indissoluble bond

Kunle

At the dawn of a Monday morning, in the big city of Lagos, Nigeria.

A buzzing sound came from Kunle’s phone, ′ Freaky, freak time to go make some money moves’, Kunle groaned and rolled to his side while covering his ears with his pillow. The sound kept increasing. He shouted: ″OMG, didn’t I just sleep? “. He dragged himself off the bed and stretched out to stop the buzzing sound of the alarm and he said to himself “Kunle, it’s another good day to be alive to make more money”. It’s a morning ritual he has been practising for a long time just to boost his confidence, and also to face whatever the day throws at him.

When he checked his phone for the time, it was 6.05 in the morning. He rushed into the bathroom when he remembered he has a meeting early that morning and he had a quick bath. He kept murmuring while dressing up ″ Guy you messed up, you shouldn’t have taken so much alcohol last night. I really need this telecommunication deal”. He quickly put on a plain t-shirt and a jogger paired with some sneakers. He looked at himself in the mirror and he was satisfied with his look so he picked up his car keys and drove out at full speed...

Chioma

Chioma was trying to make her way into the entertainment industry. She has been going from one audition to another and she puts her heart into whatever role she is given to enact, but with little success. At the end of the day, it got down to having connections or being willing to pay with her body to get the role, which she never even considered. She made a decision long ago never to take the shortcut to success. She was not a virgin but made a promise to herself a long time ago, after her first and only sexual encounter at a younger age not to ever engage in reckless sexual encounters until she got married.

Chioma already moved on from following her dreams of becoming an actress after so many attempts have been put to waste. So, she started working as a secretary in a law firm.

Her best friend Lola called her up on a Wednesday afternoon. ” Chi Chi! What’s up with you? You just forgot about me”. Chioma replied in a low voice “No now, I have been busy with this bondage I put myself in called a job”. Lola sighed “Don’t worry, things will get better. Don’t give up okay?” said Lola. Chioma replied that she is done chasing rainbows and she is grateful that she can put food on the table and also take care of her mother. Lola went ahead to tell her about stumbling on some information about a company needing a cast for a short advert while she was doing some journalistic research. “Chi, maybe you should give it a try. It’s not a movie role but it might actually give you a chance to put yourself out there “, said Lola. After much persuasion, Chioma told her friend she will give it a try. She asked for the information for the audition. They said their goodbyes and made arrangements to hang out with a movie together on Saturday.

Kunle

Kunle was really furious and was throwing tantrums all around the office. He shouted at the top of his voice ” If I don’t get to meet the cast for this advert by the end of today, just consider yourself jobless.” His P.A rushed out of his office with fear written all over her face.

Alex, Kunle’s business partner and a best friend walked into Kunle’s office. They have known each other since grade two and they have been inseparable since then. ” You have to calm down, don’t switch roles with me. Everyone knows I’m the badass here not you, so stop the grumpiness”, said Alex. Kunle rolled his eyes ” She should have told me much earlier; I would have gotten someone else for the job. I don’t know what these celebrities feel like at times”. Alex suggested they pick one of the ladies who auditioned and continue with the shoot.

Kunle called his P.A and told her to team up with Alex’s secretary and get someone competent for the lead female role. He went ahead to tell her to take whomever they pick to the hotel room provided for the lead female role and that he will catch up with them on set the next day because he had a meeting with a well-known musician. He picked up his car keys and told his friend to make sure he had fun at the movie premiere he is attending later that day on behalf of the company.

Chioma

Chioma couldn’t believe she got the role, she kept pinching herself “Am I really doing this? I will be part of the biggest telecommunications advert in this country” She was elated! She sat down on the bed of the hotel room that was booked for her by the company that hired her.

She couldn’t believe her luck because even though it was just a three-day shoot she was getting paid like a big celebrity.” I, Chioma Fredrick, managed to get a role without someone asking for my body in return”. She unpacked her bag and took out a bum short and a tank top to change into. She planned on getting familiar with her environment. After leaving her room, she walked around the five-star hotel and was awed, it felt so surreal! She decided to go down to the bar at the poolside to have a drink. She settled on a stool by the bar while she put a call through to her friend. “Hey my celebrity bestie!!! I’m sure you are having lots of fun without me”, Lola said bubbly. Chioma smiled and replied,” Yeye girl, I’m not even a celebrity yet. I was calling to appreciate you for pushing me to go for this. Thank you for always having my back. “Lola replied,” Aww! You make me feel all mushy”. They chatted for a while and Chioma promised to update her about her progress before ending the call.

