THE LANDLORD: EPISODE ONE

The story, all names, characters and incidents portrayed in this piece are fictitious. No identification with actual person, places, building and products is intended or should be inferred.

 This story was edited by John Ovuson (i love you man....no homo)

EPISODE ONE

   What will you do if you landlord is to make a pass on your fiancée?

Mr. Collins Akindele is a young man in his mid-30s who happens to own several properties in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria. His dark complexion gleams when sunrays mirror on it, thanks to the air-conditioning fixing in his lovely 5 bedroom duplex, executive office and his fleets of automobiles.  

There is hardly anyone in town that doesn’t know Collins Akindele – the coolest gentle man. Ladies flock over him although his principles shield him from having scandalous deeds with them. His parents Mr. & Mrs. Akindele are very much alive; there were rumors going round town that his parents did and still do blood rituals due to the volcanic riches the family experienced few years back. 

Before now, Mr. Akindele was a bus driver who was well known to be the chairman of the motor park at Car wash in Lugbe, Abuja. He met his lovely wife Cynthia (who happened to be a London-based Nigerian) when she visited her motherland for the first time. Everybody thought he was stupid when he announced he was in love with the lady. The coldhearted rejection of her family positioned both of them in an ice cold world for only their love to warm them up.

Few years after their marriage which was a mini ceremony with more of Mr. Akindele’s motor park colleagues and none of Cynthia’s friends, Cynthia got a job at an international organization that later employed her husband afterwards as a driver. While Mr. Akindele worked hard, Cynthia took in and gave birth to Collins. She was given maternity leave for a while, leaving only Mr. Akindele to do the entire work. Four years of hustle and bustle passed away and there was still no major breakthrough until the day Mr. Akindele came across a building project the organization needed to sell. It was a fortune that no one could afford, every marketing organization became an agent trying to break the limit. Fortunately, Mr. Akindele sold the property and was awarded not only his commission but was given an office, a house, a car and a driver (with his permission of course). Things got a lot better for the Akindeles and sooner rather than later, they started owning several properties across the nation including Abuja where they resided. 

Today Akindele Properties is a major break in the city spearheaded by his first and only son Collins.

Collins’ personality is quite different from his father; his friends confessed that Mr. Akindele was the ladies’ man in his youth; which aroused their disbelief when he told them he was in love with Cynthia. Collins hasn’t taken any girl home; neither is he getting any younger. His parents are getting older and still no sign of a woman. This makes his mother suspicious and confused too.

(PHONE RINGS…)

          Collins is in his office; he looks at the phone, skeptical to pick again; his mother just finished querying him for his single status.

“Hello…” he answers the call in a coarse tone. 

An aggrieved voice speaks from the other end. Trying to decode what the voice was saying, he replies: “okay, I will meet you there”. 

He carries his coat and jumps off. As he backs the office door to close it properly, his secretary approaches him and reports an emergency; she states that one of their clients is having issues opening her door at a newly furnished service apartment located at the Central Business District in town. Mr. Collins is the only one who can fix this problem, despite the numerous staffs employed in Akindele properties; he tries to do certain jobs himself especially matters relating to security. 

In no distance, he arrives at the emergency venue; he sees a truck packed at one side of the luxurious compound loaded with household equipment which makes it obvious someone was packing into his property. He comes down from his Audi TT, his shirt half -buttoned for fresh air to glide through his chest in the harsh weather enveloping West Africa. On getting to the door, he sees a damsel waving to signal him. His heartbeat gallops in anxiety, something he has never experienced before. Unimpressed with his feelings, he picks up his phone and tries to fake a call as he gets towards her. 

“Hmm… are you Mr. Collins?” she asks.

“Yeah” he answers.

“Well, the door wouldn’t open, and we were told no one can open it except you” she informs him.

“Yeah” he responds.

Still in shock as he watches her white flawless eye balls, he scans her head to toe in a split-second to ensure he registers her beauty in his memory; probably for a playback. 

