OPEN HEART SURGERY

EX-BOY

Nicole had thought her complexion would cause a stare but the students seemed not to notice anyone or anything as some of them walked about the campus, dashing their feet's against stones in a hurry to meet up with classes. Nicole had noticed that most of the students smelled like money, and those who dressed liked super models, were probably the Christian girls, while the fully dressed ones were probably the Muslim girls, although Nicole had thought their hijabs were a little more stylish than Islamic.

The university of Abuja campus was not as bad as she had expected, it had the look of a well suited businessman. Aunt Rose had dropped her off in the morning and had waited for her to find her footing before leaving for work.

“Irvine University, I guess?" A man beside her asked.

“Yes, Irvine University." Nicole reaffirmed, adding a smile to it.

The man had introduced himself as 'Dr. Ebitimi Briggs'. He couldn't be more than thirty-five she had thought, so many handsome doctors in Africa. 'Africa' was the word on her mind instead of Nigeria. A smile came on her face as she remembered the punishment for that. "I hope you are not a medical doctor?" Nicole said.

The man looked abashedly at her, "I beg your pardon." Wondering why she would ask such a question.

“You are not a heart surgeon, are you?" Nicole rephrased her question, the serious look on her face seemed to disorganize the gentleman some more.

“I have a 'doctor of philosophy' in philosophy," he replied. "And I hate the smell of hospitals.”

Nicole laughed. "I was just fooling around with you, Dr. Briggs.”

The man sighed with relief. "A beautiful blond with a great sense of humor," he said. "Shall we?”

He took her to the venue of the meeting, a large auditorium that was almost filled to capacity. The man at the podium with the microphone was still busy with the introduction of participants and their institutions. Dr. Briggs told Nicole that she had a front seat reservation but she had declined the offer and had squeezed into the nearest empty seat as the doctor smiled, leaving her to suit herself.

The introduction of participants took most of the time, after which discussions and clarifications of the purpose and a plan for the assignment was next on the Agenda. Accommodation was made available for all participants or a cash equivalent for those who rejected the accommodation or had plans to stay elsewhere, as long as it was within Abuja and would not weigh on the efficiency of the participant.

Nicole had sat beside a woman in glasses, she looked like the kind of women they called 'Hajia', It was more like a title for a wealthy Muslim woman.

"Miss Nicole," The woman said.

“Please, just call me Nicole." Nicole said, politely.

The woman smiled and Nicole noticed her gold tooth. "Nicole, so what decision did you make on your accommodation?”

From the day Dara had learned that her best friend would be coming to Abuja, she had been overjoyed and had made her promise to stay at her home throughout the period she would be in Nigeria. Nicole had seriously kicked against the idea, considering the inconvenience she might cause, especially since Dara was still living with her mother. But she was left with no option after she had spoken with Aunt Rose, who had threatened to arrest her, if she stayed anywhere else in Nigeria but her home. Nicole had laughed and agreed to live with Dara's family until she was ready to return to California.

“I'm staying with a friend at Top View Villa." Nicole told the woman.

The woman brightened up at the sound of 'Top View Villa.' "You are so lucky my daughter," that's the most secured place in Abuja." The woman said. Nicole gave her an affirmative smile, looking at the woman who had called her 'my daughter'. Mrs. Sambo was a lecturer on the campus, Nicole had also learned from her that her husband was a deputy commissioner of police as she had also noticed that in Nigeria any woman who was as old or older than ones biological mom, could refer to one as 'my daughter'. Mrs. Sambo could, and she just did. Nicole also reasoned that Mrs. Sambo was worthy to be called 'Aunt Sambo'.

They took a short break for lunch, Aunt. Rose had called her countless times to find out how she was coping, and when she would be done.

They had finished quite late and Nicole had not wanted to stress Aunt Rose so she joined Mrs. Sambo, who had driven her to where she could get a cab and had paid the driver to take her home, since she was heading in the opposite direction.

“Mirror on the wall, here we go again. Through my rise and fall, you've been my only friend." Dara stubbornly sang the Lil Wayne song.

“Bring it on Michael Jackson, that's my girl! Sing for mommy." Aunt Rose responded and Nicole knew she had returned home to another drama. She was not sure if she was going to like the frequent drama but she knew it came with Dara by default. Not to watch a drama or get forced to act one meant refusing to have Dara as a friend.

“I get fired, instead of sympathy from my mother," Dara's voice came from the kitchen." She's yelling at me with a frying spoon in her hand.”