She continued with her drink while watching the TV placed at the bar when her favourite music came up “Nobody by DJ Neptune ft Joeboy and Mr Eazi”. She jumped off the stool and started whining her waist while dancing to the song. ’Wow! Nice moves” came from a deep masculine voice behind her. She turned around to see who it was because the last time she checked she had no audience apart from the bartender who was minding his own business. She felt a shiver down her spine when she saw a light-skinned, hot and sexy guy who was wearing nothing but a pair of shorts. “Thanks”, she replied and sat down. “Hope you didn’t stop dancing because of me? I was only complimenting you he said”. “No! As you can see the music stopped playing” she snapped at him for poking his nose into her business.

“Oh, did I say anything wrong? I’m sorry for intruding “. He took his drink and left.

Chioma felt bad for responding with such a harsh tone, but he was out of line though she thought. “What’s wrong with me? Things don’t get to me so easily; he was just being nice”. She promised herself that if she ever runs into him again, she would apologize for her rudeness. She finished up her drink and went straight to her room. She kept thinking about the guy at the bar. “Chioma snaps out of it. You didn’t mean to be rude, “She thought to herself. She couldn’t understand herself, because she is usually not attracted to fair-skinned guys. She ordered shawarma and a smoothie for dinner and slept immediately after taking her shower.

Kunle

Kunle couldn’t stop thinking about the girl at the bar. With her tiny body shaking like jellyfish”, he snorted. He couldn’t sleep and kept rolling around on his bed. If it wasn’t that he wanted to relieve the stress of the day; I wouldn’t be here now, Kunle thought.

‘She is not even my type; I like my girls thick “he grinned. Let me just sleep over it, by tomorrow I will be in a better mood’. He connected his phone to his Bluetooth speaker and reduced the volume to the lowest and he played his bedtime playlist. He used his eye mask after switching off the light because the lights from the street were still seeping through.

The next morning, he woke to feel much better and well-rested. He had his bath and put on a black hoodie and grey joggers. His phone started ringing and he just picked up knowing who will be calling. “Baba, are you awake?” Alex asked; “No, I’m sleep talking replied Kunle. They both laughed and agreed on meeting at the reception in ten minutes.

He put a call through to the camera crew and his P.A to get everything ready for the shoot.

On getting to set, he greeted everyone playfully and went directly to join the camera crew and started getting the equipment ready while assigning everyone to their duties for the day and Alex took up directing straight away.

A few minutes after, he looked to his right and locked eyes with the lady he met the previous night. He was confused as to why she was there and he called one of the guys aside to ask who she was; he was told she was the female lead role for the shoot.

She turned her face away and continued with her what she was doing. “She is good!” he thought, I need to know why this is the first time I am meeting such a talent.” “Cut! “Shouted Alex. “Let’s take a 15 minutes break”. She had already left before he could wrap up what he was doing.

Chioma

Chioma was praying for a break in her head because she was pressed and needed to use the restroom. She was reluctant to so as not to be tagged lazy or not good enough. “Cut! “That was her cue to go, she walked as fast as she could to the restroom. While she was washing her hands, she looked at herself in the mirror and smiled, she was proud of herself, knowing she put her best into that short scene.

Then her mind wandered to the guy behind the camera, the same one she met a day before. She never thought he would be there, not to talk of him being her boss.

During the break she Google searched for the name of the company ” Kulex Creative Reflections”. It was the picture of Alex the director that popped up, even though it was stated he had a partner, Kunle Pedro, but his picture wasn’t there. Kunle was the same guy she met at the bar and the invisible partner.

She could feel his stare almost piercing through her skin, he was so quiet and never intervened with Alex’s work. Chioma was worried at first thinking he would use their unpleasant way of meeting against her, but she was impressed with his professionalism. She thought to herself maybe he had already seen her profile. Chioma planned on apologizing to him, as soon as she gets the chance to.

She checked her time, she still has ten minutes before the break was over. She worriedly walked to the restaurant to grab something to eat, and on the way there she bumped into Kunle.