BIRTHDAY WISHES: DINMA UCHE

Happy Birthday to a friend, a WTI reader and follower; Dinma Uche. We pray this new season of your life will bring the fulfilment of all your heart yearns for. You will walk in purpose. Have a wonderful celebration. Cheers!


With love,
WTI Team

[more pix after the cut...]

 

FED UP

(…continued…) 

                Mabel went upstairs while Mama Risi went back inside, clutching the money and smiling.  Mabel met Cynthia struggling to open the door.

  “Why is your door hard to open?” Cynthia asked Mabel when she came to her.

  “It is usually not difficult to open,” Mabel replied. “Are you sure you are opening it the right way?”

  “This is not the first time I have opened your door.”

  “Let me try it.”

                Cynthia stepped back and Mabel tried to open it. It was hard.

  “Ah ah, why is the door refusing to open?”

  “Did someone try opening it by force?”

  “Maybe o.”

  “Let me ask mama Risi.”

                Cynthia went down while Mabel kept trying the door. Cynthia soon came back with Mama Risi behind her.

  “What happened to the door?” she asked Mabel.

  “It refused to open o,” Mabel said.

  “We are wondering whether someone tried to force the door open in our absence.”

  “I doubt that because I have been around,” mama Risi said. “If someone had tried to open it by force, I would have heard the noise.”

                Mabel stepped aside and mama Risi tried opening the door.

  “You are right o,” she said after some futile attempts. “Who must have tried to open the door?”

  “I wonder o.”

  “When you locked it when you were going out before, was it hard like this?”

  “No.”

                Cynthia checked around for anything incriminating. She did not find. Everything was intact.

  “What do we do now?” Mabel asked.

  “Go back to mummy’s place and come check on it on Monday,” Cynthia suggested.

  “The cloth I will wear to church tomorrow is here. I don’t have any other one.”

  “What if I call a carpenter?” Mama Risi asked.

  “That will be extra expenses.”

  “So what do we do now?”

  “We will leave it like that till Monday.”

                Mama Risi turned to leave but on second thought she asked, “Let me check the key.”

                Mabel brought out the key and gave her. She examined it for a while and asked, “Do you have the spare?”

  “It is inside the house.”

  “This one is a bit bent.”

  “Who bent it?”

  “It could be me,” Cynthia said. “Because when I tried to open it and it refused, I applied some force.”

                Mama Risi went to the door again and tried opening it, knowing the state of the key. After two trials, the door opened.

  “Hweeew,” Mabel exhaled. “Thanks a lot.”

  “You will have to use the spare key unless you will apply my opening technique,” Mama Risi said as she turned to leave.

  “I don’t have that time o. I will use the spare key.”

                Mabel and Cynthia went in. Everything was intact.

  “How long are you staying here?” Cynthia asked Mabel.

  “Not too long,” Mabel replied. “Let me take the cloth I will wear to church, then we will leave.”

  “Ok.”

                Cynthia lay on the bed surfing the internet while Mabel went through the cloths in her wardrobe. She brought out different ones and showed Cynthia who helped her select the one she would wear. Then she packed the dress, matching footwear, handbag and jewelries into a nylon bag. Then she lay down beside Cynthia.

  “Are we not going yet?” Cynthia asked her.

  “Let me rest a little,” Mabel said. “I don’t want that dizziness.”

  “Are you feeling it now?”

  “No, but if we rush and go now without rest, I will feel it.”

  “Ok. Don’t sleep o.”

  “Even if I sleep, wake me up.”

                Mabel soon dozed off. Cynthia also dozed off. It was the ringtone of Cynthia’s phone that woke her up about an hour later. She stirred and got up. She checked the time on the clock and shouted. The shout woke Mabel.

  “What is that?” Mabel asked her.

  “We slept for too long o,” Cynthia said.

                Mabel looked at the wall clock and jumped up from the bed.

  “You did not wake me up,” she said.

  “I also slept off,” Cynthia said. “If not for my phone that rang now, we would have slept here till night o.”

  “God forbid. If I stay here till night, I will not go out again.”

  “Let us start going na.”

  “Ok.”

                They got up from the bed. Cynthia checked who called. It was Chuka.

  “Who knows whether Chuka is back, this one he is calling me.”

  “You did not pick his call?” Mabel asked.

  “No. By the time I woke up, the call had cut.”

  “Return the call then.”

