‘It’s my work. It’s becoming very demanding.’

‘You mean your work is keeping you in the office till ten p.m.?’

‘Not exactly. If I leave work, for example, at 8.00 p.m., I still have the traffic to contend with before I get home. That’s why it looks like I come in late.’

‘It’s not that it ‘looks’ like. It is. Look at the time. Why must you work till eight?’

‘I’m sorry. I’ll try to cut the working hours.’

There was never any way he was going to tell his mother that he was keeping a steady date outside and was spending some time with her after office hours.

‘You must do that. If the workload is so much, why doesn’t the firm employ more people? Why must they overwork you?’

His mother was on point. He nodded and ate on.

‘You know how terribly unsafe Lagos is,’ mama went on. All these armed robbers.’

‘I understand your fear, mom. God is guiding over me.’

‘Of course, of course. I know God is guiding you. All the same, you too must be security-conscious and must not do things that will give the devil a chance.’

He nodded again. I’ll cut the office hours, as I said.’

Childhood memories flooded his brain and he felt like a child again. His mother had not learnt to talk to him as an adult, who – though needed counseling from time to time – mustn’t be prevailed upon to take advice. She was always the authoritative, loving mother who was giving directives to a loveable but petulant son.

Later, as he lay in bed, Yeni told him she had something very important to discuss with him. She was sitting up on the king-sized bed and that meant what she wanted to discuss with him was indeed very important. 

He looked at her closely. ‘I hope there’s no problem, or serious problem.’

She sighed and closed her eyes for some time.

Her fears about his suspected infidelity was becoming more evident. She thought she could perceive some female perfume on him when he came home that night. She had been feeling that way anytime he came home in the past recent nights.

It must be figment of her imagination, she had tried to dismiss in her mind. Twice in the last few days, she had called his office telephone line about seven p.m., the so-called time he said he was still holed up there working.

The phone had rung on and on without being answered. He was obviously not in there.
‘It’s about your coming home late,’ she started.

He grunted and chuckled. ‘Is that why you look so disturbed? You know my work. That’s what delays me.’

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The service girl approached with a patronizing smile. They ordered burgers, chips and malt drinks.

‘So, what’re you studying?’ he asked his companion.

‘Sociology,’ Ekaette replied shortly.

‘Good course. Is it interesting?’ the assertion and the question lacked concord but none of them seemed to notice.

‘I think it is. I’m a level 200 student.’ 

‘Ah,’ he sighed. 

She couldn’t be more than twenty, still a girl, but already wise in things of the world. Going out with Biyi and ultimately snatching him from Joyce was a triumph for her. She had no scruples about doing what she was doing. Joyce had wronged her by snatching Chukwuma, a wealthy Igbo guy from her. Ekaette had only gone out with him for few weeks. 

Ekaette was not the type to allow things to happen just like that. She had given Joyce a good fight for it. At the end, Joyce won, pyrrhic victory or not. Ekaette had taken it calmly,
waiting for her time. Now, it was time for Ekaette to pay her back. Sweet revenge. She was having the last laugh, wasn’t it? It was tit for tat.

‘What do you plan to do when you leave school?’ he asked.

She laughed shortly. ‘I don’t really know yet. I may look for a job around.’ She shrugged. ‘Who knows, I may be able to do something worthwhile. If not, I may jet out to Canada.’

Canada again, he thought and smiled. ‘Lucky you.’ He allowed a pause. ‘I’m in business in U.S.A.’

She looked at him curiously. Just as he had thought, she was fascinated. ‘That’s interesting,’ she said. ‘What kind of business do you do?’

‘Over there, I sell computer software.’ He said it in a way to make Bill Gates proud. She looked blank. Obviously, she didn’t know much about that line of business. 

‘That’s interesting,’ she repeated.

They finished their food and were ready to move on. He took her to his duplex lodge where they popped a bottle of brandy and drank as if there was something to celebrate. The heat was on.


* * * 

Jide didn’t get home on Tuesday evening until about a quarter of an hour to ten. His lateness was becoming more and more pronounced these days and his wife was getting worried. He would come in late to complain about the load of work. She hoped he would not be too tired to listen to her and see reason. Mama beat her to it. Right when Jide was taking his supper, his mother went to sit by the dining table.

From the way she looked, he rightly suspected that he was in for another grilling. He braced himself for it.

‘You’re coming home too late recently,’ mama started.

‘It’s my work. It’s becoming very demanding.’

She like the inferred compliment. It was very good. It made her feel she possessed something worth living for.


* * *

Biyi had not bothered Yeni or her husband for several days, now. It was deliberate. He had decided to give them some kind of respite.

This Tuesday afternoon, Biyi decided to go the university campus at Akoka to pick Joyce, a girl he had become intimately acquainted with. Freddy and Olu, his school days friends and one of those Biyi had made contact with as soon as he came to Nigeria, had gone to the campus before. They went in search of lady companions.

Freddy had showed him round and had introduced ladies to him. Biyi had chosen the tall, lithe and pretty lady who called herself Joyce. After rounds of drinks and spiced suya at the joint on the campus, they had consummated their relationship in his – Biyi’s – house.

Now, Biyi felt like having Joyce again. The choice was purely for lust. She had proved to be very good in bed and Biyi did not mind replays of that act. He drove to her hall of residence to check her in her room. He was told she wasn’t around as she had gone for lecture. One of her room mates who attended to him explained that the lecture might not end until 6.00 p.m.

Biyi caught something in her voice and on her face as she talked to him. It was something he would capitalize on. 

‘What about you? Are you too busy you can’t come for some drinks?’ he asked in his disarming smile.

The girl’s face lit up. ‘Why not? I’m not too busy?’

