Oyinprince, well done. I've been searching your site since yesterday for episode 26 to no avail. Is it that you don't update on your site on weekends too?

bimberry1307:
Oyinprince, well done. I've been searching your site since yesterday for episode 26 to no avail. Is it that you don't update on your site on weekends too?

The site is updated daily. This particular story only runs from Monday to Friday

The Second Wife - Episode 20

© Onyinyechukwu Mbeledogu

10:02am
Saturday, 3rd July 2004
Heart of a Child Orphanage

B.B walked into the reception, looking for Dienye. He found his best friend sitting in the centre of a circle with some of the children. An older child was reading aloud from a fairy tale book. B.B paused as he recognised the child. It was Biobele.

Dienye saw him and beckoned to him to come over. B. B. moved in his direction.

‘Everyone say hi to Uncle B.B.’

‘Hi, Uncle B. B,’ all the children in the circle except Biobele greeted.

‘Hi, kids.’

Biobele had become withdrawn the moment she saw him. She shut the book she had been reading from, watching him with large brown eyes.

‘I’d like to have a word with you, Dienye,’ B.B told Dienye.

‘No problem,’ Dienye said, asking Biobele to continue with her reading while he stepped out of the room to talk to his friend.

He led the way to one of the offices.

‘I noticed the child reading to the younger children,’ B.B started.

‘Biobele – Oroma’s daughter.’ Dienye responded.

‘Yes. When was she brought here?’

‘Before my wedding.’

‘So Oroma finally dumped her daughter in an orphanage.’

Dienye shook his head.

‘She is in my employment.’

‘What! Oroma works for you!’

‘Yes, she does.’

B.B folded his arms around his chest.

‘You are usually a very cautious man, Dienye but this time you took your kindness too far. That woman is up to no good. Her past trade disqualifies from having the capacity to set a good example for the children here.’

‘And what trade is that exactly?’ Dienye asked, quirking an eyebrow.

‘At the risk of sounding like a gossip, she’s been into the oldest female profession.’

‘Prostitution, I see. Well, she was honest about that and I am not in any position to judge anyone let alone her. She has been working here for weeks now and has given none of us any cause for complaint.’

‘These children need someone with an untainted past,’ B. B insisted. ‘You cannot give what you don’t have, remember.’

‘Like I said earlier, I am not in a position to judge her. She is good with the children and they love her.’

B.B snorted. ‘It still doesn’t change what she is.’

‘I believe that, my friend, is my problem. Oroma and Biobele have been of immense help here. I won’t let her past get in the way and you also should get involved in your daughter’s life while she’s still young before she grows up and has no need for you.’

‘She’s not my daughter,’ B.B denied. ‘I don’t know who Oroma slept with to have her but she isn’t mine. She might look a bit like Nengi did at her age but we both know everybody has a doppelganger somewhere.’

Dienye looked at his best friend for some time, then shook his head.

‘If you say so, but it would be my great pleasure to say ‘I told you so’ when you finally come to your senses,’ he told B.B. ‘I take it you didn’t come here just to discuss Oroma.’

Episode 20 continued


‘No, but you shouldn’t have her working here.’

‘You’ve already made that point.’

‘There’s something I would like to discuss with you and it isn’t something we could have talked about at your place.’

‘What’s it about?’

‘My sister’s things.’

‘And what about them?’

‘I would like you to either give them to charity or send them to my parents.’

‘Excuse me?’

‘You heard me.’

‘How dare you ask such a thing of me!’

‘I’m your best friend so I dare,’ B.B returned.

‘I couldn’t care less. Nengi was my wife and so her things remain in her home.’

‘Have you forgotten that you are married to another woman now? It isn’t right to leave your first wife’s properties in the home you share with her.’

‘Did Soki put you up to this?’

‘She didn’t have to. I don’t need to be a mind reader in order to know what this must be doing to her. You do know that girl adores you, right?’

Dienye looked away. ‘I know you signed a prenuptial agreement but that doesn’t entail sharing her new home with the ghost of your first wife. You are married now, Dienye. Let Nengi go.’

‘And if I refuse to release her things?’

‘You won’t be compelled to do so but if you have the slightest feeling for your new wife, then let go.’

‘Her things remain with me. Soki’s accepted the situation.’

‘She doesn’t have much of a choice.’

‘I’ll rather not talk about this again unless you want 30+ years of friendship to go down the drain.’

‘And-’

‘I’m not making idle threats. Nengi’s things will remain with me and I am not getting rid of them simply because she passed on.’

‘Be reasonable, Dienye.’

‘I can’t get any more reasonable than this. If you’ve got nothing more to say to me, we can talk on some other time.’

B.B looked at his friend without a word for a long time. But as he began to speak once more, there was a knock on the door and Oroma came into the office. She had a baby in her arms.

‘Amanda’s feeling so much better,’ she started to say then paused as she saw B.B. What was he doing there? She wondered and then recalled that he was her employer’s best friend.

‘That’s great,’ Dienye said in reaction to her news, rising to his feet to take the little girl from her.

‘I see you finally got yourself a decent job,’ B.B commented. ‘Must have been difficult settling in considering that it is so different from the job you had grown accustomed to.’

She didn’t bother making a retort.

‘How does it feel to make a decent cash?’

‘B.B,’ Dienye warned.

‘What? She knows what I’m talking about,’ B.B commented, then to Oroma, ‘I’m sure there are times you feel tempted to return to your old profession.’

Ignoring his taunt, she took the child from Dienye and left the room.

‘That was uncalled for,’ Dienye told him.

‘Was it? Watch out for her. She might try to bury her claws into you and later foist the paternity of her child on you in order to get herself a wealthy husband.’

‘Don’t be ridiculous.’

‘Just be careful.’

*****



6:17pm

Oroma Estate



Soki knew something was wrong the moment Dienye walked into the house. She had arrived about three minutes earlier from her hangout with Priye. He ignored the hands she reached out to him and walked around her.

‘You couldn’t get me to get of Nengi’s things so you had to tell her brother to help you,’ he accused.

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about. And this is definitely no way to treat your wife when you return home.’

He looked at her for a moment and then kissed her lightly on the lips.

‘There you are,’ he ground out in an insulting manner.

‘I’ll go fix supper,’ she announced, needing to escape.

‘I don’t remember asking for one,’ he snapped. ‘Where do you get off poking your nose into something that isn’t your business?’

‘Look Dienye, if someone upset you, that doesn’t mean you should just take your aggression out on me.’

‘My aggression!’

‘Yes, this is a real case of misplaced aggression,’ she said. ‘We had a quarrel last night and settled it so I don’t think that’s the reason why you are acting this way. And for your information, I haven’t told B.B anything about Nengi’s things still being here.’

‘You’ll have to convince me about that.’

‘And my word isn’t enough? He doesn’t need me to tell him that you’re still obsessed with the memory of his sister. He probably made the request because he surmised that I didn’t feel so good about them.’

‘Well I’m not getting rid of them Soki. This was her home, I was her husband and I intent to keep her things.’

‘What for? There is no child to request for her mother’s things.’

‘I intend to keep them all the same,’ he ground out.

‘Just to punish me.’

‘If I’d wanted to punish you, I’d have hung her clothes in our closet and dared you to take them away.’

‘Excuse me!’

‘You heard me. I’d appreciate it if you mind your business.’

‘I always do.’

‘Not where Nengi’s concerned.’

‘You’re the one who’s hung up on her, so hung up that you forget you are married to me except when we are in bed or when you want your meals.’

‘At least, you’re the only woman I have sexual relations with. How many men in the situation we are currently with would respect you that way?’

‘I’d appreciate it if you quit reminding me about the situation that brought us together,’ she said and walked away.

******

7:57pm

Soki turned off the gas just as her mobile phone rang. It was Dienye. He had taken a stroll. She hesitated for a moment before hurrying to take the call.

‘Hello’

‘I need a favour, babe. Meet me just outside the estate gates with your car.’

The urgency in his voice stopped her from asking questions. She hurried to the bedroom where she picked her car key. She hurried outside and to her car. She met Dienye a few metres from the estate gate. He held a bundle in his arms. She had a sneaky suspicion what she would find as she pulled up beside him and opened the front passenger door. He slid into the car seat and shut the door behind him.

‘Prime medical,’ was all he said.

The hospital was about a minute’s drive from where they were. The baby in his arms was struggling for breath and as the car pulled into the hospital’s car park. Dienye was out with the child as fast as he could. He hurried up the tiny staircase and through the doors into the hospital. Within seconds the child was taken away from him.

Soki met him in the waiting room. He looked agitated. She squeezed his hand gently.

‘I was almost through the gates when I heard an unmistakable cry,’ he was saying. ‘I can’t believe that a woman can be that cruel. On a daily basis women are thrown out of their matrimonial homes because they can’t conceive while those who can are busy throwing the babies away instead of giving them up for adoption to those who need them!’

Dienye dragged a hand over his face. Soki could almost physical feel his pain. She forgot about the misunderstanding they had that night and held his left hand in hers. Despite being in the business of helping abandoned children for so long, he had obviously not gotten used to it. She talked quietly to him until one of the doctors returned to inform them that the baby was in stable condition and they could go up to see him.

The baby had been placed in an incubator. Dienye stood watching him, a look of complete relief on his handsome face. She waited with him until he was ready to leave. They came down the stairs together. Soki felt several eyes on her but it wasn’t until she got outside the hospital and felt the cold breeze on her thighs that she realised that she’d left the house in the black sleeveless top and tiny red shorts she had on while fixing supper. A young man headed for the building stared until he missed a step almost hitting his jaw on the edge of one of the steps.

Dienye laughed and wrapped an arms about Soki’s waist leading her to the car.

‘Your tone made it impossible for me to change before rushing out,’ she explained. ‘I won’t leave this house dressed like this on a good day.’

‘You don’t owe me an explanation. I know the woman I married.’

Did he really? She wondered.

‘You married a beautiful woman.’

He paused to look her straight in the eyes and she felt self-conscious. She had no make-up on. ‘Yes I did.’ He kissed her lips, adding, ‘thanks for tonight.’

After supper, they sat together on the couch in the sitting room. Her head on his laps, he stroked her short curls as he told her about the Home and the plans he had for it in the near future.

Read more here - https://youngicee.com/2020/02/the-second-wife-episode-21.html

Understanding is what Dienye and Soki need

Thanks for the update

The Second Wife - Episode 21

© Onyinyechukwu Mbeledogu

Dienye sent Nengi’s personal effects to her parents’ home after much pressure from his brother, best friend and surprisingly, Nengi’s parents and it had clearly hurt him to do so. Although it nearly dented their budding ‘marital’ friendship Soki was happy that Nengi’s things were no longer there in her home.

Three days after he’d got rid of Nengi’s things, Dienye left for a conference in Los Angeles. He was to be gone for five days and her birthday fell within that week. He called her twice but not on her birthday. There wasn’t even a message from him! She received gifts and messages from friends and relatives and her parents-in-law treated her to dinner. Soki felt Dienye’s absence all the same.

* * * * *

7:21pm

Saturday, 24th July 2004

Oroma Estate

Dienye had a training opportunity while in the States and stayed an additional week as a result before returning to Nigeria. His connecting flight from Lagos to Port Harcourt was delayed by an hour but he made it home before dark. He bought Soki a few gifts, mainly souvenirs from his trip. Although she loved the gifts and thanked him profusely for them, she informed him that she would really appreciate it if he called to tell her exactly when he would be home so she could at least fix his meal even if she wasn’t the one to pick him up from the airport.

‘I told you I would be out for a week or so,’ he reminded her as he settled into the couch, dressed in a t-shirt over his combat shorts.

She had waited until after he’d eaten and rested a bit before approaching the issue.

‘You did say so but I was worried when I didn’t hear from you.’

He turned to face her.

‘You had no reason to be worried, babe. Remember, I’m an adult. I haven’t had to account to anyone for my movement in four years.’

‘For four years you had no one to account to,’ she reminded him. ‘I’m here now.’

‘I don’t need a reminder of that fact. You don’t need to worry yourself unnecessarily.’

‘I can’t be indifferent when you travel.’

‘I didn’t ask you to. But two weeks isn’t enough for you to worry about suddenly finding yourself as a widow. Besides, I have a God who watches over my going out and coming in all the time.’

Her eyes narrowed.

‘You need to call more often if you don’t want me to worry, even if it is for just a minute for each call. You missed my birthday and made me worry when you didn’t show up when you had initially said you would. I was wondering if something had gone wrong and no one had told me about it.’

‘I missed your birthday?’ he looked surprised at the information.

‘Yes. It was last Thursday.’

‘Why didn’t you send me a reminder? After all you had my contact.’

‘I couldn’t call you.’

‘Don’t you mean that you didn’t bother calling just so you could have something to hold against me just like you did when you failed to tell me you were done with your examinations.’

‘Don’t even go there, Dienye. I didn’t call you because the network was terrible. But you are the one who chooses to have a selective memory where I’m concerned.’

‘I forgot about your birthday because I’m human.’

‘No. If it was important to you, you would have remembered,’ she told him. ‘Besides, you would have remembered if you had taken me to the States with you.’

‘So that’s really what this is all about. You’re upset because I left you behind.’

‘No. But if that is the angle you want to take this then let me tell you that I feel hurt that you never go anywhere outside Port Harcourt with me, well outside the Area B conference last month. It’s as though you are ashamed of being seen with me.’

‘Don’t be ridiculous.’

‘Am I? I haven’t met a lot of your friends, except your Jaycee friends who drop by every now and then, I’ve asked if we could play host to them one weekend but you’ve never accepted. I don’t mean to nag but-’

‘Then don’t.’

‘I can’t help it. I have to remind you of everything when it concerns me. But you don’t have to do that for me because I know your birthday and those of my parents-in-law. I know when you opened your businesses, the Home, etc. I know your favourite meal, your favourite aftershave and cologne. I know your favourite stations, movie-’

‘Let me guess, you asked?’

‘Yes, because I’m interested.’

‘I have a lot of things to do with my time.’

‘And that’s why you know next to nothing about me.’

‘I know what turns you on during sex.’

‘We are not talking about sex, Dienye. I’m just trying to make a point such as the fact that if I changed out of these clothes you wouldn’t even remember what I had on.’

‘And the point is?’

‘Nothing about me interests you unless we are in bed together.’

‘And there are lot of broken marriages simply as a result of the couple not being compatible in bed,’ he reminded her.

‘And I’m sure you know that just being compatible in bed doesn’t make a marriage perfect,’ she returned.

He settled on a leather chair and flicked through the channels, settling for a sports channel.

‘I just need you to show more interest in things that affect me,’ she told him.

He looked at her for a long moment.

‘I can’t deal with your emotional outbursts right now, babe,’ he responded.

‘I got a trainer in squash and lawn tennis while you were away,’ she informed him, adding when he said nothing, ‘so I could join you every now and then.’

‘What’s your favourite sport?’

‘Sprinting,’ she responded.

‘Well, we both know that at my age I cannot start taking lessons in sprinting.’

‘I don’t expect you to,’ she said exasperatedly.

‘Then what exactly do you want from me.’

‘What I’ve been saying for the past ten minutes, for you to show a little interest in me besides the sex.’

He arched his head backwards and looked at her.

‘We would get on really well if you don’t play the emotional card, babe.’

‘You married a woman not a stick, Dienye. I love sex with you but I also want to know that you care about me beyond what we do in bed and giving me allowances.’

‘Last Thursday was what 15th July, right? I’ll note that down so I don’t have to get into an unnecessary argument with you every year.’

Without thinking she started listing the birthdays of his grandmother, parents and siblings in addition to his.

‘I have them in my head.’

‘Congratulations. If I didn’t have so much in my brain that I had to cram birthdays then we wouldn’t be living here, would we?’

‘Meaning I don’t have anything meaningful up there?’

‘I didn’t say that. And please I don’t want to deal with your nagging right now.’

‘My nagging.’

‘Yes. Give me some space. I don’t owe you an apology for not remembering your birthday, if that’s what you want. I’ll get you a late birthday gift later in the day or tomorrow.’

‘But-’

‘I need my space,’ he cut in before she could complete her statement.

‘Just because-’

‘Don’t you dare mention Nengi’s name,’ he cut in sharply. ‘Don’t you dare! I have emptied her room and sent her things to her parents against my better judgment so you don’t go around looking like a miserable wife and having my brother and best friend questioning me on things they have no right to do. That should be more than enough for you. I don’t want to ever hear her name on your lips.’

‘But I wasn’t referring to-’

‘Nwasoka!’

‘I’m sorry.’

‘You’d better be. Now if you’ve got nothing better to do with your time, then nag I suggest you either sit and watch the game with me or go to the other siting room and watch one of those soaps women love so much.’

She stood there for some time while he ignored her, his eyes on the television screen. She had clearly been dismissed.

‘I’m going out,’ she told him just to get his attention.

‘No problem,’ he responded without looking at her.

‘Don’t you want to know where I’ll be going?’

‘Not particularly. But I’m sure you’ll tell me anyway.’

Her eyes narrowed into tiny slits and she turned and walked away from the sitting room. He didn’t even notice as he concentrated on the soccer match he was watching. Fuming, she went into the master bedroom and changed into a pink top and knee length jean skirt, pushing her size 38 feet into her pink sneakers. She took her time with her makeup although it wasn’t necessary. Her channel O earrings dangled as she moved to pick up her purse.

On her way out, she paused at the sitting room door to call out gently, ‘Dienye?’

‘What?’ he snapped without looking at her.

‘Never mind.’

She had intended to inform him that she was meeting up with a few classmates at the Obi Wali Cultural Centre in Town.

*****

Soki had a wonderful time at the Cultural Centre with Tari, Ibukun and a few other course mates. This would most likely be their last hangout before they had to leave for Law School. Elechi Amadi’s ‘Concubine’ was being shown and a mutual friend who was a graduate of Theatre Arts from the University of Port Harcourt featured in the theatre version of the play. She had sent the invitation to the girls the previous week.

They had met Esohe through her boyfriend Efosa, a Mass Communication graduate of RSUST. Esohe had played the part of ‘Ihuoma’. And she was a great actress. Soki was certain that Esohe had a bright future in the theatre. Soki could sing but act? She wouldn’t be able to keep a serious face long enough to play her role, she thought with a smile as she made her way back home.

She had never watched a drama in the theatre before and this made her look forward to visiting the National Theatre in Lagos, if, hopefully, she was sent to the Lagos Campus of Nigerian Law School.

She walked into the house with a huge grin, humming a love song. Dienye who had just stepped out of the master bedroom was surprised to find her all dressed up and coming from outside. His eyes focused on her face.

‘Where are you coming from?’ he asked.

‘Outside.’

‘Where exactly?’

‘Now he wants to know,’ she said sarcastically. As she made to walk past him but he caught her wrist in his hand.

‘What! When I tried to tell you I was going out, you snapped at me. Now you suddenly want to know where I’ve been.’

She tugged her hand free and headed for the kitchen, dropping her purse on one of the table tops.

‘Now, he knows how that feels,’ she thought.

She fixed supper, half expecting Dienye to come into the kitchen but he didn’t. She thought he had given up on his inquiry until after they’d eaten supper and he raised the question once more.

‘Where were you?’

She was silent.