  “Let me check if I still have airtime.”

                Cynthia checked and it was not enough to make a long call.

  “I will just flash him and hope he calls me back.”

  “Ok.”

                Cynthia tried calling him but his number was not reachable. After four trials, she gave it up. Mabel washed her face and wore light make up. Cynthia did the same.

  “Did you check your phone whether mummy called.”

  “I did but I didn’t get a single call. I can’t believe my phone will stay hours without ringing.”

  “You don’t call and you hardly give unknown people your number so who do you want to call you?”

  “It is well o.”

  “Even your chat, you hardly reply.”

  “Too much work o.”

  “Let’s be going.”

                Mabel confirmed that everything was in order and the appliances put off. Then they went outside.

  “Bring the spare key,” Cynthia told her.

  “That’s true o,” Mabel said and went back into the house. She soon came out with another key. “Let me try locking the door with the normal one and see if Mama Risi’s trick will work.

  “Ok.”

                She tried it thrice and the door locked. They went downstairs. They met Risi and her brother and told them to tell their mother that they had left. Then they flagged down a keke and left for their mother’s place. When their keke was approaching their mother’s house, they saw Segun standing beside his car outside the compound.

(…to be continued…)

-©2015.Chinedu Isaac

FED UP

(…continued…)

                The ladies left. Coker locked the car and went to the bar.

  “I don’t know why men like pretending,” Coker’s fiancée said as they walked into the market.

  “How do you mean?” Mabel asked her.

  “Other days, he follows me anywhere I go o. All these things I was jokingly asking him to do, he does them and even more.”

  “He is not the type that shows affection publicly, especially with me and my sister with you guys.”

  “Very true, but he should show it na no matter who is around.”

  “Give him time.”

  “Well, I love him anyhow.”

  “He is a nice person. Don’t miss him.”

  “Am I high?”

                They bought the things they wanted as they went. They did not waste time. In about 40 minutes they were done, and they returned to the car.

  “How do we get Coker?” Coker’s fiancée asked. “I don’t want to go into any bar.”

  “Call him on phone,” Mabel suggested.

                Coker’s fiancée dialed his line twice. It rang but he did not pick.

  “Why is he not picking his call na?” she asked, a bit worried.

  “Let us go there and check,” Cynthia said.

                They went to the bar. As they got close to the entrance door, they heard the voice of men engaged in a heated discussion. They looked around cautiously and went in. They saw Coker among those seriously engaged in the argument. They beckoned on him. When he saw them, he left the midst of the men and went to them.

  “You be chairman o.” one man said when he got to them. “Only you carry three chicks.”

  “Guy, chop clean mouth o,” another man said, laughing.

  “All of them na the same o,” another said. “No dull yourself.”

  “Waka,” Coker said, giving them five fingers.

                His fiancée pulled him by the hand and they left the bar. He was really fuming.

  “Bunch of idiots,” he said and spat.

  “Baby what happened?” his fiancée asked him, holding his elbow.

  “Let us get to the car first,” Mabel suggested.

  “Some people are just primitive in thinking,” Coker said when they got to the car.

                He opened the car and they went in.

  “Tell me what happened,” his fiancée asked again.

  “We were arguing,” Coker replied.

  “I saw that. What kind of argument made you want to fight?”

  “Most of them said all women are worthless, that they are gold-diggers, good for ‘hit and run’. I tried to tell them that not all women were like that. They were insistent and said all manner of foul things against women. It was highly embarrassing.”

  “How did you leave the football to talk about women matter?”

  “The camera captured a couple in the stands. That was when the argument started. Like play like play, it escalated.”

  “Thank God we came on time o,” Mabel said.

  “Seriously,” Coker agreed. “We would have exchanged blows o.”

  “Aaww, you wanted to fight to defend me,” his fiancée said.

  “Yes baby. I can’t stand hearing such things against women when I know the one I have.”

                His fiancée used her thumb to clean the sweat from his brow. Then she kissed him.

  “Stop that!” Cynthia said. “Unless you want me to kiss him after you. Don’t whet my appetite o.”

                They laughed.

  “Sorry o,” Coker’s fiancée said and turned to Coker. “Baby hope you are feeling better now?”

  “Yes darling. You are my medicine.”

                He stroked her hair and she gave him a babyish look.

  “Kai!” Mabel said, laughing. “Can you stop that please? Do it in your privacy na. You are reminding me things I am trying to forget.”

