Rena Library

09/08/2020

Hello famz👋

M having problem wit my phone
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If yhu are a story writer,pls signify so u can keep d group lively before I g*t a new phone

27/07/2020

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24/07/2020

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One more episode for today

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24/07/2020

DEAR
JOCELYN
Episode 22
By: Faith Lucky.
Audrey's Pov:
She barged into the house and looked around the sitting room; it was empty. I came running in immediately.
"Mum! What are you doing? There's no one here" I said in a pained voice and tried holding her hand but she withdrew it forcefully.
"Get out of my way Audrey; don't try to stop me" she said and walked into the bedroom.
I was panting heavily. I was definitely going to be dead if I get caught.
"Mum..."
She came out of the bedroom and went into the kitchen.
I suddenly paused. Why hasn't she found Rodney yet?
she came out of the kitchen and walked outside the house, looking left and right.
I rushed out as well.
I had also become confused. Where was Rodney?
"You're really here alone, right?" She asked, turning back to look at me and I tried to act a little upset.
"Mum! What were you even thinking? Who do you think is here with me? The reason I'm still here is because I'm off duty for now. But I'll be leaving in two hours time. Why do you think I'd lie to you? It seems you don't trust me anymore" I said in a peeved voice and threw my face away.
She sighed and held my cheeks.
"Audrey baby; I'm so sorry okay? It's not like I don't trust you. I...I just had a bad dream last night
"Um...I'm sorry now. Don't be mad at me anymore, okay?" She said apologetically and I forced myself to.to . smile.
I just wanted her to leave as soon as possible.
"it's okay mum. I'm not angry anymore".
"Awwn. That's my baby" she said happily and gave me a peck.
"I'll be leaving now okay? I'm running late for work. So take good care of yourself. Love you" she said.
"Bye mum" I replied and she left.
I heaved a huge sigh of relief as I watched her leave. But, where was Rodney? Where did he go? How come mum couldn't find any trace of him?
I hurried back to the house and there I found him smoking in the sitting room. Huh? Was that for real?
"M...Mr Rodney?" I called, startled.
"Were you here when my mum came in?"
"Of course. Where else could I be? I was hiding" he said and I found it unbelievable.
"Hiding?":I pondered.
"Yes. I saw when your mum arrived unheralded and with the look on your face, I knew you were in big trouble if she knew I was here. So, I decided to do you a favor and go into hiding". He replied but I still remained a bit muddled.
"But where were you hiding Mr Rodney? She. ..she searched everywhere" .
He cracked and almost laughed.
"Hiding isn't a problem for me, Audrey. Back then when I was with Jocelyn, we did crazy things together. There was a day we even got arrested."
"Arrested?" I shrieked.
"Yes. Well, kind of. We had snuck into someone's house to steal some mangoes. But unfortunately, we got caught"
He paused and laughed, but I could tell it was a feigned laugh.
"By the way," he continued.
"Where's the pasta?"
"It's. ..um...its right here. I'll get to work immediately" I replied and started walking into the kitchen and noticed Rodney was following me behind.
"No, no, Mr Rodney, I don't need you in the kitchen" I stopped to tell him.
"But why? I just want to be of help" he grouse.
"I really appreciate the offer, but I'd want to take the blame for any error that might be available. Don't worry; I can handle it" I replied and walked into the kitchen.
"Whatever. Fake miss chef" I heard him say from behind and I laughed.
Megan's Pov:
I played with my food as I had breakfast with mum and dad. Although, I was seated there, my attention was elsewhere.
I haven't been able to reach Rodney since he left and it was killing to know he was with a lady. I was greatly bittered with the way he's been ignoring me for years. I've been trying to.to get close to him, but he's been pushing me aside.
"Megan, are you alright?" Dad broke into my sad thoughts and I lifted my eyes to look at him.
"I'm...I'm fine' I replied weakly and took my eyes back to my food.
"You're not eating" he said but I remained silent.
I was scared I might pour out tears if I tried speaking.
"Yesterday was the day Jocelyn went missing" mum said after a while.
"I almost forgot" she added tearfully and bent her head.
"Come on love" dad tried to console, but she only ended up bringing out tears.
I couldn't take any more of it as I pushed my food away and stood up.
"Ex...Excuse me" I said ruefully and walked away.
"Megan..."
I ignored dad who was calling and walked away into the garden.
I crossed my hands and sniffed and wiped the tear that rolled down my cheek. Why was everything being so unfavorable? And why does her world appear to be crumpling?
I kept staring into space until one of the maids came upto me and bowed.
"Good morning ma'am Megan" she greeted politely.
"Someone's here to see you. He's waiting by the g*te".
I heaved and touched my forehead. I didn't feel like talking to anyone at the moment.
"Who's he?" I asked, sounding disturbed.
"He said his name Is Peter".
Oh! Peter. He was one of the guards I had assigned to look for Rodney. could there be any news?
I left the maid there in the garden and went over to meet him by the g*te.
"good morning ma'am" he greeted as we moved away from the g*te.
"Yeah morning. Why're you here?" I asked immediately, wanting him to go straight to the point.
"Um...actually, I've gotten some news on Mr Rodney's whereabouts. One of my men reported he had seem him in a club last night with a lady".
My eyes beamed.
"Wh...What lady?" I asked curiously.
"He couldn't identify her. But they were together and he secretly followed them to where they're staying and has given the location to me" he replied.
I couldn't believe my ears. My heart raced fast as I became too anxious. I was finally close to.to getting Rodney and the cheap sloth.
"Why're you just telling me about this?' I asked, opening my palm.
"I'm sorry ma'am. But the information just got to me this morning" he replied
"Well, take me to them immediately".
TBC.
Sorry for the late post. We're experiencing electricity issues.
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One more episode today

24/07/2020

DEAR
JOCELYN
Episode 21
By: Faith Lucky.
Audrey's Pov:
I woke up the next morning and noticed I was lying on something big and comfy. It felt like a bed.
I yawned out of sleep and opened my eyes and that was when I confirmed I was really on the bed.
But how did I end up here? What even happened last night?