He smiled too. ‘Alright. What are we waiting for?’

‘Just a minute. Let me dress up.’

‘Okay. My car is the cream color SUV in the parking lot.’ 

He nodded to himself at yet another conquest as he walked to his car. But then, it wasn’t really a conquest. All these girls, he thought, were of easy virtue. They wouldn’t mind backbiting, mud-slinging, and even violence in excelling in the lust race. How decadent. If all women in the world should throw decency to the dogs and become sluts, he would not bat an eyelid.

To him, that was their problem.
He played an R & B music on the car stereo, making sure that the vibrating music was very loud. After about five minutes’ wait, the girl he was waiting for walked towards his car. She was dressed to kill. The micro mine left a lot to be desired; while the body hug was very skimpy. You could see the navel. You could see the top edges of the undies. The clothes were damned revealing.

Biyi whistled in appreciation. He liked that. He liked those that had the gut to reveal all. She joined him in the car.

‘You look swell,’ he commented, grinning. 
She mumbled her thanks and gave a smile. 

‘You haven’t told me your name,’ he went on.

‘Because you haven’t asked.’ Again that daring look. ‘I’m Ekaette, but you can call me E.K. for short.’

‘Lovely name,’ he replied. It was a perfect answer from somebody who didn’t even understand the meaning of the name he had heard.

‘I’m Biyi.’ Now, this was great; he was not using an alias this time around. ‘I’m pleased to meet you.’

She grinned. ‘Me too.’

He started the car and drove out of the campus. ‘We’ll have something to eat, then we’ll have some drinks in my place. What d’you think about that?’ He was trying to be charming. The prince himself.

‘Good idea. No problem at all.’

He drove to a burger joint at Ojuelegba. It was one place he had been with Freddy on a couple of occasions since he came back to Nigeria.

The service girl approached with a patronizing smile. They ordered burgers, chips and malt drinks.

Nike wasn’t impressed. She had told him he must be hallucinating. The manager laughed off her rebuff and promised to persevere. 
Next weekend would be her thirtieth birthday. God, she wasn’t getting any younger. Henry had promised that it would be a swell party.

Presently, he was out of the country but had promised that he would be back by Wednesday evening. That was tomorrow. Unconsciously, Nike checked her watch for the time as if that would guarantee that all was well.

She dropped the artworks she was looking at. Time was a few minutes after 1.00 p.m., and it was time she took a break. She left her office and went to the staff canteen. As she ate her lunch in the highly subsidized canteen, she thought of her present and her future. The prospects were bright, she decided. She had every cause to glorify God that she was hale and hearty.

She remembered her room-mate in her final year on the campus. Mary had been quite close to her and they had developed a kind of sibling relationship. Then, suddenly, Mary had fallen sick. Typhoid fever, they called it. She was admitted into the university teaching hospital. Nike had thought it was a minor ailment which Mary would soon get over.

Then, Nike was shocked when she heard that Mary had died. Could typhoid kill? Nike asked stupidly. She had been bereaved for quite some time. How could such a terrible fate befall an innocent and sweet one like Mary? Mary was just twenty. Was that what life was about – being cut off so young and so suddenly?

That was ten years ago. Nike had lived ten years after her dear Mary. She thanked God for her life.

Ajayi, an office assistant in her department, popped inside the canteen and, on sighting her, walked straight towards her. He was holding her phone. Gosh, she had left it on her table.

‘The phone keeps ringing on and on,’ Ajayi said, stretching out his right hand.

Nike grinned. ‘Oh, thanks.’ She got the phone from him. It had stopped ringing. She checked who had been calling and realized it was from a foreign number. She had no doubt that it must be Henry.

The phone started to ring again. 

‘Hello, Henry.’

‘Hi. I’ve been calling you for some time, now.’

‘Sorry, I went to the canteen to take my lunch and I didn’t bring my phone along. Silly me.’

He laughed shortly across the line. ‘It’s okay. I hope I’m not disturbing your lunch?’

‘Oh, no. it’s always good to hear your voice. How’s life over there? Where’re you now?’

‘In London, of course.’ He said it as if he had lived in London all his life. Henry was always that assertive. 

‘How’re you doing? How’s the queen city?’

‘Fine, fine. Everything is swell. How’re you there?’

‘I miss you.’ She had said that in countless number of times. What else would you tell a lover that left you all alone while he shuffled across the globe in the cockpit? To her, that expression would never become a cliché.

‘I miss you, too,’ he replied. Each of them usually expressed the other person’s absence this way.

‘I’ll soon be back home. Tomorrow evening, I should be back, just like I said.’

‘Yes, and I’ll be right there, waiting for you.’
‘Any problem?’

‘None other than missing you.’

The door of her office opened as Becky, one of her colleagues, came inside.

He laughed over the line. His laugh was pleasant. She loved to see or hear him laugh. It always sounded pleasantly melodious.

‘Don’t worry,’ he reassured, ‘I’ll soon be with you, my dear.’

‘And I’ll surely long to be with you, Henry.’

He talked briefly more about missing her, promised her a swell time together when he returned and bade her bye.

‘Your heartthrob?’ Becky asked. 

Becky was nice but was given to too much of gossiping. It was quite good that Nike was in a mood for chit-chat this afternoon. Nike liked her but was often pissed off by Becky’s talkativeness. All the same, they managed to get along well.

‘Yes,’ Nike replied. He has been dying to meet me.’

‘He travelled?’

Nike nodded. ‘He was on a flight to England.’
Becky smiled. ‘Aren’t you lucky? And he is even a captain!’

She said it as if she was talking about the heir to the Brunei sultanate. She knew a bit about Nike’s live-in-lover and seemed impressed about him. 

