BROKEN HEART (II): SHORT STORY
Intro
Our story stopped where an anxious Kaadi called his fiancée’s line yet again but it was answered by a hostile stranger. Who is the new guy and how does Kaadi react to his appearance in the picture?
BROKEN HEART (II)
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“Sorry.” Kaadi had found his voice. “Can I speak to the owner of this line?”
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“Why? Dude, do I know you? Better not call this line again if you love yourself.” The stranger hissed and cut the call.
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Meanwhile, Gladys, who was dressing her hair in a nearby salon, hoped the phone she had plugged to power in Stephen’s apartment was charging. It was her main line and had been off for a few days due to the terrible power situation in Mararaba where he stayed. Stephen was exciting but he was a struggling artist. Although she hadn’t told him yet, much as she hated it, this was a valedictory visit as she was travelling back to the east in a few days to welcome her fiancé, Kaadi, from Canada. He had studied engineering and had already secured a job with a foreign construction firm that had offices in Nigeria. In her view, although he was not as much fun to be with as Stephen, Kaadi was a steady, reliable guy: perfect husband material.
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Kaadi, who had cooled down after sitting awhile in the joint and sipping the iced juice, was feeling hot all over again and nearly passed out after Stephen terminated the call. Nonso, embarrassment written all over his face due to the stares of the other patrons, came around to fan him with a plastic table mat.
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“You wan* kill yourself over woman. Just say the word and I’ll get you a dozen of them. C’mon, man, pull yourself together!” Nonso put the iced juice to Kaadi’s lips. After taking a few sips of it, he was a trifle more composed.
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“Maybe this is not what we think it is. There may be a perfectly reasonable explanation for it.” Nonso wasn’t buying it though.
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“I think she has another number. Why didn’t I remember that before?” Nonso stared at him dubiously thinking, “As if that would have done you any good.”
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He saw that Kaadi was still the same innocent lad that left Nigeria half a decade ago. He must have paid way too much attention to his studies, he thought. No sign here that he had learnt the ways of the world. Any pure 042 guy* would have decoded what’s going on right away, he told himself. He gritted his teeth because from every indication, a two-timer was about to rip his cousin’s heart apart, but the poor guy was busy clutching at straws.
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Kaadi brought out a tiny address book from his wallet, found the number and began to key it in.
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“You’re sure you want to do that?”
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“Yes. The sooner this confusion is cleared up, the better for me. I’m all set to marry this girl, you know?”
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“Why don’t you let me do the talking this time?” Nonso collected the phone from him and dialled the number. Once it started ringing, he put the phone back on speaker so that Kaadi could hear every word.
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“Omalicha!” he hailed Gladys when she picked up.
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“Nonso, my husband, kee kwanu?”*
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“How have you been?”
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“Fine.”
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“How is school?”
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“Too much stress! I’m trying to clear my assignments before Kaadi’s return next week. You know now, I need to give him good attention after his years of absence.”
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“I trust you. Are you at your place now?”
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“Of course, I told you, too many assignments.”
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“Ok, I’m around your area. I’ll swing by and take you out so you can cool your head a little.”
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“No oh!”
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“Why not?”
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“I’m too busy.”
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“I understand. Let’s do it this way – tell me what you want, I’ll buy and bring it to you.”
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“Send me call credit instead or make me hear alert.”*
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“You’re not in school then.”
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“True. I’m at home helping my mum with farm work.”
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“Ezigbo nwa! Jisikwa ike oh!”
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Kaadi, whose feeling of alarm had been growing as the conversation wore on, didn’t stop on the verge this time. He slumped into unconsciousness forcing Nonso to cut the call and run for bottled water from the counter to revive him with.
-To be continued-
Ⓒ Edith Ugochi Ohaja 2016
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Gladys has no idea Kaadi is onto her. The final segment shows their dramatic meeting. Don’t miss it ’cause it will be far from predictable.
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*”wan” is pidgin English meaning “want to”
*”pure 042 guy” is slang for a streetwise Enugu guy, 042 being the telephone area code for Enugu
*”Omalicha!” is “Pretty!” in Igbo
*”Nonso, my husband”: By local tradition arising from Levirate marriage that was common in the past, women address their husbands’ relatives as their husbands. “Kee kwanu?” is “How are you?” in Igbo.
*”make me hear alert” means “pay money into my account”
*”Ezigbo nwa! Jisikwa ike oh!” literally means “Good child! Well done oh” or “”Good child! More power to your elbow!”
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My teacher that’s a good one, waiting for the last lap.
Thanks, Chucks! Check for the last instalment right away!
Aunty, this z cool… can’t wait for d second part.. lolss
Hi! This is actually Part II. Check Parts I and III under related stories. Cheers!
I like! I specifically love the use of ‘street parlance’ Very good read ma’am!
Thanks.
gladys can lie for the world
She’s a bad, bad girl!
I would like to know how this story will end
nice one, this story is nice… moving over to the next part of the story.
She had me at *make me hear alert* …really funny.
I love this, let me finish abeg
This story is attention grabbing … Cant wait to read the last part
Nice one! Choice of words making it sound like its happening right outside my door, so real. Moving onto the next one sharp sharp, maka oge adiro…
Nice story..
this cant get any interesting.. cant wait for the next part
But Gladys,why?
interesting…still reading
Gladys wants to eat her cake n have it, why girls dey like bad guys self….
mum very nice
inspiring
kaadi is half dead if i must say
not fair
Can’t wait for the next part
now this is really getting interesting,cant wait to see the end.
Interesting story.Looking for next one
What kind of a lady is that. Even after she is engaged. Some women really have heart.
just negodu..just take a look!
Am confused…..
