“Who was that?”
Ephraim asked her, standing in her blind spot.
Mabel was backing the office so she
did not see him come out. She didn’t know he was standing behind her so his
question took her by surprise.
“I didn’t see you
coming out?” she said to him.
“Is he coming to
pick you?” Ephraim asked, looking sternly at her.
“Who are you talking
about?”
“The man who you
were speaking with on phone.”
“No.”
Mabel
wondered why the tone of his voice sounded harsh and his face looked mean. He
seemed to know what she was thinking and changed his countenance and voice tone.
“Can we go now?” he
asked nicely and walked towards his car.
Mabel
stood for a while and then followed behind him. He entered the driver’s seat
and opened the passenger’s seat for Mabel. She entered and sat heavily. Ephraim
knew she was not happy with the way he interrogated her. He fiddled with his
car key in the ignition for a while and then drove off.
“Sorry about the way
I sounded,” he said as he entered the road.
Mabel
did not respond. He looked sideways at her.
“Maby,” he called
her.
“What were you
thinking?” Mabel asked. “Questioning me like you are my father.”
“I am just concerned
about you, that’s all.”
“Don’t you think I
am responsible for my private life?”
“I am Sorry.”
“Even my boyfriend
will not talk to me like that.”
When
she said ‘boyfriend’, Ephraim coughed.
“There it is,” Mabel
said.
“What?” Ephraim
asked.
“Acting as if you
are my boyfriend.”
“What do you mean?”
“I said ‘boyfriend’
on purpose so I will know your reaction.”
Ephraim
looked at her and smiled in an embarrassed manner.
“I have always had
feelings for you since I was transferred to this branch office,” he said.
“But you kept it to
yourself all the while,” Mabel said.
“Because you have
always been with Segun.”
“Okay.”
“Still, that doesn’t
give me any right to talk to you the way I did. It was highly disrespectful of
me.”
“It’s okay.”
They
were quiet for a while. It was Mabel who broke the silence.
“How can you still
have feelings for me when you are about getting married?” she asked.
“I don’t know,”
Ephraim said. “Can we not talk about that right now?”
“Ok.”
“You should be more
concerned about people in the office who want you out.”
“Really? Why?”
“They are jealous.”
“Tell me what is
going on.”
Ephraim
told her some things that some people had said and done in her back, but he
made sure not to give her clue as to who they were. When he was done, Mabel was
quiet for a while.
“Who are those
behind this?” she asked.
“You expect me to
tell you that?” Ephraim asked her.
“I need to know who
my enemies are.”
“It will be wrong
for me to tell you. You don’t have anything to be afraid of as long as I am
still working here. I gat your back.”
“Thanks. You said they
are angry with the way Mrs. Biodun treats me?”
“Yes. They feel she
is being partial and one-sided.”
“And they don’t see how hard I work every
single day.”
“There is nothing
you will do to please all the people all the time.”
“Is well o.”
Mabel
was visibly shaken by the revelation.
“I did not tell you
this for you to bother yourself,” Ephraim said. “I told you so you will be a
little more careful.”
“Careful how?”
“Don’t leave
documents lying anyhow. Conclude every assignment you are given before you hand
over.”
“Ok. Thanks a lot.”
As he
drove her home, whenever they passed any mall or mini market, he would ask her
whether she wanted anything. She always declined politely. From time to time,
he tried to make conversation but she just summarized her response.
“You are going to
your place right?” he asked when he got to the Y-junction.
“No,” she replied. “My
mother’s place.”
He took
the turn that headed towards her mother’s place. As he got closer, Mabel’s
phone began to ring. It was Ejike. She sighed and picked the call. He told her
he was in front of her house and asked where she was. She told him she was
close by. When she dropped the call, from the tail of her eye, she saw that
Ephraim’s countenance had changed again.
“What is it?” she
asked him.
He
looked at her, looked away and said, “Nothing. I am just thinking.”
“Ok.”
When
they got to the entrance of their house, she saw Ejike’s car. He was sitting
inside it alone. She told Ephraim where to park along the road. He did.
“Thank you so much
for bringing me back,” Mabel said.
“You are welcome,” he said and pointed at
Ejike’s car. “Is he the one?”
“If you mean the
person that called me,” Mabel said, smiling. “Yes he is,”
She opened
the car door to come out but stopped and said, “Not as though my private life
concerns anybody but as my friend and colleague that you are, I will tell you
who he is. He is my former class mate and family friend.”
“Don’t mind me jare,”
Ephraim said. “I am lost in so much thought right now.”
“What are you
thinking?”
“Not as if my private
life concerns you, but as my friend and colleague, I will tell you. You may not
know what it feels like for someone you don’t have feelings for to be forced on
you.”
“Aww. What
happened?”
“That is story for
another day. Your family friend is waiting for you.”
“Whatever be the
case, it can be sorted out.”
“Having feelings for
someone who has feelings for someone else is not a good situation to be in.”
Mabel
didn’t know what to say again. She knew where his talk was headed so she just kept
quiet.
“Let me not keep you
waiting,” he said. “Have a nice weekend.”
“Thank you,” she
replied. “See you on Monday.”
She
stepped out of the car, closed the door and Ephraim sped off. She stood for a
while watching his car recede into the distance. She moved towards Ejike’s car
and met Chuka coming out of the compound with a part of his face a bit swollen.
“Ah ah, Chuka,” she
called him.
“Mabel welcome,” he
said.
“Your face is
swollen o.”
“I know. I have
taken drugs.”
“Have you seen your
wife today?”
“Yes I have. I just
left her now. Let me buy something for her.”
“Haba. She asked you
to buy something for her?”
“No o. She casually
said she felt like taking cold soft drink and biscuit.”
“So she said you
should buy it for her?”
“No. She doesn’t even
know I went to buy it.”
“Because I know she
will not allow you leave the house to buy anything for her with your money and
especially with the way you are looking.”
“That’s what men do
for love.” He stressed the ‘love’.
“I can imagine. What
will you tell people when they ask you what happened to you?”
“Who doesn’t fight?
It is a normal thing. Those who saw me in action yesterday already know sef.”
“So you will tell
them you fought.”
“Yes but I will not
tell them why and where.
“Just tell them task
force people beat you na.”
“Task force beat a
whole me? That is an insult on my person na.”
“Ok o. Tell them
what you will.”
“Don’t worry about
what I tell those who ask. Let me go get the stuff for Cynthia as e dey hot.”
He walked away from her.
“Don’t fight again
o,” she said as he walked away.
He
looked at her and laughed.
All the
while, Ejike sat in his car pressing his phone and looking at her from his rear
view mirror. When he saw Chuka leave Mabel, he came down from the car. Mabel
smiled and went towards him. She brought out her hand to shake him but he ignored the hand and hugged both her and her handbag.
(...to be continued)
Nedu Isaac
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