‘I always tell you where I’m going,’ he reminded her. ‘And I expect you to do the same. It’s not as if I try to stop you from going anywhere.’

‘You didn’t even notice I was gone until I returned, so why on earth should I tell you where I went?’

‘You should have said something, just in case someone came along.’

‘Not even for your own consumption. Chai, Nwasoka ndo (sorry)!’

‘I’m still waiting.’

‘I’m not telling you anything. If you really want to know then you will have to ask nicely.’

‘Why won’t you tell me where you were?’ he asked.

‘I can tell you where I wasn’t. And that’s with another man.’

‘I know that much but I still need an answer. I know you didn’t go to Belema’s place and you weren’t visiting your parents.’

‘And how did you know that?’

‘I spoke with them.’

‘So we’ve established that I was neither with Belema nor with my parents. So where do you think I was?’

‘I am not Sherlock Holmes.’

‘Then sorry love, I can’t help you.’

‘You’re being difficult.’

‘I’m being difficult? Look who’s talking. You’re the one who wasn’t interested in where I was going. So since you really aren’t interested, I’ll save myself the trouble of talking to you about it.’

He glared at her and she glared back.

‘So you’d rather be evasive?’

‘Yes and it’s all your fault.’

‘Excuse me?’

‘I made a complaint and rather than apologise you snubbed me, snapping at me like I were some noisy dog in a neighbour’s backyard. I do all the apologising here while you act like it’s your entitlement.’

‘Don’t be ridiculous.’

‘And you act like it’s your right to do whatever suits you and it’s my privilege to pretend nothing happened and just look the other way. Until we got married, no one had ever accused me of nagging.’

‘You do nag.’

‘It’s never been in my nature. I tell you when you’ve erred and you either tell me to quit whining or quit bothering you.’

‘That’s because you bring up issues at the wrong time.’

‘With you there is no right time. Maybe you expect me to fill a form to see you at work stating the purpose of my visit before granting me audience.’

‘You have an overactive imagination.’

‘Do I? We are married and yet you accuse me of making more out of our relationship than there is to it.’

‘You are.’

The Second Wife - Episode 21 contd


‘You are.’

‘I am not here just to warm your bed and make babies for you!’ she told him, her voice rising. ‘I could easily just accept your gifts, give in completely to your loving and pretend all is well, but you know what will happen: it will easily become a lifestyle and once our kids come I would give them all my love and attention and soon forget all about you. That’s the exact future we would be creating with what you expect from me. I am your wife and not a kept woman.’

‘Stop acting like a neglected wife.’

‘Perhaps that’s what I feel like. I’m not after your money. I am a young woman with emotions and a very bright future.’

‘Of course you are or I wouldn’t have married you. But you just have this bad habit of always demanding for apologies for something that you shouldn’t even make a big deal out of, like me genuinely forgetting your birthday.’

‘You forgot your wife’s birthday and you don’t think it’s a big deal. No problem. Forget about it.’

After a moment without a word from him, she continued. ‘I miss the Dienye who was my friend. I do not recognise you one bit.’ And when he said nothing, she added. ‘I and a few of my course mates met at the Obi Wali Cultural Centre today to watch Cyprian Ekwensi’s Concubine.’

The doorbell rang and Dienye quickly went to see who it was. It was Oroma and Biobele.

* * * * *

‘I’m so sorry for coming here so late,’ Oroma apologised.

Soki had taken Biobele to the other sitting room where she turned on the cartoon network channel and served her biscuits and juice. She has chicken chops and a drink for Oroma.

‘But I had to come around. I couldn’t wait for tomorrow.’

‘What’s the matter?’

‘It’s B.B. He offered to buy my daughter for N2, 000,000.’

‘And what did you say to him?’

‘I rejected his offer. I know that money can make a great deal of difference in my life but I can’t live without my little girl. He’s given me 72 hours to either give him complete custody and forget about her or give him joint custody. If I don’t make a decision by then he’ll take me to court and rake up my past and no judge would let me have custody of her.’

‘You should consider the option of the joint custody. Bio needs to have both parents in her life even if you two are not married.’

‘You know your friend. He’s going to gradually take her away from me. When I went to see him two days ago, he took me to the courtroom and made me watch the proceedings so as to give me an insight of what he could do to me.’

Dienye had to hold back a laugh. Trust B.B to do that. One moment he was cursing and swearing that he could never have fathered a child with Oroma and now that the paternity test had confirmed that he was indeed Biobele’s father he was trying to get into the role. With the way he felt about Oroma’s past Dienye wasn’t surprised at his reaction.

‘A few months ago you wanted him to get to know her, Oroma. You should accept the offer for joint custody and trust that Biobele loves you enough not to let you out of her life.’

Oroma clearly considered his opinion a betrayal.

‘That was before he threatened me. In the past I would have agreed but not now. Biobele doesn’t want anything to do with him.’

‘She knows he’s her father.’

‘And his rejection cut deep. She’s a very sensitive child and he had no excuse for hurting her the way he did. She’s moved on and is getting used once more to not having a father. I should never have agreed to that paternity test.’

‘You owed it to B.B and your daughter.’

‘I didn’t owe B.B anything. Everything I did was what I felt was in the best interest of my little girl. Do you know that the day I took her to his home to meet with him, he said all sorts of things about not taking another man’s left-over. I had no idea Bio had heard him until we got home and she wouldn’t eat. She lay on the bed and cried her heart out. I hated B.B at that point. He broke my little girl’s heart that day. She had been looking forward to meeting with him although she had told herself that he might not find her good enough to be his little girl. She wanted to know if there was something wrong with her and it took a long time for me to convince her that it was his loss not hers.’

‘I’m not trying to take sides but you also need to see things from his own point of view too. Biobele wasn’t actually conceived as a love child and the circumstances of the conception are something I’m sure even you are not proud of.’

‘Certainly.’

‘So you should understand why he felt you were trying to hook him with another man’s child. He was a fool for requiring a paternity test in order to prove what was so obvious. Her resemblance to Nengi, his sister, is uncanny. Irrespective of what happened in the past, a joint custody will be better than having to settle this in court. Even if it is a private hearing, it would not be in the best interest of your daughter because you both will be putting her in the centre of this.’

‘Every girl’s first love is her father and although there currently isn’t a relationship between B.B and Bio, it will happen if given the chance. B.B may have his faults but he would never go out of his way to hurt Biobele.’

‘Even to spite me?’

‘Not even that. He has a problem with you but you know he would never hurt your daughter. Any judge faced with your past will find you unfit and likely consider you a bad influence on your daughter and then all you will be entitled to are visitation rights.’

Oroma was silent for a full minute.

‘I don’t want to lose my daughter. She’s my life. I may have ended my life a long time ago if I didn’t have her in it.’

‘And she might not survive a clean break from you,’ Dienye concurred. ‘Which is why the problem easily resolves itself: a joint custody. You and B.B can agree on how to share custody. You do not need any kind of court order for that.’

‘I still have my doubts about him letting me have any form of custody. That’s why I need you to talk to him. He believes I would go back to prostitution. He’s so certain that I crave a man’s touch so much that it wouldn’t take much for me to get back into the streets.’

‘Then it’s your duty to prove him wrong. You have a good job now.’

‘I’ll never go back to prostitution,’ she swore. ‘Even if I have to stay celibate all my life.’

Dienye smiled.

‘You don’t need to convince me. You can take Monday off and talk to B.B. Call me when you’re done to let me know how it went. That would determine whether or not there is any need for me to talk to him on the issue.’

‘I’ll do that,’ Oroma said, rising to her feet. ‘Thanks so much.’

‘You’re welcome.’

Dienye saw Oroma and Biobele off to the estate gates and hailed a cab that would take them to the Home, paying the fare.

* * * * *

While Dienye saw Oroma and Biobele off, Soki had a quick bath and changed into her nightshirt. She had been distracted by her conversation with Biobele as they watched the cartoons but as she lay on the bed, the events of the evening came back to her. What was happening to her and Dienye? There were days when they were a loving couple, talking and laughing as friends and then he seemed to become a stranger.

Dienye walked into the room moments later. He had grudgingly accepted that he was wrong. Before he’d travelled, she had actually told him not to forget to get her a birthday gift while he was in the US of A. That should have served as a reminder but he had conveniently forgotten about it concentrating on the trainings that had earned him a lot of money in hard currency.

He found her on the bed, her eyes closed but he knew she was awake. He took off his t-shirt and lay on his side of the bed.

‘I’m sorry babe,’ he told her.

She didn’t utter a word at first. And then she said: ‘you’re under no obligation to apologise, D.D. you know I’ll never deny you my body even if I’m upset.’

‘I know that. But I mean it. I’m sorry. I should have called you to let you know I’ll be staying longer than intended. And I shouldn’t have forgotten your birthday. As your husband that date should be of importance to me and engraved in my memory.’

She smiled and looked at him.

‘And I shouldn’t have given you a hard time about my birthday,’ she admitted. ‘After all, you were only being a man.’

‘Excuse me?’ he arched an eyebrow.

‘Men rarely remember birthdays and anniversaries and have to be reminded all the time.’

‘Perhaps it’s because we have a million and one things going on in our heads including trying to come up with ways to keep our women constantly happy.’

‘And a woman doesn’t have a million things in her head?’

He laughed. ‘I didn’t mean that as an insult. I have five sisters, numerous female cousins and other relatives and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that a woman’s brain can absorb much more information that a man’s. That’s why you can remember all the birthdays, anniversary dates etc. without losing other information contained in your brain.’

‘Correct guy!’ she smiled, rolling to his side and straddling his lower body. ‘On behalf of all the females in the world, I say ‘Thank you’.’

‘I’m still trying to get used to us,’ he told her, ‘I need you to be patient with me.’

‘I need you to communicate more with me. That’s all I ask.’

‘I’ll do my best,’ he promised.

‘Good. And I get to be in charge tonight,’ she said impishly.

‘I’m all yours,’ he laughed. ‘Let’s see how much you’ve learned so far.’

‘I am so going to make you scream tonight,’ she said and before he could counter her words, she lowered her head and caught his lips in a kiss that took his breath away.

Read Episode 22 here - https://youngicee.com/2020/02/the-second-wife-episode-22.html

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The Second Wife - Episode 22

© Onyinyechukwu Mbeledogu

7:35am
Monday 26th July 2004
B.B Briggs & Co

B.B was about to drive out when a rap of a knuckle on the front passenger window caught his attention. He turned to find Oroma. His eyes narrowed even as he wound down the glass.

‘What do you want?’

She was dressed in a black skirt suit, her hair fixed in a weave-on which was held by a red and black hair ruffle. However, the strands sticking out in a few places told the story of a woman who had been in a hurry to meet up with him.

‘I’m on my way to court,’ he told her.

‘I already figured that out.’

‘Good. Then you can either come back around 3pm or join me to the court if what you want to say to me is urgent.’

‘I’ll join you to court,’ she said quickly.

He pressed the central lock to unlock the door and she joined him in the car.

‘You’re not on duty today?’ he asked.

‘Dienye gave me the day off,’ she replied.

He frowned as he backed the car out of the premises. ‘That best friend of mine is too accommodating,’ he muttered under his breath.

‘He’s a good man with a kind heart,’ she informed him.

‘Of course, and a sucker for innocent looks. I bet you gave him that soulful look puppies tend to give when they do something wrong and you find yourself not having the mind to discipline them. You don’t fool me anyway. I know you too much to fall for your ‘charms’.’

‘Please don’t start again,’ she told him.

‘Don’t start what?’

‘You know exactly what I’m talking about. I would rather not exchange words with you over my past.’

‘And you know our past has a way of popping up in the future. A past like yours rarely remains a past.’

‘And I won’t defend myself before you.’

He laughed. ‘I’m not asking you to. After all, you did what you had to do,’ he mocked. ‘How is my daughter?’

‘I am surprised that you can say the words with a straight face. After all, barely two weeks ago she was my brat.’

‘Two weeks ago I didn’t believe she was mine.’

‘I told you.’

‘And I wasn’t convinced she didn’t belong to one of your numerous lovers,’ he returned. ‘How is she?’

‘She’s fine. She’s at school attending the vacation classes.’

He slowed down just before the GRA area as the traffic warden stopped the vehicles heading towards waterlines.

‘You’ll have to do something about getting her enrolled in a better school next session.’

‘There’s nothing wrong with the school she is currently in,’ she bit out.

‘She needs the best education.’

‘She’s in a new school. You weren’t in the-’

‘I am in the picture now. My only child should get nothing but the best.’

‘And I won’t deny her that.’

‘Won’t you?’

‘I have her best interest at heart.’

‘I hear.’

He put the gear on drive once more when the traffic warden indicated that they could move.

‘I get the feeling that you are more concerned about yourself.’

‘And you are always judgmental when it has anything to do with me.’

‘Whatever. We’ll continue with this subject when I’m done with court.’

He made no further remark until they got to the Rivers State High Court. He pulled over in a parking space and got out. He pulled on his black gown, holding his wig in his right hand. He took a black bag from the back of the car and asked Oroma to make herself useful by carrying the law reports in the back seat.

She had only been to the court once and he had intimidated her there. But she needed to talk to him. She followed him to the storey building. The last court she had been in was in one of the bungalows beside the storey building.

She waited as he stopped to exchange pleasantries with another lawyer.

‘A counsel in your firm?’ the lawyer asked.

‘No. She came to observe.’

‘A law student?’

‘Far from it. I’ll see you later.’

‘Far from it?’ she repeated as the lawyer moved along. ‘You think I can’t study law if I want to?’

‘No,’ he tossed over his shoulder as she followed him up the staircase. ‘You’re not a fit and proper person.’

‘And you’re a fine one to talk.’

He laughed.

‘Of course. After all, I was called to the Nigerian Bar.’

At the top of the staircase, they turned left walking down the narrow open hallway. Inside the courtroom, B.B approached the registrars. She waited by the door for him to take a seat before sitting two seats behind him. B.B didn’t notice as he was engaged in a conversation with the lawyer seated on his right. He soon rose to his feet and left the court room with the lawyer.

‘Excuse me.’

Oroma turned to find an enormous lawyer looking down at her from his imposing height, his large water barrel stomach almost pressing into her face.

‘Good morning sir.’

‘What year?’

‘I beg your pardon.’

‘What year were you called to bar?’

‘I’m – oh sorry, I’m not a lawyer. I just came with Barrister Briggs.’

‘And he let you sit here?’

‘He didn’t exactly…’

‘These seats are reserved strictly for lawyers. If you want to watch proceedings then go to the back.’

She quickly rose to her feet although she didn’t like his tone.

‘Next time you’ll be prosecuted for impersonating a lawyer.’

‘I wasn’t impersonating,’ she began to argue.

‘Don’t talk back at me, young woman.’

Curious eyes turned in their direction but because of their low tones, only those in the next row could hear them.

‘Were you not taught respect for your seniors?’

Oroma wondered what respect had to do with anything.

‘I was-’

‘You better go and sit where you belong before you are cited for contempt by the judge.’

Oroma moved away. The thought of catching the attention of the judge frightened her. Outside the courtroom she probably would have given the obnoxious lawyer a piece of her mind, but she was in his territory. The man took her seat.

B.B soon returned and within a few minutes there was a knock on the judge’s entrance door and one of the registrars’ called out ‘Coooooooourt!’ Everyone rose to their feet as the female judge came into the court. The judge bowed and everyone bowed with her. She was curious about why everyone had to bow but B.B wasn’t exactly who she could talk to. She took her seat and others did same.

‘Good morning,’ the judge greeted.

‘Good morning my Lord,’ was the response.

‘Registrar mention number one on the cause list.’

B.B’s case was the fifth to be taken. The court had delivered a lengthy judgment earlier and as the cases proceeded Oroma had wondered if they would ever leave the court.

‘Are lawyers always so rude?’ she asked B.B once they were in his car. The day had been far spent.

‘Why do you ask?’

‘You are. And I met another lawyer today who looked like he was ready to use a cane on me or crush me with his massive stomach.’

‘Whatever for?’ he asked, taking his eyes off the road for a second to look at her.

‘I sat in an available space and didn’t know it was reserved for lawyers.’

‘You should have asked me.’

‘You should have told me,’ she returned.

‘So he asked you to leave.’

‘In a very embarrassing manner. He even threatened to sue me for impersonating a lawyer.’

He threw back his head and laughed.

‘What’s funny?’

‘I’m sorry he actually thought you were a lawyer.’

‘I’ll have you know that if I had pulled on a gown and won a wig, I would have fitted perfectly.’

‘On the contrary, you’d still stand out like a sore foot or one of your customers might walk into the courtroom and recognise you.’

‘Can’t you utter a word to me without making reference to my past?’

‘It’s very difficult. When does Biobele get back from school?’

‘1pm.’

‘Then we’ll pick her up together.’

‘I don’t think that’s such a good idea,’ she told him, concerned.

‘What you think right now isn’t in anyway important. What’s important is I want to see my daughter today. And I shall see her.’

She gave an exasperated sigh.

‘I won’t stop you from seeing her but today is not a good time. There’s a school program coming up this weekend. You can attend it as her father. That should give me enough time to prepare her.’

‘And I don’t trust you,’ he informed her.

‘There has never been any doubt in my mind about that.’

He took his eyes off the road for a second or two to look at her before returning his attention back to his driving.

‘What did you want to talk to me about?’

‘Bio. I have agreed to share joint custody with you.’

‘What changed your mind?’ he asked. ‘Are you afraid of what would happen if I had you in the witness box?’

‘No. I just want what’s best for my daughter.’

The Second Wife - Episode 22

‘No. I just want what’s best for my daughter.’

‘Two Million naira is a lot of money, you know.’

‘I’m sure it is, but my daughter is not for sale,’ she responded fiercely.

‘With that money you can start life at some place where no one knows you, find yourself some unsuspecting man to marry you and perhaps get a degree.’

‘Thanks but no thanks. There’s no way I’m going to hand my baby over to you just like that.’

‘Wasn’t that really what you had at the back of your mind when you told me about her? The pressure was becoming too much and you weren’t sure you could continue like this. It would have been so easy to keep me in the dark about her.’

‘It would have been so easy,’ she agreed.

‘And yet you came forward.’

‘I needed money but that wasn’t the reason. Bio needed a good life and one that had her father in it. I had no idea what you were like since we’d only met once. But I had to trust that since you were Dienye’s friend there had to be some kind of good in you. I know you’ll probably never forgive me for taking advantage of you eight years ago but what’s done is done, I can’t change it. I guess I was in heat and there you were, this amazingly good looking young man I couldn’t stop looking at.’

B.B sputtered when she said she was in heat. That was the last explanation he would have expected.

‘You were fortunate I didn’t throw you out through the window considering how mad I was at your action.’

‘Well your threat and the fierce, murderous look on your face ensured that I didn’t bother looking for you until it was absolutely necessary. I completely agree that what I did back then was wrong. I was young and impressionable. My family was wealthy and I got everything I wanted until I disgraced the family name and got disowned. I have since made decisions I have lived to regret but if there’s one decision I do not regret, it is the decision to keep that pregnancy.’

When he said nothing, she continued. ‘I know what it’s like to be without a family and I do not want that for my daughter. She needs to know her father and her paternal relatives.’

He said nothing to her until he requested for the address of Bio’s school. As he pulled into a parking space within the school premises, he asked unexpectedly.

