(Episode 19)
Christmas in November
Iya loja and Bidemi trailed Esther to her place. Iya Loja was dressed in trousers and tight top, her friend wore same dress. They were ready for action.
Iya Loja: “Shey I should open the door first?” Bidemi who was standing behind nodded. They were standing at the door. Iya Knocked. A small voice yelled from inside, “who want to break my door oo!” the scream made them move back.
Bidemi: “Iya don’t you think we should change our mind and just turn back?” Iya looked at her with a frown,
Iya Loja: “Bidemi, what you saying? After coming here this night we now turn back! “She shook her head, “rara o! You can go I wee facing the husband snasha!”
Petit Esther opened the door half way,
Esther: “good evening, ma!” She greeted seeing that they were elderly women.
Bidemi replied with a smile,Iya Loja gawked at her,
Iya loja: “Do we come and be doing greeting ceremonies here?” she pushed Esther inside the house, “I’ve come here to teash you lezin. Shebi you ‘er the stupid geh dat sleeping with my skeif!”
Esther who had missed her steps had recovered and was standing eye to eye with Iya Loja,
Esther: “See I am respecting you just get the hell out of my house!” she stood with her hands pinning her,
Iya Loja :” Eh? Unifasity geh you aff shop lifa abi? You wantu fighting me! See wo, dis ‘ouse is my husband that aff pay for it oooo! So is my ‘ouse too!”
Bidemi: “Stupid girl!”
Esther rushed to the door and flung it opened,
Esther:” You old fools should get out of my house this minute. You’re all deplorable creatures! Get out of my house this minute!”
Iya Loja: “Ah,wo! You aff use oyibo abusing us abi? We wee go but be ready to fighting another day!” turned to Bidemi, “Oya ore mi let’s go!”
As they walked passed Esther, she hissed and said,
Esther: “Idiots!” Iya Loja lost it and lurched at her. They both went to the ground. Turning each other inside out. Bidemi stood screaming and shouting instead of helping Iya Loja out. They dragged each other’s hair. Pulled, clawing and kicking. Esther overpowered her and mounted her. Bidemi seeing what was happening dived on Esther who dragged by the hair and pulled her to the ground. Esther alone beat the hell out of them.
Jane was now aware that Felix had been the one sending those letters. She had received four more letters from him apart from the first but he was yet to show up. It wasn’t news again that Felix was a wanted man. His name rang from speakers of radios and his pictures appeared on national dailies and TV screens.
She became very scared of her life and that of her son; Felix had turned into a monster. After the letters, she made sure she picked Jake herself from school. On her way to the market, she decided to check at her neighbour’s place.
Jane: “who is home?” she knocked, “Amarachi!” her plan was that if Amarachi was home she’d beg her help run the market errand. No one answered, as she turned to leave, she heard someone dragging feet to the door. It was Comfort; Mrs Jones’ niece. She had relocated from Abuja two weeks ago. Jane and Comfort were getting to know each other but it was obvious that would become friends. Mrs. Jones had told Jane that her niece was cheated on by boyfriend and abandoned after becoming pregnant. Jane could see that they were both victims of men’s cruelty.
Comfort: “Mummy Jay, Amarachi isn’t home oo! I sent her to town!”
Jane: “Oh. Okay. I want to go to the market. How body na?”
Comfort looked pale. She was feeling nauseous.
Comfort: “body dey jare! Just feeling a little feverish!”
Jane smiled,
Jane: “That was how I always felt when I was pregnant with Jake! I was always falling ill!”
Comfort: “No wonder Jake is very active and smart!”
They giggled
Jane: “abi ooo! Lemme get going my sister!”
Comfort: “Okay na, bring Uzu for me ooo!”
Jane: “Pregnancy and its insatiate craving for weird things!” Comfort laughed.
As she got to the market her phone rang. It was her lover, Jerry.
Jerry: “where are you,babe?”
