45minutes later.

He stumbled out of the house in shock. He could barely see where he was going. He just wanted to get out from the house far away from her.... From her dead body.

You could almost hear his heart beating from down the street. He wasn't scarred, no, he was just tired and short of breath. He needed to breath clean fresh air.

So he staggered down the street like a drunk, ignorant of his environment and the vehicles that went out of their way to avoid him.

Suddenly he fell on his face, unconscious. The sun and the sky playing a game of hide and seek on the back of his unconscious body.

45minutes earlier


Richard hummed under his breath to the music playing on the radio as he drove through the neatly tarred streets of Enugu, His fingers taping gently on the steering wheel. Occasionally, a presenter interrupted the music to make an announcement. Annoyed by the interruptions, Richard changed to another station.

“Better” he said to himself after changing to a different station, “this is more like it.”

He had just dropped his four year old daughter, Nnenna, at his sister’s place. She needed the change and so did he. Coming to Enugu was probably the best thing he had done in recent times. He felt lighter and somewhat relived, even happy. He anticipated an evening of silent relaxation. No friends. No family. And certainly, no child. Richard felt a little guilty for thinking of Nnenna as a burden. He loved his daughter dearly, almost to the point of stupidity, but a man needed a break once in a while.
“Caring for a child is not a man’s job,” his mother had told him countless times.

“Marry another woman, who can take care of you and my grandchild. Or better still, come down to Enugu. We can get you a good job here. That noisy Lagos, that is full of thieves and low life, is not a place to raise a child. Inugo (have you heard)?”

Richard heard but he didn’t really listen. The truth was that he didn’t want to listen and agree with what everyone was telling him.

“You must go on living. Life must go on.” One person will say.
“It has happened and there is nothing you can do. Thank God that you’ve collected back her bride price” another person will say,
“There are many fishes in the ocean. If you catch one and it is not good enough, throw it back into the ocean. You will definitely catch a better fish before sun down.”
He took all the advices with a ready smile and a heart burning with anger and frustration. They spoke as if they understood or even cared -even though it was obvious that they didn’t. A deep urge ran through him to punch the twinkling stars out of whoever was giving the advice. But he held himself. Over time, the smile became a permanent part of his countenance, using it in place of words to the numerous unsolicited advice and sympathy. It soon began to hurt and feel like a huge burden. So he started avoiding people and places he knew. Thankfully, Lagos is a big place.

But his boss, at the telecommunication company he worked at, had had enough of his fake smile, sullen face and dispirited attitude towards his work.
“Go home. Take a vacation. Find a wife. Visit family. And come back when you have lost that nasty smile and don’t forget to retrieve your voice wherever you kept it,” his boss had told him, his burly stomach shaking as he spoke.
That was three days ago.
Bored with life, irritated by the blue painting of the walls in his flat, hurt by the way Nnenna looked at him –as if she was scared of him- he had called his eldest sister, Margret. He was duly informed, by a visibly angry elder sister, that their parents were not in the country.
“Were did they go?” Richard asked
“America.”
“Why? What happened?” he pressed on, ignoring her contemptuous voice.
“Nkeiru have given birth. A baby boy and she stupidly named the poor child Richard, of all names on earth,”
“She had a child? How come nobody told me?”
“Yes she had a child three months ago,” Margret replied, her voice richly spiced with sarcasm. “While you hid yourself and avoided everybody. Are you happy? You almost made mama to have a heart attack….”
Richard patiently held the phone as his sister shouted. Margret continued shouting into the phone for a minute or two.
“How are you?” Margret asked in cool voice after she was done chastising her younger brother. “Come to Enugu and spend some time with us. Or send Nnenna over. She can go to school with her cousins”
“Ok sister. We’re coming. Tomorrow.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes. Nnenna can stay in your house, I’ll stay in Dad’s house. You’re with the house key?” Richard asked
The feeling was mutual, between Nnenna and her father. She quickly settled down with her cousins, laughing and playing like a normal kid. It broke Richard’s heart that his daughter appeared to be happy with his sister’s family than with him. But he understood. His pains were infectious and his morose life was unsuitable for a child as rumbustious as his daughter.
“She loves you. But she really needed a change of environment, with the divorce and all the drama. Glad you came,” Margret had told him as she saw him off to the car she had loaned him.
Honestly, Richard was glad he had left Lagos and his flat with its annoying blue paint. The air was clean here and life was evenly paced. He could hear himself think and pick out the lines of his thought. He felt alive, relaxed and young. And for the first time in almost six months, he was singing and happy. Yes that’s what he was feeling, happy. It’s a good feeling, a refreshing feeling that he had almost forgotten.

