hello guys,
sorry for the late update it's because i have been busy with another book.
and i wanted to finish this book before we resume but government has another plan. or maybe LIS is coming to an end.
CHAPTER 49
MERCY'S POV
Monday morning, no one can wait for it to end.
And when it does, the tiredness that falls on someone is always much.
The stress of Lagos life alone can kill someone talk less of Monday morning Lagos stress. That one is another stage entirely.
Even though I was almost done with a year in unilag, that Monday morning stress was still the same.
So, once the last class was over Atami and I literally flew out of the window, nah, just kidding.
We walked outside obviously.
"I am so tired."
She complained, if she's tired, me ehn I am ..... I don't even know the word to use.
"and to think it's just the beginning of the week."
I said linking my arms with her, or more like putting most of my weight on her making her push me and glare at me.
I chuckled while she hissed.
"let's buy snacks jare. God knows I am hungry as hell."
"is hell hungry?"
I asked with a smirk.
"free me abeg."
"wait I need to print a copy of that assignment for myself."
"I know a café."
She said and led the way in her long skirt.
We finally stopped in front of a shop, those types that the owners spend money designing the whole place.
We entered inside and it was filled up.
"why is it so filled?"
I asked Atami who looked like she expected it.
"they are that good jare."
She explained and took a seat on the long modern looking bench.
I joined her looking around at the whole area. But it was not much to look at since the shop was not that big.
Atami stepped out to buy snacks for the both of us. Leaving her seat for someone else to take.
Not even a minute later someone else sat down where she was sitting.
I took out my phone and texted Hakeem and replied some of the messages sent to me.
Talking about Hakeem,
Next week was our six months anniversary and he still haven't told me anything.
Anytime I ask him, he would just find one excuse or another and I was getting tired of it.
I did not want a relationship based on secrets.
"are you the last person?"
I heard someone ask bringing me out of my thoughts.
I turned to my side to look at the person asking me the question,
It was a boy, yeah.
"I think so."
I replied back and faced my phone back.
"sorry, are you in art and photography department?"
I turned to the said person again, can he not take the hint that someone's child is tired.
"yeah."
"I am Chris, from theatre arts."
Oh,
We did a class with the whole art department, I looked at his face again and now I remembered when I saw him.
"hey. How have you been?"
I greeted with a smile,
"I am okay, what about you."
"I am tired, Monday wahala."
"everyone can relate."
"Mercy I got you sprite, no chilled Fanta." Atami said and took a seat beside me; the bench was that long.
She pointed it to me and I collected it,
"thank you so much."
I said opening the bottle fast,
"is this not Chris. How far."
I heard Atami greet but I was in a world of my own with my Fanta.
When I was halfway done,
I joined in on their conversation back.
They were talking about someone.
"next."
I quickly stood up and walked to the worker abi employee
'You don't know maybe he is the owner'
'it is well.'
"hey, I want a photocopy of this document."
I said pointing the printed documents towards him.
"okay."
He counted the number of A4 papers before turning to me again.
"it is 250 naira."
"okay sure."
He nodded and walked towards the photocopy machine and placed the papers in it, one at a time.
Once he was done, he gave me both the original and printed copies back.
"thanks."
I said collecting and placing it in my bag and quickly paying him his money.
I walked back to where Atami and Chris were seated changing numbers.
"Mercy, come give Chris your number."
"why?"
I asked back, hope that was not rude.
"so we can chat and he is inside one group like this. Which group again?"
"the art department group."
He replied her.
"wow, okay oo."
I called my number to him and after talking for some more minutes we left the café.
............................................
I sat cross legged on the couch with my phone in my hands occasionally chuckling at the different dramas happening on the group that Chris added me.
Hakeem was resting his big head, just kidding, no one should say I said that.
Anyway, his head was on my lap and he was reading one of his over big books.
Occasionally he would stretch his neck to see what I was laughing at.
Before turning back to his book. He should just say he wants to know.
"stop braiding my hair."
He grumbled making me roll my eyes.
"you will lose it back na."
"you and who? You will be the one to lose it."
"yeye, instead of you to be happy."
I said with a grin making him shake his head.
Suddenly he stood up and walked to his room, our room. okay that sounded strange, but I have been sleeping with him in his room for the past two months because of his nightmares that I know nothing about.
I faced my phone back and laughed out again, Hakeem stepped out of his room with a frown,
"have you seen that my textbook?"
Which one? Can he not rest, always reading.
"they are much, which one are you looking for?"
He groaned walking to the kitchen and answering me from there,
"that blue one."
"blue one is much."
"Babe oo, don't worry."
He walked back to the sitting room with a scowl and sat on the chair again this time coming closer to me before suddenly tickling me.