I left the bed and went into the sitting room and there I met Rodney, operating his phone.
He was sitting on the couch and he lifted his eyes to look at me the moment he heard my footsteps.
He shot me a stare and took his eyes back to his phone.
"Um...good morning Mr Rodney" I greeted nervously and couldn't tell why.
"Oh; morning. How're you feeling?" He replied and asked, still looking into his phone.
"I'm...fine".
I paused and looked around.
"Um...Mr Rodney" I continued.
"Where did you sleep last night?".
I knew he wouldn't sleep on the bed with me..so I was curious to know where he slept.
He looked at me and chuckled as if I had asked an unbelievable question.
"Really? I slept on the couch" he replied and I flinched.
"Huh? B...But why?" I asked.
"Well, what do you expect? You warned me strictly to stay clear of the bed and even went ahead to tell me I had no respect for making you sleep on the hard chair."
My eyes dilated in surprise as I held my chest.
"I...I...I did? B...But how?" I stuttered and Rodney went back to operating his phone
"Um...Mr Rodney, wh...what else did I do last night?" I asked and he scoffed and stood up.
"Can I even list them? They're uncountable. Just one piece of advice, Audrey, stay away from alcohol" he said vacuously and walked away to take his bath.
I sunk myself in the couch and hit my head. How could I be so careless? Only God knows the crazy things I must have done last night. Why did I even end up drunk?
I sluggishly stood up and went into the kitchen to tidy it. I tried recalling what happened the previous night but couldn't. The memories were just blur.
But I really hope I didn't do anything out of the blues.
I spent a long time in the kitchen, trying to remember the previous night incidence.
I could remember singing in the bar, then I had started dancing crazily in front of Mr Rodney and next...boom! I can't remember . but I have a feeling I did crazy things.
I placed my hand on the kitchen table and looked through the window in front of me.
"What are you thinking?" I heard a voice from behind and turned in shock to see Rodney standing by the door.
He leaned on the edge and stared at me with those sparkling eyes of his. I couldn't stop staring at his eyes.
He was through with his bath and had changed into a jeans and red T-shirt. His hair was still wet.
"Uh...I was just...thinking of something" I replied and cleared my throat and took my eyes to the floor.
Rodney scoffed and I wondered why.
"Um...Mr Rodney, I need to go home for a..."
"for a what?" He interrupted, still leaning on the doorway.
"Why do you always go home to take your bath?" He asked and I cringed.
"M...Mr Rodney..."
"Do you think I'm a pervert?" He interrupted me again and I couldn't hide my nervousness.
"Uhm...Mr Rodney, I...I think you're getting it all wrong. It's not that I think you're a pervert. Of course, you're not. I'm just..."
I paused and sighed, realising I was out of words.
He smiled.
"There's nothing to be scared about, Audrey; feel free around me" he said and moved from the doorway
"Be quick with the bath. I'm starving already. You can make use of my soap" he added and left the kitchen.
I placed my hand on my chest and tried to control my breath. I couldn't tell why I was so nervous about it.
What if...
What if...
Kept running through my mind.
I decided to wave every neg*tive thoughts aside and act like everything was normal.
I went into the bathroom and changed into one of my aunt's towels and walked into the bathroom afterwards, making doubly sure I jam locked the door.
I took off my towel and turned off the shower. My aunty's house was small but lovely.
When I was done bathing, I went ahead to find something to wear.
I checked my aunty's wardrobe and found the only short that could fit me. Then I wore a black T-shirt on it and parked my hair in ponytail.
I opened the door and walked into the sitting room and there I found Rodney operating his phone again. But the moment he noticed my presence, he lifted his eyes to look at me and he stared at me from head to toe, uncannily. Like, I could tell he was staring at me in a different way.
I looked down at my dress and noticed it was a bit short. Could it be the reason he was staring at me that way?
"So, what are we having for breakfast today?" He finally broke the silence, taking his eyes back to his phone.
"Um...I don't really know. Maybe pasta" I replied and took my eyes around the room and that was when I realised the room had been tidied up.
Wow! Did Rodney really do this?
"Just pasta?" He asked and tapped the chair for me to sit.
"Are you asking me to entrust my breakfast to you? Remember you ruined my lunch yesterday".
"Come on Mr Rodney, you know yesterday's lunch was complicated. Just give me one more chance and I'll prove to you I'm a good cook.' I said and he chuckled and turned to face me properly.
"Okay then. Let's give it a try. Pasta for breakfast" he said and I smiled.
*
I rushed to a nearby store to get all the ingredients I needed for the pasta. Pasta was my favorite. So, I knew I'd be able to impress Rodney with it.
As I walked back home, I thought of Rodney. I wandered why he had been staring at me that way.
But I liked the way we had become...maybe, friends. But thinking of it, are we really friends?
Well, to me, he was already a friend. But I didn't know of him and I wanted to know. I wanted to know what I meant to him.
Maybe I'll ask him when I get home. Yes, that's what I'll do.
Approaching the house, I heard someone call my name from behind and I turned to see the worst thing that could happen to me at that moment - my mum!!!
She stood with her hands at akimbo and stared at me with beady eyes.
"Mum; wh...what're you doing here?" I asked, confused.
I looked back at the house and looked at her. I could feel my heart beating fast.
"I thought you said you were going to work?" She asked as she drew closer.
"So, what are you doing here huh? Why aren't you at work?"
She sent shivers down my spine.
"Mum, wh...what are you saying?" I asked and chuckled nervously; but she wasn't smiling.
"I...I told you I was staying in aunt Tessy's house right? And I go to work from here."
"Yes? So why are you still here? Why aren't you at work? Have you been lying to me? Huh? tell me, who's in there with you?".
And before I could think of something, she walked pass me and barged into the house.
Oh, my God!
"Mum!!" I called but it was too late.
TBC.
Sorry for d late update
Two more episodes today

19/07/2020

DEAR
JOCELYN
Episode 19
By: Faith Lucky.
Audrey's Pov:
The drive wasn't really silent as we kept bringing up little chats along the way.
We had gone to the place where his car was parked on the night I found him and luckily for us, the car was still there. So, we made use of it.
