FED UP

(...continued...)

                He dialed the gate man who answered and said he was washing in the backyard. He ordered him to run and come. Moments later, the gate man ran into the sitting room, smelling of booze. They all covered their nose.

  “What did you say you were doing at the backyard?” he asked the gateman.

  “Washing sir,” he replied a bit scared.

  “You were drinking and you said you were washing.”

  “Am sorry sir.”

  “Let this not happen again.”

  “Yes sir.”

  “Will you go and put on the generator!”

  “Yes sir.”

                He ran out.

  “All these men from the village,” Mrs Biodun said. “They think alcohol is everything.”

  “This man is an addict,” her husband added.

  “Why not fire him,” Mabel suggested. “It is risky to have a drunk as a security man.”

  “He is from my husband’s family,” Mrs Biodun said and laughed. “We are trying to help him.”

  “Was it not you that asked him to stay?” Her husband said laughing.

                The generator came on.

  “Let me leave you two,” he said to them. “By the way, have you given your friend anything to take?” he asked Mrs Biodun.

  “She is doing shakara.”

  “Ok o. Let me check the kids before they spoil something.”

  “Ok dear.”

                He went into the room after the kids.

  “Ma I think I should be leaving so you can resume your family duties,” Mabel said.

  “Ok dear. But you are yet to tell me what really happened.”

  “What Glory told you is what happened.”

  “The summary of what I know is that Kemi took Segun from you. is that it?”

  “That is what happened but let me add some flesh to it.”

                Mabel told her everything in brief. In less than five minutes she was done.

  “It is well,” Mrs Biodun said when she was done. “So what do you plan doing about it?”

  “Go on with my life,” Mabel replied.

  “You don’t want to confront him?”

  “No. It is not necessary.”

  “But you still have feelings for him.”

  “Yes I do, but I can’t keep getting hurt.”

  “I understand how you feel. I have been there before.”

  “So how did you handle it?”

  “I will tell you when you come to work. Let me not keep you here longer than you should.”

  “Ok ma.”

                Mabel got her things together and stood up.

  “Hold on a little,” Mrs Biodun said and went into the room. She soon came out with something in her hand.

  “I hope that is not what I think it is,” Mabel said. “You don’t have to bother yourself.”

  “It’s nothing.”

                Mrs Biodun tried squeezing some money into her hand but she refused taking it. She forced it into the drug bag.

  “At least, for your sister.”

  “Ok ma. Thanks a lot.”

  “My husband said you should take care of yourself.”

  “Ok ma.”

                They went outside. It was dark.

  “Time has gone o,” Mrs Biodun said.

  “Not really,” Mabel said. “We are in shorter days and longer nights.”

  “Really. I don’t follow all those things.”

  “You don’t surf the internet.”

  “My dear. I don’t have that time o.”

  “You  have to. It is important.”

  “Important for people like you. When you add family to your work, you will know how far.”

                They laughed.

  “How will you go now?”

  “I will just pick a drop.”

  “If not that I don’t drive at night, I would have dropped you off.”

  “No problem.”

                Mrs Biodun called the gate man to open the gate.

  “Stand with am for main road make she enter drop,” she told him.

  “Yes madam.”

  “Thank you so much ma,” Mabel told her.

  “You are welcome,” Mrs Biodun replied and gave Mabel a hug. “I will expect you the day after tomorrow.”

  “Ok.”

                Mabel left. She got to the main road and waited.

  “Madam wait make I find moto for you,” the gate man said. “You no fit trust all these people for night.”

  “Ok. thank you”

                They stood for a while. The man will see empty tricycles, stop them, look at the driver for a while and tell him to go. They cursed him as they left. Mabel didn't know whether to laugh or get angry.

  “Oga stop one na,” she told him.

  “I dey look their face o. Make you no enter one chance.”

  “Oya stop this one wey dey come.”

                He stopped it and looked at the driver for a while without saying a word.

  “Wetin you dey look?” the man asked him angrily.

                Mabel interrupted when she saw that it was an elderly man. She told the man where she was going.

  “Madam na for your own good o,” the gateman said. “You for wait make I scope this man.”

  “Go scope your papa,” the keke driver said.

  “No worry,” Mabel said. “I no be J.J.C”

                Mabel beat price with the man and entered. She waved at the gateman.

  “Anything for the boys?” he said.

  “No. Another time.”

                She tapped the keke driver and he drove off.

(...to be continued...)

-Chinedu Isaac