Faithfulness matters in everyrhing including relationship
I CANT HELP BUT VISUALISE THIS STORY HAPPENING MA PLS POST THE COMPLETE PART.
nice story.. so interesting
can’t wait to read others
hmm, Nigerians… “good people great nation” is those words still in every heart? I wonder what she hope to gain from that. faithfulness breeds unity and love..
shall we proceed to the next piece
hmmmmmm. she deserves an award, for the best liar in Africa.
hmm…interesting,….NEXT!
suspense ooo.. but interesting
awwn… poor Kaadi
i cant wait to know kaadis reaction
what a story! i pity the guy who was so innocent to have involve himself with Gladys. lies and material desire have made people lose their value
Jesus!!! What a lie!!! She is finished, she has been caught in her own trap, well it is not new ladies do this all the time especially those with many suitors and don’t know which one to choose, well cant wait to see if kaadi would regain his consciousness and what he will do, next episode on my mind
Lol! Go ahead!
E done happen….. Assignments and helping your mom in the farm.. OK oooo,let’s be watching
The girl can lie. She doesn’t think about it, just opens her mouth and spills them.
Chai.. lol.. Gladys cant even lie o. It will shock her when she eventually finds out that Kaadi is already around and had already checked on her.
A girl like Gladys can never progress in life. lying is one huge factor that breaks relationships apart. Kaadi should at this point be strong.
Jeeez! This is crazy Lamo! Eyaaaa I feel for the two parties. Aunty you are killing me here this story is very interesting. Ah poor Kaadi. Abeg he should not die oo
Gladys o…. ?
who does she think she’s fooling (her cup don full)
anyways, my condolences to kaadi, poor guy, hope he put himself together.
then, I like Nonso, hope he helps kaadi go through this, so as not to hurt himself.
nice story, can’t wait to read the third part.
The worst one can do is lying and she did it so boldly. It means she is not serious with Kaadi. And am more curious with this Stephen guy, who really is he? Next please the story is getting more interesting
Oh my God!! Now am sorry for her, can’t wait to read the next episode of this story is getting more interesting?♀️?♀️?♀️
Superb
Even if she must lie at least let her think first.
Captivating piece, I await the next one.
I love this story. One lesson I have learned hear is that I should be very careful during telephone conversations, you never know who might be listening. Can’t wait to read the rest of the story!
Hmm.. . Ladies and double tongue o!
Lying is one of the things that tends to cause problems in a relationship… Moving to the next story, shaa
Well done so far, ma.
“Gladys, I just hope your tales will fetch you a positive end”….
We all are actually Gladys in one way.
I’m waiting patiently for the story.
my guy kaadi, 5years no be 5 days, surprises are not for 042 babes…las las na you she come suprise. Hahaha
Hahahhahaha, Kaadi got it bad. I just hope he is able to overcome this. Gladys have no idea the kind of surprise in stock for her. It seems she is about to be found out. Nice work, Aunty.
I just imagine the emotional instability kaadiwill pass through after hearing the conversation that happened during the phone call. Poor kaadi , he couldn’t bear finding out that Gladys calls another man her husband. He probably found out in a bad way that Gladys wasn’t loyal to him. Anyways, I can’t wait to read the next story to see if Gladys was really cheating on him or she just jokingly called Nonso her husband. Thank u ma’am for this wonderful story.
she thinks she’s smart not knowing that she has been caught in her own trap ok, let’s see where her lies would land her
Girls and their deception , am sorry to say this, girls are bundle of trash that can not be trusted, I can’t believe Gladys just lied to nonso about her where about, it is obvious she is a cheat, I only pity Kassi who have given his whole heart to her, any way let see what happens next .
?? the kaadi never faint finish. Chai see the kind love the guy has for this gurl so much so as to faint cus of this misunderstanding. And the innocent girl doesn’t even know what is going on. Communication is always the key. If they had just asked her where her other phone is she would have said she was charging it with her friend and kaadi wouldn’t be fainting up and down.
Chaii, Gladys shouldn’t have lied. How is she going to explain this, having lied to Nonso. She’s just implicating herself unknowingly.
Kasala don burst!
Kaadi truly love his woman. He seems to be too emotional unlike all these 042 boys.
See where lies,smartness or will I say over carefulness landed anty Gladys. One funny thing about lies is that you have to keep bringing up new lies to back up an old one.
How can she be doing assignments and all of a sudden travelled to assist her mum? ??
It’s possible she don’t have any skeleton in her cupboard sef.
Nawaoh, Kaadi shouldn’t have gone with this Nonso, Nonso strikes me like one who can make good situation bad and a bad situation worse.
If Nonso had asked her where she kept her main line, all these stories wouldn’t have emanated.
However, Kaadi should be safe o.
Oh this is so complicating,now Kaadi would find it difficult believing her,but that Stephen guy though, why would he take someone’s calls and sound so rude at that.
He caused this whole “wahala”
This thing called love can really cause heart attack for people. See the trauma he is passing through now because he is unable to speak with his woman.
so it was true she was cheating. and with her own fiance’so cousin. what an insult.she doesn’t have any atom of decency at all. even the cousin who was with him the previous day and saw how he fainted and all that. hmm. it’s really truse that one canight never really trust anyone even ur own relation..
it’s really bad. what was the girl hoping to gain from dating 2 guys from the same family for heavens sake?
Jesus! This girl lie pass our politicians oooooo lol. From busy with assignment to traveling to help mama with farm work she no get sense the two are not related nii any sensible person will smell rat there. I pity lover boy Kaadi given her the benefit of doubt and getting his heart shattered. I weep for him.
Hmmmmmm, this is love, Kaadi really loves her. Why would she break the heart of a guy that loves her this much?
Her lies are strong ooo
Ooh my God, this one touch me….. I really feel for Kaadi right now,he loves her but she’s not faithful and also a cheap liar.