Jane: “At the market,” she strained her voice,
Jerry: “there’s something strange that just happened?”
She was straining to hear him,
Jane: “You said?”
Jerry: “someone scribbled something on my car!”
Jane: “can you call me back?”
Jerry: “Okay, I’m coming to meet you!”
Jane: “Okay!” the call dropped.
Jerry had gone to a supermarket to buy something and when he came out he saw a writing on the screen of the driver’s seat. It was capitalized. And it read: JANE IS MY WIFE,IF YOU LOVE YOUR LIFE… STAY OFF MY FAMILY!
He asked around and the people around said they hadn’t seen a soul. No one knew who did that. That was when he decided to call Jane. His plan was to let her see it before filing a case with the police. While driving he cursed and cursed,
Jerry: “Bastard! You think you’re man, huh? Abandoning your family and chasing shadows! If you think you’re man enough come and fight me and quit playing games! And I’d teach you that I’ve still got the street in me! Bull shit!” he ranted and almost ran into a motorcyclist, who was riding carelessly, “stay your path, man!” he screamed.
After buying the things she wanted. She stood by the one of the shops not too far from the gate of the market and rang Jerry,
Jane: “Hey,babe! Should I still wait for you?”
Jerry: “Yes, yes! I’m almost there!”
Jane: “I’m standing at the shop where you always pick!”
Jerry: “Okay!”
As she ended the call, not too far a woman dashed her way. The face was familiar but she couldn’t place where she had seen it. As she turned away, she felt a grasp on her neck and before she could realize what was happening two caustic slaps landed on her cheek. The ground she stood on had gone three sixty with her. It was Amos’ wife,
Amos Wife: “Kidnapper! Human chopper! Pipo make una come oooo! Na dis woman na e kill my pikin. She and her husband and dem allow her make she dey waka free of charge!”
Jane was in tears as she managed to get up,
Jane: “Madam, it isn’t me! No bi me! I didn’t kill your daughter!”
The cry and yelling of Amos’ wife started pulling attention; crowd was beginning to gather.
Amos Wife: “Today na today! You must gimme back my daughter!! Winch!” she tightend her grasp on Jane. Instead of the people to separate them, they folded their hands and were watching. A group of youths came and when they heard Amos Wife’s story one of them screamed, “Go bring petrol!” another echoed, “oya na!”
Jane was on her knees pleading. Jerry was on the other hand looking for her. He had seen the crowd but he passed,
Jerry: “Market and its drama!” he said
One of the youth screamed, “lie down!” at Jane and she obediently sat on the ground. The elderly women around were cursing and ranting, most of them were market women. Jane knew that was the end for her. She was whispering and praying. She didn’t know what to do. Only miracle could save her from the hands of this crowd who were ready to lynch her. Someone sent her a slap her and it injured her lips. “No touch em! Make we burn em straight when petrol come!” a woman spat on her. Jerry passed by the crowd again and decided to check what was happening,
Jerry: “Jesus! Jane!” he was confused, he tried pushing the crowd but it was a mission impossible. Luckily, he saw a policeman and ran to him. he explained to the policeman but he didn’t seem interested but then he handed him two thousand naira .
Policeman: “Let’s go but Oga this one too much na! “he followed Jerry as they were arriving the petrol too was arriving. The policeman seeing the angry mob, he knew if he used mouth no one would listen to him, he took out his gun and shot twice in the air and everyone fled.
In the car, Jane was crying as she explained what happened to Jerry.
Jerry: “Amos and his family must pay dearly for this!” he handed her handkerchief. They drove to Jake’s school so as to pick him.
It was an hour past closing time but Jake was nowhere to be found. Jane was almost going insane. Jerry was confused as well. They met Tochi and Emma who said they were waiting for Amarachi but hadn’t seen Jake and they had looked for him after school but all to no avail. No one knew his where about. Jane flung herself down crying, no one could control her. She cried bitterly that she ended losing her voice.
