5 DAYS: Episode 3

Previously on 5 Days...

“My guy think of it, which babe would agree to come to a guy’s house, not just coming; sleeping over for a number of days and you want to tell me she won’t be expecting advances from him? Peter tells Jerry.

“I know what to do Peter, I won’t disappoint you nor the male sex in the world” Jerry assures Peter.

“I don’t want it looking like I am taking advantage of you Tracy, I will not hurt you. If there is one thing you should know is…” He stammers

  It’s not the weather that’s making Jerry cold it’s his feeling that’s beating him deep within with cold heartbeat.

Tracy while rocking asks Jerry“what are you doing?....Jerry didn't answer but shut her up with more kisses on her nape which makes her moan this time responding to every touch like salt does to warm.

Jerry pretends he didn't hear it and continues. She slaps him to wake him up from his lust; he’s full of knowledge that she is serious

“What offence have I made to be your friend. After enjoying every kiss I offered you, you betray my hormones?”Jerry tells her bitterly.

The characters and events depicted in this piece are fictitious. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.

DAY 5: WEDNESDAY

Tracy feels a sharp pain in her stomach; she ignores it trying to focus on her sweet dream. The ache continues forcing her to open her eyes slowly. She is amazed at what she sees; her head is right on Jerry’s chest and on her stomach region is the pillow that ought to be on her head. It’s the weird curve she’s being sleeping with that cause the stomach ache. She’s confuse how her head crash on his chest as though they made out, all she knows is that her dream boat faced lot of high tides in the sea of thoughts maybe that’s why she turned in the opposite direction.

She gets up gently trying not to wake Jerry up, goes to the bathroom to ease herself and freshen up; goes to the kitchen to see what she can make for breakfast.

“Today is the last day have I lost all I’ve built up with Tracy?” Jerry reasons in mind while he gets lost in dream island.

“Today is the last day so this is how I mess Jerry up, wonder how he will be looking at me from this day” Tracy reason in her mind as she makes breakfast trying not to make noise.

Finally she is done in the kitchen; she serves jollof rice in a tray and covers it. The sweet smell of the rice smack Jerry’s nose left and right pinching him to wake up. He wakes up with a straight face unlike him.

“Goodmorning” Tracy greets.

“Goodmorning” Jerry replies.

“Hope you had a good night rest” she asks

“It was good indeed” Jerry says, gets up from the bed arranging the bed sheet that’s scattered.

 “Don’t worry I will do it” Tracy tells him walking close to the bed to meet him.

“I can handle it” he tells her continuing what he started.

“Today is the last day” she reminds him.

“Yea I know”

“So what will you say about the 5 days, did it go as you planned?” she questions.

Jerry is out of words because anger is fueling his voice box. He remembers this is his only chance of proving Tracy wrong that he is man enough; he decides to swallow his bitter angry guts and play along with Tracy.

“Yea it did, it was beautiful” he replies, surprising her.

“Beautiful” Tracy asks putting her hands on her waist.

“Yup”

“What do you mean by beautiful?” she repeats.

Jerry stops arranging the bed sheet he’s almost through with, walks to the wardrobe and pick up a new bed sheet. Tracy confuse with what is happening asks the question again. “Jerry what do you mean by beautiful?”

Jerry removes the old bed sheet; places the new one on the bed and starts arranging it neatly.

“You see how I get to change the bed sheets we used within four days? That’s how I get to change my perception about many things on this fifth day” He tells her.

Tracy stands beside him confuse and clueless about what he is talking about.

“I initially thought there was this attraction between us but I realise it’s a big mirage, it’s not even there. These past three years that we’ve known each other, our relationship has been nothing other than friendship. I actually thought I could reverse it into something more passionate but here we go every shot I took bounce back” Jerry says as he finishes arranging the bed sheet.

Tracy looks at him wondering what kind of male he is, instantly she starts feeling real bad about everything she has done.

“Jerry I am so sorry, I didn’t mean to treat you so bad. It’s just that if I have sex with you I won’t want to let you go, I’d be over protective and jealous which I know would affect your relationship.” she reports herself.

“Who’s talking about sex here? I am not talking about sex; I am talking of feelings though feelings can be expressed through sex most times” Jerry tells her.

“Are you sure” she picks up her phone and opens a page she bookmarked on Facebook. She reads

“Fact about sex and love: Sex is not love, love is not sex. You can have sex and not be in love; you can be in love and not engage in sex. A man may hate you and still have sex with you. It is self-deception to think that giving him sex will make him love you. True love will never force you to engage in sex.  A lover who forces you to engage in sex is a fake and should be avoided. If he tells you to prove your love by having sex with him, he is using you. Run for he is fake. Love will never shame or degrade. Agree or disagree?” she concludes

“Disagree!!! Why did you agree spending 5 days with me knowing fully well my girlfriend is not around and your boyfriend is far away?” Jerry shoots the question at her. “You want to tell me you it didn’t cross your mind we likely to do it or…” he pauses. “You know what forget about it, anytime you want to leave you can”

Tracy gets angry, goes to the wardrobe picks up her bags, place them on the neatly arranged bed sheets and start putting her stuff in it.

