Delayed Diagnosis

Fumi was 29, a few months older than me although that fact was hidden from her and as a matter of fact she believed me to be older. She had eyes shaped like a cat which gave her face a dangerous yet sultry look and she was also armed with full lips which she always pouted when she was in her 'like me' mode. I always had the impression of her spending hours in front of the mirror practicing the look till she attained the devastating effect. She was average height and her body was actually very there! (Mischievous grin)

Apart from her mixed signals I had never come on to her and she had never seemed bothered by it. Not until about three weeks ago when things with Fome' went south that I felt her open up more and I was actually surprised with her caring attitude which although still rare seemed genuine. I never considered myself as a particularly private person but I found out the one thing I loathed was the attention from the office, being a topic of discussion was not a warm feeling. Hearing things like: 'his fiancé follow another man go' is the exact image of a man being kicked repeatedly when he is down. (And yes I tried to delay it but it had to come out sooner or later....another man)

Back to that night; my brain multi-tasked a lot, one section paying attention to Fumi, answering her questions and basically trying to keep up as she also seemed to be in a nervous rush, talking all through the cab ride to her place. The other part of my brain was thinking things through.

Sule; was he in danger or was he a part of this operation? But he had tried to warn me or had he? My instinct told me that Sule was a friend. In the 18 plus months I had known him we had developed an easy friendship or pretty close to it and moreover I sensed he was in danger and that was the hard part to contemplate: the danger. The possibility that Sule might have been coerced by strange eyes was looking more plausible by the second. Now you may wonder who the hell is this strange eyes guy that Sule can't alert me if he was indeed coerced, at least two grown men should be able to take down one right? Wrong! You see, the Chief is all about games, control and manipulation. I knew this first hand and if Sule was coerced, it wasn't physically. Also the most troubling thing on my mind was the information my stolen car contained. I had recently (after coming into money suddenly) opened accounts for all my nieces and nephews and every single detail from their address to next of kin was in a folder in the glove compartment of my car.

I let my eyes drift close as the weight overwhelmed me. It seemed I had put my hand in a pot of soup and it turned to acid.

Beside me Fumi droned on, obviously equating my demeanor to depression over Fome (like I was the first person to go through a break-up) I thought of my present safety. Despite my claims of the Chief being prone to mind games and power plays when it came down to it he was highly unstable, especially when money was a factor. I opened an eye lid and looked at Fumi. Whatever she meant when she had invited me over...be it impulse or not, I had no plans of going home that night.

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When Fome' said to me "I'd like you to meet somebody" I had no idea who this 'somebody' was and I didn't care, at that moment I was just happy she said yes.

Days went by and I had even forgotten she had mentioned anything. We had decided not to set a date and rush a wedding which I readily agreed to. It's funny but it's like you think of the question(marry me?) you think of events leading up to the moment, you think of the reply, even think of marriage and how married life would be like. But the moment she says "yes" the first thought that enters your head is "the wedding" which means money.

I lived in a 3 bedroom apartment but had furniture only in a room, the parlour and the kitchen since I moved from a previous self-contain two years ago. In fact that was a living arrangement I had been content with had it not been for my mother calling me all the time urging me to settle down. I would always say "but Mama I am settled na" at which she would respond with a stinging vibe that always got me thinking. "Which kind settled (sigh) living like a married bachelor and you say you're settled"

However, landlord palava would finally make me consider and yearn for a change of scene and so I moved into my new 3 bedroom apartment which my mother thought was perfect to start a family. Come to think of it, that was the exact moment the idea of settling down finally began to really occur to me.

Fome' was 26, three years younger than me. She had just turned eighteen when we started dating. It's funny that we dated for so long and I never met the Chief or heard her talk about him. Fome's mother had died just two years after I met her,(when she was 20) her dad had died when she was very little and her mother had raised her (being the only child) and worked several jobs to send her to schools, "My mother always said I had to be educated. She had been cheated off things severally and vowed that I must not be illiterate" she had told me one day while in my arms. (Fome' used to like to talk after sex, she was a cuddler and would just lie, head resting on my shoulder staring at the ceiling and she'd talk about anything that happened that day. Other times if no particular gist was forthcoming or sweet enough, she'd plunge into a soliloquy about her childhood or infant life...with me trying not to doze and failing (don't judge me Fome was a tigress in bed)

Her mother had been the one steady person in a tough life and I guess part of the reason our relationship grew and was able to be sustained was because I was literally the only one she could turn to after her mother's death and I was there for her to lean on. The death also had an impact on me because although we never met, I heard a lot about her and her commitment and love for her daughter...yes all bedroom stories.

All the years I knew Fome' no other relatives came to sight. She had a couple uncles from her mother's side but they had all been invisible all through her life.

Anyway, to backtrack to what I was saying before I digressed, Fome had practically been 'living with me' only going back to the flat she shared with a friend on Sundays.

It was on a Saturday afternoon, I was in one of the empty rooms where I kept a very large flat screen TV and played FIFA with friends from work (mostly Andy). I had just loaded up the game when Fome burst in.

