FOREVER 4

King stayed in his car for several minutes watching the front door looking for any sign of life
in the house. Everything was as quiet as it looked and he wondered if he was in the wrong place.
He checked the street again and saw he was actually in the right location. He watched the house
again and saw the curtains were tightly drawn and the house as silent as a tomb. He knew for a
fact that she was home as her car was parked outside for everyone to see; he wondered what
she could be doing alone in the house by herself all day. He decided to find out.
The three days since he last saw her and followed her to the beach and back here to her
apartment had been the most restless of his life. He had thought of her constantly and it kept
coming to his mind to pray for her. Although he prayed and asked God questions over and over,
he still hadn’t gotten any answers to his questions. God was silent, but he knew in his heart what
he had to do, hence his visit today.
Alewa stared listlessly at the TV screen. She was on her couch, still in her nightgown which
she had been wearing for a week, munching on some cookies with a bottle of 1.5l of coke on the
small table beside her. She had been perpetually in this position for a week now, ever since she
got back from the hospital that terrible day that she got the news she was HIV positive.
She didn’t see the need to take drugs if she’ll still die anyway. The doctor had been calling
her non-stop all week, telling her to come to the hospital for her drugs as she had not waited to
get them the day she got the news, but she had refused to go. What’s the need for drugs? Why
prolong the inevitable? She plans on sitting right here waiting for death to come knocking.
Her father had left her enough money to live on for the rest of her life if she never wanted
to work again and if she spent prudently. That was the only good that came out of being related
to that man, the fact that he invested his money wisely and left it all to her.
The knock on her door jolted her. Could that be death? Could he be here already? And so
soon? She sat there staring at the door, out of her mind with fear. Nobody comes visiting her
anyway, so it must be death. Since she moved here, nobody had ever knocked on her door. She
was still staring when another knock came. Alewa stood up slowly and approached the door
cautiously.
“Who is there?” she whispered, but the person on the other end of the door couldn’t possibly
here her.
“Hello. Anybody home?” a voice called out, it was a male voice.
Alewa moved away from the door towards the kitchen. She was going to get a knife or
anything she can use as a defense against any intruder. The voice stopped her again.
“Hello Miss. It’s King Karo. Are you home?”
That stopped Alewa. Where have I heard that name before? King Karo? Oh my God!! She
flung the door open before she could stop herself. This handsome devil.
“Hello miss.” King said
“What are you doing here? How did you know my house? I’m going to call the police.”
“In Nigeria? Please.” He smiled
Alewa’s hand flew to her neck while her mouth slid open. Fear suddenly came into her eyes.
King saw the look and tried to reassure her. “Look, I’m not trying to frighten you or anything.
I just want to talk to you for a few minutes. Can we do that?”
“Please, leave me alone and don’t come to my house again.” With that she shut the door in
his face.
King knocked and knocked but Alewa didn’t open. After standing outside her door for several
minutes looking like an idiot, he finally walked back to his car. He looked back as he was leaving
and saw her peeping out of her living room window. King smiled to himself; she might be all
bravado but it was as clear as day that she was scared and she needed someone even if she
thought she didn’t. King vowed to keep coming back every day until he wore down her defenses,
after all he had nothing better to do for now and he knew he was supposed to touch her life in
some way.
King kept his word and came back every day to check up on Alewa. He only got to the point
of pleasantries and asking how she was before she slammed the door in his face, but when he
came back the next day, she always opened the door to him. It was obvious she was starved for
company and affection. He wondered what happened to her that kept her locked inside. To the
best of his knowledge, she never went out except to buy some groceries and household
essentials, she never had visitors except him (if he can be called even that), and she generally
kept to herself.
She lived in the better part of Lagos, and he could tell from the little he could see into her
semi-detached bungalow that her house was tastefully furnished, but she didn’t seem to be going
to work and he wondered how she got the money she lived on. Just the day before, he had asked if she was on leave but she had looked at him quizzically and answered in the negative. Maybe,
she has a sugar daddy. It is not uncommon to see a beautiful young woman in Lagos supposedly
‘living the life’ without the income to support that lifestyle; most of them have older men they
see that take care of all their needs. Alewa didn’t fit into this category though; as he had never
seen any slimy old man hanging around her house, and he had looked. Sometimes, he just sat in
his car watching her house but through all this vigil, she still remained an enigma; a mystery he
couldn’t seem to solve.
He kept coming back though; as the invisible magnet that kept pulling him to her was
stronger than ever and even though every time he came he had more questions, he still felt he
was doing the right thing. He lived his days thinking of ways to make her laugh in abandonment.
He had an idea she would be breathtaking with a huge smile on her face and he was determined
to pull it off. Maybe today will be the day, he thought as he got out of his car.
Alewa watched as King made his way to her door. The guy is proving to be relentless. For the
past two weeks, he had knocked on her door like clockwork and even though for the first week
she had done nothing but slam the door in his face, he kept coming back as if he had a thing for
pain and disappointment.
She was ready for him today. She had taken time to alter her appearance and she was happy
with the results; at least she no longer looks like a bedraggled teenager. She saw King knock and
dropped the curtain, took her time before answering; she didn’t want to appear too eager.
Alewa opened the door and smiled at him. King was taken aback for a minute. He hadn’t
seen her this way ever before. Anytime he came around, she was always in a bathrobe, or jeans
and sweatshirt, looking tired and sad. Now, she looked breathtaking with a lovely smile on her
face. She had taken time to comb her hair, put on some makeup and wear a nice dress. She
looked absolutely ravishing; it took King’s breath away.
“Hi.” She smiled
“Hi.” He said hoarsely and cleared his throat.
“So, you ready to go?” he asked
She looked confused. “Go where?”
“On our date?”
“Date? Did we set a date for today?”
“Obviously, since you’re all dressed up and ready to go.” He winked She laughed. “You got me worried.”
“Do that again.”
“What?” she looked exasperated
“Laugh.”
“You have to say something funny.” She arched her brows.
King was delighted seeing this playful side of her. Although he had caught glimpses this last
week, he hadn’t known it could be like this. His heart skipped a beat, he loved this.
“Go out with me now and I promise to do my best.”
She looked down. “I didn’t plan on going out today.”
“Yes, you did.” He looked into her eyes
“Maybe I thought about it a little sha.” She shrugged
He took her hands in his. “Let’s stop these games, shall we?”
Alewa snatched her hands from his. “Don’t touch me please.”
He put his palms up. “Sorry. Let’s just go grab some lunch. Anything you want, choose the
place.”
“I really shouldn’t.” she shook her head. Yes, I shouldn’t cos I know nothing good will come
of this.
“Why?” he looked frustrated
“You wouldn’t understand.” She whispered
“You’re right, I won’t. Let’s go so you can enlighten me over lunch.”
“I don’t know.” She still hesitated
“Look, what can it hurt? Just a quick lunch, no strings attached. Besides, you’ve not been out
of your house for days now.”
She looked up sharply. “How did you know that?”
“I know.” He shrugged. “So, what do you say?”