See someone that was angry just now.
"babe.... Stop jo..... oya please."
I pleaded in between laugh, I did not know how he ended up me. His hands stayed on my waist halting his movements.
I slowly bit my lips making him groan and move closer, placing his lips on mine. His addicting pink lips that no matter how long we have been together it still took me to cloud nine.
I linked my hair behind his neck my hands pulling on his soft pulling him closer to me.
His lips left mine when we were out of breath and instead dropped kisses on my neck, he slowly bit it making me moan.
"Hakeem."
He was surely going to leave a hickey on my neck, but it was not like I cared.
"hmmm."
My phone binged again and again, why did I not put the phone on freaking silent. It was now disturbing someone now.
"who are you chatting with?"
Hakeem asked pulling back placing his head on my chest and looking me in the eye.
"Chris added me to one group like this, the art department group."
I said running my hands through his hair.
"Chris?"
He asked with a raised eyebrow making me chuckle, was he jealous?
"saw him on Monday when I went to print my assignment with Atami."
"oh."
"Are you jealous?"
I asked with a smirk, yeye boy just shook his head.
"should I be? I trust my babe."
he said with a wink making me chuckle or more like blush. It is still a wonder how his words still affect me.
"shift jo, oya stand up."
He pouted,
"I like this position and I am not resting on you."
"your big head is."
"my head is not big."
He groaned again but finally placed himself well, his head still on my chest.
"I did not know Atami name was popular."
"I know right. Was that Atami your friend?"
"yeah, best friend and ....."
Intentions by Justin Bieber stopped him from what he was saying.
I checked my phone and Idara was video calling me. I tapped Hakeem and picked the call.
"hello."
I said with a grin which she also had on her face, but the biggest surprise is that beside her was Anita who was mouthing 'go to your room.' maybe because of Hakeem.
I shifted Hakeem, stood up and walked to my room. I sat on my bed and raised an eyebrow at both of them. Normally they would have greeted or asked for Hakeem first.
I picked my earphones too and wore it.
"so, what is all this about?"
I asked losing my patience.
"calm your ass girl. How are you?"
You can all guess who said that, Anita!
"I am good."
"well it does look like it."
She said winking and Idara even joined her and they both laughed at me. They were obviously making fun of my 'after make out' look.
I rolled my eyes at the both of them.
"you know talking about Hakeem, I am worried about you."
I knew something was wrong.
I raised my eyebrow at the both of them again. Why would they be worried because of Hakeem. He is like the last person expected to be in that sentence.
"why?"
I asked getting more comfortable.
"Dad told me about him, he is not mentally okay you know that, right?"
Why would dad tell her for crying out loud?
I groaned,
"yeah I know dad told me he has a psychological problem; he gave me a file to read."
"is he safe for you?"
Anita asked, how could they ask that type of question. I frowned immediately.
"yes, he is, I have known him for a year now and nothing has happened."
"do you know what caused it?"
I could not answer that, because he did not freaking tell me.
After waiting for three months, he did not even touch the topic. I kept quiet obviously looking like a fool.
"I don't care."
I said and anyone with eyes could see that I was lying. The truth is I cared to the extent that it was even killing me slowly.
"you should be careful Mercy; he even has anger issues."
Idara was slowly getting on my nerves.
"stop talking about Hakeem like that, okay? Bye."
I said and ended the call.
Once the call ended, I groaned and rubbed my face, my anger increasing by the second.
I stood with a plan to ask him again for the last time, I turned back only to see Hakeem in front of me.
I felt my heart fly out, shit.
What is he doing here?
"what are you doing here?"
I asked him, he stared at me for close to a minute before answering.
"looking for my textbook."
He answered back slowly and quietly making my assumptions right. He must have heard.
"how many of it did you hear?"
I asked quietly.
He walked to my dressing table, was he avoiding my gaze.
"from the part where your dad told you I have psychological problem."
Why was he talking in that calm voice now? It was much worse than shouting.
"I did not read the file."
I tried to clarify.
"okay."
He said and turned back to me away from the dressing table.
His calm everything was killing me, what did he mean by okay now?
"you are not going to say anything else?"
I asked quietly.
"since when?"
"your birthday." I muttered quietly,
"why did you not tell me when I asked you that day?"
He was still avoiding my gaze and that enough was killing me.
"I could not."
"so, what have you found out?"
He asked and finally looked at me,
"I did not read it; I am serious Hakeem. I chose to wait for you to tell me yourself."
I said and walked closer to him, placing my hands on his cheeks.
Why did they have to call for crying out loud?
"I believe you then."
"what happened Hakeem? What caused it?"
"I cannot tell you."
I groaned and removed my hands from his cheeks.
