lowered her voice.

“I know a Baba. A very powerful native doctor.

“I will take you there. Anything you want him to do, he will do it. If you want Ebere back, he will bring him back. If you want to punish Ngozi, he can do it. If you want Ngozi taken out of the road, he can do it.”

I immediately pulled away from her.

“What?”

Precious looked at me.

“Are you saying I should visit a native doctor? No way! I can never try that. This is not who I am. My parents did not train me this way. I am a born Christian. I am from a Christian home, and I can never do such a thing.”

Precious quickly tried to explain herself.

“I'm not telling you to do anything diabolical. I'm telling you to stand up and fight for what is yours.”

“No, Precious. Enough.”

I wiped my tears and shook my head.

“I don't want to discuss this with you, and please, don't ever bring this topic up again. I want to leave everything for God. If God really wants me and Ebere back, fine. Let Him do it. If He says no, fine.

“But I can never kill anyone or do anything I would regret in the future. Please, Precious. Enough.”

Precious looked at me for a moment before nodding.

“Fine. I respect your decision.”

There was silence between us for a while.

Then she suddenly asked, “Have you tried reaching out to Chidi?”

“Chidi?”

“Yes. Ebere's best friend.”

I sat up.

Chidi.

"I think you are right "

How had I not thought about him?

Chidi and Ebere had been friends since their school days. They were more like brothers. They worked like twins. If anyone knew Ebere well enough to understand what was happening, it was Chidi.

“No,” I said slowly. “I haven't gone to Chidi.”

“Then maybe you should.”

I thought about it.

“You're right. Tomorrow, I'm going to visit Chidi in his office. I'm going to tell him everything. Let me see if Chidi can help me. Maybe he can talk to Ebere. Maybe he can find out what is really going on.”

For the first time that day, I felt a tiny bit of hope.

We talked for a little longer, and gradually, the atmosphere became less tense.

Then Precious suddenly held her stomach.

“Babe, do you have any food in this house?”

I looked at her.

“Food?”

“Yes. I'm hungry.”

I couldn't help laughing a little.

“Who has time to cook with everything that happened today?”

“I'm hungry, abeg.”

“Then go to the kitchen and serve yourself.”

Precious stood up immediately.

“Don't worry. I know my way around your kitchen.”

She went into the kitchen and started preparing noodles with vegetables.

A few minutes later, she brought the food out and placed it in front of me.

“Come and Eat." She said

“I don't want to eat.”

“Come on baby , Eat.”

“Precious, I'm not hungry.”

She looked at me seriously.

“Babe, nobody deserves your starvation. You don't need to starve yourself for anyone. Eat.”

I stared at the food.

She was right.

Why should I starve myself because of anyone?

I picked up the fork and began to eat.

Precious smiled.

“That's my girl.”

We ate together, and for a few moments, I was able to forget everything that had happened.

Later that evening, Precious got ready to leave.

I escorted her to the door and wave her bye

Before she leaves, she turned to me.

“Tomorrow, go and see Chidi. Don't give up on yourself.”

I nodded.

“I will.”

She left the house that evening, and I closed the door behind her.

I stood there for a moment, thinking about everything that had happened.

Tomorrow, I would go and see Chidi.

Maybe he could help me understand what had happened to the man I loved.

TO BE CONTINUED.