Episode 10
Husband Material
“I think I’m going to be give Oliver a chance”. I was saying to my friends one evening.
“Who is Oliver?”. Rita asked.
“Her toaster”. Charity said.
“Chance to do what exactly?, to finish you completely?”. Rita continued.
“Gina. I think it’s too early for that”. Benita said.
“It’s too early, my sister.You have to heal first”. Rita added.
“It’s not early, it’s been a month plus, she has to move on”. Diana said.
“Yes, I think Diana is right, you have to move on. Who knows, this Oliver might be different”. Charity said.
“No, Charity, there is no different man anywhere in the world, all of them are the same”. Rita countered.
.
Ever since she broke up with her husband, after being married for three years, Rita has been.. let me say ‘allergic to men’. She believes that all the men have one or two dirty secret they are protecting.
“No, remember that this one came to toast her, he wasn’t attracted by that.. crazy advert”. Charity said, staring at Diana.
“My mother has been on my neck”. I told them.
“Wait, Regina, don’t tell me you’re doing this because of what your mother is saying to you oo”. Rita asked.
“I know what I am doing. I just want to give him a little chance, let’s see what he can offer”. I said.
“Well, I only have one advice for you, if only you will take it. Just be careful this time around, use your head!”. Benita advised.
The other girls has one or two advice to give, but Rita still stood her ground.
“It would have been better if you forget all these, and do what I have been telling you. You’re capable of taking care of a child without support from any of these men”. She insisted.
So when Oliver called later that night, I requested that we hang out the next day to enable us talk… I could feel the excitement in his breath.
Well, we met, and that was how our love journey started. He was just the kind of man I needed.
Three weeks later, I invited my friends over to a restaurant where I was hanging out with him. Alicia was there too.
And that was their first time of meeting with him.
All, including Rita gave him a pass mark
“I think this one is not that bad, but you still have to play with caution, you never can tell”. She whispered to me.
Later on, I volunteered to take care of the bills since it was I who brought the girls along, but he turned down my offer.
“I got this”. He said, handing his debit card to the waiter.
“Aunt, I must say you made the right choice this time”. Alicia commended while we were driving home much later that night.
When we got home, I found Stella sitting at my doorstep, with her sleeping son on her laps.
“Dem dey here since evening”. Eric said.
Speaking of Eric, he has been withdrawn ever after that incident in my village.
“Stella, why did you not call me?”. I asked.
She stretched herself, and slowly stood up.
“My phone is off”. She replied.
“So what now?”. I asked, as I unlock the door.
“Is it not my husband?”. She sighed.
“Ofcourse I know it’s your husband, but what has he done this time?”. I demanded.
She didn’t reply until we got to the living room. She laid her sleeping son down on the couch and we sat.
“So what?”. I repeated
She turned t look at Alicia, who was also seated on the cushion arm.
“Alicia, take their bags upstairs” I said, and she lifted the bag angrily, and started climbing the steps noisily.
“He borrowed some money from me, and has refused to pay back”. She began, as soon as the sound of Alicia’s footsteps faded.
I stared at her for a moment…like I was expecting her to continue.
“Is that all?”. I finally asked when she wasn’t saying anything else.
“Isn’t that enough to cause a fight?”. She asked.
“Maybe, but definitely not enough for you to leave your husband’s house and come here”. I said.
“Regina, what are saying?. He has been doing that. Do you know that I have lost count of all the times he borrowed without paying back?”. She continued.
“So why do you keep giving him?. He has his own business, you have yours, why will he be taking the little profit you’re making?. Why is that man like this?”. I asked.
“Because he is my husband. I know you won’t understand, but you cannot be watching your man going broke without offering financial help to him”. She said.
“So why then are you complaining?, and why are you here since you know I won’t understand?”. I felt offended.
“I know he will come back to beg”. She said, turning the tv on.
I stared at her for a while, before I stood up, and went upstairs to freshen up.
She stayed a week with us, before I came back one evening and was informed that her husband came to take them back home.
Oliver and I continued our friendship without knowing where each other lives. During those days, Alicia got admitted into the university, and since she refused to stay in the school hostel, I always drop her off at the school gate every morning on my way to the saloon.
But one morning, I had an emergency and had to leave earlier than usual. So I gave her some money to transport herself to school.
Around mid-afternoon, I received a call from her father…he barely calls me.
“Hello, Regina”. There was urgency in his voice.
“Good afternoon sir”. I greeted.
“Where is Alicia?”. He asked without responding to my greeting.
“She is in school, why?”. I replied.
“A strange number just called me, and I heard Alicia’s voice, crying from the other end, pleading that I come to her aid, before the call ended. I have tried that line severally now, but it’s not connecting again”. He lamented.
“Strange number? Alicia?, that’s not possible. She is in scho…
I was going to say before I remembered that I didn’t drop her myself that morning.
…. did you try calling her own number”. I was also beginning to panic.
“Yes, I did, but it’s still not connecting”. He said.
My heartbeat increased instantly, I knew this could only mean one thing… Alicia has been kidnapped..
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