Chapter 3

I was busy contemplating whether to run or jog this morning. There was heavy rain going outside. I have done it before, times without number. I have ran under heavy rain until I couldn’t go again. Then I turned it to jogging. But my legs couldn’t move. So I waited and let some strength circulated. Then I tried again. Not running. Not jogging. I was walking. Gradually. People hiding under roof were looking at me that day, like a maniac. Some pointed their hands at me, maybe hauling some abusive words at me, or praising me, no way to tell, I was busy fighting the rain and the rising pressure of breathing. But I survived. I always do. And I am thinking the same way today. Should I run or jog?

“Babe,” Nini said. “I want to ask you about Gold.”

I glanced back. She was still resting on the mat. Sometimes I pity her. Why would you fall for a guy like me? I mean, nothing in this room okay? But then I would shrugged and chose to believe what my dad once said: You don’t change your lifestyle for a woman, you change it for yourself. His philosophy had helped me.

“She’s doing fine,” I said. “Her training is going well. Just a week to go and I will round up everything with her.”

“No babe,” she said and moved closer. “I think she likes you.”

I nodded. “I know she did. I just don’t want to add another woman to my life.”

“But babe…” now she was cuddling me like a cat. I even thought if I should knock her head.

“What if you consider her?” she said burying her head on me.

I glared. “You’re supposed to look up saying that.”

“What? You think I’m not courageous? Nikini? So you think you’re the only one brave enough?” she crawled around and came face-to-face with me.

“Now listen,” she said. “You must accept her. And there’s no room for negotiation.”

I wanted to burst out laughing. What kind of confidence is this?

I smiled. “Okay.”

“What?” she stood up. “Have you been thinking about knåcking her before? And what about the girl that came to your room that day? Arg! I will kill you today.”

She jumped on me.

We ended up scattering the whole room. And instead of going to jogging I was busy helping her rearrange all the setup. She was good on bed. Sometimes I even felt it’s a blessing to have her.

“Don’t joke with that anymore,” I said. “Gold is older than you. I don’t want a situation where I will have to explain who is the senior wife and who is the second wife everyday for the rest of my life. Spare me that trouble, okay?

She grinned. “We will not fight.”

Ah! I placed my hand on her forehead. “Do you have fever?”

She shook her head.

“No. I have no fever. Wait, why are you asking?”

You’re an idiot, I thought.

“So why are you so keen on having rival?” I said instead.

“I just want to experience it,” she said. “I believe I will understand her.”

“How did you develop this silliness? You only talked to her twice.”

She smiled. “I talked to her more than two times babe. Well to shock you, I am talking to her almost everyday.”

She gave me her phone and opened their chat. I was laughing the next second. Two idiots. They have even agreed between themselves it will work.

“Alright,” I said. “For the fact that you broke the rule of ninety nine section five degree of seventy five slash two, under the ratio one-zero-nine of LL Lasisi you’re denied the ultimate freedom and capacity of sex for the next seven hundred and twenty two milliseconds.”

She stood up. Then she left the room. When she came back inside she was holding a long spoon.

“What’s that?” I glanced at the spoon.

“Your section two-zero-four underscore eleven thousand slash slash thirty two and thirty five of its subsection one-four-two said…” I already off my pants and ran straight to her and kissed her.

We both bursted out laughing.

When we calmed down I told her. “You’re an idiot.”

“I learned it from you,” she said playing with my hair.

“I will tell her to pay us a visit then. After her training is completed.”

She nodded. “I will appreciate it. She told me she likes you even before she ever messaged you.”

I nodded. “It happens sometimes.”

She became serious. Her emotions just dropped suddenly.

“Do you know that women experience that all the time?” she said. Not really a question. It is more like she was talking to herself. So I let her continue.

“We felt lonely. But the problem is we’re not bold enough to show it and we die every day with a little bit of regret.”

I hugged her. She tight her hands around me.

“I’m lucky,” she said. “I haven’t worry about anything. I know you’re not perfect.” She looked up at me. “But you’re the best.”

I just hugged her and said nothing.

“Should we call her?” she said.

I thought about it. In the end I shook my head.

“You should do it,” I said. “If I call her she will feel like you’re helping her fate, and she will detest it forever.”

She nodded. “Okay babe.”

I forgot about long distance jogging. And I helped her set the room in order. I wasn’t the type that hurt a woman, most especially a woman that truly cares about me and about my happiness.

At night I wrote some chapters in my book. But before falling asleep I deleted two chapters and left one. I felt it wasn’t good enough. Which I later thought it was stupid. Why not just wrote the damn thing and forget about it?

The next morning I did as I always do. Training with Gold was always online. We both came online and hit the road at the same time, looking at each other’s face through the front camera. I started looking at her differently. And at that moment I felt I understand what Nini said: Do you know that women experience that all the time? Then she had added: We felt lonely.

“Gold,” I said.

“Sir?” she was smiling through the camera.

“Do you like me?”

There was silence. Then I heard a sound. I wanted to see what was wrong when I realized the screen was showing asphalt instead of showing her face. Then the next second I heard a voice saying Next time you’re jogging on the road you will look front. And then a pa crack cack sound followed.

I stared at my phone. The asphalt was gone. The sound I heard was gone. And I didn’t hear a single sound from Gold.

I stopped, looked hard around. When I realized people were not paying too much of attention to me I disappeared into thin air.