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  • Deadly mistakes (2)

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    Dani thought he could accomplish everything as he had planned but the unexpected happened which caught him unawares. His friend Paul, could not stand what he was doing to Rachel. 

    “This is wickedness. What if Rachel was my sister or somebody I know, would I fold my arms and watch someone destroy her life this way?” he asked himself.

    “I have to look for a way to tell Rachel before it’s too late for her. She has not done anything wrong to deserve this treatment from Dani,” he said. He was forced by guilt to reveal the whole truth to Rachel; this he did through another person who directed her to the house where Dani kept his other wife and children.

     

     As Rachel sat in her rented car with the man who was able to convince her to come with him to the place where Dani was keeping his wife, she was very certain that it was not her own husband the man was referring to. She trusted Dani so much, seeing him as a saint. However, she followed the man because he asked her to pay him after service, after he had completed his mission.

     

      “Look, Mister, we have spent almost the whole day here and the man you claimed to be my husband is yet to surface. Are you sure you are not mistaking him for another person?” Rachel asked the man. 

     “Madam, don’t worry, he will surely come out. I have been coming here for the past five days…” Before the man could finish speaking, Rachel was shocked by what was before her. Her Dani, the love of her life, the man that gave her his last name, her world was with another woman and children. The shock made her pass out.

     

     She was admitted at the hospital for days before she was discharged. On getting home from the hospital, Dani was still not back from the other woman’s house. However, he came back two days later and Rachel welcomed him but he noticed that her behavior towards him had changed.

     “Women with their monthly stress, she will get over it,” he told himself.

     “How was your trip?” she queried. “I really missed you,” she lied. 

     “Me too. I was dying to be with you and my days and nights at the village were so lonely,” he stated.

     

      “What are we having for dinner? I’m hungry and can’t wait to eat your food and have you all through the night,” he stated.  

    “Oh! My Dani is hungry! Well, I have rice for you. What do you want to eat first, me or the food?” she asked. 

     “Of course I want you first, I have been longing to be with you but I have to eat because once I start, I won’t want to stop,” he stated.

     That night and other days that followed, Amanda tried to be as calm as possible. She tried to play along with him in order to investigate the situation properly before acting. After one month, she discovered that her husband was not only married to the woman she saw the other time with three children but was building a house somewhere. 

     

      “I have been a fool all these years by thinking that someone like Dani could get married to someone like me without having other plans in mind. I can’t let him take away everything I have worked for,” she swore to herself. She succeeded in getting the documents of the house he was building without him knowing about it and changed the owner’s name to hers. She also discovered that he had about fifty million naira in his bank account. 

     

      “I will get everything that belongs to me back. Where did he get all this money from if not from me because he has never lifted a finger since I got married to him,” she noted.

    She revealed herself to the other woman and showed her the photographs of her traditional marriage with Dani because the woman didn’t believe her when she told her what he had been up to.

     

     The confrontation

     When she got home that evening from the visit to the other woman, Dani was at home waiting for her. As he was about to hug her and kiss her as he usually did, he didn’t see it coming when she slapped him so hard that he almost fell down. Placing his hand where the slap landed, he asked her what the problem was. 

     

     “Ingrate!” she shouted, “That is what you are! I thought you were a human being, but I have come to realize that I fell in love with a monster.” 

     “Rachel darling, what is it, why are acting this way? Why are you calling me that? What is the problem?” he asked, not knowing that the bubble had bust.

     “Devil! You thought I would never find out? So, you were using my money, my hard earned money to build a house for those wretched children of yours and that nonentity you call a wife!” 

     

     As she spoke, Dani wished he was dreaming: “I will repent from my wicked ways if l ever wake up from this nightmare,” he thought, ‘How did she find out and who told her?’ 

     He tried to calm her down as he always did but she was so angry that she paid no attention to him. 

     “Please Rachel, it is the handiwork of the devil,” he pleaded.

     “You think you can eat my money and get away with it just by pleading? Idiot!” she yelled.  “Rachel, please, I can correct my mistakes. I accept I was wrong for deceiving you…” he stated. 

     

      “So you knew you were deceiving me…how come you could get the other woman pregnant and couldn’t get me pregnant for eight years of our marriage? Three children with her and I didn’t get pregnant for once!” she raved.

     Donald continued to plead, crying like a child while Rachel kept shouting at him. After a while, she broke down in tears and cried along with her errant husband. Later, they made up and he made love to her.

     

     “How could you do this to me?” she asked him sometime later that night. “You have never loved me but kept on lying to me. I gave you everything and you took my love for granted. What will people say when they find out? What will my parents say because they warned me not to marry you; they told me that you were too young and a good-for-nothing who wants my money but I did not listen to them because I was desperate to get married and now look at my life!”