‘Have you tried making peace with your family?’

‘Several times,’ she responded sadly. ‘They want nothing to do with Bio and I. So, what do you have to say about the joint offer? Is that okay with you? It’s the best I can offer.’

He turned off the ignition and looked at her.

‘I have no problem with a joint custody but it has be done by way of an agreement stating the terms.’

‘Just as long as you promise not to go behind my back and seek full custody.’

His eyes narrowed. ‘What do you take me for?’

‘I need you to make that promise to me,’ she insisted. ‘I need to know that my trusting you to do the right thing wouldn’t be at my peril.’

He watched her for what seemed like a long time then reluctantly uttered the words she needed to hear.

‘Thank you,’ she told him. ‘I’ll go get Bio.’

She alighted from the car and walked in the direction of the classrooms. He had no issues with a joint custody. What he had problems with was sharing it with a woman with a wild past. But she was right. Bio needed them both. The little girl clearly loved her mother and he would be the last person to take her away from her mother. The offer he had made her was to test her and if she had fallen for it, then he would have rightly ensured that she never came anywhere near his daughter. He had already informed his girlfriend about the existence of his daughter and Ese looked forward to meeting Bio.

He noticed several children stepping out of different classes to meet their parents/guardians. Bio soon stepped out of one of the classes in a red t-shirt, blue jean and a pair of black and white sneakers, a pink knapsack slung over her right shoulder. The moment she caught sight of her mother, she raced in her direction and threw herself into the woman’s arms. Oroma held her to herself for a moment. She said something to the girl and pointed in the direction of B.B’s car. Bio looked that way and B.B noticed that the smile slowly wiped off her face. She returned her attention to her mother, stepping back and shaking her head.

B.B watched as Oroma began to speak to her daughter, making several gestures in his direction. Finally the girl followed her mother towards the car but the excitement of seeing her mother had clearly gone. As they approached, B.B stepped out of the car. The little girl paused and looked suspiciously at him. And then she reached out to hold onto her mother’s left hand like he was there to kidnap her.

He couldn’t blame her though. They hadn’t gotten off on the right foot.

‘Don’t forget your manners, Bio mummy,’ Oroma told her daughter.

‘Good afternoon, sir,’ Biobele told her father, still keeping her distance.

Why was he here? She wondered, not comfortable with having him around.

‘Hello, Biobele.’ B. B. responded. ‘And how was school today?’

‘School was fine,’ she replied.

Awkward silence.

Oroma opened the left back passenger door and asked Biobele to get into the car.

‘Daddy’s dropping us off today.’

‘Why?’ she inquired. ‘Do we have to go with him?’

‘Yes, we have to. Please get into the car.’

Biobele reluctantly obeyed her mother. She didn’t utter a word to her father but each time he looked into the rear view mirror their eyes met. This clearly wasn’t going to be easy. He stopped at Jevinik for lunch before heading for the Home. Bio quietly thanked him for the ride and hurried off before either of her parents could stop her.

‘You need to understand that you can’t work a miracle in one day,’ Oroma told him. ‘She hasn’t forgotten your first encounter and you know first impressions matter.’

‘I’m sure you would ensure that I end up in her good books,’ he said sarcastically.

Oroma looked at him.

‘I don’t have a choice but you have a major role to play too. Like I told you earlier, there’s a programme coming up in her school this weekend. I need you to attend it. It’s a picnic for parents and children.’

‘And I am just supposed to sit back minding my own business until this weekend.’

‘Essentially, yes,’ Oroma replied without hesitation. ‘I need the time to rectify the damage you caused in the past. Bio is a very sensitive child who was really looking forward to meeting you until you broke her heart when you insisted she wasn’t yours.’

‘That’s because I didn’t trust you to tell me the truth.’

‘It doesn’t matter why you did it. What’s important is that you need to gently and not forcefully warm your place into her heart. I will clear the grounds, all I ask is that you give me the time to do so. I am asking you to trust me on this before you ruin everything.’

He looked like he was going to protest but thought better of it.

‘All right. But if you pull a fast one on me, I won’t be so forgiving.’

Oroma silently prayed for patience.

‘I don’t owe you this information, considering your attitude towards me, but Bio loves sneakers, face caps and football. Good bye B.B and thanks for the ride.’

B.B watched as she walked away and made a mental note not to come empty handed to the school picnic.

‘You can pick us up by 9am,’ Oroma tossed over her shoulder.

*****

Biobele was waiting in the sitting room for her mother. She had dropped her knapsack in the bedroom but hadn’t changed out of her school uniform.

‘Why did he come to the school with you?’ Biobele asked her mother.

‘He wanted to see you.’

‘I thought he said I wasn’t his daughter.’

Oroma sighed deeply.

‘That’s because he wasn’t sure you were his daughter.’

‘Even after you told him.’

‘It isn’t that simple darling. Remember mummy hadn’t seen daddy since you were conceived. That’s why daddy had his doubts. Sometimes women tell lies to get men to marry them and that’s wrong.’

‘But you didn’t lie to him.’

‘No, I didn’t. However, you need to forgive daddy for not being reasonable.’

Biobele looked at her mother.

‘Did he threaten you?’

‘Of course not. Why would you even think that?’ Oroma asked surprised.

‘Is he going to make you marry him?’ Biobele returned.

‘We didn’t discuss that. Do you want daddy and mummy to be together?’

The little girl shrugged and went into the bedroom.

Read Episode 23 here now- https://youngicee.com/2020/02/the-second-wife-episode-23.html

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The Second Wife - Episode 23

© Onyinyechukwu Mbeledogu

Thursday 29th July 2004
Law Faculty
RSUST

Soki literally danced with joy as she headed for the car park. A first class! With all As in her final year courses, she had a CGPA of 4.93. All the time spent burning the midnight candle finally paid off. She had waited for an hour to pick her law school form from the dean’s office. Some of her course mates were still busy looking at the law school list. Soki had been only interested in her own name and in confirming that she was graduating with her close friends. And they had all graduated.

She couldn’t wait to share the good news with Dienye. She tried calling his number twice, but he didn’t take her call. She didn’t bother leaving a text. She called B.B and told him the good news.

‘That’s great news, Soki. So I owe you all the law reports for 2004.’

That had been his promise to her.

‘Thanks boss,’ she said with a huge smile on her face.

She unlocked the car and sat in the driver’s seat, closing her eyes for a moment in a prayer of thanksgiving. Best student in her primary school with the best common entrance result at the state and federal level; 12 As in Junior WAEC and 9 A1s in WAEC and now a first class degree from her university. Soki was beyond elated. There was so much to give God thanks for.

Her friends, Ebitari and Ibukun soon joined her in the car. She was treating them to a celebratory lunch. The three girls knew there was the possibility that they may end up in different campuses but then they would cross the bridge when they got there.

Dienye wasn’t home when she got back. He was neither at the Home nor at any of his offices. She dropped her law school form on the marble table top and gave Belema a call. He was elated when she told him about her grades. He had also graduated with a first class degree from her school. He told her to expect a special package from him.

She visited her parents and basked in their accolades. Congratulatory calls and messages kept coming but none from her husband. She was still with her parents when Dienye subsequently called her and it was only to inform her that he would be home a bit late and she didn’t have to wait up for him. He didn’t say anything about missing her calls and she didn’t get more than a word in before he ended the call. When she called him back, his impatient response ‘What!’ as though she was bothering him had her immediately saying ‘Never mind’ and ending the call.

She tried to imagine what she had done to upset him but couldn’t come up with one reason.

‘How are things between you and Dienye?’ her mum asked.

‘I guess you could say we’re okay. We have issues every now and then but he still eats my food so I guess it isn’t that serious.’

‘What’s the nature of the problem? Perhaps I can help,’

She ordinarily wouldn’t complain to her mum about her marriage but since she had asked, Soki decided to talk to her a bit about it.

‘I really don’t know, mum but he accuses me of nagging.’

‘Do you?’

‘I can’t help it.’

‘You should stop it.’

‘You haven’t even heard my side of the story.’

‘I’m not taking sides, but nagging has never solved any problem irrespective of the genesis.’

‘He doesn’t make it easy for me, mum.’

Her mother smiled.

‘There’s no marriage without its issues, my dear. It isn’t easy for two persons from different backgrounds to live under the same roof. Even your dad and I had issues in the first year of our marriage. I remember leaving our home a few times but here we are, almost 25 years in marriage. A good wife builds her home. You are married to your friend. You should be able to talk to him. Timing is always important. You need to find out the best time to talk to him. Feed him his favourite food and…’

‘He’ll be suspicious of my action, thinking it’s a ploy to get money out of him.’

‘You’ve already tried that?’

‘Yes.’

She told her mother what had happened between them almost three weeks earlier.

******

Thursday 8th July

Soki drove into the compound from school. A few of her results had been released but the final results would be released in three weeks. She couldn’t wait. She had stopped at the Mile 1 market on her way home to pick up some food stuffs. Her intention was to surprise Dienye with the Rivers native soup as she had been taught by her mother-in-law. She changed out of her clothes into a t-shirt and a pair of shorts before proceeding to the kitchen.

She had promised herself to never nag again but to make her husband feel so special that he would never put her in a position where she had to nag. The law school forms would soon be made available and she would be leaving for the Nigerian Law School later in August. She couldn’t afford for them to part in a bad way. She wanted to be able to concentrate in law school knowing that she had her husband and her home intact.

She had bought enough stockfish, ngolo and isam (perewinkles) and had no doubt that he would love the soup. She was also trying to make peace. The previous day, they had quarrelled over something seemingly insignificant. She had served him dinner and for the sake of it had lifted his fork and taken a bite of food from his plate. He had immediately reached for her own fork, abandoning his and she had felt slighted. She figured she could have simply let it go but she had found that she couldn’t.

‘What’s wrong with you?’ she’d asked.

‘What’s wrong with me?’ he’d returned, his expression genuinely one of surprise.

‘I only used your fork, I didn’t spit on it.’

‘I never said you did,’ he responded, digging into his food. ‘And by the way, this is really delicious.’

She paused, glaring at him as he ate as though she wasn’t even there.

‘You just embarrassed me by your action,’ she finally said.

He took a last bite and looked up at her.

‘I don’t understand what you’re talking about. There’s no one here besides the two of us. How exactly did I embarrass you?’

‘By acting like I had a dental infection.’

He almost choked and had to gulp down a full glass of water.

‘If I thought you had a dental infection, babe, I wouldn’t have kissed you earlier.’

‘Then why did you switch cutleries?’

He took a deep breath and exhaled. ‘Why are you always spoiling for a fight?’

‘I don’t. You hurt my feelings. All you had to do was apologise.’

‘I don’t owe you an apology. I just don’t share cutlery.’

‘That’s not what I heard.’

‘And pray tell what did you hear?’ he said, pushing the plate of unfinished food forward.

‘Besides, Priye used your spoon two days ago.’

‘Priye is my sister,’ he reminded her.

‘And what am I?’

‘My wife. That’s different.’

‘How different? Is it an offence for a woman to share cutlery with her husband.’

‘No, but I don’t share. You should respect that.’

She looked away, mumbling under her breath. ‘And I bet you would have thought differently if I had been Nengi.’

He heard her. ‘I was just waiting for you to go there. Your obsession with her beats my imagination. Soon you’ll be wanting to share tooth brushes, underclothes etc.’

‘Don’t be ridiculous.’

‘Am I? That is exactly where this is headed.’

‘All you had to do was apologise.’

‘When do you get off trying to get me to apologise for everything? Were you taught that men don’t apologise and you wanted to make me adopt the habit of apologising for every single thing? Well, I don’t owe you an apology and so I am not going to apologise for whatever it is you feel I have done because I seriously doubt if it is just about me not sharing cutlery.’

‘Then save it.’

‘If that was intended to make me feel guilty then you’re wasting your time.’

‘I am the one who has to apologise all the time…’she said petulantly.

‘You can’t make me feel guilty for something that isn’t wrong.’

‘I-’

‘Don’t nag at me. It pisses me off. ‘

‘I don’t nag. We only argue…’

‘Well save your argument for one of your moot courts or until you’re called to the bar and are being paid to do so.’

He walked away before she could say anything in response. She looked at the half eaten food and felt bad. He had been enjoying the meal until she complained about his use of her fork instead of his. She should have pretended not to have noticed.

And so presently, she was preparing the native food he loved so much as a peace offering. She had just turned off the gas when she heard the front door open and close once more. She hurried to meet him.

‘Welcome back,’ she told him.

‘Thanks,’ he replied, walking past her.

‘Aren’t you forgetting something,’ she asked softly, a smile on her face.

‘What?’ he snapped as he paused. ‘I am not in the mood for one of your nagging sessions. Whatever it is you think I have done, I suggest you pretend I already apologised, and move on.’

He began to walk away once more.

Don’t nag, Soki. Don’t nag, she advised herself.

He shrugged off his suit as he moved, loosening his tie. He paused when she called his name, without turning. ‘I’ve told you that I’m not in the mood.’

‘I just wanted to take my kiss,’ she told him covering the distance between them. She placed a light kiss on his lips and then moved back.

He looked at her surprised.

‘I need to have a bath,’ he told her.

‘I left the heater on for you.’

‘Thanks, I guess,’ he looked at her surprised.

She followed him into their bedroom, asking, ‘how was your day?’

‘Great,’ he replied, dropping his suit and tie on a chair, before unbuttoning his shirt.

‘My day was okay,’ she told him conversationally.

‘Hmmm,’ was his only response.

‘I went to school today,’ she continued. When he said nothing, heading for the bathroom, she added, ‘don’t you want to know how it went?’

‘I’m sure you’ll tell me about it irrespective of whatever answer I give to you.’

As she began to talk, he shut the door behind him, and she soon heard the shower running. If he wanted to annoy her, he was doing a very good job of it but she wasn’t going to complain. She took his clothes to the closet although she knew he would have done that himself once he was done with his bath. She went to the kitchen where she dished out his food and took the tray to the bedroom.

Dressed in a black sleeveless t-shirt and matching joggers, he settled down to eat his dinner. She watched him as he took even a second helping.

‘Are you all right?’ she finally asked when he was done.

Why do you ask?’ he asked as he drank partly from the glass cup.

‘You’re giving me the silent treatment.’

He said nothing. He rose to take the tray to the kitchen but she took it from him, saying she would wash up. He thanked her and pulled on a pair of socks before pushing his long feet into black and white sneakers. She had just loaded the dishes into the dishwasher when he walked into the kitchen with the glass cup and headed for the water dispenser. He filled the glass with cold water and quickly gulped it down. Soki walked up behind him and encircled his waist. He tensed.

‘Did I do anything wrong?’ she asked him.

‘No,’ was his monosyllabic response.

‘Then why won’t you talk to me?’

He dropped the glass and placing both hands against hers, he extricated himself from her embrace.

I’m not in the mood,’ he informed her. ‘I’ll be taking a stroll now. Please don’t wait up for me.’

‘Can I join you?’ she asked.

‘I don’t need company.’

‘Now you are…’

‘And I don’t need to be nagged.’

‘I wasn’t about to,’ she assured him.

‘I don’t feel like having a tete a tete with you right now, okay?’

He bit back an expletive when she blocked his path.

‘It wouldn’t be bad if we strolled together for a change.’

‘Stand aside babe.’

‘It would be fun, D. D,’ she assured him.

He paused and looked at her: ‘We have been married for a few months now and all of a sudden you want to hang out with me. What gives?’

She drew back. ‘I don’t understand what you’re talking about.’

‘Don’t you? You’re suddenly so attentive. You welcome me with a kiss, leave the heater on for me, clean up after me and prepare a very sumptuous meal. Like that isn’t enough you want to stroll out with me like we’re one perfect couple. Forgive me if I suspect foul play.’

‘I have done nothing a wife wouldn’t do.’

‘Not this particular wife. You want something, don’t you? You made another alteration to the house, didn’t you?’

‘No, I did not.’

‘If you didn’t, then you probably have been extravagant in your spending and you need more money to cover the deficit in your account. All right, how much do you want?’

‘I’m not going to stand here and listen to this.’

She made to walk away and he grabbed her wrist, halting her movement.

‘How much did you intend to get from me?’

‘I do not…’

‘You will not be this thoughtful unless you want something. Now spit it out before I change my mind.’

She tried to free her wrist but his grip was strong.

I don’t need your money.’

‘Don’t you?’

‘I don’t. I’m not a gold digger after your money. I was nice simply because I wanted to and not because I wanted to extort money from you.’

Dienye looked at her for a full minute without a word and then he turned and left the kitchen. Soki heard the front door open and close once more.

Soki was still awake when he returned. He walked into the bigger sitting room and turned on the telly. He paused when he saw her. She rose to her feet.

‘I’m not in the mood,’ he told her to forestall any trouble he felt she might begin.

‘I didn’t say anything.’

‘You didn’t have to.’

He sat on the three person sofa and flicked through the channels. She sat next to him.

‘We need to talk, D.D,’ she told him quietly.

‘And like I told you before, I am not in the mood.’

She gave an exasperated sigh.

‘You still haven’t told me how much you need,’ he reminded her out of nowhere.

‘You give me enough allowances, Dienye. Why would I ask for more?’ When he said nothing, she continued. ‘I went to school today.’

‘You told me earlier.’

‘And all my results are intact. They would be releasing the final results in three weeks.’

‘I see,’ he said, disinterested, his attention on the news headlines.

‘Is that all you can say?’ she queried.

‘What else do you want me to say?’ he demanded, obviously irritated.

‘Exhibiting a little interest would have been enough.’

‘I heard you loud and clear. You went to school, your results are intact and the faculty will be releasing your final results in three weeks’ time. Or did I miss any part of the conversation?’

‘No. But it wouldn’t have cost anything to say ‘Best of luck, babe.’’

He turned to look at her.

‘Luck has nothing to do with it. Your results are intact, meaning that all your papers have been marked and assessed so there’s nothing you can do at this point other than wait for the results to be officially published.’

She glared at him. ‘Why are you being so mean to me?’

Dienye gave an exasperated sigh. ‘Do you mind? I am trying to listen to the news.’

‘In other words, I’m being a nuisance!’

‘Yes,’ he said without mincing words. ‘Now off with you or just sit quietly and listen to the news.’

‘You really are-’

‘Don’t nag, Soki,’ he warned her. ‘Don’t you dare nag.’

She parted her lips, a stubborn expression on her face, and then she thought better of it. She rose to her feet and stormed to the door but rather than leave, she just stood there saying nothing. He ignored her for some time but when he couldn’t anymore, he ground out: ‘Damn it Soki, you are distracting me. Please take yourself elsewhere.’

‘And I won’t be dismissed like a recalcitrant child.’

‘That does it.’

She held her ground as he advanced toward her. He stood before her, both palms pressed against the door on each side of her.

‘I’m not afraid of you,’ she told him. ‘I’m a lawyer now.’

‘A law graduate without the requisite degree,’ he corrected. ‘You have so much to learn about respecting one’s private space.’

‘You’re the one who’s quick to lose his temper, not me. It’s not my fault that I’m not your precious Nengi.’

‘I have had enough of your attitude. If a man wants his space, give him his space. You gain nothing by encroaching on it. I’m sure your mother taught you that. I hate it when you nag and it is a most unattractive trait. I have told you that several times.’

