Under the Crimson Sunset (a Nigerian Romance story)

Nancy kept rolling on her bed; she couldn't sleep. She tried reading novels, she couldn't comprehend a single sentence. She tried strolling around the compound, probably the fresh breeze would help her come around, she got tired after walking five times round the compound with no change. She sat on her verandah, doing nothing. She grew exhausted and went back to bed. She picked her phone and searched for Tina's number. The call log displayed numerous dialed number of Dave which none went through. She had thought about it beyond normal: why was he not picking or replying texts? Has he forgotten her already? Why can't she forget everything about him? Why did she still keep scrolling through their pictures they took together and smile like an idiot? Why did her heart ache this much for someone who hadn't checked on her or even replied her text?

She got pissed. She couldn't get any answer, her anger increased. She felt lonely and dejected. Tina wasn't around, Dave wasn't replying, she didn't want to message Wumi, she wasn't getting motivation to work, she was avoiding the mountain like plague because every part, every leaf, every branch and root reeked of the memories of Dave and her. She had never felt this wretched. Akon's song, Lonely, came to her mind.

As she scrolled through her call log, she found Tina's number. Mama Kemi was useful a bit. She set her contemplations aside and clicked on the dial button. The dial tone rang loudly as she put the phone on speaker. Then the tone stopped and Tina's voice came up.

"Hello"

Nancy found herself lost of words. What was she planning to say when she picked? She didn't plan or rehearse it at all. Won't Tina find it weird if she asked after her brother?

"Hello, who's there?" Tina asked again.

"Um...he...hello" she stammered a bit. "Um, it's Nancy, your neighbor."

"Ohhh, Nancy. Hope you're good. Is everything okay over there? You hardly call me."

Yikes, she's too straightforward and i didn't even have your contact, sis. She thought.

"Oh, all is well. I just want to ask if you're good. I haven't seen you in a while. As your neighbor, I should ask. I think. I guess."

"Oh, I'm fine..." She giggled. "I'm just taking some time at home before coming. I've missed home."

"Oh, that's good..." Then she remembered she hadn't thanked her for helping her into her room that day. "...also, thank you for that evening."

"Which evening?"

"Three days ago when you helped me into my room."

"Oh, that? Don't mention, it's nothing at all."

The silence yawned and stretched a bit before Nancy spoke unconsciously. Initially, the words were there at the tip of her tongue but she had no idea how to present it. The urge was overwhelmed in her head, her heart slamming against her chest, she wanted to ask about Dave. She opened her mouth but nothing came out. At the other end, Tina waited patiently for the next sentence. She was about to end the call with a 'thank you' when she heard Nancy say, "what about Dave?"

She paused a bit before she replied, "Dave? He has traveled."

"Yes, I know. But he hasn't replied my texts yet, so I was thinking if he was busy or so. But I don't know if you know if he has arrived safely."

She heard Tina sigh. "my brother has arrived, he's probably not in a good state of mind to text currently. He also hasn't responded to any of our texts here. We've tried calling, he didn't pick. But we have called his therapist, she said he has arrived."

Nancy sighed with ease as she heard that. She was worried he was hurt or something tragic had happened. But then, his therapist. She knew Dave wasn't an ordinary person: having a mentor was absolutely normal, having a therapist was extraordinary.

"That's quite a relief. I'm glad he's fine. Take good care of yourself too. Regards to everyone at home."

"Nancy,"

Nancy felt the helplessness in the voice right in her spine. "Yes"

"I'll be back soon. Can we talk when I come back?"

"...oh...kay" she replied flatly.

"Alright, see you soon."

They hung the call and Nancy sat up. The thoughts cascaded down from her head to her mind; 'why does she need to see me? Was I too obvious about my feelings towards her brother? Quite ironic that the lady I never fancied turned out to be Dave's sister. Why did Dave have a therapist? He seemed perfectly fine, so what happened?'

As the thoughts were running, she felt the motivation to work. After all, Dave was fine.

She stood up to fetch her laptop when she got a text notification on WhatsApp. She checked it and her jaw dropped as she saw the sender. Without delay, she hurried to the call sign on WhatsApp and called the number. It rang a bit before the voice came alive.

"Dave! I've been worried sick. You didn't reply my texts, you didn't pick your calls, you were hardly online too."

"I'm so sorry Nancy. I haven't been myself since I arrived." He sounded exhausted, like his energy had been completely drained out and he was dragging the words. Nancy noticed the voice wasn't the voice she knew before.

"Hope you're managing now. What about your Mentor's family?"

"They're....good...somehow....maybe....can I get...some? Or...take some?"

"Some of what? Is someone there with you?"

"I'll miss him. He was a father to me, like Auntie Ella. I...can't...think of doing anything without him...some... Daddy, where are you?...I..."

Suddenly, the call got disconnected. Nancy couldn't connect the dots of what just happened? Despite her sharp sense of hearing, she knew she heard no movement over the phone so the line getting disconnected was a puzzle. Probably the trauma triggered the incoherent sentences, or maybe not. She began to search for answers to mystery she hadn't unraveled yet. Is Dave alright? Did the death of his mentor traumatized him that much? She needed answers and someone to talk to: she couldn't ask Tina. Well, she was obviously about to see her. For the first time, she looked forward to meeting Tina. But Tina couldn't fill the void of a friend; so she needed Wumi. She picked her phone, searched through her WhatsApp contact list. She saw her mom's contact and contemplated calling her. First off, an African Mother will injure you with questions and she definitely wasn't in a best state of mind for interrogation. So, telling her Mom was a no. She kept scrolling and when her eyes fell on the name with a couple of love emojis, she clicked on it and typed,

hey baby girl. This is Nancy. Hope you're good.

For choosing to message her now after several years, she knew Wumi would take more than eternity to reply her. But she wasn't the retaliating type. Nancy almost stopped breathing when she saw typing right above her phone, under Wumi's name.

"Heyyyyy, big head. You've finally dug me out of the grave of your memory, right?"

Nancy smiled. Wumi had been expecting her message. They continued their conversation and picked it up from where they stopped years back. Nancy knew she'd not be lonely as before because Wumi was around now.