Michael was a successful entrepreneur who owned a company in the western part of the country, with smaller branches scattered in different locations of the country. A handsome man with a sizable knowledge in business. He was the first child of his parents. The first of the 3 boys his parents had. His dad was dead, he had died while Michael was still a teenager. So growing up wasn't easy for him and his family. Right from the moment his father died he has struggled to train himself and his kid brothers through school.
It was not that easy for him to acquire so much wealth he has now. He passed through many rejection from several organizations he presented his business ideas to, until his girlfriend Tina introduced him to her uncle who keyed into his ideas surprisingly and the rest was history.
He had planned on proposing to her the day he found out that the so-called uncle wasn't truly who Tina said he was. Tina has been cheating on him with the man and in return the man has been bankrolling her. He wondered why she kept on leading him on when clearly she wasn't gonna marry him.
He had popped the question before his friends at Tina's surprise birthday party. He was so confident in a positive reply from her. Not until she dragged him up.Hugged him and whispered in his ear.
"I can't marry you Michael, I'm sorry. You're really a nice guy but I want someone else" Tina whispered. Michael couldn't believe what he heard. It felt like a dream to him.
"All this year's together, if you wouldn't marry me then why date me." He asked her but instead of a reply Tina walked out from him, from the party and from his life. Few weeks later he got an invite to a wedding. It was Tina's she was getting married to her so called uncle.
Michael swore to remain single. Never to date again after the heartbreak. It took intervention from friends and family for him not to hurt himself. Despite pleas and speeches from his friends and family Michael kept to his words of being single for two years. Carefully avoiding situations that might lead him to falling in love. But all his tricks failed when he met Michelle. They had started out as friends before they got intimate.
"Let's not rush into this Mikey" Michelle said to him. The first day they made love. "To be honest Mikey, I never planned for us to end up this way. I just wanted us to be friends, enjoy each other's company. But as it stands I can't help it anymore. I'm in love with you Mikey. I hope you won't get hurt in the long run when I'm gone." She confessed.
He didn't understand what she meant by 'when she's gone', but he didn't care, that was the best news he had heard the entire week. He was In love with her and more comforting for him also was that she was in love as well. Michael smiled and kissed her.
"I won't Mine, I won't" he replied. He was in love. Deeply in love. Crazy in love. He hasn't felt this way for anyone, not even Tina, he thought.
He could recall the first time they met.
Michael had stopped by at the mall to get some groceries on his way back home from work. He was so tired that he just wanted to get the groceries and head straight home. He lied to the guys that he had some paperworks to do just so he could avoid hanging out with them. He needed rest. At the mall after picking the perfect groceries for dinner he walked over to the counter to pay his bills. Standing in the line waiting for his turn a lady tapped him from behind and pleaded he let her stand before him because she was running late. After much persuasion Michael agreed and a conversation ensued between them. She was an interesting lady, he realized. Not just in looks but intellectually. She paid her bills, thanked Michael again and left. Michael couldn't stop staring at her as she gradually walked out of the hall. He noticed she was a tall, dark beautiful lady, with a nice shape befitting of a lady. To him she had this glory that hovered around her as she walked. He was lost admiring her till the cashier tapped him back to his senses.
"Your bill is 15,000 naira sir." The cashier said.
"Alright, here" he replied, counting the exact amount and handing it over to the cashier, picked up his grocery bags and left for his car.
Now he was on his way to Michelle's house. Or her uncle's whichever one it is. Michelle hasn't been answering his call, or replying to his texts or voice notes. He was scared and hoped she was fine. He didn't really know her House. He has been dropping her at a particular building where Michelle had claimed to live with her best friend who Michael doesn't even know too since two months they've been dating. She has never invited him inside, even on days he tried with excuses that she was only squatting and wouldn't want to inconvenience her friend with Michael coming in. Michael requested he get her an apartment of her own but she refused. He had stopped by the other day at the building he did drop her and asked residents there but nobody seems to know or has ever seen Michelle before. It was really confusing for him. He was losing it. What could be wrong? What could have happened? Has she been kidnapped?. So many thoughts ran through his mind. Michelle had told him one time that he shouldn't search for her if suddenly she was no more. He didn't really understand what she meant and had jokingly asked her if she planned on dying. Instead of a reply she just smiled. Michelle has been one with so many paradoxes that he barely understands, he attributed it to her being a writer.
After much investigative work on her social media pages. He found an address. Now he was on his way there.
He stopped at a black gate with the inscription NO. 45 Gregory Avenue boldly inscribed on it. That was it that was the gate and number he had seen in the background several times in most of her pictures.
He came down and knocked at the gate. Few minutes after, no one answered. As he turned to leave the gate flung open.
"Hello, how can I help you?" the fair lady at the other side of the gate asked. She had diastema and wasn't very tall. Michael noticed.
"Sorry to bother you. My name's Michael. I'm looking for this lady." He asked, showing her a picture of Michelle he had on his phone.
The lady was silent for a while. Before she asked.
"Who are you to her?, And why are you looking for her?." The lady asked in a queer tone.
Michael explained who he was and who Michelle was to him. And why he was there asking of her. Just as he finished explaining, tears started to drop down the lady's cheek. Michael was confused and scared as to what he did wrong. Just before he could ask why the lady replied.
"That's my sister" she said trying to hold back tears "today makes it exactly one year she died" she concluded.
"Died?, You must be mistaken" she shook his head "I've been with her every day for the past few months, except for some days now I couldn't contact her"
To quail his disbelief the lady took out her phone and showed him an obituary portrait with Michelle's face on it.
"I'm sorry" she said
Michael felt weak. His head spinned. Voices distant. Everything became different. He felt like falling. He managed to hold himself.
"I've been with a ghost," he said.
