Under the Crimson Sunset (a Nigerian Romance story)

The door opened and Dorcas let herself in. Her lavender scent filled the room and his nose. A wave of nostalgia rushed through him. He knew Dorcas was an albino but didn't care about it, after all, she was a Nigerian albino who grew up in America. Her parents took tender care of her skin till no one could detect if she was an albino or white. She delicately took her steps into the room while Dave watched her. He couldn't believe they'd later ended up like this — strangers, after four years of being together.

"Hey." She waved, looking at him on the bed. Dave reciprocated and smiled.

"You look...good...I guess." Dave wasn't sure what to say after some moments of silence. Dorcas shrugged and smiled too.

"I'm sorry about the news. I know you'd be affected mostly, given the fact that your relationship with him was beyond mentorship." She took a wide step that closed the distance between herself and where he was sitting, and she sat beside him. They were so close now.

"It's fine. Thank you."

Silence again.

One thing about Dorcas's affection for Dave, it never died. In fact, it kept burning everytime she reminisced on their moments together. She searched for his face and when she found it, she held it in her gaze. Sometimes, she wondered why she broke up in the first place. But whenever she remembered who he was, she'd forgive herself and feel less remorseful for letting him go. However, seeing him right now had ignited her feelings again. He was still as handsome as ever.

Dave could feel her gaze staring at him. He looked at her and met with her face. He still remembered everything about her, about both of them. He knew the taste of her body, her scent, her moans, everything about her. When she brought up the idea of breaking up earlier this year, it thunderstruck him really hard that it took months to wrap his head over it. It also coincided with when his father urged him to come to Nigeria. He healed completely when he met Nancy.

When Dave realized she was staring at him too much, he averted his gaze and questioned her about her well-being.

"Well, I've been fine. Everyone's cool too. What about you?" She kept wondering if he wasn't his old self anymore or still same thing. She wondered if he still yelled 'help' from his dream or not.

"Well, I can't say same..." Then he remembered Nancy, "...or probably I can." That picqued Dorcas's interest. She thought, probably he didn't have the dreams again. She thought about how she'd present the issue in her head. Being with him alone made her stuffy and the silence worsened it more. There were days when silence had no stay between them; the only silence would be filled with pleasure. But, there they were, spending minutes without solid speech.

"Dave,"

"Yeah." He turned to her. If she had agreed to meet after the breakup, if they had met before he went back to Nigeria and saw Nancy, in a moment like this, things would have gone passionately hot between them by now. Feeling her warmth mouth on the nape of his neck makes him wild. Looking at her lips reminded him of their taste— soft and passionate. They had gone way too far in their love journey.

"Hope you're fine now?"

Bewildered, he looked at her, "I am fine." He wondered if she also had something to tell him since everyone's hoping to give him the answers.

"Well, I'm sorry to ask this, but what about the dream?"

"That doesn't indicate I'm not fine. I didn't narrate the dream to you, you only knew I yelled anytime I had the dream."

"Don't take it up, I was just being considerate."

"After trashing our four-year old journey arbitrarily? Quite considerate of you, Dorcas."

"Just because I refused to tell you my reasons doesn't make them arbitrary. I had my reasons."

He twisted his body and faced her swiftly, "it was a four-year relationship , Dorcas. Good four years. It all meant nothing to you?"

Tears laid in her eyes now. "Of course it did! It definitely did! How could I throw such away without a reason?"

"Then let me know the reason. Did I do anything wrong?"

She shook her head. She was already weeping now.

"Was it the dream and screams?"

She didn't shook her head but she said no.

" So, when I called you to let's meet and talk it out, why didn't you come over? Why didn't you respond? I loved everything about us and you threw us away like we were just a fling."

She was crying now. "Dave, honestly, it wasn't your fault. I was scared."

"Scared of what? Me?"

She nodded her head.

"But why? We'd been together for four years, why were you with me for that long when you were scared of me?"

She stood up and reached for the tissues in the box on the drawer. She blew the content in her nose into it and turned to Dave. She wiped her tears and stood still. "Late last year, I brought Kitty, my cat, here because I was traveling. You know I told you I was following Mom to Dubai to get the accessories for my Cousin's wedding. So when I came, I spoke with Doc and Prof, God bless his soul, and I dropped Kitty and left. I had gotten to the exit when I realized I forgot my purse, so I came back and I overheard them discussing about...you." tears laid in her eyes again.

"Me?" Dave sat up. "What were they talking about me?"

"I swear, Dave, I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I heard about how you fell from the balcony, hit your head against the rails and developed amnesia. I couldn't hear other conversations clearly but I heard them say if you could regain your memories of when you had bipolar, it might drastically have negative effects on you. They cited a reference to when you almost killed a kitten when you were young before they brought you here. Honestly, I can't remember the details, but, Dave, I was scared. I swear, I was. As the only child of my parents, I couldn't risk my life in a relationship with you, jnowing fully well that you might regain your memories anytime."

When she stopped talking, Dave had almost lost his conscious sanity.

So, I was like this. So, I had amnesia. What's my name? Am I actually Dave? Is this real? Perhaps I'm in a coma and gonna wake up soon?

His head began to spin. He tried standing up but he couldn't lift his body. He kept blinking blankly into the atmosphere. He still needed to know about his full life story, he needed to remember. He needed a clue, a hint. Dorcas noticed his static status and got scared.

"Doc! Doc!!" She was too petrified to leave the spot. She regretted waiting behind in the morning, she regretted telling him her reasons,she kept regretting everything. Doc raced in at the urgency of hearing her name. When she came in and saw Dave in a static posture, she turned to Dorcas, "what happened?"

"I...I...I told him..."

"Told him what? I was going to inform him with a different approach. I told you not to let him know, I promised you then that I'd tell him. Why did you tell him now?"

"I...I didn't know." She was wailing already.

Doc drew her closer and took her out while she thought of how to handle the situation as a Cognitive Therapist and as well as a mother.

As she ushered her out, Dave sat there, waiting for his memories to flood in as they drip-dropped into his brain. Before Doc could close the door after Dorcas, he remembered everything now, everything, from the beginning to his phone call with Nancy yesterday and till now. He lost consciousness and collapsed on the bed.