The sun was at work before I got to work. I parked in the restaurant opposite my work building. Coming down from the car, I saw people gathered downstairs. Not under any shelter but outside! Vulnerable to the diligent sun.
From where I stood, it didn't look like a peaceful meeting. I wanted to return to the car and wait for the hurricane to pass then I saw the landlord. He was a tall, scary looking man with his bushy beards that could even hide a small chick. My leg started moving before my brain realised.
I crossed the road to where everyone was and began searching for familiar faces but! not madam Chinaka that was vibrating in the crowd. Then I saw Aku, sitting on the rail outside Tunde's office. I breathed a sigh of relief and hurried over to her. She jumped down on seeing me.
"Aku, what's going on ?" I asked, my eyes still roaming in search for Tunde.
"Good morning ma" She greeted. "It's Landlord oo. He came early this morning and locked all the shops"
"For what again , is something wrong with him? " I said, my voice loud with anger.
I looked back to where the landlord was standing, I could imagine standing and shouting at him. He would look down on me like I was an ant before him and when his ears are full, he could jack me up by the neck and fling. It would be very easy because his height comfortably put me in the dwarf bracket.
"Why did he lock the shops?" I asked Aku.
"Money for cleaners oo..cleaners they have not even called. They are now purnishing people for salary of workers that have not even come" She complained.
I nodded, still searching for Tunde. I had being in the building before him, I should have a stronger mouth by then. Still I looked for him to come speak for us all or just me.
"Let me hold your bag" Aku offered, already dragging the bag. I let it go and smiled at her then I turned back to the chaos in front of me. It happened once in a while with any payment that involved the improvement of the building or surrounding.
Just then, the landlord started walking towards me, he walked past and ran upstairs with his little tout boys. That was when I saw Tunde, he smiled with the side of his mouth and winked, I had to laugh.
"I'm coming " he mouthed then ran across the road.
From where I stood, I could make out his car clearly at the parking lot opposite. I had always known it was black but I then saw, it was a black ford, the same make with my own and the same color. He took an envelope and started walking back. I looked away, feigning interest in what ever the crowd was saying.
The landlord came down stairs after awhile and without a single word to anyone, he began unlocking the doors he had locked with his own padlock. As he unlocked, the boys took the padlock.
Tunde stood beside me and placed his hand on the small of my back.
"I'll send someone round to all the shops, please comply as you should. It's a little amount of money. " The landlord shouted through the noise.
Aku ran out, "He has unlocked upstairs ! " she shouted.
I nodded then smiled at Tunde, "A better part of our morning has been wasted. I need to utilize the rest of the day properly. "
He bowed, "As you wish, my lady. "
I hit his arm before hurrying upstairs. I tried to close my eyes to the work that lay ahead of me but coming into my office, the materials littered all over the table. The nets and laces scattered indignantly, work smiled at me.
At noon, my phone started ringing, I turned and put it on speaker where I could work on the dress I was cutting and answer the call at the same time.
" Lady " the caller said, "you can not ever call to know how I'm doing. "
The number was not registered in my phone but I knew that voice, I had grown up hearing it, when we played, when she was sleep talking, when she was angry and I could tell she was not angry right then.
"Ada, January has been so busy " I said, wiping off a sweat I could not feel on my forehead.
"I am coming to Umuahia . I left Abuja two days ago but I'm in portharcourt now" she said.
"You didn't tell me you were coming down to the east"
"Yes, yes, I know, I just have something to tell you. "
"Ada, something to tell me? " I asked.
Did she find out? I should have told her before she found out herself. Too late for regrets. I removed the phone from speaker and took it shakily to my ear.
"Yes, that will be when I come. My fiance is in town so I'll spend my first night at his place, giving you time to pack out of your room for me then you humbly move to the guest room " she said with a laugh. I took her laughter as a clue that she did not know yet.
"Lady, are you there? "
"Ofcourse. Did you tell your fiancee, you were coming? "
"Nop, I want to surprise him. I have not been to his place before but I have the address. All I need is someone to keep him at home " She said. "I will tell him, my baby sister is coming to see him early in the morning. "
"What? " I asked in disbelief and shock. "No, no, wait. I think you should call him and for me, tomorrow, I'm making a delivery in Owerri, lots of deliveries. My hands are so full, I can't join in your surprise. "
"Okay" she said, her excitement killed. "I'll find a way to keep him at home."
"No, you should find a way to call him first, let him know you are coming " I protested . I hope I did not shout louder than I should have. She was silent, as though
she was considering what I said.
I could still remember the places paintings of me had been in Mathew's home; the one at the beach, he hung at the dining then a duplicate was in his room. The one of both of us was in the living room at the centre of all other photographs that were hung on that wall.
"I want to surprise him " she said stubbornly before she ended the call.
I tried to play out scenarios of the after event in my head, all that played was Chaos - big chaos.
The thought of calling Mathew to clear my things, vanished as quickly as it came . I sat, rocking my seat back and forth . The elements of my head also rocking back and forth. My head began to ache and I was still trying to figure out what I could do to reduce the damage.
I bent my head hoping for divine intervention. Maybe there would be no sign of me in Mathew's house when she came but how could I let my sister continue with a man like that?
I stared up to the ceiling above my head, praying for things to turn out right. It was like God answered because right then rain started to fall, a sudden rain that came without warning. It spattered quickly on the roof and as soon as it started, it ended. Maybe God heard me after all.