Rodney dressed a little casual and wore a face cap; hoping he wouldn't be too easy to recognise. He prayed he wouldn't run into any of his relatives.
Soon, we got to the not - so - classic eatery and ordered for something delectable to eat.
"I'm sorry about the brunswick stew, Mr Rodney. I'm sorry it had to go to a waste" I said as I ate from my meal.
I was facing him.
"Oh, that's okay. But I still think it'd have been better if you had just admitted you weren't a good cook." He replied with a little jest.
"But Mr Rodney; you know it wasn't entirely my fault; right? Fine, the burnt taste was there. But the excess salt you added also affected it. If not for the excess salt, I know it'd have been eatable."
"And there you're totally wrong. Without the burnt taste, it'd have been manageable. You ruined it"
I heaved a heavy sigh. It was completely pointless arguing with someone like him.
"By the way, Audrey" he continued after a short silence.
"What's going on between you and my brother? I've noticed he gets so excited over you. He even told me there was a day you almost strangled him because you treated him for dinner."
Immediately, I coughed and almost poured out food from my mouth.
I lifted my eyes to look at him.
"He...He did?" I asked with a little cringe.
"Well, yes. And the way he had spoken up for you in the contest, I was like...wow'. He said and I smiled shyly.
"Um...Leo and I are just friends. He's a very nice fellow". I remarked.
"Hm. So are you trying to say I'm grumpy?"
"Oh, no; Mr Rodney. Don't get it twisted. Of course you're a very nice person. Your mother is so lucky".
he chuckled and almost laughed.
Hm. When will he ever get to laugh?
"Um...Mr Rodney, is Megan your best friend?" I asked and he shrugged.
"Well, she's a close friend from childhood. Why asking?" He replied and asked.
"Well, nothing. It seems she really likes you a lot" I said.
"Hm. What makes you say so?"
"You wouldn't believe what happened. She confronted me the other day in school because I was given a third chance in the contest. She was angry and felt I had an ulterior motif and with the way she had sounded, I think she was ready for a fight".
He shook his head and smiled.
"Well, that's just Megan for you. She's always been so troublesome" he said and I laughed.
"By the way, Mr Rodney; will Miss Vanessa really be coming for the next contest?" I asked.
"Yes. Is there a problem?"
"No. It's just that I really can't wait. She's one of my biggest inspirations and it's going to be an honor getting to meet her".
"What if she doesn't like you?"
"Huh? Come on Mr Rodney. Stop wishing me badluck".
And without realising, I used my spoon to hit his hand and he stared at me with surprise.
I gasped when I realised what I just did. I had been too jovial and had forgotten he was Rodney.
"Oh, my God! Um...I'm so sorry Mr Rodney I'm sorry" I stuttered and didn't know what to do.
He stared at me and let out a light smile and also used his spoon to hit my hand.
We both laughed.
Wow!
That was the first time I was seeing him laugh. And it was so...cute.
Oh, God! I wish I can see him laugh again. He was so charming when he laughed, but unfortunately he doesn't do it often. Jocelyn was really doing something to this guy's life.
"Are you still eating?":he asked after a while.
He was already through with his own meal.
"Oh, no. I'm filled up" I replied and touched my tummy
He brought out his credit card and gave it to me.
"Pay for the food. I'll be waiting in the car" he told me as he stood up and left.
I took the card and went to the reception, using their Pos for payment.
When I was done, I went outside to the car but couldn't find Rodney there. Where was he?
I looked around and found him nearby, just standing. But his attention seemed to be concentrated on something else as he kept staring in a particular direction.
I walked over to him and noticed he was staring at two kids playing at a distance. It was a girl and a boy and they ran around, giggling and laughing, so happily.
He was so engrossed in them and his countenance had already changed. His face had become pale and saddened.
I stood beside him and joined him in staring at the kids. I could feel the pains he was going through.
"TodayToday was the day she went missing" he started soberly.
"I was eight; she was seven.
"The place you had found me the other night was where it happened. We were just spending some time together,then some armed men came after us. We started running but she slipped and fell off the cliff. I tried to be of help, but couldn't. My Jocelyn was in front of me, pleading for help, and I couldn't do anything to save her. Right in front of my very eyes, she fell off. Right in front of my very eyes, I watched her go down the cliff. I lost her.
"I jumped off the cliff as well, not knowing what to do. I thought I could catch her. But that was the last time I got to see her.
"She was so adorable, the most beautiful girl I knew back then. She always called me Romeo and I called her Juliet.
"We had so many plans. As little as we were back then, we had crazy ideas. She always said she wanted our kids to look like me because I was too cute. We also planned on spending our honeymoon in Spain. She was so much fun to be with and I was ready to burn down a house just to spend as little as a minute with her."
He paused and sighed, releasing a little sniffle.
"She means the world to me" he continued more ruefully.
"And I see everyday as a miracle that I get to live with her. But I don't know how much longer that miracle can last. I don't know how much longer I'd be able to endure the pains.
"You know, there's just one thing I'm holding onto. The only thing that's keeping me alive is the fact that her body is still missing. If her body had been found at that time and she was confirmed really dead, I'd have died at the spot
"The only thing that's keeping me alive till this very time Is her missing body. But I'm not so sure how long I can hold on anymore because it's killing me slowly."
There was so much agony in his voice and a tear rolled down my cheek. I quickly wiped it off, hoping he didn't see it.
I didn't even know what to say. I was out of words.
I made a silent cough, trying not to sound tearful.
"Im so sorry Mr Rodney":I said fraily.
"But...I still think you shouldn't give up easily. I'm pretty sure if you were destined to be with Jocelyn, you two will get reunited".
"That's what I keep saying to myself" he resumed talking.
"For the past nineteen years, those are the same words I keep saying to myself repeatedly. But where's she? What happened to her?
"It's been nineteen years already, but there's been no word from her. If she were still alive, then where could she be? How's she doing? Who...Who's she with? How does she even look like? And how come she hasn't returned to me? Doesn't she remember me? Or doesn't she love me anymore? Or is she in any form of danger?"
He paused and sighed again.
