What Love Did To Him – Episode 3

#EPISODE_3

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“Wow, so you mean you bought me all these?” Rukayat asked leaving her mouth wide open, ” Yes” Gabriel replied with the broad smile on his lips, ” she will love me after today ” he thought to himself, ” Also take this” he stretched the ten one thousand naira notes to her ( Ten thousand naira). ” Maga don pay today” Rukayat thought to herself with a visible smile, ” Oh Gabi, thank you, you are a darling, I

love you” Rukayat hugged him. ” I have finally gotten her at the right spot” he thought to himself and smiled ” I l…..” He had wanted to say something but he

stopped, the words seem to be hard. ” Thank you so much for these” Rukayat appreciated once more as she started packing the things into her bag, ” You are welcome” he slowly said, something pinched him, his eyes opens in realization and to face reality, ” That was my life savings” he thought to himself.

••••

“Ma, for all I know, I haven’t done anything wrong to you. You just came in here to assault me, Ma, am I not young enough to be your daughter, if someone had done this to your daughter, would you have loved it?” Queen asked the middle aged woman still in tears, she was trying to hold them back. ” I dont care, just repair my phone and let me leave here” The woman barked, ” Am ain’t repairing it, leave my shop with your phone” Queen suddenly flared up in anger, she had thought the assault was getting to much. It has now become a daily routine for customers to always come into her shop and abuse her, some even take advantage of the fact that she was a female to cheat on her, most especially the guys. ” What did you just say?” The middle age woman asked her in shock, she never believed Queen would stand for herself, she had gotten rumours from customers that anyone could use and cheat Queen to their own advantage. ” Ma, this is my shop, and am asking you to get out” Queen barked as she dried the tears on her face, the woman took a long stare at her and when Queen realized she was hesitating to go, she pushed her out. ” How dare you?” The woman asked standing outside the shop and being guarded from coming in by the iron protector gate which Queen had locked immediately she threw her out. ” Please Ma, dont come back” Queen shouted as she sat down and thought of which of the phones on her table she should repair first. ” You will certainly regret this” The middle age woman barked and walked away in anger. ” Everyday starts with problems ” she hissed as she picked up a phone whose Touch needed to be changed. ” How on earth did I even agree to collect 3 thousand for this?” She asked herself as she tossed the phone on the table, just then her phone rang and came on. ” Hello Samson” she greeted with a smile, she was obviously happy receiving the call..

•••

” keep the greetings abeg, I just wanted to let you know that I ain’t interested in you any more, you are so boring,always frustrating, I dont want you again. Imagine the way you snubbed me on phone yesterday, you are just useless” The caller voice echoed while she opened her mouth in shock. ” Samson for Christ sake, I thought you would be calling to apologize, you know the nature of my job, you know how

stressful I am after work each day and yet you called me yesterday night not to have good time with me but to insult me and accuse me of something I dont know, but here you are calling to break up, go ahead, go ahead and break up with me, I will still surely live” She shouted angrily over the phone, ” Wait, you won’t beg?” Samson asked, ” Nope, am ain’t begging this time, its like am forcing myself on you, do whatsoever you wish” she answered angrily. ” Fine then, go to hell” Samson voice reverberated and he put an end to the call. Queen stared at the phone as the call got disconnected, tears soon started streaming down her eyes for the second time in the same day. ” I wan repair my phone o” A customer shouted from the iron protector, ” I have closed for the day” she answered him with a teary eye, ” But its just morn…..” She interrupted him, ” I have closed for the day ” She

shouted this time as she got up and locked the main door leaving herself in darkness. ” Should I call him back and beg?” She asked herself in the dark, ” No, I shouldn’t do that, I am a lady and I have my pride” she thought to herself as she stared into the dark, not actually into the dark, but into the empty promises Samson had made to her ” I promise to always cherish you” his words echoed in her ear as she stared more into the darkness of her shop..

•••

He suddenly started to sweat, ” That was my life savings ” he thought to himself again as he stared at the items he had bought for Rukayat. ” What type of evil have I done? ” he asked himself with a smile of regret across his lips. ” Thanks again” Rukayat appreciated once more, ” Like seriously, Gabriel, that is your life saving” he heard a voice say to him, a voice from within. ” Are you gonna watch it waste like that?” The voice came again, ” Sit down now” Rukayat’s voice brought him back from his thought, he staggered a little and sat beside he with a weary smile on his lips. ” What were you thinking about?” She asked him , ” I was just trying to remember if I did my assignment” he quickly defended, ” But we weren’t given assignment yesterday” She reminded him, ” Ehen, yes I know, that was why I was thinking, because I remembered I didn’t open my books yesterday ” He quickly defended himself again, ” But guy, you just gave her your life savings” The little, tiny voice came again. ” Why didn’t you tell me when I was buying the things for her?” He shouted back at the voice not realizing he had said it out loud, Rukayat immediately turned to him..