I still could not concentrate the next day at work. I could not even hold my head up to look at Tunde for long. He was leaning against the closed door in my office, his legs crossed at the ankles and his hands in his pocket."What is actually bothering you?" Tunde asked as I cleared clothes off my table and dumped them on the sewing machine. I hopped on to the table, burying my head in my hands."I know that you are bothered about her coming down but didn't you ever want her to know ?"I told myself that I would tell her but I also knew I could not bring myself to tell her. I had to be drunk or not in my right state of mind for me to ever tell my sister that we dated the same man. I had evil plans of ending her relationship with Mathew but not telling her."No" I replied him.I raised my eyes slowly to look at him, to see his reaction. But his face bore no ju
Morning came quickly like it supported my self pity. I lay still in bed, staring in the darkness.A loud banging outside caused me to sit up in alert. It sounded like the rumbling of the heavens but this one came too close as if the clouds had descended to my roof.I unzipped the gown I wore to work the previous day and still sat, hugging myself in anticipation of another one so I would be certain if it was a warning of a heavy rain. Then it came again, a loud banging on the door. It seemed like an attempt to pull down the door not a knock.It was still dark. My hands reached for my phone to check the time, it was a few minutes past five in the morning.I made to the front door and because I was expecting my sister, I ignored all security protocol and opened the door. Ada was there. She was wearing something white. She walked past me into the house. I noted the oversized polo she wore before lo
I started my Sunday morning on a painful note. I did not know which side I was on. I reached out for my phone that was always on the stool close to the bed. The stool wasn't there, I rolled, next thing, I was on the floor. I struggled up, trying to find my way in the darkness, I bumped into a stiff object." Damn ! " I cursed through gritted teeth, rubbing my hand on the object to feel it . It was the sewing machine. I realized then, I was in the guest room. I could not remember where I had kept my phone or any source of light. Off I went, farther into the darkness. I did not bother keeping my eyes open, I just shut it while feeling the walls till I reached the door leading to the parlour. I hit my leg on a stool twice before I found a lantern. I slumped into a couch with a heavy sigh.The rest of my Saturday with Ada was uneventful. It was like we avoided ours
'SPRINGS OF GRACE' was written in clear, bold letters on a banner at the gate. Inside the place was a white storey building, with pillars decorated with colorful ribbons. It was facing the gate and beside it was a bungalow , which I saw children running around .I found a space to park in the parking lot beside other cars. Just with the crowd of cars, I knew it was a big church and I was a little late. I even expected it to be close to the time for church offering.Walking into the church, I felt swallowed up. I did a rough summary of the crowd to expect inside but I was not even close. A female usher came and offered to take my bag, I declined. I needed something to keep my hands busy while I followed her. We moved through the aisle till she found a pew with space. It was the fourth pew in the row.I was mostly grateful for the hymn they were singing that suppressed the sound of my heels and grateful I did not apply
Mathew's gate was grey with a large drawing of a lion head staring in front. The gateman let us in when he saw me. I had asked Ada to wait in the car but she insisted on coming in. "Incase things go out of hand" she said. I knew Mathew. He was not violent. He was mostly quiet but that Mathew I knew was also faithful, truthful and he turned out to be a liar and a cheat. It was like I did not know the person at all.The surrounding was same and very familiar. It was a one storey building. There was the boys quarter opposite the main building where the driver and gate man stayed. His three cars were just being washed by the driver. It was his customary way of washing the three cars every day even when his Oga used just one car for a whole week or more.I rang the doorbell and waited. Ada was tapping the wall rhythmically and humming. I just stood, hugging myself waiting till it would be reasonable to press the
Ada's face held anger in its pointed glare. She challenged him in silence to dare touch me. I was used to that look, she used it when we were growing up in her protective state."It's fine, let us go" I said. I brushed past her, rolling my box behind me.I played music to fill the silence in the car as we drove home. Ada was more interested in looking out the window."Are you okay? " I asked, throwing her a quick glance.She nodded with a smile. "It just feels somehow. It's like the end of a life."I smiled. Understanding her more than anyone else would. "We would be fine" I said. It was what I wanted myself to believe.
I don't know why I was disappointed to see him dressed in an ash polo and jeans. He looked responsible. It's not like everyone that visited the bars to get drunk was irresponsible but still, he did not have the looks of a man that would waste his life on alcohol."My Lady " he said, coming closer with a broad smile. I looked at Auntie Maimah then back to him. He extended his hand for a handshake. I took it, rather reluctantly. I was still yet to understand why he was in Uncle Joe's house."I know you don't remember me." He said.Oh yes, I do! You were embarrassing yourself on your mother's stairs the last time we met.He looked better than he had looked that day, lying on that floor and oozing of alcohol. He was almost unfamiliar, unrecognizable if not that I was a pro in mastering faces."Yes. I don't " I replied .He let go of my hand. "I'm Ike, A friend to Wisd
I was seated outside the next day when I saw Ike's grey Toyota Camry drive in. I sat, watching the car as it pulled in then it parked close to the other cars. I bent my head, pretending to be more interested in the designs of dresses on my phone.The clicking of shoes against the german floor announced his presence as he began to approach. I looked up at him with a smile which he returned with ease. He wore a Maroon suede jacket and a black shirt with a black trouser. His fashion sense seemed obviously alive."Good morning, " I greeted."Lady" he said, then touched my shoulder briefly as a greeting, I presume."How are you? " He asked."I am good, " I said getting up, offering him my seat." No, no, don't bother. I was on my way to work so I decided to drop by and say hello.""Oh that's nice " I said still standing. "You always do this? "I folded