PIDGIN FICTION



Have you read a story written in pidgin?

[Pidgin is an indigenous language spoken by most Nigerians. It is a derivation of English Language. It is fun to speak and read.]
Something is cooking and I will show you on Independence day (1/10)


Posted by at No comments:

FED UP [LXXXIX]

continued.....





He stopped and looked in her direction without saying anything. She went closer and stood still, expecting him to say something. He just looked at her without saying a word.
  “You are not saying anything?” Cynthia said.
  “What do you want me to say na?” he asked, a bit indifferent.
  “Why are you sounding like this?”
  “Don’t worry about me. I will be fine.”
                He turned to go in.
  “You are walking away from me,” Cynthia said.
                He turned away from the door and stood for some seconds without doing or saying anything.
  “I am sorry,” he eventually said and sat on the pavement in front of the door. “I just need to rest.”
  “You are still sad,” Cynthia said and sat beside him on the pavement.
  “Not really.”
  “Then why are you giving me attitude na?”
                Chuka sighed and said, “I just feel stupid. That’s all.”
                Cynthia didn’t know what to say. It was not her fault but she couldn’t tell him that. She just kept quiet.
  “This is your food,” she said after a while, passing the food flask to him.
  “Ok thank you,” Chuka said, taking the food flask from her. “You shouldn’t have bothered though. I already ate something.”
  “What did you eat?”
  “I ate snacks.”
  “Is snacks food?”
  “I am ok with it. But thanks for the food anyway.”
They were quiet for a while. It was Cynthia who broke the silence.
  “How is your face?” She asked.
She turned towards him and flashed her phone screen light on his face.
  “A bit sore but better than yesterday,” he replied.
She touched the places he had injury and he writhed a bit.
  “Sorry,” she said.
  “Thank you,” he said.
                They were quiet for a while. This time it was Chuka who broke the silence.
 “Are you still angry with me about what happened today?” he asked.
  “I was angry but I am not anymore. What I feel for you now is more like pity.”
                He burst into laughter.
  “I don’t mean that in a negative way o,” she said.
  “I understand what you mean,” he said. “I didn’t know I was worth anything until today.”
  “How do you mean?”
  “The way people responded when they heard the false news.”
  “Most of them just wanted stories to tell. They came to hear the news they will spread first hand.”
  “Yes but it was amazing. Within minutes, people were everywhere.”
  “You are a nice guy. People like you. So don’t pull that kind of stunt again.”
  “I will not, especially, knowing that you care.”
  “Yes. I care about my friends.”
  “Friendsss,” Chuka said, stressing the ‘s’ and mock-coughed.
  “I am not in for any relationship now. I have to finish school and get a handle on my life.”
  “I understand. I don’t mean to rush you into any decision. The fact that I am crazy about you doesn’t mean you should feel the same way about me. The only thing I can do is try my luck. If it does not work out, I move on. Such is life.”
  “The funny thing is that I know fine girls in this neighbourhood who are crazy about you and will do anything to have you.”
  “It’s really crazy. Being in love with someone who does not feel the same way for you, and the circle keeps going.”
  “Yes. That’s the reality of life.”
  “It is in our hands sha, to see the signs early and stop our own emotions from going haywire.”
  “Sometimes we can’t do anything about it.”
  “We can. We are meant to be in control of our emotions. At least you are a good example of that.”
  “I was messed up emotionally before now o. Kai.”
  “Really?”
  “Yes. A lot happened.”
  “Do you mind sharing?”
  “Nothing that you don’t already know; guys taking advantage of a girl’s innocent emotion.”
  “Oh ok.”
  “What helped me was when I learnt that it was safer to love with my head before my heart.”
  “Very true. If you don’t use your head, they will shatter your heart for you.”
                Cynthia looked at him and said, “I didn’t know you had this mindset about love.”
  “I do,” Chuka said and smiled. “Just that some people come and shatter what you already know and leave you to pick the pieces.”
                Cynthia burst into laughter.
  “I am now a shatterer now abi.”
  “Something like that,” Chuka said, laughing.
  “Please eat your food. It is getting cold.”
  “It’s true. Will you feed me?”
  “I will pour it on your now,” Cynthia said, laughing.
  “Shatterer like you,” Chuka said, laughing.
                He opened the food and began eating.
  “The food is sweet,” he said.
  “Thanks to my mum,” Cynthia said.
  “Yours is sweet too.”
  “Story. I cook potty.”
  “You are not serious.”
  “Don’t talk while you are eating.”
  “That advice is for children.”
                He ate half and closed it.
  “The night is still young,” he said. “I will finish it later in the night.”
  “It is not good to eat late,” Cynthia advised.
  “That’s for women. It does not have any harmful effect on me.”
  “Okay o.”
  “When I am done, I will wash the plate and return it.”
  “Don’t stress yourself. I will collect it tomorrow.”
  “I will be traveling very early in the morning.”
  “That’s true sef. Will you come back again?”
  “Why not? Though it depends on the outcome of my going to the village.”
  “Eiyaa. I am missing you already.”
  “Even if I will go somewhere else, I will come to take my things here. So we will definitely see.”
  “I don’t feel like you should go sef.”
  “What Mabel said to me earlier made so much sense to me.”
  “What?”
  “About a man having security to offer the lady before thinking about a relationship.”
  “Oh ok.”
  “I came to stay here with my brother to see if I could get a job, but I have not gotten any. I need to explore some other options in other places.”
  “Sure.”
  “Then when I am standing and you are still available, I will come and try again.”
  “You are sounding so matured.”
  “Thanks to Mabel for shaking me up.”
                Cynthia checked the time on her phone.
  “I have to be going now,” she said and stood up.
  “I wish you could stay longer,” Chuka said, standing up also.
  “My mum will be waiting for me so we can pray before sleeping.”
  “Ok.”
                Chuka hugged her tight and held onto her, gently stroking her back, just above her waist. Cynthia did not resist the hug.
  “Thank you so much,” he said into her ear as he ran his finger from the base of her spine area to her bra.