‘There would be no need for my nagging if you were nicer to me just like you were before we got married. I am not Nengi and I do not strive to be…’

‘You should try to be more like her,’ he cut her short. ‘She was thoughtful and considerate and she knew how to get what she wanted from me. She timed the perfect moment and never had to result to nagging. She understood that when a man said he wasn’t in the mood, he wasn’t in the mood. But you, on the other hand, seem to derive pleasure in getting me so worked up so you can take up the ‘persecuted wife’ stance.

‘It’s not my fault that you’re so tetchy.’

‘I wasn’t tetchy before we got married, that should tell you something. I married you Soki because I was attracted to you but there are times you make me wish I had just given you the entire sum and saved myself the trouble of having to get upset every now and then. You’re 21 and yet you act like an immature and spoilt child. You weren’t anything like this in the years I knew you, even at 19! Then again, it just shows how well I knew you back then.’

‘I don’t like what you’re saying to me.’

‘That’s your problem not mine,’ he told her.

And before she could argue, she found herself lifted to his shoulder fireman style and he was walking out of the sitting room with her. She weighed over 80kg and he carried her as though she weighed nothing less than 10kg, she thought. He gently deposited her on their bed and warned her to stay there. And then he left the bedroom, shutting the door behind him. Soki stared at the door for some time and then turned to the side, backing the door, seething but unable to do anything about it.

The Second Wife - Episode 23 continued

*******

‘You had no reason to nag, dear,’ Ezinne told her daughter, when she was done with her tale.

‘Mummy! Didn’t you hear anything I said?’

‘I heard the full story my dear and believe me, you had no reason to nag. There were a thousand and one ways that evening would have ended and all of them good.’

Soki sighed deeply.

‘It was never my intention to quarrel with him. I only did what a wife would do, welcome her husband home and ensure that his meals were ready. I asked him about his day and he was barely vocal about it but I don’t think he was upset because of something that happened at work. All he kept on saying was that he wasn’t in the mood. Now I understand that there are friendships destined to be just that: mere friendships. Besides being intimate as husband and wife, Dienye and I were a whole lot closer until we got married.’

Ezinne took her daughter’s hand in hers.

‘You and Dienye went into this marriage for the wrong reasons. Neither of you were emotionally set for it, but the deed has been done and the two of you need to work on building a relationship as a couple because once the children start coming it might be too late to salvage your relationship. By then your focus will tilt more in the direction of the children, not intentionally, but because of their age and the natural need to protect. He’s still your friend. Let him know your grievances but look for the perfect time and please don’t nag. It has never and would never help your case. Take your dad and I for instance. Your father doesn’t take me or my opinion for granted. If I’m hurt I let him know. If there’s anything I don’t like I let him know about it but before I do so, I ensure that the timing is right. Does that make me weak as a woman? No it makes me strong to know what buttons to push and most importantly WHEN to push those buttons to get the best result. That’s what you should aim for. The easiest way to a man is through his wife, but you need to work towards being that kind of wife. Every man is different. What works for Man A might work for Man B. So you need to understand your husband and I’m sure you’ll get the best out of your marriage. Secondly, make his parents and his grandmother, the one you told me was his favourite relative, your closest allies. I’m your mother but your best allies should come from his own family. That worked perfectly for me.’

And Soki had noticed how quick her paternal grandparents, God bless their souls, had been quick to take her mother’s side when Soki was younger. A stranger would think they were Ezinne’s parents.

‘Are you saying I have to be the one to make all the sacrifices?’

‘Of course not. You should only know when to pick your fights. If a man disrespects you then you let him know he can’t do that and get away with it. But from all you’ve told me, he hasn’t disrespected you.’

No he hadn’t. He could be really annoying though, Soki thought.

*******

Soki drove home from her parents’ home so she could have dinner fixed before Dienye returned. After a plate of pounded yam and ofe oha from her mother’s kitchen, she was more than belly-full. Dienye called again, this time to say he would stop at a former classmate’s place on his way from work and she should not wait for him.

But she did wait up for him. He returned around 10pm and she laid curled up on the sofa watching a movie that had her dozing off every now and then. But she felt too lazy to do something as simple as pick up the remote control and change the station. When she heard him turning his key on the lock of the front door, she hurried to meet him, rubbing the back of her palm of her tired eyes.

‘Welcome back darling,’ she told him.

‘Thanks babe,’ he responded as he locked the doors behind him.

‘How was your day?’

‘It went well.’

When he turned from the door, she lifted herself on tip toes to kiss him, reaching at the same time to retrieve his brief case.

‘I thought I asked you not to wait up.’

‘I felt like it,’ she replied. ‘I’ll put your dinner in the microwave.’

‘I can do that myself, thanks.’

‘I’d like to do it. I haven’t had supper myself.’

‘Let me guess, you were waiting for my return.’

‘Of course, I love eating with you. You should know that by now,’ she added with a smile.

It didn’t coerce the smile she had been expecting. What was wrong? She took his briefcase to the bedroom and headed for the kitchen where she put the night’s meal in the microwave. By the time she returned to the bedroom with a tray of food, Dienye had taken a shower and was dressed in only a pair of shorts.

She turned on the TV and flicked the channels until she settled for CNN. They ate in silence. However, when they were turned in for the night, she asked Dienye if he’d had issues at work and his response was in the negative. ‘Business has never been better.’

‘That’s good. I hope no one upset you though.’

‘No one. Why do you ask?’

‘Your countenance.’

‘I left for home in high spirits.’

She looked at him as he lay on his back, one hand flung over his face. The interpretation of his words couldn’t be mistaken even by a retard.

‘I called you several times today,’ she said, ‘but you weren’t picking. I figured you had so much work to do.’

‘Yes, I was very busy.’

‘Do you need a massage?’ she asked.

He lifted his hand off his face for a second to look at her then returned to his former position.

‘No, thanks.’

‘I don’t have much experience but I’m sure I can come up with something to loosen your muscles,’ she laughed, sitting up on the bed.

‘I’m sure you can. But I don’t need a massage.’

She looked at him. She wasn’t going to nag.

‘Okay. I needed to talk to you though, that’s why I kept calling.’

‘You knew where to find me.’

‘Yes I did, but I didn’t want to disturb you at work. Remember, the last time I brought you lunch during working hours. You were in this long meeting and I ended up not seeing you.’

He hadn’t forgotten that. He’d had to make it up to her later that evening when he finally got home.

‘I called because I was at school today.’

‘You have been going to school almost every day, babe,’ he reminded her.

‘Yes, but this time, my results were released.’

‘Congratulations babe. I have no doubt that you excelled. My ‘first class’ wife,’ He gave her an absent minded kiss. ‘We’ll talk in the morning.’

‘D…’

‘Goodnight babe.’

Soki looked angrily at her husband especially when he turned off the bedside lamp, plunging the room in darkness. He turned to his side, backing her.

‘Good night,’ she told him, dragging the comforter to herself. But it would have had a satisfactory effect if he actually needed the comforter.

My ‘first class’ wife indeed, she thought. Like bagging a first class was so common!

*******

Dienye stayed home the following morning, working in his study. And he was clearly not happy when Soki came in there.

‘What do you want?’ he enquired.

‘I’m on my way to school.’

‘Okay. You need money to fuel your car?’

‘No. I have a full tank,’ she responded.

When she remained standing, he asked, ‘What is it?’

‘I want us to fill my law school form together,’ she told him.’

He arched an eyebrow. ‘You can’t fill it yourself?’

‘I can. It’s just that…’

‘You have an internship programme with B.B’s firm. He’s the lawyer, you should talk to him.’

‘This has nothing to do with being a lawyer, D. D. The least you can do is look through it.’

He gave an exasperated sigh. ‘I guess I don’t have a choice since you have already distracted me and disrupted my work. Bring it over.’

Whoever said patience was a virtue should be given the award for uncommon wisdom. She walked across the table to his swivel arm chair. She dropped the form in front of him and turned it to the relevant page, leaning so close he couldn’t help but be aware of her and not just the scent of her perfume.

‘What do you want me to do?’ he asked.

‘I am expected to fill in the 4 campuses in order of priority,’ she explained.

‘Then you clearly don’t need my help.’

‘I’m thinking of making Enugu my first choice so that I can come home every weekend like I did in school.’

‘What purpose would that serve?’

‘I’m a married woman.’

‘Of course you are. After all, you’re talking to your husband.’

He could easily have added ‘duh’ after ‘husband’, she thought.

‘And you think if you spend two or three months away you’ll come back to meet a replacement?’

‘I trust you completely,’ she told him. And she did. If he could stay celibate for 4 years with all the women flocking around him, a few weeks away from her wouldn’t make a difference. ‘I want to choose Enugu campus because I want to be close to home. As your wife I should be home more often.’

He lifted a well arched eyebrow. ‘Don’t do anything on my account. I can take good care of myself.’

‘I’m sure you can. But…’

‘If you didn’t have to consider me, what would be your preference?’

‘D.D…’

‘What would be your preference if you were still single?’

‘Lagos, Abuja, Enugu and Kano.’

‘There, we have your answer.’

‘But I-’

‘Don’t argue with me, babe. I wouldn’t want you to go to a campus you don’t really want to go to just to please me or because I chose it for you. I have relatives in Abuja, a very close cousin in Lagos and friends in Enugu. Kano is a keg of gun powder waiting to explode. Fill in the campuses exactly the way you want it and submit your form.’

‘You sound like you would prefer it if I went really far,’ she told him, pouting.

He laughed, although she doubted if it came from his heart.

‘Don’t be ridiculous, babe. You’re my wife. I have no reason to wish you away.’

‘That’s what it feels like.’

‘Well, you’re wrong. I’ll miss having you around but you have to complete your education irrespective of what I feel or think. If that’s all, I really need to get back to what I’m doing.’

Dismissed, she left the study, barely giving in to the urge to slam the door shut.

Read episode 24 here - https://youngicee.com/2020/02/the-second-wife-episode-24.html

I'm beginning to hate this Soki for her Nagging attitude...D.D has alot of Characters like i do,when i want my space i hate disturbance...she should learn to talk only when her husband is in the mode..nice worke Prince,kontinue

I just can't imagine how this will end....
Thanks for the update

The Second Wife - Episode 24

© Onyinyechukwu Mbeledogu

When Soki returned home from school, Dienye wasn’t around. She asked one of the security guards to get her a cab while she walked into her bedroom and packed a few clothes and shoes. She had called Dienye’s maternal grandmother at the spur of the moment and while talking with her, promised to come visiting that evening.

It was almost noon and if she left in a few minutes, she could get to RTC and take a bus which would take her close to her destination. She changed into a sky blue dress shirt and jeans, and stuck her feet into a pair of sneakers. Just in time. The knock on the front door announced the arrival of the cab driver.

She left a note for Dienye. There was soup and stew in the freezer enough to last him until she returned on Sunday. She needed the break. Perhaps by the time she returned, he would be in a better mood.

5:46pm

Nawfia, Njikoka LGA

Anambra State

Soki looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her make-up was quite good. There was great improvement

from the make-up she had applied in the last few months, thanks to her cousin Chinwe Asodike who was a make-up artist and had given Soki a free makeover as a wedding gift. She was dressed in a flowing red and yellow kaftan with low V-neck and a matching scarf tied turban-like style on her head. She wasn’t sure how a married woman was supposed to dress around here. The last thing she wanted was to be the subject of some village gossip.

She stepped out of the bedroom assigned to her by Dienye’s grandmother and waited in the sitting room for the elderly woman. She was to escort Ezimdimma to a friend’s house. Ezimdimma’s friend was recently widowed and she intended to check up on her.

Soki settled herself on one of the single chairs and turned her attention to her phone. Dienye hadn’t called yet. She hadn’t bothered leaving him a message since he had this bad habit of ignoring it. He would definitely call her whenever he got home and didn’t find her there.

She dropped the phone and picked up the remote to scroll through the channels. Ezimdimma’s husband, Ekwueme, a retired Justice of the Court of Appeal, was attending a burial in Ifite Dunu and would be back the next day. Soki couldn’t wait to meet the man who had stolen the older woman’s heart 62 years ago for the second time. She had met him for the first time during her wedding and so hadn’t really discussed much with him. He appeared to be the quiet kind though, but 62 years meant there was something about him that had kept Dienye’s grandmother in the marriage for so long.

She was still scrolling through the channels when Ezimdimma came out of her room and Soki sat up. Why was she not surprised? Soki asked herself. The older woman was dressed in a simple dress that ended just below her knees. The dress was free at the hips but couldn’t hide the fullness of the hips that must have put a lot of men in trouble when the woman was a lot younger.

She was what the Igbos would call ‘Agadi ekwenka’ (someone who refused to grow old). One couldn’t blame her. She looked nothing like a 79 year old woman. She took such good care of herself and Soki admired her for that. But she didn’t expect to find her dressed like that! At least she wore flat sandals. Soki would have fainted if the older woman had worn high heeled shoes. That would have been too much.

‘Let’s get going…’ The older woman paused as she took in Soki’s dressing. ‘You…’

‘Before you say anything,’ Soki started, lifting her hand to stop whatever Ezimdimma was about to say. ‘I’m going to my room to change.’

Soki returned in a red top and jean skirt that was about two inches above her knees.

‘I cannot have it said that you beat me in terms of dressing,’ Soki told the older woman. ‘I’m the one in her early twenties.’

The older woman laughed. ‘Age is nothing but a number, my dear. It is a thing of the mind. You are only as old as you think you are. I may be almost 80 but I am 30something at heart.’

‘Mama, odi ka inye ezigbo nsogbu ka agbogho (Mama, it’s like you caused a lot of trouble in your youthful days),’ Soki told Ezimdimma.

‘You don’t know the half of it,’ Ezimdimma laughed. ‘Remind me to show you my pictures when we get back.’

As they waited for Mama Chidi to come out of her bedroom, Ezimdimma proudly introduced Soki as Nwasoka, Ari nwam’s wife to her friends who had also come visiting. Ari nwam was her pet name for Dienye, short for Arinzechukwu. No one spent much time looking at Ezimdimma’s outfit. They had to be used to her by now. She had worn a fitted flowing gown and multi-coloured bangles to Dienye and Soki’s wedding and Dienye had hailed her as ‘Hottest Mama’.

A young lady approached them and greeted Ezimdimma.

‘Ekpereamaka, ke ka I me (how are you)?’

Ekpereamaka gave a laugh that obviously wasn’t from her heart. She clearly didn’t like the use of her full name.

‘Mama, o kwa “Amy”’, the young woman in the green top and blue pencil jean trousers responded.

Ezimdimma drew back her head and looked at Ekpereamaka and Soki knew instantly that the young woman was in trouble.

‘’Ami, kwa? Gini ka I na ami (what are you sucking)?’ she asked.

Soki almost choked on her drink.

‘O bughi Ami, (it’s not Ami) o Amy ‘A-M-Y’,’ the woman returned when she should have just pretended she had something else to do and walk away.

Soki looked away pretending to be distracted by her phone. She could recall the first meeting with Ezimdimma and she had introduced herself as ‘Soki Achebe’.

‘Ndi Onitsha a na azazikwa Soki (Do Onitsha people now bear the name Soki)?’ The older woman had asked.

‘Nwasoka,’ Soki had amended.

‘Your parents would give you beautiful names and you’ll choose to go by short names that neither have meaning nor give an inkling as to your roots. What’s your second name?’

‘Chimamandanata.’

‘Another beautiful name. And yet some people would rather be known as ‘Amanda’ and pronounced like the English name itself. Children of nowadays.’

Presently, Ezimdimma was on the girl’s case.

‘Oh, Amy?’ she corrected and the young woman smiled. ‘O bughi so Amy (It’s not only Amy), A ga akpokwuzia gi ‘Ekpi’ (we would also call you ‘Ekpi’), after all it’s a variant of your name.’

This time Soki actually choked on her drink and received two slaps on the back. Ekpi? What kind of a nickname was that? Replace the ‘E’ with an ‘A’ and you’ll get the Igbo version of flea. Soki looked at the embarrassed young woman.

‘Ekpereamaka, ke ka I me?’ Ezimdimma asked for the second time.

‘A di nma ma, (I’m fine, ma)’ the woman responded.

‘How is your mother doing? I hope her hip is better now.’

‘Much better ma. She’s been discharged from the hospital.’

‘We thank God. Come to the house later and pick up some fruits for her. Tell her I extend my greetings and will come visiting as soon as I possibly can.’

‘Thank you ma.’

When the woman walked away, Soki turned to Ezimdimma.

‘Mama the mama,’ she hailed.

‘This your hailing is very suspicious, Nwasoka.’

‘Can’t I hail you again?’ Soki laughed, and then she quickly lifted both hands as a sign of peace. ‘I don’t have strength at all o, before you tell me something that won’t make me sleep this night.’

Ezimdimma laughed at this.

‘How can you sleep this night when Arinzechukwu isn’t here with you?’

I walked right into that one, Soki thought with a smile. She had received a text from Dienye about half an hour after she had arrived at Nawfia that he would be travelling to Bonny that afternoon to be back on Saturday. Soki figured she should have replied with a message informing him that she was in Nawfia until Sunday but didn’t bother because he must have known as at that morning when they’d spoken that he’d be travelling to Bonny and hadn’t bothered to inform her.

Soki had never been to Bonny. Her parents-in-law were in Port Harcourt and so she didn’t have to make any serious trip in order to be introduced to them. And the Bonny people had made it to Onitsha for her Igba Nkwu (traditional wine carrying). Dienye had assured her that they would be spending Christmas in Bonny and so she hadn’t seen any harm in waiting until then. But this would have been a good time to visit her husband’s homeland.

‘Do you actually need to go to Bonny only when Dienye’s there with you?’ a voice inside her head asked. ‘You love travelling so you can actually visit before the Christmas holiday if you really want to. It’s not like you’re married to a man who tries to curtail your movement.’

Yes, she had no one but herself to blame for not visiting earlier. After all, she had, on the spur of the moment, followed her cousin Chidiuto to Abuja five years earlier to confirm that Chidi’s long distance ‘fiancé’ indeed lived and worked where he said he did. The trip had been worth the trouble Soki faced when she finally came home, as Golibe had been ‘forming’ the NNPC employee that he wasn’t. The young man had been shocked to see Chidi in Abuja. He was squatting with a former course mate who worked with NNPC, the same friend he claimed was the squatter and the reason he couldn’t host Chidi in his home! It wasn’t like she had even suggested this to Dienye and he had said no or tried to change her mind!

‘I wonder o,’ Soki responded, her fingers curled under her jaw as though in thought. ‘I should have gone with him to Bonny.’

‘He’s in Bonny?’

‘Yes. He left this afternoon.’

‘Ok. Today’s 30th July, right.’

‘Yes. Is any special thing happening today?’ Soki responded, wondering what the older woman was getting at.

‘Of course, today precedes the last day of the month. We’ll spend several minutes before we enter into the new month thanking God for his goodness upon our lives in the month of July and for the year so far.’

‘Oh.’

For some reason, Soki didn’t think this was initially what the woman had in mind but she let it rest.

‘Look on the bright side dear,’ Ezimdimma continued, ‘we are in this together. We are both alone tonight.’