“I’m Susan” she stretches her hand to shake him.

“Nice meeting you” he does same and shakes her hand. Her hands are soft, his hand sinks into hers. It reminds him of the warm microwaved bread he eats every morning back in his primary school days. 

Susan is about 5ft tall; light in complexion, just like every average man would drool over. She is busty and same time slim; a combination enough to cause combustion in anyone’s head. Even ladies tell her she is gorgeous not forgetting the numerous approaches she has experienced from both sex.

“Are you just going to keep staring or will you open the door?” she wakes Collins up from his daydream.

“Oh sorry, you just kind of make me remember a million things” he defends himself. He slides out a card from his left breast pocket and places it on the door senor.

“Sorry you were given the wrong card to the apartment, you know how nature fights technology at times” he defends again; this time, adding a little smirk to his face.

“It’s okay… There is no problem. Oh finally… I can rest my legs, they are heavy” she gives a sigh of relief.

Collins looks at her legs; she is wearing a size 38 Mary Janes shoe as though there is a ceremony around the corner (although her apartment is worth the celebration). He follows her inside the apartment, admiring the finished work of creative minds his company employed. He ponders within himself “how can a spinster afford this type of apartment?”

“Anything I can help you with?” he inquired.

“Everything is fine, I’d just wait for my…”

“Honey… I’m back!” a masculine voice announced from the main entrance. Collins’ tape coils at this moment; he suddenly feels icky and decides to leave.

“Oh there is one more thing!” she drags Collins attention.

“Yeah?” Collins turns around.

“This is my fiancé Damilola”, she looks at Collins and introduces: “Honey, this is Mr. Collins… our landlord”.

Damilola walks towards Collins excitedly as though the president of the nation was in same apartment with them. 

“Wow… you guys really put in a lot in this place; I promised my sweetheart a lovely apartment like this. We will be getting married soon but before then, let’s take the courtship to another level” he narrates.

Collins counts his words; “Congrats and welcome. How did you know about this apartment?” he asks looking at Susan.

“Online!  We read a post on Newton Paul’s Blog on your apartment and we decided to give your agent a call, unfortunately he wasn’t present so we decided to visit your website and things just fell in place” Susan reports.

“Oh I see… nice meeting you” Collins bid the love-birds farewell.

“Why don’t you stop over for dinner one of these days? It will be great hosting our landlord” Damilola proposes.

“Thanks, although it depends on my schedule, but I’ll put that in mind.” Collins says skeptically.

Damilola and Susan admire Collins as he walks towards his car like a model on a runway. 

The lovers moved from Lagos to Abuja due to Damilola’s transfer from operations to administration in his company. He works in ‘Wordling’; a company that’s into manufacturing of stationeries. Last year, Wordling grossed about Twenty Billion Naira due to the consumption of stationeries across the country. He is a comfortable gentleman but doesn’t have as much as he works; this luxurious apartment was partly taken care of by his company as a token for his transfer, hoping his presence in Abuja strengthens the pivot of the company.

Damilola met Susan during his days in the University of Lagos. She came to visit her cousin who happens to be in same compound with Damilola and this was where their love egg hatched. Over the years, they have gone through heart hardening issues; some threatening to wreck their love boat. Damilola being a strong and focused man, refused anything that will make him loose Susan who poses a beauty no man can ignore. Susan on her own path, loved Damilola for who he is rather than what he is; a lady in her shoes might want someone who can afford to buy particles of the earth on the surface of the moon, or diamond crested shoes; but her modest personality gives her assurance she is in the right relationship.

Susan’s parents are based in the East; she is a fresh graduate from Imo State University. She is on a job hunt and whilst on the quest, decided to move in with her fiancé. 

This love is yet to be tested…

To be continued...

Next Episode 15th May 2015

Any unauthorised exhibition, distribution or copying of this piece or any part thereof in the infringement of the relevant copyright and will subject the infringer to serve civil and criminal penalties

You can as well follow us on Facebook: Newton Paul's Blog