                Cynthia felt her knees shaking.



...to be continued

Nedu Isaac

Posted by at No comments:

ENJOY YOUR WEEKEND





Enjoy your weekend with inspiring and interesting stuff. click on any one of your choice and enjoy.


FED UP





THE UNCLE NEXT DOOR





Posted by at No comments:

PEEP INTO "AGAINST THE TIDE"

This is a peep into the content of the book "Against The Tide", in case you have not gotten it yet. What are you waiting for?

Place your order for the hard copy today or download the mobile version by clicking here








Posted by at No comments:

FED UP [LXXXVIII]

continued...


Their mother went back to the kitchen. Cynthia went with her while Mabel went into the room to lie down. She held the wall as she staggered towards the room.
When Mabel got to the room, she fell into the bed like a heap of cloth. The room was spinning round and round. She had to close her eye for a while. Cynthia came into the room and saw the way she was lying and went to her.
  “Have you also committed suicide?” she asked, nudging Mabel.
  “I am feeling dizzy,” she said, smiling.
  “Since you came back, you have neither eaten anything nor rested.”
  “Yea. Things happened so fast that I forgot about that.”
  “That Chuka is very stupid. See what he has caused. He thinks the world revolves around him.”
  “Leave the poor guy alone.”
  “What do I do for you now?”
  “Is the food ready?”
  “No o. Mummy just put it on fire now.”
  “Check those things Ejike brought and see if there is anything I can chew now.”
                Cynthia brought out the nylon bags and checked them.
  “There is bread and juice here. The other ones will take a long process to prepare.”
  “Ok. Pour some juice for me.”
                Cynthia got a cup and poured juice for Mabel. Then she gave her two slices of bread. While she was eating it, her mother came in.
  “I hope you are ok?” she asked Mabel.
  “Just a bit dizzy,” Mabel replied.
  “Dizziness again?”
  “She has not eaten anything reasonable since morning,” Cynthia said.
  “Ok. The food I am cooking will soon be ready. Just rest well. You will be fine.”
  “Ok,” Mabel said.
                She went back to her room.
  “Should I get your medicine for you?” Cynthia asked Mabel when she was done eating.
  “Am I not supposed to eat something that has oil in it before taking the medicine?” Mabel asked.
  “I don’t think it matters.”
  “Ok. Check my hand bag.”
                Cynthia searched her bag and got the medicine. Mabel took them and lay down.
  “Do you want to sleep?”
  “No. I have not eaten.”
  “But if you lie down, you will soon sleep.”
  “Wake me up when food is ready. I have to eat something that has oil in it and then bath.”
  “Ok.”
                Cynthia went to the sitting room and lay on the couch. From time to time, her mother would come out of her room to the kitchen to check on the food.
  “I will check it,” Cynthia said to her after she came out the third time. “No need going up and down.”
  “Ok,” her mother said. “When it is done, let me know.”
  “I will.”
                It didn’t take much longer and the food was ready. Cynthia called her mother who came out to the kitchen.
  “Wash a food flask for Chuka,” she told Cynthia.
  “Ok.”
                Cynthia washed one and gave to her mother who dished food for Chuka.
  “Take this to him,”
