A Slice Of Heaven – 15

The tomorrow that was immediate, and her own, took her over to Osisi’s workshop. He wanted her to see a 2-deck oven someone had dropped off for sale.

She could afford it, if she accepted the offer of a two-instalment payment. If she focused only on the fact that she needed another oven in her kitchen right now. But she couldn’t bring herself to settle. She still wanted a brand new one, and one she would pay for at a go without owing any debt.

“One part of my mind is urging me to accept what is available and make do,” Anya said with a sigh, wishing she could indulge that persistent voice. “But I want a new one this time. And more than that, I don’t want to owe anyone. I’m never comfortable buying things on credit.”

“Most people in business buy things on credit at one point or the other. It is almost a rule of business.” The slight impatience in Osisi’s voice showed on his face. “You say you can’t afford a new one, so this is your best choice.”

He was right, of course. She couldn’t afford a new one now, and working with one oven has been tough the last couple of weeks. She’d had to start baking an hour, or more, earlier than she usually did every morning just to meet up with her schedule. This would definitely ease that burden for her.

“It’s only two years plus, too. You can use it almost another decade before you think of replacing it.” Osisi was back to listing the selling points of the oven. “I’ve thoroughly checked it and I’m telling you it’s a good one. You will be happy with it.”

“I should be happy with it.” The oven still looked relatively new, practically no scratch or stain on it. And if Osisi said it was a good one, then it was. “But I want brand new this time. It’s a foolish wish, unaffordable, but there it is, I want it. Sorry, Osisi. I have wasted your time.”

“You’re stubborn, that’s what is the problem,” Osisi muttered.

Anya responded to his scowl with a sunny smile. “I am, in this.”

“In other things too,” Osisi added with a snort.

She laughed this time. “Maybe. But only because my heart’s usually firm on what it wants and won’t settle for less.” Already content with her decision, she gave the oven a last pat. “You should get in touch with Sweet Patties. I hear they are on the lookout for an oven.”

“I heard it too, but wanted you to be the one to have it.”

That once again touched her. Osisi had always been kind to her. “Thank you, Osisi. I’m going to do penance for my refusal by sending over two wraps of moin-moin and some fried meat.”

“Add a bottle of drink and I will totally forgive you.”

Anya laughed at his wangling. “I just might do it too. Thanks, Osisi. I have to get back to the shop now, or Nkechi would accuse me of tardiness if I’m not back there soon.”

Following her out of the workshop, Osisi commented, “The way you talk, one will not guess she works for you, and not you for her.”

“Maybe that’s because I think of it more as us working together,” Anya said lightly, stopping by her motorcycle. “Once I’ve saved enough, I will get in touch with you, so we can go buy a new one.”

“You do that. And I know you don’t want to hear this, but I will still add that I know a seller who will accept instalment payments for a new one.”

“That is tempting. I think I will let you know, if I will be accepting this offer.” She climbed on her bike, glanced across the street and saw Saz’s van, although he was nowhere in sight. “That van across the street belongs to someone I know.”

“Isichei’s son, yes,” Osisi said, following her gaze. “Is he a friend of yours then?”

“I guess you could call him a friend.” They would soon become what is called: friends with benefits.

“Hmm.” If Osisi caught her undertone, he didn’t comment on it. “I remember him as a boy…well, as a young boy. He saw hell in the hands of his step-mother. That woman made sure he was treated no better than a domestic staff in his father’s house.”

Anya knew something of it, but not much. She wanted to ask now, but didn’t want to casually discuss Saz.

“Well, I guess she failed despite her intentions, for here he is, the owner of his father’s house and business,” she said lightly. “No one can stop what is meant to be.”

“You’re right on that,” Osisi agreed with a nod. “At the end, her son whom she wanted to take the position of a first son died, and Ifechukwude–I believe that’s his name–got back his rightful place.”

Quashing the temptation to correct the name, she kicked her bike to life and shot the man beside her a smile. “That is life for you. I will see you, Osisi.”

“See you,” Osisi said, turning to return to his workshop.