                They laughed.

  “Ok o,” Coker said and turned on the ignition.

  “But seriously, you are calm now abi?” Mabel asked him.

  “I am calm. The argument didn’t take me to the temper point of no return.”

  “You know what you know and they know what they know,” his fiancée said.

  “True. No one can impose his opinion on others.”

  “Exactly.”

                Coker looked at Mabel through the rear view mirror and asked, “To where from here?”

  “My mother’s house,” Mabel replied.

  “When do you plan moving back to your house?”

  “Next week.”

  “What about what you promised Mama Risi?” Cynthia whispered to Mabel.

  “It is true!” Mabel exclaimed.

  “What is that?” Coker asked her.

  “I need to use an ATM and then get to my house before going to my mother’s place.”

  “That’s a very long route o. If I get to your house, going to your mum’s place will be a drag because of the hold up on that route.”

  “You don’t need to carry me and my sister everywhere. You are not our driver na.”

  “I have started it and wouldn’t mind finishing it.” He turned to his fiancée and asked, “Babes what time are we meant to go see your uncle?”

                She checked her time piece.

  “In about 30 minutes time,” she said.

  “It will not work.”

  “What will not work?” his fiancée asked, opening her eye wide.

  “I mean taking Mabel everywhere. We need to be in your uncle’s place earlier than the appointed time.”

  “Let’s get going na,” Cynthia said. “As we stay here talking, time is going.”

  “To an ATM first abi?” Coker asked.

  “Yes o. From there we can find our way.”

                Coker drove off. When they got to a bank, Mabel withdrew the money she had promised to give Mama Risi. Then Coker drove to her house.

  “It is almost time for your appointment,” Mabel said. “We can take it from here.”

  “Ok.”

  “Thanks a lot for everything.”

  “We just made out today to cheer you up,” Coker’s fiancée said.

  “Thanks darling,” Mabel said and gave her a peck.

  “Ohhhm your lipstick is now on my face,” she said, laughing.

  “Clean it na.”

  “Do you know how many layers of makeup she is wearing?” Coker said laughing. “Cleaning it is like starting afresh.”

  “Silly you,” his fiancée said and pinched him.

                Mabel and Cynthia came down with their handbags and their market bag.

  “Keep me updated if Segun or Kemi makes any move,” Coker said as he gently drove off.

  “I will.”

  “Don’t let anything bother you ok,” his fiancée said.

  “I am fine, don’t worry about me.”

                Coker drove out as they waved. When the car was out of sight, Mabel and Cynthia went into the compound.

  “Coker is a nice person o,” Cynthia said.

  “Very nice person,” Mabel agreed.

                They climbed the staircase and got to Mama Risi’s door where they met her coming out of the door. They greeted her.

  “You are welcome,” she answered, smiling.

  “How are the kids?” Mabel asked.

  “They are fine.”

  “Give me the key, let me go in,” Cynthia said.

                Mabel searched her hand bag and gave her the keys. Cynthia took the market bag from her and went upstairs.

  “Let me give you the money for Risi’s fees now,” Mabel said to Mama Risi and searched her bag.

  “Eiyaa,” Mama Risi said. “I hope it did not stress you.”

  “She has to go back to school.”

  “I will pay back as soon as I can.”

  “It is not necessary at all.”

                Mabel got the money, counted it and then handed it over to Mama Risi.

  “Thank you so much,” Mama Risi said. “God will reward you bountifully.”

  “Amen ma. Let me go upstairs.”

  “Ok my dear. Are you back fully?”

  “No. I will go back to my mother’s place in few minutes time.”

  “When will you come back fully?”

  “By next week.”

  “Ok.”

                Mabel went upstairs while Mama Risi went back inside, clutching the money and smiling.  Mabel met Cynthia struggling to open the door.

(…to be continued…)

-©2015.Chinedu Isaac

FED UP

(…continued…)

  

                The waiter, with the help of another waiter, brought the pepper soup. Then they went to get drinks. They soon came back with the drinks. As they ate, they talked about issues any of them raised. Suddenly, Mabel froze.

  “What is it?” Cynthia asked her.

  “Segun just drove in,” she said pointing towards the entrance.

                They followed her pointing and saw what looked like Segun’s car coming into the compound.

  “That looks like Segun’s car,” Cynthia said.

  “He is not the only one with that type of car,” Coker’s fiancée said.

