Episode 17
Husband Material ๐
The DPO took the phone from my hand, and viewed it.
“Who is this?”. He asked.
“My friend”. I muttered, absentmindedly.
“Lead my men to her immediately”. He said, handing the phone back.
It’s hard to believe that Diana was the brain behind everything, infact she was actually the last on my suspect list, because like I said earlier, she was my favorite of the four.
“She should be at her shop”. I had told them.
But the shop was locked when we got there.
I led the way back to her house. We knocked continuously for more than two minutes before a neighbor popped out his head from the next window
“That lady is not around oo”. He said.
“Where did she go to?”. I asked.
“I don’t know, she left yesterday evening”. He replied.
That was when I realized that she was the only one out out of the four that hasn’t checked up on me that day.
I dialed her line, but it was switched off.
It was already late, so the police requested that I dropped the address of the other three girls with them, as we parted way.
When I got home, I narrated everything to Alicia.
“Well, I am not surprised”. She said.
“How do you mean?”. I asked.
“Has she not been the one bringing up crazy suggestions that always land you into trouble?”. She replied.
Charity called me again that night, but I was too scared to take her calls.
Who knows if Diana was alone in this?. I thought.
Sleep was very far away from my eyes that night, as I went through my photos with my friends.
Diana, always smiling..who could have imagined she can hurt a fly?.
It was 3am before I finally forced myself to sleep.
I was awoken in the morning by a knock at the door.
“Aunt, are you still in there?”. That was Alicia.
Please, leave!”. I shouted at her.
I checked my time, it was 8:15.
I didn’t leave the room until the police called around 5pm.
“Come to the station, we have her”. They said.
Though I was very tired from crying in bed all day, but I also longed to see Diana’s face. I needed to know why she did what she did.
So I dragged myself up from the bed, got into the bathroom to freshen up before I left for the police station.
Unlike Oliver, she was looking directly into my eyes with so much hatred.
“Why?. Why did you do it?”. I asked after some minutes of silence.
“Because I hate you”. She replied abruptly.
“Why?”. What have I ever done to you?”. I asked.
“What have you ever done or what have you never done?. Regina, you have hurt me so much. You are so full of yourself, and make people around you feel they are not doing enough”. She began.
“How do you mean?”. I was confused.
“Oh!, please, don’t pretend like you don’t know what I’m talking about”. She said.
“Ofcourse I don’t have a clue of what you’re talking about”. I was getting more confused.
“Just look at you, Regina. You bought yourself a house, four cars in a space of two years, you build another one in the village, bought another car for your mother… doing a lot of other investments…. and you’re hear saying you don’t understand what I’m saying”. She continued.
“Is it now a crime to be successful?”. I asked.
“It is a crime to be flaunting your achievements at the faces of others who are less successful”. She asked.
“Me?”. I asked.
“Yes. You act like you’re the only serious person amongst the five of us. You’re so rich yet very stingy. Even to the extent that it was very hard for you to put together ordinary 10million naira to release the one you claimed to love most”. She accused
“Ah ah! Diana. So you have been jealous!”. I exclaimed.
“Yes!. And that was why I brought that stup!d Stanley to come and seduce you, because I knew you would definitely fall for it”. She blurted out.
“Wait, you also set me up with Dennis, you were the one that brought that fraudster to the house?”. I was alarmed.
“Yes. I brought him with all the other guys. But he played me too. She continued.
Everything was beginning to make sense at that moment. .
…. I didn’t know he has other plans. Then, I met Solomon. He followed you for days before he finally got the chance to talk to you.. and you fell for him too”. She smiled
“So that was why you slapped Dennis?”. I asked.
“Wait, were you thinking it’s because I was fighting for you?. She smiled.
…. You’re such a f00l, Regina!. I was actually venting my anger. I was betrayed too”. She continued.
I couldn’t believe my hearings, and the fact that she wasn’t even felling remorseful made it more painful.
I threw my purse at her, and she retaliated by spitting at my face.
I wiped off her spittle with my handkerchief which I threw away after use.
“This is where evil people like you belong, and I will do everything within my power to ensure you rot here!”. I said, as I picked up my purse to leave.
“Do your worst, Regina!”. I could still hear her voice from behind
I cried throughout the drive from the station to my house. Even when I drove into the compound, I still didn’t stop. With my head bent over the steering, I sobbed silently.
After some minutes, I heard a gentle tap on the window.
