WRITTEN BY OYIN OLUWATOSIN
**20 minutes later * *
Tarasha carefully observed her image formed in the mirror as she posed in front of it in her pink mini gown. Her makeup was well done to match her theattachment used to plait her hair and her dressing as a whole.
Her phone rang as she picked her bag to walk out of the room. Dare was calling.
'Hello' she said in a low tone, she wasn't expecting his call.
'Hello Evelyn, I'm on my way. Let's have lunch' Dare spoke hastily.
'Huh? Dare, we can't...' She was still talking when the call ended.
She paused for a while to think of her next step. Henry just called that he was already waiting for her and now, Dare was also coming for her.
'Well, it'll work together' she said to herself and headed to the restaurant.
*5 mins later *
Henry and Evelyn sat opposite each other on the table as they awaited the return of the waiter.
'So are you really shy or you're just pretending?' Henry broke the silence.
Evelyn chuckled as she turned to face him. 'Do I look like a shy person to you?' She asked in a melodious manner.
'No, not at all.' Henry gave a short laugh. 'I never knew you could sing too'
'I don't sing.' She said and relaxed back into her seat, giving enough space for the waiter to serve them.
Henry gave a look at Evelyn as he watched the attendant serve, he was surprised that she only ordered for drinks. He continued after the waiter left. 'Are you new in this city? Or what are you doing in a hotel?' He suddenly changed the subject.
'I'm new' she answered with a smile. 'I've spent almost a week here, I'm came to do business'
'Ok... Where are you based?' Henry rolled his eyeball.
'Canada, with my parents'
'Oh! I see. I was thinking you were just one of our linguist here, your English doesn't sound Nigerian'
Tarasha chuckled. 'For how long were you in Canada?' Henry continued.
'Over ten years of my life' she replied. 'My parents relocated there when I was at a very young age'
Henry paused and shook his head from side to side in a doubtful manner as he murmured 'Canada, Canada, Canada. Your English doesn't really sound North American either'
Tarasha's phone rang, interrupting their conversion. 'Please, excuse me' she said before answering the call.
'I'm in the restaurant' she answered the caller's question. 'With a friend... Yes, come over'
She ended the call and stared into Henry's face in a pleading manner. 'I'm sorry, a friend of mine wants to see me'
'It's okay' Henry sounded indifferent. 'Let's make an order since you already asked the person to come here'
'Don't bother, maybe when he comes' Tarasha said. 'He doesn't really take soft drinks or juice'
'Ok.' Henry felt strange as she revealed her visitor was a male.
'So you can have friends?' Henry continued in an attempt to make the atmosphere lively until the visitor comes.
'What do you mean?' She laughed. 'Everybody has friends'
'Is that so?' He laughed too. 'You sometimes look too serious to have friends'
'How?'
'How? Except for today, you don't look as m friendly as this on the other days I met you'
'Hmmm'
'Or you're not always friendly to strangers?'
'No... I'm friendly to anyone I can be friendly to'
'But the day we first met. The day I bumped into you in the gadgets shop, you were...' He paused. 'You responded in a very harsh manner and ...'
'And even reported you to soldiers' Evelyn completed his statement. Her face turned dull. 'I wasn't really in a good mood that day, I'm sorry and you were...' She stopped.
'I was what?' He demanded anxiously.
'You were scary that day. The way you followed after me got me really scared'
'I thought I knew you from somewhere before. Sorry about that'
'It's okay. I should be the one apologizing' She held his hand which was placed on the table.
Henry laughed suddenly, shaking his head side to side. 'What?' Evelyn asked with a surprise smile.
'It's just funny remembering what happened that day' Henry raised up his head to face her. 'What did you tell those guys that day? They were not even ready to listen to me'
Tarasha joined in the laughter. 'Did they hurt you so much?'
'Not too much, a friend came to my rescue'
'I'm sorry' she said holding his two hands on the table in a manner.
'Its okay.' He smiled.
'I have a question to ask you.' She said after taking a sip and relaxing back into the seat.
