10:00 PM.
The party hall was thrown into another mood as the DJ switched to a popular Afrobeat song. Young men grabbed their dancing partners. The ladies mounted the dance floor, swaying gigantic hips which their bodycon dresses helped to magnify. More drinks were served. The clicking sounds of cutlery blended well with the loud chatter from the people who devoured the pepper chicken.
Seated at the VIP corner, Jane gulped the last contents of her drink, her face gushing with renewed ecstasy as he planted a soft kiss on her neck. She blushed like the sixteen-year-old she was. Nothing else mattered in this world of her own. It was just her, the night party, and of course, the celebrant, her new boyfriend.
She needed not fret about home. She had everything under control. According to Aunt Mira, she was having a TDB (till daybreak study) at her best friend's house.
“Do you want more?” Stanley interrupted her thoughts.
She smiled, a kind of smile you let out when you feel on top of the world. And she nodded in the negative. Even though it was a non-alcoholic wine, she thought she'd had enough for the night.
Stanley gazed into her eyes. His eyes held something beyond affection. It was lust! Jane flinched at the sudden realisation. But she adjusted immediately, a feigned smile masking the fear in her face.
But what was there to be scared about? He was her man... her first love, right? And her parents were away for a church retreat. The night was still pregnant, so she'd enjoy every moment of it.
As they chatted, laughing with reckless abandon, Jane's eyes caught something from a distance. She paused. At first, it looked blurry, but after squinting again, she saw the silhouette of a girl.
A firm hand touched her chin and lifted it up. Her man. Their eyes locked.
“What are you staring at?” Stanley asked, turning back. There was nothing behind him. He returned his eyes to her.
“Oh... It's nothing.” Jane replied, brushing off every ill thought.
Reaching for her hands, Stanley requested a dance. Jane smiled sheepishly again. She was sure the next time she'd smile, her cheeks would fall off.
All because of a man.
They stood up, hand-in-hand, set for their first dance for the night. Taking a step away from their seat, they almost collided with a feminine figure before them.
Stanley froze. Silence descended. Jane noticed the atmosphere. It wasn't about the audacity of the sharp-eyed girl obstructing them, it was Stanley's reaction. How his countenance humbled like a vegetable.
And gosh! What did they say about abnormal stares again? Jane thought the piercing eyes of the strange girl would pluck out her eyes. Her eyes ran to Stanley's — surely, there must be an explanation for this madness.
The girl cleared her throat. For another few seconds, she stared menacingly at Jane before her mouth finally opened. “So, it's true?” She didn't stop. “This is it now? Holding a birthday party without informing me?“
Stanley's eyes did not leave the ground.
The girl sized up Jane immediately and Jane felt like slapping her. “Is this the bitch you're cheating on me with?”
Cheating? Jane's ears perked up. She faced Stanley who avoided her eyes. “What is she talking about?”
Silence.
A devilish laughter erupted from the girl's lips, and Jane concluded her mouth was too small to contain the voluminous set of dentition.
Since Stanley wasn't going to defend himself, she would do him the honour of leaving. He should deal with his mess. Suppressing an outburst, she bent to pick up her handbag. And without a word, she trotted out of their sight.
Outside the party, where the sound of the music was distant, Jane burst into fresh tears. How had she become a fool because of a man! Her head banged with questions. When did she start keeping secret relationships, let alone attending a night party?
She reached for her iPhone and texted the gateman.
“Please keep the gate open. I'm on my way home.”
Clicking send, she flagged down a tricycle and jumped in.
“Engineer Phil’s Close,” she said, wiping off her tears.
Jane arrived home in five minutes. She rushed into the compound like a flash. She inserted her spare key into the keyhole of the entrance door and it unlocked. She hesitated, staring at her exposed thighs and immediately wondering why she could conceive returning home that way. Aunt Mira should be asleep now, she concluded, pushing the door open.
Two pairs of eyes stared at her with surprise spelt in them.
Jane froze.
Her parents? How had she not seen their car parked outside? Or was she dreaming?
She didn't have to wipe her face to confirm. Her parents were there in flesh, seated on the couch, paralysed by shock.
The TV remote fell out of his hands before Mr Johnson regained himself.
“Where are you coming from... dressed like this?”
She opened her mouth, but was embarrassed by some stuttering words. She burst into tears, unsure whether it was for fear of what the night held for her, or because her supposed first love had betrayed her. Either way, there was nothing compared to the blazing and demanding eyes of her father.
All images were generated using Google Gemini AI