     They continued living together as before as if nothing had happened. That was until one day some weeks later when Rachel confided in Eve, a friend of hers from her secondary school days who came to pay her a visit at her office.

     

      “Eve, I am doomed! Dani has ruined my life!” she lamented. She narrated to her friend what her husband had done. “Dani has another wife with three boys and they are staying in Warri.   “My God! Are you serious,” Eve shouted adding: “Who told you and how did you get to know about it?”

     “My sister, this is what I’m going through now and I don’t know what to do about the whole situation,” she confessed. 

    “Where is he now?” Eve asked.

     “Still living in my house,” she said.

     

      “You mean you allowed him to remain in your house after what he has done to you?” she asked in shock. 

    “What will I do; I still love him and if I send him away which man will want a divorcee in his life?” Amanda said wearily.

     “You’re mad,” Eve shouted at her, annoyed, “Are you sure he has not cast a spell on you and you are there saying you still love him? Wait until he sends you to your early grave before you take action, nonsense,” she said, hissing.

     “What can I do? I don’t know what to do, please advice,” she begged, and her friend said: 

     “Okay, I will get back to you with my plans so that the gold-digger will learn the lesson of his life,” she stated.

     

     Dani, who loved clubbing was at a niteclub one night when Rachel and Eve carried out their plan. The place was raided by some policemen who were employed by both ladies to blackmail Dani and lock him up in prison. The officers, richly settled with plenty of money carried out their operation diligently and Dani was arrested with some people. While these were later released, he was not. He was accused of selling hard drugs in the club, possession of firearms and other trumped up charges. He was sentenced to twenty years in prison without the privilege of contacting his family members or a lawyer.

    Rachel never went there to visit him throughout his prison term. She forged his signature and emptied his bank account. His other wife got married to another man when she didn’t hear from him for two years. 

    Was Rachel’s revenge on Dani too harsh or did he deserve it? Readers’ feedback are welcome!

     

     

    Names have been changed to protect the identity of the narrator and other individuals in the story.

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  • Deadly mistakes (1)

    (A young man who specialises in dating older women for money and gifts got more than he bargained when he met and married Rachel, a wealthy businesswoman)
     
     
    Dani met Rachel, a woman in her early forties at his friend’s brother’s wedding. They hooked up and started dating. Within three months of their relationship, Dani took advantage of Rachel’s situation and asked her to marry him as she seemed desperate to get married due to her age.
    He was in his late twenties which made Rachel think he was joking when he asked her to marry him. 
    “Rachel, will you marry me?” he asked her one evening at her house over dinner.
    “Marry you? What do you think people will say because of my age?” she queried.
     
    “Forget about what people will say. We love each other and that’s what matters most!” he stated.      
     “I don’t know what to say,” she said, pretending to be in a confused state of mind, but inside her she was happy and flattered because she didn’t believe that someone this young could ask for her hand in marriage. 
    “Let me think about it,” she said.
    “There is nothing to think about if you love me,” “Dani told her.
    “Okay, I will marry you,” she accepted his proposal.  
      
    Dating older women has for years, been Dani way of life. It was the life he chose to live, disdainful and shameful as it is. 
    Later that day, at a drinking spot where he usually hung out with his friends Mike and Paul, he revealed his intentions towards Rachel to them: 
    “I will be getting married to that woman very soon,” he announced. 
    “I don’t understand,” said Mike who did not know that Dani was referring to Rachel. 
    “Who in particular are you talking about?” Mike asked because he knew marriage was the last thing on his friend’s mind.
    “So you don’t know who?” Paul asked Mike sarcastically. 
    “Would I have asked if I knew who he was referring to?” Mike retorted with a frown.
    “It’s that ATM Card of mine,” Dani hinted, before stating:
    “It’s Rachel.”
    “What? O boy na wa for you oh! …you wan marry that babe? You no see her age, abi you wan die before your time!” Paul asked him.
    “Paul, you mean his mother?” Mike asked. “Because that woman cannot be called babe but mother. In fact, Dani, you can call her aunty if you can’t call her mother,” he stated jokingly, and they both laughed at the joke. Dani didn’t laugh with them because he did not find the joke funny.
     “Who cares about her age? The woman has over 100 million naira in one of her bank accounts and you are there talking about age. I don’t care about her age. As far as I am concerned, I want to be in charge of that account, directly or indirectly,” he boasted, adding: “And the only way I can be in charge of the account is by getting married to her in order to have full control of her and that account of hers,” he explained. 
     