She swept over to the other side of the street and stopped beside the Sienna van just as Saz was striding out from behind a cluster of houses.

“Hey,” he said, his smile coming quick as he aimed in her direction. “What are you doing here?”

“Right on this spot? Coming over to say hello to you. But here, as in this vicinity generally, I came to Osisi’s workshop to look at an oven.” Darn, the man did look tempting even when slightly rough and sweaty in old jeans and T-shirt, Anya thought, working to keep her smile friendly, not flirty. “Are you getting the vibe of seeing something happen exactly as it had before?”

“You mean, you riding across the street to say hello to me like the first evening I was here? Mmm-hmm.” He grinned as he nodded. “This time, though, I know who you are, and what I would like to do to you.”

The way his eyes stared intently into hers told her what he wanted to do to her. “I like a man who knows what he wants,” Anya murmured, borrowing his words.

He chuckled. “I do indeed. So, you came for an oven. Would you be requiring a delivery van to drop it off at the shop?”

“Are you offering your van?”

“I might be.” The smile around his mouth widened. “If you’re willing to compensate me nicely. And I don’t accept money from pretty women that make me want to do things to them.”

Her mouth twitched, even as a nice tingling heat spread through her. “You don’t?”

“No way.” His flirtatious eyes heated up. “So what’s it going to be, play your delivery boy and have you compensate me rightly, or…?”

“I wish I had bought the oven, so you can play my delivery boy,” Anya said honestly and with a lusty sigh. “Unfortunately, I didn’t, and don’t think I will be buying one soon, unless some financial miracle happened.”

“Unfortunate, indeed.” His gaze lingered briefly on her mouth before he shifted his focus, his eyes turning slightly serious. “Why didn’t you buy the oven, not good enough?”

“Not what I want.” At his inquiring stare, she sighed. “I want brand new, but can’t afford it. Still, I want it.”

“And you don’t want to make do with a secondhand until you can afford brand new?”

“It would be the wise thing to do, as it will take away the burden of working only with one oven. But I’d rather save now and buy the new one I want. I won’t be happy, if I let myself settle for secondhand again.”

“Hmm, I think I get you. Some things give us the best satisfaction when they are exactly what we want, and how we want it.”

“That’s it exactly.” Finally, someone not asking her to settle for what was affordable. “I just have to be patient for another two months, or so, and I will have what I want.”

“In the meantime, I think I might be able to offer a respite from working with one oven.” A small frown creased his face as his expression turned thoughtful. “There’s an oven at the house–my father’s house, I mean. It looks relatively new and in good condition, and no one is using it.”

“No.” Anya firmly shook her head. “I won’t accept a handout. I appreciate the thought, but I don’t want it.”

“You don’t want it, but you need it. And it’s not a handout. It’s a loan. Use it until you can afford your new one, then get it back to me.”

“I really appreciate the kind offer, but I can’t accept it. I’ll be fine until I get the new one I want.”

You find it hard to accept free gifts, don’t you? I do too, wondering if there are any strings attached.” He gave her chin a prod with his knuckle. “But I assure you this loan has no strings attached, so you don’t need to fear. Just think about it.”

“I really can’t…”

“Don’t say no again until you’ve thought about it,” he cut her off. “That settled…”

“It’s not been settled,” Anya retorted before he could finish.

He grinned. “Yes, it is for now. And I was going to ask if we could spend some time together this evening. I was going to call to ask you earlier, but I realised I don’t have your mobile number.”

“That is true, we never exchanged numbers. Let’s rectify it right now.” Willing to save her argument over the oven for later, she took the phone he held out, entered her number, and handed it back. “There, you have it. About spending the evening together though, I’m sorry I can’t. I’ve made plans for this evening.”

“Tomorrow evening then?”

Anya didn’t let herself think about it. “All right. May I ask where we’re going? I want to know so as to be sure how to dress.”

“The same way you dressed last time is fine,” he assured her. “Is seven p.m. all right?”

“Yes.” Since they were getting curious stares, she restarted her motorcycle. “I’ll get on. See you tomorrow.”

“See you.” He threw a wave as he stepped back from the bike. “Remember to think about the offer.”

