Narrator's voice:

"Is love lust or is lust love? Can love look like lust? Or can lust be called love? Is love a curse or lust is? This I can't tell but one thing is sure, love and lust can be tricky..."

6th January, 2013.

1:30pm.

On a very hot and sunny afternoon, I laid on the bed like a log of wood staring at the ceiling, planning how my New Year would look like.

Yeah, it was New Year and like everyone, I had to make my own resolution for the year.

"I don't want to be in Warri," I thought.

My stay in Warri with my Aunt and her husband, had been the most difficult task of my life.

"I just can't live here anymore!" I thought loud as I switched position from the bed to the ground.

Everywhere was hot.

I was tired and bored.

While on the ground, I stormed over my school note book. I picked it up and began glancing through it.

When I got to the middle page, I stopped; I had seen the names of my two best friends written on that page.

"Aww.. Richard Dickson, Rachel Onome". I read the names out.

They were my best friends at school but as it stands now, I was not going to be seeing them like before.

Richard who was from a wealthy family had taken his flight 'a day before' to Canada to continue his education while Rachel was leaving Warri that day to Abuja to live with her Uncle.

It was like everyone had deserted me because apart from my two friends, I had no other friend.

They were not just my best friends but "lovers". We had formed this bond so strong.

Does it sound weird to you?

Yeah, we always got each other's back.

Previous night, I spent closely six hours talking to both Rachel and Richard.

I really missed them.

I felt so restless.

Luckily for me, after waiting so long for Electricity

which was one of the most common problem in Nigeria

, NEPA

as they were fondly called

brought the light.

Without thinking twice I ran to the sitting room to watch one of my favourite program in MyTv channel when I heard my Aunt shouting from her room, "Put Aljeezera for me".

I was annoyed.

I wasn't a fan of Aljeezera news. But my Aunt loved it. I reluctantly switched the station to Aljeezera; I saw a news headline, 'Plane crash in ...' I hissed and left the sitting room with a frown.

I went back to my room and slept off.

***

An hour later, my old Nokia phone rang. I woke up to discover that I had had more than 10 missed calls.

"Oh! It's Rachel?" I thought as I tried reaching the phone number back.

"Hello?" The voice over the phone spoke.

"Rachel?" I called.

"Sorry, this ain't Rachel. The owner of this phone was involved in an accident and she has been rushed to the hospital. We called this number because it was the last number she dialed on her call log." The voice said.

"What? How? When? uu.uh.. okay.. I will contact her parents right away..." I stammered.

Immediately I dropped the call, I dialed her mother's phone number but it was switched off.

As I made attempt to call her father, the number called again.

"Hello...... Which hosp....ital and where?" I asked not knowing what to do or say.

I could hear noises in the background. Cries and wails.

"I'm sorry, she is dead! You have to come with her people as soon as possible," the voice said.

I was dumbfounded.

The voice on the phone gave me a direction on how to get there.

I couldn't believe my ears.

While trying to get a grip of myself, I received another call from Richard's younger sister. She was weeping over the phone.

I thought it was over the death of Rachel because we were all close back at school.

"Maybe she might have heard it too."

"Amanda! What happened?" I asked.

"Rich...a..rd... is.." she stammered.

"Richard did what?!" I exclaimed.

"Richard is dead. He died in the plane crash which took place this morning." She said and hanged up.

"What?!" I screamed.

I remembered the news headline I saw.

"How did this happen? Why? Why the people I love most? Whyyyyyy!!!" I screamed.

I freaked out.

Goosebumps was over my body.

I tried to calm myself but I couldn't..

I quickly ran out of my room for Rachel's. Her house wasn't too far from mine.

My Aunt who had slept off while watching the news was not aware of what was happening.

I woke her up, "Aunty, I dey come make I reach Rachel house." I said in English pidgin as I left the house in a haste.

I was confused, weak and didn't know what to do. I couldn't cry or hold it either.

As I was about crossing to the other side of the road, I didn't know what hit me.. all I remembered was a loud noise, people shouting and myself seeing the world - upside down.

I could feel hands touching me, carrying me.. voices... and darkness.

Black out!

Three lovers are down!

Is this ordinary or is something behind it?

The tale of three lovers.