     Paul and Mike, best friends since their childhood warned him of the consequences of getting married to an older woman, but he insisted that he would marry Rachel because her money was way too much for him to resist.
     About two months later Dani and Rachel got married. The wedding was the talk of the town; people from all walks of life attended it because Amanda was highly connected in society.
     Before their wedding day, Dani started taking local medicines which would make him unable to get Rachel pregnant. 
     
     He had other plans in store. She was not worried when she did not get pregnant, six months into their marriage; she felt it would not be easy due to her age. After the wedding, Dani kept seeing other women. He knew he had no feelings for Rachel; he was in her life just for the purpose of relieving her of her huge fortune and this he did judiciously. 
     He dated both old and young women, spent his time in beer parlours, nightclubs and many a time he brought more than one woman to their home when Rachel was on business trips and spent the night with them on their matrimonial bed.
     
     The second wife
    Thirteen months after the wedding, Dani got a lady in her early twenties pregnant and married her secretly in the court. He kept the new wife, Joyce, in another part of the country and supplied her all her needs with Rachel’s money. He lied to Joyce that his work took him to many places which would make it hard for him to stay home with her most of the time. In other words, he lied to her so that his life with Joyce would not interfere with the life he was having with Rachel. With time, his secret marriage to Joyce produced three boys.
      “Women are so gullible and most of them have nothing in their heads. In fact, my brothers, I can’t spend my life labouring for them simply because I am a man. The way I am leading my life is the best thing that could ever happen to any man; I get money from the ‘old hag’, use it to train my children while I enjoy myself without working,” he told his friends who disapproved of the sort of life he was living. 
     
     “Dani, you’re keeping one woman outside and you’re living together as a married couple, with another; what do you think will happen if Rachel finds out that you are fooling around with her?” Paul asked him at their new drinking place.
     “She will never find out unless you tell her or are you planning to do so?” Dani asked him.
     “How do you mean? I will not be the one to expose you. But you have to consider that woman because she has invested so much in you, physically, emotionally and financially and you’re treating her this way,” Paul said. “You know age is no longer on her side and it will be better if you told her the truth before she finds out on her own.” 
     
     “Don’t mind him Dani,” Mike said, adding: “He’s talking like a woman. So, you want our friend to keep waiting for that woman who has aborted all the children in her body?” Mike asked.
     “What are you saying, was it not his choice? He chose to marry her because of her money and the woman can’t give birth to children for him and he’s now running away. I am not part of this wicked act because we warned him not to marry her but he insisted on marrying her,” Paul pointed out.
     “You people are just taking paracetamol for my headache,” said Dani who saw nothing wrong with the way he was treating Rachel. “I have solved my problem and everybody is happy…why the noise about women and children?” My darling Joyce has given me three handsome and healthy boys which I will forever be thankful to her for the honour,” he proclaimed.
     “That is not what we are saying…nothing is hidden under the sun. I am just being concerned about you because women like Rachel can go the extra mile to destroy you if you ever mess with them,” Paul asserted.
    “Relax Paul…why are you always pessimistic? I have told you that the woman loves me with her life and she will never find out…she can’t do anything even if she finds out,” Dani insisted. 
    “How long do you think this black life of yours will last without either of the women finding out about your double life?” Paul asked.
     
     “Don’t worry yourself, my house in Lekki Phase ll is almost completed and if she finds out that I’m married to another woman, I will simply leave her. Anyway, by then I would have completed the house and I will move in. I have already opened a shop for my wife and very soon I will start working on my travel documents. Trust me she won’t find out,” he said.
     “If you say so,” they both replied.
    Dani started laughing in a mischievous way which baffled his friends. 
    “What is it?” Paul asked.
     “Well, I’m laughing because less than ten million naira is what is left in that woman’s bank account, the one I have access to, ” he told them. 
    “Bad boy! You mean you have drained her bank account like this?” Mike asked him.
     “She doesn’t know anything; she didn’t know that she entered ‘one chance’. She wanted a husband and I wanted money, after all they say nothing goes for nothing. We both have what we want from each other, so, we have nothing to lose,” he maintained.
    Dani thought he could accomplish his goals just as he had planned but the unexpected happened, catching him unawares…
    Names have been changed to protect Rachel’s identity and other individuals in the story.
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  • A tenant’s dilemma (3)

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    I was very happy about my landlord’s rethink about the quit notice. I saw it as a miracle and I thanked God for it.

    “God will surely bless him for his kindness to us,” I prayed. 

    “Amen o!” my wife intoned. 

    “So, you just went to beg him again and he agreed to give us more time?” I asked my wife once more.

    She nodded.

