Sex with a Ghost 1&2

"Alright, I guess it is my turn"

"Yeah"

She gave nervous laughter and said "But you won already. Mine is nothing close to yours"

"That's not our agreement. I want to hear yours, talking about it helps. What is troubling you?"

"Ok" she took a deep breath and began "Five years ago, I met Tony in a library back in my university days and we fell in love. It wasn't quick like in the movies, I took my time to ensure we were truly in love and to the best of my knowledge we were. I gave him everything, my heart, body, and even virginity. It was perfect, why won't it, I was in love. We shared everything, I knew everything about him, met every family member. We were going to get married after NYSC. What a fairy tale?" She paused, emptied the glass, and mashed her face afterwards.

Peter, who has been paying undistorted attention, took a sip and asked the barman to refill her drink. He knows she needs to be high to be able to unbundle her heart to him. The barman refilled her drink, and she asked him to keep the bottle.

"Tony was my friend, lover, and brother. Aside from him, I was close to just my roommate Maryjane. Oh, how fond of him she was. She contributed a lot to my falling in love and sustaining the relationship. I don't blame her, Tony was sweet, romantic, caring, never cheated and never raised his hands against me" she hesitated, regret and pain growing in her soul. She needs something to quench the feeling, so she drank, emptied the glass, refilled it and emptied it again.

Peter took the bottle, preventing her from taking more saying "No, I think you have had enough"

"You know what, let's stop the story" Peter suggested.

"Why? Do you think I'm drunk? Or it is too painful?"

"I think it is getting you back into the mood, am trying to get you out of"

Ignoring him, she continued "We graduated and were posted to different states for NYSC. We didn't let that end our beautiful relationship. We kept in touch and took turns in visiting each other. Service ended, I got a job at the bank and Tony began managing a growing hotel. Everything was going as planned, and it was beautiful up till the evening he visited and told me he was traveling to Canada.

I just didn't see the point of travelling; he has a good job and me. What other thing was in Canada? Tony convinced me, everything was to be gained in Canada. He swore on his grandfather's grave, even uncle's grave that he will come back for me. "He has loved me for five years now and nothing has changed, what could possibly change now?" his words. Last year, he travelled". Judith hesitated, tears forming in her eyes. She went for the bottle but Peter shifted it from her reach.

Voice laced with the pain she continued "Two months after he got there, he was sending me money; we spoke constantly over the phone, chatting whenever we were free on Facebook. A month ago, his number stopped connecting, he stopped coming online. I could no longer talk to him in any of the chatting platforms and he never called. I called his family and they said he stopped talking to them too. Monday this week, Maryjane sent me a picture of my dear Tony with his just wedded wife" she concluded and broke down weeping softly.

"Jesus!" Peter exclaimed, shocked to the bones. "How can one do that to someone he has loved for five years? It beats my imagination" he added, waving his head in pity and unbelief.

Crying softly she added "No signs, no breakup text, no explanation, no reason, nothing at all, just for me to see that picture. Something broke on the inside of me that very moment. It felt like the devil grab hold of my heart and squeezed the life out of it. My life and future fell right in front of me. No words can explain how I feel right now. I just know this heartbreak cuts right through the bones. It does". She said tears running down her cheeks to the floor.

"Sorry dear, I can't even pretend to imagine what you are going through right now. But have you tried calling or visiting his parents? There must be a reason for someone to end a relationship that has survived that long".

She opened her pause, took out her white handkerchief, wiped her face, and softly sneezed into it. Folding the handkerchief slowly, she replied

"They are not answering my calls, there is no point going to visit them. They were all smiling in the wedding pictures, totally in support of their son's decision. For all my love, respect, sacrifice and loyalty, this is what I get - pain and hurt…" she broke down crying. Peter pulled his stool closer, comforting her with a pat on the shoulders.

"When the Lord closes one door, I think He opens another…"

Judith tried laughing but she could not. "Really, is that what you could say right now?"

"Am not good at consoling people, but I had to say something?" he said raising his shoulders up a little; showing innocence.

Wiping her face with the handkerchief she said "You are the winner right? You lost your only brother"

"Yeah, but I hand over the title over to you. Just tell me what I need to do to make this pain of yours go away?"

She pulled away from his comfort and said prudently "Take me home"

"Really?" Peter asked surprised. He couldn't believe his ears and to be sure he didn't hear wrongly. He said, "Come again please!"

She giggled and gave him a slight push "You heard me"

He came down from the stool, with one hand on his chest; he took a slight bow and said: "Your wish is my only command".