Broken

by Lola Lois Raphael

  The first thing he would do in the morning was to call her, hear her speak. He would do anything to hear her speak to him.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Henrie lied down on her back on the bed. She had not switched her phone on until Folarin was out of the house and she had taken her bath before the 'rush hour' which means you have to queue to use the bathroom. He had called her and she picked it up with trembling hands. ''Hi Charles,'' was the only thing she could squeeze past her throat. He had been so happy she picked up his call after deliberating missing his first two calls.

  ''Ada moved out yesterday,'' he had said and she had done a mental fist pump.

  ''Really? What happened?'' She lay down on her back, her hand rubbing small circles on her stomach. To say she was not glad Ada moved out is a lie, but last she knew she had no intention of moving out. She listened as he relayed the events of the past two nights to her. ''She slapped you? You probably deserve that.'' She said thoughtfully.

  Charles sounded incredulous. ''I do? What gave you that idea?''

  ''That girl moved in with you because she is expecting something you couldn't give her. I also got mistaken about your relationship because every time you two are referred to as a couple she never says anything and you don't either so I thought you are together. Getting into another relationship would not be easy for her because she would have pushed away any suitable suitor.''

  ''That was more or less what she said,'' he groaned. ''I am moving out too. It is getting extremely difficult living with Richard and he doesn't want me around, I can tell and I can't blame him. It's just that?''

  ''Can we not talk about Richard?'' Hearing his name hurts and she wasn't about to cry, at least not today. Are you not supposed to be at the Office?''

  Charles could tell she was upset and he shut his eyes tight, pinching the bridge of his nose. ''I happen to be free now so I can talk to you, also I don't mind talking to you all day.'' He said softly. She didn't make any response but he knew she was still there. ''I love you Henrie, I don't want you to forget that.'' The click on his phone told him she has disconnected but not before he said what he wanted to say to her. He smiled to himself at least they are making progress.

  For the next week they talk on the phone everyday with Henrie mostly running off, but they are still conversing and that is what matters. He makes sure he sends her a text every night and he always remind her that he loves her even though she never say the words back to him but he still have hope. He moved out of the house and Richard had not even bothered to say a word to him. He wanted desperately to pick up the phone several times to inform their mother of the huge rift between his brother and himself but he hasn't, he found it so hard to talk to her about the cause of their problems. It has been a month she has been in Lagos and she had never said anything about coming back to Ilorin and he did not want to push, he would leave her be until she realizes that she loves him back and then she will come back to him.

  Charles had tried to patch things up with Ada but she has been behaving so difficult. She wouldn't pick his calls, refuses to reply to his text messages and Ade has made it clear he doesn't want to be involved in their mess when he had sought his help about apologizing to her and he then decided to give her more time.

  ***

  It has been a month that Henrie had been in Lagos and she was still jobless. She was getting frustrated and on the verge of losing her mind because all she ever does is sit at home, unconsciously wait for his phone call, feel sorry for herself, sleep, do chores. Her life has a routine and she is sick of it. None of her interviews so far has proved productive and she is tired of prowling Lagos' street looking for jobs. She started feeling like a burden to her cousin and she knew she have to do something, she can't help but feel like a failure. Henrie has gotten in touch with her friends through her Facebook contacts, she was happy to talk to them and they also seem happy to hear from her although they had talked her ears off about how she had disappeared without a trace. Everything seem so boring and dull for her and she doesn't like it one bit.

  Henrie started hearing noises and she stood up, locked the door and stepped out into the compound. The overweight woman running the restaurant was screaming at one of her workers while another man she deduced must be a customer stood a short distance from them. She had both of them in the compound and was yelling at the top of her lungs. ''You have started again,'' she waved an accusing finger at the young girl. ''you want to send me back to my village without a penny, but God will not allow you, you this wicked girl.''

  The young girl was trying to free herself from her boss' deadly grip on her. ''I am telling the truth Ma, ask him.'' She pointed to the man who was watching the scene with a bored expression on his face.