“I will you know my answer tomorrow.” And it will remain a definite no. Shooting him.one last smile, she pulled back into the street, crawling to climb over a speed bump before she let the bike pick up speed.

Because her thoughts were full of him, it was the first thing she spoke about after settling beside Nna-Oyibo on his veranda, eating the cooked corn Ogene served.

“I went out on Sunday with Saz. I’ll be going out with him again tomorrow. But Mama worries that it’s all happening too fast.”

Nna-Oyibo paused his chewing to give her a studying look. “What is happening too fast, you going out with Saz? Or you going out with a man after four years of losing your husband?”

“Me going out with Saz, I think.”

“Do you think it’s happening too fast?”

It was just like him to subtly remind her that this should be about her. “I would say it was, if there was a possibility of something more lasting existing between us. But all he is after is…” She paused, and then shrugged and said it, as she’d never hidden anything from the old man. “He only wants a companion to fulfill his physical needs.”

“He told you that?”

“Yes. But he did also say he liked me. The problem though is he couldn’t quite specify what he liked about me.”

“He sounds like the kind of man who prefers to be honest,” Nna-Oyibo said. “The kind who wants you to know he hasn’t, and probably will never have, more to offer you.”

“I guess he might be that kind.” Anya wondered again if that should make any difference. “I want the same thing he does–a sexual partner.” Suddenly, she chuckled. “Mama would be mortified if she heard me say that to you. It’s not something a sensible woman should say to her father-in-law.”

“Bah!” Nna-Oyibo made the dismissive noise with a flick of his corn cub. “I might be old, but I know all about the needs of the flesh. Besides, I am no longer your father-in-law. I am now your father, and a daughter can tell her wise and good father anything.”

“That is so true.” Loving him, as she had done long before she agreed to marry his son, Anya sent him an affectionate smile. “Anyway, it is not only about the needs of the flesh for me. I like him. He’s been so kind to Okey, and then he has this persistent way about him that’s not obnoxious.

“Plus, I enjoy talking to him as he can be quite direct. Finally, this evening, he offered me the oven at his father’s house just to ease my burden of using one oven.” Her forehead creased with a faint frown. “That’s how he said it: his father’s house, not his.”

“He’s been gone too long from it, so maybe he no longer feels at home there.”

“I doubt he ever felt at home there.” She thought about what Osisi had said, but decided to leave it alone for now. “There’s this faint sadness in his eyes. It there even when he smiles, like he has a buried wound on the inside. A pain he can’t let go.”

“I hope you’re not feeling like you can heal that wound. Because, my dear, most pains we carry on the inside get healed only when we are ready accept the treatment for them. If he’s not willing to open himself up, no one can do anything for him.”

“You are right.”

“Yes. Still, the matter at hand is whether or not you should allow yourself enjoy a good time with this man. I will suggest you do what you want. No.” He gave his head a decisive shake. “I am insisting you do exactly what you want, don’t think too much about it. Just enjoy the moments. It’s time you enjoy moments like this again.”

“See why I love talking to you? You have the wisest, most objective and non judgmental advice.” Smiling, she leaned over to rub her cheek against his arm. “I don’t think I will accept the oven though.”

“And why shouldn’t you?” Nna-Oyibo wanted to know. “If you’re adamant about buying a brand new one, then you will need one you can use freely until you save enough for it.”

“Peter offered to assist me and I refused him. So why should I accept help from Saz?”

“Why shouldn’t you, is what I still ask. It’s an oven you can return when you no longer need it. Look at it that way, and take advantage of its availability.”

“I don’t know. If this is going to be a relationship for purely pleasure, then we should be entirely independent of each other.”

“And you both are. You will only be borrowing the oven for a while, not keeping it forever. Don’t make it bigger than what it is in your head,” Nna-Oyibo added in a chiding voice.

“That is what I’m doing, isn’t it?” Forcing her thoughts to relax on the matter, Anya made up her mind. “I guess I will take advantage of the oven in his father’s house, and maybe of the man there too.”

Then she laughed, because she should be mortified saying that to the old man who was her father now.