“We have given you the best education and we have raised you right," Aunt Rose responded from the same direction. "If you think I'm still going to baby seat you at thirty two, you are so wrong." She finished up in a high pitched and disappointed tone.

“Mom, I wake up every day at 6 am, to get to work-”

“Dara, you never wake up any day at 6 am, to get to work on time.”

“I didn't even want that stupid job in the first place!”

“That's what you should have said."

The quarrel from the kitchen had intensified and Nicole had changed her mind from going into the kitchen and had gone upstairs first.

"Do you want to know what your boss told me?" Aunt Rose Continued.

“To hell with my boss mom! I don't have a boss.”

“That's the family attitude.”

“Don't bring daddy into this mom!”

“Then get the hell out of my kitchen and go learn how to be a woman!" Aunt Rose screamed, as Dara angrily stomped out of the kitchen into the living room, seeing everything in shades, since she had a black one over her eyes which gave her the Stevie Wonder look.

Zak walked into the living room with fire in his own eyes. "Take those shades off immediately!" He commanded.

“Zak Ikenna, you are not my commanding officer." Dara retorted.

Zak snatched the glasses off her eyes and his anger multiplied itself by three. "This is the third job you're losing within a space of nine months," Zak scolded. "Instead of returning home remorsefully, you stopped to celebrate violence with you ridiculous boyfriend.”

“Leave me alone Zak, go mind your business.”

“Maybe I'm talking to the wrong Person." Zak said, stomping to the door as Dara ran after him, pushing him back into the house.

“Leave him alone!" She screamed, almost in tears. The last time her ridiculous boyfriend had hit her, Zak had stormed his place with a few military friends, and that visit had left Texy with a cracked knee cap and detailed information, 'She is not a piece of rag nor is she your punching bag'. Texy had been made to repeat the statement three hundred times, so he would never forget it but unfortunately, he seemed to have forgotten so fast.

“Dara you're a thirty-two years old military child, so stop acting like a stupid rich naive helpless high school girl, when it comes to dealing with Texy." Zak pelted.

“What is your business with who I date, Zak?”

“I don't give a rat ass! Whoever you date is your business Dara!" Zak yelled." It only beats me, how you could walk out of Top View Villa to get beaten up in that ghetto by some ridiculous Civilian." Zak's voice was so high that Nicole had come down the moment she had heard the angry voice of a man and had stop to watch from the stairs, while Aunt Rose watch from the dinning.

Dara had no intention of giving up. "I'm sorry soldier boy but you are not my father, and you are not my husband.”

“I couldn't be your husband because I wouldn't be able to hit you on the face, till death do us part.”

“He did not hit me." Dara made a weak attempt to defend Texy.

“What did he do, shower you with kisses until you got a black eye?" Zak said, still furious as Nicole watched her handsome romantic heart surgeon transform into a ferocious beast because some guy had dared to touch his friend.

What if she was his girlfriend? Nicole thought. They say men always have two reasons, the good one and the real one. Nicole wanted to know the real reason why he was so mad, and could it be that he was in love with her?

"Listen up soldier girl and get this straight. Tell him, the next time he lays his hands on you, I'll break every bone in his body and one in yours.”Zak informed her.

“I didn't know you cared so much."

“Caring for you Dara is an addiction I have to drops," Zak said. "A bad habit I have to break.”

“Whatever floats you boat!" She retorted.

“My reputation floats my boat!" Zak exploded. "Everyone believes you're my sister and the kind of shame you're bringing back home dear sister, is not good for the family.”

“Now we all know why God never gave you one!" Dara shot the last, and silence came afterwards. She didn't mean that, and would really love to take it back but the words had already left her mouth and had floated from the living room, to the stairs, to the dinning and had reminded Aunt Rose, how it broke Zak's heart to be reminded that he had no sister and she quickly stole herself away and back into the kitchen.

After Zak was born, his mother was unable to conceive until Zak was of secondary school age. The confirmation was made at a London hospital, and the scan had shown a baby girl. Zak was so excited when he heard he was going to have a sister, the only girl in the world he would love more than Dara. He had given her the name, 'Daniela', the name of his primary school crush, and the only girl Dara never got along with.

Daniela Ikenna was never born, instead, she took her mother's life with her and Zak had fallen back on Dara as the closest he could get to have a sister. So every time he was reminded of his unborn sister, he was reminded of his loving mother and it hurt him more when someone who ought to know better was responsible for it. Zak looked at Dara and bit his lips as he walked out without uttering an extra word. She wanted to run after him and apologize, but she didn't.