As he waited for the traffic light to change to green, the radio changed to an upbeat afro beat. He clapped his hands and sang along. Despite the fact that he was singing off tune but it felt good to sing. He hadn’t sang like this since… since Ifeoma left.
Ifeoma. That’s her name. A very beautiful name that rolls over the tongue effortlessly, as if it was dipped in a bowl of red oil. She was even more beautiful than her name suggested. Tall with skin the color of ripe pawpaw, eyes a light gray shade -almost cat like, and elegant with a well-structured teeth –which she always put on full display. She had this way of speaking that was so engaging, almost mesmerizing, and she gave off a slight lisp that sounded unintentional but in actual truth, it was intentional. She was ambitious and strong will, little wonder she was rising quickly through the ranks of the bank she was working with.
Everyone, including Richard, had thought that it was a union made in heaven. Ifeoma dazzled everyone with her wit and infectious laughter. She seem to exude a sort of sexual magnetism without actually being flirtatious or seductive. Even Richards’ mother, who had an uncommon intuition and a hugely conservative African woman, fell for Ifeoma. Thus, six months into their courtship, Richard proposed. Ifeoma accepted.
Denying the fact that he sometimes felt stifled by Ifeoma would make Richard a bare faced liar. She had a way of controlling him without, him, actually knowing that he was being manipulated. She accentuated her every request with a kiss or a touch, on certain sensitive body parts. Being a hopeless romantic and a true believer in the Shakespearean tales of romance, which he now considers idiotic, Richard did all he could to make her happy.
Their wedding was a big affair. And if weddings were parameters to decide how successful a marriage will be, then Richard and Ifeoma will be married till thy kingdom come. But it wasn’t and it would never be. Slowly the threads of whatever that held them together began to fall off and with it came the wool that had covered Richard’s eyes for so long. He began to notice changes in his wife’s behavior. She became more controlling and aggressive. Countless times, Ifeoma accused her husband of keeping a mistress. Richard denied. But she wouldn’t believe him.
“Am pregnant,” Ifeoma announced one evening a few months after the wedding.
Pregnant have never sounded so good nor looked so beautiful. It was as if her energy and beauty was multiplied. She glided through the nine months effortlessly. And in that nine months marriage tasted like honey to Richard.
The first year of Nnenna’s birth, were the best in Richard life. He felt young and loved. Nnenna, like her mother, was a beauty. Her eyes were gray and engaging. Ifeoma was totally enwrapped with her child, so much so, that Richard was relegated to the back. But he didn’t mind. He was proud of his small family and all he wanted was to see them happy even if it means being relegated –once in a while.

pls come and finish dis story... oh

Praisely:
pls come and finish dis story... oh

Am on my way oh. Thanks for the encouragement.