"Sometimes, I feel it's Impossible she's alive. And I feel like falling off the cliff again without being saved because I don't want to live without her."
Just then, two young women came upto where the kids were and the children jumped into their hands, still laughing.
"Here you are. We've been looking all over for you" one of the women who held the girl said as she tickled her on her tummy.
"Mummy, I defeated Bryan in a game and he wanted to beat me because of it" the little girl said, still in her mother's arms.
"It's a lie. You cheated" the little boy said and they continued that way as their parents took them away.
Rodney kept staring at them until they walked into a corner and couldn't be seen any more. The pains flashed in with a double force.
"Watching Jocelyn fall off that cliff in front of my very eyes, is the biggest pain I've ever had to feel. And that's the pain that's been stabbing me slowly till this very moment. It's killing me and...I don't know how much longer I can endure it" he said conclusively and started walking away; headed for the car.
I hesitated a little so I could stop the tears that filled my eyes.
After that, I followed him behind and we got into the car.
This time around, the drive was very silent and it was a brooding one.
Rodney was even smoking and didn't mind the fact that I was coughing because of it.
I felt so much pity for him and felt sad at the way he had also become sad. I knew he was going through pains and I wanted to be of help. I wish I could relieve him of his pains even If it was just a bit.
Still driving, the car suddenly screeched to a halt; having a breakdown.
Rodney tried restarting the ignition but couldn't. He tried again with more force this time around, but it remained the same and he hit his two hands on the sterling in anger.
I was startled.
"Um...Mr Rodney, maybe we should check the engines" I told him as I opened my own side of the door to step out.
The litted cigarette in his hand was almost burnt out. So he lit another and stuck it in his mouth before following me out of the car.
He opened the engines and a light smoke came out of it.
He brought out water from the car and poured a little quantity in and started touching some wires.
I watched him as he did everything with impatience. He was so bittered.
He closed the engine and went back into the car and tried turning it on but it didn't.
He came out of the car again and kicked the tyres. He itched his hair and smoked deeply from his cigarette.
I suddenly became so scared. I've never seen this part of him before.
DEAR
JOCELYN
Episode 20
By: Faith Lucky.
Audrey's Pov:
"Mr Rodney..."
I tried saying something but the noise from a bar nearby interrupted me and made me confused.
I looked at the transparent bar and noticed the people were cheering a lady who was climbing up the stage.
She took a mic and started singing but her voice was kind of husky.
Oh! It was a singing bar.
I looked back at Rodney and he still looked restless. He leaned on the car and placed his right hand on his head.
I moved closer to him and slowly, placed my hand on his shoulders.
"I...I think you need to calm down Mr Rodney" I said.
He didn't say anything and didn't even turn to look at me. He just continued smoking from his cigarette.
I looked back at the bar and looked back at him.
"Um...Mr Rodney' I called.
"I...I think you're heating up. Why don't we have a cold drink in there?"
He still remained silent and looked away.
I felt hopeless and thought of holding his hand but felt scared to. What if he hits me?
"Mr Rodney..."
"I don't want to" he cut me off and looked away again.
I carefully reached for his hand and luckily he didn't resist.
"Come on Mr Rodney. Maybe it'll be of help" I said in a serene tone and took a step towards the bar, still holding his hand.
He followed sluggishly.
The bar was a little crowded but wasn't too noisy.
The lady on stage had rounded up her song and the people clapped for her as she came down.
I took Rodney to an empty table and there we sat, facing the stage.
A man climbed up the stage with a mic and the place became calm.
"Who's next?" He asked and about 12 people raised up their hands.
He smiled and pointed to a boy and the noise resumed as they all cheered him while he climbed the stage.
He collected the mic and began singing and I kind of prefer his voice to the previous lady.
He sang a lively danceable song and some of the people in the bar stood up and started dancing.
I smiled and looked at Rodney. If only he was in a good mood.
Soon, a waiter came and I ordered for cold alcoholic drinks.
I looked around and noticed a man was staring keenly at us. He kept staring at us until our eyes ran into each other's and that was when he looked away.
I looked at Rodney and noticed the cigarette in his hand was out. I sighed with relive.
Finally.
"Mr Rodney, would you love to dance?" I asked with a nervous smile but he didn't reply.
Really?
The waiter returned with the drinks and opened them on the table and after which, he left.
"You take alcohol?" Rodney asked and I couldn't believe I just heard him speak.
At that moment; it sounded like the voice of an angel.
"Um...just a little" I replied happily.
We drank from our glasses and I enjoyed the song going on, although I didn't know of Rodney. He still looked pale.
Soon, the boy singing on stage rounded up his song and the people clapped and cheered for him.
"Mr Rodney, why don't we sing next?" I asked and he scoffed.
The boy climbed down the stage and the man who acted like the emcee climbed up again.
"That was an awesome performance" he said into the mic and the people calmed down a bit.
"So, who's next?"
I looked around and noticed much hands were up this time around. I also raised mine and the man pointed to me.
"Oh! That pretty lady over there with a blue shirt. Why don't we give you a try?" He said and the people resumed cheering as I stood up.
"What are you doing?" Rodney asked, surprised.
"'Singing" I replied and shrugged.
I ran upto the stage and took the mic and waited for the ovation to calm down a bit.
"Um...good evening lovelies" I started ecstatically.
Rodney kept watching in amusement.
"My name is Audrey and I love singing a lot. The title of my song is Smile and it was sung by a Nigerian artiste named Simi. So some of the lyrics of the song might be in the Nigerian local language.
"I um...I hope this song is helpful to someone".
I cleared my throat and smiled and started singing and the instrumentalists picked up immediately.
Smile for me
Even if you're sad...
Be good to me
Even if you're bad
Stay with me
Even if you got some place to be...
Rodney's Pov:
A smile touched my lips as I watched her sing and dance so perfectly.
The whole place was calm and just her tiny magical voice ran through the room. And everybody was so engrossed listening to her.
She danced steadily to the song and it fitted her so perfectly. I kept staring at her the whole time and wished she never had to stop.
*
When she was finally done singing, the ovation was more than the others as not some, but all the people in the bar stood up and started clapping and cheering - including me.