Soki looked at the woman and then her eyes widened as it dawned on her what Ezimdimma was really saying. Only courtesy stopped the word ‘Ewwww!’ from escaping her lips. No young person wanted to believe that his/her parents were still sexually intimate, let alone grandparents. Ekwueme would be back tomorrow and she, Soki, would still be alone.

Don’t even think about it, she told herself.

At that moment, Mama Obinna came into the sitting room. She was a smallish woman in her early eighties and walked with the aid of a walking stick. She smiled as she saw Ezimdimma who rose to embrace her. Ezimdimma introduced Soki to her friend and then excused her as she went in with her friend, who paused briefly to greet her other guests.

7:13pm

Bonny, Rivers State

Dienye’s attention was glued to the flat screen television in his Bonny home. He was watching the last birthday video he had made of Nengi: July 30th 1999, her 30th birthday. She had wanted a quiet birthday with him but he had thrown her a surprise party because 30 was a significant age.

Neither of them had expected that to be her last birthday on earth. She had died so young. He smiled sadly as he admired her in the aquamarine dress he had bought her. She had worn it with a pair of silver high heeled sandals. He’d teased her several times about not requiring a pair of high heeled shoes or sandals because of her height but she loved those shoes.

He had bought her a black Toyota corolla as a birthday gift. The car was still parked in his home and he drove it once in a while. He didn’t have the mind to give it out. Certainly not now that he had returned her personal effects to her family.

There wasn’t a picture of her remaining save for photographs he’d taken with her and B.B. He had also taken down her pictures from their home here in Bonny but he still kept the videos for himself. As long as Soki didn’t see them, there was no problem.

Her laughter was rich and infectious as she made a joke before cutting her large white and red cake. He couldn’t believe he had forgotten what date it was until that afternoon! Work was quite stressful these days. Every July 30th since 2000 was spent in Bonny. It had become a tradition.

After he’d called Soki to inform her that he would be travelling to Bonny, he’d turned his phones off so as not to be disturbed. He would read his messages tomorrow. Today belonged to Nengi.

‘Happy birthday, my forever love,’ he told her quietly. ‘I can’t believe we are no more dee ná taa ná (husband and wife).’

He sighed deeply. She was buried in their backyard and he paid someone to tend to the grave on a monthly basis. The compound was completely cemented save for the areas with the flowers and the garden. He hadn’t gone to her grave site since she was buried, not sure he could deal with the reality of her lying cold and lifeless beneath the marble slab, through the cold and the heat, the rain and the dry season. Alone without the warm comfort of her husband’s embrace.

This life was nothing. One moment you had life and the next, it was taken away from you. One only had to live life like every day might be one’s last day on earth!

He reached for one of the filled glasses of champagne on the glass table. That brand was Nengi’s favourite.

‘Cheers my darling,’ he said, clicking his glass with the other one before taking a gulp of its contents. The contents of the other glass would end up in the sink by morning as usual.

Eps 24 continued


Nawfia, Njikoka LGA

After dinner, Ezimdimma brought out several albums, some dating back to the 70s. Soki looked with delight at the photographs. She certainly wanted to be like this woman when she grew up, she thought with a smile.

She admired the older woman in the famous akpola shoes and small A-Cut dresses and the large afro hairstyle. The akpola shoes were back in fashion. With all these small dresses worn in the 70s, it was surprising that mothers dared complain when their daughters wore similar clothes in this millennium!

‘Mama, these your dresses were tiny o,’ Soki noted. ‘No wonder Papa was all over you.’

‘Mechie onu (shut up),’ Ezimdimma laughed.

‘It’s true na. The length of these dresses would have caused commotion back then.’

‘The men back then were decent unlike what you have now. A lot of young men have no respect anymore and would sleep with anything on skirt irrespective of age.’

‘So we shouldn’t be wearing this kind of dress, abi?’

‘Did I say anything?’

‘I didn’t hear anything,’ Soki responded with a laugh. After all this was the same woman who ensured that her grandchildren bought their sister-in-law sets of lingerie like they wanted to ensure that Dienye never took his hands off his wife!

Ezimdimma asked her to place the albums on one of the shelves in the room divider once she was done.

‘Before I forget, I bought you a delayed wedding gift,’ Ezimdimma told Soki. ‘However, before I give it to you, I need you to honestly answer one question for me.’

‘What’s the question?’

What kind of wedding gift did this woman have for her? Soki wondered. The woman was not the average grandmother who was prim and proper. Someone like Ezimdimma would place an order for a intimacy gadget if she thought that would help a person’s sex life. This made Soki wonder what Ezimdimma’s parents had been like for their daughter to be so open and not bound by the dictates of society.

‘How is Arinzechukwu?’

‘He’s fine, mama.’

‘All round?’

‘He’s a very handsome man and well built,’ Soki answered evasively, knowing exactly what his grandmother was asking. She hadn’t forgotten what Dienye had told her about Ezimdimma saying that his equipment could get rusty and useless from lack of use.

‘And you know that’s not what I’m referring to.’ Ezimdimma pointed out.

‘Of course I do, but you can’t expect me to be discussing my husband’s sexual prowess with you.’

‘Why not?’ the woman asked unrepentantly shameless. ‘After all, it makes for good gossip.’

‘Hian, mama. Biko hapu okwu (please leave that talk).’

‘Very disappointing,’ Ezimdimma complained. ‘But I won’t force you to tell me about it. However, I know from the way you blushed when I said you couldn’t sleep tonight with Arinzechukwu not being around,

that your sex life was not a problem. You can’t blame an old woman for wanting a bit of gossip.’

Soki figured it was going to take time getting used to her grandmother-in-law. Imagine having this woman as a mother? Sex education would have been introduced way early in her daughter’s life. Soki’s parents hadn’t bothered with sex education until she gained admission into the University. It wasn’t a comfortable subject for either of them. Besides, Soki was closer to her father than her mother and certainly one couldn’t expect him to tell his daughter about the birds and the bees, except advise her not to let any boy get too close to her without the benefit of a wedding ring. Even when they had finally tried to talk to her about it, they had used the phrase ‘if a man tries to sex you’. ‘Sex you’? Who says that in this day and age?

‘You’re looking at me like I’m a spoilt woman,’ Ezimdimma told Soki and Soki gasped, ‘Hmmmm?’

She hadn’t realised she was looking at the older woman in any peculiar way.

‘The problem a lot of marriages suffer is the lack of communication about sex,’ Ezimdimma continued. ‘When it comes to the topic, many couples pretend to be holier than God. They prefer to suffer in silence even when nothing is happening, so as not to be dubbed a derogative name by society; the same society that would still talk when divorce occurs. It’s unfortunate. A woman is not meant to be ashamed of her sexuality and has every right to demand for proper and very satisfactory lovemaking from her husband. After all, the men do not have the monopoly of sexual satisfaction. Remember, even Sarah the wife of Abraham when told she would have a child in her old age, wondered if she could still find pleasure in it, meaning that Abraham wasn’t a selfish lover.’

Soki couldn’t believe she was having this conversation.

‘Yes, ma.’

‘And so you have the liberty to introduce more sauce to your love life, my dear. No stew is complete without spices. Even chicken wouldn’t taste so nice unless it is properly spiced.’

‘I have no problem with Dienye,’ Soki quickly assured the older woman. ‘He takes care of my sexual needs very well.’

‘As he should,’ Ezimdimma said with pride.

‘And I believe I also take good care of his sexual needs. At least he has never complained.’

‘That’s good. Which brings me to the issue of your wedding gift. If I wasn’t sure you needed it, I’m now convinced that it is very important.’

What was it? Soki wondered once more.

‘And I think I’ll wait until Arinzechukwu comes here tomorrow.’

‘Dienye isn’t coming here. He’s in Bonny, remember?’

His grandmother smiled.

‘You think my boy will leave you all alone here to deal with me?’

‘We are getting on well, mama.’

‘As we should. But my boy would come here once he knows you’re here. And no, it’s not because he doesn’t trust you, but because he wouldn’t want you to go through the stress of taking a public transportation back home.’

‘I’m used to it,’ Soki smiled.

‘But you’re married to a wealthy man now, and a caring one at that.’ Ezimdimma reminded Soki.

‘Yes I am.’

‘And he wouldn’t want me corrupting his precious wife. Like I said, I’ll save your gift for when he comes.’

She rose to her feet and then added mischievously. ‘I hope you’re not the type that screams so loud you keep the neighbours awake at night?’

‘Mama!’ Soki’s eyes bulged.

‘What?’ the older woman laughed. ‘Men always complain about women who scream during love making but we all know that if you’re quiet they’ll think you’re frigid. The scream actually boosts motivates them to do more and also gives them the impression that they are the best lovers.’

‘Good night ma.’

Ezimdimma’s laughter followed Soki to her room.

Read episode 25 here - https://youngicee.com/2020/02/the-second-wife-episode-25.html

The Second Wife - Episode 25

© Onyinyechukwu Mbeledogu

Saturday 31 July 2004

8:14am

Bonny Island

Dienye woke up with a headache. He was sprawled on the rug in the sitting room where he had dozed off in the early hours of the morning. His intention had been to have 40 winks and here he was!

He dragged himself to his feet, wincing as he reached for the empty glass of wine on the floor. He could hear movement coming from the three bedroom boys’ quarter at the back where the caretaker, Simon Cookey lived with his family. He had no doubt that Mrs Cookey had come knocking earlier that morning to invite him for breakfast. That was the tradition every time he visited Bonny alone.

He yawned, stroking his unshaved jaw. He picked the filled up glass on the table and the empty bottle of wine and headed for the kitchen. He emptied the contents of one of the glasses and washed both in the sink, leaving the empty bottle on the work table. He returned to the sitting room, turning off the lights including the security lights.

He picked up his glasses and balanced the rim on the bridge of his nose. Then he picked his phone and turned it on. As though he had been waiting for his phone to come on, B.B’s call immediately came through.

‘Nigga, Í báāmá (Good morning)!’ he greeted as he took the call.

‘Please tell me you’re home in Port Harcourt,’ B.B said without bothering with pleasantries.

‘I’m in Bonny,’ Dienye replied. ‘Te gósi (why)?’

‘Sodienye Tamunobarasua Arinzechukwu Daniel-Hart! How could you?’

Dienye winced. B.B sounded like his maternal grandmother. He hated it when anyone called his full name as though he’d done something wrong.

‘Dienye would do, please.’

‘Why would you go to Bonny?’ B.B continued as though his best friend hadn’t said anything.

‘Excuse me, I am a Bonny man.’

‘You know what I’m talking about,’ B.B ground out. ‘I thought we agreed you would quit spending every 30th July in Bonny!’

Dienye yawned once more and settled on a couch. While the Briggs family as Roman Catholics lit a candle in remembrance of their daughter/sister, Dienye chose to honour her memory by spending time ‘alone’ with her.

‘I remember you advising me not to and me promising to think about it.’

‘This isn’t right, bro and you know it?’

‘I came to Bonny to honour the memory of my wife, what’s the harm in that?’

He heard B.B curse colourfully and held the phone away from his ear for a few seconds.

‘Your wife? Then who is Soki to you?’

‘My wife,’ Dienye responded easily.

‘Are you listening to yourself?’

‘It’s too early in the day for us to be quarrelling. Don’t have somewhere to take Ese to?’

‘Ese’s on vacation in Accra, remember? I’m taking Biobele and her mother to the school picnic.’

‘Yes, I remember now. How’s your daughter?’

‘I haven’t seen her since Monday. Don’t try to distract me. You need to stop doing this to yourself. It isn’t healthy.’

‘I don’t remember complaining to you.’

‘Sometimes I wish I could just knock some sense into you.’

‘That can be arranged. I’ll be back in Port Harcourt this afternoon.’

‘This isn’t a laughing matter, Dienye.’

‘And I wasn’t laughing. Look B.B I need to take a bath right now so that I meet the boat out of here.’

He heard his friend heave an exasperated sigh.

‘Safe trip bro.’

‘Thanks.’

Just as B.B’s call ended, his maternal grandmother’s call came in. It was as though it had been planned. Although he spoke to her at least thrice a week, he was sure she was calling for the same reason B.B had.

‘Hottest mama,’ he greeted as he took her call.

‘Don’t flatter me. Why did you go to Bonny yesterday?’

‘Do I need any excuse to be in Bonny?’

‘I thought that the moment you married Nwasoka, you would respect her feelings enough to stay away from Bonny on the 30th July unless it was absolutely necessary.’

He knew his grandmother was only calling out of her love for him but he would really appreciate it if everyone stayed out of this aspect of his life. If he dedicated two days in the entire year in remembrance of his beloved wife, where was the harm in it? Soki didn’t know why he had to be in Bonny on that day. What she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her. He trusted B.B and his grandmother not to spill the beans.

‘I can’t stay away mama. That wouldn’t be right.’

‘Right to whom? Tamunonengiyefori or Nwasoka?’

‘You know who, Mama. It doesn’t in anyway affect my marriage to Soki. I’m going back home to her today and she wouldn’t have anything to worry about.’

‘Until you shut her out again next 30th July.’

‘What she doesn’t know wouldn’t hurt her. I provide for her and take care of her other needs, that’s what counts.’

‘Of course. Little wonder she’s here with me.’

‘Soki’s in Nawfia!’

‘You obviously didn’t bother reading the text from her while engrossed in your late wife.’

Dienye ran his palm slowly down his face. Soki’s car had been at home when he returned the previous afternoon but when he hadn’t seen her around, he had taken it for granted that she had stepped out to pick up something from one of the supermarkets around Okporo Road. She hadn’t given him a clue that she would be travelling after she’d returned from school. And he was surprised she had chosen Nawfia as her destination.

He thought about the last conversation they’d had. He’d quickly dismissed her in order to focus on

the file he was working on. He guessed he should have praised her for her success in her examinations and acted like he cared which Law School Campus she chose, but he hadn’t been in the best of moods. His mood was always that way whenever Nengi’s birthday approached and even when he was so tied up with work and almost forgot the date, his mood naturally changed.

He took several deep breaths.

‘I’ll see her later in the day.’

‘She’s not leaving today. She’s busy discussing legal issues with your grandfather.’

‘I’m coming to Nawfia, but I need to first get to Port Harcourt to pick up my car.’

‘Do that. It isn’t right to keep a young woman lonely like that.’

‘And I hope you and Papa were not at it last night, forcing my babe to wish she had ear plugs with her.’

‘Nwa aruruala (spoilt child), you think we’re like you.’

‘Look who’s talking,’ Dienye laughed. ‘On a serious note, I hope you haven’t been harassing her?’

‘What did you expect?’

‘Mama, please tell me you didn’t give her a late sex education class.’

‘What if I did? Isn’t she an adult?’

‘Soki isn’t Nengi. She gets embarrassed easily.’

‘Only embarrassed? Soon she’ll be pregnant with your baby or babies and announcing to the world without words that onwe nwoke na ali ya enu oge o bula (there’s a man who mounts her every time).’

‘Mama ozugokwa (Mama, it’s enough)! I’ll see you when I get to Nawfia. Greet Papa for me.’

He quickly ended the call before she could say something else. This was a woman who had threatened to gift him with a full collection of karma sutra movies just to ensure that he wouldn’t be rusty and disappoint his new wife! Had she been Roman Catholic, perhaps a priest would have since compelled her to rinse her mouth with holy water. Fortunately, she wasn’t an Mbano woman or he would have had to hear the various colourful uses of the ‘O’ word.

He smiled as he recalled the fitted red flowing gown she had worn to his wedding with Soki and the noisy colourful bangles that went with it. He doubted if anyone’s grandmother looked like his, but then she was the love of his life. Her golden-grey hair was short and cut in the famous Anita Baker style emphasising her oval face. She was ageless, always looking over a decade younger than she really was. And his grandfather loved her completely.

They’d made him jealous during their diamond jubilee wedding anniversary two years earlier, cuddling up to each other like newlyweds. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. He and Nengi had made plans for their significant wedding anniversaries looking forward to hitting a whooping 80th anniversary. After all they’d married really early. It hadn’t occurred to them that they wouldn’t even make it to a tenth anniversary!

He rose to his feet. There was no need thinking about it. It was too painful. He unbuttoned his shirt as he crossed to the bedroom and walked into the adjourning bathroom. He needed Soki to help him forget.

*****

9:36am

115 East West Road

Port Harcourt

Oroma and Biobele were dressed alike for the school picnic in pink tops, jean shorts and jean jackets worn over pink canvass. Although Biobele had been looking forward to the picnic, she wasn’t sure how to deal with being around her father all day.

Her mother had talked to her about giving her father a chance. Bio wanted a father in her life but she didn’t want one who was there because he was compelled to. She had grown used to it just being her and her mother.

‘You need to give him a chance,’ Oroma had told her. ‘He would get to love you once he has the opportunity to know you. Your daddy and I may never get married but at least you will have him in your life.’

‘And if he tries to take me away from you?’

‘He won’t succeed. Remember, we’re best friends for life.’

Bio had smiled.

‘I’ll give you a heads up. I’ll create opportunities today for you two to be alone. He won’t hurt you and I need you to make an effort to accept him.’

Bio had shrugged.

‘Baby girl, this is important. You need to keep an open mind.’

And so here they were, waiting for B.B to arrive. B.B arrived a few minutes later with gifts for Bio: a football and a large white teddy bear which Oroma could tell Bio liked from the light that came to her eyes when she took the gifts from him but she thanked him and remained reserved.

The picnic went well.

‘I was reliably informed that the next game is “knowing me, knowing you”,’ Oroma told B.B. ‘And it’s the fathers who will be playing the game.’

That was not surprising, B.B thought. Everyone expected the mothers to know all about their children while the fathers knew next to nothing about them, like him. Besides her age, he really didn’t know anything about his daughter. And for once he couldn’t blame Oroma completely for that. He hadn’t asked the necessary questions.

‘So you have less than ten minutes to know all there is to know about Bio.’

‘How possible is that?’

‘Let’s wait and say. The good thing is it’s limited to fathers and the possibility that there are fathers in your shoes is very high.’

She sat next to him on the lawn, crossing her legs beneath her. He tried not to look at her long slim legs. He had asked Ese to postpone her vacation to the next week so she could come for the picnic but Ese had informed him that she had no business being there. It was a family picnic and she couldn’t steal Bio’s mother’s shine. She would meet Bio at the appropriate time. She didn’t have to make sense all the time, B.B thought, annoyed. But he figured that was what made her stand out from all his past girlfriends and why she had lasted more than any of them. They had spoken last night and she had reminded him to be nice to the little girl’s mother.

‘You can never win the heart of a child if you are antagonistic toward her mother. It’s a NO-NO,’ Ese had told him.

Well, that was easy to say. Whenever he looked at Oroma, he couldn’t get past her betrayal and that made it difficult to see beyond the path she had chosen for herself in the past.

Oroma tapped his arm to draw his attention and he drew back as though she had stung him. She looked at him and shook her head, reflexively moving away from him.

‘Don’t worry,’ she told him. ‘I wasn’t trying to infect you with some incurable disease. I was only trying to get your attention.’

When he said nothing, she continued.

‘Back to facts you should know about Bio, they’ll probably ask you who her best friend is – that’s me. Her favourite food is beans and fried plantain – the very ripe, soft kind,’ Oroma added with a smile as she thought about how Bio reacted whenever she tossed an over ripe fried plantain into her mouth.

