BURNT (EPISODE 21) THE END

Tunji carried Mila to another room. It was equally as furnished and sophisticated as the other one she was familiar with. He laid her gently on the huge bed and left for the bathroom to run a warm bath then he left for the kitchen downstairs. When he returned, he had with him a bowl of ice and a small towel. He turned on the bedside lamp and knelt in front of her as she lay on her back. Then he carefully wrapped some of the ice in the towel before using it to massage her neck.

Mila winced when she felt the freezing touch of the ice on the bruises around her neck. Lily's fingers had done a good number on her and her face hurt as well from the well aimed punch she had received during their tussle. She was able to bear it because Tunji kept whispering to her words that worked faster than the effect of the ice and towel. When she held on to his hand out of pain, he stopped and dropped the bowl on the bedside table and then removed his shoes before joining her on the bed.

He hugged her, short of words to express his shock at what had happened that evening. He still couldn't believe that Lily had pulled such a stunt. He knew she was a wild one but he couldn't believe that such violence she displayed that evening had always laid low beneath that cool exterior and air of sophistication she always had on. He shut his eyes tight and whispered to Mila,

"Babe, if anything had happened to you, I never would have forgiven myself. I'm so sorry Sunshine. How badly did she hurt you?"

Mila whimpered and raised her hand to indicate that it hurt terribly. It felt numb cos Lily had exerted so much pressure and force while they struggled with each other. So Tunji stood up and said,

"Come. I've run you a hot bath. Let's get you cleaned up and then, we'll do something about the aches. Okay?"

Mila nodded and he carried her in his arms to the bathroom. There, he removed her under wear and led her into the bathtub. He didn't join her inside; instead, he took another small towel, lathered it and used it to wash her in a circular motion. He didn't scrub, just a little rub here and there then he left her to soak in the warm water that smelt of aromatic ointments to soothe the mind. Mila closed her eyes in gratitude as she allowed the scent to ride her senses. When she opened her eyes, she saw Tunji smiling down at her, she smiled back and he bent down to kiss her on her fore head.

"I love you Mila. You've got no idea" he said

Mila didn't reply. Her entire being could attest to the fact that she was head over heels in love with this man. He kept showing her in so many ways how much he loved her and the extent to which he would go to secure and keep her affections for him. That, she couldn't and wouldn't take for granted. It was rare to meet a young, successful, wealthy, and powerful man like Tunji who loved hard . It baffled her and it excited her. She had never felt this way with anyone before and she was glad that her love was finally requited.

Tunji led her back to the bed and gently massaged her with the same aromatic ointment he had added to her bath. He gave so much attention to the task that whenever he heard her wince in pain, he would stop and whisper sweet nothings to her. This touched Mila so much that she allowed the tears that had been threatening to escape her eyes flow. Then she sat up, prompting Tunji to stop. He was a bit surprised and asked,

"What's wrong Sunshine? Did I hurt you?"

"No. I'm just scared"

"Babe, I understand. You're safe with me now. Lily's gone. I promise, no one will ever hurt you again"

"That's not why I'm scared T. It's more than that"

"Then tell me. What is it?"

"I just don't understand. Why do you love me?"

Tunji sighed and said after a moment "I've asked myself that same question over and over again Mila but I can't seem to place my finger on the reason. But one thing I know for sure is that, you complete me Mila"

That took Mila unawares. She knew he loved her but not to that extent. That was too deep for her to comprehend so she asked "How?"

Tunji knelt in front of her and said "Look at me Mila. Anyone would look at me and see an accomplished young man who's got it all but I know where there's a vacuum in my life and you filled it up the moment you walked up to me at Zenbah that fateful day. Ever since, I promised myself I wasn't ever letting you go"

Mila was overwhelmed with so much emotions she couldn't describe. She held her head in her hands and said quitely,

"Oh Tunji! You've got no idea what I've been through this before in the hands of men. The most horrible experience happened a year before I met you and I've been treading carefully with men ever since. I got burnt and stung by my love. I don't want that to happen again. That's why I'm scared"

"Shhh" Tunji said and raised her face to look at him gently "Look at me Mila, look at me" he said

Mila looked at him and he held her face in place so she could meet his deep piercing gaze.