‘Aren’t you lucky?’ she repeated wistfully.
Nike only chuckled. She like the inferred compliment. It was very good. It made her feel she possessed something worth living for.

Channels is commendable.

They realized the error, removed it and apologized.

They were so smooth and they looked so convincing that one would have thought they were indeed out to do genuine business. Jide had heard and learnt more than enough about them.

They were the same kind of people that would send bogus e-mails, operate spurious websites, and make illicit claims to having business of repute. The greedy and unwary ones, Jide believed, were the ones that fell for such fraudulent baits and scams. No, not him. He wouldn’t fall for it.

‘Why must the business become personal?’ he asked the man. ‘Why can’t it be done at the very official level between the company you work for and mine?’

Mr. Matthew was a little bit thrown off by that question. With the background information he had, he had thought this young and ambitious looking legal adviser and secretary would fall for his bait. Jide had not even waited to hear the explicit details of the very business he was proposing to him. Neither had he waited to be told the aspect of expenses and the projected profits to be made and the sharing formula.

‘I was thinking that as an upward-moving guy, you would take the advantage,’ Matthew said.
‘If the business is viable, one doesn’t have to be young to accept it. Why not meet with my M.D?’

The man knew that was the end of the road. He stood up. ‘Thank you so much, Mr. Jide Akindele. We’ll see again.’

Jide did not offer his hand for a handshake this time around as he done when the man first came in. He only nodded and watched him go out, his expensive crocodile skin briefcase an obvious tell-tale of ill-gotten display of affluence. Jide even thought of calling in the security guy to interrogate and hand over the man to the police, but he decided not to do so. Leave the little devil alone, he decided. 

The next visitor was an official from Obat Oil company. Everything discussed was strictly business and official. After that came in Alhaji Dan Bature who also worked in the legal department of an oil company. Dan was a young ebullient man who diffused pure aura of wealth, arrogance and authority. 

He was a man born of the silver spoon, but it would be right to say that his family background had more of the silver lining. Dan and Jide had met about two years ago. The occasion could be described as ‘oily’ affair and the two had remained friends ever since then. They were almost the same age, but Dan Bature already had two wives and five children.

‘Alhaji Alhaji,’ Jide hailed him as soon as he stepped inside his office. The latter was all smiles. He was dressed – not surprisingly – in babanriga of white guinea brocade. The satellite phone he always went around with was in his left hand, as usual. It had become part of his dressing accessories. 

‘Jide, the law,’ Dan replied. The two always exchanged greetings like this. Jide rose to his feet to give a warm handshake.
‘How are the worigidas?’ 

‘Oh, they’re fine. They’re doing very well.’

His visit was private, so they chatted briefly on private matters. 

‘What can I offer you, Alhaji?’ Jide asked.

The latter shook his head. “Thanks. I’m okay as I am.’

After about seven minutes, Dan stood up to go.

‘Are you coming to the polo club this Saturday?’ Dan asked. ‘We’ve not seen you at that place for some time, now.’

‘Ah, I will try to make it.’

He accompanied Dan to the elevator, waved good bye to him before he returned to his office. His work resumed in earnest.


* * * 


Nike was in her office, going through some artwork that would be used for advertisement. She worked as the Assistant Client Service Manager at MedNet Advertising Company. As an undergraduate, she had thought she would end of as a newscaster or a broadcast person, but here she was, working for and advertising company.

She had studied Mass Communication in the university out of the love she had for the media world. At that time, she had figured herself becoming a prominent newscaster or a presenter in the glamorous and famous world of the tube. As far as she was concerned, in this modern global village, telecommunication industry remained one of the most viable. Then, she would watch CNN and MTV for hours, marveling on the power of intercontinental communication.

At the end of her degree and the national youth service, she found herself in the advertising sub sector of the industry, after some job search. She had tried as much as she could to be employed by one of the private television stations, but it appeared she had to wait for a while in this regard. She had taken her present as a tentative measure, but had come to like it. 

It was not that she had totally abandoned the dream of working for the television, but as it was, she enjoyed what she was doing, though the money was not fantastic. She thanked God for the pecks she was making, nonetheless. Besides, Captain Henry Damanchi, her lover and fiancée, had been proving to be a very worthy source of indulgences. He had always showered her with gifts especially after his return flights from overseas.

Henry was very generous so to speak. Nike had been living with him in his Ikoyi flat for the last one year. She wore a ring on her third finger to indicate that she was already engaged to him. Left to her, she would have become his missus long time ago. All her friends and mates had married; she had told him. 

Henry would laugh over that. It was a matter of time, he would tell her with a reassuring smile and a pat. Things had not been exactly easy. Her Client Services Manager was recently becoming a thorn in the flesh. He had been making advances towards her and she had rebuffed him. He had remained undaunted and that had worsened the matters.

He claimed he saw her in his dream as his wife.

Nike wasn’t impressed. She had told him he must be hallucinating. The manager laughed off her rebuff and promised to persevere.

Sentiments. Raw sentiments. She wished she could brush aside emotions. The traffic was light so it didn’t take them long to get to her place at Maryland. Now, she wasn’t so much looking displeased with him anymore.

‘I want to cook for you,’ she offered. ‘What will you like?’

He smiled at her. ‘That’s good of you.’

‘Be my guest.’

She went to the kitchen to prepare the meal. She was going to satisfy him tonight and have the best of him, she thought delightedly.


* * *


On Tuesday, Amanda breezed into the office looking very dazzling. For some yet inexplicable reasons, she was in a very good mood today. Her mood was certainly reflected in her behavior.

She was dressed in a skirt suit that looked so cool and cute on her. The black dress was made by Donna Karan and she had chosen it in a way of dressing to kill. The skirt was barely knee-length. It was ‘hot.’

