ENIOLA: Beauty For Ashes

Chapter One

The music had dulled into a soft tune in the background signaling the half drunk, half high party monsters that it was either time to get a room at the nearest hotel or go home.
Eniola wished she could go to a hotel, go to the moon even, anything to keep from returning to hell...or home as she was forced to call it. She glanced at her watch.

2:00 am.

Oge was sprawled out in an undignified fashion on one of the chairs, giggling like a fool as some guy toyed with her ear. Oge and one night stands were 5 and 6.
"Oge, I'm leaving" she said.
"To where? Let's just book a room jhoor" Oge replied. She was seriously wasted.
"You look like you could use a room" Eniola replied, raising a disapproving eyebrow at her partner.

"What of the guy you were with? Where is he?"
Oge asked.
"I don't know what you're talking about and I don't want to know. Be safe Oge, I'm out of here."

She knew what Oge was talking about alright. She just didn't want to think about it for the time being.
A couple sat on the hood of her car, making out like secondary school children. She watched them for a minute, amused at their display. They wore rings, so she assumed they were married.
Amusement turned to jealousy, then to anger. "Get off my car!"

The startled couple jumped off and hurried past her, mumbling apologies. The fact that they even apologized made her feel immediately stupid for yelling like that. It wasn't their fault that she had a shitty marriage.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have screamed at you like that. It's just...been a long night" she said. They smiled at her and walked away.

The drive back home was long, because she deliberately took a longer route to buy as much time as possible. Hopefully Kunle would be too drunk to notice her.
The scene she met when she arrived at the house annoyed and comforted her at the same time. His bloody red Porsche was still running, parked directly on top of the new flowers she just planted three days ago. The gate was wide open and the poor security guard was trying to clear up the soil splattered everywhere.

"The safety of the house and sand on the ground, which is more important Emeka?" she said as she drove in.
He rushed to close the gate, apologizing as he moved. He double checked the locks on the small monitor by his post then came to see if she had anything in the car she needed him to carry.
"Sorry ma, oga came in not too long ago and just...I had to drag him into the house because he was so drunk, he nearly hit himself. So sorry ma"

You should have let him hit himself. Maybe he would have had a concussion and died on the spot and I'd finally have peace.

"It's okay. Is he awake?" she asked.
"No ma, he passed out in the parlour. Do you want me to take him upsta-"
"Mm mm. Leave him there abeg. Don't stress about the compound. It's very late. You can clean it in the morning. Just re-park his car and go and sleep. Thank you"

She made to leave and turned back quickly.
"Emeka"
"Ma?"
"If he asks you what time I came back..."
"Don't worry ma. I know what to tell him"
She smiled in appreciation and entered the house.

Kunle Adewunmi lay on the floor, completely knocked out, looking like raw chicken that was pulled out of a garbage dump.
Weren't light skinned men supposed to be attractive?
Dragging out a long hiss, she walked up the stairs to the bedroom.

                        *******************

You know that kind of sleep you sleep where you slept but you were aware that you were sleeping so it felt like you didn't sleep at all?

Yeah.

Eniola lay in bed for about twenty minutes, trying to decide if she should go back to sleep or get up.