    “Yes. He took pity on us. Besides, he said he knows you are a responsible man and that you will surely pay him whenever you get a job,” she added.

    I felt happy at the turn of events. It was the impetus I needed in my search for employment and I put in more effort. One day, I got a letter to attend an interview. It was one of the applications I had earlier written which I had not put much hope on. I attended the first interview and I scaled through to the next round which was to take place after a few weeks.

    I did very well in the second and I was quite confident I would be among the successful candidates. But a few months after with no response from the company, I decided to forge on. Then, a school mate of mine, Frank who resided in Port-Harcourt called me one day out of the blue. We had lost contact and had not heard or seen each other for many years. I knew he was in the Garden City but did not have his contact.

     

    I was happy to hear from him after all this while and we spoke for a long time. Apparently, he had got my number from another of our mates whom he had run into while he was in PH for business.

    When I told him a little of all the difficulties I was facing due to my jobless state, he was very sympathetic.

    “Just endure for a while. I’m sure things will work out,” Frank assured me. He promised to be on the look-out for any opening in Port- Harcourt for me.

     

    About six weeks later, he invited me to come down to the city concerning a job in a company where a friend of his worked. I quickly made arrangements and travelled to see him. With the little resources available, I made sure I left enough money with my wife so the family could at least eat while I was away.

    I planned staying about a week but was delayed by the several appointments I had in regards to the job. Thus, I ended up staying longer than planned. It was almost two weeks before I finally returned to Lagos. Frank promised to give me regular feedbacks concerning the job so I left with much hope that all would be well.

     

    ***

    Back in Lagos, life went on with the usual struggles for survival. I was preoccupied with my job situation but that did not stop me noticing a few changes in my wife. The first was her attitude towards me. Vero had always been an assertive, outspoken woman, always ready to speak her mind on any issue. But it reached a stage where she became over assertive, to the extent that she wanted to dominate me, her husband!

    If I made any suggestion concerning the home, she would shout me down, insisting on her way. It was like I was no more important; I was just there, a nobody of much use, a worthless person. She would shout and flare up at the slightest provocation and was always picking faults with whatever I did. Now, I’m no angel. I have my faults like any other human being. But from the way she talked about me, one would think I was the worst husband in the world.

    There was a day, one of her younger sisters, a girl of about 21 who had come for a visit had stayed out all night and only returned home the following morning. As a concerned in-law, I had spoken sternly to her on her conduct, that it was not proper for a young girl to be out in town at night especially in a big city like Lagos. 

     To my shock, Vero had taken the sister’s side, wondering what was my business if her sister stayed out of the house even for days. 

     

     “Or do you want to marry her too? You can’t even take care of the only wife you have, you are now eyeing another one! I wonder what kind of bad luck I have to be married to you!” And she went on to start counting her friends whose husbands had sponsored them on trips to Dubai and London for shopping and holidays. “Do they have two heads? Why is my own case different? I’m stuck with a man that can’t even give me money to retouch my hair or buy my undies!”

     To avoid quarreling with her, I left for my bedroom to cool off.

     

      I was at a friend’s place one Friday when I got a call from Frank.

     “Congrats, Ekene! The list is out and your name is among those selected. You’ve got the job!”

     “Frank! Are you serious?” I asked excitedly. I could not believe my  ears. Me, a job? It was a miracle.

     Frank confirmed the good news, then said I had to be in P-H as soon as possible.

      “You will be resuming next month so you need to come over to sort out some things,” he stated.

     

     “No problem. I will tell you when I will travel down. Thanks so much for your support,” I said happily.

     As I went home that day, I was full of joy. My jobless days were over and I couldn’t wait to get home to break the news to my wife and family.

     I was on a street near mine when a neighbour that lived near my house came up to me. The woman, an elderly lady was quite friendly with me and my family. We stood chatting for a while then she told me something that nearly gave me a heart attack then and there.

     

    “Madam, is this a joke or what? What are you trying to do, cause problems between me and my wife?” I demanded angrily when I heard her words, getting worked up. The euphoria I felt at the news about the job was gradually fading, to be replaced by confusion.

     My wife and my landlord having an affair? How could that be? How? I kept wondering.

      “It’s been going on for some time now. Nearly everyone on our street and in your compound know about it,” she stated quietly. She then told me about the period I was away in Port-Harcourt, that the man used to come to the house nearly every day to see my wife. 

      “They were not even hiding it but flaunting their affair for every one to see,” the woman said.

      She said a lot of other things but my mind was in confusion and nothing was sinking in. My own wife with my landlord! Was that the reason he decided not to eject us from his house anymore? So, he was using my wife as replacement for the rent? How could this be? Was my neighbour speaking the truth? Could she be trusted? 

