Chapter 9: The guy with the umbrella

Morning sunlight rays illuminated through my eyes.

My eyelashes fluttered and I slowly opened up my eyes.

I yawned, stretched my arms and sat up. I had a slight headache but I felt really good, better than I had felt in days.

I looked around me.

I couldn't fathom where I was exactly. Everything was unfamiliar.

The bed was covered in cream and blue coloured bedsheets and it was so soft and comfy.

I was wrapped in a blue coloured blanket and although the room wasn't a big luxurious one, it was really decorated beautifully but in a boyish style.

The curtains were sky blue. The walls were painted in cream and blue with lovely patterns and the floors were covered in cream tiles. The room was simple and neat.

By the left hand side of the bed was a blue coloured table and chair and there was a standing fan by the right hand side. There was a wardrobe and a laundry basket in the opposite direction of the bed and near the door was a dressing table and a shoe rack.

It was perfect in a way.

But what was I doing here?

As if in a bid to answer my question, the door swung open and there entered the most handsome guy I had ever seen in my entire life.

My dark eyes met with his beautiful brown eyes.

I knew those eyes.

"Hey, you're awake." The guy who just came in said, shutting the door behind him.

That accent....

Suddenly, the events of the evening when I arrived in Lagos replayed in my head.

I remembered how I knew him but what was I doing with him?

A thought came to my mind.

I quickly glanced at how I looked like beneath the blanket.

I was in my clothes, not naked.

And I didn't feel pains in between my thighs.

This was surprising.

"Hey, hey." His voice snapped, bringing me back to reality.

"Y.... Yeah?" I answered.

"I've been talking to you. I can't believe you weren't even paying attention." He said with an angry-amused tone.

"Oh. I didn't realize." I said.

"Oh. I didn't realize." He mimicked.

"Yeah. I apologize."

"I don't want your apology." He retorted.

"Okay. I take my apology back." I said.

"No. It's not like I don't want your apology."

"So what do you want?"

"I meant I didn't want the apology orally. You know, actions speak louder than words."

"So do you want me to kneel to show that I'm sorry?" I asked, climbing out of the bed.

"No. Not that."

"So what do you want?" I asked, looking at him confused.

"Do I have to explain everything to you? Come on, what's your name?"

"Cassandra."

"Nice. Now, Cas, I don't need to explain how to show you how to express your gratitude." He said, in a romantic tone that sent shivers down my spine.

Cas? That was a new one.

I swallowed. "Umm.... Wh.....What?"

He came closer. He was just two feet away from me now. He placed his hands in his pockets. "You can show it in this way, you know."

He wrapped his left hand around my waist and drew me to him.

I could feel his warm breath upon my cheeks.

He was so seductively charming.

Our noses were touching already and his eyes were filled with passion.

I couldn't resist it.

I closed my eyes abruptly without even thinking and waited for it.

Echoes of laughter enveloped the room and my eyes flashed open.

I saw 'Mr Handsome" laughing so hard.

He let go of my waist and sprawled out on the floor with laughter.

He clutched his stomach and kept on staring at me laughing like I had something on my face.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"You.... You're...." He burst into another round of laughter.

I sat on the bed shaking my head and waiting for him to finish his madness.

After what seemed like eternity, he finally quieted down and looked like a normal human being once again.

"So what was so funny?" I demanded.

"You.... You thought I'd kiss you." He said and chuckled.

"And?" I was embarrassed but I had to act tough.

"Dude, I'd never do that. I mean, " He stood up. "Take a look at you, and take a look at me." He gestured.

"In other words......" I probed further.

"In other words, you're not my type." He dropped the bomb.

Those words pierced my heart and my emotions betrayed me and showed on my face.

His eyebrows arched and he had a mocking concerned look.

"Dude, don't feel bad. You're good for someone else, but not me." He said and laughed again.

"Well, are you done?" I asked and stared him in the face, not removing the gaze my eyes had on his.

He obviously didn't see that coming. "Y... Yeah, I guess." He stuttered.

"First of all, I'm not a dude." I told him.

"You sure look like one." He scoffed.

"Sorry." He said, when he noticed the fierce look in my eyes.

Did he just shudder?

My eyes sure worked wonders.

"Secondly, I can't even imagine having to kiss you. I'll rather kiss the devil." I said.

"Little wonder you look exactly like him." He retorted.

Why was he so good at making me feel bad?

He went on. "I couldn't even change you out of your wet clothes yesterday cause I knew I'd dread seeing your nakedness. Do you know why I covered you up in a blanket yesterday?"

I didn't say anything. I knew he was up to no good.

"Seems you already know the answer. Anyways, for clarification sakes, it was to hide the hideous view of your body. Are you sure your Father's a human being or did your mum make love with a monkey to have such an ugly duckling for a child?"

"Enough!" I thundered.

"I was just....."