I looked up, and saw Eric peeping Into the car.
I rolled out a tissue paper, wiped my tears before winding down the glass.
“What is it?”. I asked, trying to appear calm.
“You no wan come down again?”. He asked.
“How is that your busi..ness?”. My voice gave me out as fresh line of tears started streaming down my cheeks.
“wetin happen again?”. He asked.
I dried the tears again, and stepped down from the car.
“Nothing”. I replied as I walked passed him.
I knocked twice at the door before Alicia opened.
“You’re not taking your calls”. She asked.
I just ignored her, and went in.
I went straight to the wine bar, picked a bottle and started drinking direct from it.
Alicia walked back from closing the door.
“How did it go?. She asked, sitting on the stool beside me.
I took my bottle to the dining room, and sat down there.
After waiting for almost five minutes without getting a response from me, she stood up, and walked to the dining.
……. Your other friends have been calling me all day”. She added.
I dropped the bottle noisily on the table, and faced her.
“Point of correction, I have no friend, you hear that. I warned.
I could see the fear in her eyes. She stared at me for a sec before she went to the living room.
….. If anyone asks for me, just tell them I’m not available at the moment, infact I travelled”. I added as she kept staring at me from the living room.
When she realized I was actually determined to finish the liquor in one sitting, she started pleading with me to drop the bottle.
“You’re drinking too much alcohol, and it’s not good for your system”. She said.
“Who are you to tell me what to do?”. I yelled at her.
“Now the drink is getting into your head”. She moved forward to snatch it from my hand, but I held it so tight.
After struggling fruitlessly, she ran out to get help.
Some minutes later, she entered with Eric.
Before I knew it, the bottle was out of my hand.
“How dare you?”. I yelled at him, tearfully.
“You wan k!ll yourself?”. He asked.
“What do you know?. Have you ever been betrayed by friends and loved ones?”. I screamed at him.
“Na why you wan k!ll yourself be that?, na you be the first person wey dey betray?”.He asked.
“Do you know what they did to me?”. I hummed.
“Wetin dem do you wey dem never do person?”. He asked.
“Do you not know that my friend, my best friend set me up with fraudster, and when that one didn’t favor her, she plotted Alicia’s kidnap. As if that was not enough, my own sister ran away with the supposed ransom”. I continued.
I expected a show of pity from him, but instead he just hummed.
“Wetin come happen after that?”. He asked.
“Is that all you have to say?. I shook my head.
… I don’t blame you. Give me back my drink!”. I yelled at him.
“That means if na you be the man wey em girlfriend and em lover kidnap, you go drink acid be that”. He sighed.
“I’m not interested in that super story, just give me back the only thing I can trust now. Give me back my drink!”. I said
“No”.; He replied.
I reached out for another bottle from the shelves but he overtook me, and locked the shelf instead.
“In my own house?”. I wondered.
He pocketed the key as I stood there staring at him in disbelief.
“You See the two of you?, I don’t want to ever set my eyes on you.
…You(Alicia), go back to your father, and you(Eric), go back to wherever you came from”. I warned them before stumbling my way upstairs.
I cried myself to sleep.
When I woke up the next morning, everything I did started playing before me.I felt sorry for myself.
Just then Alicia entered.
Thanks goodness she didn’t leave!.
“Good morning, aunt”. She greeted, happily.
“Good morning”. I said.
“Hope you’re better now”. She asked, as she started narrating everything that happened that night, with me pretending not to remember a thing.
” I did all these?”. I asked.
She nodded.
“I think you owe oga Eric a gratitude. It was him who saved you”. She said.
It was in the evening time that I had the strength to go down.
Eric was sitting in front of his cabin when I came out.
“Thank you for last night. Alicia told me everything that happened”. I began.
“I just dey do my job”. He smiled.
“There is something I want to ask you, no lie give me oo”. I pleaded.
“I swear to God”. He said.
“Look at me..just take a very good look at me.Am I not beautiful?”. I asked.
“Who talk say you no fine?. You over fine sef”. He asked.
“Are you sure?”. I asked.
“You wan make I swear?”. He asked.
“No, it’s okay. Just that I wonder why no man is seeking my attention?”. I asked.
“You sure say nobody dey look for your attention?”. He asked.
“Nobody at all”. I replied, with all seriousness.
“Even the person wey you dey talk to now?”. He asked.
My countenance changed instantly.
Has this guy gone crazy?.
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#Story from Joy Ifunanya