He said "I'm not going anywhere Mila. I'm not. I'm here now, I'll be with you whenever and wherever you need me. It's us now. Just us always. Do you understand that?"

Mila stared deeply into his eyes as if searching for the truth or any inclination at all if her was lying but he had his soul in his eyes and all she could see was a man who was ready to ride or die with her. She nodded as she said "Yes, yes, I believe you"

He leaned in to her and kisses her softly. He withdrew and added, "You won't ever get burnt with me Mila. I promise. Okay?..."

Mila nodded. She felt tipsy, tipsy with every emotion that could describe her joy and love for Tunji Jacobs. She loved him. Yes she did and he loved her more. That was all that mattered. Nothing else matters. As he drew her into a tight hug, she laughed out loud as she imagined Simi''s reaction when she gave her the full gist. She mouthed a "Thank you Simi" as she thanked her stars as well for the boldness to walk up to this man that fateful day. She had always been one that quoted Sefi Atta's "Everything Good Will Come" to herself when things turned sour with her. Now, her "Everything Good" has come in a cocktail style. She had an amazing family that supported her, a great job that has helped her grow in so many capacities and the best man ever.  Her everything good has come. She laughed happily as Tunji kissed her loudly on the cheek and all over her face playfully.

.........................

The photo album still laid opened on the floor in the living room.  The whole place still had traces of the scuffle that had happened. The cleaner will come in the morning to clean up. And everything would go back to normal.

BURNT (EPISODE 18)

Mila rested her head on Tunji's chest and listened to his heartbeat. It beat evenly and she felt secure as he held her, running his fingers through her hair. She listened patiently as he talked;

"I've been married for the past seven years to Lily. Our parents of course arranged the union and since we liked each other, we went with the flow. I thought we had a lot of things in common but I was wrong cos Lily had insisted on staying in the US one year after our wedding and so, I had to shuttle between Nigeria and America for business and my wife. In the fourth year of our marriage, We still didn't have a child and when I visited our family doctor who is also a good friend of mine, he told me that Lily was on another pill asides the one we agreed on for the first two years of our marriage. When I confronted her, she wasn't ashamed to tell me that she was in love with someone else and had continued the pills to prevent any pregnancy.

If her lover had been a man, I would have stood a chance but, her lover was female. I never knew of that other side of Lily and she bluntly told me that she was fine staying married to me as long as she could continue being with her lover. I couldn't stand her decision; she didn't even want babies. She just wanted to be happy with her lover and still stay married to me as she put it.

I filed for divorce two years ago and Lily didn't make it easy for me. She kept on delaying the signing of the documents and the entire process which was the reason I traveled for three months. It took that long to get her to finally sign after the one year waiting period according to the court's orders.

It was during that period I met you Mila. I know we haven't known each other for up to a year but if there's anything I've come to understand with you; it's the fact that, it's not how long you've known a person but how well you complement each other. I thought I had that with Lily but, Lily had and still has her own definition of love. She's happy with her lover and I'm glad she found her happiness elsewhere but I've found my happiness in you and I don't want to lose you Mila."

Mila sighed as she tried absorbing the whole information. Then she asked;

"But you lied to me about travelling abroad for a meeting and then I see you both looking so happy and in love together at COVA. She certainly didn't look gay to me"

Tunji moved her away from him a bit to look at her fully in the face before he answered her.

"Mila, I was gonna travel yes but then, Lily came into Nigeria without telling me. That night you saw us at COVA, she had just gotten in and I didn't want her to stay at the house. I wanted her to go to her parents' but she begged me to take her out for a drink which I did. Trust me, I and Lily aren't enemies even though we have our differences and she's a very skilled flirt. What you saw that night wasn't anything but just her being in her elements"

"But you kissed!" Mila protested

"It was a peck Mila, on her cheek. And funny enough, she fancied you and was checking you out and asking me to help her strike a deal with you to spend the night with her. I never knew that it was you until I looked closely but it was too late"

Mila suddenly felt irritated and frowned her face at Tunji. She couldn't help but ask him,

"Honestly, how did you get to that point Tunji? You mean you were married for seven years and had no clue that she was gay?"