……. ……. ……..
“Who is she?” an angry Ifeoma asked Richard one evening.
“Who?” Richard asked, the smile on his face frozen. The question was thrown at him immediately he stepped into the apartment. Ifeoma had yet to greet or welcome him before confronting him. Her face was wild. You could almost see the blood taste in her gray eyes. It scared Richard. Never had he seen his wife like this.
“Who is she?” Ifeoma screamed, pulling at her hair.
“I don’t know what you are….” Before he could finish, Ifeoma lunged at him, grabbed him by the tie in an attempt to strangle him. Richard was shocked at first, but he quickly recovered and he seized her hands. Placing his left leg between her own legs, he tackled her to the ground.
“What is it?” Richard inquired in a soft voice. He pulled her up and gathered her into his arms.
“I don’t know. I saw you leave her car, she dropped you… the car...“ Ifeoma said in between tears.
“Now? That was Charlie’s wife. You know Charlie my good friend at the office. His car was broken, so he called his wife to come pick him. I decided to hitch a ride with them instead of taking a taxi. Didn’t you see Charlie in the paasenger seat?”
“Am sorry,” Ifeoma whispered. “Am tired of staying at home. I need to start working. Nnenna… she’s tiring me out and… and staying with her all day long, is a torture. Am tired of her. Am tired of this house...”
“But I thought you quit your job so you could stay at home till baby begins school?”
“I said am tired,” Ifeoma snapped, pushing herself off Richard’s body. “Or didn’t you hear what I just said? If I stay with her alone in this house for one more hour, I’ll kill myself. Why are you so selfish? And her name is Nnenna not BABY.”
In other to keep peace, Richard agreed. They got a house help to look after Nnenna whilst Ifeoma went back to her old job. But the job didn’t solve the problem. She became more cantankerous and authoritative. Numerously neighbor had come to quell the fight between the young couple.
Afraid of being seen as a failure by his family, especially his father, Richard kept his problem to himself. He tried as much as he could to avoid his wife and keep her happy. But Ifeoma was unpleasable.
On a Friday, Two weeks after Nnenna’s third birthday, Ifeoma stormed into Richard’s work place. Richard was telling a joke to a circle of friends. He looked relaxed in his brown Ankara traditional attire. Ifeoma rushed at him, without a word, she seized his trouser at the waist.
“That your witch girlfriend, where is she? Show me the useless Charlie that works in your office? Liar! Show me the useless man that allows you to frolic with his wife?” Ifeoma screamed into Richard’s face.
“Are you mad?” Richard asked in a voice that was little more than a whisper. He was confused on what to do. Attack her verbally or physically, and the whole world would call him a wife beater. Ignore her, and he would seem spineless.
“Me, mad?” Ifeoma inquired. Richard saw it. The madness and the hate in her gray eyes.
“Am Charlie” someone was saying from behind, but Ifeoma wasn’t listening. In what seem like a film trick, at least to Richard, she tore through the light fabric of Richard’s attire and attacked his penis. She squeezed his penis and scrotum together shouting like a woman at the onset of madness.

Richard felt as if a part of his body was being pulled out as Ifeoma tightened her grip. He was too shocked, and honestly too much in a pain to strike at her. Thinking about it, he often regretted not punching the life out of her with his free hand. He screamed out in pain, begging her to stop. Strangely, the more he pleaded the more Ifeoma tighten her grip. To ease the pain, Richard bent slightly, as if he was kneeling. He could almost feel his testicles melting away under the crushing hold of his wife.
Ifeoma lunged at his nose, as he bent a little below her height. She increased the pressure on his penis. Richard scream out in pain. Ifeoma bit into his nose, as hard as she could. He felt something like sweat crawling down the sides of his face, only it wasn’t colorless, it was bright red in color. Instinctively, Richard struck his wife on her throat. She scream out in pain and freed his penis and nose. She put both hands on
her throat.

The last thing Richard remember before he fainted was seeing Charlie tackle Ifeoma to the ground.
.……. ……… ……….
Richard turned into the street that his parent lived all his life. The street was empty and deserted as usual. He liked it that way. Too tired to open the iron gates, he packed in front of the fence that enclosed the bungalow building that his father had built years ago.

“Later I will come and drive it inside” Richard thought.

As he opened the door, he felt something. Something was out of place but he wasn’t sure what it is. He was uneasy.

“It’s probably the after effect of being home alone” Richard said to himself as he chuckled. He turned on the light and the television before going into the kitchen to pour himself a glass of juice.

The three o’clock news was being shown on the television. A youngish woman with a brown spectacle balanced on her nose was reading the news. As Richard stepped out of the kitchen, he heard her say:

“… The owner and chief herbalist of a traditional home in Njaba local government area, was this morning attacked by three persons, they are believed, by police, to be mental patients in the healing home. However, reports reaching our news desk has it that two of the assailants has been arrested and the third, a female, is still at large. In another development…..”

