The Reunion

Hi guys sorry it’s been sooooo long i’m dropping another story, been busy. Anyways i won’t be continuing “KILL THE PRESIDENT”, decided to turn it into a full length novel. Today I’ve got something else. You know how they say behind every great writer there’s a woman urging him to write? Well i’m dedicating it to her (hmmm don’t even know your name) well she coerced me into writing this, if you enjoy it, thanks to her. Adios peeps, see you at the end. 

         THE REUNION
“Chop chop” went her blade as it sliced through the little tubers of carrots. When she was done a long neat row of sliced carrots lay on the chopping board. Next up she made a little dash to the homemark pot filled with steaming rice, opening it, the aroma that met her nose was satisfactory, she had always been a good cook. She then went to get the veggies she had placed in the fridge, then starting picking the cans of green peas and corn she had in her cupboard, she made a mental note to refill the next time she was at the market. Glancing at her watch, her time was fifteen minutes past seven, in another thirty minutes her husband would be home….her husband, her thoughts slightly wavered as her mind mentioned his name. She didn’t dread his coming home; she didn’t look forward to it either. Christabel was slightly perplexed at this last thought, which married woman didn’t look forward to her husband coming home after being absent all day, which married woman didn’t expect him to come right in, swoop her in his arms and tell her about his day, which married woman didn’t love her husband?  Christabel shuddered at this last thought, Pastor Sam had warned her about it, true she didn’t feel attracted to her husband, but as a good Christian wife leaving him on this reason alone was not expected of her. She sighed then continued on with her cooking, her only consolation was that this weekend she was going to her high school reunion, it’s been ten years too long and she wanted to see what the old gang was up to.
      Driving up into his Garage Shawn Williams was met by his pet dog Smokey, . Wagging his tail with his tongue outside Smokey barked with delight at his master’s return. His delight was actually in the goodies he had been expecting all day. “Down boy” “down” Shawn yelled gently as Smokey tried snatching the bag of prawns from him, “okay okay, i’m gonna give you some” Shawn smiled as he walked over to his dog’s food plate then poured some in it, hurriedly Smokey dived into, gobbled some, paused, looked up at Shawn then barked a bark of appreciation, Shawn smiled took the rest of his files from the car then walked into his house. He was tired but the night was still young, he was gonna go over his lecture books, being a law lecturer was hard but he loved it. He just loved seeing those young university faces as they soaked each of his words as if he was preacher, although some of them slept in his class but his jokes always brought the class back to life.
     It must have been 2:00am when he woke up, rubbing his eyes, he found the T.V on with Oprah interviewing Chris Bee on his Marriage to Frank Oceans, just when Chris bee was about professing his love for Frank, shawn put off the T.V, he walked over to his fridge pulled out a bottle of milk, removed the cap then poured it in his mouth. He sighed then closed his eyes, he had been dreaming, still the same dream, still the same face, its been ten years s but her face still looked the same. Closing the fridge, he saw the Reunion invitation on the fridge door, he thought about it for a minute, he’d missed the last nine reunions, but maybe he’d attend this one, just maybe.
Driving all the way to Port Harcourt for the reunion was out of the question, shawn decide to use a flight, just as he was about leaving home, Smokey started whining, he was not used to being left alone for more than a day, Shawn pitied the dog. Walking him over to his elderly neighbours The Bankoles  Smokey’s whining increased, now Shawn was getting irritated, for a dog his size, Smokey was acting like a puppy. He was met at the door by Grace his neighbours wife, “good morning ma” said shawn, “Oh good morning shawn” the older woman replied with a genuine smile on her face, “my husband told me about keeping smokey with us for the weekend, don’t worry he’ll be alright” “Thanks i appreciate your help,i  just have to be in Port Harcourt for the weekend, will be back first thing Monday” said shawn, “okay that’s good, work”? Asked grace, “no not really” replied Shawn. “You do know you can make all this easier if you had a wife, no need to bring your pet over to a neighbour’s house, i mean you’re old enough, find a pretty girl and settle down” shawn smiled at this “Don’t worry ma, i’ll take your advice into consideration” he said “that’s what you always say, anyways i’ve said my own oh. Come along smokey, i’ve got some prawn crackers in the fridge. Hearing this smokey stopped whining then dashed into the home of the Bankoles. The elderly woman shook her head, smiled then waved goodbye to Shawn.