Nicole walked over to her sympathetically. "Are you okay?" Nicole gently touched her.

“I guess I said too much." Dara said.

“I guess you were upset." Nicole replied, trying to console her as she guided her friend upstairs.

Nicole leaned on the table in Dara's room, her eyes on Dara who sat tiredly on the bed. "It has always been like this." Dara said, sinking backwards into the pile of clothes on the bed.

Nicole smiled. "No, it used to be me, lying on the bed and you, leaning on the table trying to console me.”

They had lived in the same house at oxford, Nicole had always wanted to know why and how everything worked or didn't work. She was the most feminine and the cool headed one amongst all her friends and so, attracted more guys and was also the most vulnerable. Dara had to Console and baby seat her every time she came back home with her heart in her hands.

The story never really changed after college and she came to believe it would never work out for her. But she really wanted to be called a 'Mrs.', and have more kids than her parents as well as to truly live the happiness of a married woman, a life her mother never got to live. Nicole wanted love but it seemed like love never want her. Recollecting her mother's words, 'to have what does not want you, force is required but love must never be forced, else it is no love at all'.

“He was so mad at you, would he ever hit you?"

“Zak?" Dara asked, surprised at Nicole's question. "Zak went to an 'all boys' military school where they are taught to respect and protect women," Dara said. "Any man, military or civilian, acting against their rule was an enemy. And that's how he see's Texy. Zak is just being an 'Ex-boy'.”

“What's an Ex-boy?" Nicole inquired.

“An alumnus of Nigerian Military School, that's what they're called.”

Nicole laughed. '''Ex-boy', that's an absurd name but the school sounds like a camp for the manufacturing of real and romantic men.”

“Zak is really sweet. Most times, I do a lot of thing just to make him bring out that loving side of him." She said, as she began to change up.

“So why aren't you guys dating?”

“Zak? Me?" Dara's reaction showed she was unprepared for the question. "I don't know.”

“Why?" Nicole persisted.

Dara did not know why she felt uncomfortable with the question. "I don't know, we're just not dating." She began to put the clothes on the bed back into the wardrobe. She knew her answer was not completely true although it wasn't completely a lie either, she just didn't have the right answer.

Nicole joined her at the bed. "Then, who is he with?”

“What?" Dara chuckled. "Zak is an i***t. He doesn't have a girlfriend, if that's what you're asking.”

Nicole could not believe that. "Which successful heart surgeon does not have a girl friend?”

“Zak does not have a girlfriend." Dara answered, laughing. "Actually he has a million girls throwing themselves at him but he feels nothing for any of them.”

“You mean he's like a Reverend Father?" Nicole asked.

“I have no idea what a Reverend Father is like." Dara retorted.

“He's supposed to be a virgin." Nicole answered, and both girls laughed at the remark which certainly had a deeper meaning for them than it did on the surface.

“If that's your definition of a Reverend father, Zak is far from it." Dara said. "If you throw yourself hard enough at him, he'll sleep with you, treat you nicely, and dump you nicely, that's all you'll get.”

Nicole felt an unexplainable disappointment. "You mean he doesn't have feelings?”

Dara sat back on the bed. "Everyone has feelings. It just depends on 'where'." She threw a quick glance at Nicole. "Why you so interested in him anyway?”

Nicole did not answer. The silence made Dara looked up at her again and Nicole made the mistake of letting Dara catch her eyes. "You like him?" Dara said.

“I don't!" Nicole lied.

“You like him!" Dara reaffirmed.

“I don't like him!" Nicole protested, hitting her with a pillow. Dara hit her back with another pillow as the girls laughed, played and screamed like high school kids.

The excitement was not long lived as Nicole gradually brought the game to an end with a faded and a sad look on her face. "Even if I did, i don't anymore.”

“Why not?" Dara asked, figuring out the answer to her own question almost immediately. She had painted Zak in a bad light, although all she said was true, she wasn't trying to scare anyone one who wanted to try out their luck. "I did not say he couldn't love, what I meant to say was that-"

“He doesn't love." Nicole cut in, emotionally.

Aunt Rose opened the door and the girls switched their attention to her. "How was your day Nicole?”

“It was fine, I'm sorry, I was just about to come down and-

“That okay," She said, understandingly. "I came to let you girls know that your voices were a bit high and we could hear your entire conversation.”

The girls looked at each other, "who is 'we'?" Nicole asked, before Dara could.

“Zak's father is downstairs, both of you would have to come down and say 'Hi!' to him.”