I just clapped while smiling.
Audrey dropped the mic and rushed back to me, beaming with smiles.
"How was It, Mr Rodney?"she asked excitedly.
"You were awesome" I replied with a smile and she giggled.
"isn't that extra ordinary?" The emcee as he climbed the stage and the cheering increased.
"Isnt that extra ordinary? That was beautiful miss."
Audrey giggled and smiled widely, releasing all her teeth.
I Could notice she was blushing.
She emptied the drink in her bottle and coughed a little. I looked at her in surprise. She just raised down a full bottle of alcohol.
She called a waiter and ordered for another drink.
Then, somebody walked up to our table and tapped her.
"Im sorry miss, but you were awesome. Would you mind sparing us another song?" The average woman asked with pleading eyes.
"No ma'am. I'm sorry" she replied and laughed.
Why was she laughing?
She opened her new drink and started gulping it down immediately.
Another singer was called up on stage and the song turned the bar in to a disco hall as almost everybody started dancing crazily to it.
Audrey giggled as she tapped her feet and nodded her head.
"Come on Mr Rodney. Let's have a dance" she said excitedly as she stood up and tried dragging me along.
"I'm not dancing Audrey..."
"Come on"
she finally succeeded in lifting my up, but I fred my hands from hers.
"I'm not dancing" I said.
"You're not dancing? Fine; watch me then" she replied and started dancing.
She twirled and turned her body, laughing all the time.
Oh, no! She's drunk.
She kept giggling and making funny dance steps and although they were funny, they were interesting as well.
She continued that way and I found myself laughing. Does she even know what she's doing?
Soon, she almost slipped but I caught her by the waist and our faces almost hit each other's.
She laughed and pulled my nose and my eyes widened.
She was damn so drunk.
"Come on Audrey; let's go home" I told her as I made her. Stand.
"Huh?" She shrieked.
"But the fun's just getting started".
"You're drunk, Audrey" I told her and she gasped.
"How can you say that to me? How can you say I'm drunk? Of course I'm not. It's you who's drunk. Look, you didn't even finish your drink" she said and tried taking my drink from the table, but I stopped her.
"Come on; it's late already" I said and started taking her away, forcefully.
"Come on Mr Rodney; don't do this to me. I'm not drunk".
I kept dragging her until we got to the car and I pushed her in immediately.
"You're so mean!" She cried and hit my hand as I closed the door.
I looked at her with surprise and scoffed.
Alcohol is the worst thing that can happen to Audrey.
I also got into the car and was about turning on the ignition when I remembered the car had broken down a while ago.
"Damn!" I mumbled and hit the sterling.
I just decided to give it a try and surprisingly, it turned on.
I smiled with satiaton and took off immediately.
I looked at Audrey and she started singing.
Roll roll your boat
Gently down the stream
Merily Merily Merily Merily
Life is but a dream
I stared at her and laughed dryly. Where the hell did this lady come from?
She went on singing:
Roll roll your boat
Gently down the stream
If you see a crocodile
Don't forget to scream
And she screamed in such a way that made me screech to a halt.
"Audrey!" I called and she turned to look at me, smiling stupidly.
"Yes? Why did we stop? Are we home already?" She asked and I continued driving.
"Mr Rodney; where are you taking me?" She asked and hit her head.
"Oh! I forgot; you're taking me home of course".
She started humming.
"Should I help you drive?" She asked after a short while and I shook my head in amusement.
After some time, we got home and I saw it as a dream come true. I couldn't wait to get free of this log.
I came out of the car and went to bring her out as well.
"Oh! We're home already. Why didn't you tell me?" She asked as I brought her out of the car.
She kept staggering. So, I carried her up in my arms and took her into the house.
The room was dark and I kept her down so I could look for the light switch on the wall.
"Have I gone blind? Why can't I see anything?" She asked and immediately, the lights went on.
She screamed in fright and jumped on me, hugging me tight.
"Audrey, what's wrong with you?" I asked as I placed her back on the floor.
"Oh! Sorry, I thought it was a fire outbreak' she replied and yawned.
I took her to the bed and she sat on it.
"I think I need a shower" she said and tried taking off her shirt.
"Audrey, what the hell is wrong with you? ":I asked gobsmacked as I stopped her from taking it off.
"Why-re you acting this way Mr Rodney? It seems you're drunk" she said and laid on the bed, laying upwards.
I was sitting on the edge of the bed and she kept staring at me.
"Hey, do you have a twin brother mr Rodney? Why are you double?" She asked.
"And whys your head growing so big and small?"
I bursted into laughter and was almost unable to control it.
You can give the whole world to Audrey, but never give her alcohol.
"You know, Mr Rodney" she continued.
"I don't want you to be sad anymore because of Jocelyn. It hurts me a lot when I see you in so much pains.
"So from today, you can just see me as Jocelyn. You can start calling me Jocelyn if you want to. Just stop crying over her okay?"
I couldn't help but smile.
She yawned and laid sideways, sprawling her arms and legs.
"I need to sleep.
By the way, I'll be sleeping on the bed today. So, you're gonna have to make use of the couch. I mean, you're so rude. I'm the one being of help here, yet I'm the one who gets to sleep uncomfortable on the hard chair while you greedily take the bed all to yourself. But today, that nonsense has got to stop. So go and make use of the chair." She said dizzyly and I laughed.
Then she started singing.
A lion, a lion
A lion has a tail
It has a big waist
And a very small head...
A lion, a lion,
Small head...
And that was how she slept off.
I laughed uncontrollably and almost rolled on the floor.
Where did this lady come from? This is unbelievable.
I placed my hand on her hair and smiled.
I can't believe I was able to laugh again. She made me laugh again.
A while ago, I had been so scared and angry; but she took all the pains away and made me forget my worries. She made me smile again.
I looked into her face and smiled.
"Thank you, Audrey, for putting a smile on my face again" I said as I brushed her hair with my palm and planted a kiss on her forehead.
TBCDEAR
JOCELYN
Episode 19
By: Faith Lucky.
Audrey's Pov:
The drive wasn't really silent as we kept bringing up little chats along the way.
