LOVE AND LIES
TWELVE
Kola sat in his office rocking his armchair. He would sigh and shake his head, hissing intermittently. He was worried. What Nkiru said about her job and marriage had really disturbed him. The last time he went through Nkiru’s mails, what he saw was disheartening. He had decided to keep it to himself. A man called Nonso was sending her series of love messages. May be losing her job could have been the height of it all borne out of their romance. Kola thought. But Nkiru had been a faithful wife on the contrary. He sighed.
His office had an air-condition humming with great life beside the window that had a roll of curtains. A refrigerator stood a meter away with a few cup in a tray above it. A rectangular table took the centre with a pile of books. He had his laptop beaming with life at the centre. Kola was dressed in a white shirt he had rolled the sleeves over a black striped trousers.
Dave his business partner walked in after he had gently creaked the door open. He was a man in his late thirties. He was of average height, dark-complexioned with an oval face and a well- trimmed hair cut. He had a set of teeth that had often attracted anyone when he laughed.
“Kola what is happening now? You haven’t made the transaction. You know we don’t have time to waste.” Dave complained with a frown which later turned into a grimace of assessment.
“I will do it Dave.” Kola sighed in frustration. ” Before today runs out. I will.” he added.
“What is the problem with you guy? You look really worried.”
“My wife lost her job!” Kola said with a voice that had an edge of frustration.
“Really! That’s bad! What happened?”
“She told me the bank needed to get rid of a few staff. I didn’t believe her.”
“But her bank is doing well.” Dave put in.
“Yes that’s why I didn’t believe her story. The last I went through her mails what I saw was terrible. A man was professing love to her and she never told me about it.” Kola spat out in utter regret.
“Did you ask her?” Dave asked. He settled into a seat.
“I didn’t. I didn’t want her to believe I am going through her stuff. ”
“Hmm. This is serious. You feel she is cheating on you?”
“What else am I supposed to think?”
“Women of these days! ” Dave sighed “Don’t be so quick to conclude. It could be one of those useless men that go around chasing and flirting with other people’s wives.”
“How come she lost her job if she has no skeleton in her cupboard. I think they flirted against some bank regulations.” Kola concluded.
“You are thinking too much Kola. It couldn’t all be like that. I think when you get home you will need to sit her down and ask her what truly happened.”
“I asked her instead she flared up. She said she owed me no explanation.”
“I think she might still be hysterical since she just lost her job. You will need to ask her when she is in a good mood.”
Kola sighed and sat back. Dave left few minutes later. Kola made himself a cup of tea and sipped it with relish, winking his eye lashes in thought. An hour later he took his car keys and left. He signalled to Dave he was going home. Dave began to laugh at him. He was probably being paid back with his own coin. He had also had a child outside wedlock. One would always reap from where one had sown. Dave thought, shaking his head.
Kola drove into the compound. He came down from the car with a heavy heart. He never knew infidelity could hurt like this. How would Nkiru feel if she finds out he has a son? He thought. But he felt Nkiru had a lot to answer concerning the lost of her job. He trudged in and heard a ransack in the kitchen. He went there and found Nkiru.
“Hey.” Kola called out after he had pushed the door open.
“Welcome” Nkiru said without looking back. Kola came closer to her.
“We have a lot to talk about.”
“Talk about what?”
“Your job”
“You read the sack letter. What else do you want to know?”
“There is something you are not telling me.”
“Like what Kola?”
“Like your relationship with a man called Nonso.”
“I owe you no explanation Kola.” Nkiru became embittered again.
“You do. I have read series of messages of how you flirt with that Nonso. You bank prostitute!” Kola barked. “You better talk! You need to start explaining”
” Me bank prostitute?” Nkiru was red with anger.”Look at this bastard I made a man! You have no shame Kola. Were you not just a youth corper I made a man? I sold my car and gave you all I have got. You are a fool. May God punish you for calling me a bank prostitute.”
“If you dare call me a bastard again I will beat the very day light out of you.” Kola raged.
“Try it, if I don’t bite out that thing between your legs then you will know I am not a woman.” Nkiru countered fiercely.
Kola stormed into the room angrily with heavy footsteps. He was breathing heavily. He threw himself into the bed and began to think what he could do. Something told him he had to take it easy. He picked his phone and called his mum. He told her he was going to end her marriage with Nkiru. He shouted and complained bitterly on phone that Nkiru could hear him from the Kitchen.
Nkiru shook his head momentarily in regret as Kola barked and complained from the phone. She put off the gas after she was done with her cooking and took her food to the living room. She stretched herself out on the couch as she ate. She was still brooding in regret as she pieced the toast bread she made into her mouth. The voices and actions on TV made no meaning to her.
“Why can’t you just explain everything to him? He is your husband and he is supposed to be your best friend and your confidant.” A thought questioned her.
Nkiru began to cry. She dried her tears with her clothes.
“And when he is angry just be silent.” A tiny voice spoke to her.
” I am sorry lord.” Nkiru cried.
“Silence is like a fence built around wisdom.” The tiny voice began speaking softly again to her. “You can’t say you are wise if you are not quiet sometimes. You just listen and allow him talk. It is not that you are a fool but because you have understood the deep things of God through it. It gives your heart and your home peace which matters a lot. Anger does not yield anything good. It only allows you to burn and ungird your tongue and the end of it all is regret. So you need to go him and tell him you are sorry and patiently explain everything to him.”
Nkiru got up and capered up to the room. She found Kola going through her bags. She became angry again
“Why are you searching my bags?” Nkiru asked with a voice choked with tears.
“I remain the head of this house. You hear! I need to see whatever you have been hiding. Nonsense! You called me a bastard! Eeh!! me bastard! I don’t blame you. You made me a man with the money you made from adultery. Nonsense!” Kola barked angrily.
Nkiru walked away. She refused to say a word to him, not in this situation. She got back into the couch and cried. She cried till dusk.
To be continued…..
ยฉ Emmanuel Erondu, 2019