Jerry keeps quiet, watches her make a scene as tears gushes out of her eyes gently, tracking through the cliff of her cheeks and drops on the bed sheets. He can’t stand the sight of her tears, goes to the kitchen regretting what he just said. He sees a plate covered on the tray, he opens it and sees Jollof rice in it; shiver runs down his spine.

He goes back to the room; Tracy sniffing uncontrollably is done packing, looks at him in blurred vision, looks at the door like she is trying to make a choice. She removes her eyes from him and approach the door. Jerry holds her hands and tells her not to go.

“Let me go Jerry, I don’t think we can be friends anymore” She says with wrath in her tone.

Jerry leaves her hands while she opens the door bright light flashes into their eyes. All Jerry can see is Tracy walking into the light.

Jerry is all alone now, goes back to the kitchen tries to eat but he can’t because it seems as though the food is poisoned. He picks up his phone, dials Tracy’s number but the number is switched off, tries his girlfriend’s number same thing. He opens his fridge and picks up red wine which he drinks to stupor. He lay curling himself like a child whose mother abandoned, feeling wasted and rejected.

After several hours, the door opens bright light brushes his drunken eyes. He sees an image but can’t identify who the person is.

“Who… is… it…?” he ask stammering

The person gives him no response; the image comes closer to his head and bends down.

“Jerry it's me” the voice announce in a distort tone

“You, who?”

“Never mind” the voice replies

Running deep aggressive kisses on his lips, shutting him up from asking too much questions. The image stripes itself gently as it climbs his body. Jerry is too drunk to stop it and not strong to fight back. The image moans uncontrollably till Jerry has a complete black out.

Sun-rays burns Jerry’s face as he snores deeply, he feels weight on his chest but can’t see what it is because it’s buried within the blanket. He opens the blanket, he sees a head, a familiar head but confused on how it got there because the last time he checked he was with no one. His hangover takes him back to sleep.

Suddenly the door opens as though there is a raid in the neighbourhood flushing light into the room. Jerry quickly gets up; it’s his girlfriend standing at the entrance. Jerry confused on what he is seeing closes his eyes and opens them again to see if he is dreaming. It’s not a dream but reality. He suddenly remembers that there is a girl with him, he checks under the blanket but there is no one. He grows confuse.

“Baby are you ok?” his girlfriend asks taking her bags to the wardrobe.

 “Yea I am fine just this nightmare” he responds.

Tracy appears from the bathroom, startle when she sees Jerry’s girlfriend in the room.

“What is she doing here Jerry?” Jerry’s girlfriend asks with an irritating tone.

“Baby its ok, I can explain” Jerry replies.

“Explain what? That a girl is in your room this morning using your bathroom” She says getting up.

Jerry sees Tracy fully dress, starts pondering within his vague mind if he really had a dream or if it was real.

Tracy looks at Jerry completely in shock; her cover is blown with a whirlwind from her own hands, she turns to Jerry’s girlfriend “Michelle its ok, I came this morning to check up on him he has not been feeling fine. We’ve been trying to get across to you but your number has not been going through”.

Jerry looks at Tracy straight into her eyes, Tracy put up a light invisible smile only Jerry can see which convinces him that his so called Drunk Dream is physical, “Tracy actually came back to have sex with me, but I didn’t get it with a clear head”. He solves the puzzle.

Michelle still not satisfies with Tracy reason, looks at both of them “how could you do this? I trusted you”. She turns to leave.

“But baby, you just came back!!!” Jerry says stretching his hands as though he wants to pull her back, but she’s already at the door post. He returns his right hand to his head, same with the left feeling a huge headache.

Tracy makes sure Michelle is far gone, she watches Jerry act like a baby crying after his mother. “You really love her don’t you?”

“She’s my girlfriend of course I do love her”

“So what happens to me?”

“I don’t understand” he says getting up.

“Do you love me Jerry?”

This throws Jerry of balance, Jerry keeps quiet trying to catch a word for a reply but all the words that displays in his head would create an explosion of emotion disorder within Tracy.

“I thought as much, you just wanted me for 5 days so you can sleep with me Jerry. What if I tell you that within these 5 days I fell for you in ways I never saw coming”. Tracy tells him with tears in her eyes.

Jerry tries explaining his intentions which have a small useless window to squeeze through “I do love you…”

“No Jerry you don’t love me, let me make you understand something” she shuts him up while sitting on the bed.

“Come and sit beside me” she adds patting the empty space beside her.

Jerry sits beside her; she puts her right hand around his neck. “You know one thing about emotions, it can be really confusing. Crushes always crashes. All you had for me was a crush, if I had sex with you with your clear eyes by now Michelle would be eating you alive. You boys don’t think of our feelings most times before you take actions, all you think about is your selfish desires which when accomplished you get the credit and we the ladies are left out”

Jerry turns to look at her; she pushes his face pointing it to the door so her words can pierce into his ears. “Been a lady is not easy believe me, we keep lots of things within ourselves, some we don’t know why we keep from you boys but it helps us feel secured. Jerry I won’t lie to you, you are my sweet friend who I really and truly love. But you should know is not all friendship that should lead to a relationship”.

