Feelings
Thought of Sen. Madu running out of energy struck in his mind. He could imagine him squatting out of fatigue and hunger after the gym. He could sense a handsome, smart boy taking his place at the gym. In a moment of outburst he said,“I don’t like ba…” He held his breath. He wanted to call Sen. Madu baby. He meant to say I don’t like baby leaving for the gym without breakfast. He held his breath and locked eyes with Aku as the fear that captured him soured the salmon in his mouth.
“What is ba?” Aku asked, as quietness roamed around them.
“I meant to say baba. I used to call my late father baba,” Nku had s sign of relief and then continued with his salmon.
Aku smiled and white gap teeth sparkled forth. “Talking about your late father; I can see you miss him very much. I would fain know what you miss about him.” Sound of cutlery knocking on ceramic plates was the only noise she could hear as she earnestly waited for Nku to respond.
“Nothing. He voluntarily retired as a police officer. He wanted life on a fast lane to success. Thirty five years of civil service shouldn’t be his drive. When we left Kaduna for Enugu he soon became an alcoholic and died at a time mum and I needed him most. Fathers like him are the reasons youths are out on the streets hustling for nothing. Mum started roasting plantain at Abakpa; that was how my art of cooking started.
“Oh roasted plantain. I love that. Can you actually prepare that?” she asked in British accents.
“Yes of course. My mum knew cooking was my gift when customers frequented my plantain than hers.”
“Good,” she said and admired his red water melon lips. She wondered if witches and wizards bled it often and on. “What about education?” she asked.
“I never saw much of that after my primary school. Mum said education was meant for the rich, even the free education in its original sense meant fee education. I had loved roasting plantain and then I decided to make ends meet as a chef.”
Nku stopped and a hush of quietness hung in the kitchen. He listened carefully to hear if any horn just hooted, if any engine just buzzed into the compound. He was missing Sen. Madu for the first time. “What about your…” Nku did not want to complete it, but Aku had perfect perception of the reality surrounding her barrenness.
Her face pinched. “What about my children, eh?” she asked Nku and he shook his head. “Like your education I haven’t been seeing much of them. I am yet to survive from such a heavy punch from nature. I wish to run after naughty children, change diapers, have them wee into my mouth while in bed together I have been climbing the mountain of sex with Senator Madu yet coming down with nothing. He is sixty and I am fifty six yet we don’t have our own children, even if it be an imbecile,” She said as tears of anguish could not let her keep up with her words. Nku walked up to her and held her face. “Life isn’t complete. Life isn’t complete,” she reaffirmed as Nku wiped endless tears. She felt the soft palms of the cute cook for the first time, the messages-to-Mary it sent to her heart, and the undiluted heat it troubled her spine with. The thick smell of onions and maggi around him and the luxuriant hairs she touched on his hands seemed a better cradle bed.
Nku held her Mary-kayed face. “I think a cold shower would pep you up.” With his hands holding her face and controlling an unimaginable ecstasy, Sen. Madu barged in on them with a resounding horn outside. Nku quickly parted. “Like I said going in a cold shower will pep you up.” He said hastily and started dishing out Sen.Madu’s breakfast from the microwave
Aku held her bust and had a walk.
When Nku came to the dining with his breakfast, he met Aku massaging Sen. Madu’s legs. His jealousy was shrouded in his smiles and Sen. Madu could read meaning into it. He stared at them briefly and grinned before dropping the tray. “Breakfast is served I will be in my room,” he said, looking straight into Sen. Madu’s eyes. That I will be in my room was meant for Sen. Madu and it was already flogging him in the heart.
“I am ok, now,” he said to Aku, pushing her on the shoulders, as he watched Nku walk away. Aku insisted by resisting his push. “Oh I am ok. It hurts and I am starving.” He pointed at the breakfast and gently stood up.
“How was your work out?”Aku asked, dishing out the food.
“Great,” Sen. Madu answered briefly.Nothing should delay his meeting Nku in the room. He quickly sat down for breakfast and started devouring greedily.
“How did you injure your shin?” She asked, sitting next to him.
A bulged mouth of salmon could not let out a word. He shook his head. “Discuss later. Remember table manners,” he said, trying to gulp down crushed salmon in his mouth.
“I will be in my room then.I need a cold shower to pep up.”
“Oh see me right behind you,” Sen. Madu said and smacked his thick lips after sipping at the mug of coconut drink.
Nku reluctantly answered his door. He was ready to pick up a shindy with Sen. Madu. He opened the door for Sen. Madu and walked back to the bed, behaving all shirty.
Sen. Madu walked right behind him. “Heh what is wrong? She was only massaging my shin. That shinty game I played did not favour me. I am sorry,” he said, holding his face and using his wobbly eyes to write love letter on his red lips. Nku wanted to nag yet further then Sen. Madu held back his nag with a finger on his lips. “Shhh…. I know I left for the gym without breakfast which you don’t tolerate. See if you can flog me after seeing this,” he said and raised a white bag. “Here is Gucci Bee Sneakers and Dsquared Technique Sneakers and…” He had a huge smile and sighed,
before bringing out a pink G-string. “And this will keep you sexy for me,” he said and smiled powerfully.
Nku collected the gifts with his mouth agape. He stared all around them and finally saw their price tags. “They are expensive, baby.” He held the G-string like an arm bag. “Oh I love this!” He hugged him and held his waist. The heat that held them together was beginning to steam. “I love you. I can always take a bullet for you, even if my hand is pulling the trigger,” said Nku.
“Oh come on. I can get you another life. It isn’t a wish but a calling.” Sen. Madu said, hugged him and stamped a kiss. The heat was now enough to make two lovers sweat. The force of love pushed them into the bed and it creaked under their weight. For the first time in his life Nku could feel the power of a strange love conquering the falsity of self-resistance and the sheer feelings he had for Opula. He shut his eyes and grinned hugely as Sen. Madu groped through his body. Earth searched for her peace when Nku opened his mouth in endless moan.