•••

who are you talking to?” Rukayat asked moving her eyes round the hall , there was no other person there apart from them. ” Dont mind me, I remembered some movie I watched yesterday ” he quickly defended himself while Rukayat stared at him

with a suspicious look. ” Okay” she breathed and went out of the class. ” But like seriously, that was my life savings” he thought to himself and tears swelled in his eyes.

Ever since then, Rukayat had been more closer to him, she now created time for them to talk as lovers, gives him attention in class but not without a price. Gabriel provided her with all her need, he showered her with gifts he bought with the little money that got into his hands, or whenever he was extremely broke, he stole his father’s own just to make Rukayat happy always. Rukayat on her side never bothered to ask where the gifts were coming from, she always took them happily.

° ” Gabriel are you doing the right thing? “He stopped to ask himself one blessed day as he was about to steal his dad money as usual, not about to steal the money, he has already stolen the money and was holding the two thousand naira notes in his hand, he was staring at them like they were strange. ” wait, I have actually turned a thief ” he observed as a sorrowful smile formed on his lips, ” When did this start?who did this to me?”he asked himself again as he dropped back the money in his dad shirt. “just because of a girl?” He opened his mouth wide in amazement and walked to his room ” I won’t do this anymore, I promise” he assured himself as he laid on his bed, ” But she will leave you o” A voice spoke inside of him, ” So? Let her leave me now, she can’t even leave me, she loves me. Rukayat is a good girl, she won’t leave me because of money ” he spoke back as he stretched his hand for Tende the flute. He soon stopped playing halfway, as he stared at himself and laughed, ” So I have actually been stealing?He asked himself and laughed out again. ” But wait o, what if she calls to ask for something?” He asked himself after the laughter, ” I will tell her I dont have now” he answered himself. ” What if she leaves me because of that?” He asked himself as his facial expression suddenly changed, ” She can’t do that, not after all I have done for her” he assured himself again. ” She can’t” he repeated slowly, ” What if she does?” He asked himself, ” She can’t” He shouted , loud enough for only him to hear…

••••••

it was on a fateful Friday, the Friday of the same week he had quitted stealing, he was playing a sort of soccer game on his phone when it vibrated, it was a call from

Rukayat and the smile on his lips confirmed it. ” Hello Ruka” he greeted as he picked up, ” Gabi, I want to subscribe o, and I dont have money” She started without even greeting , ” Am sorry, I also do not have money” he told her, it was more like a whisper, ” Okay then, if you say so” she ended the call. ” You see, she can’t leave me just because I have nothing” he thought happily as he laid on his bed. It was after the fourth time of him telling her he was broke that she gave him

her breakup message, ” I am not interested anymore” she said boldly over the phone, ” Why?what have I done?” He asked her with a teary voice, ” Nothing, I just dont love you again, I have found a guy that wants to take care of me” she explained with all boldness. ” Oh God, should I resume stealing? ” he asked himself, ” Nope, I won’t offend God for her” he answered himself. ” Okay, if you say so” he told Ruka who was still on the line, ” Okay then, it has been nice knowing you” she shouted and the call ended. Gabriel stared at his cell phone for some minutes and out of anger, threw it heavily on the tile floor, the phone scattered into pieces. ” No!!” He shouted as he hit his head angrily on the wall, his nose started to bleed, he kicked the door angrily and threw away his standing fan, he threw away anything he could throw and hit his head on anything, ” I love her!!!” He shouted and immediately, his door flung open to reveal his mom . ” Gabriel, what is this?” She asked In fear , on seeing her , he immediately rushed towards her and fell into her hands thereby, staining her white top with his blood. ” What is wrong with you?” She asked angrily as she held him tight to her body, but he wasn’t answering, she realized his body was Stive, he had passed out. ” Gabriel!!” His mom shouted as she held him in her hands.

So that was his trajedic love life, though he still always felt the emotional pain of losing Rukayat but he has promised himself never to let love weigh him down again. He would always occupy himself with either his flute or get busy writing stories on Facebook groups with his phone…

•••

He stared at his door as his mom left him after giving him the news of going to uniben, he had actually wanted to go to the university of Ibadan, not for any reason but just so that he would at least get to be seeing Rukayat since she was also putting in for ibadan. No matter how hard he tried, he knew he still got something for her and wished she would just call him one day and tell him : Hey Gabi, I ain’t breaking up any more. But it was never so, she never called again. ” I guess I just have to go to uniben” he concluded as he stood up from the bed and walked towards his wardrobe ” I dont know what is scattered here, everything, she will complain ” he murmured to himself as he packed his clothes from the floor.

°°° The smiles on her face showed she was happy, she had finally gotten the money to acquire the post utme form to Uniben. She hurried down to the cafe and met the boss who was operating his system, ” Good morning sir, I want to buy the uniben post utme form” she blurted out happily while the man stared at her with a confused expression ” They have stopped the sale of the form, you are late ” he told her, the money dropped from her hand and she bursted into tears..

TO BE CONTINUED

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