PAY DAY
By UZEZI ADESITE

(c) UZEZI ADESITE

I couldn’t have imagined that this would happen. But then the situation warranted it. I got thrown into the cell yesterday and was refused bail. They had come for me but the police wasn’t ready to let go of me. It really is a miracle that today being Sunday, bail was granted. Honestly, I’m glad to be out. I would have died had I been subjected to another night of cell experience.

I didn’t look at his face as I was led into where he was. I didn’t look at his face as I buttoned my shirt. I had the sense that he was watching me but I cared less. There was no penitence from me. If the gates of heaven will be locked on me because of this, then I welcome it. I intended to do what I did yesterday. Although it got me into a rough Lagos cell I was contented beyond words.

Finally we walked out of the police station and we approached his car. He didn’t say anything to me. I wondered what I would have said if the situation was reversed. I wasn’t going to break the golden silence; my big ego and me. I wondered if I had bruises from last night’s bully and if he was stealing glances, wondering just where I borrowed the nerve. That was enough to make me smile inwardly; after all, it’s just the same old me.

He started the car and it was a smooth ride. The fresh air blowing in through the window was caressing me senseless and soon enough, I was asleep, trying to catch up on all the hours I lost in that cell. How wonderful it was to be on the outside felt. All I had in the cell was a night and it felt like it’s been ages since I saw the skies. It made me wonder how Nelson Mandela was able to stomach twenty-seven years in prison. He was blessed from the beginning, no doubt. I do respect the great man.

A light tap woke me up. My surroundings made me realise we were home but there was no one outside which was odd. Where is my wife? For the first time that day, I looked at him closely and he shrugged and went ahead of me into my house, leaving me to follow cautiously because I smelt a rat. After what I did yesterday, there was no telling what Mr. Tortoise was up to. He might want to prove he still is the shrewd one between us.

I moved and stopped to look around. I just couldn’t trust him; never now. As I turned to continue into the house, the loud roar of laughter startled me and I jumped. Soon enough, my eyes were closely scanning the windows and I caught my wife hiding behind the curtains.

Knowing she’s been found out, she pulled back the curtain and gave me that enchanting smile that swept me off my feet ten years ago when we had been in the secondary school.

I couldn’t help smiling back; my angel of a wife. I went into the house. I wanted to go and hold my wife. I had to rediscover the softness of her body after my eventful night at the cell. I was stopped right there in my sitting room. He wasn’t alone with my wife. His new bride was also there. All three laughed at my confusion.

I took it like a man. I smiled and I covered the distance between my wife and myself. Let them laugh. Even if they are having the last laugh now, I had the best laugh yesterday.

**************************
Tega and I had met eleven years ago in the secondary school. He had crossed from another school to complete his secondary school years at mine. We had immediately become friends on discovering we both resided in Lagos city. In our second to last year at the school, two sisters transferred into our school. Tega just couldn’t keep his eyes of Fatimah, so he went for her. Fatimah always was a good girl. Her sister Kudi was a shy girl who stayed away from people. Somehow Fatimah and Tega worked Kudi to always spend time with me. I tried to convince Tega I wouldn’t get involved with Kudi, but somehow I felt hooked. Whenever I thought of her, I saw her beautiful smile.

Tega and I finished and left the girls. We had chosen the same university and granted admission. We had no doubt it was going to happen any way differently because we were exceptional students. If anything, our greatest challenge was to outdo each other. Three years later, both girls got admitted into our university. That was when the drive really started.

I was with Kudi on her birthday, when Fatimah came and lured her away. To my utmost astonishment, immediately Kudi stepped out, she became wet. Hands descended on her, and Fatimah had laughed enjoying the scene of a running and screaming Kudi. You would think Kudi was a thief. Unsure of what was happening, and inspired by whatever feelings I had for her, I went to save Kudi from the madness around me. When I inquired the reason of such display, the girls with Fatimah informed me that years ago in a hospital labour room Kudi had punished her mother, so they were punishing her. I had been speechless. I never knew that one. Beat someone on her birthday because of the pains she gave her mother on the journey to the labour room? Senseless.

