THE UNEXPECTED GUEST!

Sally woke up that cold morning suddenly.

First thing she did was, with her eyes closed, reach under her pillow to get her phone.

She wanted to know the time and also read her daily devotional online, as she always does.

Surprisingly, her phone wasn't under her pillow, though she was very sure she put it there before falling asleep the previous night.

Maybe it had somehow slid out while she tossed and turned in bed during the night, she thought.

Then she stretched out her hands and rummaged the corners of her bed to no avail.

Why her eyes were still closed she couldn't tell.

It may just be laziness to get started for the day after all it was the holiday and she wasn't going to work.

Where could her phone be?

The thought troubled her a little.

She forced herself to open her eyes but they were not responding like they had become very heavy because her tear gland performed its duty last night and the dried tears had automatically joined her eyelids in holy matrimony.

She gave out a loud yawn and that was when she realized that all this while she'd been breathing through her mouth.

Immediately, she raised her right hand to touch her nostrils because she couldn't understand why they were not carrying out their duty.

Her hands were as cold as ice and yes her nose had gone on vacation.

That was when the struggle began.

Trying to force her nose to function properly was as difficult as boiling a stone to get soft.

Suddenly, she felt him enter her room.

Surely, his presence can neither be ignored nor go unnoticed.

Oh no! Not now that she was struggling with the non functioning parts of her body.

She needed her nostrils to start working immediately.

He didn't even ask for her permission before he embraced her.

She sure didn't need his touch at this time.

She could feel the coldness of the unexpected guest run through her body like water from an opened shower.

"Please not now," she pleaded as she struggled to untangle herself from his grip.

Acting like he was both deaf and dump, he wrapped himself around her in the most annoying way one could ever imagine.

"Please, I beg you," she pleaded again before he would start his unnecessary cuddling and smooching.

Then she realized she was pouring water on a stone by her pleading because he wasn't going to leave her until he had his way and was satisfied.

She mustered all the strength her body could gather and forced herself up breaking away from his grip.

Her nose still hurt badly, but at least her eyes had finally opened and she saw where he had come in from.

With the speed of lightening, she rushed to shut the windows and doors, bolting them locked never to be opened till further notice.

A little oversight on her part had almost cost her her health.

If only she had closed her windows and doors the previous night, the unexpected guest, Mr Harmattan, wouldn't have dealt with her this badly.


Happy Harmattan People!


© Onyinye Udeh