Chapter 22
TIME SEEMED TO CRAWL by. Barely twenty-four hours had passed since Esi had left, and Michael felt her absence so strongly that he hadn’t been able to do much work. He felt almost as helpless as the day he’d met Forest Girl. He needed Esi’s presence; nothing more.
I love her.
His heart danced as he repeated the words to himself. Now, he was certain of it. He prayed this trip wasn’t her way of running away from him. He whiled away the time by watching documentaries on TV.
It was some minutes after five, and he hadn’t eaten; he didn’t feel hungry. He’d never felt this way before, and the mystery of it perplexed him.
The telephone rang. Thinking it was Osei, out to tease him again, he took his time answering.
“Mike!”
It wasn’t Osei.
“Lena?”
She spoke fast in a voice trembling with terror as she asked him to come over as soon as he could.
“Lena, what’s happening?” he asked with concern.
“Hurry, Mike. I don’t know who else to call.”
He heard a click. She’d hung up.
He didn’t wish to see her, but thinking she might be in danger put some worry in him. What if she were being attacked by robbers or her house were on fire? She’d be defenceless. If some kind of danger had befallen her, and he could help, he had to.
Quickly, he threw on a shirt and drove away without bothering to leave a message with Ama Bonsu.
****
Michael approached the house gingerly. There was no noise coming from inside, but the lights were on. That had to be a good sign. What was going on in there? Had he done right in not informing anyone about coming here? If he walked into a dangerous situation, like armed robbers holding Lena at gunpoint, he’d be powerless. Different grisly thoughts came to mind.
He knocked on the door gently, but no reply came. He knocked a second time with more intensity, and still, there was no answer. After a third attempt, he tried the latch and found the door to be unlocked.
His ear twitched, and a chill ran down his spine. The house was quiet—too quiet. Shit. He should have called Osei. Was he walking into an ambush? The sitting room looked neat and untouched. A frown came across his face. Something told him to go back home, but he had to make sure Lena was okay. He’d already entered the house, after all. It was the least he could do.
He shut the door silently and checked the kitchen and dining area. They also appeared intact, which left the bedroom. Without thinking, he walked towards her bedroom and peered in. Nothing seemed amiss, so he entered like he’d done so many times before.
The sight that met his eyes stopped him cold. The room looked different—more feminine. A hint of a sweet-smelling fragrance lingered in the air, messing with his senses. His gaze found Lena standing in front of the dressing table, wearing an unfastened morning coat.
She faced him triumphantly.
“I knew you’d come,” she said in a low, seductive voice.
“What’s the problem? Why did I have to come here so urgently?” He found himself speaking in low tones, too.
“I’m okay now that you’re here. I just needed you.” She held open her garment to expose well-rounded breasts.
“This was a joke?” Michael’s eyes narrowed in annoyance. How could he have forgotten how well Lena could act? He should have left then, but his legs didn’t seem to get the message.
“Sit down, will you? How about a drink?”
“I don’t want a drink,” he answered.
Lena shed her gown and stood naked before his eyes. He stared with disbelief and licked his lips. Shit. He knew he wasn’t supposed to be in Lena’s room, especially with her naked. He took in all the curves that had once drawn him to her, her firm breasts, her nipples dark and alert. He remembered the way she felt and tasted. Like one bewitched, he fed his eyes on her nakedness as she reached him, slipping her hand into his trousers to feel the beginning of an erection.
Despite himself, he groaned.
“That’s right, big guy,” she teased, applying just enough pressure to give him pleasure, and he trembled.
Until this moment, he hadn’t realised how starved for love he was. He closed his eyes for a second, letting his body get used to the pleasure it was receiving. Her familiar smell brought less satisfaction than it used to.
This isn’t happening. But his pulse raced, and his temperature escalated. He began to breathe heavily.
“Sit,” she commanded.
Thoughts of Esi flooded his mind. How could he do this to her?
“No,” he whispered weakly and began to push her away.
Lena’s grip tightened where it hurt the most. He cried out in pain. His stomach churned. He felt a strong pang of hunger and sat. Her eyes dared him to stop her. Sweat broke loose on his forehead as she worked expertly at seducing him. He realised with disgust that she meant to take what she wanted regardless of his feelings.
Lena smiled as she unzipped him, exciting him against his will. She knew what she was doing, and the intoxicating perfume didn’t help. He began to shiver as thoughts of Esi continued to pour in like refreshing rain. She was the one he wanted to make love with.
His hands moved over Lena’s buttocks to her arched back. He thought about Forest Girl. If he’d married her, would he be in this situation? He would have treated her well and not have strung Lena along for those few weeks after returning to Accra. He’d have had a happy marriage. Yet, this wasn’t her fault.
His hands rubbed Lena’s back. She moaned with pleasure. She thought she’d won. Her hands travelled up to his nipples. He let out a heavy breath, then his hands closed around her neck, and he applied enough pressure to show her that he meant business.
Lena gasped, her face contorting as she attempted to prise his hands apart.
“Mike,” she croaked. “You’re hurting me.”
“Bitch!” he swore in her face and pushed her off him.
Sprawled on the floor, she held her neck, coughing uncontrollably. Anger made his body tremble. He advanced on her, and she scrambled back until he had her cornered. He grabbed her hair and tilted her head so that she was looking at him. She began to cry. He held her down, unable to feel sorry for her.
“If you try this again, Lena, I’ll kill you. You hear me?” he hissed into her unanswering face. “Is that clear?” he snarled.
This time, she nodded.
He released her and straightened out his clothes.
Lena stood and faced him. “Mike,” she called out, sobbing. “Please don’t go.”
He wanted to feel sorry for her, but the feeling was just not there, and for the first time, he knew he didn’t love her at all. He thought about Esi with renewed affection. His love for her had given him the strength to resist.
Noticing the embarrassing bulge in his trousers, he thanked his stars that he had a private car. He turned away, free now to go home where he belonged.
****
Sunday crept over the city of Accra like any other day, but it wasn’t any other day for Michael. Esi would return today, and he couldn’t quench the joy erupting from the depths of his soul. He wanted to go to church, but it had been such a long time that he felt he no longer belonged there. Besides, he wanted to be at home when she arrived.
On occasion, his mind settled on the unpleasant memories of what Lena had done—tried to do—to him. If he hadn’t been sure before, he was now. He and Lena were done. Hopefully, she knew that, too. Even though he missed Esi and desperately wanted her back, a part of him dreaded her return. Was he going to have to tell her about Lena? He feared her reaction. What if she didn’t believe him? The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her.
By three o’clock when Esi hadn’t arrived, the anticipation became unbearable. What time did ‘evening’ begin? As he sat in his study, Ama knocked and entered.
“Ama, how are you today?”
“Fine, thank you,” she replied with her head respectfully bowed.
“Have you eaten?”
“Yes, but…” She fidgeted. “Won’t you eat? You haven’t taken anything since yesterday evening, and Auntie Esi won’t be happy if she finds out that you have not eaten.”
Michael considered her argument. Esi had gone through the trouble of planning out the meals for the weekend; it wouldn’t do for her to meet him like this.
He ate, took a shower, and settled down to read a book.