  “And we are not seeing the face of the driver well,” Coker said. “So you can’t jump into conclusion.”

  “Even if he is the one, so what?” Mabel said confidently.

  “I wonder why you were shocked in the first place,” Coker said.

  “You don’t understand what heartbreak does to a woman,” his fiancée said to him.

  “Let us see who comes out of the car first,” Cynthia said.

                They looked at the car without talking. When the driver of the car parked and came out, he was not Segun. Mabel heaved a sigh of relief.

  “I told you it may not be him,” Cynthia said.

  “If it was him,” Mabel said. “I will know it is a setup and I will not talk to Coker again.”

  “I know eventually he will want to come back to you,” Coker said. “But I will not involve myself at all.”

  “I know he will,” Mabel said. “I wonder who will do for him what I did for him and who will take from him what I patiently took from him. Even if he comes back, it is too late. I have moved on with my life.”

  “Kemi is dealing with him seriously. I wonder why he still chose her and is still with her. Sometimes I think he is under a spell.”

  “Spell indeed. He made his choice.”

  “What kind of choice is that? Jumping from frying pan to fire.”

  “So I am now frying pan?”

                They laughed.

  “I didn’t mean it like that o.”

  “I get what you mean.”

  “But seriously, who would give you up for Kemi?”

  “He fell for bigger body parts I guess.”

  “Na him know o.”

                Cynthia and Coker’s fiancée just ate and listened as Coker and Mabel talked about Segun. When they were done eating the food, Coker asked if they wanted another round of food and drink.

  “I am full,” Mabel said.

  “I don’t mind one more bottle of drink,” Cynthia said.

                He told the waiter what else to bring for them. They drank and talked about random topics. After about an hour there, Mabel’s phone rang.

  “It’s my mum,” she said when she checked it.

                The others nodded. She picked. Her mother asked her whether she had gone to the market and she said she had not. Her mother told her few things to buy for her. Then she hung up.

   “I forgot that we were meant to go to market,” Mabel said when she was done with the call.

  “Me too,” Coker’s fiancée said. “I want to cook something special for my sweetheart.”

  “Ok na,” Coker said. “I hope my money will not get involved.”

  “Why won’t your money be involved? Won’t you eat it?”

  “Make it a surprise.”

                They laughed.

  “I am equal to the task,” she said.

  “But you will still collect it back somehow,” Mabel teased her.

  “Trust me.”

                They laughed.

  “Finish your drinks let me drive you to the market,” Coker said as he gulped his drink.

                They drank theirs. Then Coker beckoned on the waiter for the bill. She brought it and he paid her.

  “Shall we?” he said, standing up.

  “Come and move my chair back na,” his fiancée told him. “You are not learning all the romantic things I have been teaching you.”

  “Are you disabled?” Coker asked laughing.

                She laughed hard, got up and pursued him. He ran slowly and allowed her catch up with him. Then she mildly beat him on his back.

  “Lovebirds,” Cynthia whispered to Mabel.

  “That reminds me of Cynthia and Chuka,” Mabel said.

  “Who and who?”

                Mabel laughed as she got up.

  “Carry your bag let us go joor.”

                Coker came back to the table with his fiancée. She carried her hand bag and they left the table to the car. When they were settled in the car, Coker drove out of the place.

  “You are going straight to the market?” he asked Mabel. “Abi you are going home first?”

  “To the market,” Mabel replied. “We are not buying too many things and there is no more time to waste. If we are not home on time, my mum will be worried.”

  “Ok.”

                He drove them to the market and parked in the parking space at the entrance of the market.

  “I know you will come back in the night,” he said laughing. “You will search the whole market for where they sell things cheap.”

  “Yes o,” Mabel said, laughing.

  “Let us go na,” his fiancée said to him.

  “No o,” Coker told her. “I don’t have strength and patience for all the walking around and bargaining.”

  “Who will carry my shopping bag for me?”

                He touched her hands and said, “Your hands are functioning well.”

  “Go away joor,” his fiancée said, laughing.

  “I will wait for you in that bar over there,” Coker said pointing. “Let me watch the match going on now.”

  “Ok. Don’t take any more alcohol o.”

  “I will not. You know I have daily limits.”

                The ladies left and Coker locked the car and went to the bar.

  “I don’t know why men like pretending,” Coker’s fiancée said as they walked into the market.

(…to be continued…)

-©2015.Chinedu Isaac