A short story

Hello everyone,

I’m feeling blessed today… No, I’m actually blessed! God’s word have soothed my fears and given me directions and I am making much progress concerning my book, Donut. You can check how far I have gone here.

Today, I’m sharing with you a short story from my archives. Read and make inferences! Enjoy but remember it’s copyright to me!

I titled it Abbadon.

THE SHRILL CRY OF THE ALARM WOKE ME. Or was it the sharp pain in my bones?

Whichever did, it made me stand up from bed. I scooped my sheets to one side and shifted the blinds above. Electricity was out but the rays of the mid-morning Vitamin D activating sun did a good job of lighting the room. As I got up from bed and stretched in front of the full length mirror, my cover clothes slithered down my body, revealing a chocolate complexioned muscular torso I was proud of.

It was 11:00am.

I bent over the dresser stool, picked up a vial and popped two red tablets into my mouth.

“Are you okay?”

From the corner of my eyes, I saw Sade walk in and lean on the threshold, wiping her hands with a napkin.

“I’m fine” I replied. And then winced.

You’re not.” She said and I felt the tension in her voice and then the closeness of her scent.

“Is it the pain again?” her hands touched me.

Still semi-prone over the stool beside the bed, I allowed her massage my back. I was beginning to feel the bone pains again. Probably from the stress from last night’s partying, I thought. But I had learned from the last episode of my crisis not to take water and painkillers for granted.

As if she knew my thoughts, she brought a glass of water near my temple which I took and emptied in one gulp.

Sade tapped on the eagle tattoo on my shoulder and smiled.

“You are an eagle – a fighter – be strong for me.” She kissed my shoulder and her lips lingered for a few seconds.

“Thanks” it was all my throbbing head allowed me to say.

She walked to the closet and brought out my yellow towel “Maybe a warm shower would help.”

I could not argue but sheepishly allowed her lead me into the bathroom. As I lathered soap, thoughts filled my mind. At twenty one I had all a young man dreams of – an apartment owned by my grandma which was near campus, a little Toyota sports car she bought me for my last birthday, and a girlfriend who loved me heads over heels. What more could I ask?

Save this pain I had grown to recognize as my seasonal gift since my mom walked out of my dad. The doctor says I have this condition that predisposes me to bone pains when there is a stressful situation in my body. I didn’t care what he called it, but I knew the cause – mom. And I hated her for it. As the water skirted the curves of my body, I felt some soothing – the painkillers had started to act.

Sade was rummaging through some drawers when I emerged fifteen minutes later, with a towel draped around my waist.

“Mom called.” She said immediately.

“Oh. She did?”

“What’s the problem? She just asked after you.” She could read my feigned concern.

I just rolled his eyes. The last person I wanted to hear of now was my mom. I don’t even know why I called her mom – especially whenever the pains come.

“Yeah she did. She asked if you were taking your medications and enough water…” her voice trailed off.

“Oh, really. Like she cares.”

I sat on the bed and rubbed hair cream over my well-shaped afro and blurted, “if she cared, she wouldn’t have walked out on dad like she did. She should have thought about me – my condition.”

She sighed. Maybe she could feel the pain behind my words, or she just plain cared, I don’t know and I couldn’t tell, because she just said, “I understand.” She stroked my chin as she talked. “You told me your dad could drink and beat like no-one-else. Maybe she was fed up.”

“Oh…so you’re giving her excuses. Huh?”

“No. I’m sorry” Sade handed me a pair of my shorts and a sunlight shirt, which I started to wear.

“Ahem, she also talked about grandma.”

“What did she say?” My eyes widened and I stopped buttoning my shirt and faced her. Hope Grandma is fine. I thought. But she heard.

“I’m afraid no, she’s in the hospital. ’said she slumped yesterday.” Like a flash, I picked up my iphone and dialled my mother.

The call went through after a ring.

A man said Hello. It was John, mom’s new husband. His hoarse voice gave him away.

“James speaking, is mom there?” I said without greeting him.

“She’s in the kitchen, if you would just hold, I could get her.”

“Please do.” I was irritated by him too – for marrying my mom after she walked out of the house ten years earlier, claiming that my dad was too dangerous to live with. But I knew she had a few boyfriends back then too. So she had no right to accuse my dad of drinking. He was a long distance driver – so what do you expect? She left me with the man when he insisted he wanted to have his son with him and I was bitter for that.

Mom’s voice jerked me out of my thoughts.

“Yes, son. How are –”

“What happened to grandma? Where’s she?”

“She had a stroke again, but seems this time, it’s more serious. She’s in Vine Hospital.” The tone of her voice suggested that she’d either been crying or was about to. But I didn’t care.

“She wants to see you, as soon as you can make out time to come.” She said as I contemplated my buttons.

“I’ll see – ”

“She might not be here for long anymore. You should come quick.” Clara said.

“Okay, I’ll catch the next flight to Abuja.” I hung up without saying goodbye – and before she could say hers.

I didn’t need it.

*****

MANY MILES AWAY

I replaced the phone receiver and sighed. John noticed and came closer. He held my shoulders with both hands and planted a kiss on my forehead. “No worries. It’s not your fault.” He said.

“You don’t understand.” I shrugged off his hand.

“This is my son. He hates me!”

He took me closer in his arms as tears rolled down my cheeks.

“It’s not your fault.”

“Well, I hope one day, we settle our scores.”