Heartstrings

By Serah Iyare

His world became frozen when his fiancée called off the wedding without giving any explanation.
He thought he would never recover from the disappoint, but, fate had another path for him.
An act of kindness on his part introduced him to another, who consumed his dreams every night.
Will she be able to melt the ice-wall around his heart?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Serah Iyare
• Release date: Mar 1, 2018
• ISBN: 9781370930531

Serah Iyare

I am a born again spirit filled Christian fiction romance writer, whose passion is to bridge the gap between man and God.I am married with two kids, living in Abuja, Nigeria.

Book preview

HEARTSTRINGS

BY

SERAH IYARE

© 2016 Serah Iyare. All rights reserved.

SYNOPSIS

His world became frozen when his fiancée called off the wedding without giving any explanation.

An act of kindness introduced him to another.

Will she be able to melt the ice-wall around his heart?

CHAPTER ONE

The blue sky was clear, cloudless, not entirely, an after effect of the rainstorm early that morning. Cool icy wind blew, hitting the skin with a firm grip. The street was empty. Different colours of houses lined both sides of the road. Some were decorated with palm trees, variety of flowers, plants, while others stood out with artworks on the walls and sculptures. He stopped the car outside the white house with a big black gate and honked thrice. He heard the sound of metal. The security guard in green and white uniform poked his head out. He was a short man in his mid-forties. He retreated into the compound and opened the gate.

Good morning sir, the man stood aside and waved.

He waved back in acknowledgement and drove in. He parked the silver Prado jeep alongside three other cars and killed the engine. He picked the black polythene bag on the front seat and alighted from the vehicle. He closed the door and locked it. He sneezed thrice and thought of a hot bath. It would chase the cold away he reasoned. He turned around and headed for the one story building. A tall slim figure raced out of the ground floor flat towards him.

Uncle Bassey, Uncle Bassey, welcome… she tried to collect the bag in his hand, but he wouldn’t let go.

You can’t carry it. It is heavy. Thank you, he tried to smile.

Where did you go this morning? You left while it was raining.

He kept on walking. Was she monitoring him?

Did you go to work? I thought you hardly go to work on Saturdays, except when there is an emergency.

He glanced at her. When did she start to keep tabs on him? Wasn’t she too young to be nosy? The dark skinned eighteen-year-old girl towered over him with an inch. Her slim frame looked athletic in the blue jeans and red short-sleeve blouse.

Uncle Bassey, I think I will study Dentistry like you. You make a lot of money. You drive a very expensive car, you are living in a three-bedroom posh apartment in Ikeja G.R.A, and you run your own dental clinic. How old are you? You are a rich young man.

What in the world!

He halted and looked at her closely. Was that how she saw him, a rich young dentist with an expensive car and a posh apartment? It had not always been that way. One doesn’t become successful in a day.

Young woman, you should really think about what you want to study. Do not use anybody’s success or failure as a yardstick.

She beamed at him, white teeth, rosy cheek, dove eyes.

Was she even listening to him at all? Chinyere!

Hmmm… she blinked, all her thoughts cleared.

He shook his head. She had not heard a thing. He walked past her and stepped into the building. She ran after him.

Uncle Bassey, how old are you?

He grunted, None of your business.

She walked beside him, marching his speed with quick steps of her own, Come on, we are neighbours. I am… I am like your sister.

You are not my sister, he eyed her and went up the stairway.

I know. How old are you? she followed him.

You are eighteen years old, add seventeen to that.

She stopped and pondered. Her eyes widened with realization. Her hand flew to her mouth and her eyes turned pale. She bit at her lower lip and climbed the stairs to the first floor.

You are like, almost… twice my age.

He placed the bag on the floor and fished out the door key from the bunch of keys attached to the key-holder, I am old enough to be your father.

You are not my father! her dark eyes flashed with anger.

He caught a glimpse of her and opened the door. He lifted the bag and walked in, Have a superb weekend.

Wait…

He turned around.

Can I come in? her pleading eyes held his expressionless ones.

No.

She folded her arms across her bosom.

Go home. Your mama needs you.

She eyed him, My mama is sleeping.

Bye Chinyere, he shut the door and locked it. He carried the bag into the kitchen and dropped it in the sink. It was a good thing that he had gone to the abattoir early that morning. He had been able to purchase different parts of cow, goat and ram meat. He would be able to make enough soup and stew that would last him for a week or more.

His work at the dental clinic had taken a demanding turn due to the number of people that patronized the place. He was able to hire a doctor, a dentist by profession, who had been like a pillar of support for him in the past three months. He had also employed another nurse. The work load had taken a bad toll on the only nurse in the clinic. Now, she wasn’t alone again. While working at Lagos University Teaching Hospital a few years back, he had never thought he would set up his own clinic, although it had always been his dream. It was when his parents’ Calabar restaurant boomed and became a household name that the idea really came to life