THE COVENANTED CAR 1

EPISODE ONE

The restaurant was rather empty. It was so early that Saturday morning, that the kitchen just finished preparing some dishes after observing the state environmental sanitation. Kelvin had been inside the restaurant but felt too bored and watching people walking around the street would be better. There were only few vehicles along the Danihort street, and only his old and ancient Mercedes V-boot, which he had inherited from his father, was at the Mauvin restaurant parking lot. For the third time, Kelvin bent his left wrist fixed on the wheel to check his time.

Soon, nearly unnoticed, a grey Range Rover sport was parked across him, from which he could see Victoria, his Fiancée dropped from, and a man at the driver's seat, waved at her, and signaled to be back for her soon. The driver got back on the street and to the main road and Victoria watched until the car disappeared, not minding Kelvin could be somewhere watching. She straightened her head and pulled down her elastic magenta gown which kept jumping up; revealing her fair thighs. Kelvin wondered who that was. Could it be her uncle from the United States who she had always been talking about? But she didn't tell him he was around.

He hastened out of the car to join Victoria in the restaurant. He ensured the two big stones which he used to support the car were still much intact in their fixed positions. He was about entering when he saw the sign post again, "Car parked at owner's risk'. He glanced back at the car, which was obviously older than himself, and smiled, and moved on, anyways. Victoria was already on seat, backing the receptionist and facing outside, with the parking lot and the Danihort street in clear view. "Can I please sit there while you sit here?" Kelvin asked, offering her the opposite seat. He didn't tell why, but Victoria knew it had to do with keeping an eye on his old rotten so called car, which she usually referred to as 'old lady'.

She stood and reached for the seat, "Do you think someone in his right senses and in this age would bother to think of stealing that thing that moves you about?" Kelvin raised his brow, "Moves me about?"
"Yea." She said. "Or tell me, how good is its brake, or when last did you change the thread lost tyres?" She paused, sneering at him. "Who owns who and who moves who? You obviously move wherever the wheels direct. If you have forgotten, I will remind you of a day we were supposed to be on a date. You were to turn to the right, towards Cold Stone, then, your so called car, rather would not obey you but moved to the left, toward the Saint Thomas hospital. Also on another day..."

"it refused to stop where we ought to, right?" Kelvin cut in. "I understand. At least, I said I was sorry, and I'm still sorry about it." He lowered his brow, and tried to justify his old lady. "Moreover, when you just gained admission, I used this same old lady to move your luggage from your house to your hostel and...and...humm...humm...and...and" he stammered, scratching his nape with his left index and licked his lips and wouldn't look into her eyes. "Come on, continue. And what?" Victoria cut in. "And you used that your old lady out there to hit my landlord!"

"Yea...but."

"But what? But what, Kelvin? But what?" She yelled.
"Nothing." He swallowed. "I just think we should order for something before they ask us to leave."
"Order for something you will pay for?" That got him cold and lost to an internal force. He bit his lip this time around, and looked straight into her eyes. "Have I done something wrong that calls for all these?" He could read she was up to something. Victoria had always loved him the way he was, his old lady and its craziness at times, his cashless pocket and low income job. He tried to place his hands on hers to calm her down, but it felt like there was a repelling field between them. He returned his hands on the table but she had a smirk on her face, fixed on him.

"What is this all..." he was saying, when a man, dressed in a jean trouser and a designer top, with a golden wristwatch and black Versace glasses, pushed through the door and walked into the restaurant. Kelvin recognised him. He was the Range rover man that had dropped Victoria some minutes ago at the restaurant. He walked toward them and patted Victoria on the back, unaware. "Oh, Sweetheart. You're back." She said, when she turned to see who just touched her so romantically. Kelvin kept staring at the man. The man left them and headed for another seat. "That's your uncle, isn't it?" Kelvin asked.
"You are not that dumb, are you?

"And for the question you're about to ask, what you just saw is what that was all about. I believe you understand me clearly. I know it might be hard for you to move on, but that's none of my business and not my problem. You should find a way of getting over it. And don't you ever call my number again."

He became dumb, with streams of sweats suddenly emanating from his inside and filled him up, from his head to the soles of his feet. He shivered as she stood and hugged the other man and both headed outside the restaurant and to the car. Everything happened so fast and senseless. Just like that? The relationship of five years just got drowned like the Titanic without any reaction? He still was there, confused, if what just happened was a joke, prank or something else. But he was sure Victoria was with him some seconds ago.

It soon dawned on him she had just dump him for another man. For another man with a Range rover. But was that it? She could just leave like that? Was that how it supposed to be? He placed his head on the table, crying, weeping profusely and uncontrollably. He felt he should have seen that coming; she had not been picking up his call lately and wouldn't even reply his messages on Whatsapp. Her excuse had always been she been busy with her studies, especially with her project works, being a final year student.

"Sir." A lady, having a yellow apron on, yelled at him, and pointed outside. "Isn't that yours?" Kelvin managed to lift his head and wiped his face with the back of his right hand. Virtually everything seemed so blur to his eyes, except his old lady, bouncing along the street with no driver in it. "Oh my God!" He screamed and ran after it.

to be continued ...

Story by: MICHEALHADEN (ADENIJI MICHEAL ABIMBOLA)