Keywords: Everybody’s Man, Brostitute, African Folktales, Femi, Alero, Web Novel, Nigerian, A Fablingverse Story, Origin Story, Fabling, Pam, Free Short Stories
It was annoying. Watching Alero Faun over Chidi. It made Femi’s stomach turn. He hated it. He hated this image of Alero
When she opened the door to welcome him, with her normal pleasant ‘Welcome Femi’ face. She caught sight of Chidi and her face froze, then he said her name, and her face did a three-sixty to excitement.
“O my gosh Chidi! What brings you here?” She exclaimed.
“Just wanted to pay my uni crush a visit.” He said.
‘The sly bastard said.’
She jumped on him with a hug. And he held her up.
”Longest time! Mehn I missed you.” she said.
“You missed me, but you were the one who let me go.” He said.
“Oh, come on. Don’t be petty.” She slapped his arm.
“Ouch.” He laughed. “I missed you too. How long has it been?”
“Forever!” She laughed. “You really got me.”
He got her? Femi rolled his eyes. He had had enough.
She was still up in his arms and giggling like a little girl – An annoying little girl.
Luckily for him, his phone rang. Not so luckily, it was his former HR. He put it on silent then stared at his screen until the call stopped. The last thing he wanted right now was to deal with her.
His phone rang for a few minutes, enough minutes to keep his mind off the reunited love birds for a minute.
Then his phone stopped ringing, and when he looked up, they had left. He rolled his eyes and went to lay on her couch to sleep. The voice in his head was quiet. He expected it to speak, but he was right, the voice went quiet when he was around her. He closed his eyes and went to sleep.
Meanwhile, Chidi and Alero took a stroll around the compound.
“So you are still playing mummy to Femi.” He said.
“You wouldn’t understand. I just, I want to help him, I know I can’t. but I can’t abandon him.” She said, “Not again.”
Chidi had a lot of questions, but he had once asked them and she hadn’t given him an answer, and he was sure she wouldn’t give them to him even now. He had been insecure then and jealous, and he had broken up with her, only to realise later how stupid he had been. He loved her back then, and seeing her again, he realised that he still loved her, and he hoped that she still loved him, and was not just being her ‘shit happened – move on’ self.
“You shouldn’t abandon him.” He said. “I don’t know what you are both dealing with, but I know that you mean a lot to him, and you are probably the reason why he is still standing.”
Alero looked away. That was a lot of responsibility to shoulder. But she had decided that what happened to Femi was her fault, and taking on the responsibility of keeping him afloat was a small price to pay.
“But, you don’t need to do this alone. Right-” Chidi said, hoping she’ll say yes.
”””””””””””””””””””’