Mike could feel some pain in his head as the first sign of consciousness hit him. He tried to open his eyes but the effort was overwhelming. In his subconscious mind with his eyes closed still, he tried to figure out where he was. He felt weak all over. He must be dead, he reasoned. This must be how it felt with the dead; pain and numbness. He again made efforts to open his eyes, this time as slowly as possible. All he could make out were blurry moving figures around. He could hear a voice that sounded so distant and faint. Someone calling out to the doc… He was supposed to be dead! No, he shouldn’t be alive. He made to scream but passed out again.
Three hours later when Mike came to, for more than ten minutes, he lay quietly still without opening his eyes listening carefully. All he could hear were two very familiar voices. He was at the hospital! Then, it dawned on him he was not dead after all. But how did he get here? He tried to use his mind and gradually but clearly his memory began to fall into place.
He remembered how he had gone over to Ifeoma’s place to take her out on an agreed date. Ifeoma had instead left him a note with the gateman. The content had been unequivocally brief and straight to the point. “I don’t want to be another Harriet. Stay away from me, maniac.” It had read. He had driven home straight away with just one thing on his mind after his efforts to reach her on the phone was fruitless. He had drunk pills of benzodiazepines five times more than it was normal. He had wanted to sleep away the heartbrokenness his past deeds had brought, forever.
A flurry of questions flooded his mind as he lay on what he had come to terms with as a sick bed. How did Ifeoma learn about Harriet? Did Harriet come after him for revenge? Was this how fate worked? Who could have saved him when all he’d wanted was peaceful death? Would it ever be the same without Ifeoma?
The room was by now silent but he could feel a prying eye on him subconsciously. He opened his eyes slowly, and found Tunde staring back.
“Where’s Ifeoma?” Mike muttered barely above a whisper, his first sentence in seven days since he was rushed down to the hospital. When Tunde beckoned to him to remain still, he added, “Please if you ever find her, tell her I love her.”Until this point, no one had known why Mike had done what he did. He had been saved by his house-help, Etim, who had come to clean his room and met him lying near lifeless on the floor.
“Why Mike? Why did you do this?” Tunde asked with tears welling up in his eyes for relief.
“I love her. Yes I do.” Came the feeble response from Mike as tears flowed from his eyes uncontrollably.
Just then Dr. Ehis, a colleague with whom he shared mutual but professional respect, who had been attending to him walked in. He advised that Mike be allowed some more time to rest but Mike objected saying he would love to be left alone with his bosom friend for some time.
* * *
Mike was forced to accept his fate when after five days of regaining his consciousness there was no news about Ifeoma. He had stopped asking about her from Tunde whom he’d charged with the responsibility of locating her.
As he sat at the back of the car and being driven home by Tunde and his wife, after twenty-one days of being on the hospital bed, Mike tried not to think about what the future held for him. It was no use thinking about the future, if Ifeoma would not be there with him. Life had lost its meaning again just when he’d only found another reason to love. Living would be meaningless without Ifeoma, he reasoned. He had not uttered a word since he’d got into the car. He was thankful that Tunde and his wife seemed to understand that he wanted to be alone with his thoughts, as they did not attempt to engage him in any conversation.
Tunde on his part was hoping everything had gone according to plan. He had not bothered to tell Mike about his findings and all he’d been able to achieve in the last the two days. He knew Mike would be happy again and very soon. So, he would rather wait and allow Mike find out about everything himself.
When Tunde drove into the compound, and Mike stepped out of the car, the only thing on his mind was to get into his room and lock himself away. He didn’t even notice the arrangement of flowers that were lined up to welcome him home. He responded to his stewards’ excitement and greetings with a wave of the hand, as he hurried to the entrance door. There was a message boldly pasted on the door. It read: Welcome home. Home Sweet Home. What would be sweet about here? He grunted as he pushed the door open. Mid way into the house, he stopped in his track. His sense of smell picked up something in the air. It was a smell he knew with just one person. He had to be dreaming was all Mike could think as he ran up the stairs. He just could not believe his eyes when he opened the bedroom door and found her sitting on the bed. She looked extremely more beautiful than he had ever known her to be. She was wearing one of his shirts.
“Do you truly love me?”
Mike was in the seventh heaven already, he didn’t even know when his lips formed the words, “Yes, I love you Ifeoma.”
He moved fully into the room, and he and Ifeoma were locked in a passionate embrace crying in each other’s arms.
“I can explain everything…” Mike began to say
“Don’t worry, I know all there’s to know already.” Ifeoma said stopping him as she landed him a kiss.
THE END
N.B: Thanks to everyone who has bothered to read each and every episode of this story. Your love and encouragements had kept me going. For those who may want to know what became of Mike and Ifeoma. Yes, they got married and lived ever happily after. Not forgetting that Mike was able to track down and ask for forgiveness from all the women he'd hurt, except Tade who'd died some few years earlier. And for those who might at one point felt I was writing about myself, I guess it’s time you realised that Mike was just a mere work of fiction, that had emanated from my creative imaginative mind. Lol!
Keep watching this space as the next story would hit you soon. But don't close this page until you let me know what your thoughts are on 'Not Safe To Be Loved...'.
I wish you all a Magnificent 2015!