She was not her usually bouncy self instead she sat down quietly on the second plastic chair which completed the entire furnishing in the room. I took no notice, my mind on the game; thinking what tactics to play Dortmund with. I had switched of the console several times after losing the game time after time and my biggest problem on earth at that second was winning that game. But then Fome said the words that would bring newer meaning to the definition of problem to me.

"I'd like you to meet someone." She said this with her voice low and eyes averted.

I had started the match.

"Babe........someone abi" I asked, my eyes attempting to leave the screen but not succeeding.

"Yes, it's very important to me. I have told you before remember"

"Eeeh...mark na idiot!" I shouted at the screen.

"Rex!"

"Yea I remember," I had a goal kick and used the opportunity to look at her. "Who is the person"

"One of my mother's old friends...he took care of me all through my school days" indeed Fome' had been quite well to do during our university days and my first impression of her had been that her parents were rich.

"Have I met him before?" I asked her all eyes now on the screen.

"No but he wants to meet you. He has been pressuring me since, that he wants to see you, he really insists and he doesn't take no for an answer."

For real? Why does he want to see me? Who or what exactly is he to you.....? Would all have been very appropriate and needful questions but instead;

"Goooaaaallll!!!!...no problem babe we'll see your friend."

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The Chief had two houses but moved to Surulere few years ago when he and his wife began having problems, he had 3 kids who stayed with his wife. He was a very kind man and had done a lot for her in the past and......Fome' rambled on as I drove through traffic at Eric Moore, it was on a Saturday and what was worse; I was missing out on an el-classico match. But Saturday was the day the Chief had "requested" to see us because he was a very busy man.

I'm also a very busy man don't mess with my football!

But I could feel Fome' overworking herself and I thought to myself; 'this man must have been a father figure'

So here I was on Saturday parked outside a bungalow, Fome who had given the directions looked to me. "That's it" she made to come down but looked at me a second time "Rex, the chief...." She smiled "indulge him...he's eccentric okay" she kissed me as if to cement the deal then got down. I put my phone in silent because it wasn't possible for Andy not to call me especially on a match day. He would always call and shout "Oba you see that goal? Oba this ref is a cheat. Oba your coach is dull I swear!" That's Andy for you, once he starts with the bottles he was quite the talkative.

I silenced my phone and locked the car. Fome was ahead, holding the gate open with a gate man who obviously knew her. For the umpteenth time I wondered why I had never heard about this Chief when obviously they were quite close. I nodded in reply to the gateman's greeting as I entered the compound and studied the house surprised at the plainness of it. It looked unattractive and I wondered because I had come to think of the Chief as a wealthy man. Fome led the way but as she passed me I held her hand "when last were you here?"

"I come here like once a month Rex, the chief is like my father." I released her hand but as we walked I lowered my voice "why am I just learning about this person?"

"Because you only just asked me to marry you" she replied with a sweet smile.

My reply was cut off by the opening of the net door. I looked up to see a man of about 50 actually, slim in build, with a bald head...picture Lex Luthor(the real one) but this man was thin as a rail but with a smart look about him. I didn't expect this man to be the Chief because he didn't look "chief-like" but then he started smiling then opened his arms for Fome who hugged him while greeting him in an urhobo dialect. They exchanged some words I had no hope of deciphering and then the chief turned to me "welcome my son, such a good looking young man"

He offered his hand which I shook quite vigorously because he had that energetic aura which seemed to be contagious. "Good day sir"

"It's a good day indeed, Fome had been telling me about you" he glanced at Fome then back at me "please come in come in...I've waited for this for too long already"

Chief led us into his house and my mouth hung open, if the outside had looked plain and ugly, the inside was sophisticated and very beautiful; marble floors, chandeliers, polished wood...although the furniture was sparse it was richly decorated. I began to find the man very interesting.

"Fome has been telling me about you for years" he was saying, "but I didn't mind her, you know how you young men are" he laughed loudly with me joining him, already in my ass kissing mode.

He led us to the living room which had the biggest television I had ever seen and motioned for me to sit. I was surprised to find out Fome wasn't with me and as if reading my thoughts he said "don't mind Fofo she is in her father's house" I smiled from ear to ear (but in my mind I was like Fofo?) looking round the parlour, the walls were not painted but instead splashed all round with graffiti. Faces of Nelson Mandela, Fela, Bob Marley and even the Chief looked down at me from the wall. It was very artfully done and the splash of colours gave the parlour a very appealing and youthful look.

"But when she told me you had proposed" the chief droned on "I knew this day must come"

The chief sat down on a bean bag chair beside me. "Ndidi! Ndidi!" The bass in his voice shocked me and almost made me jump.

A smallish girl hurried into the room. "Yes Oga"

The chief's eyes grew hard "I've told you time after time that I don't want to hear any pidgin english in this house."

"No vex og- I'm very sorry Oga"

"Correct yourself" the tone of his voice warned she may not get a second time to do so again

"I'm very sorry SAH!" She replied placing emphasis on the 'sah.'