That was very good, she felt, for it complimented her attractive legs. When Jide got to the office, he was quick to notice her splendid aura. ‘You look so nice today. That’s a cute dress you are putting on.’

She was delighted at his compliments.

‘Thanks, dear boss.’

‘And you look so happy. What’s the secret?’ ‘I don’t know. I guess the mood just comes.’

‘Ah, good for you. Yesterday, the mood was so different. You look much better today.’ He realized that she even looked prettier than he thought. Her mood certainly added to her looks. Things went on smoothly that day in the office.

There was a total lull from Biyi as neither Jide nor Yeni had heard anything from him since the last time that he sent a courier-delivered message to him. Indeed, Jide had started forgetting about him. He had other things to contend with, and the bitter ex-lover wasn’t one of them.

At ten o’clock, he started attending to some visitors who had come to see him for various reasons. One of them was a gorgeously dressed man who introduced himself as Akin Matthew. He was a debonair man with an air of affluence and authority about him.

After the introduction, Akin Matthew said he represented an oil prospecting company in Dallas, Texas, and had come to Nigeria to do business in oil distribution and marketing. His company, he claimed had gone into partnership business with some oil companies in Qatar, United Arab Emirate, Angola and Gabon.

He had come to see Jide because he felt the two of them could do some discreet business together and make cool money. Jide listened attentively. Events in recent times in Nigeria had shown that fraudsters usually operated in this suave way.

Many people had fallen victims of these fraudsters. They were so smooth and they looked so convincing that one would have thought they were indeed out to do genuine business.

'Ah, thank God for everything,' I said, for lack of any other thing to say.

'It's like you don't really believe I love you,' he said.

'Did I say anything like that?'

'No, you did not. But all your actions show that you don't believe.

I have ways of proving it. At this stage, there's a particular way I can prove it.'

'Really? I hope it's a good way.' 'Of course, it is.'

He suddenly laughed across the line.

'Anyway, today is Sunday. I suppose you'll be going to the church, right?' 'Yes, I will. You'll be going to the church too, won't you?'

'Sure,' he said.

We chatted a bit more.

A couple of hours later, I took my bath and prepared for church service. Luckily a very popular Pentecostal church had started having services in the hotel banquet hall. I had decided to join them. I dressed in simple blouse and black skirt.

The service was interesting and I had a full-filling time. I went home straight when it was all over. I thought Doctor Shitta would come the randy Doctor Shitta would come again to disturb me with his amorous advances, but he did not.

  Maybe he had finally got shame. I changed to jeans trousers and t-shirt and moved to the hotel for afternoon duty. Tayo called to ask how the church service was.

'Fine,' I replied. 'It was a wonderful experience. How about you? Did you make it to the church?'

'No, I wasn't able to,' he replied. 'I hope you prayed for me.' I chuckled.

'Sorry, I didn't. You didn't tell me you need prayers.'

'We all do,' he said.

'Specifically, I need prayers that God should touch the heart of the lady I want to marry so that she will say yes, and the wedding can be in earnest.' I felt like laughing. 'I see.'

'Is that all you will say?' I paused briefly.

'For now, yes.' 'Well, thanks for being candid.'

'Thanks for calling,' I told him.

The conversation went on for another minute before he terminated it. The following day was Monday. By noon, I got a surprise visit from a lady who introduced herself as Anita.


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She stared briefly at him. ‘In that case, there’s no need I go with you.’

He looked puzzled. ‘Why that? I don’t understand you.’

‘If you’ll be going home straight, then there’s no need we go together.’ ‘Why?’

‘Because there’s no need.’

‘What d’you mean, there’s no need? Have we not been going together before?’ They were at the car park. She dropped his briefcase in the backseat. He studied her for a couple of seconds, then decided how to play along with her.

‘Alright, alright. Get inside the car and let’s go.’

She remained adamant. ‘Well?’ He sighed. ‘Of course, we’ll go to your place first. I won’t be going to my home first, after all. Get inside the car and let’s go.’ It was then that she was mollified.

They sat at the back seats while the driver backed the car out of the parking lot and joined the main road. Something told him he must tread softly in his relationship with Amanda, else he would soon find himself enmeshed in a tangle that would choke him up. She was getting too emotional and that certainly portended danger.

Ladies were always accusing him of not paying attention to them; of being so unfeeling. Jide had been having a running battle with one lover or the other at different times.

He remembered his first love in his school days. Dupe had a lithe and enticing figure he found himself enamored to.

One day, she had come to rave about his infidelity – as if they were already married! Jide could not understand what the fuss was all about. Dupe, heartbroken, had called it quit and no amount of entreaty would make her change her mind. Gosh!

‘I thought you care for me,’ Amanda was saying. Biyi’s mind was already far off and he had to jerk himself back to the reality.

‘Huh?’ Amanda reiterated what she had said. He blinked rapidly.

‘Of course, I care,’ he replied shortly. ‘What makes you think otherwise?’ They always wanted to be assured and reassured, he thought gloomily.

Can’t they just take and accept things as they are? ‘If you care, how come you always forget about me the moment I’m out of your sight it’s like my case is out of sight, out of mind.’

‘That’s not true,’ he corrected. ‘I’ve already told you the reason why I couldn’t make it to your place over the weekend.’

She shook her head but didn’t say anything. Whatever that meant. Jide held her hand, trying to look as serious as he could. ‘Amanda, you shouldn’t let a small matter like this make you become so uptight.

Try to be understanding. I thought I’ve even made up for the inadequacy.’ He looked so candid whenever he spoke that way. Yeni was always taken in by that mien.

