Netu saw Lina last a day or two previously, yet it felt like light years had gone unnoticed. Why did he always feel this way about her? He could not understand how she had managed to have him so strung on her. Not in any way close to the archetypal romantic beauties he had known most of his life, but Lina had something going for her: she melted his heart as would any damsel.
Lina's spirituality often magnetized the steel in him, yet she felt confused just as he when he hinted of the strangeness of the feelings they shared. Nevertheless, he knew she had more at stake in their relationship but kept it secret.
Netu straightened up from the couch where he had been sprawled and made for his bedroom. "I guess I’ve had enough rest for the day. This sort of idleness too often gets one softened. I've got to get my legs and mind kicking again," he announced with glee. His real intention was the urgent need to see Lina Phillip Uwa.
"Why? The day's still young," John grumbled, stirring on the couch from which Netu had earlier stood up.
"Your sense of time amazes me. It’s already four o'clock in the evening and you still think it’s early?"
"How long will you be out?" John enquired.
"A few hours," Netu said. "I'll be back soon."
"Anne might be here. What do we tell her?" John called after Netu.
Netu's voice echoed from the half-shut bedroom door. "Tell her to hang around here for me. I won't be long out. Understand?”
"Yes," John said with a hint of cheer.
Netu Deo returned to the living room minutes later, donning a pair of brown cotton trousers topped with an orange-colored polyester shirt, with its uppermost button undone. On his slightly exposed chest a gold pendant dangled from a gold chain wound around his neckline.
Lata thought Netu looked gorgeous in the expensive trousers and shirt. The black sheen of Netu’s shoes and black belt gave his figure a gentlemanly air. Lata knew Netu never compromised on his tastes, no matter how high the odds seemed. Since the time Netu came to pass some nights in the house before Tom's sudden death, and even when he later accepted to stay with them due to Tom’s insistence, Lata had noticed Netu’s passion for the good life. Though it was not quite easy for Netu to live out his dreams due to financial constraints at the time, things had taken new shape after the death of Tom. The new shape of things favored Netu as he could see.
“Hey, in your dress, you look much like the renowned Don Juan!” Lata teased as Netu caught him gazing at his outfit.
“Here you go again with your flattery,” Netu said, sounding not too impressed.
"You never ever take me seriously, do you? To be honest, you look real sweet, like a happy moon."
"All right, just this once, Lata, I'll take you for your word."
Netu fetched a couple of Rinai bills, fresh from the mint, from the side pocket of his trousers. "Use this for whatever you guys have in mind for the evening,” he said, handing it to Lata. “It will take care of dinner, at least. See you in the evening."
Netu made for the front door, but halted midway. "I'm sure Anne Ofino will buzz in anytime,” he added. “Let her ease off steam with you guys till I get back, okay?"
Lata nodded profusely, gazing at the Rinai bills in his hand. They heightened his excitement.
The crispy sound of the bills in Lata’s palm aroused John's interest. He however cautioned himself against the cash being spent right away.
"Alright, guys,” Netu said. “I'm buzzing off.”
John waved back. "Later then, pal."
Netu shut the door and felt his feet light on the vague passageway separating the other two apartments downstairs. His mind was focused on Lina Phillip Uwa as he veered towards the main gate. Once again, he found himself yielding to her force-field of abstract magnet, which he seemed unable to resist. At the gate, he waved down a taxi and called out his destination: Vidya Valley.
# # #
Lina Phillip Uwa had never slept so deeply. She woke up late this morning and it surprised her. Yet, the drowsy, dreamy lure persisted with a sense of unwanted pleasure. She willed herself against a further dose of sleep and sat on the edge of her bed, her breath heavy with the alien haze of spiritual vibrations lingering from the realms she had visited in her sleep.
The radiant morning sun had streaked through the slit line of the only window of the room, forming dancing blotches of orange light in the faint darkness. She admitted the sun’s rousing effect with an unusual mental flight. Resisting the urge to turn on the electric light and thrust out nature's gift, she stepped with caution toward the window.
