(Episode 7)
Christmas in November –
Jane gave them a stern look,
Jane: “Excuse me?”
Amos cousin who was known as Officer Innocent spoke,
Officer Innocent: “You heard him. My niece say your husband give em belle!”
Jane: “My husband?” she looked at Angela, “impregnated you?” Angela had her hands on the head crying, “I think you’re at the wrong place!”
Amos turned to Angela,
Amos; “You no sabi talk again?” he smacked her, “Talk!”
Angela crying,
Angela: “This is the house!”
Amos was about to smack her again when Officer Innocent intervened,
Officer Innocent: “e do! let’s get to the bottom of the matter first!”
Jane was in a reverie; everything whirled with her,
Jane: “Does this have anything to do with last night’s call?”
Felix from the room could hear the voices; he changed from his sleeping robes into a T-shirt and shorts, yawned as he came out, as he got closer the voices became clearer. Was it the landlord again? The Landlord was a very troublesome man; maybe he was the one, Felix thought so,
Felix: “Baby who is that?”
Jane: “Your pregnant girlfriend!” he raised the drapes as he stood beside his wife appalled with the presence of the visitors; for a second he had lost composure but quickly regained it.
Felix: “Yes, how can I be of help?” Jane quickly jumped in,
Jane: “This girl and her people say you impregnated her!”
Felix: “What? That’s preposterous!” he gave Angela a monstrous gaze as she continued crying.
The second police officer whispered pouting his mouth, “Oyibo!”
Amos turned to Angela,
Amos: “Na dis man?” she nodded,
Officer Innocent: “Are you sure?” she nodded.
Felix: “Young girl are you on some kind of cheap drugs or what?” turned to Amos and policemen, “I don’t even know you from Adam!”
Felix’s confidence was convincing, Jane who had joined in accusing her husband was now convinced that he was innocent,
Jane: “Oga carry your daughter go person wey give em belle for my husband is very innocent!”
Angela was pointing at him crying, Felix turned to the officers,
Felix: “I’d assume you don’t have any other businesses to attend to than to accuse an innocent law abiding citizen for a crime he didn’t not commit,” turned to her,”baby, let’s go inside please, “ he held her by the waist and they left the officers outside. Amos left in anger,
Amos: “You will come home and meet me today. Nonsense! Like mother like daughter!” he increased his pace
Comfort woke up with burning sensation. It was seven thirty in the morning. It was the smell of coffee and milk that woke her,
Lizzy: “You look like mess this morning! Good morning!” she dropped the tray.
Comfort: “Awwww… Aren’t you sweet?”
Lizzy : “You go pay oo!”
Comfort: “You and money eh! This recession no affect your love for em oo!”
Lizzy: “I need it more now!”
They giggled.
Comfort: “lemme prepare for work before that sadist of a boss adds to my frustrations already,” she rushed the cup of coffee and left for the bathroom.
They knew where Israel was; they had both tried his number but it was still switched off till midnight,
Lizzy: “See me oo! Foolish girl! Let’s try aunty Sarah’s number!”
She had told them that Israel was in a place but wasn’t in the frame of mind to see Comfort. Comfort’s plan was to go there after work; he had taken her there so many times. Sarah was fond of her; who wouldn’t be fond of a beautiful and virtuous girl. Of course, she was tired of hurting, Israel had to listen to her for it was never going to be a case of infidelity. She wasn’t going to cheat on him; he needed to listen to her.
By eight she was set for work,
Lizzy: “Lemme drop you off!”
Comfort: “As my personal chauffeur right?”
Lizzy: “If I wound you eh?” they laughed about it.
On their way, Comfort was braced up to face her sadistic boss; her mind when back to Israel, it was not wrong for him to be mad at her for she would have reacted that way if not worse.
In the hospital, Iya Loja, Audu and Donald had smiles on their swollen eye bagged faces; they stayed awake all through the night. Jerry’s health was now very stable. He spoke to them calmly. They all seemed very happy. They sat around him in glee,
Iya Loja: “SKief, shebi you aff call Annabelle to telling her brother is now bera!”
