“You are a freaking lunatic! Lonely ass bitch, you think you can drop your frustrations on everyone. Go look for who go shine your Congo, na so so cobwebs full am!”  Her words pierced through my ears like sword.

“You fucking dispensation of smelly gutters, it’s you who is lonely and frustrated” I retort.

I had never been involved in a fight at the office but Miriam overstepped her bounds today and I had to show her.but then she still manages to overpower me in this battle of words, the girl is an agbero.

 I fight back tears, head back to my desk and bend my head. My boss just walked in and everyone retired to their posts. He is a man of few words, he gives me a cursory gaze and said “I’ll treat this, but not today” he throws same stare at Miriam “You ladies are better than this” she pouts as he walks away.

The day is far spent and dusk is approaching, I stare at my laptop screen and then take a glance at my to-do-list, not much has been achieved. I begin to pack my stuff into my backpack, home calls, the home I dread. I dread everything.

 “ Fighter, I dey go your area today o”

Albert says as he bumps into my corner of the office. Albert is the only guy I have any rapport with at work, everyone thinks I’m a snub, so I avoid them much as they avoid me. But Albert, at the beginning of our friendship will talk to me even when I stare at him blankly for minutes unending.

“Make I back you?” I reply sarcastically.

“No, wait for me na. I’m about rounding up for the day” I sit for another 30 minutes waiting for Albert to round up. We get into a taxi after he’s done and head straight to Ellen Close.

 “So what are you going to do in my area?”

“Your area, them write your name for the street?” I ignore him.

We get to D-One bar and he asks the driver to stop. I follow him, it will be my first time inside a bar.

 “I can’t be here” I whisper to him.

“We’d buy and go to your place then”

I don’t argue, I could do with a little company.

We get to my room, a pile of clothes lay on the bed, I pack them and throw them into the laundry basket and quickly make the bed, tucking the edges in to make them smooth. I take off my bra from underneath my dress and fling it into the wardrobe.

“You don’t have any single shame madam”

“Fuck you!”

“I see you Sophy”

“Sorry?”

“Do you wanna talk about what happened today?”

“Nope. That girl is a bitch”

“So are you Darling.”

I ignore him. He opens a bottle of star radler and offers it to me.

“I don’t drink alcohol”

“You need it, moreover this one dey like juice.”

I smile. He continues  “I know you are dealing with so much but you can’t let it get to your essence, you have a wonderful personality but you are complex and not everyone will get…”

He’s talking but I’m not listening, I’m staring at his lips, I’ve never been this close to him away from work. I etch towards him and lock his lips in mine, he resists me gently.

“Hey, not now” He whispers.

“Please. I need this”  tears fill my eyes

“This is not what you need, or you want to prove Miriam right? That strokes from a man is what you need?”

“I don’t care about proving anything to anyone or not. I know you want this too.”

He is staring at me intently. He opens his mouth to speak but instead, he puts his fingers on my chin and gently pulls my face to his and kisses me. I feel his tongue on my neck, he’s undoing the buttons of my shirt,

I feel his fingers caressing my cleavage and his face etching towards my breasts, I close my eyes and wait for it.

by Farida Adamu