Te odio, Que te den por culo

Unlike most of the other passengers whose family members were hugging and smooching them, Hugo walks alone to the check point. Here, his white skin is nothing special but he knows that if he leaves this airport, he would surely be subjected to stares by the blacks here in Nigeria.

Standing and waiting for his cab to reach him, Rodrigo passes a hand through his black hair. The tiresome journey and the frustration of having to wait for the company’s cab getting to him. He was almost tempted to call his superior and ask what the matter was.

Two young women laugh as they walk in front him, their happiness at reuniting evident. One of them is light skinned and dressed for the Spanish weather. The other one with honey brown skin in contrast to her black body con gown. She looked vanilla ice cream with chocolate topping. Rodrigo didn’t believe he would see a black woman and consider her beautiful.

While he made preparation to travel he had thought long and hard about it. A man couldn’t be alone, that much he knew. His only consolation had been that there were Spanish females already working at the company’s branch he was going to be sent to.

Now, staring at this honey colored guru beauty, he wonders why he had ever been afraid of being alone. She laughs again and her teeth flash white in the sun. Her sister hits her on the arm and she hits back then runs away. They are so playful they remind him of his twin nieces who live in America with his mother.

“Hello ladies” Hugo says when he gets close to them. Both women turn to him with identical stares of confusion. Apparently they do not feel flattered that he walked up to them.

“Yeah hi” The light skinned one replies.

“Hugo, I’m pleased to meet you” he stretches out his hand to the brown skinned one but the light skinned one takes it. A protective elder sister, cool.

“Pleased to meet you too” she wasn’t going to tell her name.

The brown one stands there, silently watching their exchange. If he hadn’t seen her chatting and laughing a few minutes ago he would have thought she was dumb. He looks at her and their eyes meet. Her eyes are a very dark brown, almost black. Her oval face decorated by pretty tiny features. A button nose, a pair of love shaped lips, even her ear is small and close to her head. She is simply pretty in an unassuming way and his fingers practically itch to run his hand over the soft skin of her face.

“Hmmm!” The older one clears her throat forcefully. Both man and woman stare at her. She looks at her younger sister and her left eye twitches in a weird way. Automatically they both turn and walk away, not even sparing a goodbye for him. The plump derrière of the brown one tantalizing him with each step.

***

Chioma arranges the blanket over her son’s body. The little tot is sleeping peacefully on his part of the bed. She leaves him and goes to bathroom to wash her face and pee. The water runs down her face, some of it snaking round her ears and a few drops entering her mouth. Chioma remembers a time when water fell on her face just like this and a man was there with a towel to clean her up.

Those good old days when she had big dreams and so much love in her heart. Time and tide’s effect on her included a son, a job at the supermarket and horrible dark circles under her eyes which thankfully she could minimize with makeup. All she wanted now was a man to keep her company, one who wouldn’t mind that her son slept next to her at night.

Not some arrogantly handsome man like the white guy at the airport who called himself Hugo. Yet his virtual masculinity reminded her of someone she used to know. She puts off the bathroom light and tucks herself into bed with a heaviness in her chest.

Like every morning, her son wakes her with two or three quick but stinging slaps on her face and a “Mummie! We need to go to skul!”. In the process ensuring that she wakes up angry everyday. Chioma stares at her son jumping happily on the bed not knowing what to do with a little child who doubles as an alarm clock. At first she had been scared for him but her mother assured her that it was quite normal for kids to be early risers and he would grow out of it.

She helps him brush his teeth and makes him sit on the potty as she prepares their breakfast and his lunch. As she cooks, she stares at him sitting there in the bathroom looking so much like his daddy. When he catches her staring he smiles and his smile says yes, I know how cute I am. Chioma shakes her head and pours the whisked eggs into the frying pan.

***

“Good morning sir”

“You’re most welcome Sir”

Hugo remembers how the Africans here had greeted him. They had stretched out both hands to shake his and bent their head lower. Hugo wonders why they were paying obeisance to him, a mere employee like them. Then he remembers he is a white man and stops wondering.

The weather being so hot, he sits at his desk with the first few buttons of his shirt open. He has long since taken off his jacket for survival, because here the heat seems to have a weight of its own that threatens to smother you if you let it. After spending a few hours in that state of almost undress and in the air conditioned office, he begins to feel better.