Richard froze. It all started falling together, in Richard mind, why things had seem out of place when he came in. Ifeoma was here. He could feel her presence. The smile of coconut butter cream which she used on her hair hung in the air. He hadn’t noticed it before but now… now he could perceive it, as strong as he had perceived it five years ago. He had always liked the smell.
He wasn’t scared of her –he was just scared of what she would do. This time around, he would not hesitate to smack her as hard as he could. She still tormented his dreams. In them she was, always chasing him with a blunt kitchen knife. Which she used to cut off his penis and then she would plunge the bloody meat into her mouth. And as he shouted, Ifeoma sawed through his man meat with a salvage energy and laughter. The pain of the blunt knife was indescribable, even in his dream. Blood lined her hands and mouth, giving her the appearance of a vampire that had just received his worst Christmas present from his human friends. He wasn’t sure why he never raised his hands against her in his dreams, something was always pinning him down and holding his hand down. But that was a dream. Reality is far much different and, for all intent and purposes, he planned to strike hard and fast.
He heard her footstep as she came down the stairs. Richard walked back a step or two. His heart beating a fast staccato beat. She came into view. She was so beautiful, more beautiful than she had actually been on her wedding day. Her long natural hair had been cut short, thus giving her a school girl kind of look. Her lips were painted a bright red and her eye lid was neatly lined with a black eye pencil. She was wearing a long red gown, that she had split into two and as she cat walked down the steps, Richard could see her slim, long legs. Those legs stirred something ancient in him. A desire to have her there and then. To make love to her till she was incoherent and speaking gibberish. But he suppressed the feeling.
“Richard!!!” Ifeoma shouted when she saw him. Her face was lit by a beautiful smile. She pulled up her skirts and ran down the stair. “Oh darling I’ve so missed you, how are you…” she halted on seeing the look on Richards face.
She came a step forward, and Richard took two steps back.
“Richie am so sorry. I didn’t mean to attack you. It was that stupid woman, I think she was in my head, she told me that you were cheating on me with Charlie’s wife. Am sorry. I shouldn’t have listened to her. I promise I won’t listen to her again. Can I hug you?” Ifeoma asked. The look on her face was beyond innocent and sweet, so innocent that it would have made an angel jealous.
“No,” Richard said in a deep voice, he narrowed his eyes and looked straight into her eyes. “Don’t come near me. What are you doing here in my parents’ house?”
The innocent look disappeared from Ifeoma’s face and was replaced by look that was akin to devilish.
“I see you didn’t miss me. She was right –the woman in my head. You were cheating on me with that black witch and I know that you don’t love me anymore. She was right. And I made her go away because I wanted to believe you“. Ifeoma screamed. She stamped her foot on the floor and then looked up as if something just occurred to her:
“How is my daughter? Nnenna?” she frowned and then laughed, “I never liked that name, Nnenna, is like a song and a useless repetition of redundant names. Father mother? How is that a name? Who answers that?” she smiled an evil smile “but you liked it, and I had to like it too so you would be happy
“Dick, I like that name, it suits you more than Richard. Richard sounds too mundane, and my God! What a boring name. But then you’ve always been too traditional, conservative and boring. It drove me out of my mind along with that baby’s crying every second of the day. You know she’s is just like you, Nnenna, too boring and ultra conservative. I guess you all get it from your mother, my dear, dear mother in-law.
“Where is she, by the way? I’ve been waiting for her, wanted to have a chat with her. So she could tell me what I did wrong. I know she was the one that fed those ideas into your head. She told you to Bleep that woman, Charlie’s wife. And she told you to put me out of your house, our house.”
“How do you know that?” Richard whispered in a voice that was a little more than a whisper.
“The woman in my head, she told me. She knows everything. Don’t look so shocked sweet Dick, I know you bleeped her too,” Ifeoma said in a drawing voice. “She told me that she loved you, but you broke her heart. She warned me that you’ll do the same to me. But you don’t expect me to fold my hand and watch you break my heart? Did you, sweet Dick? What a nice name. I know your mother have turned Nnenna against me. She never liked me and I tried to be a good daughter in law. Where did you say she went again, sweet dick?”
“I don’t know. Please come let me take you back home…..” Richard began
“Don’t you dare patronize,” Ifeoma screeched, she pulled at her short hair and jumped up and down hysterically. “Don’t you dare lie to me? You think am crazy don’t you” she stopped smiled and started removing the sleeves of her gown, “let’s do it here on your mothers cushion. Let’s Bleep, like we used to do”
“Ify calm down. Maybe later. We’ll do it…” Richard started to say
“I knew it. Liar. You never loved me. You still want her. Ahhhhhh” Ifeoma screamed. She ran towards Richard, but he hurriedly stepped aside. Ifeoma ran into the kitchen shouting. Richard went after her.