  “Let me call Mabel first.”
  “Ok.”
                Cynthia went into the room to wake Mabel and saw her phone beeping. She checked and saw missed calls. She nudged Mabel to wake up. She opened her eyes, closed them and continued sleeping.
  “Mabel!” Cynthia called.
                Mabel did not respond. Cynthia called her again and nudged her.
  “Mmmmm,” Mabel answered,
  “Don’t you still want to eat?” Cynthia asked her.
  “I don’t know,” Mabel said and turned. “I just feel like sleeping sef.”
  “No. You need something oily in your tummy.”
Mabel stretched and sat up. She shook her head like she was shaking something off her head.
  “The dizziness?” Cynthia asked.
  “No,” Mabel said. “Just sleepy.”
  “Ok. You have some missed calls. ”
  “I will check that later.”
  “Let me go and give Chuka food,” Cynthia said as she left the room.
  “Ok. Don’t get emotional o.”
  “Trust me. It’s just food delivery.”
                Mabel checked her phone. The missed calls were from Ejike and Coker. She returned Ejike’s call. He said he just called to know how she was doing. She reassured him that she was fine and hung up. Then she called Coker who apologized for not checking on her for a while. He told her he had some work-place issues which he was trying to sort out. He wanted to gist but she told him that she just woke up from sleep, that they would gist the following day. He told her he would come and see her. Then she hung up.
                Mabel went out to the sitting room where her mother was already eating. The lantern was on at a corner of the room.
  “Where is Cynthia?” she asked her mum.
  “I am here,” Cynthia answered from the kitchen.
  “Have you gone to give Chuka the food?”
  “I went to his house but the place was locked.”
  “Are you sure he did not lock it from behind?”
  “No. Someone told me he is outside the compound with his friends.”
                Cynthia came out to the sitting room with her plate of food.
  “Should I put for you?” she asked Mabel.
  “Yes please,” Mabel replied. “A little.”
                Cynthia kept her plate on the table and went back to the kitchen to dish for Mabel. Mabel started eating Cynthia’s food while waiting for hers.
  “Ooohm,” Cynthia said when she came out and saw that Mabel was eating her food.
  “Sorry,” Mabel said. “Take from my own.”
  “I took my own from the bottom pot.  Your own will not be as sweet as the one I took.”
   “Sorry.
                Cynthia gave her the plate of food. Mabel wanted to pour some of hers into Cynthia’s plate.
  “Don’t worry,” Cynthia said. “I will collect another bottom pot later.”
                While they were eating, they heard the voice of Chuka and his friends coming into the compound.
  “He is back,” Mabel said to Cynthia.
                Cynthia kept her plate and brought the food flask.
  “Wait until his friends leave,” their mother said to her.
  “Ok,” Cynthia said.
                Cynthia peeped through the window. It was dark outside but she could make out Chuka’s frame and that of his friends. When she saw him shaking his friends and them turning to leave, she took the food flask.
  “Don’t waste time there o,” her mother told her. “Just give it to him and come back.”
  “Ok”
                Cynthia went outside. As she went closer, chuka was opening the door.
  “Chuka,” she called.

