Grabbing The Hot Gate - Episode 12

 

 Japheth sat still in the magnificent sitting room and hoped everything would be fine. He loved the way Stella handled their various meetings. If not for her, he would have given up on himself. However, at this stage of his life, if she told him to do anything not logical, he would. With her motherly way of handling things, she had nurtured him to be better till he was strong enough to tell Alexis it was over between them. At first, she assumed he was lying until he pushed her towards the door . She yelled and cried and pleaded and promised to never seduce him or have sex with him until after they marry. But he sent her away because his heart desire for Mirabel was becoming stronger per time.
'I'll kill myself', she shouted and he was happy she didn't use one of those slangs she was fond of using, many of which he didn't understand. Notwithstanding every one of her threats and pleas, he pushed her out of the house. 
That was last time, he spoke to her. Ever since, she had bombarded his phone with messages through SMS, Facebook message, WhatsApp, BBM, and Instagram.
He gritted happily that he was free from her shackles. Despite being younger than he, she had that power over his desire. Truth be told, she had played her part in making his house look presentable and had always made him happy when she was demanding that he experimented a new method of sexual intercourse with her

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/grabbing-the-hot-gate

. But, one cannot eat a pot of rice that had a drop of poo. 
 Stella had taught him all that and how to become better in his race for spiritual perfection. She had a more reserved manner in dealing with him. He couldn't really place his fingers on what caused his relapse into fornication whenever he saw her. Alexis was his trigger. He needed Jesus to save him. The pain of even dealing with his desire was a punishment on its own.
The previous day, he made sure he left the hotel early to know when she would leave. He was even accosted on the way by the street's vigilantes, but when they saw he was the driver, they stepped back, and allowed him to pass. He sat across the street, and made sure he did everything to remain awake. Immediately the daylight began to peep, the gate opened and she rushed out. He would have loved to know where she was going, but he would have gotten his reply on his bed, with her riding him. Even seeing her alone sent vibes into his body, but he had to keep himself from going back to his vomit. 
When he entered the compound, he scolded Chuks and instructed him to never allow her to enter the house again. But he knew Chuks wouldn't obey such instructions. She always had her ways around him. The man's love for alcoholic drinks would soon ruin him. The next time he had another encounter with Alexis, he would make sure he collected his key. Immediately, he prepared for church, and ran off. And after service, Alexis didn't return and he left for Stella's home. 
 Despite the way he was beginning to hallow Stella's ways, she had this queer behavior that didn't go well with him. He was good at studying people, and could easily know their faults. Gladys, for example, was judgmental. But Stella had no fault. She was spotless and he hated that. A person shouldn't be blameless, it made him feel worthless around such person. His own pride fed on their fault. They couldn't be perfect.
 Stella rushed into the sitting room with a bottle of water and a glass in a tray. 'I'm sorry. I assume you don't take drinks because of sugar'.
'Yes. How...' he said, paused, stared into her face and hissed. 'Oh! Ma, is it that the Holy spirit tells people everything about anybody?'
 She smiled and sat on the sofa. One thing was sure about her. She was beautiful but oddly so. She wore long big skirts which would naturally have turned some women into beasts, but she was ravishing in them.
'No. He doesn't do that to everyone'.
'Good'.
 Stella laughed heartily. 'You don't need to be afraid'.
 Japheth gazed at the expensive tiles and traced them with his eyes. They were very neat as if she always washed every piece every second. 'I don't know how it will feel to enter the church after let's say I fornicate. I won't even be able to enter'.
Stella nodded and placed her hand on his lap. 'I understand'.
Then she proceeded to explain some bible verses to him. He sat still throughout her teaching, and asked the necessary questions. She gave him a big smile as she explained them to him. He was ready for her. He came with his notepad that had the first five of its pages filled with medical terms, while some others had been torn away by Alexis whenever she wanted to use them to describe a new sexual fantasy to him. He listened to every of her words and jotted into his notepad enthusiastically.
She didn't stop talking until his phone rang, indicating Alexis was on the line. At first, he snubbed the call, but when Stella insisted after the repetitive call, he picked it.
'I'm in your room, and I have come to stay. I'll never leave'.
'Wait for me. I'll show you that the only you have the right to stay in under your father', he yelled. The way she uttered the words were really disgusting. If she was saying that in front of him at that instant, he would have beaten her till no one could pick even her cell from the ground. Whatever plan she had, it would be foiled. But she wasn't running away from the house. He would deal with her whenever he got home.
'Hope all is well?' Stella said after he disconnected the call.
'She is the one. Alexis She said she is at my house?'
'Do you want to leave?'
'No. ma. Let's continue'.
 Stella led the prayers that Sunday and she had looked for a way to make the church pray about him. Although she avoided mentioning his name, he really appreciated her effort. For that reason, he would sit still and listen.
'Please ma, I have to leave', he said after ten minutes of frequently losing concentration.
'Hope all is well? Can you handle this?'
'Yes ma'.
'My father always said never trust a man who says Yes to the question ' Hope all is well?'
'Then, your father must be a psychologist'.
'Don't mind the man. He would always have a saying to give people. He believes that a man without a quote would soon lead the life of a goat'.
'What does that mean?'
