Episode 12
THE UNDERCOVER🎭
After I was done speaking with him, and was about to go into the house, I overheard Samuel release a faint sigh which was followed by a murmur. Though his words were barely audibly, I caught a phrase that sounded like👇
“With that your 200 hundred naira?. Dey play”
I stopped moving and turned to take a look at him. He was staring into space…he wasn’t even aware that I was still standing there.
“Did you say anything?”. I asked.
He was startled at first, but he composed himself.
“No. I, I was. I was only talking to myself”. He stammered.
I didn’t argue with him because what I heard wasn’t certain though. So I proceeded to go inside.
Madam Mary, Stella and Celina were in the living room with the twins. While the old woman fed the kids, Stella was sitting on top of the table, eating from a pack of chips. Celina on the other hand, was sitting on the couch with her eyes glued to her phone.
Madam Mary was the first to notice me when I entered; she cleared her throat and smiled.
“Welcome home, sir”. Madam Mary greeted.
It was only then did Celina and Stella take notice of my presence. Celina looked up and smiled at me.
“Uncle, welcome”. She greeted me.
“Welcome oh”. Stella greeted me without looking up.
Although, I was trying the best I could to avoid making a meaning out of the dining table encounter the previous day, I have noticed that Stella has been avoiding eye contact with me ever since.
I only nodded to their greetings. Then dropped my bag on the center table and played with the kids for some minutes before going upstairs.
I was expecting to see Judith in the bedroom since she was not with the others in the living room, but she wasn’t there either. Neither was she in the bathroom.
I was surprised, but not worried because, as far as I was concerned, her absence means peace of mind.
I quickly got into the bathtub and took a cold shower. Once I was out of the bathroom, I put on my pajamas and lay down to rest…. I had a very busy day. No sooner had I laid down than the bedroom door opened. I turned around to see who it was and saw Judith standing in the doorway, staring at me angrily. I returned the stare.
She walked in quietly, closed the door behind her, and that was when I saw her clearly; she wore an unfamiliar, very short, tight black gown that revealed all her cleavage.
I sat up instantly to confront her. The fact that we weren’t on speaking terms shouldn’t give her the right to go out dressed like a hãrl0t.
Before I could utter a word, she was already yelling at me.
“Just look. Look at the man I married. Oh Patrick, do you know that you’re a very w¡cked man?”. She began. She put her bag down on the bed.
“What have I done this time?”. I asked..
“What have you done?. Seriously?. You don’t know what you did?”. She
“I honestly do not know what I have done”. I answered.
“So you came back and didn’t see your wife at home, you weren’t even worried. You just lie down here. Like you’re happy that I’m not home?”. I asked.
I picked up my phone from the bed.
“I was about to call you before you entered”. I lied.
“Please, stop the lie. This story belongs to Joy Ifunanya. I’m not a kid”. She said.
“I’m sorry. But where did you go?”. I finally asked
She released a loud sigh, picked up her bag and walked down to the dressing table. She flung her wig and began to remove her jewelry.
“Where are you coming from dressed like that?”. I repeated the question.
Yet she didn’t answer. She went ahead to remove her clothes. I repeated the question two more times before she turned to face me.
“Patrick, please, I had a stressful day. Don’t come and add to my anger tonight”. She warned me. And with that, she disappeared into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.
When she came out from the bathroom much later, she went straight to bed.
During breakfast again the next morning, I caught Madam Mary stealing glances at me, but as usual, she looked away immediately and our eyes met. Now, that got me really worried.
Why is she always looking at me while I’m not looking? And why do I feel betrayed by those stares?. I wondered.
Before I returned from work that day, I made up my mind to forget Samuel and exercise my detective skills.
I don’t have to continue living in fear in my own house.
So later that night, when it seemed everyone had gone to sleep, I picked a hammer from the wardrobe and sneaked out of the bedroom. I walked quietly through the long corridor. But when I got to the entrance door, I opened it and banged it loudly to alert the said spy.
When I got outside, I hid myself in the garage and waited patiently for the person.
About 20 minutes later, I heard the door click. I positioned myself in a way I was going to see whoever it’s clearly once they step into the veranda. But then, whoever was the spy was smart enough to turn off the lights before stepping out.
A figure came into view, though its identity wasn’t clear While I attempted to clarify who it was in the darkness, my phone rang unexpectedly.
Mêss up!.
The movement stopped abruptly. The next second, the door opened again and the figure disappeared within, banging the door as it did. I followed behind.
“I’m not going to miss you again tonight”. I muttered under my breath.
I ran into the living room, knocking almost falling over. My heart leaped with joy when I saw Samuel sitting on the floor with his books. I smiled to myself.
“Nna, you saw the person, right?”. I asked, panting heavily.
“Which person?”. He frowned.
“The person that ran past here now?”. I asked.
He shook his head.
“Nobody ran past here”. He said.
“Samuel, someone ran past here right now”. I said, raising my voice a little.
“But I didn’t see anyone”. He insisted.
I moved back to take another look at him. I sensed conspiracy.
Just then, my mind raced down to the first encounter I had with the stalker. I could have sworn I heard footsteps and door slamming, but Samuel, who was reading in the living that night, had denied seeing anyone.
Again, the other day when I was asking about the progress of the mission. In his words to me, he said he was going to make sure he fished ‘’them” out.
What does he mean by ‘’them?. And why would he use the word if he wasn’t familiar with the stalker before now?.
Wait a minute…He even demanded money in order to carry out this assignment. What about? What if he has been collecting money from the real spy?.
He seemed uncomfortable with the way I was staring at him so he stood up, packed his reading materials and started going inside…
