TALES FROM THE SLUM 2 --by Slick

Episode 2

Dupe was clad in a stunning red gown that hugged her petite body, the back of her dress bare from her neckline down to the mid-point of her spine. She was wearing black heels and held a black purse in her left hand while attending to a phone call. She had been standing for sometime in front of a pharmacy on Iboko Street awaiting the arrival of Mustapha. 

“Mustapha, I don’t know why you have chosen to punish me like this o.”

“Baby, I am so sorry. I have been stuck in this filling station trying to get petrol. I’ll be with you in 20 minutes, I promise to make it up to you.”

“You better hurry up or I’ll just go back home to sleep.”

“Baby, I am driving and it is not advised to answer the phone while driving. See you in a bit.”

“Alright then.”

Mustapha was a businessman who had established enterprises in different sectors of the economy but had been particularly successful in the Agricultural sector. He owned a fish feed production company which brought him a lot of revenue. He was the dream man every woman wanted in her life but he was only in love when it came to getting in between a woman’s thighs. He was a tall, dark skinned and handsome man. He grew a beard and side burns that compensated for the skin cut he always rocked. He used every resource available to get any woman his heart desired. Dupe was his latest adventure and the game had just begun.

“Baby, I am so sorry”. Mustapha said as he drove up to where Dupe was standing.

“It is alright, I can understand what you had to go through.” Dupe replied cheerfully.

“Hop in, and let us go have some quality time at this fancy restaurant I saw on the Island.”

“Okay.” Dupe replied as she stepped into Mustapha’s 2013 Range Rover SUV.

They drove all the way to Mama Kay’s restaurant, a new one that had just been officially opened few days ago. Excitement practically ran through Dupe’s veins as she walked through the doors of the restaurant with Mustapha walking behind her. She counted herself lucky to be in the company of such a generous gentleman and was prepared to do anything to keep him to herself at all costs. They were seated at a table that gave them a good view of the streets and traffic while a waiter took their order. It was going to be a lovely night after all. 

Mustapha had not met Dupe by accident but through the services of Marcus the notorious neighbourhood pimp. Marcus had the proper skill set for providing rich men with information of young unsuspecting ladies in return for a fee from both the men and the ladies that were involved. He was a practical human dating site. He always saw the business potential in women and thus did not have the time for relationships with the opposite sex that didn’t involve money.

The couple left the restaurant after having a nice meal washed down with bottles of red wine and headed back to their neighbourhood. Mustapha smiled to himself as Dupe occupied the passenger seat of his SUV. It was only a matter of time before he struck gold. He had Marcus to thank for this beautiful woman sitting in his car. As they drove back, they listened to music blaring from the Dolby surround speakers while engaging in small talks.

“Musty, do you know that you are a womanizer?”

“Baby!!!”  He replied as he chuckled.

“Yes, up till now I wonder how you got my contact details. I mean I wonder if there’s anything you don’t know about me.”

“I am just a curious person baby.”

“Curious indeed.” She replied.

Mustapha brought the conversation to an end as he parked the car just in front of the gate leading to Dupe’s apartment. They shared a passionate kiss with Mustapha’s hand fumbling with her waist and boobs. She returned his hand to the steering and bade him goodnight. He drove off while speaking to the boner he had just grown in less than three minutes. Dupe was indeed magic just as Marcus had said.

**

That night Anita tossed her body from side to side as she thought of Chinedu’s predicament as well as her biological clock that was ticking crazy. She had held her breasts in her hands to see if they were still firm and upright. Certainly, nothing was wrong with her. She could attract any man of her choice. Not that she was Miss World but she was pretty enough to make a brother’s neck turn. But how and why did she end up with Chinedu? Why did she chase away all of the rich guys that were interested in her. She recalled Dupe’s mockery about her dating poor boys. Even her mother had once said that she was possessed by an evil that did not want her success in life. Her mind was suddenly flooded with the waves of depression and she decided to sleep off. Just as she started batting her eyes to sleep, a text message entered her phone. An electronic transfer of N100,000 had just been credited to her account. She scrolled down to see who the sender was but it was a name that she never had expected to see. As if that was not enough, another SMS came in saying:

“Accept this token from me as a way of saying that I am sorry for the way I left. But I’m back now to make things right. Sleep tight, my love.”

It was a text message from ex-boyfriend James. At least to her, he was in her past. They had dated for a while only for him to disappear without any word. She had waited for him to return, hoping it was a prank. But he didn’t come back until now. Trouble had just knocked at her door and sleeping became more difficult than before. What would she tell Chinedu? Did she have to tell him? What would be his reactions?

Just had she begun to drift into a world of thoughts again, she heard her mother open the door; with her head half-way into the room, she delivered a message that took Anita by surprise.

“Anita, James was here today. He had just come back from South Africa and decided to stop by to see you. I told him that you were still single and had been waiting for his return all these years and that you swore that you were not going to marry anyone except him, Good night.”

Just as the door closed, Anita’s ears were cringing in shock. Her mother had just positioned her between two men. She practically crossed the line here, she thought to herself. Helpless, she covered her face with the Burberry duvet on her bed and slept off.

**********

(...Episode 3 coming soon)