THE DIARY.

It was a 5am Saturday morning, was walking to my house after an exciting night out with friends. It was an all-night and damn, I was tired, needed to crash on my bed.

Been calling the cell-phone of the aboki that guides our gate, but no response. I wondered why he didn't pick his call even after calling him severally cos I had told him last night before leaving for the club that I'll call him to open the gate for me when I return. I called him again, still no response. Then I remembered that he was  probably observing his morning session of prayers.

 "These Muslims and their prayers" I muttered out of frustration. 

The weather was so cold which was odd, because lately the heat could roast a person, and my skimpy wear was not good for the weather .

"Mtcheww, which kind cold is this sef" I sighed. 

I looked around for where to sit down pending when the gate-man responds to my call, then I saw a pavement close to the edge of the gate. I put on the torch lite on my phone, looking around to make sure that it was safe to sit, before I did.

While sited, I flashed back to the fun time at Royals Night club, and smiled at the events that took place. The club was packed, and there was so much booze and smoking, the guys danced like crazy, and Ify was a mad girl, she danced like a drunk lady, she was indeed drunk. Yeye gal.

My thoughts were interrupted by a noise nearby. I looked towards the direction of the noise, didn't see anything.

 "Nawa for all dis yeye Lagos rats, even the cats are scared of them. Witches and wizard things".

Then I looked closely and thought I saw something. No, I actually saw something. Something dark and was lying at the other side of the gate. I hadn't seen it earlier on even though I was standing close to the place. I wanted to ignore it but something kept on drawing my attention back to it, it was shiny sort of, so I stood up to go know what it was. 

As I put on my torchlight phone to know what it was, with a closer glance, I saw that it was a book. I picked it up and noticed that it was actually a diary. Maybe one of the neighbors may have forgotten it here somehow. Then I heard the rattling of the gate. I breathed out "Finally."

"Madam, no fex, walahi na frayer, I dey frey". I always find the way Hausa's talk very funny "frayer" probably means "prayer".

"Usman, don't worry, I haven't been waiting for long. I hope you prayed for all of us shaa?"

"Yesoo, Madam. I frey for ebrybody. Especially you, cos you be correct Madam, make Allah bless you well well"

I muttered a thank-you and walked on, then a thought came to me and I stopped.

"Usman, do you know who.... Never-mind".

I walked into my room. Despite the gate-man being funny,  he was also dumb. I actually wanted to ask him if he knows the owner of the diary, and probably drop it with him so he'll do the questioning himself when the neighbors come out, but knowing him fully well,  he'll just drop it on his table and then forget it or even misplace it. 

I once gave him Funmi's novel to return to her, he just abandoned it and then misplaced it, Funmi picked offense and didn't talk to me for a month, so I had to walk all round Lagos looking for that same novel, I finally saw it after three weeks of search, and then gave it back to her with apologies. Abeg, I don't want Funmi's wahala.

I opened my door, and the heat that greeted me was like fire, I had switched off all my electrical appliances before I left.  I put on the light, then went straight to my tiny kitchen to take a glass of water. 

While going back to the room, the light bulb flickered, I sighed cos I barely changed the bulb a few days ago, and then I noticed that same odd chilly temperature I felt outside the gate. I wondered how the room became unearthly cold all of a sudden. I shuddered but shrugged it off and went straight to the bathroom for a quick shower before jumping on my bed. The dancing and jumping last night had really taken a toll on me.

Before dozing off, I remembered something. Yes, the diary. I was supposed to check if I'll see a name so that I'll take it directly to the owner. There were seven flats in my compound, yes, it was a big compound, and I don't have the strength to go asking from one flat to another, and yes, I knew everyone in the compound.

I picked the diary up, it was glowing again, I wondered why. I opened the first page, saw an inscription that looks like French or Latin. Wasn't good in french, barely passed it in my first semester, second year in school.

I opened the next page, nothing. The next, nothing. I almost wanted to close it but it was as if a force kept me going page by page until I got to a page and it was written in English. But what I read was chilling to the bones, so erotic. 

I kept on reading it page after page, I was glued, couldn't stop even though I wanted to, but the force kept me glued against my will to those very erotic scenes I was reading. Page after page until I finished it. By the time I closed the diary, it was bright everywhere, I hadn't even noticed, the bedside clock was 7:15am. I had also noticed something sticky in my privates, I was wet. It must be as a result of the erotic scenes I read. 

But how come? How can a mere story make me this moist? I had read worse but nothing had happened to me. The feeling I had was different and so scary, cant explain it. I haven't been sexually active for the past five years. Just decided to stay off men after my last heartbreak which happened to be the third in the space of five years. Went to the bathroom again to wash my privates, came back to the room, jumped on my bed and dozed off immediately.

I jerked up with a jolt, all sweaty, the room was still chilly so why was I all sweaty? I had a scary dream but couldn't place exactly what it was all about. Looked at the time it was 11.15am.

Then my phone rang, on looking at the screen, It was Constance.

"Hello" I said in my sleepy voice

"Howdy Thelma, I'm on my way?"

"Ok, I'm waiting" and then cut the call.

 

I was so disturbed and wanted to know what the dream was all about, and why in heaven's name am I moist again down in my privates?