Oroma went ahead to supply further details. When she tried to extract some information from B.B he became evasive. The questions were personal.

‘The answers are for Bio not me,’ Oroma assured him. ‘I’m not trying to get back into your life.’

‘You were never in it.’

‘You know that’s not what I meant. I know you are in a serious relationship and I wish you well. I have moved on with my life. I was infatuated with the idea of you but I’m an adult now and over you. Bio needs those information. But if you’ll rather talk to her then I’ll get her for you.’

It seemed childish to insist on passing the information straight to the little girl, B.B admitted to himself and grudgingly answered Oroma’s questions.

Father and daughter didn’t win that segment but they came in 3rd place which was still okay. A sack race was done and this time there was no restriction as to which parent should be involved. Oroma graciously gave the slot to B.B. It was a funny sight, seeing a full grown man trying to fit into a sack and Bio had to laugh at some point.

At the end of the picnic, B.B took them out for an early dinner. Bio had enjoyed herself very much. However on the way back to their home, B.B ended up having an argument with Oroma which resulted in Bio leaving the car once they got to Oroma’s apartment clearly in a hurry to get away from him.

While in traffic, the driver of the car on their right had been staring at Oroma like he knew her. B.B had, clearly without thinking, asked, ‘One of your customers?’

‘Please don’t start again,’ Oroma had responded.

‘So he is! Do you want me to pull over, so you can go “talk” to him?’

Oroma had looked at him angrily. ‘You’re not right in the head,’ she had told him quietly.

‘What? A leopard cannot change its spots.’

‘And you would know that from experience, right?’

‘I’m nothing like you.’

‘One of these days you are going to chop that hot slap that you have been asking for,’ Oroma had promised him.

B.B had taken his eyes off the road for a few seconds to look at her as he said nastily, ‘Of course, you’ve been seeking for the opportunity to get your hands on me but I won’t give you the satisfaction. I don’t roll with the likes of you.’

Although Bio was too young to understand what they were arguing about, she didn’t like the change in the atmosphere in the car and was happy when her father finally drove into the premises of the orphanage.

Presently, when Oroma tried to leave the car, B.B activated the central lock.

‘I trusted you to work on her but…’

‘Don’t you dare blame me for this!’ Oroma cut him short. ‘If I’d intended to turn her against you I would have given you a wrong address for the picnic and left with her an hour earlier. You’re the one who cannot help verbally attacking me when we are together. You need to know that you’ll never get Bio to like you if you continue taunting me. Thank God we’re not married.’

‘Like I’d marry someone like you!’ He ground out nastily.

‘Excuse me? I wouldn’t marry you if you were the last man on earth. I’d like to leave this vehicle before this turns into something else.’

‘I want to see her tomorrow.’

‘We’ll talk about it tomorrow. Please let me out.’

He unlocked the door and she stepped out of the car. Bio was waiting for her when she walked into the sitting room.

‘Did he hurt you?’ Bio asked.

Oroma shook her head. All she had to do was give a nod and Bio would never talk to her father again, but Oroma wasn’t selfish.

‘Then why are you sad, mummy?’ Bio asked. ‘Did he say mean things to you in the car?’

Oroma hugged her daughter fiercely. The little girl was her life.

‘Tell me mummy. What did he do to you?’

‘We had an argument. Every parent does that. Mum’s just being emotional.’

The child wasn’t satisfied with her answer.

25 continued

‘He didn’t hurt me,’ Oroma assured Bio. Adding to herself, at least not physically.

They were supposed to meet and work out the joint custody details. She knew Bio would have to stay with him every now and then, that was why she needed B.B to be a friend to his daughter but he failed to understand that he would never get Bio to like him if he continued to be antagonistic towards her, Oroma. Eight years was a long time to bear a grudge. He was in a relationship now and she wasn’t trying to threaten that relationship in anyway. Left to her, if her path never crossed with his again, she would be grateful but as Bio’s parents, they would always have a reason to meet and so he had to learn to be cordial towards her. It wasn’t going to kill him!

‘You taught me that it is a sin to lie, mummy.’

Lord help me, Oroma thought.

‘And it is,’ Oroma agreed. ‘Daddy didn’t hit me. He just said things I didn’t like, but he cares about you, Bio mummy and wants to be close to you.’

‘Not when he doesn’t like you.’

Oroma inhaled deeply then slowly exhaled.

‘Daddy and I have unfinished business which I’m sure we’ll sort out soon,’ Oroma assured her. ‘Remember that as part of the joint custody, you will be spending some days alone with your father. That would give you two the opportunity to get to know each other better.’

‘Not unless you’re invited too.’

‘You’ll be with me, most of the time.’

B.B invite her to his home? Yeah right.

‘He’ll keep me away from you.’

‘You think Uncle Dienye will let that happen?’

Bio shook her head. She trusted and adored Dienye.

‘Good.’

It was just a few minutes past seven. It was going to be a long night, Oroma thought.

******

As B.B drove home, he played the events of that evening in his mind. He shouldn’t have made that comment about the man in the other car especially not with Bio in the car. That was a classical goofing on his part. He would have to more careful around Oroma and control his emotions.

******

8:26pm

Nawfia

‘The judicial system isn’t perfect,’ Ekwueme was telling Soki as they sat in the sitting room after supper.

Ezimdimma left the two legal people to discuss their thing. She went into the bedroom where she called Dienye to find out how close he was and smiled when Dienye told her he was already in Nawfia, heading for the house. She had shopped earlier with Soki and Ifunanya, the young woman in her mid-twenties who had been living with her for close to nine years and was like a member of the family. Ifunanya was presently an HND student at Oko Polytechnic courtesy of the couple.

With Dienye coming around, Ezimdimma intended that he return to Port Harcourt with lots of goodies and provisions were made for the security guards, his driver and the housekeeper who came in thrice a week.

‘Certainly not,’ Soki said in agreement. ‘I think part of the problem is the calibre of judges being appointed. These are judges who would rise to the appellate courts. ‘I fell in love with Hon Justice Niki Tobi the first time I read his judgment.’

‘Yes, Niki is very sound and it’s judges like him that sustain the pride of the justice system. There are still a lot of them in the system but they are now being mixed with some judges elevated because of their connections.’

‘God help us. I recall reading your dissenting judgment in the Nigerian Weekly Law Report. I believe that was F.H.L.J v Greg Anderson, and one of the issues was on illegality of contracts. It was one of the cases cited in our Law of Contract class.’

‘I remember that case. That was in 1988 just before I retired. I felt differently about the decision of my learned brothers. But you know the status of dissenting judgments.’

‘Of course, but it was a strong one; one which subsequent panels adopted as the true position of the law.’

‘Yes, I was glad to read about that.’

At 86, Ekwueme had an amazing memory. Talking to him was so much fun especially as they discussed legal issues. He told her about his practice as a lawyer before being elevated to the Bench at 45. He had been a High Court Judge in Awka for fourteen years before his elevation to the Court of Appeal. Soki felt he should have been elevated to the Supreme Court before then. They discussed the changes in the laws and Soki was glad to know that although he had retired, he still had a recent collection of the Nigerian Weekly Law Report. No dulling.

Like Soki, Dienye’s mum favoured her father in terms of looks but had her mother’s height. Ezimdimma topped her husband by a good four inches but that was not a barrier to the loving couple.

Soki heard the sound of a horn outside and then the double gates were being opened. Ezimdimma immediately came out of the bedroom.

‘Ari nwam o!’ she exclaimed as she unlocked the door without waiting for Ifunanya to do so, and almost hurried out.

Dienye was here! His grand mum had been right about him coming. Soki rose to her feet and joined the older woman outside, with Ekwueme following behind. Dienye pulled his long body out of the car and was quickly engulfed in the warm embrace of his grandmother.

‘Ari nwam o!’ the older woman exclaimed over and over again like an excited little child.

Dienye laughed, lifting her off her feet but she didn’t mind at all.

‘Those two,’ Ekwueme muttered under his breath. ‘Sometimes I wonder who’s marrying her.’

Soki laughed and responded. ‘You know you have her heart.’

‘There was never a doubt about that.’

‘Mama o. Nwanyi ocha. Asampete oma,’ Dienye praised his grandmother. ‘Ada eji eje mba. Hottest mama.’

Soki tried not to be jealous. Finally Dienye let go of his grandmother. He greeted his grandfather and Ifunanya before reaching for Soki and pulling her into his warm embrace. She reached up to slide her arms around his neck.

‘Hi handsome.’

‘Hi baby.’

Dienye lowered his head and kissed her. There was something different about his kiss. He kissed her like it was all that mattered to him and she gladly gave herself to it, kissing him back. She totally forgot about the three other persons present out there until someone cleared his/her throat.

Soki blushed and tried to pull out of Dienye’s arms but he held her close.

‘Your grandparents and Ifunanya are watching,’ Soki told him.

‘So? Are you not my wife?’

‘Dienye…’

He silenced her with another kiss, whispering against her lips, ‘Let them watch.’

‘You’re just as bad as your grandmother.’

‘Why do you think we’re so close? What you should be worried about is what I’m going to do with you tonight.’

Dienye silenced any words Soki would have uttered with a deep kiss. He had been in traffic for hours courtesy of a trailer that had fallen across the road and he was exhausted, but he had missed this. After being emotionally drained yesterday, he was glad to see his wife, to hold her in his arms. Had they been in Port Harcourt, he would have lifted her into his arms and carried her straight to their bedroom where he would make love to her. But for now he had to respect the presence of his grandparents.

He finally released Soki but drew her close to him as he headed for the house behind his grandparents. Ifunanya took out Dienye’s overnight bag from the car. Dienye was served a plate of pounded yam and nsala soup specially prepared by his grandmother and just the way he loved it. Soki sat next to him on the couch while he ate, stealing a large piece of meat from the soup and tossing it into her mouth.

‘Onye usa (long throat),’ Ezimdimma mouthed and Soki smiled at her and parted her lips to accept a second piece of meat from Dienye. There had to be at least eight pieces of meat in there- assorted. The conversation in the room was rich and long as the older couple wouldn’t be seeing the younger couple for a while. A few minutes to midnight, they said the cross-over prayers before retiring for the night.

Ezimdimma asked Dienye to come with her. He followed her to her bedroom and he returned a few minutes later with Dienye laughing. He had a wrapped gift with him. The gift his grandmother had told Soki about. In the cold bedroom, he tossed the gift on the bed.

‘What is it?’ Soki asked him, her eyes on the wrapped gift. She had no doubt his grandmother had told him what it was.

‘Unwrap it,’ he told her.

Soki picked it up and unwrapped it. There was a movie collection and a large book with illustrations. Without looking at the movie pack, she opened the book and gasped, ‘Blood of something…your grandmother gave this to you?’

‘It’s actually for you,’ Dienye corrected. ‘She forgot to travel with it when she came for our wedding.’

It was a Karma Sutra movie collection and an illustrated book on the same subject.

‘Your grand-mum is something else,’ Soki told Dienye dropping the items on the bedside table. ‘How can she give you this, after firing all that prayer like some serious prayer warrior?’

Dienye laughed. ‘You do know that sex between married couples has a divine approval, right?’

‘I don hear.’

‘So which page exactly did you open?’ Dienye asked her, returning the conversation to the book even as he picked it up.

‘Believe me, you don’t want to know.’

‘Now I’m curious.’ Dienye laughed. ‘You wouldn’t just say “blood of something” unless you saw something that shocked your prim and proper mind.’

‘I’m still trying to get the sight out of my head, thank you.’

Dienye opened the book and slowly flipped through the pages. Without moving, Soki stretched her neck to see into the pages.

‘If you want to see something then come over and stop stretching your neck like a giraffe,’ Dienye teased her.

‘I was looking over your head at something.’

‘Something like this?’ he lifted the open book to her and her eyes widened.

‘Is that even possible?’ she asked, unable to stop herself.

‘I don’t know. Perhaps a little practice will tell.’

‘Taa. You and who?’

Dienye laughed. Surely he’d seen this book before or was he just being a man?

‘You and I na. What’s the worst thing that can happen? We’d both end up at the hospital and one of us will have to tell the doctor what we were doing.’

‘Are you sure this isn’t a conspiracy between you and mama?’

‘No. But I’m not surprised. She assured me that she was going to gift us with the video. The book was what I wasn’t expecting. I won’t be surprised if she has her own collection.’

‘At her age, she can’t be trying anything in that book.’

‘You haven’t seen it all.’

‘Thanks, I’ve seen enough.’

‘It’s your gift, babe. You should utilise it.’

‘And I’m sure you’d love that.’

‘Why not? After all I’ll be the sole recipient,’ he laughed. ‘I think you should start with the video to see what’s actually practicable.’

He stretched out on the bed and crossed his long legs at the ankle, holding out the VCD Plate to her. He nodded in the direction of the television in the room. There was a DVD player there too.

‘You are so on your own.’

‘I drove 7 hours to be with you, shouldn’t I get some loving for that?’ he said, pretending to be hurt.

‘The journey isn’t even up to four hours,’ she reminded him.

‘Add a trailer falling across the road and keeping everyone on a stand still to that and you will get 7 hours.’

‘That actually happened?’ she asked, realising that he was serious.

‘Of course. That’s why you’re driving us back to Port Harcourt tomorrow.’

‘My poor exhausted baby,’ Soki said sweetly, sitting next to her husband and placing his head on her full bosom. ‘After coming in all the way from Bonny you had to suffer the additional challenge of a 7 hour drive to this place. All these trailers need to have a different route constructed for them.’

He said nothing, enjoying the position he was currently in.

‘Do you need a full body massage after your bath?’ she asked in a concerned voice.

‘A massage will go a long way but I need something even stronger.’

‘I can ask mama if she has paracetamol…’

Like a child eager to have his way, he pointed to the DVD and television set.

‘It’s obvious that ife a n’eme gi anaghi emesi gi ike (whatever is bothering you isn’t serious),’ Soki told him and he laughed.

‘How are the good people of Grand Bonny?’ she asked and didn’t see the sad look that quickly passed across his face.

‘They’re fine,’ he responded quickly. ‘The video?’

‘Not tonight. You can watch it when we get to Port Harcourt.’

‘You’re just no fun at all,’ he complained petulantly but she knew from experience not to take him seriously.

He slid off the bed and went into the bathroom where he had a relaxing bath. Soki had changed into a short nightshirt and had slid beneath the blanket by the time he returned. He joined her on the bed and pulled her into his arms.

‘Your grandparents are next door?’

‘And so?’

‘They can hear us.’

‘I’m sure mama has her ear on the door waiting to hear from us,’ Dienye informed her. ‘You didn’t think she gave you that book just so you could use it as a bedtime story, did you?’

She stroked his face with the back of her fingers.

‘That’s like doing it with my parents under the same roof.’

‘I hate to be the one to bring this reality to you, but the moment your father gave his blessings to our union, he officially granted me the permission to keep his little girl happy and satisfied in every area especially this one.’

‘And I will still be expected to be able to look them in the eye without any problems, abi?’

‘Of course. They already know what we’ve been doing since we got married so it’s nothing new. Tonight, you get to be the one who keeps the whole of Nawfia awake with your screams of ecstasy.’

Her lips parted in protest but his kiss cut off whatever protest she had been about to make. By morning, Soki refused to meet the elderly couple’s eyes as they said their goodbyes. She was glad to seat behind the wheel while Dienye shut the boot filled with foodstuffs from his grandmother. As he joined her in the car, she turned to him and warned: ‘Not a word from you about last night.’

He faced the window on his side and from the trembling of his body, she knew he was laughing.

Read Episode 26 here - https://youngicee.com/2020/02/the-second-wife-episode-26.html

The Second Wife - Episode 26

© Onyinyechukwu Mbeledogu

12:13pm
Wednesday 18th August 2004
Rumuola, Port Harcourt

B.B’s phone rang and he looked at the caller ID. Oroma. He thought of ignoring her and calling her later in the day but when she called twice more, heanswered her call wondering if it had anything to do with Biobele.

Her voice was weak as she informed him that she had been admitted at the Braithwaite Memorial Hospital. Only two days ago, she had informed him that she had gained admission to study medicine at the University of Port Harcourt.

Biobele had spent last Friday in his home but had returned to her mother on Saturday morning. She had felt betrayed that her mother had left her alone with him and had Ese not slept over that night, Biobele probably wouldn’t have spoken to him. The agreement for this weekend was for Oroma to pick Bio up from her vacation lesson on Friday and bring her to his firm. And he would ensure that she was back to her mother on Sunday immediately after service. Oroma had added that he had to ensure that Ese was there until Biobele got used to being with him.

‘What’s wrong with you?’

‘I was involved in an accident on my way to pick up Bio and the doctor insists on keeping me here for days.’

‘I’m sorry about that.’

That meant that Biobele couldn’t be with her.

‘I need a big favour. Can you to pick Bio up from school today and bring her to the hospital?’

‘Of course.’

That would be interesting.

******

B.B drove down to Biobele’s school. It was about half an hour after closing hours. He found her with one of her teachers.

‘I’m worried about mummy,’ she was saying. ‘She’s never late.’

‘I’m sure she must have been delayed in traffic.’

The child shook her head.

‘Uncle D.D lets her leave in time so she can pick me up. I think something’s happened to my mummy.’

They both looked in his direction as B.B approached them. Biobele leaned into the woman, looking at her father.

‘I’m B.B Briggs, Biobele’s father,’ he introduced himself to the teacher.

‘Biobele’s daddy?’ she turned to the little girl for confirmation and Biobele nodded.

‘Where’s mummy?’ Biobele asked her father.

‘Mummy couldn’t make it so she asked me to pick you up and take you to her.’

‘I want mummy,’ Biobele insisted.

Seeing that he was not going to make any progress with her, he called the teacher, Miss Ann, aside.

‘Biobele’s mum was admitted at BMH today,’ he explained to the young woman. ‘I need you to convince Biobele to come with me.’

‘That would be breaching protocols,’ Ann told him. ‘The parents usually let us know ahead of time who would be coming to pick up their children once they can’t make it.’

‘She’s my daughter.’

‘Yes, she is, but I don’t have the mandate to release her to you.’

There had been situations where parents having a terrible divorce took the children of the marriage in order to punish the other spouse, and so the teachers were very careful.

‘She can go with you but I’ll have to come with you just to be sure.’

You’d think he was a paedophile!

Despite her teacher’s presence, Biobele sat in the back seat, strapped in her seat and looking suspiciously at her father. Her mother had informed her that she would be spending the weekend with daddy and Aunty Ese but this wasn’t Friday!

B.B drove to the hospital. Oroma had been sedated and was asleep. Biobele rushed to her mother’s bedside.

‘Wake up mummy. Don’t leave me alone.’

‘She’s only sleeping,’ B.B assured her.

Biobele ignored him and tried to wake her mother up.

‘The doctors gave mummy some drugs to help her sleep and if you wake mummy up now, she’ll be hurt. Do you want to hurt her?’

The little girl shook her head, her eyes still on her mother’s unconscious body.

‘Good girl. Mummy needs her rest. She’s going to be okay.’

Bio’s eyes remained on her mother. From what the doctor had said Oroma had suffered a head trauma. Her head was bandaged and an arm was in a cast. She was being kept in the hospital as a result of the head trauma just to be sure that there was no internal bleeding.

