THE PROMISE Written by Oluwafunminiyi Komolafe

A car pulled over opposite a super market and Bassy came down with three of his goons armed with baseball bat, machete and all sort of dangerous weapons. The moment he saw Bassy and his goons entered, Micheal smelt something sinister in the air so he came down from his car which was parked at a safe distance from the supermarket. Not leaving his camera behind he proceeded cautiously toward the building.

It was late in the evening, Mr Joshua was already packing up his goods when he saw them enter. Fear got hold of him and he quickly went to Bassy knelt before him and begged.

“Please Bassy, I know I owe you. please give me more time. I will pay up” the man begged.

“Mr Joshua chill out, am not here for the money, I’m only here to see how you are doing” Bassy said pulling him up, smiling. “I can see business is going fine” Bassy said strolling around; staring at the goods neatly arranged on the shelf.


“Which of these goods will you like to have?” the owner asked in fear as he followed him.

“Do you know what I hate most? Lying. My boys came here last week for the protection money and you told them market is not moving but here I am seeing your store well stuck with goods. I think you are playing me for a fool Mr Joshua” Bassy said.

“No I dare not, I borrowed the money to buy these goods from a friend of mine” The man answered pleading.

Bassy signaled to his boys and they held the man down as he picked up a keg of hypo and poured it down the man’s throat.

Micheal was standing by the window snapping the whole incident with his camera. One of the goons caught sight of him and a serious chased was the result. Micheal ran furiously down the street while Bassy and his goons pursued. He ran into an abandon kiosk and hid. From there, he watched as the people on his trail ran past the kiosk, thinking he was far ahead of them.

A few minutes later, Micheal got out of the kiosk and proceeded to where his car was parked. He had only taken a few steps when something suddenly hit his leg and he fell down. Bassy and his boys came at him, first they broke his camera before they descended upon him and rained punches on him. After he was satisfied, Bassy ordered them to stop and pulled the battered Micheal up. They searched him but found nothing, save for the cash tucked in his wallet.

“Who do you work for? Are you a cop?” Bassy asked but he got no answer.

“Wait boss I recognize him, he was the guy who sneered at you at the court that day” one of his boys said.

“Oh so you are the one? I remember you swore on the grave of your late wife to bring me down, is this how you plan on doing it? You know what my friend, no one can bring me down because am a lion, I rule the town” After saying this, he collected the bat from one of his goons and bash Micheal’s skull with it.

* * * * * * * * * * *
Tayo stood watching the corpse of his stubborn brother. Ever since his wife had been murdered by Bassy, he had promised to bring Bassy to Justice. They had Bassy arrested and taken to court but the case was dismissed owing to lack of substantial evidence because the key witness never showed up. Since then, Micheal had been bent on getting the evidence to put Bassy away. He resigned from where he worked and bought a camera to keep tailing him. Tayo had tried talking him out of his madness and advised him on focusing on taking care of the little girl his wife left behind but he was too stubborn to listen. Tayo took the responsibility of caring for the five years old girl while his father went on trying to get the criminal booked.

The ambulance came and a stretcher was brought out to wheel the corpse. The body was placed on it and while they were moving it, something dropped from the corpse’s shoe. Tayo looked at it and realized that it was a memory card ; the memory card from the camera which Micheal had kept inside his shoe while hiding in the kiosk. When he later checked the content of the memory card, he discovered that his brother had died trying to fulfil his promise. Tayo gave the info to the cops and Bassy together with his gang were brought to book.

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NYC

For Better For Worse by Akintayo Akinjide

Looking back through the years, I knew it was time I left my husband’s house.

I glanced at the picture on my table and slammed it on the table. The memory was sickening. My hand trembled as I touched my swollen eyes.

The pain from last night’s beating was enough to kill any woman. Only God knew how I got the strength to withstand such beating from my husband. Maybe, it was an accumulation of the strength I got from Kunmi’s, my husband’s, incessant beating.

It was high time I got a divorce. But before I did that, I would first leave his house.

The season for becoming blind to love had arrived, and I would conform to it. My heart was made up.
‘Shadiat’,I shouted after I took my car key and headed for the door.

‘Shadiat…’ I shouted again.

A short plump girl came running towards me. I sized her. She looked just like two Ghana-must-go bags placed on themselves. Her face was laced with tribal marks like the line on my travelling bag. I hissed.

‘I’m going home, take care of my shop’, I said.

‘Yes ma’.

‘And make sure you are here when I return, no matter the time I return’.

Shadiat nodded warily as though she just been given a task beyond her.
My mind dashed from one thought to another. I dragged my thoughts away from the love we shared and dumped them into the vehicle-of-forgotten.

I just didn’t know the cause of Kunmi’s behaviour. At least, after three years of a childless marriage, he ought to have learnt how to take care of a lady. He ought to know that my belly would yearn desperately for a baby. That my heart would be clogged with sorrow.