'Yes, what question is that?'
'How did you know my location? Have you been following be around?' She gave him a serious look.
The question met him unprepared. The juice spilled from the glass cup he took a sip from as he coughed. He cleaned his mouth with an handkerchief and apologized.
Evelyn stared at him indifferently. She handed him tissue paper to clean the table and continued to stare at him with waiting eyes.
'I... I have not been stalking you' he managed to say. 'In fact, I'll never try that after what happened before'
'Okay, how then did you know my location?' She cut in impatiently.
'I...' Henry was looking for words to say when he got distracted by Evelyn's eye movement. He turned back to see a guy staring at them from few metres away, a look of discontentment was on his face. The guy slowly approached them.
'Your friend?' Henry whispered as Dare came nearer.
'Good evening' Dare greeted as he added a third seat to the table.
'Welcome Dare, meet Henry. Henry, Dare ' Evelyn introduced both guys to each other.
Dare struggled to turn and look at Henry's face, Henry already extended his hand to him. Dare was about to take his hand hesitatingly when they recognised each other. Two longtime enemies had just met again.
**flashback **
8 years ago
Dare stormed into the house in a furious manner. He stopped at the living room and to stare at his two friends playing a video game, they both stated back at him in surprise, the look in their eyes demanded an explanation for his attitude. He ignored the duo and proceeded to his room.
He returned in few seconds, holding a pistol. He was about to dash out of the house when he was blocked by one of his friends.
'Where do you think you're going to with that thing in broad daylight?' Julius questioned, pointing to the gun in Dare's hand.
'Julius, leave the way' Dare replied in an angry manner.
'Leave which way? Give me the gun first' Julius ordered.
'Julius, leave the way now. I have to drop the two of them'
'Abeg, give me something jare' Julius dragged the gun from him unexpectedly and pushed him to the floor.
'You want to implicate the rest of us? You don't even know how to use a gun well yet' Julius fired as he returned back to his gaming position.
'Julius' Dare grumbled as he got up from the floor. He clenched his first and teeth as he stood in between the gamers and the television.
'What is wrong with you?' Julius barked. He shook his head furiously and gave a calm down signal to the other friend who was about to flare up.
Julius and Justice were three hundred level students of the university while Dare was an hundred level student. Dare's wealth, father's influence and frequent clubbing were what attracted Julius to lure him into the fraternity just after the first semester.
Dare did not go through the rigorous initiation process as he was seen as an "Ajebutter" and his money was really needed in the fraternity at that time, so the leaders of the group did not bother.
Just three weeks after his "gentle initiation" , Dare began to behave in an unrestrained manner.
'Jennifer dared to lie to me, she said she doesn't want to have a boyfriend now and I'm found her passionately hugging another guy' Dare lamented.
Julius stared at him awkwardly. 'Is that all?'
Justice picked his bag, hissed and shook his head before leaving the sitting room.
2 days later
The scar faced guy zipped his button and put on back his trouser. He spat on Jennifer who was panting heavily on the floor, he never knew he wouldn't enjoy having sex with a virgin. Her clothes were torn off her body, her legs were widely spread and tied apart with different ropes, her hands were also tied in the same manner.
Dare bent to have a last quickie but was slapped on the back by the third guy. 'Is it not okay?' he whispered angrily. 'Let's get out of here'
Henry's vision was still blur as he was still suffering from the impact of the butt of the gun on the back of his head, but he could clearly recognise Dare who he had met before. His sister, Jennifer had also told him that Dare was asking her out.
As soon as the rapists left, he turned his face to the direction where his only sister was tied and was panting heavily. He managed to get up after a few staggers , his vision was still very blur as he proceeded towards her. She was already having an asthmatic attack.
He frantically searched through her torn clothes for the inhaler but it was nowhere to be found. Tears flowed down his eyes as he watched his sister struggling for her life helplessly.
Shakily, he got up and struggled to untie the ropes. It was after four minutes he was able to cut off the ropes. His sister had stopped breathing.
...to be continued
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