                He stopped and looked in her direction without saying anything. She went closer and stood still, expecting him to say something. He just looked at her without saying a word.

..to be continued
Nedu Isaac
Posted by at No comments:

FED UP [LXXXVII]

Continued....





Cynthia turned her face and chuckled.
  “She got under my skin,” Chuka continued.
  “Get her out of your skin and stand as a man first,” Mabel said. “Then let’s see what happens.”
                Chuka kept quiet.
  “I hope you heard me?” she asked him.
  “Yes,” Chuka replied and sighed.
  “Now get up from there and get something to eat.”
                Cynthia turned to leave.
  “Where are you going?” Mabel asked her.
  “To the house,” Cynthia answered.
  “You want to leave him like this?”
  “I am still traumatized and my back is aching me. I need to rest.”
  “Don’t worry,” Chuka said. “I will be fine.”
  “Are you sure?” Mabel asked.
  “Yes.”
  “Don’t be suicidal o.”
                Chuka laughed and said, “If I kill myself, what will I gain? I will go to hell and she will move on with her life.”
  “Ok o.”
                Cynthia got to the door and stood.
  “So what will you eat this night?” Mabel asked him.
  “I will find something to eat,” he replied.
  “When we are done cooking, I will call you.”
  “Don’t worry about me. I will be fine.”
                Some of Chuka’s friends in the neighbourhood came to the door. Cynthia stepped aside and they came in.
  “Wetin happen?” one of them asked, rushing towards Chuka.
  “Guy I hear sey you wan kill yourself,” another said.
  “No oo,” Chuka said.
                They saw the tablets and one of them picked up the bottle.
  “If you no wan kill yourself,” he said. “Then wetin these drugs dey here na?”
  “Guy wetin make that kain thing enter your head na?” another asked him.
  “No be wetin you think o,” Chuka said.
  “Na your matter dey the whole area now,” one of them said. “People gather outside now sef dey talk say Chuka don die, sey im commit suicide.”
  “Serious?” Chuka asked.
  “Yes na. You know as news dey spread.”
  “Kai!” Chuka exclaimed. “Wetin I wan do now?”
  “You gass come find something tell them o.”
  “Wetin I wan talk?”
  “At least make them see say you no kpai.”
                Chuka laughed.
  “You dey laugh abi.” they said to him.
  “I just make mistake take overdose o,” he lied to them. “I no read the dosage well.”
  “You sure?” one of them asked.
  “Yes na. If say I take drug to kill myself, I no for dey here dey talk with you na. I for don go since or I go still dey unconscious.”
  “Na true sha. But wetin you dey think sef wey make you no read the dosage well? Na so person dey take die o. small mistake like this.”
                Cynthia chuckled at the door.
  “Okkkk,” one of them said, laughing. “I know wetin you dey think.”
  “Wetin?” Chuka asked.
  “You dey think about Cyntibaby abi?”
  “My brother no be small thing o,” Chuka said. “I dey think am badly.”
                They laughed.
  “We have to go now,” Mabel said to Chuka, laughing. “Take care of yourself o.”
  “Thank you so much,” Chuka said. “Cynthia I am sorry. I will make it up to you.”
                Cynthia did not reply. She left with Mabel.
                When they went outside, they were surprised to see people gathered in groups in the compound and outside the gate.
  “They must be talking about Chuka,” Cynthia said.
  “Yes,” Mabel said.
                When the people saw Mabel and Cynthia coming out of Chuka’s place, some of them started coming towards them.
  “We better leave fast o,” Cynthia said.
  “Yes o,” Mabel agreed. “They are looking for story to tell.”
                Mabel went close to the window and shouted to Chuka to come and show himself to the people and tell them what happened to him. Then she and Cynthia walked fast towards their house and just answered those who asked them about Chuka with “He is fine”. The people wanted to know more but they did not get any more info from Mabel. Chuka came out with his friends and talked with the people. Some pressed further and asked about his face and he told them what he wanted them to know. When he reassured them that he was fine, they went their different ways. He went towards the gate as he chatted and laughed with his friends.
                Mabel and Cynthia stood at the entrance door all that while watching what was happening. When Chuka and co went out of the compound, Mabel and Cynthia went in.
  “What happened?” their mother asked, coming out of the kitchen.
  “Happened where?” Mabel asked.
  “After I left.”
                Mabel told her everything she had missed.
  “The way children of these days fall in love is shocking o,” she said when Mabel was through.
  “They watch Movies too much,” Mabel said.
  “The things you people watch on TV and read in books are not real o. They are just acting out a script written for them. Most times, what they portray is far from the realities of life.”
  “You are right.”
  “Is it that bad that people now thinking of committing suicide because of love,” Cynthia said.
  “You have not seen anything yet o,” Mabel said
  “May I never get into that kind of love o.”
  “But how is he doing now?” their mother asked.
  “He said he is fine. He is with his friends now.”
  “When I am done cooking, you will go and give him food or call him to come and eat.”
  “Who?” Cynthia asked.
  “You,” Mabel said.
  “I am not in that mood now.”
  “You need to get over it and help him get over it also.”
  “I will just call him to come and eat.”
  “Or just give him the food and come back. You don’t need to stay there.”
  “Ok.”
                Their mother went back to the kitchen. Cynthia went with her while Mabel went into the room to lie down. She held the wall as she staggered towards the room.