Tunji sighed and shook his head.

"Why didn't you tell me about the divorce?" Mila asked with a pained look on her face

He took Mila's hands in his and said,

"I didn't think it was necessary Sunshine. I didn't want to involve you in my mess. That's all there is to tell. I'm so sorry about everything. No more secrets, never again" he drew her to him and held her again.

Mila had one more question and she felt that if she didn't ask, she might not be able to ask anymore.

"Is the divorce process over?"

"Almost Sunshine. Soon, it will and we'll be fine''

They held each other that way, drawing strength in their new found bond. The air had been cleared and a burdened soul had been bared. What's next? Mila asked herself as she sensed that this peace wouldn't last.

BURNT (EPISODE 7)

"Hey! you look great" was the first statement Tunji made the moment she entered the car. Mila felt her face go warm. She smiled and replied not being able to hide her surprise at the fact that he really looked handsome in his black short sleeved native outfit, that had a sliver brooch on the breast pocket. He looked so clean as usual with his skin glowing and creating a sharp contrast with his outfit. The interiors of the car seemed to have the same tone with his skin making him look like he was manufactured together with the sleek car.

"Thanks. You look great yourself" she said before quickly turning away and removing her phone from her purse to fidget with.

Tunji  didn't stop looking at her; he took his time and that made her feel hot even in the cool air conditioned car. She wasn't used to open assessments like this especially with the awkward silence that followed.  Then he started talking again like he never stopped before.

"Now, first things first. I'll just dash in there to get our tickets and then we move. Would you come with me?" he said 

"Sure.'' Mila replied, grateful that the conversation was back. She was about opening the door and going out when Tunji quickly said,

"No. Just stay put, I'll get the door" 

Then he came out of the car first, walked around to her side and opened the door for her. Mila was amazed. "Who are you?" she asked in her head. Nobody had ever opened any door for her. Not until now. She got out and was again surprised when he took her hand in his and they crossed to the other side of the street into Terra Kulture. They got the tickets almost immediately as it was almost sold out and were lucky to arrive Muson Center by exactly 5:30pm. 

Mila was thrilled. She had so many firsts in her life and this was another one of them. She had seen a lot of plays advertised on TV and online, but had never attended any. Now, thanks to Tunji, she's here. She wasn't sure if on her own, she could have mustered up the courage to explore places like this cos she would rather stay at home and read her novels, do some writing or just do a plain stroll along her street .

.....................

The movie didn't start until 6pm so they both spent the 30 minutes in waiting, gossiping about the other people who had come to see the play. Apparently, Tunji knew a lot of people as he kept pointing stylishly to each and giving a brief description about their lifestyle. This cracked her up so much for he looked so relaxed doing it. Then the organizers announced the opening of the doors of the theater for the play to begin and they went into the theater. Tunji again, led her in.

During the play, Mila explained to Tunji, the arrangement of the cast on the stage. She told him the name of the group of seven singers on the left part of the stage was called the "Chorus" in Literature and that usually, they should be a group of fifteen but this version was the modernized version that came with a full musical band. She explained the frequent use of "Aside" by some of the actors to converse with the audience and their use of "Soliloquy" too to think aloud about their issues. 

Tunji was really impressed and leaned closer to her to learn more as she whispered into his ears in the dimly lit theater. During a sad moment in the play, she unconsciously held on to his arm and left it there until the end of the play.

....................

