EVERY WAKING MOMENT

HELLO READERS!

HOW ARE YOU TODAY? I KNOW SOME HAVE WAITED FOR ME TODAY TO FULFILL MY PROMISE. SOME ARE STILL WAITING AND SOME HAVE GIVEN UP.

BUT I TOLD YOU THE LAST TIME THAT THERE IS NO GOING BACK THIS TIME AROUND.

I WAS GOING TO POST CHAPTER TEN TODAY TO CONTINUE FROM WHERE WE STOPPED BUT I HAVE SOME NEW READERS WHO HAVE ASKED ME TO START FROM THE BEGINNING. FOR THEIR SAKE PLEASE BEAR WITH ME AND REACQUAINT YOURSELF WITH THIS BEAUTIFUL LOVE STORY.

CHAPTER ONE

Through her mask she watched the gaiety of the light and sound filled hall. It was an exquisite hall with ten golden chandeliers hanging from the most amazing sculptured ceiling she had ever seen.  The marbled floor reflected the chandeliers and all who cared to stop and admire but no one did except Helen. This was because she has mastered the act of being the wall flower whenever she found herself in events like this. Which wasn’t often anyway, she had always managed to avoid attending parties but this one she could not say no to because… because… strange she couldn’t remember why she was here and she couldn’t recognize any of the faces here. She laughed softly; no one would blame her for not recognizing anyone after all everyone’s face was covered in mask. Without meaning to she began to play a game in her mind to see how many people she could recognize even with their masks on. Her first win was Nma, how could anyone not know that that petite and curvy body in white body con gown could only belong to the wife of the richest man in Africa and beyond.

Helen smiled as she remembered the intriguing story of how they met, their adventurous romance that nearly caused her life and the never ending happiness and love they now share. As she watched Nma dancing with a man, no doubt Uche her husband, she sighed as he whispered something to her and she laughed, raised his mask and kissed him. Only the Okohas would be this bold with their show of affection. Helen thought. If she was ever going to fall in love, if the depth was not going to be as deep as what Nma and Uche shared, she was not falling. She wondered if there was a man out there who would ever see her more than she was, plain Helen. Is there any man out there who sees beyond what the eyes present, who see through her soul and find out the great yearning for love. For someone to hold her, touch her, offer a solid shoulder to cry on because lately she had done nothing but wake up shivering from the most horrifying nightmare.

She shook her head from side to side trying to shake off the disturbing thought her life brought her. The thought that she couldn’t have a life till she found out who she really was, was not only frightening but heart wrenching depressing.

To distract herself, she began to look around at the other people mingling, laughing and enjoying themselves. Before long her attention was caught by a couple, a ruggedly built man dancing with a girl and she seemed to hang on his every word. Even without his silky shoulder length hair and tanned complexion one would always recognize Chuck Obi by the way the ladies flocked around him. Even if there wasn’t that, her heart would always remember the one it yearns for but couldn’t have.  She sighed deeply and as if she wasn’t tortured herself enough,  her eyes returned to Chuck and the girl clinging to him. She sneered noticing that there were those waiting desperately for the music to end so they could have their turn on the dance floor with him. Helen sighed with disgust and looked away only to find more interesting view of a couple who couldn’t wait to take it to one of the empty rooms upstairs or to a more shadowy corner. She laughed at their foolishness.

Suddenly a voice spoke behind her, the hair on her nape stood on end and she swirled around in anticipation.

“I have been watching you watch me’ a deep husky voice she could remember anywhere said behind her.

Chuck? When did he move from the dance floor? When did the music stop? Her heart stopped completely and she took several shallow breaths to normalize her center. To remind herself that the man was well out of her reach and an embodiment of conceit

‘I have not been watching you’ she turned away from him

‘Have you not?’ he demanded taking hold of her shoulder and turning her to face him. She stiffened her shoulders to stop his hands from spreading the slow melting of her organs that his voice started.

She slapped his hands off. ‘I know your arrogance would not take any other answer so why bother?’ she said instead

He laughed softly

‘That stiffening of shoulders tells me different’

She stared at him wildly, afraid that he might have guessed what was going on in her mind. She was totally speechless and didn’t know how to defend herself against this amazing but annoying man.

‘Care to leave this venue?’

‘With you, I don’t think so” she told him firmly even as her heart raced. Why would Chuck Obi want to leave the party with her? Did he really think that her stiffened shoulder meant take me home and do what you want with me and make the happiest woman on earth?

She turned to face him squarely summoning her remaining strength. She scoffed at him and turned to walk away but he caught her upper hand.

‘You know want to’

She turned to give him a piece of her mind and to put him in his place once and for all.

‘I too want that very much’

His words stopped her flow of angry words and she stopped speechless and confused and melting every second. She could feel her strength slipping away and while that frightening weakness for him took over her slowly.

 What is happening here, she asked herself. Was he becoming attracted to her or… she heaved a sigh of disgust. Chuck was a first class womanizer. That thought brought her back to earth, her equilibrium restored. He probably thought she had been blending with the wall, watching, waiting and praying he took notice of her. What better woman to take home for a one night stand than the one who would melt with longing and gratitude at first eye contact.

Okay was she insinuating that she was that woman who would melt with gratitude at first eye contact? She had had more than eye contact with him, he had touched and caressed and kissed her before and she didn’t melt with longing and gratitude. Yes you did her mind whispered. So much that you forgot your purse, so much that you are afraid to go back and get it.

