Mrs Mahmud, Mrs Mas'ood

12

Kaycee switched off the room's main lights before she walked to the bed she had been sharing with its original owner for more than a month. She got under the covers and smiled when Afe pulled her against him. He kissed her hairline. "You okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah I am. I was trying to call Hauwa to know how the Sallah went but I think she's still at the dinner party." She pulled back slightly to look at him. "I'll call her tomorrow."

Afe simply stared at her, his love for her as clear as day. The Kaycee in front of him was calm and so beautiful; a woman he always wanted to protect. It was a side of her only a few people got to see and he was extremely grateful to be one of them.

"You miss her, right?"

She nodded. Her sigh was small, barely audible. "I do. I was trying to form tough guy but I really miss her. We've never been apart for this long and it's crazy how it's affecting me so much." She sighed again. "I'm glad she's having fun though. She deserves it." She then smiled at him. "And I get to be with you so..."

"Even if she were around, you'd still be with me."

Her eye roll was cute. "I pity you and this your ego sha."

"It's meant for only you. You can do anything you deem fit with it and with any other part of me."

She reached up to caress his cheek. Her signature small smile of hers messed with his heart. "You love me that much, huh?"

"Do I have to constantly say it for you to believe me? I've loved you for the longest time, Kaycee. Even though you can be very annoying..."

Her smile widened by an inch. "Tell me again. I can never get tired of hearing it."

"I love you."

"Since when?"

Afe sighed. "We're really doing this, huh?"

She nodded. "Ehen na. I just told you I can never get tired of hearing the story and you are asking me jamb question. Start talking, my dear. I'm listening."

Knowing he couldn't tell her no, Afe proceeded to tell her the story she had heard way too many times.

He noticed her for the first time in November 2017 when she came into the bank as a corp member. She and Hauwa came in the same day and there was only room for one person. Hauwa had the upper hand as she had the manager's recommendation letter. Kaycee was on the verge of tears when they told her she may be rejected and Afe was never going to forget how her teary eyes tugged at his heart.

Hauwa, the sweet soul, asked to speak with the manager and she took Kaycee with her. No one ever knew what was said but all they knew was that the discussion led to them creating one more space for Kaycee. She and Hauwa were inseparable since then. Afe was the one to teach them the ropes of the profession at the very start.

Kaycee's nature got to him. At first, he couldn't understand how someone could be loud and careless. He even said she was razz. However, towards the end of the service year he began to look forward to hearing her scream at someone or give a dramatic reaction to a piece of shared information. He began to like her laugh, her gasps, her eye rolls and the way pidgin rolled off her tongue so easily. She was good at her job too. She and Hauwa did so much and retainment was not even up for further discussion when it came to the both of them; it was automatic.

She always gave him a cold shoulder or tried to be rude. Afe – who assumed she wanted nothing to do with him – matched her energy until it got tiring. When it was announced that she was moving to Benin with Hauwa to work at the Airport Road branch, he thought of every way to get her to stay in Ekpoma until his confession stayed on the tip of his tongue. Kaycee, like always, brushed him off and told him to his face that she was glad she wouldn't have to see his annoying face in Benin.