(…continued…)
The
call came again and she picked. She made sure to sound unwell. He asked how she
was doing and asked why she was sounding the way she was. She told him she was
not feeling too well. He asked where she was and she told him she was about
leaving the office. He offered to come pick her up but she told him she
couldn’t wait. He told her he would check on her when she got home. She agreed
and he hung up the phone.
“Who was that?”
Ephraim asked her, standing in her blind spot.
She
was backing the office so she did not see him come out. She didn’t know he was standing
behind her so his question took her by surprise.
“I didn’t see
you coming out?” she asked him
“Is he coming to
pick you?” Ephraim asked again, looking sternly at her.
“Who are you
talking about?”
“The man who you
were speaking with.”
“No.”
He
sounded a bit harsh so Mabel wondered why he sounded that way. He seemed to
know what she was thinking and changed his countenance.
“Can we go now?”
he asked nicely and walked towards his car.
Mabel
stood for a while and followed him. He opened his car, they entered and he
drove out.
“Sorry about the
way I sounded,” he said as he drove.
“What were you
thinking?” Mabel asked. “Questioning me like you are my father.”
“I am just
concerned about you, that’s all.”
“Don’t you think
I am responsible for my private life?”
“Sorry about that.”
“Even my
boyfriend will not talk to me like that.”
When
she said ‘boyfriend’, Ephraim coughed.
“There it is,”
Mabel said and burst into laughter.
“What?”
“Acting like my
boyfriend.”
“What do you
mean?”
“I said
‘boyfriend’ on purpose so I will know your reaction.”
Ephraim
looked at her and smiled in an embarrassed way.
“I always had
feelings for you since I was transferred to this office,” he said.
“But you kept it
to yourself.”
“Because you
have always been with Segun.”
“Okay.”
“Still that
doesn’t give me any right to talk to you the way I did. It was highly
disrespectful.”
“It’s okay.”
They
were quiet for a while. It was Mabel who broke the silence.
“How can you be
having feelings for me when you are about getting married?”
“I don’t know.
Can we not talk about that right now?”
“Ok.”
“You should be
more concerned about people in the office who want you out.”
“Really? Why?”
“They are
jealous.”
“Tell me what is
going on.”
Ephraim
went ahead to tell her some things that some people had said and done in her
back, but he made sure not to give her clue as to who they were. When he was
through talking, Mabel was quiet for a while.
“Who are those
behind this?” she asked.
“You expect me
to tell you that?”
“I need to know
who my enemies are.”
“It will be
wrong for me to tell you. You don’t have anything to be afraid of as long as I
am still working here. I gat your back.” Ephraim said.
“Thanks. You
said they are angry with the way Mrs. Biodun treats you?”
“Yes. To them it
looks like partial treatment.”
“And they are
not seeing how hard I work each day I come here.”
“There is
nothing you will do to please all the people all the time.”
“Is well o.”
Mabel
was visibly shaken by the revelation.
“I did not tell
you this for you to bother yourself. I told you so you will be a little more
careful.”
“Careful how?”
“Don’t leave
documents lying anyhow. Conclude every assignment you are given before you hand
over.”
“Ok. Thanks a
lot.”
As
he drove her home, whenever they pass any mall or mini market, he would ask her
whether she wanted anything. She always declined politely. From time to time,
he tried to make conversation but she just summarized her response.
“You are going
to your place right?” he asked when he got to that junction.
“No. My mother’s
place.”
He
took the turn and headed towards her mother’s place. As he got closer, Mabel’s
phone began to ring. It was Ejike. She exhaled and picked the call. He told her
he was in her house and asked where she was. She told him she was close by.
When she dropped the call, from the tail of her eye, she saw that Ephraim’s
countenance had changed again.
“What is it?”
she asked him.
He
looked at her, looked away and said, “Nothing is wrong. I am just thinking.”
“Ok.”
When
they got to the entrance of their house, she saw Ejike’s car. He was sitting
inside it. She told Ephraim where to park along the road. He did.
“Thank you so
much for bringing me back,” Mabel said as she came down.
“You are
welcome,” he said. “Is he the one?”
“Yes he is,”
Mabel said, laughing.
She
opened the car and came out and said, “Not as if my private life concerns
anybody but as a friend and colleague that you are, I will tell you who he is.
He is my family friend.”
“Don’t mind me
jare. I am lost in so much thought right now.”
“What are you
thinking?”
“Not as if my
private life concerns you, but as a friend and colleague, I will tell you. You
may not know what it feels like for someone you don’t have feelings for to be
forced on you.”
“Aww. What
happened?”
“That is story
for another day. Your family friend is waiting for you.”
“Whatever be the
case, it can be sorted out.”
“Having feelings
for someone who has feelings for someone else is not a good situation to be in.”
Mabel
didn’t know what to say again. She knew where his talk was headed so she just kept
quiet.
“Let me not keep
you waiting,” he said. “Have a nice weekend.”
“Thank you,” she
replied. “See you on Monday.”
She
stepped back and Ephraim sped off. She stood for a while watching his car
recede into the distance. She moved towards Ejike’s car and met Chuka coming
out of the compound with a part of his face a bit swollen.
“Ah ah, Chuka,”
she called him.
“Mabel welcome,”
he said.
“Your face is
swollen o.”
“I know. I have
taken drugs.”
“Have you seen
your wife today?”
“Yes I have. I
just left her now. Let me buy something for her.”
“Haba. She asked
you to buy something for her?”
“No o. She casually
said she wanted to take cold soft drink and biscuit.”
“So she said you
should buy it for her?”
“No. She doesn’t
know I went to buy it.”
“Because I know
she will not allow you use your money to buy it, especially with the way you
are looking.”
“That’s what we
do for love.” He stressed the ‘love’.
“I can imagine. What
will you tell people when they ask you what happened to you?”
“Who doesn’t
fight? It is a normal thing.”
“So you will
tell them you fought.”
“Yes but I will
not tell them why and where.
“Just tell them
task force people beat you.”
“Task force beat
a whole me? That is an insult on my person na.”
“Ok o. Tell them
what you will.”
“Don’t worry
about what I tell those who ask.”
He walked away from her.
“Don’t fight
again o,” she said as he walked away.
He looked
at her and laughed.
All
the while, Ejike sat in his car pressing his phone and looking at her from his
rear view mirror. When he saw Chuka leave Mabel, he came down from the car.
Mabel smiled and went towards him. She brought out her hand to shake him but he
moved faster than the hand and hugged both her and her handbag.
(…to be continued…)
-©2015.Chinedu Isaac
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