Amanda was no exception. This time around, she mellowed down. ‘It’s just that I missed you so much,’ she said softly. ‘I missed you, and I’m sorry.’

He patted her shoulder. She wished she could really make him understand her feelings better.

You’re just being sentimental, she told herself almost in a reproach. Lover boy was already married, couldn’t you understand that? Why did you start this emotional adventure with him in the first place? Sentiments. Raw sentiments. She wished she could brush aside emotions.

He smiled apologetically again. ‘Oh, it’s that damned stomach upset. Sorry, I couldn’t make it.’

They were still standing on the terrace. She curiously looked at the main building.

‘And, I’m sorry for another thing: today, I won’t be able to attend to you well. My uncle and a cousin are around and we’re having a kind of family meeting. I’ll have to see you another time.’

This time, there was the look of unbelief and incredulity about her. Not to talk of the disappointment.

‘Let me get your address. Tell me when and where I can see you, and I’ll surely make it a thing to remember. I’ll pay you a surprise visit.’

Her countenance softened, but not completely.

‘Come on. This time around, I’ll surely keep the date.’ He grinned.

She dipped her hand inside her bag and brought out a small card. ‘I perform at this club every Friday night from 9.00 p.m. if you can make it to the club, you will surely see me.’

He stared at the card. ‘What kind of performance?’

‘Singing.’

He whistled softly. ‘Alright. That’s good.’ He brought out five hundred naira notes and peeled out some. ‘Use this to transport yourself back.’

‘Thanks.’ She tucked the money inside the side wallet of her bag. ‘I’ll be expecting you.’

‘Okay. See you.’

He waved at her and locked the gate back. She walked jauntily to the bus stop not far away. Not a bad day, she decided as she walked up to where she could hail a cab to Ikeja. There was business to do. Tonight, she had a late-night date with Khaleed, her Turkish boyfriend. She looked forward to seeing him. That would very likely turn out to be another successful venture, she thought wistfully.


* * *


At five o ‘clock, Jide put all official matters aside and started writing on his fiction. He was already on the twelfth chapter, but still had a long way to go. The minimum page he had planned for it was 4oo pages with twenty-five chapters. If he continued at this pace, he should be finishing the writing in a couple of weeks’ time. Amanda had been helping him to have them typed on the computer, and to correct whatever correction he made.

He had no doubt that he would mention her in his acknowledgement. She was still quite feeling sore with him and had not been able to aptly express her feelings to him.

Today, they worked for about two hours on the book. Since morning, they had rarely spoken to each other. He had bought her a surprise package, a Nokia phone, to make up as he had promised. He then wondered why she was still acting as she was.

Actually, she was feeling the heat of her taciturnity. There was no way she would put up with such controlled conversations the next day.
She decided to call it a day.

‘Thanks for all the help you’ve been rendering,’ he told her, smiling in a boyish way.

‘It’s a pleasure. Are you going now?’

‘Yes.’

‘I’m not quite ready.’

‘Well, in that case, I’ll find an alternative means of transport.’

He shook his head. ‘There’ll be no need for that.’ He shut his laptop down and stood up to close for the day too. They rode the elevator down.

‘I’ll be going home straight,’ he announced.

She stared briefly at him. ‘In that case, there’s no need I go with you.’

He looked puzzled. ‘Why that? I don’t understand you.’

'I don't understand what you mean, sir,' I said.

He snickered. 'Of course, you do. If you comfort my side, I will comfort you on every side. Maria has traveled to Ibadan and may not be back until Monday. If you keep me company instead of making me to have lonely nights, then, I will also treat you very right. I'm ready to treat you like a princess if you allow me to do so.'

What he said was not exactly shocking, but the fact that it was coming from him made it outlandish.

I shook my head. 'But, I'm like a daughter to you, sir,' I said. 'I see you as daddy.'

He chuckled. 'Oh, dear Simi. Forget all those talks. Let me take care of you.'

I shook my head again. Men could be so avaricious! How could this man who was my father's age mate be saying things like this? Where was decency and dignity?

'I'm sorry, I can't do any such thing,' I said. 'Madam must not hear and ....'

'Who will tell her? How will she hear?'

I shook my head again. Yes, I was now a Lagos babe. But I would be a babe with dignity and with difference.
He stood up, dipped his right hand in his pocket and brought out some currencies. He removed one hundred Euros and dropped it on my lap.

'I know you'll change your mind. Have that. The house is free, so I'll be expecting you upstairs. You'll have much more than this later.'

With that, he smiled and walked out of the room. I was too stunned to say anything. Oh, Lord, oh Lord. Some men just didn't have shame. The day God was giving shame to human beings, some men were not available. In fact, on that day, Dr. Shitta was nowhere to be found!

I looked at the money he dropped on my lap. It reminded me of the guy that lodged in one of the suites of Comely Hotel the other time. So, with this money, Dr. Shitta hoped to make me betray his wife. With this, he expected me to run up to his room and throw off my clothes.

He was wrong. I would 'chop' his money and I would not 'show face.' If he liked, let him bring a thousand Euros and even sterling pounds, I would not accede to his demand. I never knew he was such a 'yeye' man until now.


That night, I made sure I secured my door very well before I slept. I wouldn’t want a randy, old man on the prowl to access my cozy abode. It was Tayo's call that woke me the following morning.

'Hello, darling. Did you have a night sleep?' he asked.

'Yes, I did,' I answered. 'What about you?'

'It was a good night,' he replied. 'But I knew it would have been better if you were by my side.'

'Ah, thank God for everything,' I said, for lack of any other thing to say.

'It's like you don't really believe I love you,' he said.

'Did I say anything like that?'