...to be continued.



Nedu Isaac
Posted by at No comments:

ENJOY YOUR WEEKEND





Enjoy your weekend with inspiring and interesting stuff. click on any one of your choice and enjoy.


FED UP





THE UNCLE NEXT DOOR




AGAINST THE TIDE

Posted by at No comments:

PEEP INTO "AGAINST THE TIDE"

This is a peep into the content of the book "Against The Tide", in case you have not gotten it yet. What are you waiting for?

Place your order for the hard copy today or download the mobile version by clicking here







Posted by at No comments:

FED UP [LXXXVI]

continued...





Mabel and her mother went after her. Cynthia rushed to Chuka’s apartment. She pushed the door and went in. They went in with her. When they got in, what they saw shocked them.
They saw Chuka lying on the floor, face down. Then they saw a little bottle of medicine open, with some tablets spilled on the ground.
  “Chuka chuka,” they shouted as they rushed to him and shook him.
  “He is still breathing but he needs help as fast as possible,” Mabel said.
  “Let me go and get palm oil,” their mother said.
  “Does that thing work?”
  “Yes o.”
  “I don’t think so. He needs to be rushed to hospital immediately.”
  “Let me get the oil first.”
Their mother rushed out.
  “What happened?” Mabel asked Cynthia.
  “After searching for him everywhere,” Cynthia said, crying. “I came here and knocked but no one responded. Then I tried opening the door and saw that it was not locked. I came in and met him like this. That was when I came to call you.”
  “Did you tell anybody?”
  “No.”
                The door opened and two of their neighbours came in.
  “What happened?” one of them asked.
  “We just came and saw Chuka like this o,” Mabel replied.
  “Looks like he committed suicide,” the other one said. “Is he still alive?”
  “Yes he is breathing,” Mabel replied. “But he needs help as soon as possible.
                The neighbours rushed out to see if they can get a nurse or a means of rushing him to hospital. Mabel’s mother rushed in with a bottle of palm oil.
  “What is the meaning of this na?” Mabel’s mother asked, fidgeting with the bottle. “Why will he choose to commit suicide when his brother has traveled?”
                Mabel turned Chuka and faced him up. He opened his eyes and smiled. They were stunned and maintained their postures for a while, not knowing what to make out of it.
  “What’s funny?” Mabel asked. “You almost committed suicide.”
  “Nothing,” he said, still smiling.
  “Chuka, why did you take these medicine to kill yourself?” Cynthia asked him.
  “I did not take them.”
  “What is going on? Why did you pass out? And what are the tablets doing here if you did not take them?”
  “I wanted to take them but changed my mind.”
  “And you made us believe you were dead!” Mabel shouted in anger.
  “Please reduce your voice,” Mabel’s mother said to her. Then she turned to Chuka and asked, “You think things like this are to be played with?”
  “Sorry ma. I didn’t mean for it to be like this. I don’t even know what I was thinking.”
  “The whole street has heard that you committed suicide. You better have an answer for them.”
                Some more neighbours rushed in.
  “Is he alive?” one asked.
  “Is he breathing?” another asked.
                They got their answer when they saw Chuka sitting on the floor.
  “We prayed for him and did CPR on him and he got up,” Mabel said, not wanting them to know it was a hoax.
                They thanked God.
  “Still give him the palm oil to neutralize the effect of the drug,” one said.
  “Don’t worry he will be fine,” Mabel’s mother said.
  “Are you sure?” one neighbor asked her.
  “Yes.”
  “Imagine Chuchu committing suicide,” one of them said and clicked her fingers in disbelief.
  “I did not try to commit suicide,” Chuka said.
  “Then what happened?”  
  “I did not read the prescription on the bottle. I took double the normal dose. Before I knew it, I collapsed.”
  “That is risky. Be careful next time.”
  “I will. Sorry for disturbing your peace.”