  There are other tenants around, watching the scene. One of them asked the question that was on everyone's mind. ''What happened here, why the yelling and screaming?''

  ''It is this girl, she wants to ruin my life but my God will not allow it. I helped you by bringing you here to make a better life for yourself and you are here trying to ruin me, is it a crime to help someone?'' She held the girl tighter not caring about the squirming girl's attempt to free herself.

  ''What happened?'' another tenant asked. ''You are just accusing her without telling us what happened.''

  The woman turned to him with a fiery look. ''If you don't have any better thing to say please go back to your room. It's not your fault, had it been you have a job you will be at work not meddling in other people's business.'' She gave him a look of disdain.

  The younger man approached her. ''Mind your tongue this woman, I don't care that you are a married woman if you repeat what you just said I will slap you and you will land in the hospital.'' Snickers can be heard from the other people present

  ''You are wasting my time here.'' The other man who has been silent before spoke up and all attention was diverted to him. ''I want my money back not this drama and if you don't provide my money I will lock both you,'' pointing at the woman, ''and your workers up.''

  At this, the woman started beating the girl while she started screaming at her. ''Me getting locked up because of you eh? None of my family members have ever been locked up and you want me to be the first to see the inside of a cell abi?''

  The girl was screaming and sobbing. ''I did not take his money,'' she repeated over and over. One of the tenants a woman pulled the girl away from the woman. ''Ah ah Mama Ibrahim beating her is not going to solve the problem, don't kill her and are you sure she took the money? I have known this girl for a year now and she seems responsible.''

  ''Oh oh, have you seen any thief with a placard of 'I am a thief' on his forehead, hand or chest?'' Mama Ibrahim asked.

  Henrie turned to the man, ''Excuse me Sir, did you say this girl took your money?'' at his nod she continued. ''This is a restaurant how did she managed to steal your money right under your nose? Did she slip her hand into your pocket or what?'' Everyone was quiet now as they waited for the man to reply.

  ''I have been eating here for years and this has never happened before,'' he began. ''this afternoon I was here as usual and I dropped my wallet on the table I was eating on, this girl,'' he pointed an accusing finger at the sobbing girl, ''was the one who served me and the only person who came to my table. I was about to leave and I wanted to pay for my meal but my wallet has disappeared courtesy of that thief.'' He explained. ''I want my money back or else I will storm this place with Police officers.'' He said threateningly.

  ''How much is in your wallet if I may ask?''

  ''?1200,'' the man replied. There was murmurings and chuckles from the tenants. Henrie herself expected him to name a huge amount of money but ?1200 and he was bent on involving the Police? Henrie turned to the girl, ''Did you see his wallet?''

  ''Yes Ma, I saw it but I did not pick it.'' She answered.

  ''Have you searched inside the restaurant? It might have fallen down or something?''

  ''What is the meaning of that? Are you tell
ing me that I am not smart enough to know that she stole from me?'' the man was glaring at Henrie now. ''Look here lady, mind your own business and let me handle mine.''

  Henrie ignored him and turned to one of the younger boys in the compound. ''Please help search inside the restaurant maybe you can find his wallet.'' The boy and two others nodded and went inside to search. A few minutes later they returned with a worn wallet. ''Is this yours?'' Henrie asked the man as she held the wallet up after one of the boys handed it to her.

  The man suddenly looked uneasy. ''Of course it is mine,'' he made to snatch it from her but she held on tighter. ''give it to me now.''

  ''Where did you find it?'' she asked the boys.

  ''Inside the dust bin,'' came the reply.

  ''How did it get in there?'' was the murmurs to be heard.

  ''She threw it in there of course,'' the man said what he believed should be clear to the people.

  Henrie opened the wallet after another failed attempt by the man to snatch it from her hand. She brought a ?100 note from the wallet. She turned to look at the man and he was shifting from foot to foot. ''I thought you said you have ?1200 in here, how comes the only money in here is a ?100 note?'' She gave him an incredulous look.