The chief nodded briskly. "Bring one ammunition and two glasses"

"Yes sir" she retreated quickly.

I had been watching their exchange and beginning to question the mental balance of the chief. When I heard the word 'ammunition' something began telling me not to get too comfortable with him.

"That one eh," the chief said referring to Ndidi as she hurried out of the living room. "I for don pursue am since o but her ofe' nsala is just too much"

I nodded politely with a faint smile, wondering at the Chief's change of mood and him crucifying his house girl for not speaking good English when obviously she didn't know how then turning around and blasting pidgin seconds after...but he was the boss.

Ndidi returned with a peculiar bottle I had never seen before; very long and shaped like a bullet with a very eye catching label and packaging. The words 'ammunition pure rum' was sprawled across the bottle and it was very cold and looked really impressive. Ndidi set the bottle down gently then hurried to a mini bar at the end of the room to retrieve glass cups. The chief had been watching me with interest and seeing my fascination with the bottle said: "my company produces that, it's named after me- Amunike"

I nodded really impressed, "this is my first time seeing it"

He frowned at that "then you're not really the drinking type"

"Beer is all I drink. Except on occasion" I added hastily not wanting to offend plus I really wanted to try it out.

I had been eyeing the TV and decoder, wondering how to ask him about the el classico match (which was still on my mind- free booze and TV maybe my Saturday could be saved after all)

The chief poured a very generous amount of 'ammunition' into my cup and very little for himself.

"Mr. Rex Obasi I need your undivided attention, Fome' is my daughter and I place her above anything else" he said this with all seriousness that I had to sit up

"sir, I understand and I only wish I had the privilege of meeting you long before now. But I love Fome very much sir and I also place her above everything else."

The chief broke into a smile, pleased with my reply "very well, drink up my man I have a feeling this is the beginning of a very fruitful relationship. We have a lot to talk about"

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-Present day-

"Home sweet home" Fumi said as she opened the door to her apartment. "No light o...our transformer blew since like two weeks ago and trust Nepa"

She seemed nervous, rushing through her words "I've been using generator since...most times it's just to charge my phone before I go to sleep and early morning before work"

"Don't worry let me put it on...hope there's fuel sha?"

"Yes, enough...the gen is in the balcony. I need to shower and change, this weather is so hot"

"No qualms" I said heading to the balcony, thinking what was on her mind and hoping it was sex because even though my life was in danger I was still very potent and had been celibate for over three weeks now.

I put on the gen and closed the sliding door, shutting out the noise. I paced around her parlour picking up a photo here and there just thinking; the police was out of the question because the whole situation was messy and there was every possibility that I'd be the one to get slapped with handcuffs. Foremost on my mind was Sule. I knew I had to come up with a plan. I wondered about his whereabouts. I thought of my nieces and nephews. Cynthia had one Kid; a boy, Nyesom had four; two of each and Utebo had twins: two boys. I thought of calling to alert them of the possible danger I had foolishly put them in. I thought of calling Utebo first because we had that easy rapport and if there was someone I could talk to about everything it was her.

I actually brought out my phone then decided against it. I needed privacy if I was to bare my soul out.

Just as I returned the phone, Fumi came out in just a bathrobe which was loose and left nothing to the imagination. My mouth went dry at the sight of her and I just stared. She came closer, walking slowly like a real seducing spirit.

"Rex are you ready to let me lighten your mood?" She pouted those lips again and I nodded like a fool, licking my lips like a starved child. She placed her hand on my cheek and whispered in my ear, "after tonight there would be no Fome for you again."

Something was nagging my brain but my testosterone level was going off the charts and I couldn't think straight. I grabbed her and she kissed me with passion but just as my hands were beginning to get busy she danced playfully out of my reach.

"Rex I have a problem" more pouting of the lips.

"What is it?" I asked weakly. I had something the size of the Eiffel tower below my belt and that was enough problem for the both of us.

"I haven't been with a real man in years...one who can make me come" she said this sulkily and I felt as if I could lose it in a second.

"Fumi you are about to feel something real..." I moved closer overpowered by lust, "I promise you after tonight you'll feel like an overcomer"

She laughed then seemed to brighten up. "Okay Rex I can't wait. Go to my room and get really comfortable, I'm coming" I laughed at that although she said it innocently.

I retreated to her room with the calm confidence of someone who knows he is going to get laid.

Her room was spacious and girlish with splashes of pink and light blue. I took off my tie which I had since loosened and my shirt. I went to her bathroom and used her mouthwash. I thought of going stark naked but decided against it...no need rushing her to see the package. I settled on her bed in just my boxers.

At this time all my previous worries had totally escaped my mind and all I could think of was Fumi and her luscious body and full lips. I leaned back and closed my eyes with a smile on my lips. When I heard the door creak open the smile grew wider, "so are you ready for the ride of your life?"

"That depends on who is riding"

I opened my eyes in horror at the voice and almost fainted.....

It was strange eyes!