It gave way outward as she pushed its latch. The penetrating glare of the mid-morning sun stung her eyes as she peered. She squinted, inclining from its magnificence. The not too tempered flare gave her momentary solace, except that the room's bright points almost equaled the one from outside.
A soft wind blew through the torn window net and eased its way soothing into the room. Neighbors went about their callings with same clamor, rueful chatter, or occasional glee – the same sounds she had heard every morning since she moved into the house. Unlike other mornings when she felt ill-at-ease with the combination of neighborhood exchanges, Lina Phillip Uwa seemed to be comforted by this morning’s sounds. They provided her a kind of insulation against her feelings.
She felt particularly lonely this morning. The idea of living alone did not strike her as a bright one for any woman. Her life as a divorcee began when her husband abandoned their matrimonial home. She had overcome the shock of his sudden exit from her life after a long and agonizing period of bitterness and emptiness. Those were the days of lonely brooding when, being afraid of renewed heartaches, she turned down men who tried to fill the gap left by her husband with diplomacy. For a whole year, she took precaution, never allowing anyone touch her heartstrings. She had decided that love could never succeed with her twice, and in the same manner. She soon realized that her heart once more reined towards someone.
From his refined world, Netu Deo leapt like a brave warrior to her wilderness of loneliness, lifted her off a dreary past with finesse, and placed her with tenderness in the arms of peace, hope, and affection. Like treasure-seeking adventurers in a wild countryside, he had come with his late friend, Tom. They rode to her plain with astounding gallantry in search of psychic counsel. But from the moment her eyes beheld Netu’s handsome face, memories of the near past came flooding her mind. She had felt a sweet jolt in her heart she did not discern; like the tease of sweet breeze from nowhere. What could have made her feel this way for this man who belonged to another world quite distinct from hers, a man five months younger than her? His world revolved on immense refinement, class consciousness, and pedantic intellectualism. Hers, to her dismay, showed like an unwanted log in eddies and the gaudy corners of his cultured society. What then caused their bond despite the disparity in their social status? Not his macho ways, height, handsomeness, or a future entwined in his aura. Not even his intellectual edge could overwhelm her spiritual guts. Most times, she had conceded not a single reason but all the reasons thinkable had been responsible for her fondness. Still, it took her a long time to accept that this softness had the colors of love emblazoned in the way she felt.
The mist of thought paved way to a clearer vision. Through the window Lina observed the scenes and movements of the neighbors around the premises. It annoyed her to be indoors while everyone busied themselves outdoors. How long had she been standing by the window without a fixed thought? All the while her dreamed threats to Netu's life had been her recurring flicker of thought. Drawing the window curtain, she switched on the bright light. How she wished the man would come soon! She must warn him of a remote danger, and then it would be up to him to guard his steps.
An hour later, Lina Phillip Uwa had taken her bath and done with an oats meal for brunch. She realized how hungry she had been and ravenously sated her large appetite. After that, she felt her emot
ions lift up, but did not feel the urge for much work. Yet, she decided she would check her store at Ashi Park on the steep of Vidya Valley. A walk to her store a few minutes from Ashi Park, she believed, would not strain her much. Afterwards, she would cook a nice meal Netu would like, should he show up as promised.
Lina returned from her store two hours later. Business had not been good but she had forced herself to tarry a bit at the store, nursing the hope of a chance miracle of sales. Things are not working out well with a lot of people these days, she thought. Times were in the past when she would have made great sales within two hours, but economic depression was affecting even her second-hand clothes business. She felt content though with the little income the day offered.
Outside, the sunset crawled to oblivion in gold. Lina hastened her dinner preparations. She did not like the idea of Netu calling without a sumptuous meal laid out for him. She had done this only for her ex-husband, but it gladdened her heart that someone else enjoyed what he had rejected for reasons she never got to know.