Tracy stands up, carries her hand bag and catwalk to the opened door that glues Jerry’s eyes. “Your girlfriend is suspecting you and I had something especially as she wasn’t around, I think you didn’t see this coming but now it’s here you have to finish what you’ve started. Thanks for the 5 days, you someone I wish I get married to. Maybe much later, but now I got a boyfriend that has missed me so much. I’m traveling to go see him”.

She walks towards him, gives him a peck on his lips “I love you”. She whispers. Jerry didn’t move an inch nor look at her, he kept cool and calm like he was charmed. Probably Tracy’s knowledgeable sub-zero words freeze his ass to the bed. Jerry picks up his phone to call Michelle forgetting her phone is bad, he reasons how he would see her and beg for forgiveness.

FEW DAYS LATER

Sunday arrives shortly after Jerry’s multi-emotional season passed. He really needs the words of Christ to touch his soul as to amend his broken heart and shattered intention he had for Tracy. His feelings eats him deep within beyond imagination enveloping him with blue aura. During the Pastors sermon, he looks around the congregation like a detective looking for murderer within Holy crowd. He sees Peter sitting at the second row connecting with the word that flow from the Pulpit. He looks around again then he sees Tracy, his heart felt a little puncture. He puts his right hand on the chest to calm it down. Just beside Tracy sits Michelle. He focuses his gaze on them to an extent the person sitting next to him who is also a student says.

“Michelle is really hot, been admiring her for like three years. Just wish I can spend few days with her so she can see how much I love her”.  Fire spark on Jerry’s head hearing this words; remembering when he told Peter those same words. He looks at the boy throwing a big frown at him. “That’s my girlfriend”. People around turns due to the tone Jerry use in replying him.

“In church” someone murmured.

“Oh my God I am so sorry” he apologises to Jerry.

“Some of you feel you are in love with a girl not knowing you are just lusting over her, what will it take you to sleep with the girls in the world and end up as a worthless man with no self-control. What makes you a man is the ability to face your fears; every man’s fear is control. If you really want to prove how manly you are, commit to your partner and don’t defy the bed” the Pastor voice out.

Jerry and the boy beside look at themselves as though the Pastor eavesdrop on their conversation. Jerry looks up to the ceiling feeling God is there watching him and speaking through the Pastor. 

“Michelle I know you really pissed off with Jerry and I but I want to assure you that Jerry really loves you. He can’t stop talking about you. I’ve been his friend for three good years now. I know him to be someone that’s focused and can’t hurt a fly, he really cares about you Michelle and if you thinking something happened between us, I think you should remove it from your mind. I have a boyfriend I really love and I won’t cheat on him, but I must confess at some point I feel for Jerry, please don’t tell him it’s just girls talk” Tracy whispers to Michelle who quietly sits beside her. Tracy tries to cover her guilt and hypocrite feelings even in the very presence of God all to save Jerry’s relationship from crashing.

Michelle’s eyes starts getting soak with hot tears. “It’s ok; I know boys can be really adventurous. Really thought you guys had something going on especially seeing you that morning in his room” Michelle confides in Tracy.

“Ladies if there is one thing you need to learn in this Single’s programme is; you need to forgive us men at some point, our hormones are really aggressive and it makes us do terrible things. A man that’s truly sorry would make it up to you and do everything not to hurt you again” the Pastors conclusion wakes Michelle from her unforgiving spell.

The Single’s programme comes to an end; the church becomes busy as lots of people share comments and dialogue towards the ripple of wisdom shared from the man of God. Peter approaches Jerry and taps him on his back.

“Guy I don dey call you for years now you no pick my call” (my brother I have been calling you for some time now and you didn’t pick my call)

“Peter sorry I didn’t pick wasn’t in the mood to talk” Jerry tells Peter sticking his neck from the crowd into the air looking for Michelle.

“Which babe you dey look for” (which girl are you looking for) Peter asks trying to calm him down.

“Peter I am not in the mood to talk about babe matter”

“Bro you don’t have to be hard on yourself, calm down and tell me all I have missed”

“You did not miss anything Peter I didn’t sleep with Tracy” Jerry shouts at Peter in an unusual tone assuming that’s the angle he is heading to.

“Really, you didn’t do it?” a voice says behind Jerry. He happens to know the voice. He turns and sees Michelle standing before him.

“No I didn’t do it; I was drunk the night…”

“It’s ok baby I don’t want to hear any more about the past, Tracy told me you talk about me when you are with her. Thanks for not giving up on me Jerry, I really love you.”

Peter on hearing this calm down, folds his hands and watch the love birds talk in inaudible tone. Jerry turns to Peter and whispers “Peter you know what, I am sorry to shout at you. It took me 5 days to realise sex is not love and love is not sex. It’s way beyond that. I’m telling you and the whole male specie out there not to play on ladies emotions especially the friends we need around most. Tracy, I initially had a crush on is the one that save my relationship from crashing.

“I’m everything I am because you love me Jerry” Michelle tells Jerry as they walk home with their hands glued to each other.

The end.

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