GHOST (The Shadow in the Dark)

Part Twenty Six

       I did not want to think about the DPO’s text message. I needed to sleep and prepare for my classes. But I could not sleep, I kept thinking about my adventure with Ghost, somehow I knew I was already lost, I was already encapsulated by him and I was in love with him. I was even missing him and I felt like calling him to come hold me close because Ibrahim was no longer working. I should feel bad but I just could not. I never knew love was that powerful, I never knew love could take away sleep from someone’s eyes. My phone blinked.
‘Missing you already.’
I did not reply because he would know I was not sleeping and he would know I was thinking about him. My phone blinked again.
‘You read my message, meaning you are still awake thinking about me, you can’t let love distract your studies, you have lectures soon.’
I started laughing but stopped when I saw the time. It was already 7:00AM. The curtain had prevented me from knowing stores were already opening for the day. I rushed to take a shower.
   Dr. Bright was already in class when I got to the door. I joined the rest student waiting outside. He turned to send us away but paused when he saw me. He told everyone late to get inside. Ken waved at me and as I joined him, I just could not imagine what else Ghost had done to the poor lecturer. I remembered our conversation. I had never heard of any Special Force Unit of the Nigerian military, yet he said he belonged to a special unit known as the Circle. Then his childhood spent surviving on the streets, it made me remember Ibrahim had walked three days under rain and sunshine and hunger before he had arrived at his uncle’s place. He once told me if he had known I was the treasure he was going to meet, he would have ran all the way with joy. I remembered the story he told me about the night his family was attacked and the mysterious thing that had happened to him. He said it was real and I had believed him….
“Ella.”
It was Ken. I turned to look at him.
“Did you even listen to Dr. Bright’s lecture?”
The answer was a big no, I had been carried away.
“Jeez, it’s all over your face.”
“You mean?”
He did not answer, he just stared at me and I saw the hurt in his eyes. I watched him pack his notes and I also watched him leave the hall. I ran after him and caught up with him on the first floor at A series.
“Ken I’m sorry.”
“Ella you don’t owe me an apology, you gave me a hint but I thought I could still change your mind. I know there is no hope for me.”
“What about the part of being friends?”
“It’s gonna be difficult Ella. My feelings for you are genuine and I need time, being around you hurts.”
I watched him walk away and I felt guilty. My phone blinked.
‘I think I might like him.’
‘Because you won?’
‘Hurray! I need to tell my brothers and sisters, I won. Party time. Finally!’
I could not hold my laughter, those coming down from the stairs looked at me with suspicion.
‘It was a question, stop deceiving yourself.’ But the message bounced back as not sent.
  As I walked to my next lecture I wished he was joking about telling his family that I said yes. Somehow, I wanted the kind of family he had. That was why I was messed up, what I wished for was also what I did not wish for.  I felt a pang of guilt anytime I saw Ken. My course mates were already whispering about our breakup. I felt his presence during my last lecture and my mind and body felt filled up. I felt so elated, this was what love felt like.
   As I walked out of the hall, I got a text from him.
‘Can’t wait for my working time.’
I ignored the fast beating of my heart and took a cab to All Saints’ Chapel. I felt him throughout service and it felt like I was committing sin. I had to beg God for forgiveness.
    He was still there even after I had entered my hostel. I only knew I was very hungry when I entered my room. I could not believe I had not taken anything. He had been to my room because everything was properly arranged. I sent a message to him.
‘You are distracting me.’
‘Same here.’
“Why are you invading my privacy?’
‘Why is your room always scattered?’
I shook my head and entered my kitchen to prepare jollof rice. There was no need arguing with him.
My phone blinked at exactly 8:30PM.
‘I’m waiting love. Come with extra clothes.’
I was never going to get use to my heart leaping in response to that word.  He was on the bike with his big load.
“Time to continue your lesson. You look hot, are you trying to seduce me?”
I did not answer, I just joined him.
“I like your shyness Emmanuella.”
“Let’s go.”
        As he fixed the tent I entered the river, it felt so cold and I had to use my will to force my body not to retreat. I got to where the water was touching my knees but before I could go further he stopped me.
“Ella don’t. I need to check the water and you don’t have your goggle.”
I was already out before he finished talking, I could not believe I forgot the danger that might be in the water.  He came to join me at the bank and gave me my goggle. After sending what he had called his eyes to the river, he pulled me to him.
“You scare so easily Emmanuella.”
“When are you going to stop calling me that?”
“Never, get used to it.”
“You don’t do things the person you loved don’t want.”
“The water is safe, time for another lesson” and with that, he pulled me to the deep.
For what felt like forever, he taught me, I practiced and by the time he called for a break I could at least swim a little. The tension was much but he chose to ignore it while I struggled to ignore it. He told me to change before I got cold.
“Where?”
“I won’t watch.”
I looked at him but he was already swimming towards the third creek, then he disappeared from sight. I quickly took the waterproof with my clothes and ran behind the tent to change. It was when I was through changing I remembered the tent was transparent, I turned to see if he kept to his promise, he was really a gentleman. I tried to find a way to enter the tent but could not so I had to wait for him to swim back to the shore.  
        He pressed something in his wristwatch as he got close to the tent. I wanted to ask him what that wrist watch was made of but I froze. He was pulling off his shirt. Then his trousers. I turned and ran inside panting. He joined me without putting on another clothes. Just another trousers.
“Can you put on your clothes please?”
“Does it bother you?”
This was not the time to pretend.
“Yes and normal guys pull their clothes before swimming then put it on after swimming.”
“Why do you not want to believe I am not normal guys?”
His chest was distracting me. There was a scar at the side of his left ribs.
“What happened?”
“I don’t understand.”
I moved close to him and placed my hand there, then raised my head to tell him I was asking about the scar but paused. We were too close and our lips were just an inch away from each other. For the first time, I was the one who took his lips. I felt a shock as I touched his bare back, the shock wave went through my whole system. I became lost with lust. I pushed him to the ground and deepened the kiss. The contact felt like a need, a necessity. It was more intense because I was resting on his bare chest while savoring the sweetness from kissing him. I felt another shock when he grabbed my cheek with both hands deepening the kiss. I started running my hands across, his hair, his shoulder and down. He seized my hand as I got to his waist.