Lina waited an anxious moment for Netu to make his usual sudden appearances, but when he did not, she ate alone. Hers was the kind of vanquished spirit a jilted lover feels, the food tasting as if this was not the outcome of her exquisite cuisine.
The knock came light in her ears the first time, and she thought it was from the opposite door. The second time she heard it clearly.
"Yes, who is there?"
"Netu here."
Spurred, Lina hurried to the door. "Netu, I've been expecting you all day long," she gasped, ushering him in.
Her sensitivity often amazed Netu. "How did you know I’d be here?"
"Don’t you know I always sense some of these things?" She waved him to sit on the bed, which he preferred to the bench or stools. Netu plunked down, flinching at the impact of the small bed.
"But then you can't always know and predict my every mood and move." He wondered, smiling.
Lina studied him, noted his insinuation, with no comment. She sat on the bench adjacent to the bed and continued her intent watching.
"You didn't keep your promise yesterday evening, why?" she demanded in a cool tone.
"I know, Lina," Netu said, his tone apologetic. "I couldn't possibly help it - too much running around."
A red glint shone in Netu's brown eyes, a signal she recognized well. It always preceded his bouts of hunger, but his stubbornness astonished her. Like a heady horse, he never demanded anything from her until she had pressed him. She had often been patient with him, and she would again. After his meal, she would try a war of wits with him on the other areas troubling her mind.
"I just finished dinner. Alone. There's still some fried beans and plantain, it's fresh fish stew. Eat something first, and then, we talk.”
"Fresh fish stew. I like the sound of it," Netu enthused, but not unmindful of her coy complaint of eating alone. He had known her long enough to sense she had a game up her sleeve. He, however, lacked insight into the nature of the game she had contrived. He would wait until she unfurled it herself, he assured himself.
Lina ladled the food in cream china and laid it on one of her stools. Netu drew the stool towards him. After a moment of silent prayer, he began to eat. Lina watched him munch the fried beans and plantain, ignoring her stare. It had been her way of caring, and it soothed him.
Netu finished dinner and drank a full glass of water placed next to the china. She offered another fill but he declined politely. He gave Lina a pat of appreciation, cleared his throat, and reclined against the wall by the bed.
Lina cleared the dishes and mopped up with diligence. After laying the china into a large plastic bowl of water on the main table, she took her place on the bench, but she did not pelt him with her worries right away.
Netu did not like her stalking. He wanted the game over with, and yet, he did not want to initiate anything he would regret; so he kept his calm.
The guest belched.
“Easy,” Lina exclaimed.
Netu noticed a rather seductive mood about her, though it was not her intent. Food makes one appreciate some negligible aspects of living – like beauty, he mocked himself. He had not seen this side of Lina until he had eaten. Hunger made him plunge into dark oceans of unappreciative brooding, which he did not understand. He had not eaten at home even when he could afford it; for, he wanted to eat Lina's food. Surprisingly, her pretty nature only struck him after he had assuaged the need. Crazy, he thought.
He studied her in an oblique way. The long black and white skirt she wore increased her five feet of height by some illusory inches. Her buxom build stood out particularly now. She wore a white T-shirt, like a nubile virgin in a maternity ward on her dark skin. Her long hair curled around her shoulders, and emeralds stood in as eyes. Lina’s aquiline nose accentuated her sexy eyes with a kind of spell on Netu, especially when he fancied the feel of her lips against his.
Lina soon got ready to quiz him. “I had a dream last night," she began, and pouted. "A knotty kind of dream..."
Netu sensed it coming. He had saved his wits for it. He showed interest. "Something good, I suppose?"
Lina shrugged. "I don't think so."
Netu winched. Her indifference spelt omen. "You don't think so?"
She nodded. "I'm afraid, no. Netu, you really have to be careful. I've told you this several times before, but you don't seem to listen. The dream has its harrowing implications..." Lina broke-off in a worried tone, fidgeting.
Netu noticed her hesitation, but refused to be frightened. "Can we get down to the dream bit by bit now?"