The drive home was deliberately unhurried. Tunji wasn't in a haste and Mila; as if reading his mind, enjoyed every moment of it. They had stopped for drinks somewhere she couldn't remember and they had had fish soup to go with their drinks. There, she had told him she was originally known as Emilia Bassey but her parents were used to calling her "Mila" so the name stuck. Tunji totally loved her name and they had talked more about her job, his move to Nigeria and some funny happenings around. She had discovered that Tunji was more of a listener. He would sit quietly, with his palm resting on one side of his cheek and his drink in the other hand, drinking her in as she talked. He laughed at all the jokes she attempted even though she felt they weren't funny and he in turn did same. She also got to know that Tunji was a strong believer of "less is more" as he pointed out a group of girls dressed like they were going for a red carpet event at a casual hangout. Her thoughts at the end of the evening was "this guy is just so unusual". She felt Tunji's palm on her hand as he told her,"

"Thanks for coming out with me. Your company was really enlightening"

"I should be saying that. I've never really been to those places you took me. I'm the one that got enlightened. Thank you"

He smiled as he looked at her surprised 

"Really?"

"Yeah" she answered.

"A beautiful lady like you should be able to go anywhere she wants to go, whenever she wishes" he said matter of factly

"I wish it were so. You could say that for someone like Simi but not me" she said and smiled fondly when she mentioned Simi.

"Well, I'm glad you walked up to me and not some other girl cos usually, the kind of girls that walk up to me when I go out are girls with a lot of make up, long blonde hair that obviously don't belong to them and of course, light skinned" he paused then added, "I love your color; you're like rich coffee"

"But, I thought that's what most men want. Girls with all what you just listed'' she said not believing him

"I don't know about most men but, I like what I see in you. You look natural and your makeup suits you. And, you're not just beautiful, you're intelligent" 

Mila was flattered and baffled. Most guys like Tunji usually preferred light skinned and flashy girls. Why was he an exception? They were silent for a bit and then he asked her an unexpected question.

"Tell me Mila, why did you walk up to me. I mean, Simi could have come to me herself" he gave her a harmless smile to assure her that his question was borne out of curiosity and nothing else.

Mila sighed and answered "Well, asides Simi's dilema, I liked your countenance and I felt that you'd be friendly if I talked to you. Why do you ask?"

Tunji gave a slight smile and said, "Nothing serious, it's just that, since moving back to Nigeria earlier this year, that's been the case whenever I go out so I get suspicious when random strangers walk up to me like that"

"Well, it's your fault. You're just too cute!" Mila said giggling and Tunji could't help but join in laughing as well.

They got to the gate of her home with directions from the car navigator and Tunji stopped the car. He turned fully to face Mila before saying, 

"I had an awesome time with you Mila and please, don't change who you are for anything in the world"

With that, he leaned in and kissed her on her fore head. Mila was too stunned to move. All she could say was "Thanks" before coming out of the car. He watched her go in and shut the gate before driving off.

...............

That night, Mila didn't sleep early. She mused for a while the entire episode of the day and was glad that her evening with Tunji had completely erased the moment of distress she had encountered with the woman. She refused to even mention that woman's name in her head, what's in the past stays in the past she reminded herself.  Afterwards, she spent some time on her laptop searching the internet for Tunji Jacobs and what she found shocked her to the core.

BURNT (EPISODE 6)

Mila reached for her phone under the fourth pillow on her bed. Yes, she had four pillows she used as props for a relaxing sleep; especially to ward off the occasional feel of loneliness she felt most nights. She checked the time and saw that it was 10 am. She was almost going to jump off the bed but then remembered that it was the weekend. She laid back into the soft pillows again and started scrolling through the contacts list on her phone. There, she found the number and then dialed. She held her breath as the phone dialed and on the fourth ring, it connected. She slowly released her breath as she heard his voice.

"Hello?'' Brian Femi said sleepily

"Hello. Good morning. This is Mila"

"Mila..." he said sounding uncertain of who she was "Good morning and how are you?" he asked

"I'm fine, thanks. I hope it's not too early? you sound like you're still in bed" she said uncertainly as well and pursed her lips, hoping he would say it was fine she called at that time.

"Yes, I'm still in bed but, it's okay. I was out last night so, I'm trying to catch up on my sleep. Sorry, could you remind me again how we met?"

Mila almost bit her lip as she heard the question she had been dreading. She took a second before answering,

"uh, we met at Zenbah on thursday evening and I came up to you to ask for Leo's number for my friend Simi. You gave me yours in the process" she finished and waited

"Yeah! I remember talking to a pretty girl with the most beautiful and genuine smile I had ever seen but what I can't seem to believe is me giving you Leo's number. He'll skin me alive if he finds out. ugh!" he said dramatically

Mila tried picturing his face as he said this and laughed but felt warmed up all over cos he had called her pretty.

