Episode 18
Husband Material👞
I shook my head. Eric cannot just do one good deed without spoiling everything the next minute with his silly character.
“You see the reason I don’t like talking with you?. You’re not serious at all”. I sighed.
“I no understand. You ask person question, em answer, you just dey vibrate anyhow”. He said.
“Eric, you’re talking to your boss. What kind of an employee are you?”. I had to remind him.
“Oh! sorry, madam.I don almost forget”. He exclaimed.
It was four days before I finally got back on my feet again, and resumed work. During those days, Rita had been in my house once with her daughter.
She said she heard everything Diana did, and also swore that she was never involved in that plan.
“Now, you will agree with me that men are the same, all over the world. You just cannot find a different man anywhere. They target one out of the two options👉 Your money or your body”. She advised.
On Saturday, Alicia followed me to the salon. So on our way home in the evening, we decided to do some shopping in a mall, and there, we ran into Stella’s husband.
I noticed the discomfort in his behavior, and I guessed he was aware of what Stella did.
“Good evening, Regina”. He greeted.
“Good evening Jude”. I replied.
As I looked closely, I noticed a mark of female lipstick plastered on the breast side of his white shirt.
“The thing is, my wife. I was preparing to come for her this evening after shopping”. He began.
“What do you mean?”. I asked.
“My wife and my son, are they not at your place?”. He asked.
“Wait, are you saying that Stella has not come back to the house?”. I was alarmed.
“Wait, has she left yours?”. He asked.
Alicia hissed quietly.
“Aunt, are you going to keep ignoring the map of lipstick on his breast?”. she whispered to me.
“By the way, why do you have this lipstick on your chest?”. I asked.
That must have been when he noticed it.
“It must be from one pregnant woman I gave a lift on my way here”. He said, trying in vain to wipe it off with his handkerchief.
Alicia chuckled.
“A pregnant woman was kissing your breast?”. I asked.
“No, her baby did….like a pregnant woman with a baby”. He continued explaining.
“This man is such a bad liar”. I heard Alicia muttered from behind me.
Just then a young girl, looking same age as Alicia, pushed out with a trolley loaded to the brim with groceries. She stood a distance away from us, looking around nervously. It didn’t take a second to notice the similarity between the lipstick on her lips and the one on Jude’s shirt.
He tried to hide his face, but she found him, and came closer, leaving the trolley behind.
“Sweetie, I have been looking everywhere for you”. She said, sliding her hand under his armpit, and leading him away…. she seemed not to notice us.
“Are we going to just let them go?”. Alicia asked angrily.
“What were we supposed to do?”. I asked.
“Let’s beat that girl”. She suggested.
“With which strength?. Look, we’re here to shop. Now, pick up that basket, and let’s get to business”. I instructed.
“Aunt Rita may be right oo. There is no different man anywhere”. She observed.
But my mind wasn’t at peace. It wasn’t certain whether Jude was saying the truth about Stella or he was only trying to confuse me.
So after mass in the morning, we drove down to their house.
The protector was unlocked, so we opened it and got into the veranda. The main door opened almost immediately, and same girl at the mall the previous night showed her face. She was tying a pink towel round her chest.
Alicia and I exchanged glances.
“Who are you, and what are you doing here?”. I asked
“Excuse you!. You’re in my house”. She answered.
“Imagine this girl oo”. Alicia exclaimed.
“Where is Jude?”. I asked.
“Who are you?”. She asked.
Just then, Jude stepped out with just boxers on.
“Nneka, what are you doing?”. He asked.
“Who is this girl?”. I asked.
“Who is this old cargo?”. The girl asked.
Before I could say anything to her. Alicia gave her a thunderous slap that sent her towel flying out of her to the floor….she wasn’t wearing anything under.
As she bent over to pick the towel, Alicia dragged her back, and pushed her out of the open protector, and shut it before she could hold herself… I wonder where she got such strength from.
“This will teach you to disrespect people”. She warned her.
The girl curled at the door crying, and pleading with us.
“Aunt, please, don’t do this to me, people are outside, don’t let them see me like this”. She cried.
“Do you not know that this man is married?”. I asked.
“Married kwa?”. She looked surprised.
“Like you didn’t see his wedding picture hanging inside the living room?”. I asked.
“Wedding picture?. I swear I didn’t see any of such”. She begged.
“You’re still lying?”. Alicia asked.
“I’m not lying”. She cried.
“It’s okay. Since you’re not aware, I will educate you. This man here is married to my sister, and they have a son together”. I said.
She nodded.
“Someone is coming, please, let me in”. She pleaded.
I threw the towel at her.
“Aunt why?”. Alicia asked.
“Let her have it. Now you, start going”. I commanded.
“Like this!”. She was standing now, with the towel around her once again.
…. Please, let me get my clothes inside. I promise never to show my face in this house again”. She promised.
“Which cloth?, it’s like you want me to take that towel from you”. Alicia was saying, as she stretched out her hand through the protector to get hold of the towel.
The girl jumped out of the way.
“Now, leave!”. I repeated.
She turned, and started walking away, looking back at interval.
Throughout the drama, Jude just stood there, watching us without moving. After the girl left, he started explaining.
‘I have been telling that girl to…”. He began
“Enough!. I screamed.
He stopped.
…Where is my sister?”. I asked.
“She is not in your house?”. He asked.
“Where is Stella?”. I was getting really scared right now.
“I thought she came to your house”. He maintained.
Where could she be?. I wondered.
Just then, my phone rang. It was a call from one of my uncles in the village.
“Hello Regina”. He said.
“Good morning, uncle”. I greeted.
“Where are you, my daughter?”. He asked.
“I’m in the city, hope no problems?. I asked.
” You need to come back home. Your mother is very sick”. He announced.
I dropped the call, and opened the burglary immediately.
“Let’s get out of here!”. I screamed at Alicia.
I drove recklessly all the way home.
“Aunt, calm down and drive”. Alicia was saying.
“My mother is sick”. I explained.
When we got to the house, I picked up my stuff, was running down the stairs when Divine called.
“Sister, please, help me”. She cried.
“What is wrong with you?”. I asked.
“My husband is big trouble.They want to take him to jail”. She cried.
I was going to feel sorry before I remembered that her husband was Dennis/Stanley.
“But that is where he belongs”. I said.
“Sister, please, don’t do this to us”. She continued pleading.
“Please, I’m very busy right now. Mama is sick, I need to take her to the hospital first. Tell Dennis that I said he should rot in jail”. I said, and ended the call.
When I got outside, I found Eric standing in front of the car, dressed in same attire I gave to him on the day we attended Divine’s traditional marriage.
“Eric, where are you going?”. I asked
“You dey go village, right?. I wan be your driver”. He said.
“Alicia told you that?, I know. But did she also tell you I’m not capable of driving anymore”. I asked.
“Make I drive you today, you don too see shege, make you no go dey jam people for main road oo”. He continued.
I guess right. Alicia had also told him how I almost ran into a transformer on our way home.
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Typing 19….
Eric is in love with his boss