Lina heaved a sigh and then continued. "I had problems at first, trying to figure out the motive behind the chase and the fierce look of the two ladies until Anne's confession....I believe the tense atmosphere induced her confession. I’m certain it wasn’t voluntary....I see it as an explosive revenge instinct."
"The lady you referred to as Anne, what did she look like?"
He had a feeling he knew whom she referred to but did not want to hazard a guess without ample clues from Lina.
Lina thought for a while, her brow in a vague knit, and then she said, "She's petite, lithe, dark-skinned, her hair, not extensive..." Then she remembered more. "Yes, she had this piercing look, with her tiny but glazing eyes, and a smallish nose. I reckon she’s not more than twenty-five or thirty years.
"Anything else you recall?"
“No.” Lina almost saw the flicker of recognition in Netu's eyes. "Know anyone with such a physique?"
“No, I don't," Netu lied. "Never had a friend named Anne before."
He played with the edge of his black safari suit, tracing the lines of gray around the pockets and neck flap, evading her stare. In spite of his lowered gaze, he spied Lina. Her curiosity had been aroused by the guile she gleaned on his face. He knew that she would not be fooled this time by his good looks and pretense.
“You don’t sound convincing.”
"What, in God’s name, would make you think I lied to you?"
"Inkling."
"What inkling? Meaning I know the girl you saw in your dream? C'mon Lina, give me a break!"
"So you don't know any Anne or her friend, Agnes? And no woman gave you any gift she wants returned? Isn’t it intriguing the two came after you and not me or some other person?"
"I must admit it appears phony, but just how do you imagine I would've known what they came for when I still can't picture who they are physically?”
"Then let us skip this bit about Anne and Agnes, whoever they are. But you must remember to be wary of the skirts around. Promise?"
Netu conceded. "Promise. No skirts."
"I’m not so sure if I feel relieved now or not."
They were silent for a moment. Netu tried to appraise Anne’s ulterior motive in his mind. What had she given him and why did she flare up? If only he co
uld discover the one thing she had given him in Anne’s dream, he knew it would not be difficult to get it from her in real life. It would take only a sweet tongue and a little romantic concession.
Lina thought Netu confounded the whole issue with his fervent denial of his knowledge of Anne. With his denial, she had no reason to insist, and get herself upset.
Netu had a different thought. “Did you by any chance discover what the gift Anne allegedly gave me was?" he broke in.
"Not at all," responded Lina. "You forget so easily. I told you the ladies never gave me a chance to find out anything more than I've told you."
"Lina, sorry I ask so many questions. I'm just trying to get at something."
“I'm not upset, Netu.”
"Would you then explain the promotion thing Anne talked about?"
"Just the way I understood it, perhaps you would have to be sacrificed for her to climb higher in her power hierarchy."
Even though shaken on the inside by the revelation, Netu spoke in a smooth manner. "Thanks anyway for the hint. I'll be a lot more careful this time. Can't spare my neck for some mean girls, you know!"
Lina felt a surge of joy that Netu at last saw the danger inherent in her dream. "Don't you worry, we'll fight it together," she assured him, giving his hand a gentle touch.
Netu grinned. "I'm in your debt then?"
"I’m also in your debt.” Lina laughed like a temptress. “It makes us two indebted souls!"
Netu could not help but admit their indebtedness to each other, no matter how minor the debts were. He had come to her aid at a dire point in her financial and emotional life. Now, in reciprocation, she had warned him of imminent danger.
Less than an hour later, they boarded a Pen Station- bound bus at Ashi Park on their way to Salvage Road, off Bishi bus stop. Two months on the count, they had been visiting Loyeb Abe an ex-initiate of the Brotherhood together. Lina and Netu went to Loyeb Abe's home every week, fanning in secret the embers of the Brotherhood to which they all once belonged, despite their triangular cultural difference in Riagena, a richly endowed country of diverse pedigrees, the pride of the continent of Carifa.
Titan Race Page 6
