Mary was everything

Mary was everything to him. Mary was his life, his music, his dedication, and his motivation.

James couldn’t stay a day without seeing her. It didn’t really seem like he was addicted to her until we all noticed he would go into the toilet to make “calls”.

James was 23, young, vibrant, tall, 6’ 2. He had the smile of a beautiful deer. Every girl we knew would smile at the sight of his smile.

It all started when his cousin Cally came in from the states. They went out for some family reunion at a bar somewhere inside town. They had drinks and they went in with some girls having so much fun, they came home late that night. He never mentioned her to anybody, he never described her. All he ever said was “dude, she’s tight!” with a wink to cover it up.

I did envy him though, for finding this girl that could change him. Make him go to work for a paycheck, spend money on his own phone to make calls- in the toilet. We’re dudes so I didn’t want to seem gay eavesdropping on their conversations.(no offence to same sex practitioners)

At some point, James started losing weight. I asked about the girl jovially, expecting an answer. I didn’t get it! “J-boy Mary no dey give you chow?” I asked in our local parlance. He was sweating profusely with soaked undergarments.

“She’s fine.” Short and sharp, he shot back.

“Easy man…” I retorted calmly. “oh ’boy, for this cold, you dey sweat like this?” It was 7:00am in the morning, a lazy Saturday morning.

“Guy dey your side!!!” he barked at me.

I calmly decided to overlook his tone and plug my earphones; bopping my head to “kukere-etighi”… one of my home based favourite tunes. He got up, put on his shirt, walked to the estate gate with a face like a soldier from the 300 Spartans movie. Even a neighbour bypassed him puzzled by his look as they exchanged quick sharp pleasantries. The neighbour approached me with all suspicions of James being in a financial problem or some emotional trauma. Nada! I was also as puzzled as him. So I went in hurriedly after the ‘imaginary light bulb’ appeared on my head, put on some footwear, threw on an ‘Enyce” T-shirt and went after James.

I followed him, noticed or unnoticed; I didn’t give a f***. Followed until he came to an abrupt halt at one of the hangouts/brothel he and his cousin used to come to whenever he was around. He went in, so I followed after him; not minding him seeing me. I didn’t have a good hunch about him, the brothel, the whole Saturday.

He went into one of the apartments behind the brothel and I lost him. I decided to wait and a thought came to me, maybe Mary was a hoe and it was disturbing him that she could have been with one her numerous clients at that time. So I took a seat, ordered a bottle of fayrouz, sipped slow while waiting. Minutes later, James wasn’t out and no drama yet. It was still quiet except for the Africa magic channel that was on the TV then. After an hour, three beers and one fayrouz down, the pimp of that brothel ran out and dashed to me on sight… “Jay… jay… Jay… James!!”

“Hey… Calm down bro...” I placed my hand on his shoulder. “What’s up? Talk to me? Wetin do James??”

In between breaths, he leaned forward, placing his hands on his knees then pointed to the door James disappeared into. I dashed there not knowing what to expect; Trauma or drama. I busted through the door not noticing the restroom sign on it… James was on the floor.  I finally met Mary.i quickly struggled to lift his unconscious body off the disinfected floor. The pimp had already called up an okada. I got on the bike…

“B.M.H, how much??” I didn’t even hear the price, I ordered a go. Minutes later, he was on the hospital bed; revived, alive, and with hope after such a heart break. As  I left the hospital to get him food and water, flashes of what Mary’s face looked like with him on the floor.

With all the polythene and latex on the floor; She was straight faced as metal, white, powdered form, spilled all over his nose, chest and the toilet floor. She, in reality broke his heart: doctors mentioned something about him loosing blood in his heart.