  The man tried to move back but the three boys were suddenly behind him, hindering his escape. ''I don't know how that happened. She must have removed ?1100 .'' he said without any conviction.

  ''You are a thief,'' the shop owner ran towards him and latched onto his clothes. ''so you think you can dupe me abi? You claimed one of my ever efficient, honest workers stole from you whereas you don't have money in the first place. You wanted me to pay you that ?1200 and you will then pay for my meal with my money eh? You are dead, thief, thief.'' She started screaming.

  The man fought her grip and wanted to run away but the three boys caught him and dragged him back. ''Beat him to death, in fact I have kerosene in the house, we should burn him.'' A male tenant offered.

  ''You don't have to do that,'' Henrie said, trying to calm the people down. ''you can't just kill somebody because he steals.''

  The boys were already hitting him and the man was writhing on the floor. ''He is a thief and he deserves to be punished.'' One of the boys said.

  ''He is indeed a thief but you are not the right people to punish him, he should be handed to the Police officers.'' She knew they are seriously contemplating burning the man. ''Do you want to be arrested for murder?'' she asked the boys. At their horrified look she continued, ''that is what you will be arrested for if you kill that man.''

  The shop owner went to the man, standing over him. ''If I ever see you in my shop again I will deal with you ruthlessly, useless thief.'' She spat at him, grabbed the girl and entered her shop.

  The man was thrown out of the gate and amidst recounts of the incident she went back to her room. That girl is really fortunate that the truth was revealed, people would have been looking at her like a thief. She shook her head and collapsed on the bed, staring at the ceiling. She really is about to go crazy with nothing to do.

  That night when the restaurant closed, the girl came to Henrie. ''Thank you for what you did Ma, may God bless you.''

  ''Thank God,'' she replied and smiled at the girl. ''You have to be careful when it comes to dealing with customers.''

  ''Yes ma, I just wanted to thank you. Good night.'' She walked away slowly and Henrie sighed. Poor girl.

  That night when Charles called her she relayed the event of the day to him. ''That is sad,'' he said. Henrie dreaded him asking her what she feels about him and every single time he asks that she sever the call connection. She knows she is being a coward but she can't help herself, trusting a guy has become so difficult for her. The first year she and Richard started dating he was the perfect guy and she couldn't have wished for a more perfect guy. He says the right things, treats her right, attentive, caring, loving, gentle and the whole Prince Charming package and she never for once thought it was all a fa?ade. She had jumped at the idea of moving in with him, expecting their lives to be the same as it was when she was still living alone. The drastic change occurred in him few months after she moved in and until she ran away. What assurance does she have that Charles is not like his brother? What if his patience and care now is just a lie to get her and what if he becomes something more terrible than his brother?

  ''Henrie, are you there?'' His voice jerked her out of her abstraction. She couldn't reply him so she did what she always does, she disconnected.

  After that night she stops picking his calls and after several attempts by him to talk to her he starts sending her text messages. She does read them, even anticipate them but she was still much of a coward to pick his calls.

  ***

  Henrie alighted from the taxi and grabbed her bags. She beckoned to a bike man and he came to her. She gave him the directions to Joan's house at Gaa-Akanbi and she got down there, paying him and dragging her bags in with her. Joan had told her where to find her house key so she just entered the room. She put her bags away and finally heaved a sigh of relief. Her brief stay at Lagos felt as if it was Six weeks spent in Rehab, she has a clear head now at least that is what she is telling herself and if she were to be completely honest with herself she doesn't see herself living in Lagos for the next 100 years. She has not been picking Charles' calls for two weeks now but she never misses his messages, and as she doesn't give any replies to his texts, he had no idea that she was back. She badly wanted to see him and that is just what she will do. Richard had shown her his office once when they drove past it so she knew where it was, she is still feeling nervous about his reaction when she shows up without informing him. She is having second thoughts already and she pushed it away, she just wants to see him, even if it is once. Richard has been sending tens of message to her on facebook and twitter but she had not even bothered to read it, yes that chapter of her life is closed, never to be opened again.