The doctor squatted in front of the child who looked at him with an interest she couldn’t help. He was a fatherly figure and inspired trust with his friendly face.

‘Like your daddy said, your mum is going to be okay. I’m Dr Otonye Richards and I’ll ensure that your mummy will be okay.’

‘She’ll be taking me home today?’

‘I’m afraid not, dear. We need to keep mummy here for a few days to make sure she’s okay.’

‘Then I’ll stay with her.’

‘You’ll be staying with daddy,’ B.B told her.

She shook her head. ‘Mummy told me she was going to see you today,’ she said, ‘what happened to her?’

Biobele was looking at B.B as though she suspected that he had pushed her mother down a staircase.

‘She was in an accident, baby. But she’ll be okay, just as the doctor has assured us.’

‘I’ll stay with mummy. She stays with me when I’m sick.’

‘I’m sure she does, but not today.’

‘I’ll stay with mummy.’

She was just as stubborn as he was, B.B thought. Dienye would be better at dealing with her. However, Dienye and Soki were leaving for Abuja in the morning for a JCI northern conference and once they were back, Soki would be leaving for law school in Lagos. That worked to his advantage though because he had no doubt that Biobele would want to move in temporarily with Dienye and Soki.

‘You need to go with your daddy so that your mummy can rest,’ Ann told Biobele.

B had totally forgotten about the teacher.

‘Once mummy is fully rested, she will be glad to see you,’ Ann continued.

‘She’ll be all right if I leave?’ Biobele asked the doctor.

Dr Richards nodded.

‘And you can see her once she wakes up.’

Biobele kissed her mother’s cheek and reluctantly allowed herself to be led out of the room.

B.B dropped Miss Ann off at Rumuosi before driving to the Home with Biobele. He had called Dienye earlier and he had agreed to meet them at the Home. Biobele didn’t utter a word to him but just looked out of the window from her position at the backseat. She looked so sad he wanted to reach backwards and pull her to him but knew she wouldn’t appreciate that. As much as he couldn’t stand Oroma, the bond between mother and daughter was undeniable. Oroma had to be doing something good for her daughter to love her so much. How could he have imagined that he could take Biobele away from Oroma even for her own good?

He took his eyes off the road for a second or two to look at his daughter. Her eyes were closed and she was muttering a prayer.

26 contd

‘Lord please keep mummy safe. Make her well again so she can take care of me. I love mummy very much and I want her to be all right.’

B.B pulled into a spot in front of Oroma’s apartment. Biobele climbed out of the car and raced into the Orphanage. B.B stepped out of the car locking the doors. He intended to pick up a few things for Oroma and Biobele’s clothes for the rest of the week.

He strolled into the building where Biobele was with Dienye and giving him a summary of what had transpired.

‘Mummy wasn’t moving.’

‘She was sedated,’ B.B corrected, for the information of his best friend.

‘The doctor says she’ll be well, but I’m scared, Uncle D.D.’

‘Your mummy will be all right, Bio my love. I have no doubt about that. She would never leave you alone, you should know that.’ Dienye assured her, then to his best friend. ‘Hey.’

‘Hey. We need to sort out Oroma and Biobele’s things. Biobele will be staying with me until Sunday.’

Biobele shook her head. ‘Can I stay with you and aunty Soki?’

‘You should be with your daddy, darling. Soki and I are travelling tomorrow and we won’t be around for some time.’

Biobele looked crestfallen. Dienye looked at his best friend questioningly.

‘She thinks I intend to keep her away from her mother for good,’ B.B explained. ‘Perhaps you can convince her that spending a few nights in my home isn’t going to give her nightmares for life.’

‘That’s not my place, B.B, but yours. You should get used to your daughter. If you can’t convince her you many never be able to do so.’

Biobele whispered something into Dienye’s left ear and he laughed out loud.

‘What?’ B.B queried.

‘You have your job cut out for you, my friend.’

‘I’m not taking you away from your mummy,’ B.B assured the girl.

‘Cross your heart?’

B.B scowled at her and Dienye held back a laugh. A little child was getting him all hot and bothered, and it was a funny sight.

‘Cross my heart,’ B.B said reluctantly. ‘Now let’s go pack your things and mummy’s things and we’ll get lunch. Your mummy will have my head if you go without lunch on my watch.’

‘I can just imagine what Oroma would do to you,’ Dienye laughed.

‘You’re amusing yourself at my expense.’

‘You can’t blame me. You’re a terror in the courtroom but a tiny child just brought you to your knees. That’s not good for your reputation my friend.’

B.B glared at him.

‘Let’s just get this over with.’

The apartment, B.B noted, was very neat. He followed the child to the bedroom where she put her folded clothes in a travelling bag, picking up her shoes, toys and her books. She had a wide range of ‘lady bird’ story books. Then they proceeded with Oroma’s things. He selected two dresses for her from the few clothes in her closet as well as a pair of grey shorts and a t-shirt. Biobele dragged another travelling bag from under the bed. Inside it were tree tops and skirts long enough to cover the subject matter and small enough to make a man’s eyes pop. He figured these were clothes from her past profession. He could easily imagine the commotion she would cause in those clothes.

‘I don’t think your mummy would be needing these,’ B.B told his daughter. ‘The dresses will be better.’

*******

Oroma regained consciousness, her head throbbing. She lifted her good hand to her forehead, feeling the softness of the bandage wrapped about her head. Her arm and her head hurt. Where was she?

Her eyes adjusted to the blinding light in the room with white walls. She was in a hospital. What…then she remembered. She had left the orphanage early in order to run a few errands before picking Biobele from her vacation lesson. She was involved in an accident around Garrison area. The driver of the taxi she had been in had been arguing with one of the passengers sitting in the front passenger seat and had taken his eyes off the road. By the time he returned his attention to the road, it was too late to avoid a collision with the parked truck ahead of him.

Oh my God, she hadn’t picked Biobele from school. And then she recalled calling B.B to do so. Where was her baby?

‘Bio mummy!’ she called out, wincing.

‘Calm down,’ a voice said as she felt hands on her shoulders restraining her.

‘I need to see my daughter. Where’s she?’

She battled a dizzy spell in an effort to get out of the bed.

‘Where’s my daughter?’ she repeated, anxiously.

‘Biobele is fine,’ she was assured.

‘Where is she? Where is my daughter?’

‘Her father took her home but they’ll be back later.’

‘B.B was here?’

‘He went out with your daughter.’

‘I need to see my baby.’

‘And you will.’

‘I want my baby.’

‘You will see her but first of all you need to relax before you hurt yourself.’

‘No, I want to see her first.’

A nurse moved in on her with an injection. Oroma struggled but the hands that held her shoulders were stronger.

‘Have no fear, miss. It’s just something to calm you down.’

‘I don’t need to calm down,’ she blurted out as she felt the needle prick her flesh and go in. ‘I just want my baby.’

‘And you’ll see her before you know it.’

It took a few seconds for the medicine to put her to sleep. Even Oroma couldn’t fight its potency.

*****

The next time she woke up, it was to find the dearest face in the world watching her. Her daughter. Her precious daughter.

‘Biomummy,’ she whispered.

Biobele hugged her mummy fiercely. Oroma winced as the child’s hug ignited a pain on her injured arm but she was too glad to see her daughter to care. She wrapped her good arm about her daughter returning her hug, burying her face in her daughter’s woven hair.

‘Careful Bio, you’ll hurt your mother, Oroma heard B.B warn.

‘Daddy and I came earlier, mummy but you were unco –uncon-’

‘Unconscious,’ B.B supplied.

‘Unconscious. I was so worried mummy. I thought you’d-’

‘Die and leave you? Never my baby. You’re stuck with me.’

‘How are you, mummy?’

‘I’ve been better, baby. The doctor gave me a pain killer so I don’t hurt like I did before.’

‘But we’ll be keeping you for 48 hours,’ Dr Richards told her.

‘48 hours. Surely you can’t keep me here. I need to take care of my daughter.’

‘I’ll take care of her,’ B.B assured Oroma.

‘But I’m her-’

‘I’m her father remember?’ B.B interjected. ‘I’ve moved her things to my home.’

Oroma’s eyes widened in horror and B.B quickly added. ‘She’ll be with me until Sunday. I’ll make sure that you see her every day, okay?’

‘But I-’

‘You don’t have any other choice but to trust me.’ he smiled. ‘Look on the bright side. Since you’re not that badly hurt, I don’t need to be compelled to be nice enough to invite you to stay in my home until you’re completely healed.’

Oroma wished this was a dream which she would wake up from. But it wasn’t. However, she had to trust B.B. In all her 26 years, the only time she had been on admission was when she was about to give birth to Biobele. She hated hospitals!

‘Isn’t 48 hours too much doctor?’ she asked wincing. It did hurt to talk. Although she had been given something for the pains, she still felt slight pains but she would never let go of her child.

‘We need to keep an eye on you. Fortunately for you, there are no shattered bones but we’ll be keeping you because of your concussion. And -’ he raised a hand to silence Oroma as her lips parted to argue. ‘Don’t argue with the doctor unless you’re a medical practitioner yourself.’

She wanted to argue but thought better of it. Instead she faced B.B saying. ‘You’ll take good care of her?’

‘I intend to so concentrate on getting better. I brought you dinner,’ he told her, adding as her eyes narrowed suspiciously. ‘And it isn’t poisoned.’

‘Thank you,’ she said at last. ‘And thank you for picking Biobele up from school.’

‘It was no problem at all.’

*******

A silent Biobele followed her father home that evening from the hospital. She was worried about her mother and wasn’t particularly happy about being left alone with him especially with Aunty Ese absent.

B.B wasn’t sure what to talk to her about and certainly didn’t like her silence but as her father he had to find a common ground. After supper, he turned on the cartoon channel which caught her interest. He stayed back and watched a few cartoon clips with her. He would admit that they were quite funny but he couldn’t believe he was doing this! Well, anything for his daughter.

‘You watch cartoons too?’’ Biobele asked finally.

‘This is my first time in a very long time,’ he admitted and could have sworn he saw a small smile appear on her face before it disappeared.

They continued watching the channel until he broke the silence by saying:

‘I know you miss your mum, but she’ll be all right.’

Biobele looked at him and then back at the telly, nodding slightly.

‘We’ll see her first thing in the morning,’ he continued.

‘Okay.’

He released a breath he hadn’t even realised he was holding.

‘I know it would take time getting used to me as your father,’ he told her. ‘But we could start as friends.’

She looked at him again, her expression asking if he wasn’t too old to be friends with her.

‘Your mummy and I are still working on an arrangement that will be beneficial to you,’ he continued. ‘I want you to know that whatever decision we make, we do so with your best interest at heart.’

‘Okay. Thank you.’ She responded.

Three words. That was an improvement. He would have to make do with that, for now.

As he had promised, he took her to the hospital the next day before heading for her school and after he had picked her from school. He drove Oroma home when she was discharged from the hospital on Friday. Although Biobele didn’t say much to him, it was a good sign when she joined him in the car moments later and after embracing her mother. He had expected her to say something about needing to spend the weekend with her mother since Oroma had just been discharged from the hospital but she had said her goodbyes and joined her father in his car without any complaint. Oroma had looked at him in surprise but had smiled, letting him know that she was okay with it.

To be continued

Read Episode 27 here - https://youngicee.com/2020/02/the-second-wife-episode-27.html

The Second Wife - Episode 27

© Onyinyechukwu Mbeledogu

Saturday, 18th December 2004
9:56am
Murtala Mohammed Airport
Ikeja, Lagos

Soki sat in the boarding area waiting for her flight from Lagos to Port Harcourt. She had missed Port Harcourt, most especially the calmness. Lagos was crazy and she wondered how Lagosians coped especially with the traffic. According to Dienye’s cousin, Olisa, Lagos was never asleep. People were always on the move irrespective of the hour of the day.

It had taken three weeks before accommodation was allocated to the Law School Students. The hostels were located two buildings away from the Law School on Ozumba Mbadiwe Street, Victoria Island. There were two massive structures, obviously intended to house the male and female hostels, however, since one of them was yet to be furnished at the time, the students had to make do with the only available accommodation which could accommodate only about 700 students and there were about a thousand or so students.

The accommodation issue was resolved by way of a ballot and Soki had picked a ‘yes’. The males occupied the West wing while the females occupied the east wing. By the Law School rules, males were not allowed in female rooms and vice versa, but there a large common room fully furnished with a television set where students converged to watch a movie or a match and visit with members of the opposite sex. According to the porters, if you break the rules you lose your accommodation and would most likely not graduate. Soki wasn’t sure about the latter but didn’t want to take chances.

She had experienced Lagos life while waiting for her accommodation. Olisa lived in Gbagada but worked on the Island. And so leaving with him meant leaving as early as 5:30 in order to avoid traffic and getting to the Law School before 7am when her lectures were to start by 9am. But that was Lagos, as she was informed. She recalled the first time she had decided to take public transportation. She realised one major thing: unless they were in a park, buses didn’t stop for passengers to alight, they simply slowed down! Yes, that was Eko for you. In Port Harcourt, the buses would stop even if it was in the centre of the road, but at least they would stop.

She smiled as she remembered that faithful afternoon after she was done with her lectures. There had been a rush and she had rushed into the bus holding firmly unto her knapsack. At least, she had felt that the rush had been responsible for the bus not stopping completely. However, when she got to her bus stop, she was literally shouting, ‘Driver, owa! Owa o!’

The conductor went into a string of Yoruba which Soki didn’t understand at all. She began to hit at the roof of the bus as the driver slowed down but did not stop, until a man seated next to her told her that she had to jump out of the bus.

‘Jump ke?’ she had asked, thinking of her beautiful black gown and four inch heeled shoes and how she would land unceremoniously on the concrete and do herself real damage.

‘Yes o and fast before he speeds off.’

‘Atokwa nu m e! (I’m in trouble o)’ she had exclaimed in Igbo, unable to help herself.

The conductor told her to hurry up and get out of the bus. A few passengers were laughing at the ‘ajebota’ in the bus and a few others were telling her to stop wasting their time as they had a further distance to cover. How Soki made it out of that bus without landing on her head was something she couldn’t even begin to understand but she had stood there staring at the bus as the driver drove away, not in doubt that she would be the subject of discussion.

When she told Olisa about it, he had laughed and given her a glass of wine, saying: ‘Welcome to Eko.’

Just imagine! That was something she would have expected Dienye to say. In fact when she had told Dienye the story, he had laughed as though he had ingested nitrous oxide (laughing gas)!

‘Tamuno e, that was a sight I would have loved to behold,’ he had told her when he was finally done laughing. ‘And with those your dangerously high heels!’

‘You are supposed to be sympathising with me.’

‘Sorry darling but you would have to admit that it was a really funny experience.’

She had agreed with him but at the time it hadn’t been funny. A few other trips and she had become used to jumping in and out of buses to Dienye’s consternation. He had told her Lagos wasn’t that safe for people not used to it and a cab would be better for her. He had a cab man whose services he utilised whenever he had a meeting in Lagos and she could utilise his services too but she wanted to enjoy the whole Lagos experience. However, when she was a victim of the famous ‘one chance’, losing her phone and money in the process, and fortunately not getting thrown out of the moving bus, Dienye had insisted that she take a cab to law school and back until she got an accommodation. He was even willing to find her an apartment within the vicinity if she didn’t end up with an accommodation at the law school. Well, she had been fortunate. She couldn’t imagine how boring it would have been to live outside the hostel where she could easily study with others and hang out with colleagues.

Her weekends were beautiful though, and a welcome distraction. Good thing Soki was used to reading her notes after each lecture so that they remained fresh in her memories, because Jaycees from different chapters in Lagos came visiting and took her out. She’d enjoyed picnics, fellowshipped with them at their business meetings, attended trainings and projects and essentially been treated like royalty. As one of the presidents said, ‘A one-time National President’s wife cannot be in Lagos and we will be falling hand.’

That was one of the things she enjoyed about being a Jaycee: the feeling of being a part of a large family. They took care of one another. All one had to do was go to a city with a Jaycee and one was covered. They were a closely knit family and she loved the fact that they took the creed seriously especially the second line which read ‘that brotherhood of man transcends the sovereignty of nations’. Junior Chamber International was a membership based non-profit organisation of active citizens between the ages of 18 and 40 which provided development opportunities that empowered young persons to create positive change in their communities. It was THE organisation to belong to! And Soki promoted it everywhere and anywhere. Besides, without it, she wouldn’t have met Dienye.

Port Harcourt.

She had returned early in September for Belema and Anwuli’s traditional and white weddings. And then again in October for Mama Nawfia’s birthday. It had been a big event with guest from all works of life. What Soki had admired most was the fact that Mama Nawfia had made her home open to men and women in Nawfia irrespective of their societal status. Everyone was part of her celebration. Dienye, as expected, had gone out of his way to ensure that his favourite person in the world had a glamorous event, down to taking care of her clothes and accessories for the day.

Ezimdimma had been excited to see her favourite grandson’s wife, glad that her busy schedule at the Nigerian Law School hadn’t kept her away. But the only way Soki would have missed her birthday was if she had an exam that day!

She had taken permission from the Director General of the Law School to be out of school for two days. And it had been so worth it. She had enjoyed herself immensely. She had stayed back for the thanksgiving service before proceeding to Port Harcourt with Dienye and back to Lagos. She had easily covered up for the lectures she had missed in those two days, photocopying the notes she had taken from her colleague Iniobong who was a very fast writer and took down everything the lecturers said whether necessary or not. But it had its advantage though. Reading through the notes, Soki felt like she had been in the lecture auditorium.

Presently, she couldn’t wait to see Dienye. It had been 9 weeks and a few days since she had seen him. She had missed him so much. Thank God they were on Christmas break and with her six week court attachment commencing in the second week in January it was going to be a long holiday. She had been attached to High Court 5 in Port Harcourt. She had also chosen Port Harcourt for her Chamber Attachment. Had she been single, she would have preferred Lagos since the chamber attachment would end just before her Bar Finals began. However, her home was conducive for studying. She could make use of Dienye’s study when he wasn’t around or utilise her adjourning bedroom.

Her phone rang and she smiled. It was Dienye.

‘Hi darling,’ she greeted cheerily.

‘Hey babe,’ he responded. ‘Boarding soon?’

‘Yes. The flight was delayed for another fifteen minutes but from the announcement, the plane from Port Harcourt landed a few minutes ago. So we should be boarding anytime soon.’

‘Great. Can’t wait to see you again.’

She smiled. ‘Thanks for agreeing to pick me up from the airport.’

‘What for? I haven’t seen you in 9 weeks, surely you didn’t think I would let anyone do the honours?’

She laughed.

‘Plus the International Airport Hotel is just a few minutes’ drive from the airport and we could sneak in there and sneak out after a few hours,’ he added and she was certain his eyes twinkled with mischief.

‘If my memory serves me well, Uniport Collegiate Jaycees invited you for their convention. And everyone knows you’re a stickler for time.’

‘That’s for 3pm and a little dose of blood tonic will keep me fired up to deliver on the theme session.’

‘Blood tonic kwa. Sodienye thou shalt not spoil an innocent me,’ she laughed.

‘Can you spoil a married woman?’ he returned.

‘Shift joor. Na you know o.’

