LOST WTHOUT MR GENIUS

Chapter seven

I lay in quietude sensing that the two stood close. Dave was still hesitant to accept Marcus's money but eventually gave in;

"Sir,"

"Marcus. That's my name."

"Aye, Marcus, don't think I am accepting your money out of necessity. I am not a parasite. If you ask anyone from my village, they will tell you that I, Dav...Darius doesn't like handouts." He said in a bragging tone and with pride.

"Ah, brother, why would you say that? This isn't a lucre; I'm giving you this money on my own accord. Take it as a symbol of our friendship. Who knows, perhaps we shall meet again someday."

"Yes, why not?" Marcus was a man of estimable benevolence and compassion, in my opinion. Dave, on the other hand, was very clever and unpredictable and understood that given our situation, palling up with such a nobleman was to our greater advantage.

I, in a moment, felt the touch of his tender hand on my forehead as he pitied me,

"She's such a beauty. Why on earth does she…"

"Stop!" Dave clouted his hand and he rapidly drew off crying,

"Man, why did you do that?" By the tone of his voice, he was upset.

Oh, hell! Dave was again in a bind. He was impulsive- as always. "Ah...so...sorry, Sir," he stammered, "there are many things you don't know yet. Err she's allergic to soft hands."

"Uh?"

"Yes, Sir. You see that way you touched her, just a single touch can throw her into fits. Only I can touch her now. She's overly sensitive in this state." He said, sounding clownish as he tried to mollify him with more peppered jokes.

"Oh, I understand, "Marcus said piteously in a plaintive voice,

"But that's strange, Isn't it?"

"Yes," he affirmed with a belly laugh, "Everything is strange." Marcus had blindly believed his nebulous excuse. "What a patsy!" I muttered almost exploding into laughter because I was sure that Dave must have crawled with an impulse of jealousy to hit a man who'd just solved his problem.

Suddenly, Marcus's phone rang and he received the call;

"Yes...W-hat? What do you mean they can't wait?.. Tell them to hold on. It's just an hour's drive anyway…Alright, I'll be there in an hour. Bye." He hissed as soon as he finished speaking and quickly bid Dave goodbye; "Take good care of her- and don't forget to call me, eh."

"Of course, you can bet on it." Shortly I heard his footsteps fluster off and opened my eyes. I must have strained them more than enough by blinding them for long because they were blurred and exhausted.

"Finally, I can have a breather!" I said, curious to hear Dave's voice and see his beaming face but then heard Marcus' prying voice,

"Hey, what happened to your eye?" I quickly locked mine again. "Why the dickens can't he leave already?" My temper frayed and there was a sudden fiend in me. I was tired because his prolonged stay was enslaving me. Dave fumbled as he rooted for an answer and then started,

"Um-ah, mine?"

"Yes, yours. Did you fight with anyone? I noticed the bruises on your face. That's why I preferred to ask."

"Me, fight, no...yes, you are right, wise fellow."

"So, it's true?"

"Well, I ran into thugs while hunting for my sister. They underestimated me because they outnumbered me, but I bashed their faces and almost shelled their bits…" Marcus broke into a gale of laughter seeming to enjoy his banter which he expository demonstrated.

"She's the be-all and end-all of my life. I'm willing to lay my life for her…" His words touched my deepest soul and soothed my heart like a healing balm on an open wound. "That's how much I love her," He concluded. Knowing that my love was requited pleased my heart and I cherished him the most.

"Wow, I admire your courage. Any man would fight to the hilt for her sake-I inclusive." Marcus inferred with an express tone.

"Wait, what do you mean?" Dave said in a serious tone. I needn't look at him to know that he was boiling with jealousy.

Marcus chuckled lightly and evaded his query,

"Don't mind my frivolous manner. I don't think you'll understand me anyway " he said in a patronising voice as he patted his shoulder,

"I'll take my leave now, brother." They shook hands and he departed.

Raising my head, I saw him swagger away finely as he took to his car. Dave's eyes flushed with crimson anger as he watched his receding figure and then suddenly jolted seeing the object in his hand,

"Dave, you are yet to live in clover!" He remarked with a smirk, slapping the bundle of money in his hand.

"My dave is a genius! I'm proud of you." I exclaimed with a smile.

"I am baffled! I didn't know you were a fabulist!" I was thrilled to bits and got up craving to kiss him but he curtailed me and seized my hand. His stare was cold. My dave was staring at me with an eye of an enemy that pricked my heart when he said,

"I WILL KILL YOU TODAY!"

He enunciated every word with the depth of hatred that was an eyesore to me. I lowered my face as my eyes swam in tears. I knew I was guilty for my lewd behaviour with Marcus earlier and tried to explain and apologise;

"I'm sorry…"

"For trying to get your claws into a stranger? Why, Joana?" He interrupted rudely, "are you that cheap? I heard the city is full of such elegant men, will you open your legs to all of them? I am afraid your v****a will get tired and filthy, ha!" His words stung me deeply. I was scared to hear him speak in that manner- to me and tried to expiate my guilt by reasoning with him, "Dave,

"I'm very sorry. I don't know what came over me. I think he cast a spell on me. I… I will accept any punishment as long as you pardon my mistake."

"I think he cathed a speth on me…" he ridiculously mimicked me and hauled me off dragging me to the bush near the highway and thumping me on the ground. He was behaving like a beast! Seldom had I seen him this angry. Shockingly, I didn't think of screaming or crying for help because it seemed like a dream to see that Dave was treating me with no dearth of love, so I merely gazed at him as tears flooded through me. In a fierce voice, he said,

"I'd rather tear your lustful body into pieces than see another man on top of you." He pouted, flexed his muscles and stripped me n***d like a savage. I was numbed to death. After doing countless press-ups, he plucked out his belt and barked, "Stretch out and close your eyes!"

"Dave…"

"Shut the f*ck up! Close your eyes, I say!"

Now I knew my end had come. "It's better to die in the hands of my lover than in a strangers'" I thought and obeyed in total submission like a lamb ready to be slain.

I could feel him close, his mass of a body on top of me as he heaved. My heart palpitated in fear and anxiety as I awaited my slow death. He squashed my lips into his, kissing me violently as he passed his hand gently through my hair and fondled my soft skin,

"Joana, I love you." He muttered under his breath as he pumped into me violently as if he would tear me apart, and as we defiled the green nature with our blazing romance, I groaned my lover's name, "Dave, my savage, sweet murderer, kill me more and more and…" My voice died under the pressure of the frenzied excitement and I wished that he would murder me a thousand times, killing me softly with his raving desire for there could never be a better death than feeling him inside me.