We had gone to the place where his car was parked on the night I found him and luckily for us, the car was still there. So, we made use of it.
Rodney dressed a little casual and wore a face cap; hoping he wouldn't be too easy to recognise. He prayed he wouldn't run into any of his relatives.
Soon, we got to the not - so - classic eatery and ordered for something delectable to eat.
"I'm sorry about the brunswick stew, Mr Rodney. I'm sorry it had to go to a waste" I said as I ate from my meal.
I was facing him.
"Oh, that's okay. But I still think it'd have been better if you had just admitted you weren't a good cook." He replied with a little jest.
"But Mr Rodney; you know it wasn't entirely my fault; right? Fine, the burnt taste was there. But the excess salt you added also affected it. If not for the excess salt, I know it'd have been eatable."
"And there you're totally wrong. Without the burnt taste, it'd have been manageable. You ruined it"
I heaved a heavy sigh. It was completely pointless arguing with someone like him.
"By the way, Audrey" he continued after a short silence.
"What's going on between you and my brother? I've noticed he gets so excited over you. He even told me there was a day you almost strangled him because you treated him for dinner."
Immediately, I coughed and almost poured out food from my mouth.
I lifted my eyes to look at him.
"He...He did?" I asked with a little cringe.
"Well, yes. And the way he had spoken up for you in the contest, I was like...wow'. He said and I smiled shyly.
"Um...Leo and I are just friends. He's a very nice fellow". I remarked.
"Hm. So are you trying to say I'm grumpy?"
"Oh, no; Mr Rodney. Don't get it twisted. Of course you're a very nice person. Your mother is so lucky".
he chuckled and almost laughed.
Hm. When will he ever get to laugh?
"Um...Mr Rodney, is Megan your best friend?" I asked and he shrugged.
"Well, she's a close friend from childhood. Why asking?" He replied and asked.
"Well, nothing. It seems she really likes you a lot" I said.
"Hm. What makes you say so?"
"You wouldn't believe what happened. She confronted me the other day in school because I was given a third chance in the contest. She was angry and felt I had an ulterior motif and with the way she had sounded, I think she was ready for a fight".
He shook his head and smiled.
"Well, that's just Megan for you. She's always been so troublesome" he said and I laughed.
"By the way, Mr Rodney; will Miss Vanessa really be coming for the next contest?" I asked.
"Yes. Is there a problem?"
"No. It's just that I really can't wait. She's one of my biggest inspirations and it's going to be an honor getting to meet her".
"What if she doesn't like you?"
"Huh? Come on Mr Rodney. Stop wishing me badluck".
And without realising, I used my spoon to hit his hand and he stared at me with surprise.
I gasped when I realised what I just did. I had been too jovial and had forgotten he was Rodney.
"Oh, my God! Um...I'm so sorry Mr Rodney I'm sorry" I stuttered and didn't know what to do.
He stared at me and let out a light smile and also used his spoon to hit my hand.
We both laughed.
Wow!
That was the first time I was seeing him laugh. And it was so...cute.
Oh, God! I wish I can see him laugh again. He was so charming when he laughed, but unfortunately he doesn't do it often. Jocelyn was really doing something to this guy's life.
"Are you still eating?":he asked after a while.
He was already through with his own meal.
"Oh, no. I'm filled up" I replied and touched my tummy
He brought out his credit card and gave it to me.
"Pay for the food. I'll be waiting in the car" he told me as he stood up and left.
I took the card and went to the reception, using their Pos for payment.
When I was done, I went outside to the car but couldn't find Rodney there. Where was he?
I looked around and found him nearby, just standing. But his attention seemed to be concentrated on something else as he kept staring in a particular direction.
I walked over to him and noticed he was staring at two kids playing at a distance. It was a girl and a boy and they ran around, giggling and laughing, so happily.
He was so engrossed in them and his countenance had already changed. His face had become pale and saddened.
I stood beside him and joined him in staring at the kids. I could feel the pains he was going through.
"TodayToday was the day she went missing" he started soberly.
"I was eight; she was seven.
"The place you had found me the other night was where it happened. We were just spending some time together,then some armed men came after us. We started running but she slipped and fell off the cliff. I tried to be of help, but couldn't. My Jocelyn was in front of me, pleading for help, and I couldn't do anything to save her. Right in front of my very eyes, she fell off. Right in front of my very eyes, I watched her go down the cliff. I lost her.
"I jumped off the cliff as well, not knowing what to do. I thought I could catch her. But that was the last time I got to see her.
"She was so adorable, the most beautiful girl I knew back then. She always called me Romeo and I called her Juliet.
"We had so many plans. As little as we were back then, we had crazy ideas. She always said she wanted our kids to look like me because I was too cute. We also planned on spending our honeymoon in Spain. She was so much fun to be with and I was ready to burn down a house just to spend as little as a minute with her."
He paused and sighed, releasing a little sniffle.
"She means the world to me" he continued more ruefully.
"And I see everyday as a miracle that I get to live with her. But I don't know how much longer that miracle can last. I don't know how much longer I'd be able to endure the pains.
"You know, there's just one thing I'm holding onto. The only thing that's keeping me alive is the fact that her body is still missing. If her body had been found at that time and she was confirmed really dead, I'd have died at the spot
"The only thing that's keeping me alive till this very time Is her missing body. But I'm not so sure how long I can hold on anymore because it's killing me slowly."
There was so much agony in his voice and a tear rolled down my cheek. I quickly wiped it off, hoping he didn't see it.
I didn't even know what to say. I was out of words.
I made a silent cough, trying not to sound tearful.
"Im so sorry Mr Rodney":I said fraily.
"But...I still think you shouldn't give up easily. I'm pretty sure if you were destined to be with Jocelyn, you two will get reunited".
"That's what I keep saying to myself" he resumed talking.
"For the past nineteen years, those are the same words I keep saying to myself repeatedly. But where's she? What happened to her?
"It's been nineteen years already, but there's been no word from her. If she were still alive, then where could she be? How's she doing? Who...Who's she with? How does she even look like? And how come she hasn't returned to me? Doesn't she remember me? Or doesn't she love me anymore? Or is she in any form of danger?"