They all laughed at the sound of her pronunciation of better; Catherine had just entered and she was laughing too, Iya turned to her, “Ah, efun you Catty you ‘her laugh at me, eh?” it evoked more laughter, “Pot is calling himself oyibo in front of Kettle!”
Jerry: “Mummy,it’s okay!”
Audu: “Don’t mind her!”
Doctor Sanusi entered,
Doctor Sanusi: “I can see that my boy is doing just fine!”
Jerry: “Yes o! Uncle Sanusi, I’m back and kicking!” turned to Iya and Audu, “You’ll should go and some rest. It had been a long night!”
Iya Loja: “Yes oo! Jerry scarding us ooo! Eh, Uncle Sanusi ma worry. Me Iyam not leafing here oo till my son is discharging!”
Doctor Sanusi giggled,
Doctor Sanusi: “there’s no need for that now. You can go home and have some very good rest. I just want to keep him for observation and after which Donald can come and pick him later!”
Audu: “sounds like an idea!” he said yawning.
Jerry: “You guys should go and get some rest. I’m fine now!”
With a frown she said,
Iya Loja: “Ah ah! Jerry, shey , it is the two both of us old pipo that you are calls guys?”She opened her mouth wide as she pronounced ‘guys’.
The room cried out in laughter.
Jerry excused everyone except for his parents,
Jerry: “I just want to sincerely apologize for being an embarrassment. The near death experience I had has changed a lot about me. Now my eyes are opened,” as he spoke tears stood in the eyes of his parents, his mother was shedding hers already as they hugged.
….
Matilda, the arrogant secretary, chewed gum in a stentorian manner; she stretched out a letter to Comfort who was heading to their boss’s office,
Matilda: “Take!”
Comfort: “What’s the matter with you?”
Matilda: “what have I done na?”
Comfort: “Is good morning missing in your lexicon?”
Matilda frowned; everybody in the office complained of her, it was only Comfort that usually stood up to her. She was their boss’s cousin so everybody avoided for she could cost one, one’s job. But comfort being one who knows her onions couldn’t care less.
Matilda: “Good morning,” she sulked.
Comfort collected the letter,
Comfort: “what’s in the letter?”
Matilda shrugged,Comfort turned and was heading to boss’s office when Matilda’s
Matilda: “No,no!she is busy!” stopped there.
It was strange, Comfort shrugged and something pushed her to open the letter. It was a sack letter.
Comfort: “What?” a nut fell off her head and she barged into the office.
The boss had visitors,
Boss: “What the hell is the meaning of this? Didn’t the secretary te…”
Comfort interrupted,
Comfort: “…I want you to hush right there!” she gesticulated, “who do you think you’re? To sack me at will!” everyone in the office turned to Comfort with mouth opened even the boss, “ I sacrificed my life for this company only to be served this nonsense!” she raised the letter, “Yesterday, this poignant company of yours cost me my relationship of many years and instead of been appreciated for my dedication and zeal you slug me with this piece of crab…. Distressing bitch! I know your problem; you are a sadistic piece of furniture for you don’t have an idea of how it feels for a man to warm your bed. No man wants be around you! You’re vicious! No man can stand you! You’re venom” boss tried to speak but she choked, “take this company and shove it down your fat ugly shapeless a*s!” she went closer she had torn the letter into shreds and threw it on her!
Dashed out of the room, she could hear her boss ranting and cursing; as she got down stairs she started crying.
Sarah went for the door,
Sarah: “who’s there?” Comfort was standing before the door with swollen eyes,
Comfort: “Good morning, a!” Sarah nodded,
Sarah: “Come in.”
Israel who was eating stood up as Comfort walked in,
Israel: “what the hell are you doing here?”
…..
Felix noticing his wife was asleep ran to the sitting room; he had given her pain killer and sleeping drugs for she was in great discomfort. Aware that she couldn’t listen to his conversation he wasn’t ready to take chances. He dialed a number,
Felix: “Hello!” spoke in whispers, “Can you hear me?” it was a lady but she refused to talk, “speak up, my friend!”
“Yes I can,” she said.
Felix: “Are you alone?”
“Yes.”
Felix: “Okay, good! Meet me tomorrow at 10 at the usual place!”
‘but why did you…”
Felix cut in,
Felix: “just shut up and do as I’ve said!” he ended the call.