  Henrie changed her clothes, refresh her makeup and got out of the room. She walked the short distance from Joan's house to the main road and flagged down a taxi. ''Offa Road,'' Henrie got down in front of the building that houses the chamber he works in and stood still, she is here already but she just can't seem to get her legs to move towards the building. She inhaled and exhaled for what felt like an eternity before she finally moves towards the building. Henrie took the stairs slowly and entered the lobby. The reception area was spacious and she could see different doors at each angle, each with a name tag of the Barrister whose Office it was. She saw his door and his name tag, C.O. Agbaje. What is the 'O' in his initials? She wondered.

  She knocked gently on the door to his Office and she found his Secretary's desk to the right of his own office. The lady looked up at her from what she was typing as she slowly approached. ''Good day Miss,'' she managed to say.

  The lady fixed her a bright smile. ''Good afternoon Miss, please what can I do for you?''

  ''Hmm, I am here to see Char, hmm, Barr Agbaje.'' She cleared her throat, hoping this lady doesn't see her as a fool.

  The pretty lady smiled at her. ''Do you have an appointment with him?'' She didn't bother to check his Calendar or hers because she knew she doesn't have one.

  Henrie said what the girl already knew. ''No I don't, I just,'' she broke off. She made to turn back the way she has come. ''Never mind, I will just go.''

  ''Excuse me Miss, please wait.'' The Secretary called her back and she turned, fidgeting with her hands. ''Your name please?'' After she told her she picked up the phone on her desk. ''I will give him a call if he can see you or not. Please sit.'' She motioned to the big couch at the left side of his office and Henrie sat down. The Secretary dialed his office. ''Excuse me Sir you have a visitor?no she doesn't have an appointment.'' She listened briefly, ''I believe it is for personal reasons Sir. She said she is Henrie Daniel?I heard that right, Henrie Daniel.'' She gave Henrie a wide-eyed look. ''She is still here, she?'' she gave Henrie an apologetic look. ''He disconnected,''
<
br />   Ah, she was about to stand up when the door burst opened and there he was. He has taken off his Suit jacket so he had on a white shirt and black pants. Henrie and Charles stared at each other for what seems like an eternity. The Secretary was courteous enough to give them her side as she continued with whatever she was doing before her arrival. After what felt like ages, Charles motioned her in. ''Come in Henrie,''

  Henrie's foot have a mind of its own and she felt herself walking into his office. Charles closed the door and stood in front of it, watching her. He doesn't even know what to say, he had been comforting himself with the fact that even though she is not picking his calls there is no way she won't be reading his texts, seeing her here all of a sudden was a boost to his humble self. ''When did you get back?''

  Henrie was facing his desk so that her back was turned to him. ''What is your middle name, the 'O'?'' She asked.

  ''Olamide,'' came the reply.

  His Office was spacious as well, a huge mahogany desk, his own chair and two comfortable chairs in front of the desk for his clients. There were big portraits of the President, the Governor and his mother, nothing of himself and nothing of his brother. She could feel him behind her but was still much of a coward to look back and face him. ''That is beautiful, I love the name.''

  ''I love yours too,'' he said from behind her. He was dying to look at her face again but he knew she intentionally had her back to him and he wasn't about to push her. ''Aramide.''

  Henrie turned to look at him over her shoulder. ''How do you know that?'' Not even Richard has ever referred to her as that.

  Charles had the decency to look embarrassed. ''I have a book of yours in my possession and your names is on it.'' He wasn't about to tell her how he got that book, what would she think of him?

  ''Book? Which book?'' Which book of hers could be in his possession? ''Which one?'' She turned her face ahead so she doesn't have to look at him.