He paused and sighed again.
"Sometimes, I feel it's Impossible she's alive. And I feel like falling off the cliff again without being saved because I don't want to live without her."
Just then, two young women came upto where the kids were and the children jumped into their hands, still laughing.
"Here you are. We've been looking all over for you" one of the women who held the girl said as she tickled her on her tummy.
"Mummy, I defeated Bryan in a game and he wanted to beat me because of it" the little girl said, still in her mother's arms.
"It's a lie. You cheated" the little boy said and they continued that way as their parents took them away.
Rodney kept staring at them until they walked into a corner and couldn't be seen any more. The pains flashed in with a double force.
"Watching Jocelyn fall off that cliff in front of my very eyes, is the biggest pain I've ever had to feel. And that's the pain that's been stabbing me slowly till this very moment. It's killing me and...I don't know how much longer I can endure it" he said conclusively and started walking away; headed for the car.
I hesitated a little so I could stop the tears that filled my eyes.
After that, I followed him behind and we got into the car.
This time around, the drive was very silent and it was a brooding one.
Rodney was even smoking and didn't mind the fact that I was coughing because of it.
I felt so much pity for him and felt sad at the way he had also become sad. I knew he was going through pains and I wanted to be of help. I wish I could relieve him of his pains even If it was just a bit.
Still driving, the car suddenly screeched to a halt; having a breakdown.
Rodney tried restarting the ignition but couldn't. He tried again with more force this time around, but it remained the same and he hit his two hands on the sterling in anger.
I was startled.
"Um...Mr Rodney, maybe we should check the engines" I told him as I opened my own side of the door to step out.
The litted cigarette in his hand was almost burnt out. So he lit another and stuck it in his mouth before following me out of the car.
He opened the engines and a light smoke came out of it.
He brought out water from the car and poured a little quantity in and started touching some wires.
I watched him as he did everything with impatience. He was so bittered.
He closed the engine and went back into the car and tried turning it on but it didn't.
He came out of the car again and kicked the tyres. He itched his hair and smoked deeply from his cigarette.
I suddenly became so scared. I've never seen this part of him before.
DEAR
JOCELYN
Episode 20
By: Faith Lucky.
Audrey's Pov:
"Mr Rodney..."
I tried saying something but the noise from a bar nearby interrupted me and made me confused.
I looked at the transparent bar and noticed the people were cheering a lady who was climbing up the stage.
She took a mic and started singing but her voice was kind of husky.
Oh! It was a singing bar.
I looked back at Rodney and he still looked restless. He leaned on the car and placed his right hand on his head.
I moved closer to him and slowly, placed my hand on his shoulders.
"I...I think you need to calm down Mr Rodney" I said.
He didn't say anything and didn't even turn to look at me. He just continued smoking from his cigarette.
I looked back at the bar and looked back at him.
"Um...Mr Rodney' I called.
"I...I think you're heating up. Why don't we have a cold drink in there?"
He still remained silent and looked away.
I felt hopeless and thought of holding his hand but felt scared to. What if he hits me?
"Mr Rodney..."
"I don't want to" he cut me off and looked away again.
I carefully reached for his hand and luckily he didn't resist.
"Come on Mr Rodney. Maybe it'll be of help" I said in a serene tone and took a step towards the bar, still holding his hand.
He followed sluggishly.
The bar was a little crowded but wasn't too noisy.
The lady on stage had rounded up her song and the people clapped for her as she came down.
I took Rodney to an empty table and there we sat, facing the stage.
A man climbed up the stage with a mic and the place became calm.
"Who's next?" He asked and about 12 people raised up their hands.
He smiled and pointed to a boy and the noise resumed as they all cheered him while he climbed the stage.
He collected the mic and began singing and I kind of prefer his voice to the previous lady.
He sang a lively danceable song and some of the people in the bar stood up and started dancing.
I smiled and looked at Rodney. If only he was in a good mood.
Soon, a waiter came and I ordered for cold alcoholic drinks.
I looked around and noticed a man was staring keenly at us. He kept staring at us until our eyes ran into each other's and that was when he looked away.
I looked at Rodney and noticed the cigarette in his hand was out. I sighed with relive.
Finally.
"Mr Rodney, would you love to dance?" I asked with a nervous smile but he didn't reply.
Really?
The waiter returned with the drinks and opened them on the table and after which, he left.
"You take alcohol?" Rodney asked and I couldn't believe I just heard him speak.
At that moment; it sounded like the voice of an angel.
"Um...just a little" I replied happily.
We drank from our glasses and I enjoyed the song going on, although I didn't know of Rodney. He still looked pale.
Soon, the boy singing on stage rounded up his song and the people clapped and cheered for him.
"Mr Rodney, why don't we sing next?" I asked and he scoffed.
The boy climbed down the stage and the man who acted like the emcee climbed up again.
"That was an awesome performance" he said into the mic and the people calmed down a bit.
"So, who's next?"
I looked around and noticed much hands were up this time around. I also raised mine and the man pointed to me.
"Oh! That pretty lady over there with a blue shirt. Why don't we give you a try?" He said and the people resumed cheering as I stood up.
"What are you doing?" Rodney asked, surprised.
"'Singing" I replied and shrugged.
I ran upto the stage and took the mic and waited for the ovation to calm down a bit.
"Um...good evening lovelies" I started ecstatically.
Rodney kept watching in amusement.
"My name is Audrey and I love singing a lot. The title of my song is Smile and it was sung by a Nigerian artiste named Simi. So some of the lyrics of the song might be in the Nigerian local language.
"I um...I hope this song is helpful to someone".
I cleared my throat and smiled and started singing and the instrumentalists picked up immediately.
Smile for me
Even if you're sad...
Be good to me
Even if you're bad
Stay with me
Even if you got some place to be...
Rodney's Pov:
A smile touched my lips as I watched her sing and dance so perfectly.
The whole place was calm and just her tiny magical voice ran through the room. And everybody was so engrossed listening to her.
She danced steadily to the song and it fitted her so perfectly. I kept staring at her the whole time and wished she never had to stop.
