Strange Horses, Stranger Company
Lekan
Our next session is by 7 p.m., which gives me enough time to walk around the ranch. The cable car ride here was exhilarating. I've had many cable car rides, especially during my trip to China last year, but it's a different experience here.
I do wonder what Moni's story is, but I can't find out because there's no service on this resort. Johnson told us it was blocked, and I don't want to ask one of the guys and risk them thinking they can now include me in their gossip. I don't care that much anyway. I bet whatever happened to her, she had it coming.
The ranch is a long walk from the cable car drop-off point, but I don't mind the workout. I play one of my downloaded songs on Apple Music to keep me sane as I walk through the quiet field. Two minutes in, I hear footsteps not far behind me. I look back and see a colorful sundress, but I don't care who's wearing it. I keep walking until I get to the ranch, which holds horses. One of the stable keepers walks toward me, asking if I want to ride.
"If it makes sense, I just want to walk around with a horse. Maybe have a chat with it. You don't happen to have a horse that's a good listener?" I say.
"Oh, we do. Saber is a good boy. He listens well, never interrupts, doesn't kick, and if you do decide to ride him, he's a gentle strutter," the stable keeper says, matching my sarcasm.
"I'll take Saber, then." And Saber is released into my care.
The stable keeper stalks behind.
"Oh, you don't have to walk with us. I have experience with horses. I'll be good," I say.
"All right, then," he says with a smile and backs off, leaving me and Saber alone.
I pat Saber and feed him one of the snacks I picked from the feeding bucket. He eats from my hand and wags his tail.
"Hi Saber, I'm Lekan. I'm borrowing you to be my therapist for the next five minutes," I say to him.
"Well, there's not much I want to talk about. I hate new places, and even this place, in all its therapeutic glory is new. I can't seem to warm up to the people, and I just miss work. I want to know what's up with the acquisition. I need to know if Dupe is doing a good job. I don't know who's handling business. Mr. Segun is just the man with the cash. A part of me worries they're secretly plotting to replace me, but I always push the thought out before it takes root. I wonder how my little sister is doing, if the cleaners are watering my plants. The world is still revolving and I'm stuck here doing pretentious nonsense in the name of healing, abandoning my responsibilities."
I wait for a response, then remember I'm just talking to a horse.
"Mind if I ride you a little?"
Saber says nothing, so I climb on, like I've learned to over the years. Soon we're strutting slowly, gradually evolving into a gallop. We do two laps around the range before the lady in the sundress appears on a white horse.
"Moni, what a surprise. Are you stalking me now?" I say.
"Why would I be stalking you? You're just so in your own head, trying to get noticed."
"I've got enough attention. I think I can handle you missing out on all the eye candy."
"Oh please. You're just a regular Joe. There's nothing special about you besides your company."
"You mean the Forbes-enlisted multibillion company I built from scratch?"
"That doesn't make you special. Basing your worth on wealth only makes you shallow. I've met billionaires, and none of them repulse me as much as you do."
"'Repulse' is such a strong word. You know many ladies would jump at the chance to impress a man of my caliber."
"Well, I'm not 'many girls.' I own my own business and I'm pretty much one of the most successful in my field."
"Oh yeah? Good for you." I ride off before she can think of a biting retort. But she gallops close behind.
"You know, I've heard you're gay. So I'm not worried about your bad attitude. It's just... I've met a lot of gay men and you're a disgrace to their community."
"Pff pff, me, gay?" I can't hold back the preposterous laugh that escapes my lips.
"Yes. I heard the girls talking about it yesterday, and to be honest, I don't doubt it one bit."
"Because I'm not into you, or what?"
"I don't need your attention. I've got quite enough."
"Really? That's not what I heard."
"Oh? And what did you hear?" she asks.
"Nothing, really," I respond, because I haven't actually heard anything, but I can read a room well enough to know it's bad.
"Better. Because you better not go around throwing false accusations about something you don't know."
"Same goes for you."
"See you around, douchebag," she says, and rides off. I ride after her, and before we know it, it becomes a race. Two rounds around the range and then her horse whinnies, like it stepped on something. Next thing we know, she's on the ground. The horse gallops off.
"Oh my!" she exclaims. Her sundress is soiled by the wet loamy soil.
"Do you need a hand?" I ask.
"As if..." she groans.
I get off my horse to help her up anyway but end up slipping on the trail her horse left behind. Now we're both on the ground. She laughs hard, then stops abruptly.