She shrugged and opened her hands. 'Even me, I don't know. I always try to fathom what he meant, but most times he would just munch on his tobacco pipe and snooze off as if I never existed. Yet, he would never let me be. He promises to come here one of these days'.
'Oh I would love to be with him', he replied absentmindedly as they got to the gate.
'Then you have to come with more than a notepad', she said and they both laughed. She unlatched the lock of the gate, and opened it for him.
'Why don't you get a gateman?' He asked just as he stepped outside the house. 'This house is too big for you alone to live without any security man'.
She smiled at him with a different kind of joy. 'Thieves once came to this house when I had a gateman. Ahhh See that look on your face'.
'Was he part of them? I mean did he have a hand in...'
'No. Not at all', she said dismissively. 'In fact, the man's own was more than the thieves. At least they knew what they came for. The gateman said he was a gateman, and wasn't in charge of security. I would have asked the police to apprehend him, and make sure he ends up in one of those horrible dungeons, but my father would say let a foolish dog loose, the wolves shall deal with it'.
'That's deep', he replied, smiling warily.
'I'm not that good at telling joke, I know. So, don't let me delay you'.
 He smiled and turned to leave, then turned again. 'Thank you, ma'.
'You're welcome'.
She rested on the dangling pedestrian gate, and kept watching him like someone that had a lot to say, but needed to be quiet. He nodded and left. 
'Japheth, you know all about confession, right?'
He turned and nodded.
'Good! Please come nearer'.
He did and she seemed as if she was about to tell him a big secret. She gritted.
'You have demons in you, a lot from fornicating and from the man that raped you when you were small. Your Aunty only helped you overcome it psychologically, but didn't cleanse you spiritually. Rather, she didn't help you close those spiritual doorways. That is why you fall easily. When you get home, read aloud the book of Revelation chapter 19-22. Demons hate to hear about the fall of...' She said and went into a bout of cough. 
'Are you alright?' He said with fear as he moved nearer. She waved and gestured for him to leave.
'It will' 
She went into another bout of coughing.
'Just go'
'Are you sure...?'
'I'll be fine'.
'OkayBut'
'GoDon't worry'.
He turned and left the house even as she slammed the gate, kept coughing and kept battling with the lock of the gate.
 He battled between rushing home and insisting on helping her. But he must battle the external demons before he even faced the demons within. He walked to his car and was so focused on getting home that he didn't hear someone running after him. Normally, he would have parked within her compound, but he didn't want to stress her, seeing that she had no gateman.
The person touched him. He turned hurriedly and backed away from the person. 'What? Who are you?'
 A lanky man stared at him. His eye bags were full and his eyes were red. He was holding a nylon of Minimie chin-chin.
'Please, help me'.
'I don't have my wallet on me so I don't have money', Japheth said and was sure he wasn't lying. That couldn't be a lie. He had explained the situation to the man.
'NoNo money. Not money. The son of the soil doesn't need money now', the man said and glanced at Stella's house.
'What do you want?'
'Two of my guys entered that house, December December 5, and I'm yet to see them'.
'Which house?'
 The man looked at the different direction of the empty street and pointed toward Mrs. Stella's house. 'That big house. Please, I haven't seen them in five weeks now'.
 Japheth felt like walking away, but he felt the man was saying something worthy of his time. At least if anything was truly wrong, though he prayed it was a lie, he would have, a knowledge of something bad about Stella. Her good behavior and everything made him feel like a dog when he was in her presence. 'Are you sure?'
'I'm not lying. The son of the soil followed them but I stayed outside. I was'He said and ran forward to point at a corner of the street.
'What were you doing there?'
'I'm not proud of saying this but we came to steal'.
' Ah! What if they ran with the money?'
'They can't', the man said aggressively and tears began to run down his eyes.
'How are you sure? Calm down. There's surely...'
'I know what I know. Gerald's mother is sick. I followed him and Nnamdi to get money for her operations', he said, trying to make himself audible enough for only Japheth. 'On Friday, three days ago, I saw a lady enter the place. Son of the soil saw it with his own eyes. A lady entered the place, and had not come out. Something is happening. There is something about big houses, I told them. I told them Big houses are bad. People with big houses have gone through a lot to erect such houses'.
Japheth had wanted to catch her doing something bad, but not this. 'I don't believe you. She's a Christian'.
'I swear to God, I saw the other lady on Friday', the man said. 
'Describe the other lady'.
The man vividly described Gladys, who wasn't around in church that Sunday. No matter what, he trusted Stella. This man was a con.
'You're lying. If you follow me, I'll shout that you're a thief'.
 The man burst into tears.
                        ***
There were things that many considered to be wrong in this world, and shouldn't be meddled with.

Read " The Thorny Path to Europe " by the same author ( Akíntayo Akinjide )

. One of such was trying to enter the place one had been afraid of entering initially. There were repercussions, not from the law but from the world of one's fear. Kingsley looked at both sides after the guy had gone and moved to gate. He tried to push the gate, but it was locked. Suddenly, someone shouted, 'who is there?'
 He had always been considered by his friends to be light on his feet. Without further ado, he sped off the road and jumped into the nearest drainage on the road. The gate creaked as it was opened. A woman coughed and shouted, 'who is there?'
She reverted to coughing and banged the gate. Luckily for him, the drainage was dry, maybe because it wasn't near any house. He dusted his cloth as he rose, and then, he peeped again into the house. He should always listen to his intuition.