Beautiful Poison (A Nigerian Love Story)

Chapter 18

Double Trouble Birthday



Matilda left Kano on Tuesday morning with a look that said she wasn’t sure if she’d be back.

Three days. That’s all she stayed. Long enough to cook jollof that made the neighbour’s wife knock twice “to borrow salt,” long enough to see Chidimma’s incident from a distance, and not long enough to get an answer from David about what they were doing.

“Call me when you figure it out,” she said at the airport, kissing him on the cheek.

David nodded. He didn’t call.

Chidimma was still around. The relationship wasn’t strong, not after the gate incident. It limped along on a mix of guilt, habit, and the fact that she now lived in Zaria and couldn’t be there every day to demand clarity. She’d show up unannounced once every two weeks, bring food, stay one night, and leave with a vague “talk to you later.” David didn’t stop her. He also didn’t invite her.

In between, there was Simi.

David met Simi on his way to church two Sundays ago. She was standing by the road with a torn sandal and a prayer point, and David, in a rare moment of actual good Samaritan energy, stopped to help. One thing led to another. Now she’d been in his flat for four days.

Simi didn’t ask for much. She laughed at his jokes, watched Daniel’s forex charts without pretending to understand them, and stayed up late. They had a routine. David would come home from work, they’d eat, they’d watch something, and then the lights would go off. David didn’t call it a relationship. He called it “complicated.” Simi called it “whatever, as long as the food is there.”

And then there was Janet.

Janet worked in the admin office two floors below David’s. She was 25, sharp, always in a neatly ironed blouse and lip gloss that never smudged. She had a laugh that carried down the hallway and a way of asking for files that made you want to find them fast. David had been crushing on her since February. He’d never said anything. He didn’t need to.

Janet’s birthday was on the 14th of September.

So was Chandeline’s.

David found out by accident. He was scrolling through his phone at 11 PM, pretending to be busy so he wouldn’t have to answer Chandeline’s third call of the night, when Janet’s w******p status popped up: 26 years wiser tomorrow. God is good.

He switched to his contact list. Chandeline’s birthday reminder had been there for a week: Sept 14. Call her.

He stared at the two names.

“Ah,” he said out loud.

Daniel, who was sleeping on the couch because his own place had no light, didn’t open his eyes. “Ah what?”

“Nothing,” David said. “Go to sleep.”

On the night of the 14th, Simi was still in his house.

She’d been there since Saturday. Four days. David told himself it was because her hostel had bedbugs. Simi told herself it was because David cooked well when he wanted to. They both knew the truth.

At 6 PM, Simi was in his room, wearing one of his oversized shirts, scrolling through t****k.

“You’re quiet,” she said when David walked in.

“I have a lot on my mind,” David said, dropping his bag.

“About work?”

“About life,” David said.

Simi sat up. “You want to talk?”

David looked at her, then at the door. “Not now. I have something to do.”

At 6:30, he sent a text to Chandeline: Happy birthday. I’ll call you later. Busy with work.

She replied in two minutes: Thanks, David. Hope it goes well.

At 6:45, he sent a text to Janet: Happy birthday. If you’re free, I’d like to take you out. Gusto’s at 8?

Janet replied in one minute: You know my weakness. See you there.

Gusto’s was a Lebanese restaurant in Kano. Expensive. The kind of place where the menu didn’t have prices and the waiters called you “sir” even if you looked broke. David had been there once for a colleague’s send-off. He’d sworn he wouldn’t go back unless he had a reason.

Janet was a reason.

At 7:50, he left the house. Simi watched him go.

“You’re going out?” she asked.

“Work thing,” David said.

Simi nodded slowly. “Work thing on your birthday.”

“It’s not my birthday,” David said.

“Okay,” Simi said. “Have fun at work.”

He didn’t kiss her goodbye.

At Gusto’s, Janet was already seated when he arrived. She stood up and hugged him, smelling like vanilla and something expensive.

“You didn’t have to do this,” she said.

“I wanted to,” David said.

The waiter brought menus, water, and a small complimentary bread basket. David ordered hummus, grilled chicken, and a bottle of sparkling water. Janet ordered tabbouleh and lamb.

“You’re good to me,” she said, cutting her lamb.

“You deserve it,” David said.

They talked about work, about Kano, about how the office would be dead tomorrow because everyone would be hungover. Janet laughed a lot. David liked her laugh.

At 9:12, his phone buzzed. Chandeline.

He ignored it.

It buzzed again.

He silenced it.

Janet noticed. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah,” David said. “Just work.”

At 10:30, David walked Janet to her car.

“Thank you,” she said, leaning against the door.

“You’re welcome,” David said.

She smiled. “Do this again sometime. Without the birthday excuse.”

David smiled back. “I’ll try.”

She drove off.

He stood there for a minute, watching the brake lights disappear.

For a second, it felt clean. Like he’d done something right.

Then his phone buzzed again.

Chandeline: Are you okay? You didn’t call.

David typed, deleted, typed again.

Sorry. Long day. Happy birthday again. I’ll call tomorrow.

He sent it and put the phone away.

When he got home, the flat was quiet. Simi was in bed, asleep, or pretending to be. The plates were washed. The kitchen was clean.

David sat on the edge of the bed and looked at her.

She stirred. “You’re back.”

“Yeah,” David said.

“Good date?”

David didn’t answer.

Simi sat up. “David, what are we doing?”

David rubbed his face. “I don’t know.”

“Okay,” Simi said. “Can we at least agree that you shouldn’t be taking other girls to Gusto’s while I’m here?”

David looked up. “You knew?”

“I saw the receipt on the table,” Simi said. “You forgot it in your trousers.”

David didn’t have an answer for that.

Simi lay back down. “Go to sleep, David. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

At 2 AM, Chandeline called again.

David woke up, saw the name, and let it ring.

She didn’t call back.

He stared at the ceiling until sleep came.