‘Helen! Helen!’ he chanted ‘When will you ever let go and enjoy yourself’

‘I was enjoying myself’ she snapped at him

‘I was kidding’ he laughed

If he tried he would never know how much he hurt her at that time. So he thought she was play thing, a joke he could deepen his voice and deem his eyes for and say words that are… that are..

‘Look even from the dance floor I could see that you were enjoying yourself  as much as these walls are probably doing’

She heaved a sigh, there was no need getting hurt over someone who would ever care enough. It was waste of energy. That kind of negative energy she didn’t need at this point in her life.

‘What are you doing here? Don’t you have more women to charm?’

‘I have had enough and I think you have too, come on let’s go, I will take straight to wherever you want to go, scout honor’

Helen heaved another sigh. She had wanted to leave the venue for while now but had been too tired to go out and get a cab. She knew Chuck; he wouldn’t take advantage of her. He respected Nma too much for that.

‘I will get my wrap’ she said

He smiled ‘hurry I will be outside’

Did she know what she was doing? She asked herself. Was she aware that she was about to leave with Chuck Obi World’s number one playboy. Yes, she answered, she had already concluded that Chuck won’t harm her. Was she also aware she was letting Helen, world’s number one weakling for Chuck go home with him, ride in the same car, breathe the same air, No Chuck wasn’t the problem here, the problem here was Helen but Helen being a weakling could not change her mind because it was not every day she got to spend the time with the most exciting man on earth.

Helen got her wrap, and went in search of Chuck.

Outside she breathed a sigh of relief. The fresh air was exhilarating and healing. After all the noise and stuffiness of the hall, this seemed like paradise.

Where was Chuck? She looked around for him. Had he gone without her? He wouldn’t be cruel as to play a game on her. Why would he, she asked when dozens of women in there were falling over themselves to go home with him. She smiled and cautioned herself. It was high time she abandoned her phobia of abandonment. What game could Chuck probably play on her? Project let’s see how easy she would follow. She laughed at her joke.

‘Have you been waiting long?’

She smiled her answer and entered the car as the porter held the door open for her. As soon as the door closed he zoomed off. She had to hold on the dash board for few minutes before getting the courage to do up her seatbelt. She gave him side long glance and he was smiling. He was driving a Porsche in a lightning bolt speed and was smiling like he was a passenger in a cruise boat at the deck with the sea breeze on his face?

‘Please slow down a bit’

He glanced at her and grinned ‘afraid are we?’

‘No but some of us love to live to see the next day’

‘Don’t worry, it is two am, the road is mostly clear and I am not drunk’

‘What about the street light poles, pavements and all drainages?

‘Gush! For a quiet girl you have a black and suicidal mind’

‘Better that than an accident’

She smiled when she noticed the car slowing.

‘What exactly do you do for Nma?’

The question was sudden, she wasn’t expecting it. She had thought he spoke seduction and nothing more

‘I am the head designer and co owner of its lingerie and bikini range’

‘Interesting! I can imagine that’

Of course you could she added silently. There is no womanizer alive that would not appreciate her line of work. Not when that womanizer is the sexiest man alive for three consecutive years.

‘What is your favorite color?’

‘Red’ she answered off offhandedly

‘Mine too, I find that red lace and silk are the height of sexy’

‘It is just a job Chuck’

‘I don’t think so, if it were, you not be any good at it and I believe I have heard Nma sing your praises a time or two’

‘Okay yes it is my job to create sexy but it is more than that, I have to create elegance, class and innocence too…’

‘Who cares for elegance and class in bed, what kind of guys have you been dating?’

Good question she said to herself and thank goodness it was rhetoric or else there was no way she could tell this man that she had not been dating for years now.

‘Some advice, always think sex when you design…’

‘Look I can’t have this conversation with you. So change of topic’

He grinned and turned back to the road.

She smiled foolishly admiring his grin. Geez was there anything about him she didn’t find sexy?

She turned back to road, to clear her head and noticed that they were in a dirt road. Suddenly a feeling of foreboding came over her. She had been here before. She turned to Chuck in panic. But he was back in his mask. What was going on? She asked herself in increasing dread.

‘Why are you suddenly afraid?’ he asked,

He didn’t even sound like Chuck she noticed in heightened alarm

‘Where are we going?’

‘You know’

‘Why are you wearing that mask?”

He laughed eerily ‘But you know’

Did she? She asked in fear so incomprehensible.

‘Why are you clutching that red purse? He asked

She looked at her hands and found out she was holding the red purse. Then it came back, this was her past. Chuck was not in her past

‘We are almost there’ he said

She saw the red warehouse.  Was she in a dream? She had to wake up before he took her in there. There was evil there.

She began to struggle ‘Let me go! What do you want! He only laughed harder

And then the car door suddenly opened and she leaped out. Before she could fall on the ground, dreading the impact and the very painful rolling it would involve, she woke up on her bed.

Helen sat up in her bed, holding her head as if to wade off the heavy headache, fever and equally heavy breathing. The nightmare was not new, ever since she woke in the middle of a strange street beaten to the half inch of her life and no memory; she had always had this reoccurring nightmare. But this time the nightmare was a bit different, there was the red purse! Her red purse, it was the only item she had with her on the street that fateful day. It could mean something. It could be a connection to her past. It could help her remember.

She jumped off the bed to look for it. It wasn’t where it was supposed to be.

No! No! No! She couldn’t lose it no! It was the only connection to her past. Then she remembered Chuck. She left it the last and only time she was with Chuck, in his car. Then the dream began to make a sense to her. She needed the purse back. Chuck said she should come and get it herself.

She slowly sat down on her bed.

That she would very well do. She promised.