Jide forgot the unanswered call and made passionate love to his wife. He was always good in that. Unlike him, she was only pretending to be enjoying the act. Her thinking was distant and troubled.



* * *



It wasn’t until ten o’clock the following morning when Biyi called again. Jide had left for office about four hours ago and Yeni was alone in the house apart from the maidservant. Jide’s brother had also gone out. When her phone rang, she could see that it was an unknown number which turned out to be Biyi’s own. ‘Were you the one that called last night?’ she asked tersely, uptight  There was a short laugh. ‘Yeah. I just wanted to hear your voice.’ ‘Why are you doing this to me?’ He became all serious again. ‘That’s why we’ve got to talk.’ He allowed a brief silence. ‘Do you know the Accordia Hotel?’ She had heard of the name, but she couldn’t place where it was. ‘I think I do.’ He gave her the address. ‘Let’s meet there in the lobby at 11.00 this morning.’ ‘What kind of mischief are you up to?’ ‘There’s no mischief. We’ll only talk, okay? That’s the rendezvous.’ She thought briefly. ‘Okay.’ The line was disconnected. She felt a little bit feverish. An hour to go, she thought, musing over the person she was to meet. Something told her she should not go on with it, but – on a second thought – she shrugged it off. No harm, she thought. If ever he was preposterous in what he was going to say, she could easily tell him to go to hell. Biyi was her first love, her heartthrob during her under-graduate days. They were in the same department, doing the same course and striving to excel in the study of linguistics. Yeni could not avoid being enamored to his handsome and vivacious mien.

Besides, he had an easy smile and laugh that were infectious. She liked his idea of romanticism. He had given her the name, Princess. Effusive as ever, he had described that she was greater than Cleopatra and Mona Lisa combined. In his words, Yeni was like Venus who diffused aura of love, affection and passion. So, he called her Princess of the universe. Not that she minded, though.

As usual, Yeni was there, staring at the thirty-two inches flatscreen and already in her sleepwear. It was a very transparent and sexy one, all for dear hubby. She stood up to give him a smile and a welcome.

He clasped her waist in his hands and swooped on her luscious lips with kisses.

‘I’m sorry I’m late,’ he said, just as he did the previous night. ‘It’s the work. Don’t worry, I’m going to cut down on those hours so that I can always be with my darling wife on time.’

‘You must be tired.’ She helped him out of his coat, helped him to loosen and remove his tie, and then removed his shoes and socks.

That was Yeni, the caring wife.

‘You must be tired,’ she repeated.

‘You’re right. Talking about those legal documents and those legal mumbo jumbos. Sometimes, I wished I hadn’t left the law chamber. Private practice could be fun, you know.’

She nodded as if she knew. ‘But you don’t have to complain, darling. The pay is good and … ‘

‘I know, I know.’ He grinned. ‘In fact, if not for the prospects, I wonder why I should be holed up in an office all day long.’

It was a standard ironic statement. In the real sense of it, Jide loved his job.

Perhaps, he needed to make more biting statement to blame something on his shortcoming as far as connubial commitment was concerned.

‘Let me check if your dinner is ready,’ she put in. She always called his office just about official closing time to ask him what he would like for dinner. He had told her he wanted pounded yam tonight.

As usual, the pounding machine would be on the rescue. His favorite snail-grilled egusi soup would complement the delicacy.
By the time she came back, he was already decked in pajamas.

‘It’s ready.’

He smiled and followed her to the dining table in the large sitting-room. The food smelt delicious, and so was the taste.

He enjoyed it tremendously and he made sure he passed the appropriate compliment at the right time.

She ate in silence while she savored the food and his commendations.

The unexpected call she had received that evening was still giving her a lot of concern, although she had been playing it cool as much as she could.

She had decided not to tell him for now. It was still better not to involve him for now.
The dinner was over and the maid servant came to clear the plates. The couple returned to their bedroom upstairs.

‘How far with your writing?’ she asked.

She always showed a great deal of interest in his writing. Yeni was an avid reader but his kind of writing wasn’t exactly the kind she loved to read.

She preferred the romantic stuff and would go for anything written by the likes of Daniel Steele.

Jide would laugh at her choice and call it the ‘effeminate feminine’ stuff.

‘You should try some hard stuff,’ he had suggested several times.

She had actually tried some of them and had decided they gave her the aches. She couldn’t simply stand the violence and the gory thrills.

On the question she asked, Jide replied that he was making good progress and was already in the tenth chapter.

He reaffirmed his belief that when eventually it appeared in prints and in the market, it would be a block buster.

‘I know you’re capable of becoming a great writer,’ his wife told him encouragingly.

She always marveled at his high sense of optimism and had been careful not to be a discouraging block.

‘Just let the millions start rolling in, and I’ll get you that villa I promised in Switzerland.’

Yeni laughed. He had a high sense of humor and he was at it again.

‘You said you’ve not been to the Caribbean Island, right?’ he did not wait for an answer. ‘Don’t worry, we’ll go to any place of your choice, be it the Bahamas or Trinidad & Tobago.’

She laughed shortly again.

As soon as they entered the bedroom, he lifted and they flopped on the bed together.
‘My oh my,’ she exclaimed. ‘You could’ve broken my back, great lover.’

He feigned surprise. ‘I didn’t really know you’ve got such a delicate backbone, but I’m sure we can fix it.’

‘Can you? Are you sure you can do that?’

‘Why not? Let’s say I have the Midas touch.’
‘Really?’

He was on top of her and there was an etched lustful look on his face.

‘You’ve just eaten, mister,’ she reminded him. ‘Won’t you wait for digestion?’

‘Of course, I will, doctor.’ He smiled. ‘I’m sorry I forgot all about ethics.’

He lay by her side and she placed her head on his broad chest.