Wats with ifeoma

E b like say Ifeoma don dey mad oh.

almacherish:
Wats with ifeoma

Ifeoma is a manipulative sociopathic schizophrenia. On the surface she looks normal and even successful but her ambition and quest to succeed and control everything and everyone, is taking a toll on her mental capacity.
Notice the way she easily controls Richard and how happy she was with the pregnancy ( she has succeeded in being a mother). Also notice the voice of the woman she hears in her head.
Thanks a lot for reading. Please drop your comments.

onosj:
E b like say Ifeoma don dey mad oh.

She don kolo finish

Yes he was scared, but to his utter chagrin, he had discovered that he still loved her. And wanted her. Seeing her like this, like a crazy woman, had broken his heart –despite his earlier resolve. He wanted to reach out and touch her and hold her close to his chest. But once bitten, twice shy.
Ifeoma stopped at the kitchen sink, smiled and raised up her hand. A knife gleamed in her hands –the one he had seen in his dreams.
“Ifeoma stop, don’t play with a knife. STOP,” Richard pleaded.
But Ifeoma kept on walking towards him. Slowly at first. She stopped for three seconds, smiled again and then she rushed towards Richard, knife raised high, poised to strike. Instinctively, Richard reached for the pestle that his mother always kept by the door, near the cupboard. He swung. A strong single blow.
A red blobby matter spattered on the kitchen wall. The knife dropped from Ifeoma’s hand. Her head a red mess. Ifeoma fell to the ground and breathed her last.




End

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Breathed her last ke?? Double wahala for dead body!!! I pity Richard...btw, nice1 Emmy!! Ride on! Following u like twitter

heemah:
Breathed her last ke?? Double for dead body!!! I pity Richard...btw, nice1 Emmy!! Ride on! Following u like twitter

Thanks a lot dear.

you called me and here I am. Dick or na richard, na big trouble u dey o. Following#

More update

emeka94 where art thou?

Just like that?
. . . And how did Ifeoma get into his parent's house?

toykathy:
emeka94 where art thou?

am sorry. my phone screen broke. but I will update soon.

thanks a lot for reading.

teamplayey:
Just like that?
. . . And how did Ifeoma get into his parent's house?

the same way a thief enters. she broke in. thanks for reading.

Ok. Thanks

emeka94, abeg does ifeoma have MPD or is she really crazy? Luvin dis already. Following...

Plaitex:
emeka94, abeg does ifeoma have MPD or is she really crazy? Luvin dis already. Following...

no she doesn't have MPD. she is a sociopath and also suffers from schizophrenia.
thanks a lot for reading

Where is emeka94. Please cum and update. Dont stop dis wonderful piece

Plaitex:
Where is emeka94. Please cum and update. Dont stop dis wonderful piece

wow!!! Am trying to figure out what to do with the characters, especially Richard. but I thought, maybe I should leave the rest to our individual imagination like elechi Amadi did in "The concubine".
but am honored that you called my work wonderful, it means a lot to me. thanks.

This my newest piece, please read it and tell me what you think[url][/url]
www.nairaland.com/2064462/mile-shoe-tobechukwus-story#29259335

This is an older work
[url][/url]www.nairaland.com/1542684/seen-wifes-son

..