"That's what happens when you let your ego get over your head, Mr. Helper," she says, getting up and dusting her hands. She holds one out to me.
"Need a hand?" she asks with a smirk.
I slap her hand away.
"Ouch. Douche. You seem to hit a new low every time I see you."
"And you always find a way to make yourself less appealing."
"Oh, so I was appealing at first?"
"Definitely not to me. I prioritize personality over beauty, and you ain't got it."
"You wouldn't know a good personality if you experienced one. After all, you've never had it."
"Na you sabi. Tse tse."
"See? Pot calling kettle black. Abeg, let me rest," she says and stalks off like a primary school child.
I get on my horse and ride after her.
"Need a ride?" I ask.
"Nah, you can go ahead. I'm good," she says.
I gallop ahead. When the stable keeper sees me, he asks what happened. I recount the situation. Moni appears behind.
"Sire, do you know where the horse went?" he asks.
"I assumed he must have come this way. You didn't see her?"
"Oh no," he says and starts walking off in a hurry.
"Can we at least get a change of clothes?" I ask.
"Surely. There's a room at the back. You'll get all you need there. You can freshen up too."
"Thank you so much," I respond, and he runs off.
Moni walks ahead to the back room. When we open it, it's just a small barn with clothes on a hanger. They're ugly-looking but clean. Moni picks out a packet shirt that will definitely dangle on her and stalks out.
I pick the other packet shirt from the rack and throw it over my trousers. I don't think I can wear trousers whose history I don't know.
Outside, I spot Moni. She looks funny, like a kid thrown into oversized clothes and I can't help but laugh.
"What?" she says, surprising me with her ear range.
"Of course she heard me. Tell me about witchcraft."
"Only a witch would know a witch," she replies, walking away.
"Were you waiting for me?"
"Of course not. You can't even protect yourself from danger. What would I need you for?" she asks.
"I would know. So...?"
"I needed to know what became of the horse that ran off." Just then, the horse keeper returns with the horse in tow.
"Found her. She got lost," he says.
"Thank goodness. I was worried," Moni says, patting the horse. She starts walking back toward the cable cars. We walk two minutes in silence before I speak.
"So what were you doing here anyway?" I ask.
"I wasn't looking for anything in particular. I just needed a little distraction. When I saw the pointers, I let the cable car take me wherever. It led me here."
"Honestly, same. I've never been here. I usually just let myself get lost in new places. I've learned that's the best way to discover fun."
"I have the same belief," she responds.
Of course she does. Her lips say one thing but her eyes... her eyes speak of pain unspoken. Her eyes are kind and calm, but I can't get beyond her unnecessarily sharp tongue. What could have happened to make her this angry? I wonder, watching her walk in front of me. The T-shirt swishes around her body and I can't help but laugh again.
"Oh, so you're mocking me now," she says, aware of what I'm laughing at.
"No, you just look funny. You look like my little sister when she'd wear my clothes."
"To be honest, I heard something about that too."
"I wonder what that is," I say.
"I heard you were into incest," she replies, walking toward the cable car staff. She gets a ticket. I get one too. She steps into a privately booked car, but I step in with her.
Where is this lady hearing all these preposterous stories about me? Is this how everyone sees me here? Is this why she's so rude, treating me like I'm inhumane?
I sit across from her.
"What are you doing here? This is private. Security!" she calls out. But it's too late. The car already took off.
"Incest? Really? Do I look like a bastard like that?"
"You don't have to. People don't look like their sins. But I did hear your sister is the only lady you hang around. Since you're not gay, that seems to be the next rumor that could be true."
"And you're the type to believe rumors. Of course I didn't expect better from the woman who doesn't know how to respect herself."
"Say whatever you want, man. I'll believe what I want too."
"So you don't want to know the truth?"
"What will the truth profit me?"
"You have a point. It's not like we're friends."
"Yeah, we ain't friends," she says, looking away. I do the same.
The trees, the mountains, the resort below it all looks amazing from this height. Ignoring Moni isn't so hard when I'm focused on the view. I see the trails we walked yesterday; from up here, they kind of form an "M." The flowers look good. The sun burns hot in the sky.
By the time we get back, it's 6:30 p.m., leaving us thirty minutes to get ready for the evening session.
Monisola and I don't speak as we disperse. The more space grows between us, the more I wonder how someone could hate me this much. It's almost like it's not me. I was voted most likable in my office this year. It's almost like she hates men in general. Whatever it is that happened to her, I have to find out. After all, she's my healing and accountability partner. It's my responsibility to figure out how to help her.