          It was some minutes past twelve when Shawn got into a cab headed towards The Presidential hotel, the venue for the 2012 Atlantis High School Reunion. Walking through the hotel lobby he was met by Malcolm & Ray,  “double trouble” as they were called back then. Only this time they were both in suits and had their wives by their sides, ray’s wife was pregnant. The two men were overjoyed to meet Shawn, being the organizers of the reunion they were happy he could come after missing out on the last nine.
          In his room walking up to his window, Shawn hoped she would be here, although he didn’t put much faith in this hope, last time he heard about Christabel she was a million miles away in New Jersey, U S A, she was married, probably with kids, but still he hoped.
   Walking through the hotel lobby Christabel walked up to the receptionist then registered herself, she looked around hoping to see any familiar face but they all looked strange to her. She got her room number walked to the elevator, got in, then hit the up button. While in the elevator her mind was flooded with different thoughts, here she was at her high school reunion, alone since her husband couldn’t make it along with her, he had to work or something, he said. “Maybe he’s cheating on me?” Christabel thought, but she shrugged it off, he never had lipsticks or feminine perfume on his clothes and his stories always checked out, but then she smelled something fishy, he was a little bit relieved she was going away for the weekend, she wondered what he would be doing in her absence, maybe have some friends come over to watch a soccer game she thought, then another thought came to mind, thought of shawn, she quickly hushed the thought up. The elevator opened and she was met with two women who were talking, immediately they paused then screamed at her OMG!!!! Christabel its you!! They both said at once, Christabel could only smile “hi guys” she replied, Nena and Ada were the two class gossips, they seemed to know everything about everyone. They rushed then hugged her tightly; they pulled her into the hallway then led her to nena’s room. “oya gist us, where have you been, what have you been up to”? “well i’ve been good, still the same old me” replied christabel “Aww, when did you return to Naija, we assumed you’ve been away all this while that’s why you never attended previous reunions” asked Ada “well that’s true, got back home two years back “Are you married”? Asked Ada “Any kids”? Nena added Christabel smiled and said “Make una no kill me with questions oh, i still have Jet-lag, let me rest, we can gist later” “Awwww talk na” the two women with her asked with puppy eyes “okay i’m married but i have no kids” with that she took her bags then walked down to her own room, they were about following her but she waved them away telling them she was tired. Just as Christabel was entering the room Ada quipped to her friend “Guess what, Shawn too is also around, Raymond told me he met him at the lobby” “issalie” retorted Nena, “Its true na, hmm this one they both decided to come to the reunion exactly ten years later, for the first time, something is up”  she giggled “Werey something is always up with you, that’s why you have three kids and you’re only twenty-six”  replied Nena “huh” ?? Ada was puzzled, then it hit her “You dey mad” she said laughing “At least my husband’s own is always up, unlike some Chief we know who needs to take some pills before his own gets half-up” “Shurrup there, i will have you know Chief obafemi George needs no help and he is always more than half-up if you must know” Nena said with a frown on her face, “i hear” Ada said laughing.
       Lying in his bed Shawn thought about all what Mrs. Grace had said earlier, he was twenty-eight, had a good job, was healthy, but still he was a bachelor, his only companion was smokey, he smiled at the thought, the poor dog was probably missing him. Maybe Mrs Grace was right, maybe he did need to settle down, but with who remains the question. The one name that would have instantly been the answer was married and a million miles away.
      Christabel got into the shower, then her thoughts raced back to one she had been trying to bury since she got the reunion invitation letter , “oh my God i hope shawn didn’t come to this thing, dear God help me to not do anything stupid this weekend” she said to herself as she turned the shower on.
   Unknown to them, only a wall separated their rooms………………………to be continued