*
When she was finally done singing, the ovation was more than the others as not some, but all the people in the bar stood up and started clapping and cheering - including me.
I just clapped while smiling.
Audrey dropped the mic and rushed back to me, beaming with smiles.
"How was It, Mr Rodney?"she asked excitedly.
"You were awesome" I replied with a smile and she giggled.
"isn't that extra ordinary?" The emcee as he climbed the stage and the cheering increased.
"Isnt that extra ordinary? That was beautiful miss."
Audrey giggled and smiled widely, releasing all her teeth.
I Could notice she was blushing.
She emptied the drink in her bottle and coughed a little. I looked at her in surprise. She just raised down a full bottle of alcohol.
She called a waiter and ordered for another drink.
Then, somebody walked up to our table and tapped her.
"Im sorry miss, but you were awesome. Would you mind sparing us another song?" The average woman asked with pleading eyes.
"No ma'am. I'm sorry" she replied and laughed.
Why was she laughing?
She opened her new drink and started gulping it down immediately.
Another singer was called up on stage and the song turned the bar in to a disco hall as almost everybody started dancing crazily to it.
Audrey giggled as she tapped her feet and nodded her head.
"Come on Mr Rodney. Let's have a dance" she said excitedly as she stood up and tried dragging me along.
"I'm not dancing Audrey..."
"Come on"
she finally succeeded in lifting my up, but I fred my hands from hers.
"I'm not dancing" I said.
"You're not dancing? Fine; watch me then" she replied and started dancing.
She twirled and turned her body, laughing all the time.
Oh, no! She's drunk.
She kept giggling and making funny dance steps and although they were funny, they were interesting as well.
She continued that way and I found myself laughing. Does she even know what she's doing?
Soon, she almost slipped but I caught her by the waist and our faces almost hit each other's.
She laughed and pulled my nose and my eyes widened.
She was damn so drunk.
"Come on Audrey; let's go home" I told her as I made her. Stand.
"Huh?" She shrieked.
"But the fun's just getting started".
"You're drunk, Audrey" I told her and she gasped.
"How can you say that to me? How can you say I'm drunk? Of course I'm not. It's you who's drunk. Look, you didn't even finish your drink" she said and tried taking my drink from the table, but I stopped her.
"Come on; it's late already" I said and started taking her away, forcefully.
"Come on Mr Rodney; don't do this to me. I'm not drunk".
I kept dragging her until we got to the car and I pushed her in immediately.
"You're so mean!" She cried and hit my hand as I closed the door.
I looked at her with surprise and scoffed.
Alcohol is the worst thing that can happen to Audrey.
I also got into the car and was about turning on the ignition when I remembered the car had broken down a while ago.
"Damn!" I mumbled and hit the sterling.
I just decided to give it a try and surprisingly, it turned on.
I smiled with satiaton and took off immediately.
I looked at Audrey and she started singing.
Roll roll your boat
Gently down the stream
Merily Merily Merily Merily
Life is but a dream
I stared at her and laughed dryly. Where the hell did this lady come from?
She went on singing:
Roll roll your boat
Gently down the stream
If you see a crocodile
Don't forget to scream
And she screamed in such a way that made me screech to a halt.
"Audrey!" I called and she turned to look at me, smiling stupidly.
"Yes? Why did we stop? Are we home already?" She asked and I continued driving.
"Mr Rodney; where are you taking me?" She asked and hit her head.
"Oh! I forgot; you're taking me home of course".
She started humming.
"Should I help you drive?" She asked after a short while and I shook my head in amusement.
After some time, we got home and I saw it as a dream come true. I couldn't wait to get free of this log.
I came out of the car and went to bring her out as well.
"Oh! We're home already. Why didn't you tell me?" She asked as I brought her out of the car.
She kept staggering. So, I carried her up in my arms and took her into the house.
The room was dark and I kept her down so I could look for the light switch on the wall.
"Have I gone blind? Why can't I see anything?" She asked and immediately, the lights went on.
She screamed in fright and jumped on me, hugging me tight.
"Audrey, what's wrong with you?" I asked as I placed her back on the floor.
"Oh! Sorry, I thought it was a fire outbreak' she replied and yawned.
I took her to the bed and she sat on it.
"I think I need a shower" she said and tried taking off her shirt.
"Audrey, what the hell is wrong with you? ":I asked gobsmacked as I stopped her from taking it off.
"Why-re you acting this way Mr Rodney? It seems you're drunk" she said and laid on the bed, laying upwards.
I was sitting on the edge of the bed and she kept staring at me.
"Hey, do you have a twin brother mr Rodney? Why are you double?" She asked.
"And whys your head growing so big and small?"
I bursted into laughter and was almost unable to control it.
You can give the whole world to Audrey, but never give her alcohol.
"You know, Mr Rodney" she continued.
"I don't want you to be sad anymore because of Jocelyn. It hurts me a lot when I see you in so much pains.
"So from today, you can just see me as Jocelyn. You can start calling me Jocelyn if you want to. Just stop crying over her okay?"
I couldn't help but smile.
She yawned and laid sideways, sprawling her arms and legs.
"I need to sleep.
By the way, I'll be sleeping on the bed today. So, you're gonna have to make use of the couch. I mean, you're so rude. I'm the one being of help here, yet I'm the one who gets to sleep uncomfortable on the hard chair while you greedily take the bed all to yourself. But today, that nonsense has got to stop. So go and make use of the chair." She said dizzyly and I laughed.
Then she started singing.
A lion, a lion
A lion has a tail
It has a big waist
And a very small head...
A lion, a lion,
Small head...
And that was how she slept off.
I laughed uncontrollably and almost rolled on the floor.
Where did this lady come from? This is unbelievable.
I placed my hand on her hair and smiled.
I can't believe I was able to laugh again. She made me laugh again.
A while ago, I had been so scared and angry; but she took all the pains away and made me forget my worries. She made me smile again.
I looked into her face and smiled.
"Thank you, Audrey, for putting a smile on my face again" I said as I brushed her hair with my palm and planted a kiss on her forehead.
TBC