On Fatimah’s birthday, I organized girls to beat her up because of what she did to my Kudi. Tega had been petrified at my action. He had to understand these girls needed to eradicate their child’s play. The matter died.

****************************
Surprisingly, Tega picked up on the birthday fever. He waited until we graduated. My birthday fell on the convocation day. There I was in the middle of everyone, wet. Tega found a bucket of water and emptied it on me before yelling ‘happy birthday.’ My gown had been soaked. The surprised faces soon turned to smiling faces, after realising what the game was. I took it like a man. Tega had been too satisfied that day to eat.

Kudi and I refused to wait until all the money knocked on the door. We married immediately after my convocation, three years before Tega successfully lured Fatimah away form our Islamic religion, into his of the church to marry her.

Tega’s wedding date was fixed. I pointedly refused to be his best man. My excuse was that I wasn’t a Christian and I couldn’t picture myself in the front of the church. He thought nothing of it; we always respected each other’s point of view, especially where religion was concerned.
As the bridal train was been ushered into the reception ground, I wished Tega a happy birthday, welcoming him to the world of married men and all the nagging and motherly nature of the wife that awaited him. He displayed his beautiful white dentition and I smiled in return. Lucky man to get Fatimah.

During the gifts presentation it was obvious I was a good dancer, irrespective of the fact that the music playing was an Isoko song. I have known Tega long enough to be called an Isoko man, because I spoke his language and ate their food so well as though I was brought up in the heart of Ozoro. So I kimomo and kimomoed, bending my waist to the music, as we proceeded to the front to present our gifts. My gift was of no lightweight as I danced to the bride and groom. What actually made others smile as they watched me was the fact that my gift was heavy and it was sitting on my head. Who would be shy, me? Had my wife known, she would have stopped me.

As deftly as I could, I lifted my well-wrapped bucket, and flung the content at my happy best friend. I didn’t miss him at all. After emptying my bucket of water, I stood to see his reaction. The shock written over his face filled me enormously. Even the gifts of all the Nigerian Swiss Accounts wouldn’t have elated me so. He was still gazing down at his gray suit in surprise. Fatimah had had her lips twisted to stop her laughter.

I just didn’t know what was happening around me. I hadn’t realized the music had stopped. People were petrified. From behind I had been seized by a policeman, who had been there with his colleagues to keep the place in order. Then voices had risen. I couldn’t tell one from the other.

Then, I found myself in a cell. Immediately, Tega’s father had arrived to bail me but things got a bit misunderstood and I had to sleep in the cell. Then today, Tega had come himself.
“You really had the nerve, Musa.”
I loosened my hold on Kudi, and turned to look at him. “Shouldn’t you be away on your honeymoon?”
“Honestly, I would have left ages ago,” Tega said. “I just had to get you out. They wouldn’t listen to anybody.”
I smiled, too relieved to be on familiar grounds with my family; Tega and I are now brothers in-law. “So what did you do groom?” I asked. “Did you change suits,” I smirked. “Boy, I had you there.” I clapped. “Better than a convocation ceremony.”
“No doubt,” Kudi’s sweet voice said. “So husband, how was your night?” Her eyes shone into mine.
That stopped me. I definitely wasn’t going to talk about it. The restlessness of the night and my terror. I looked at Tega. It was obvious he was waiting to hear my story. I smiled. I will not give him an opportunity to laugh at me. “The most memorable I have ever had,” I answered my wife. I saw her brows come together in confusion, but I stopped her coming question with a kiss.

THE END.

Nice write up. It really got me glued till the end. Nice use of words too.

draybanks:
Nice write up. It really got me glued till the end. Nice use of words too.

Thank you.

A fine story you wrote, love the use of kimomo(sure Delta/Isoko slang). Love the use of words but a quick look through the story will help you fix in a missing word and punctuation. Nice work ma.

Akposb:
A fine story you wrote, love the use of kimomo(sure Delta/Isoko slang). Love the use of words but a quick look through the story will help you fix in a missing word and punctuation. Nice work ma.

Thanks Akposb. I am Isoko so I have to represent.

Coming soon also this month of June, a free eBook, a collection of short stories by Uzezi Adesite.