Hugo picks the small box containing his personal effects from the floor, places it on the table and begins to arrange stuff in their appropriate places. He thinks about the uncertainty of a new life, remembering that worry at that uncertainty had kept his up at night yesterday.

To their credit, the company had rented a nice place for him. A nice bungalow all to himself at a quiet and serene place they called GRA in the country. The house was not too large but the rooms were spacious and whoever had done the interior decorations had done a good job. Last night however, all he had thought about lying there and unable to sleep was that this spacious and large house was empty of anyone but him.

A knock sounds at the door.

“Come in” Hugo says. Hurriedly buttoning up his shirt. Mr Hameed Babatunde the directors walks in.

“Hello Hugo” Hugo stands quickly, stretching out a hand for a handshake. The director shakes it.

“I hope you’re settling in and getting comfortable” his eyes fall Hugo’s blazer lying on the chair. “I can see you’re struggling with the heat”

“Ummm, it’s quite uncomfortable sir”

“Sorry about that. Be rest assured you’ll get used to it in a few month time” Director Babatunde says.

“Thank you Sir” Hugo says smiling gratefully.

“You’re welcome, Mr Hugo”

***

When he gets to the supermarket, he crumbles the piece of paper containing the address one of his female Spanish colleagues Lucia had given him in his hands. Shoprite shined the supermarkets very obvious name. Hugo walks in with a steady gait, ignoring the people staring at him as he walks. Luckily the stares are fewer her than they were on the streets.

He goes to the grocery session and buys food that would take him a reasonable time to finish. Two glasses of wine, bars of chocolate and lots of milk.

“Hello” Hugo says dropping the items in his cart on the counter.

“Hello si..” The young woman raises her head and stops short.

“Hi you!” Hugo says to the brown girl. His smile widens and his fatigue disappears.

“Hello sir, is this all of it?” She asks indicating the items on the counter.

“Yes, oh no. Look, I didn’t get your name yesterday. By any chance can I be lucky enough…?”

“Chichi” she replies, punching at the calculator.

“Chichi, wow, beautiful name.” Hugo says but she doesn’t even smile.

“Ten thousand Naira. How do you want to pay? Cash or card?” She asks him in a very professional tone.

“Card. Can I have your number? Please?” He asks. She turns the POS towards him so he can input his pin.

“I would really love to call you and talk,” he continues. Then he looks back and sees the angry faces staring back at him. “Please, can’t keep all these people waiting can we?” He begs.

Chichi looks up, sees the growing line of people and scribbles her phone number on a piece of paper.

“Thank you so much,” Hugo says taking the paper from her.

“Thank you for your purchase, have a nice day.” She replies.

Now that same woman, so brisk and professional that day sits across from him looking like a queen. After weeks of trying to get her to have a ten minute conversation with him, last week he finally got to talk to her for an extended period of time. When he proposed they have dinner together, Chichi had told him to give her some time to think about it. Imagine having to think about having dinner. He had heard that African women were a proud lot but he never knew how proud.

Nevertheless, the wait and the coaxing was well worth it. It was not everyday one had a goddess share a meal with him.

“Eres hermosa!“ he says.

“What?” Chichi asks.

“It means you’re beautiful “ he says. Taking her hand and brushing it with his lips.

“Thank you, but you could be insulting me and I wouldn’t know” she says.

“What? I could never insult you.” Hugo protests. Chichi gives him a skeptical look.

“No Spanish, let’s speak English so we would both be sure what the other is saying” she says.

“Fine, anything you want “ he agrees and they clink glasses.

“Let me know something about you” Hugo says winking at her.

“What do you want to know?” She asks.

“Everything,” he says leaning on the table. “First, are you married or in a relationship?”

“Neither, but I have a son, his name is Emeka” Chichi looks at him as she says this, hoping to catch his reaction but he only smiles.

“How old is he? And what happened with his father?”

“Four years old, and his father left without a word one day. That was five years ago.” She says.

“What’s his name?” Hugo asks.

“Chuks” she replies, her eyes looking a little misty.

“Horrible name” Hugo says and they both laugh.

“So tell me about yourself” Chichi asks

Hugo clears his throat, “My name is Hugo Domingo, I’m from Spain. My company transferred me here so I could help grow a new branch. I am a computer engineer, a web developer, graphic designer etcetera etcetera.”

“Why did you take the offer?” Chichi asks, “After all Nigeria is supposed to be a dump with 80% of the population involved in one crime or the other and the remaining 20%, children and the very old.” Hugo stares at her flashing eyes, surprised at the turn of conversation.