"Keep quiet. That's enough." I yelled.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Don't say such things about my mother." I ordered.

He chuckled. "Are you 11 or something? People make jokes about their parents all the time. No need to be so worked up and take it personally." He said, highly disapprovingly.

I understood his point but it didn't still go well with me.

"Do people make jokes with their parents who just died three days ago?" I asked.

His composure sunk to a sober mood.

"I'm.... I'm sorry." He looked really apologetic.

The tears betrayed me yet again and ran down my eyes.

I sunk to the bed, with my head in my hands, crying so hard.

"I'm.... I'm really sorry." He said, his voice sounding so remorseful.

"I'll let you be for now." He said.

I didn't look up till I heard the door shut.

I felt like I overreacted but I couldn't just let my mum be insulted like that, I couldn't.

I cried and wished things were different for me. Soon, I had drifted off to sleep.

"Hey, wake up." I heard a voice resounding in my eardrums.

"Ohhh... What is it?" I answered sleepily, without opening my eyes.

Drops of water were splashed on my face.

I opened my eyes and sat up immediately to see who disturbed my sleep so rudely.

I saw "Mr Handsome" towering above me wearing a wide grin on his face with a bowl of water in his hands.

I stared at him furiously.

My eyes had no effect on him. His grin on my grew wider.

"You've been sleeping like a drunk. Tell me something, Cas, are you pregnant?" He said, still grinning.

I flung the pillow at him.

"Hey!" He screamed.

"Hey!" I screamed louder.

"Irritating." He muttered.

I ignored him and stretched my arms.

He sat on the edge of the bed.

"I'm sorry... Sincerely sorry for joking about your mother earlier today. I'm really sorry." He said.

"I'm also sorry for snapping at you like that. Thanks for bringing me here and not taking advantage of me. Truly, there are still good people in the world." I said, with a smile.

"Yeah. Even though people are bad to you, you should be good to others. That's how life works. So you shouldn't tell me thank you. It's a duty I owe to humanity." He said.

He sounded strange. Like he had something he wasn't saying. I mean, Why did he have to say even if people aren't good to you, be good to others? It sounded suspicious.

"Thanks once again. Your kind is rare." I simply said.

His eyebrows arched and there appeared a glint of amusement in his eyes.

"Speaking of kind and rare, Cas, I know I'm a handsome young man and you may have probably never seen someone as wonderfully made as me. To top it all, girls are always around me and do a whole lot of things for me. Every girl is always awestruck at my appearance but a girl has never passed out on just seeing my looks." He said with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes.

He stood up and admired himself in the mirror. "Oh, God did make me well. I can't blame you if you wanted a kiss from me. I mean, just take a look at me." He gestured to himself.

"Stop flattering yourself." I scoffed. "I've seen better."

Of course, that was a lie. He was the best I'd ever seen and I'd probably ever see.

"So why did you pass out?" He asked.

"I was stressed out." I answered, looking at my fingernails.

"You're not staying in Lagos, right?" He asked, lifting my chin up.

"Ummm...." I stuttered.

"You stay in Jos." He said.

I twitched and adjusted looking terribly scared.

"How... How did you...." I managed to ask.

He burst into another round of his disgusting laughter.

Seriously, everything was cute about this guy except the way he laughs. It was annoying.

You're just looking for something bad in him. His laughter's adorable. A voice rang in my head.

When he had calmed down, he spoke up. "I saw your bus ticket in your purse. I'm no wizard. No need to be terrified" He explained.

"Ooh." I exhaled.

He smiled. "Now, gist me. Who did you murder that you left your home in a haste?" He demanded.

"I didn't leave in a haste." I said.

"You brought a few clothes....in a polythene bag. You were standing in the rain late at night and eyeing an empty store. I'm sure you intended on sleeping there." He said, in a serious tone for the very first time.

"How'd you figure out all these?" I asked.

He shrugged. "What can I say? Well, I'm an Undergraduate of Psychology and I've always been psychic." He said.

"So why did you leave in a haste, especially since you just lost your mother?" He asked.

He could be annoying but he seemed like a nice person and he could probably help me out. Who knew?

I hesitated.

"I feel you need help. But I can't render help to whom I don't know. What if you're a ghost?" He asked.

I chuckled.

"I'm serious. You need to tell me about yourself. Everything, let me know who I'm harbouring in my house." He said.

He was right.

"Hey.....ummm....." I started.

He interrupted me.

"I think you should know my name isn't hey. Please, call me Amsey." He said.

I've never heard of Amsey before but it sounded lovely. Everything was lovely about the guy but that felt funny.

No one was perfect. Could I trust this Amsey guy, the guy that had held the umbrella to shield me from the rain? The guy that hadn't even touched me all through the night? John was also nice but he turned out to be cruel.

Could I trust him?

Could I?

"I'm waiting." He said with his ever warm smile.