Episode 12
Husband Material
My friends and I exchanged confused glances after Eric made that surprising announcement.
“Why are you quitting?”. Diana asked.
As usual, he didn’t respond. He just stood there, staring at her.
“Have I done anything to offend you?”. I asked.
He shook his head.
“So why the sudden change of mind?”. I asked…
“At this critical moment or do you not know that Alicia is missing?”. Rita asked.
At this point, my phone started ringing. It was Stella.
“I’m at your gate, please”. She announced.
“Please, go, and open gate for someone. We will talk about this later”. I said.
He waited for for some seconds before he turned and left.
“Are you guys not thinking same thing with me?”. Rita said.
“What?”. I asked.
“Your gateman!. He may have a hand in this”. She said.
“Yes,”. Others chorused.
“I thought we all have concluded on who the real culprit is, some minutes back?” I said.
“He may be an accomplice”. Charity said.
“Eric?. That’s not possible. He is not like that”. I tried to defend him, but everyone attacked me.
“Your problem is that you trust too much”. Charity said.
“This guy may be working for the culprit..an accomplice”. Benita said.
“Are you not thinking.Why would he be resigning now, of every other times?”. Diana asked.
“This is hard to believe…”. I was saying before Stella entered with her baby.
She stood by the door, staring at us, without saying a thing.
Eric entered after some times , dragging a very big bag.
“What now?”. I asked.
She shook her head, and started walking up the stairs.
We all focused our gaze on her until she disappeared out of sight.
“What is wrong with her?”. My friends murmured among themselves.
I excused them to go check on her.
“Bring the bag”. I instructed Eric to come along with the bag.
We walked into the open room where Stella was sitting on the bed with her son playing on the floor.
“What is this again?”. I asked, after Eric had dropped the bag and left.
“You see this marriage?, I’m done”. She announced.
“What happened?”. I asked.
“You won’t believe this!. My own husband, the same man I told you that do borrow from me, could you believe that he rented an apartment for a little girl?”. She wept.
“What?. Which girl is that, and how did you find out?”. I asked.
“He has been keeping his phone from me, but yesterday I got hold of it. I saw things..a lot of things that I don’t even know how to say”. She continued.
“It’s a pity, but what are you going to do now?”. I asked.
“I’m never going back to that house, I am done with the marriage”. She sobbed into a napkin in her hand.
“I’m sorry about that”. I tried to console her before going down to my friends.
They were so engrossed in an argument that they barely notice when I joined.
“What is wrong with her?”. Rita asked.
“Marital disagreement”. I answered, and everyone sighed.
“It’s funny how some people are doing crazy things to get married while the ones being married still do not have peace”. Benita said.
Stella didn’t come out again until my friends left at night. .
It was around 8pm that I went to see her in the room.
She was feeding her baby when I entered.
“Why are you not coming downstairs?”. I asked.
“I don’t feel like”. She replied, without raising her head.
I sat on the bed, and watch her feed the baby, and put him to sleep.
“How far the search for Alicia?”. She asked.
“We are at it, the kidnapers are demanding for ransom”. I said.
“How much is it?”. She asked.
“10 million”. I responded.
She covered her mouth with her palm.
“That’s a lot of money”. She exclaimed.
“Yes, it is”. I replied.
“But why did you call Divine to threaten her husband?”. She asked after a moment of silence.
“Dennis?, that guy… the truth is that Divine does not know the kind of man she married. It’s I who will tell you about about him”. I said.
She just shook her head, and lied down.
“Are you not going to eat something?”. I asked
“No, I’m tired”. She replied.
“You don’t need to come down. I will tell the cook to bring the food here”. I said.
“Don’t bother yourself, I already ate bread”. She said.
“So what are you going to do now, what is your plan?”. I asked.
“About?”. She asked.
“Your marriage”.
“Hmmm, like I told you earlier, I’m done with that marriage”. She said.
“This is not good, but you will be going to the village, right?”. I asked.
She widened her eyes.
“Going to the village to do what?”. She asked.
“Aren’t you going to let mama know that you’re no longer married?”. I asked.
“Regina, if you don’t want me here, just go ahead, and tell me. Stop beating about the bush”. She sighed.
I stood up, and adjusted my nightgown.
“I’m only advising you”. I said, and left.
The next morning, being the agreed day I and the kidnapers were going to meet, Oliver called that he was bringing his own part of the ransom. I gave him the direction.
That guy is just the best.
Thirty minutes after I sent the address, called again.
“I’m at the gate”. He said.
I went outside, and standing in the middle of the compound on bare foot, I called out to Oliver to open the gate for our guest.
I watched him drive in, as I directed him on the best place to park.
“Welcome. I hugged him as soon as he stepped down from the steering.
…Thank you so much for coming through for me”. I added
He gave me a peck on the cheek.
“Blood of Jesus!”. Eric exclaimed from behind… I didn’t even know he was there
I turned around sharply.
“What?”. I asked.
He shook his head.
“Who is he?”. Oliver asked.
“My gateman… I replied, clinging to him.
….. let’s go in”. I said.
“Let me get the money”. He said, and went to the other side of the car.
Eric tried to hold my hand, but I snatched it away from him.
“Are you m@d?”. I asked.
“I wan tell you something”. He whispered, fretfully.
“That you want to resign, right?. I know, I’m working on it”. I said.
“No, no be that one”. He said.
“Babe?”. Oliver called from the other side.
“I’m not in for your nonsense this morning”. I said to Eric, and ran along to catch up with Oliver.
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