"why? Why can't you just tell me? I am your girlfriend Hakeem, every night I stay with you for something I know nothing about? I cannot even answer a simple question 'what happened to your boyfriend?' why? Because he can't tell me anything."
I cried out.
I was slowly getting tired of these secrets and lies.
"I cannot tell you because even though I want to I cannot. I can't. I have not told anyone what happened. I do not even know how to talk about it?"
"now, you are telling me no one knows. Stop lying Hakeem."
I scoffed.
"I believed you Mercy why can't you do the same? Look anytime I think back about what happened, everything happens in my head again. How much if I talk about it? I can't do it Mercy. Please it would be torture. Do you know how I feel every morning after waking up from a nightmare? I feel like shit."
"what happens in the nightmare?"
I asked and he looked surprised and a little hurt seeing that was the only thing I picked from his speech.
"is that why you changed?"
He suddenly asked. What is he talking about now? Is he trying to change the topic from that?
"what?"
"you changed. Do you want to know why I moved here? I moved here away from my sister because I want to be normal again. I wanted to be a normal boy like before, I did not want to be the kid, my mum and everyone else in the family even Kiki treats like an egg, monitoring. I came here because you did not know anything. You made me feel normal but that changed when you found out I was psycho. You started monitoring me for the last two months, right?
How else would you change if I tell you everything? Would you be able to look me in the eye? Everything normal in this relationship will die."
I stared in shock at what he said.
I did not even notice I was starting to do that too. But that does not mean anything right?
"I will be the judge of that."
"it's the past Mercy!"
He exclaimed for the first time in this conversation.
"your past."
I cried out back, this is our first fight and I was hating it. I was really hating it.
"we don't need it."
"I don't want a relationship based on secrets Hakeem, you know everything about me but it's like I know nothing about you."
He scoffed,
"you know me more than anyone. And just because I am leaving one aspect does not change anything."
He argued back.
"it might change our relationship."
I said back surprising both of us.
"what?"
"it is either you tell me, or I am leaving."
"you cannot do that. That is just being selfish."
His eyes were slowly filling up with tears, and I felt like shit doing this to him. I should just let it go.
I did not reply him, I didn't know what to say or feel.
"we both need air."
He said and walked out of the room. moments later the front door was opened and closed.
I laid on my bed for what felt like hours but was only minutes.
I grabbed my phone and dialed Halima's number.
"hey."
I said once she picked.
"hi, wait is he okay? Just make sure he uses his pills. Mrs. Yemi said it would be more worse at this time so please..... Mercy."
What is she talking about?
"yeah."
"he hasn't told you right. Shit!"
"what happened to him?"
"look if it's any better, he has not talked about it to anyone. Not even his therapist. No matter how much she tries."
I ended the call,
It did not make me feel any better.
.........................
I woke up to a knock at my door.
Hakeem came back last night, entered his room and went back to the sitting room to watch a movie obviously because he could not sleep.
I knew he wanted us to talk or wanted me out, but I just wasn't in the mood.
So, I did not open the door.
Moments later, he left the house.
I remembered texting Atami for advice, and she was like I had to know. But I don't really know, I did not want to hurt both of us in the process.
I grabbed my glasses from the dressing table and walked to the balcony.
I could see outside from there and I just wanted to catch a gaze of him. just wanted to see him again.
He was outside.
Outside and not alone. Did he go downstairs to meet someone, a familiar looking girl.
They stood in front of the gate and talked for a long time, this is my first-time seeing Hakeem talk this long to someone aside from me and his sister.
The only unsettling thing is that she looked too familiar.
Wait, what were they doing?
He hugged her; Hakeem was hugging a girl in front of our house.
Shit!
'Maybe she is his cousin'
'Amen.'
I looked at the both of them again and this time the girl was leaning closer to kiss Hakeem.
Fuck this!
I walked inside; I could not watch it. No, I just could not.
It hurt more than watching Teni and Fikunmi together.
It felt like my heart was breaking more and more with each step. I did not even notice that I was crying already.
It was different with Hakeem and I. he would not do that to me right?
after everything, all our memories, that can't be true.
I walked to his room, looking for that framed picture.
I cleaned my tears but that did nothing to stop them.
I opened his bedside table's drawer only to find the frame placed downward.
I pulled it up from the drawer and stared at the picture.
A handsome looking guy grinning, Hakeem also grinning but his hands, his hands were on a girl's waist pulling her closer.
And not just any girl,
The girl that he was kissing downstairs.
Atami!
Hakeem, why?
he just broke our baby's heart.
who believes that Hakeem can't do that?
comment your thoughts.
did he or did he not?
thanks for reading and for the 18K reads, you guys are the best.
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love y'all
Eniola ð