I was deaf to the gateman’s greeting. My eyes couldn’t just help it. Every now and then, it moved to the mirror to see the black spot on my eyes.

When I entered, the first thing that attracted me was the empty space on the table, which once housed a beautiful vase that was a gift from John. He gave me the vase when he returned from Dubai. I swallowed hard as I remembered on whose head the vase broke- mine.

The pain struck at me again.

‘Ah!’ I said, moaning. I knelt in the parlour. And, at last, after holding myself since yesternight, I cried. The chair, my consoler, screeched as I strengthened myself with it.

The pain that surged through my body as he slapped me yesterday came again. The memory of the agony from his iron-fist that hit my eyes, and the noise that erupted from my mouth as he pulled my hair flooded my thought.

All I did was to be late in bringing a napkin, which he rarely used. So, when he asked for it I was taken aback that I wasted some seconds wondering what he wanted to do with it.

After crying for ten minutes, I rose from my blood-like rug, and climbed the stairs that looked like the evil path I took into this marriage. If that stupid John had proposed to me earlier, I would have a son to call my own. I would be in the hand of the man that loved me; one I loved dearly.

‘John’, I cried.

I pushed myself up the stairs and packed my load. Kunmi wouldn’t return till late in the night, when I would be gone, far away from the cold hand of death-Kunmi’s hand.

On my last trip to my car, I stared at the wall, at the frame, at the picture of Kunmi and me. I hated the day I said ‘Yes’.

I rushed to the wall, and pulled down the frame, cutting every tie they had.

‘Never again’ I cried and jumped severally on the frame. ‘Never again.’

I cried. The glass pierced my skin. I wasn’t concerned. I looked at the other frames and broke them.

Just then, the door opened. Kunmi came in. Cold air rushed to me as I awaited beating from him. Instead, he went down on his knee.

‘I’m sorry baby’, he said. His face was contoured. His eyes were squinted as he crawled nearer.’ I don’t know what got over me’.

I shifted back. He moved nearer. Tears poured down my face. I stared at him. He was right. I just can’t lose him. I limped forward, hugged his head, and cried over him. And for the 18th time in that marriage, I accepted him, for better for worse.