                Mabel’s mother carried her bottle of oil and left with the neighbours. Cynthia and Mabel stayed behind. When it was only three of them there, Cynthia went close and slapped Chuka.
  “Why did you do that?” she asked.
  “Am sorry,” Chuka said holding his cheek.
  “Do you know the kind of trauma you have put me through?”
  “What was I supposed to do? I felt abandoned and insulted.”
  “What do you mean by that?”
                Mabel just stood and watched them.
  “When the other guy came, you turned your attention to him. If I was there, you didn’t want to know. I saw the look in your eyes and the way you talked with him. You like him. Then you left me there looking like a fool and went inside because of him. When I was tired of waiting, I went back to my house.”
  “When I came out calling your name, didn’t you hear me?” Cynthia asked, still angry.
  “I wanted to see what you will do next. Then I saw you holding him and the way you smiled when he held you. I concluded that I have lost you. Then I decided to end this. But when I got the drugs and still heard you calling my name, I couldn’t get myself to do it.”
                He paused and coughed. Then he continued.
  “Then I decided to know your reaction if you think I committed suicide.”
  “Now you have seen the reaction. Don’t ever talk to me again.”
  “I am so sorry,” Chuka said, getting up and going towards Cynthia.
                Cynthia stretched her hand, telling him not to come close. He knelt down and pleaded with a lump in his throat.
  “It will not happen again,” he said and sat on the floor.
  “You are intimidated by your fellow man,” Cynthia said. “You should be ashamed of yourself.”
  “I was jealous. The tush guys get all the chics and hustling guys like me just can’t do anything about it. We take care of girls and then people with cars come and take them from us. It is normal to feel bad na.”
  “But not to the point of wanting to kill yourself,” Mabel said. “Nobody is worth dying for.”
  “It depends o,” Chuka said.
  “You have bigger things to be worried about now. You will now be known as ‘Chuka the guy who tried committing suicide because of a girl’. How will you deal with that?”
  “My thinking did not go that far.”
                Chuka’s phone rang. He checked it.
  “My brother is calling me,” he said and hissed.
  “You see what you have caused,” Mabel said.
                He picked it. His brother told him that he heard that he had committed suicide and asked him what happened. He kept quiet. His brother asked him whether he was depressed because of not getting a job. He kept quiet for a while, and then he told his brother that he did not try to kill himself, that he just took overdose of a drug. His brother asked him what he was thinking that made him take the overdose. He reassured his brother that he is fine. His brother told him to come to the village the following day. He agreed and his brother hung up. He dropped the phone, sighed and put his head in-between his knees.
  “You need to put yourself together,” Mabel told him. “Focus on your life and stand as a man before you think of getting emotionally attached to any woman.”
                Chuka just gazed at the floor.
  “Are you hearing me?”
  “Yes,” he said, looking up. “But it is hard. I really love Cynthia.”
 “If you don’t have any security to offer her, your love is in vain.”
  “Was it not because of her I fought the other day?”
  “That is not the security I am talking about. A woman needs someone who is matured in thinking and character, and who has money to take care of her basic needs at least. It doesn’t have to be much but it has to be coming steady.”
  “It is not my fault that I am jobless. I have tried my best to get a job.”
  “You will still get one. That is not the only thing. Don’t tie your life to a particular person, especially someone who is just a casual friend.”
  “Honestly I don’t know why I feel this way about Cynthia. I have tried to call myself to order severally but whenever I see her, I lose my senses.”
                Cynthia turned her face and chuckled.