“I didn’t have much choice though, it was either this or no job” he replies.

“Oh, so it seems you value your job more than your life, to risk yourself so in this dangerous place” Chichi says, her lips pouted in faux sympathy.

“No I… No. I do not have such ideas about Nigeria. I believe you all are hardworking people.” She raises an eyebrow. “Yes there are bad eggs which is normal for every society. Still, the majority of Nigerians I’ve met seem honest to me” he concludes. Chichi stares at him with a smile on her face.

“I think I like you” she says. Hugo smiles back at her.

***

“London bridge is falling down

Falling down, falling down

London bridge is falling down

My dear lady“

Both boy and man clasp their formerly raised hands to their chests. Chichi watches them from her perch at the door. Emeka has taken such a liking to Hugo that Chichi wonders if it was love at first sight.

The little boy wants nothing these days but to spend time with Hugo and play with his hair which he calls “smud and shiny”. Last week, Hugo had told her he loved her and he seemed to mean it. It was the day she went to pay him a visit at GRA. His bungalow was quite huge with lush flowers and carpet grass in the compound. The spacious rooms inside contained beautiful furniture and a bar!

After a few drinks, Chichi ended up on his bed. Hugo stared at her lying there and grinning from ear to ear. Then he told her she looked beautiful, and in English this time. Then he told her he wanted her, needed her even and he loved her. Chichi was almost overwhelmed by his confessions so she took the easy road, took his face in her hands and kissed him hard. They spent the evening together, learning the workings of their individual bodies.

The doorbell rings, shocking Chichi out of her reverie, Hugo and her son are no longer playing in the sitting room. She walks up to the door, opens it and sees Chuks squatting in her corridor. When he notices her, he gets on his feet and picks up his back pack.

“Can I come in?” He says, standing dangerously close. Chichi notices that he still wears the same perfume. She wordlessly gives way, letting him enter her apartment.

They sit far apart in the sitting room staring at each other. Chichi’s eyes fall to his terribly chopped fingernails and she knows he must have bitten them off on his way here. That was his own nervous habit and it cost him the fine set of nails he could have had.

“Chichi” he says, his breathy masculine voice washes over her and she suddenly feels like hitting something.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry my love” he says going on one knee.

“What?” A voice asks. Both man and woman turn to see an angry Spanish man standing at the door.

“Who is he? What does he mean?” Hugo asks, turning to Chichi. Chichi opens her mouth and closes it.

“This is Chuks, Emeka’s father.” Chichi answers. Hugo’s mouth forms an O.

“What does he want?” He asks.

“To talk.”

“Then he can talk with me right here!” Hugo says, taking a seat beside Chichi. Chuks looks from one person to the other bemused.

“He can’t Hugo, could you excuse me for a minute?” Chichi pleads. Hugo stares at her for a moment, anger burning in his eyes. Then he gets up and leaves, slamming the door on his way out.

***

Chichi stares at Hugo sitting across from her at the table. A vein throbs on his forehead and his face is tightened in a scowl. She is telling him about her relationship with Chuks and why she is considering getting back with him.

“He is my sons father” she says.

“So what?!” He shouts.

“My son is better with his father, last week they went to play basketball, Emeka was so happy.” She remembers how hot Chuks looked in his sports wear.

“So what? I and Emie play all the time in your house!” He counters.

“See? You can’t even say his name properly!” She shoots back.

“What? That doesn’t make any sense. You know what I think?” He asks

“No, I don’t” Chichi says

“I think you’re an immature woman who doesn’t know what she wants” he flings at her. Chichi holds a hand to her chest.

“But I love you! I love you dammit! Don’t send me away!” He begs

“I’m sorry Hugo, I really wanted us to work. But I guess I’m too stuck on Chuks and there’s the fact that my son needs his father” Chichi says apologetically.

“Enough of this!” Hugo snarls, rising up from his seat suddenly. “You can do whatever you want, doesn’t matter to me. Do you know what I think?” He asks. Leaning over the table. Chichi leans away.

“I don’t know”

He throws his head back and laughs crazily, “Te odio! Te odio, Que te den por el culo!” Then he pushes his chair away and storms out. Chichi sits there confused, wondering if he forgot they agreed that there would be no Spanish the other night.

All images are from unsplash.com