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MEETING UP STANDARDS BY AKINTAYO AKINJIDE

‘I need a new necklace’.
He cocked his head to the side, and frowned. ‘What? You don’t need a necklace. What is wrong with you? Others wouldn’t not be coming for you’.
‘I’m not going. I didn’t want to go o. You were the one that insisted that I go. am I bothering you about a necklace? It’s just that I can’t go without a better necklace. ‘
‘I don’t know what you want us to do. I’m tired. I’m tired. If not that Chibuzor insisted I bring you along, I would have asked you to forget it’.
‘Tell him anything. Tell him I fell sick that I can’t come.’ I said and crumbled on the bed, frustrated. He came to me and rubbed my hair. I sniffed. I just can’t go to the get-together without being fully dressed.
‘I can’t buy necklace at this time. Can’t you borrow it?’
My head pounded with joy. I have totally forgotten the necklace, my desire. I sighed.
‘Yes… Yes… I will meet Rasheedat. She will borrow me’.
I need not disturb you with the details but I must emphasise that Rasheedat, despite being my friend warned me not to allow anything happen to the necklace. The necklace was rare. Maybe, that was the reason I fell in love with it. It’s type was rarely found anywhere else. Of all the jewelleries shops I’ve searched, it’s type wasn’t there.
Of course, at the party, my joy knew no bound. I was the queen of the day. Chibuzor-my best friend- kept taking me about despite the presence of his beautiful wife, Kike, that humble woman. She was the one with my husband and I loved that. The party went as planned. Ireti was side-lined. All the women in the room wanted to know where I got the dress and the necklace. It was just too beautiful for any normal Goldsmith to have made. I laughed throughout the party, and drank more than normal. I was tipsy. I really enjoyed the day. And I couldn’t stop thanking my husband even as we headed outside. He was also tipsy, so we left his car at his friend’s place and opted for a cab. It took us a long time to get one especially as we are in Nigeria and the only available vehicles were personal ones, busses and bikes. After a long search, we found one and headed home. Even the driver knew how happy I was.
In fact, the happiness was supposed to meet the next day but my real problem started when we got to the door. I touched my neck and the necklace was gone. I shook my head. I was definitely still tipsy. I touched it again. It wasn’t there.
‘No. No’. I muttered.
My husband halted on his track. He stirred towards me’ What’s it honey?’
‘Oh God! Oh God! The necklace’
My husband stiffened. He nodded severally. ‘What happened to it? He looked at himself and switched on the torch of his phone. ‘What happened to it? Where did you put it?’
‘I don’t know’ I shouted. My hands were shaking right like a leaf in the wind. ‘What have I done? The necklace is not here.’
He pointed the torchlight everywhere; I was so fretful that I couldn’t search for it myself.
‘What have I done’?
‘Don’t worry I’ll find it’.
I crouched on the floor, not minding how expensive the cloth was. He was gone and the whole place was dark. I cried as I repeatedly checked my neck, hoping an invisible hand would return it there. The necklace can’t be lost. It mustn’t get lost. I don’t know the price. The prices of everything had skyrocketed, how will we get it? I looked at myself and knew I was done for.
After an hour, my husband returned dejected. The necklace was gone. I cried. At first, my husband consoled me. Then he blamed me but I didn’t reply; instead, I kept crying my heart and eyes out. He slept off, but I didn’t. I cried into the night, then into the morning and into the next night. I fell sick and worried a lot.
After few days of my worry, my husband couldn’t take it anymore.
‘Okay we will get a new one’.
‘Thank you. Rasheedat must not know about this because she would cause a big trouble for us. She hated people misplacing things that belonged to her.’
He stared at me. I don’t know how I looked but I’m sure it was one of those appearances he detested. He moved nearer and cuddled me.
‘It will be alright. I will get a new one no matter what it cost’.
‘Are you sure?’
‘You know me. I fulfil my promises no matter how small they are. And, luckily we still have the picture of it on the phone’.
I tried nodding but my head was fixed between his hand and his body.
Therefore, he set to work on it. It took him two days to get a shop abroad that sold it. But, no matter what he thought of it before, when he returned, I saw him dragging the shadow of himself back home. He sighed and shook his head.
‘The jewellery is sold for … ‘He said and shook his head dejectedly and lowered into his hands.
‘How much is it? I said with fear striking chords in my body.
He shook his head. I edged forward on the seat.
‘They described that the jewellery was gotten from a rare gem and the workmanship was expensive’.
‘So?’
‘ Six fifty hundred thousand minus shipment fees’.
‘What? Didn’t you bring down the price?’
‘ Sorry, I couldn’t. It’s a fixed price. You know they sell to very wealthy people who don’t haggle prices.’.
I knew I was done for. Rasheedat can lock up her friends because of her possession, even my husband was a witness to one of such events.
‘I’ll face the consequences, no matter what it is’
‘I promised already and I’ll do everything possible to get it’.
‘Don’t be stubborn about this. I’ll bear the brunt.
‘I said no’ He said, stomping the floor. I could only sigh now.
The first thing to suffer my husband’s stubbornness was his car. He sold it for 200000 naira. Then we went into borrowing spree. After which I returned the jewellery to Rasheedat. Luckily, she didn’t notice the difference.
At that time, I, who was just a housewife had to get a job. My husband was now cold towards me and I myself withdrawn. We lived like neighbours. Even neighbours have conversation, but we didn’t.
After five years, we were able to pay the money to the people that lent us. By the time which I was older than I looked, uglier than I looked and my husband rarely had time to fancy everything he did in me again. Although, he still loved me. I know from his talks and from his little acts. But, his mind was always on how to regain his status.
I also had the thought of meeting up to standard, and I kept planning and planning until I ran into someone in the market one Saturday evening. I looked up from my worries.
‘Oh Mama, face where you’re going?’
I was transfix with mixed feelings- should I avoid her or should I tell her everything because I still felt like making her know she was the cause of my woe.
‘Rasheedat, it’s me’.
She stopped in her track. Her perfume met my nose lapping at its scent. I controlled myself because there was nothing I could use to show superiority.
‘It is you … who?’
‘Me … Me’ I said and hit my chest.
‘Tife?’
I nodded.
‘Tife! Tife!’ She shouted in the market and hugged me.’ What happened to you? How are you like…?’ Her look hovered on my body. I cringed. ‘I came to your house and they said you people had left the place. Why? What happened?’
‘Is it not you?’
‘Me?’
‘Yes’ I said emphasising the yes.
She stiffened and bit her lower lip.’ What did I do?’
‘The necklace’.
‘The necklace?’
‘Yes. The necklace I misplaced it’
She blinked severally and pouted. ‘But you returned it then’.
‘That was not it’.
‘What’ Her face had the same fierceness of a lioness. She looked about her as though people were already seeing the anger pouring through her. She moved nearer and her voice was lowered ‘Where’s my damn Necklace. Which necklace did you give me’?
I brushed off her imaginary attack. ‘The deed has been done. God! That necklace was expensive. I bought it for five hundred k’.
Her eyes widened. I knew the price would be the higher but I was lucky enough to have gotten the exact one for her.
‘What?’ I said in fury and my anger blared like a siren. ‘Is it not the same thing? Have you forgotten that I have eyes for things like that? I made sure the specs are correct and you yourself can attest to it that they are the same’.
Her mouth was widely apart. I was happy I still had the upper hand. Rasheedat was speechless for the first time. Normally, the best form of showing superiority was to say the word and leave but I couldn’t.
‘But… But ,… I bought the fake. It’s just 12500 naira’.e He What happened to itWhat

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