GHOST (The Shadow in the Dark)

part thirty six

I froze afraid to turn and discover I had hallucinated his voice.
“I said it, now you look better.”
I had to turn, I had to confirm my insanity. He was real. He was sitting on my plastic chair, legs crossed, his hand on his jaw with elbow placed on his knee and he was staring at me. He was on black T-shirt and black jeans, his regular clothes. I had never seen him on anything else. He was same with that silicone face the night Emeka was shot. I started panting as I sat up slowly afraid he was the fragment of my imagination, afraid he would disappear. He did not move, just stared at me. I touched the hand holding his wrist and held something solid, there was hope because he had not yet disappeared. I slowly touched his neck and felt his pulse. He was still there and there was pulse to indicate he was real. I remembered where he was shot and tried lifting his T-shirt but he seized my hand making me gasp because his reaction was so sudden.
“This is called sexual harassment. You touched my hand I did not say anything, you moved to my neck, I still did not say anything now you want to naked me. You can continue if you want me to do the same to you. He stretched his hands sideways.
“I’m waiting…”
I threw myself against him, crying and screaming his name.
“That is not what I meant. I was…just forget it.”
He held me rubbing my back and allowed me to cry.
“I can’t believe this, this is a dream, I must still be dreaming. It’s not possible. You can’t be alive. It’s not possible.”
“Impossible is literally not in our dictionary. Wild and Major tore it out. Can you explain that word?”
But I cried more.
“But how? How are you alive? I saw the wound, your stomach was torn and there was so much blood and your sister said you were dead, how?” I cried.
“My will is stronger than my body, that was a big advantage because I refused to leave and Wild’s command powered up my will. I just could not leave you a virgin. I just could not imagine Ken or someone else having what is mine.”
I pulled away and looked at him. I was shocked and short for words.
“You have to make a joke out of everything?”
“I seriously don’t understand why you guys keep taking my words as jokes, what is the joke here?”
“You survived that horrible bullet wound because you could not leave me a virgin and because you did not want someone else to have me.”
“And where is the joke there? I am damn serious, that was all that kept occupying my mind. There was no way I was going to die after skipping and waiting for the right time, I needed to reap the fruit of my labor. It gave me reason to fight or should I lie to you?”
I started laughing. I had to hold my stomach and wipe the tears from my eyes due to laughter.
“To think there must be something normal about you.”
“Absolutely nothing normal about me and being normal would have killed me.”
I threw myself against him again and resumed my tears, then pulled back.
“Please can I see it?”
“Doubting Thomas.”
“Please, it’s too good to be real.”
“Only if I see yours after.”
“Ghost like seriously?”
But he stood up from the chair and climbed my bed. He used his hands as pillow and stretched his legs.
“I want to sleep. You gave me a sleepless night. I’m still recovering” he said closing his eyes.
I stared at him, then pinched my arm, then pinched my cheek, then watched him again, then touched his neck, then slapped my cheek, then took my phone and snapped him just in case, then looked at him again, then touched his hands, then tried climbing the bed but stopped. My phone was ringing. It was Ken. He was so surprised that my voice was sounding healthy. I tiptoed outside and told him he was alive. I had just explained everything to him including his reasons for not dying when I remembered Ghost was his rival. But Ken was laughing so hard. I did not understand what was wrong until the repeated Ghost’s reason and I joined him to laugh. He said his heart was literally tearing but he was happy I would at least live. He said it was better than my death which he was always afraid of but I could hear the hurt in his voice. I started apologizing but he stopped me and told me he had some businesses to attend to.
    I ran back inside, afraid I must have stayed too long and he had disappeared. He was still there.
“It was a waste of time going outside cause I heard everything and I owe Ken a lot, a debt I may never be able to pay.”
His eyes were still closed. I slowly climbed the bed. He pretended like he did not notice until I started moving his top.
“You have finally changed your mind about your promise to Grandma?”
“I just want to see, please.”
He opened his eyes and stared at me for long. Then, he raised his T-Shirt himself.  I had an appendix operation when I was sixteen and the mark was still there but Ghost’s own was looking more swollen and glaring and long and many, like up to five different stitches like someone sowing a cloth torn from different sides. It was still a bit milk color not yet skin color. I placed my finger on one of the stitches, the most glaring and longest. I started tracing it, tears already flowing from my eyes.
“Does it hurt?”
He did not answer, he just stared at me. I bent my head and kissed it making him jerk. I felt the shock too, it electrified my body and sent liquid flame to my unmentionable part. I raised my head to apologize but he suddenly pulled me to him making me rest on top of him. He claimed my lips without warning and I surrendered to the flame.  
     Same way he suddenly claimed my lips was same way he stopped pulling me gently away from him. I heard him swearing making me more inflamed. I gave myself brain and climbed down from the bed while struggling to stable my fast breathing. His stomach was still open and the scars were staring at me.
“I’m sorry, you are supposed to be mad and pissed off, I don’t deserve your presence, I’m sorry.”
I started crying, I felt all kinds of emotions I could not explain. He pulled me back to the bed and placed my faced on his neck while rubbing my back.
“I’m more grateful Emmanuella. I thought I would be late, if I had taken the time to pick my other gadgets I would have been late. At that moment, every second was important. I was happy I was right on time. I wouldn’t have been able to take it if you were shot, if I was a second late. I could not safe your family and I am sorry Emmanuella.”
“No, don’t make it about you, I’m the one at fault. I read the story, you were the one Musa called the messenger of death. I should have read and followed up on everything, I shouldn’t have listened to the DPO. It was all my fault. You were the one who gave them justice.”
“I was the one who couldn’t safe them.”
“Just stop it, please. I’m the one apologizing here. Just be normal and accept I’m at fault. Your sister told me, she said you were placed on induced sleep. You suffered too, I’m sorry. I should have checked the file, I should have been mad at the bandits not the whole tribe. I’m sorry” I cried.
“Okay, so how do I do it?”
I raised my head.
“Do what?”
“Act like I’m normal for once, cause I have never been normal, you have to show me.”
“You should at least accept I was wrong, then forgive me.”
“I accept you are wrong and I forgive you. Gosh being normal sucks.”
I could not hold my laughter. He was real.
“Can I see your face now?”
“No.”
I raised my head to look at him.
“Why?”
“Marry me Emmanuella.”
That was not how a normal human being proposed but he was not normal.
“I can’t marry who I don’t know.”
“Okay, then tonight” he said standing up.
“You will show me your real face tonight?”
“No, something else.”
“I don’t understand” but he had already opened the door.
I just did not understand what he meant, he just left me hanging. I stood up and opened the door but did not see him, I only felt his presence.