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LoveToRead:
She sighed. ‘Okay o. if you say so. Now, secondly, let me say I don’t like the way you’ve been treating me.’

‘How have I been treating you?’

She held me right hand. ‘Why have you been treating me as if I’m a piece of rag?’

I chuckled. ‘You know, Edith, that what you said is not true.’

She held me tighter. ‘Bringing me here is a good example. How could you bring me outside the house when you could have taken me to your room?’

‘Look, Edith, I have respect for you and I cannot treat you as a piece of rag. However, I cannot allow a repeat of what happened to us the other time. It was a mistake that must never repeat itself.’

Edith’s next action surprised me. She hissed and walked away from me.


* * *

After I had spent three weeks on the job, madam said she would be travelling to Abuja on business and I was to accompany her. She said it could be for two or three days. I told Enny about it and she revisited her reservations.

'So, you and madam alone in Abuja, eh?'

'Come on, my dear. There is no one but you.' I had to say some other sweet and assuring words before I could rest-assure her.

We went by the late afternoon flight to Abuja, and we travelled by first class cabin. While on the flight, we sat side by side. Madam brought a small Bible and read. I could see that she read from the book of Psalms. It was obvious she had some phobia.

Madam said she preferred to rest for hours after the flight before seeing people officially the following morning. From the Nnamdi Azikiwe airport, we chartered a cab to a five-star hotel. Under instruction from madam, I had earlier called the hotel to book for a suite.

We checked into the hotel suite, the porter helping with madam's valise. It was a very comfortable suite. I must confess this was the first time I would be lodging in a five-star hotel in my life.

After the porter had left and after madam had settled down, I took my small bag.

'I want to go downstairs, ma'am, to book a room.'

'For who?'

'For myself, ma'am.'

She smiled. 'This suite has a lounging-room, a large bedroom, another small bedroom and two bathrooms, en-suite. You can take the other bedroom and there's no need for renting a room again.'

I was thinking very fast. That meant I would be sleeping not far away from madam.

'Relax, Alex,' she went on. 'Go and drop your bag in the other room. This place will conveniently contain us.'

'Yes, ma'am.'

'There's another thing, Alex. You've not been properly addressing me.'

I looked surprised.

'Yes. The ''madam'' stuff is okay in the official setting, not in a private place like this.'

I nodded. 'Yes, ma'am.'

'So, drop the ma'am. Call me mummy.'

I could not help the smile that came on my face.

'Yes, ma’am, I mean, mummy.'

She smiled. 'That's my boy.'

Her saying that made me feel so small, but then, I had no choice than to accept her nomenclature. There was a rap at the door. I went to see who it was. The room service had brought the dishes madam ordered for.

I opened the door wide for the food trolley to be wheeled inside. The hotel staffer soon left us. Madam went on to change into a bumper shot and t-shirt. She even looked much younger now. Her bare torso and legs were smooth and free from slabs of fat.

One very commendable thing about her was that she had managed to look trim, despite all the affluence around her. She must really be keeping a disciplined diet.

I set the food tray on the table by the sofa. She had ordered for pounded yam and egusi soup grilled with snail and fried turkey.

She washed her hands in the washing bowl provided.

'O ya, come and sit down. Let's eat.'