...to be continued
Nedu Isaac
Posted by at No comments:

FED UP [LXXXV]

(Continued...)


  “Mabel is that you?” their mother asked from inside the house.
  “Yes mum,” Mabel replied. “Good evening.”
  “Ehe,” her mother answered, looking out through the window.
                Ejike greeted her.
  “How are you my dear?” she asked him.
  “Fine ma,” he replied.
  “Mummy, this is Ejike, my former course mate,” Mabel introduced him.
  “Why is he standing outside?” she asked. “Bring him in.”
  “I need to be on my way now ma,” Ejike said. “Maybe some other time.”
  “Is that how people of your generation now visit?”
                Ejike looked at Mabel and she shrugged.
  “Come in if she said you should,” she said and went inside.
                Ejike followed her into the sitting room.
  “I am coming,” Cynthia said to Chuka and also went inside.
  “Cynthia please take that stuff and keep in the room for me,” Mabel told her, pointing at the nylon bags Ejike was carrying.
                Cynthia took them from him and went into the room.
  “Your sister likes me,” Ejike whispered to Mabel when Cynthia was out of earshot.
  “Don’t count on that,” Mabel said. “She is naturally a nice and easy going person.”
  “Even your mother too likes me.”
  “Don’t conclude on that also. She is in the kitchen now. Who knows whether it is hot water she is coming out with?”
                Ejike moved towards the door.
  “I am kidding,” Mabel said, laughing.
  “Better be kidding o,” he said.
  “Please sit.”
                He sat and Mabel sat on a seperate chair.
  “Sorry about the hotness here,” Mabel said to Ejike when he brought out his hankerchief and wiped his face.
  “It is ok,” he replied.
  “You are already used to cool places na, as a big boy.”
  “Am telling you. But I can manage, let’s see if light will come.”
  “Our transformer is bad so don’t expect light anytime soon.”
  “You don’t have a generator?”
Mabel did not answer. Her mother came out to the sitting room and asked Ejike what he wanted to take.
  “Nothing ma,” Ejike replied.
  “Are you sure?”
  “Yes ma. I am ok.”
She wanted to stay a little with them and ‘interrogate’ him but Mabel eyed her and she went out to the backyard.
  “You just saved me from the interview of my life,” Ejike said to Mabel.
  “Oh you noticed,” Mabel said, laughing.
  “Yes o. In these situations, I am as alert as a cockroach.”
                Cynthia came out to the parlour.
  “What have you been doing inside the room since that time?” Mabel asked her, laughing.
  “I was keeping the stuff well na.”
  “I counted everything o.”
                Cynthia laughed. She hung around for a while, not doing anything in particular.
  “Shebi Chuka is waiting for you outside?” Mabel asked her.
  “I know.”
                She opened the door and left.
  “Let me leave now,” Ejike said and got up.
  “You are going after her?” Mabel teased him.
                Ejike smiled.
  “Not at all,” he said. “I have a very busy evening today. I abandoned my guys because I wanted to see how you are doing.”
  “They will call you on phone if they need you.”
  “I left my phone in the car. I know the missed calls will be many by now. If I leave them for too long, then whatever they eat or drink will be on my head.”
  “Better be going na. I don’t want you to waste so much money because of me.”
  “I don’t mind. Am glad you are not looking as bad as you sounded over the phone.”