‘Your heart is beating, thump, thump, thump,’ she said.

‘And how’s your own beating? Or is it not beating at all?’

‘You’re such a lousy assessor.’

‘Thanks for your compliment. How was your day today?’

She shrugged. ‘So, so.’

‘Does that mean it was good?’

‘You could say that again.’

‘I’ll give you another surprise package one of these days.’

‘I know.’

‘You did? Well, I have a surprise one for you right now.’

He didn’t give her a chance to say anything further. The kiss was long and enervating, and they were short of breath when it was over.

He was about to repeat the act when a telephone rang.it was Yeni’s own.

‘Oh, damn,’ he swore softly. ‘Now, who could be calling at this hour?’

He picked the call before she could do.

‘Hello?’

There was silence from the end of the line. After seconds of not hearing anything, he cut the connection.

‘Who was it?’ she asked.

‘An unknown number, and there was no response.’

Her mind dashed to the infamous call she had received hours ago. She wondered if that could be Biyi that was calling.

She didn’t save the number he had used to call her. Yeni became unsettled again. If it were him, that meant he was up to some terrible mischief.

She knew the kind of person he was and was not very pleased about some past deeds and misdeeds.

But she continued to wonder how Biyi got her number in the first place. Perhaps a mutual friend had given the returnee.

Her mind hovered on telling her husband about the call, but – again – she quickly dismissed the idea.

She would handle it all alone, she thought. Indeed, it seemed unfair to bring him in. she had involved herself in a mess, which – she believed – she must get herself out of, all by herself.

Jide forgot the unanswered call and made passionate love to his wife. He was always good in that. Unlike him, she was only pretending to be enjoying the act. Her thinking was distant and troubled.


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Amanda was pretty, cool and vivacious.

Jide was convinced there wouldn’t be any harm in trying. For three years now that he had been married, he had never cheated his wife. Somehow, this intending tryst gave him a secret thrill.

‘Let’s go,’ he said, quite irrelevantly as she was set to leave. She nodded as if it mattered. The office was on the eight floor of one of the numerous skyscrapers that adorned the sky of Marina, Lagos. Standing shoulder to shoulder, they rode the elevator to the ground floor. He had to resist the impulsive urge of grabbing her and crushing her lips with kisses right there. He grinned as he refrained himself.

A security man in the lobby at the ground floor saw them to his car. As usual, Jide gave him a tip.

‘Ah, God bless, sir,’ the guy said, smiling boyishly.

Jide waved at him. The engine of the SUV roared into life. In a late hour like this, he preferred to go home in his car, rather than the official car.

‘What’s the plan tonight?’ she asked at last.
‘I’m a little bit tired,’ he replied casually. ‘I think I’ll just drop you and be on my way.’

He drove the car towards Obalende where he hoped to make it to Ikeja via the Third Mainland Bridge.

‘You’ve always overworked yourself,’ she reminded him. She had said it before. ‘Why don’t you just take it easy?’

He felt like laughing, but grinned instead. He was not totally ready to commit himself into this relationship. It was one in which he hoped he would not be ensnared passionately.

There must never be strings attached. All the same, from all indications, Amanda was prodding him on.

‘I enjoy the work,’ he replied shortly.

‘I know.’ She loosened his red tie a bit, like a real caring lover. ‘But that’s no excuse not to relax on the job. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.’

This time around, he couldn’t suppress the laughter. ‘For God’s sake, you’re sounding off like my mother.’

Was that a compliment or a reproach? She did not mind whatever it was. She joined him in the short laughter.

‘You’ll give yourself stress if you continue this way,’ she said seriously.

He didn’t argue with her but nodded. They talked about this and that, his mind veering on and off. After thirty minutes of driving, he got to Maryland bus stop and stopped. She lived in an estate around that place.

‘We’ll have a good time out tomorrow,’ he told her. It sounded like a promise and she nodded. She didn’t really like the seemingly blank promise, but managed to look indifferent. He gave her a peck just before she slid out of the car.

‘Good night, then.’

‘Goodnight,’ he replied and engaged the gear of the car. It was a few minutes to eight in the evening and he knew his wife would be looking forward to his coming home.

Despite the fact that Yeni hadn’t given him a child, he still so much loved her, or so he felt. He briefly had a reminiscence of his relationship with her.

He had met her in a friend’s birthday party, fallen in love on the first sight and – barely eight months after – wedded her gracefully. She had all he wanted in a woman: she was tall, beautiful, regal and bewitching. He had called her ‘the total woman’.

It was a blissful affair. Besides many other good qualities, she was good at the home front. Jide had, true to his words, taken on a caring and homely one. As for her miscarriages, he believed the problem would soon be over and he would become a proud father.

His mother had expressed serious reservations about his wife’s state, most of which – unfortunately – were unpleasant.

‘All these modern girls,’ she had often said in vitriol, ‘they would end up with such problem after they had seriously messed around when single. All those abortions!’

‘Oh, no, mummy,’ he would say. ‘Don’t talk like that.’

He had tried as much as possible to dispel her insinuations, but with little success.

It was almost eight o’clock when he got to the gate of his house. He hooted the horn to draw the attention of Audu, the security man.

kweensheba:
Nice update.

Thanks.

We waved at each other and he drove off. It was getting to dusk. I moved to the residential building, thinking of a successful outing.

In my room, still in my outing cloth, I lay on the bed and imagined things. I thought of the possibility of marrying Tayo and decided that it was not a bad idea.

There was no doubt that I had to psyche up myself to marriage life. When I said marriage life, I meant the normal one between a male and a female. It was one reality I could not keep running away from.

There was a soft knock at the door that brought me back to reality. I got up from the bed.

