Chike saw my picture on a mutual friend’s DP and asked to connect with me. It was on BBM.
The first time we chatted, he kept making me laugh. There was nothing magical because I wasn’t thinking anything. It was so humbling to have him chat with me though because I knew he was a busy person. But of course, when na girl matter, busy no dey dictionary. He checked up on me constantly. We were friends for about a year as I was still trying to get over Henry and his multi dramatic footprints in my life.
Chike took me for dinner once and I told him we needed to be careful. I didn’t want unnecessary gists about both of us flying around. So we mostly did private dinners in my house. I was done with the public. I wouldn’t give them any news about me EVER! Unless it was one I wanted them to know.
Chike wasn’t magical in any way. In fact, I will say I had to recover with him. His life was mostly clubs, parties, studio, drinks, girls, hotels, hanging out with friends etc. It was the entertainment industry lifestyle. Sometimes, he would invite me to go to club with him and I would decline. I never went with him. Chike wasn’t also a fine guy. He was tall and hardworking. At least, he had a vision.
Whenever I was around Chike, I hardly saw girls and that was weird. For a guy of his status, I expected that girls would be at his beck and call. I summoned courage to ask him about his girlfriend.
At first he tried to deny that he didn’t have one. That should have been my cue but for the first time, I wasn’t paying attention. After much pressure one day, he gave in saying “She is now my ex but the girl dey give me wahala.” He said.
I asked him what he meant and he didn’t want to open up. He told me to just take the information he had given me. Since I heard ‘ex’, I felt he was still emotional about it.
One day, I visited him at home for the first time. His apartment was really nice. The walls were painted white and it was so beautiful with little pops of matching colours here and there. He had good taste for designs and furniture. I appreciated that.
As he shut the door, he faced me and reached to embrace me. I noticed a bandage on his finger and asked what happened. He said he mistakenly cut himself with a knife. But I had looked into his eyes while he talked and I knew he was lying. He couldn’t even look at my face. I let him know he was lying and he laughed. Well, he eventually opened up.
Chike was dating a cultist. He was trapped. He said they weren’t together anymore but the girl just wouldn’t let him be. She had beaten him before, tried stabbing him, slapped him and now she slammed the door on his finger.
Whooooooh! Such height of violence from a woman! I won’t lie, that moment I felt the urgent need to run home. I didn’t want double wahala and definitely didn’t want to be a dead body.
He said they had finally broken up and he was getting better. I really felt for him. Chike was a really tall man. His body looked good whenever he went to the gym but Akpu and beer won’t let him be great. I imagined how the lady would have climbed or jumped to slap him.
Chike and I got along really well. After two months, he asked me out and I agreed. His friends were really happy for him for whatever reason. I won’t even romanticise this one. Chike was draining. You think Henry was jealous? You haven’t met Chike. He was also a liar too.
We had organised an event where Tuface was to perform and we were putting finishing touches to that event. The stage, lighting, ushers, Tuface’s welfare etc was all that was on our minds. Chike was to perform too as he did a project with the legend.
Now due to Chike’s lifestyle and how girls messed up around him, he felt every girl was that way. He was always accusing me of having something to do with Peter. I told him Peter was like a brother and that there was nothing he could do about that. I wasn’t going to let him ruin my friendships. That was in the days of Henry. Not anymore.
That night, Chike was angry for no reason. He was just so restless. He kept monitoring me like I was the one with his destiny but that didn’t bother me. I was talking with Peter as we walked towards the junction so we could go to our houses and get dressed for the event. Chike ran after us, stopped Peter and said he wanted to talk with him. Peter excused himself and I gave them space.
After a few seconds, they started raising their voices. The next thing I saw was Chike hit Peter so hard, he started bleeding. Chike kept screaming “Stay away from my woman. This is your last warning”.
My God! What is all this ehn? Chike kept calling me to come back as I walked home with Peter. We had to buy water for Peter to wash his bleeding mouth as a result of the punch from Chike. I kept apologising for everything as we walked home and we didn’t go for that event again.
Chike later apologised to me and I told him to find a way to cut down his ego and apologise to Peter as well. Men. They are blessed with the gift of reconciliation.
But this wasn’t the one that almost led me to my grave.
Oh, Chike!!!
To be continued…