"I'm sorry about that" she said quickly

"Naaa! don't worry about that. I'm glad you called. Been actually looking forward to your call" he replied

And so, the conversation continued and they talked on and on, sharing bits and pieces of information like long lost friends. Mila found herself laughing a lot about his narration of how his dad would always quarrel with him whenever he took his mom out on dinner dates. She found him to be really funny as he described his father's reaction. She found him adorable when he referred to himself as a mommy's boy cos the mom was always calling him to check up on him. She told him about her Dad, who wouldn't always allow her go out cos he felt she was still 18. That cracked him up and they both laughed hard when she narrated occasions when she had had to go out after work before getting home. Mila also got to find out that his real name was Tunji Jacobs and not Brian Femi.

They spoke for over 30 minutes like they could see each other on the other end of the phone but, the conversation was brought to an end by the familiar voice of Mila's  network provider, warning her of having just one minute remaining. She couldn't believe she had finished her airtime talking to Tunji but she was happy they had talked. It set her on a good start for the day as she found herself smiling as she did her chores. Her parents had engagements to attend but she didn't really miss their absence cos she found company with thoughts of her conversation with Tunji.

..................

It was about 3 pm before Mila had time to rest. She decided to do so with her  novel, "Pillars of the Earth". She was at the part where curiosity and infatuation led Jack to trace Aliena to her house on the wealthy parts of Kingsbridge. She was deeply engrossed in the novel when she noticed the red notification light blinking from her phone. She picked up her phone to check which of the messaging apps had the notification. Then, she saw messages from Tunji on Whatsapp and she responded.

Tunji: Hi. Do you have any plans for this evening? I've got two tickets for a stage play on the Island. Would you mind joining me?

Mila: Hello. 👩 No plans for the evening. I'd love to.

Tunji: OK. Where do you live so that I can come pick you?

Mila: You could pick me from Terra Kulture

Tunji: Alright then. The play's for 5 pm . I'll pick you up by 4:30. Is that okay?

Mila: Yes

Tunji: Cool. See you then.

"That was fast!" She thought to herself. She wasn't expecting him to contact her so soon. When she checked the time and saw that it was already 3:30 pm, she jumped off the couch and ran into the bathroom. She wore her favorite navy blue pencil jeans, a transparent gray colored off shoulder lace top that went below her waist and her blue ankle strap heel. She brushed out the straight human hair weave she was using for the fifth time cos it still looked new, wore on some nude makeup, wore on some perfume and then left the house. She would call her parents later to inform them of her whereabouts.

................

Mila took a cab and stopped at Terra Kulture. She had only seen this place online; she had never visited so today was a first for her. She was about walking through the gate when a red spots car pulled up beside her and she heard her name. She turned around to see the familiar face of a light skinned woman in her late thirties, hidden by perfect sun shades. Mila was shocked to see this face again after a year of complete disappearance. She quickly turned to leave but the woman called her again, this time loudly. Mila stopped and stood rooted to the spot. She tried looking relaxed but it was obvious she wasn't. The woman deliberately took her time and then spoke only when she noticed that people were approaching the gate from inside the compound.

"Hello Mila. Are you still screwing him?" she paused, shook her head dramatically slowly and then said "Hmm, I guess not. Bitch." then she drove off.

Mila was shaken to her bones. She stood there struggling with her senses that were almost giving up on her suddenly weak body. She thought she was done. She thought that phase was over but it wasn't. How did she reemerge from no where all of a sudden? Mila kept asking herself.

At that point, she saw another car pull up on the other side of the narrow street. It was a white range rover car. The driver wound down the window; then she saw Tunji's smiling face as he waved at her. The effect of that smile, immediately soothed her ruffled nerves as she recalled the fun of talking to him earlier. She decided to look forward to an interesting evening with him and to lay aside her troubles for another day.