  “That’s so nice of you. Thank you.”
  “Tell your mum I’m leaving.”
                Mabel shouted to her mother that Ejike was leaving. She shouted back her goodbye. Ejike opened the door and went outside. Mabel went out with him. They saw Cynthia standing and looking around.
  “Where is Chuka?” Mabel asked.
  “I don’t know,” Cynthia replied. “When I came out, I did not see him on the bench. Even the drink and biscuit are not there.”
  “You kept him waiting and he left angrily.”
  “I think so. Let me look around for him.”
  “Did you check his house?”
  “I did. I knocked but no one responded.”
  “If you don’t see him, don’t worry. He will not be angry with you for too long.”
  “Let me check outside the gate.”
  “Ok.”
                Cynthia went to look for Chuka, leaving Mabel and Ejike standing alone.
  “Will you see me off to my car?”
  “No o,” Mabel replied. “I am tired.”  
  “Ok then.”
Ejike spread his arms expecting a hug from Mabel.
  “Come to papa,” he said. “Come give me a hug.”
  “Taaaaa,” Mabel said. “The hug you collected earlier is enough for one month.”
                They laughed and Ejike turned to leave.
  “I will call you from time to time to know how you are faring,” Ejike said. “When I return from my trip, I will come and see you.”
  “Ok. Thanks a lot. I really appreciate.”
                As Ejike was leaving, he made sure to pass close to where Cynthia was standing at the entrance into the compound. He held her hand as she told him ‘goodbye’. 
  “I will see you when next I come,” he said.
Cynthia chuckled and withdrew her hand. He looked back at Mabel who gave him a hand signal to leave. He waved at her, went to his car and drove off. Cynthia continued looking around for Chuka while Mabel went back into the house. She met her mother standing in the centre of the parlour with arms akimbo.
  “Tell me about him,” her mother said to her.
  “Let me undress first na,” Mabel said and went towards the room, laughing.
  “Be telling me as you are undressing,” her mother said and followed her.
                As Mabel changed cloths, she told her mother about Ejike.
  “You mean there is nothing going on?” her mother asked her when she was through.
  “Nothing from my side.”
 “He seems like a nice guy o though all men are basically the same. They appear nice and then they strike and leave you hurt.”
  “He seems to like me though.”
  “Yes, but I think he likes Cynthia more.”
  “How do you know?”
  “I saw the way he was looking at her. I can recognize that look any day.”
  “True. Even the way he held her hand when he was leaving.”
  “I saw that one also.”
  “Mummyyyyy, so you were peeping.”
  “I need to keep an eye on my girls o,” her mother said, laughing.
  “…like a hen watches her chicks,” Mabel concluded for her. “I have heard that sentence many times.”
                While they were talking, Cynthia barged into the parlour looking like someone who had just seen a ghost.
  “What is it?” Mabel asked her.
 “Chuka….it is chukka oo.” Cynthia managed to say and gave them a hand signal to follow her. Then she rushed out.
                Mabel and her mother went after her. Cynthia rushed to Chuka’s apartment. She pushed the door and went in. They went in with her. When they got in, what they saw shocked them.


(...to be continued)
Nedu Isaac
Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)