They talked for a few more minutes and then her flight was announced for boarding. He wished her a safe flight and told her he would meet her once they touched down.

It was a smooth flight until they landed in Port Harcourt. The pilot seemed to have literally dropped the plane from the sky. She wasn’t sure if that was the right word but it had that effect and then it seemed as though he had miscalculated and suddenly brought the plane to a stop before he could overshoot the runway. This had the effect of throwing everyone forward and then backward, only held back by their seat belts. You should have seen the way men and women raced out of the plane like they were expecting the plane to go up in flames. Soki simply made the sign of the cross and thanked God for bringing them safely to Port Harcourt.

But that landing sha!

27 contd
But that landing sha!

Two years ago and she probably would have been the first one out of the plane. But a near fatal crash back then had taught her to sit back and appreciate God for life saved. The pilot had overshot the runway and they had ended up in the bushes but as God would have it, no life was lost. She had put off flying for a little over a year until a family wedding in Abuja had got her back on a plane.

‘Why travel by road and face armed robbers and reckless drivers when I can easily pay for your flight ticket?’ her father had told her.

She was used to travelling by road because of her JCI and CLASFON (Christian Law Students Fellowship of Nigeria) activities back in school. The longest distance she had covered was 14 hours for a conference. But it had been an interesting journey because she knew everyone in the bus and they had talked and laughed until their journey came to an end.

She retrieved her knapsack from the overhead locker and once out of the plane headed for the arrival section of the Airport. She took possession of her travelling bag and headed outside. She took out her new phone from her pocket and dialled Dienye’s number. He didn’t pick the call but Soki soon found herself off the ground. She cried out, clinging to the shoulders of the man who had lifted her from behind and into his powerful arms. She punched his shoulder as she recovered from the shock.

Laughing, Dienye kissed his wife right there at the entrance of the airport, ignoring the onlookers. She kissed him back. Done, he set her down on her feet and turned her around.

‘I thought law school was very stressful,’ he said.

‘Of course it was. The stress no be here.’

‘And yet you’re adding weight.’

She looked down at herself and he laughed, adding: ‘In all the right places. I’m glad that despite the stress of school, you are still protecting my assets.’

She slapped his arm playfully.

‘You look really good yourself. You don’t look as though you missed me,’ she said, her lips shaped in a pout.

‘Of course I missed you,’ he laughed, picking up her travelling bag and taking her right hand in his, led the way to his car.

He was taking her home and she teased him about not stopping at the International Airport Hotel, Omagwa.

‘I don’t think that after a stressful time in school you have the strength for a hotel rendezvous,’ he told her. ‘So we’ll take a rain check.’

‘I’m actually exhausted,’ she admitted. ‘I had to sort out a few things until late and couldn’t sleep until around three this morning and you know, because of the popular Lagos traffic, I had to be up really early in order to get to the airport on time.’

‘Thank God it’s Saturday.’

‘Yes, thank God. And I don’t need to go anywhere today.’

He stretched out his right hand to stroke her left cheek while the other one remained on the steering. No words were exchanged but a message was passed.’

He made a brief stop at a native food joint where Soki had a plate of rice and ofe akwu for breakfast, just the way she liked it. As she ate, he nursed a bottle of water, watching her. His Soki would gladly get into the kitchen once she got home and, without complaining, fix both breakfast and lunch. She loved cooking and it excited her whenever they had guests and she had to serve her amazing dishes. Before her, he picked his meals but she cooked so well, he didn’t have the mind to waste a morsel of it.

‘You don’t know how much I missed this,’ she told him, running the tip of her tongue over her lips.

He smiled.

‘If I didn’t stop here, you would have just headed straight for the kitchen once we got

home.’

‘You can’t blame me,’ she smiled. ‘You know how much I love cooking. Who knows, I might venture into a culinary career after I’m called to Bar.’

‘You know you can count on my support.’

‘Always,’ she agreed. ‘But you really need to eat more.’

‘Why? Are you trying to make me fat?’ he returned, his eyes twinkling. ‘I haven’t had to use the gym room so much in the last several weeks.’

‘Well, prepare to get back in there for the next two months. My court attachment starts second week in January and it would run for six weeks. Meaning you get to be my number one royal food taster.’

‘You do know that pot belly isn’t attractive, right?’

‘It’s grouse. Why do you think I love looking at you when you’re shirtless?’

‘Now I know,’ he laughed.

‘Seriously, I wonder why people allow themselves develop and then keep pot bellies and please don’t tell me it’ a sign of good living. That’s the dumbest excuse ever given! For real? The worst is those who are slim, it makes their bellies look grossly distended.’

Dienye laughed at her description. And then she told him the interesting parts of her flight and certainly not about the last part of it.

The flight had been an interesting one. Someone had actually fallen asleep, snoring really loud, as though someone had placed a mega phone on his/her lips. On a 45 minute flight? Soki had never imagined that someone could sleep in a plane especially for such a short flight. But the man everyone thought was snoring had been a massive man who had created comedy when he first tried to take his seat. The seat couldn’t fit. And it didn’t help that the person assigned to the seat beside him was a size 14.

It reminded Soki of a bus ride she had in Lagos where she had entered this tuke-tuke bus that was like a large cartoon with tiny holes for windows. According to the loud conductor with his trousers sagged so that his once-white-if-you-really-can-believe-that boxers was all over the place, each row was intended to take five passengers. He didn’t point this out until two massive women with hips like hippos had occupied the first row behind the driver. Soki held back her laugh as she jejely sat on the middle row. A third woman entered and she was also on the large side. The conductor began to shout: ‘una go pay for five seat o.’ No one talked to him. The space left was only enough for one average backside and a young woman occupied that space. While in motion, the conductor mumbled about the four women paying for the fifth seat. Well, the fare had been N30 and unfortunately for him, they all had change. See wahala na.

Well, this was a plane and seat belts were of a necessity meant to be fastened. Someone grumbled about the large man getting a first class seat instead of trying to squeeze himself in economy class and trying to change the alignment of the plane like that fat officer in Police Academy 5. The flight was further delayed while trying to get the man a comfortable seat, after all he had paid to be in this flight. Finally, he was miraculously able to squeeze into a free seat. However, once the plane hit the skies na so snoring begin o. Soki’s first thought was that it was fat bros but fat bros was fully awake. Rather, it was Miss Yellow-Sissy-I-am-so-clean-I-don’t-even-know-what-it-means-to-fart that settled in her seat by the window, mouth wide open and snoring everyone’s ear out. It was comic.

‘I never thought slim people snored like that o,’ the man seated on Soki’s left commented, apparently shocked not so much by the snoring as by the slimness of the snorer (if there’s such a word).

Just as the large man had caught everyone’s attention, so had the tall, slim fair-complexioned young woman in bright makeup (which incidentally really looked good on her), yellow top, pedal-pushers and black gladiator sandals. As she stepped into the plane, she had moved around like she was the queen of the area and the other passengers who were loyal subjects should have bowed to welcome her. From the haughty curve of her lips to the gestures of her right hand revealing long slim smooth fingers with long sharp nails dipped in blood, she had sashayed as she moved like a model on a runway. Had it been a different setting, Soki had no doubt that men would have been falling over themselves for her.

And so there she was, snoring! Soki felt sorry for her. That snoring had just reduced all her shakara in the eyes of a lot of her admirers in the plane who stared at her in surprise. Even her wicked seatmates didn’t bother to wake her up. When they could now take off their seatbelts, Soki, in the mood of girls-protecting-girls had left her seat as though intending to use the convenience, and simply stopped beside the young woman. She had tapped her gently and an even more embarrassing snore and drool followed. Another tap and the woman snapped: ‘What?’ Before Soki who had drawn her head back could respond, an annoyed woman seating a few seats ahead on a seat by the aisle shouted, ‘You’re snoring and disturbing everyone.’ Yellow-Sissy reflexively slid a bit lower on her seat in embarrassment especially when she noticed that all eyes were on her.

Soki quietly returned to her seat, murmuring something about people needing to understand that the lady might have had a rough night.

‘Rough night, ke,’ one man laughed. ‘She should have told the bros to take it easy on her because she would be travelling in the morning.’

‘Tell him wetin?’ another aproko said, ‘she was enjoying the thing na, probably telling the man to continue.’

‘Must everything be about sex with you men?’ a woman in red head gear asked them, looking like an old school headmistress without her cane.

‘What else will keep a young woman awake?’ the first man asked.

‘So many things o.’

And soon there was an argument about women and men’s responsibilities and which gender loved sex more.

‘And to think that it all started because I tried to help a fellow girl out,’ Soki ended the story, looking at her husband. ‘You should have seen the way Miss-Yellow-Sissy was eyeing me.’

‘Not all help rendered are appreciated, babe. Plus, look at the bright side: you made what would have been a quiet and very boring flight really interesting. It’s good to have you back babe.’

‘It’s good to be back.’

‘Then eat up, so that I can get you home,’ he told her with a wink.


Read the remaining episodes of the story here - www.youngicee.com/stories/the-second-wife

Just finished reading on your blog, and I must say I enjoyed every bit of it

Ann2012:
Just finished reading on your blog, and I must say I enjoyed every bit of it

Hope you've read the writer's other stories too?

Oyinprince:


Hope you've read the writer's other stories too?

Still on it

Nice work man

The Second Wife - Episode 28
© Onyinyechukwu Mbeledogu

Sunday, 19th December 2004

5:32pm

Forces Avenue

Port Harcourt

‘Abegi make una no dey harass my wife, wetin sef?’ Dienye told his friends in mock anger. ‘Una never see fine babe before?’

Soki blushed. They were hanging out with some of Dienye’s friends at this new joint B.B had discovered off Forces Avenue. Apart from B.B and Tor Aondowase who dropped by once in a while, Soki hadn’t met the others before now. One of them in particular, Boma Martins, in particular, a good looking man with clean shaven head and side burns, shamelessly flirted with her and Dienye told him he had better go and get himself a wife before he was tempted to punch out his front teeth and change the shape of his mouth. Dienye’s friends seemed to want to get out every dirty little secret from her, hence his outburst.

Soki watched her husband. He was having fun. Sometimes work was so hectic that Dienye barely had time to hang out with anyone and would most times get back home, eat and crash in bed. She loved seeing him this relaxed. He looked so handsome, his dark eyes twinkling with mischief. He looked nothing like a CEO in his combat shorts and navy blue t-shirt.

Soki wore a red and white t-shirt from RINZ but a size lower so that it hugged her body, showcasing her curves and making her full busts more obvious than if she had won a top with a plunging neckline. She wore the t-shirt over denim shorts and a new pair of black sneakers with pink lace, which was a gift from Dienye. Her makeup had been moderate but her lipstick was currently missing courtesy of the drinks and the plenty peppered snail, peppered chicken and isi ewu they had been eating for the past two hours or so.

She was the only female in their midst but she didn’t mind. She flowed very well with them and they were amazed that she knew so much about football.

‘I swear,’ she told them, ‘there are only two clubs in the English Premier League: Manchester United and others.’

The Chelsea fans were naturally affronted.

‘I hear,’ said Olawatoke Durojaiye.

‘And I just love Sir Alex Ferguson,’ she continued, sticking out her tongue at Toke. ‘Seriously. I’ve been an ardent Man Utd fan for over eight years. I love their style of football and it doesn’t matter whether or not they win the league. They give me great football any day, anytime.’

‘Well congratulations on your 5-2 win against Crystal Palace yesterday,’ Idris Yusuf conceded.

‘And congratulations on your 4-0 win against Norwich,’ she returned with a smile at the Chelsea fan.

Dienye was a supporter of Real Madrid and had no team in the English Premier league.

Soki took a sip from her bottle of Smirnoff ice.

‘You know we’re winning the league, right?’ Tijani told her, tugging at his Chelsea t-shirt for emphasis.

‘Man Utd is the best team presently, and don’t you dare argue with me,’ she told them in a mockingly stern voice, pointing her second finger at them.

The men threw up their hands in mock surrender.

‘All hail Manchester United!’ they sang.

‘Better people,’ she smiled, lifting both hands over her head and hooting.

‘Never argue with a woman,’ Dienye told them. ‘You’ll only get into trouble if you make the mistake of winning.’

Soki threw back her head and gave Dienye a look that spoke volumes.

‘Someone is certainly not going to get any this night,’ Tor laughed, the bottom part of his moustache coated in the foam from the beer he’d just drunk. He ran his tongue over his upper lips to get the residue.

‘No o. She knows I am always loyal to her government,’ Dienye laughed, wrapping an arm around Soki’s waist and pulling her close. ‘Even if I chop craze, I no fit look for her trouble.’

His friends laughed even as Soki punched him playfully in the side.

About an hour later, they were ready to leave.

‘Next time we hang out, I’m coming with my girlfriend,’ Boma said as they stood in the car park, Soki standing in front of Dienye and leaning into him as he wrapped his arms around her waist. ‘Omo, see intimidation things na.’

‘Boma, go and marry,’ Dienye told him. ‘Before those grey hairs begin to embarrass you.’

‘What grey hairs?’ Boma asked, stroking his fair shaved hair. ‘You think say I be you?’

‘The ones down there,’ Dienye told him, pointing to the front of his trousers. ‘You can’t dye them. Soon, we’ll have to declare a state of emergency on your single status.’

Tijani Majekodunmi laughed and Boma turned to look at him.

‘You wey dey laff, you never ready to settle down. Four girlfriends just this year alone.’

‘I be you?’ Tijani returned. ‘Na Soki hold my marriage o.’

Soki looked at the tall, dark skinned man. ‘Me, ke.’

‘Yes o. I already have a date: Monday 27th December 2004. I have an emergency priest who would gladly wed my bride and I. I have a reception hall taken care of by Dienye. Tor is buying the drinks. B.B is paying the caterer. Boma is paying for my suit along with his own as my best man and also the bride’s dress and that of the Chief Brides’ maid. Toye is in charge of the D.J, the invitation cards and the decorations and his wife will be helping to buy the aso-ebi materials from Balogun market. Na the bride remain and that is your fault o. Dienye cannot be enjoying Onitsha woman alone. Hook me up with your sister and I’ll be a married man by next Monday.’

Soki almost fainted. The man sounded like he was serious.

‘Who dey pay for which caterer?’ B.B asked, frowning at the man. ‘Me that will be sitting as Chairman of the wedding. TJ better mind yourself o.’

‘Are you serious?’ Soki asked Tijani.

‘Believe me, I am not a chronic bachelor like Boma,’ Tijani responded.

‘Waka,’ Boma told Tijani, lifting his right hand and spreading his fingers in front of the other man. ‘You are just a nama. And who is your best man?’

‘You, of course. I cannot have anyone stealing my show. If I give Tor the opportunity, that Tiv man will just pose with my wife like he’s the groom and I’ll have to be explaining up and down that I am actually the groom.’

‘Waka,’ this time it came from Tor. ‘In fact, waka and shege. Anuofia.’

The way he pronounced the Anuofia, had Soki laughing until she was clutching at her stomach, tears spilling from her eyes. It sounded more like something in his native tongue than an Igbo word. The men began to argue about their roles in Tijani’s ‘planned’ wedding and Dienye herded his wife in the direction of their car.

‘Don’t mind those idiots,’ he told her to the hearing of his friends.

Soki paused only to say goodbye to the men who responded before returning to their argument.

Dienye unlocked the door and slid behind the wheel just as Soki joined him in the front passenger seat.

‘Thanks for today,’ she told him, reaching out to kiss the corner of his mouth. ‘I had so much fun. I haven’t laughed this month in a long time.’

‘I’m glad you did. Forgive them, they are not usually like this.’

‘Let me guess, they are worse.’

Dienye laughed. ‘Yes, they are. Your presence tamed them.’

Soki smiled. ‘You should invite them over for lunch one weekend.’

‘I’ll do just that. They really liked you.’

He drove out of the car park and into the street. He took a few turns and just as he hit the T-junction on Nzimiro street, he stepped on the brakes, narrowly avoiding running down the naked woman who ran past, half of her body covered in soap suds. Dienye crossed to the other side, cleared and parked. Without a word to Soki he went after the woman, calling out:

‘Soibi! Soibi!’

This was usually a busy road but thank God it was a Sunday or they would have had a large audience. As it stood, one or two persons had already stopped to stare at the uncommon scene.

Soibi was the last person Dienye had expected to see. He had dated the older woman for a short time during one of his break-ups with Nengi in his late teens. They had stayed friends after then and when she had sent him an invitation to her wedding six years ago, Dienye had taken one look at the name of the groom and advised her to call it off.

‘I’m thirty-six, Dienye,’ Soibi had told him, worried lines almost marring her beauty. ‘I should be long married by now.’

The tall, slim fair skinned and really beautiful Kalabari woman had never been married and was getting desperate especially when she clocked thirty-five and all the advises Dienye tried to give to her wasn’t heeded to at all. He figured that the fact that he, a man, had gotten married in his early twenties hadn’t helped the situation. He’d even gotten Nengi to talk to the other woman but she had made up her mind to settle down and with Barisi Leton.

‘He’ll change,’ Soibi had told Dienye after he had rescued her from the beating her fiancé (as he then was), had given her. ‘I got him angry.’

‘There’s no justification for beating up a woman,’ Dienye had told her, wishing he could break the other man into two.

‘I know. He’ll change.’

Dienye knew Barisi from his days in Ahmadu Bello University. They had been in the same faculty but Barisi had been a set behind him. Barisi’s temper was famous back then. He could get angry at the slightest thing and damage things. He’d beaten up his girl friends back then for something as little as not showing up when he expected them to. The one incident that had made waves was when he saw his girlfriend, Halima talking to a male colleague and had descended on her and the innocent colleague.

Despite his anger issues and abusive nature, he had never lacked girlfriends back then. Perhaps it had something to do with his good looks. He was of average height but very good looking with what women called a ‘sweet mouth’. He knew the exact words to say to them to get them on his side. And there had also been rumours back then about his sexual prowess. Perhaps that was why even the abused girls kept going back to him. Crazy!

Dienye had no problem whatsoever with Soibi wanting to marry a younger man. After all, he’d dated her for a few months. What he had a problem with was Barisi’s attitude. He seriously needed to see a shrink in order to deal with his psychological issues before considering settling down with anyone, before he killed someone’s daughter.

‘That man will be the death of you,’ Dienye had told her. ‘You haven’t waited this long just to end up in a coffin, Soso. Wait and I’m sure you’ll find the man of your dreams.’

‘Look at how happy you and Nengi are,’ Soibi had said. ‘Don’t you think I deserve that?’

‘Of course you do. That’s why you need to get away as far as possible from Barisi Leton. He’ll never make you happy.’

‘He makes me happy,’ Soibi had countered. ‘He loves me and keeps me satisfied and-’

‘Please don’t get married to a man simply because he’s good in bed. For crying out loud, Barisi has anger issues, issues he would have taken the effort to see a psychiatrist to resolve if indeed he loves you. I have to keep on rescuing you from his abuse and every time he keeps coming back, apologising and you keep taking him back.’

‘I love him.’

‘Then un-love him. It isn’t healthy. You are dear to me Soibi and I wouldn’t be all right if something terrible were to happen to you.’

‘Nothing will happen to me. Barisi and I are getting married and I will ensure that you are the Godfather of our first child.’

‘I won’t come for the wedding Soibi and I mean it.’