“Michael, Michael!” My landlady’s voice pierced through my deep sleep, shattering another dream. Once again, she successfully ruined a fantasy to remind me of my overdue rent. It’s not like I was the first person to owe; I fully intended to pay her. Did she ever consider that maybe, just maybe, my dreams would reveal a way to make money and clear my debt? I’d have told her off if I wasn’t behind on three months’ rent. She didn’t understand that I had cars and properties in my dreams—just not convertible to real-life currency. I was about to marry a stunning woman in my dream when her incessant knocking yanked me back to reality.
Grudgingly, I dragged myself to the door as her pounding made the house tremble. I opened it with forced politeness, remembering my current predicament. She could throw me and my flat mattress, which was more of a mat at this point, into the street anytime.
“Mama Alero, don’t break down the door. If you spoil it, I can only pay rent, not for repairs,” I said, meeting her stern gaze. She wasn’t smiling at all. Trouble, I thought. Yet, I couldn’t help but notice her see-through blouse, which offered a view of her chest. Oh, my dearest landlady, you could never truly annoy me, I thought, getting lost in the sight.
“Do you even have money to eat, let alone pay rent, you poverty-stricken man?” she sneered, pushing past me into the room. She looked around, took a deep breath, and then shook her head.
“Take off your pants,” she commanded, her tone igniting something primal in me.
“Yes, ma,” I responded quickly, complying without hesitation. Am I shameless? Maybe. But this was how I still had a roof over my head despite owing three months’ rent. As she undressed, all the blood in my body seemed to rush to one place, causing an immediate biological reaction. I was once again reminded of how well-shaped my landlady was. As I pulled her close, I buried my conscience and reasoning. I was about to pay my bills.
Lights out.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Winifred Rowland is from Delta state Nigeria. She is a graduate of Banking and Finance from the University of Calabar. She is an aspiring writer who hopes to publish her work someday.