That must be Bimpe, I reasoned as I moved to the door. I opened it and was surprised to find Dr. Shitta, madam's husband at the doorway.

'Good evening, sir,' I greeted in full courtesy.

'Good evening, Simi. How're you?'

'Fine, sir.' I stood at the doorway.

'Can I come in?' he asked.

That was another surprise.

'Yes, sir.' I stepped inside to allow him to come in.

He sat on the only chair in the room while I sat on the bed.

'Maria tells me you're really hard-working,' he said.

'Thank you, sir.'

He stared at me. 'I like it when a young lady like you channels her energy into something very positive. I like it when someone shows dedication and commitment. Keep the good work up.'

'Thank you, sir.'

There was a brief pause and I wondered if his purpose of coming was just to commend my commitment.

'Em, Simi, I have a deal for you.'

That was another surprise. What kind of deal would Doctor Shitta have with me?

'A deal, sir?'

'Yes, a deal. You studied Pharmacy, right?'

I nodded. 'Yes, sir.'

'Good.' He paused briefly again. 'After many years of practicing medicine both here in Nigeria and in England, I want to set up a hospital here in Nigeria, and when it starts, I want you to work there as Assistant Medical Director.'

I was visibly surprised. 'Oh, that's very considerate of you, sir.'

Then, I remembered I was under an obligation with his wife.

'But, what about madam, sir? What about the fact that I am already working for her?'

The man grinned and waved his hand dismissively.

'There's absolutely no problem with her. She has totally agreed with me. But don't discuss this with her, yet. When the time comes, she will be the one to bring the matter up for discussion. Just know that it's the plan we have in the offing.'

'Thank you, sir. Thank you for your consideration.'

'You're welcome. So, how's your weekend?'

'Fine, sir. All is well.'

There was another slight pause. 'You're very beautiful, Simi.'

Oh, my God, I caught a glimpse of lasciviousness in his eyes. Even madam's husband would eye me in a salacious way.

'Er, thank you, sir,' I mumbled.

'See, if you don't mind and if you know what I mean, I can take good care of you.'

That was it. That was where he was going all along. I realized that his offer of making me Assistant Medical Director was to 'wet the ground.'

'I don't understand what you mean, sir,' I said.


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ABOVE THE SHADOWS

Yeni has to face the challenge of miscarriages in her matrimony when the re-appearance of an old lover threatens the very fabric of her home and compounds her problems. Her husband, Jide, does not fare better as he relishes secret romance with his personal assistant. Yeni must overcome all obstacles to have a stable and happy home full of love and fruitfulness. With sheer determination she’s able to overcome her adversaries, human and psychological.

WURA SERANO
 
Cover picture: Pexel
© 2019. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NO PART OF THIS STORY SHOULD BE USED WITHOUT THE EXPRESS PERMSSION OF THE WRITER
 
THIS STORY IS DEDICATED TO ALMIGHTY GOD


Above the Shadows
 
Jide was always busy these days. Officially, work closed at 5.00 p.m., but he always remained in office, sometimes as late as 9.00 p.m. Tonight, for the past one hour, he had been surfing the internet on his lap top.

The world-wide technological bug had caught up with him and he found himself becoming addicted to the world of the wireless communication. 

He was the company secretary to an indigenous oil marketing firm, Exoss Oil and Gas. It was a prestigious job with a fat pay. At thirty-four, he was a figure that elicited envy among peers. 

Right now, he was working on his fiction, which he normally did after the official closing hours. He hoped to make it a blockbuster, as fantastic as the idea was. He would like to be in the league of writers like John Grisham. It was a tall dream, but there was no crime in dreaming. 

At ten minutes to six, his personal assistant popped inside his office. She had some papers with her. They were the prints out of the latest pages of his manuscript. Amanda, the P.A had been doing some overtime to get them typed and edited.

She didn’t mind the extra effort. Her boss attached some generous pecks to her efforts. Besides, Jide had recently taken more than passing interests in her. She found herself not resisting his overtures.

Indeed, that was an understatement as she had actually been goading him on. ‘How far?’ he asked, his eyes still glued to the monitor. ‘All done.’

She gave him the papers which were all neatly arranged according to their pages. She was always the efficient assistant. 

‘Good,’ he said, grinning. His eyes didn’t leave the monitor.

‘Thanks,’ he added as an afterthought. She shrugged it off. ‘Another minute, and we’ll be off,’ he informed. 

She didn’t say anything but sat on one of the seats facing his desk. Apart from the muffled sound from the split air-conditioning system and the soft rattling of the keys on the keyboard, everywhere was silent.

After five minutes, he whistled softly and shut down the computer. ‘Whoosh, what a day!’ he exclaimed, looking at his wristwatch.

‘How did it go?’ ‘Fine, fine.’ He stood up. Amanda was on her feet too. She removed his coat from the hanging rack and helped him to wear it. 

Amanda was about twenty-seven. She had a higher diploma in Business Administration from a federal polytechnic.

She was good in secretarial duties and had been an efficient and reliable P.A. She was still single and that meant she was vulnerable to her boss’ advances.

Amanda was only employed as Jide’s P.A some months ago.  At first, Jide did not have any amorous inclination towards her. Then, about a fortnight ago, he practically started noticing how desirable she was and how desirous he was becoming.

He believed he still loved his wife, Yeni, but … perhaps if he was discreet enough, there would not be a crime in having a fling with Amanda.

Couldn’t Amanda provide the very much needed succor one needed after the office stress?  Amanda was pretty, cool and vivacious.

Jide was convinced there wouldn’t be any harm in trying. For three years now that he had been married, he had never cheated his wife. Somehow, this intending tryst gave him a secret thrill.