     I had known the woman for some years and she had always come across as a responsible person. Besides, what would she gain from lying against my wife, I thought as I made my way home. My mind was in a turmoil and I was not thinking straight.

     

     My first thought was to go home and confront Vero about the allegations against her. But along the way, I changed my mind. I called my elder sister who lived in Festac with her family and narrated what the woman had told me.

     She advised me not to do anything rash until she had seen me. So, I changed direction and went to see her.

     “This is a sensitive issue so we have to handle it carefully,” she stated on my arrival at her place.

      I nodded, not speaking. I felt weak, like a boneless being. How could this be happening on a day I should be celebrating my new job, I thought gloomily.

     “It had better not be true, Sister or I will surely kill her!” I said threateningly.

     “God forbid! You are not going to kill anybody. We need to confirm the woman’s story first before deciding on what to do about the situation,” she advised.

     Her husband, when he heard the story of my wife’s affair, advised the same thing.

      “Your neighbour said he comes to the house whenever you are away. Let’s work out a plan that will help confirm the story. Wait patiently for the right time to strike, ok?”

     

     I decided to take their advice. On getting home that day, I said nothing to Vero concerning the matter. I didn’t even tell her about my new job. I acted as if everything was normal. But inside me, I was boiling with fury.

     Two days later, I informed my wife that I was travelling to Port- Harcourt to follow up on the job I was seeking there. She wished me safe journey and after hugging my little daughter tightly, I departed.

    But unknown to her, I had other plans. My younger brothers that stayed with me had travelled home to visit our parents, leaving only my wife and daughter in the house. There was a boy in my compound that used to run little errands for me from time to time whenever my younger ones were not around. I told him to hang around and monitor my wife’s movement for me. Then I went to my sister’s place from where we kept in touch through phone. Later that day, the boy called and informed me that my landlord was in the compound, in my apartment.

    My sister and her husband drove me down to my street. The little boy, my accomplice reported to me that my landlord was still in my flat. We all climbed the stairs quietly so as not to attract any attention from within. 

     I opened the door and was confronted with a scene that would stay with me for the rest of my days. There was my half-naked wife straddling my landlord right in my living-room, her large bum bouncing up and down as she rode him hard! I was so shocked, I just stood gaping, my hands on my head…

       ***

     Aftermath (three months later)

     As I write this, I’m in Port-Harcourt where I have resumed for my new job. I should be very happy to be working again considering the number of years I had spent on the ever growing labour market. But how can a man in my situation ever be happy again? 

    How can I ever derive joy in life after catching my wife in such a compromising situation? This is a lady I loved so much, more than any other thing in the world. What she did broke my heart. So much so that I doubt I can ever love or trust another woman again.

     

     As for Vero, I have not seen her again since that fateful day. After I had caught her in the shameful act with my own landlord, my sister and husband had taken me and my daughter to their home. They practically had to drag me away or I would have committed double murders that day. That was where I stayed till I moved to PH for my new job. My daughter is still with my sister, pending when I can make arrangements for her to join me.

     

     As far as I’m concerned, my marriage to Vero is over. Imagine my own wife sleeping with my landlord right under my nose! Just because the man has money and properties all over the place and I didn’t have a job. It was a bitter experience that would take me years to get over.

     Anyway, I thought I was through with Vero but last week, her elder sister and brother came to see me, pleading on her behalf. They want me to forgive her and take her back, stating that she has realized her mistake and wants me to forgive her. Even my friend Frank wants me to do the same thing.

     But my family, especially my mother don’t want her anymore. My mother has specifically told me that she would disown me if I ever take my unfaithful wife back. That’s my dilemma now. I don’t want my child to grow up in a broken home. On the other hand, I can’t go against my family’s wishes.

      So, what should I do now? I need advice, please. Thank you!

     

    The End!

    Names have been changed to protect the identity of the narrator and other individuals in the story.

     

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  • A tenant’s dilemma

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    (A man catches his wife having sex with his landlord. What should he do? How should he react? Find out what Ekene, the protagonist of this story does, both to his wife and their randy landlord!).

    ***

    Now, with the benefit of hindsight, I believe I should have listened to my mother before marrying Vero. She had taken one look at her, the first day I brought her home to meet my family and my mother, in her characteristically blunt manner had given her verdict. “This one will give you trouble in future. Her eyes are too sharp and they are all over the place!”

    I did not understand then what she meant. To me, madly in love and deaf to all reasoning, Vero was the ideal woman I had been searching for all my life. She was a heady mix of beauty, grace and charisma. She was brilliant too. 

    At the time we met, Vero had just entered the university. She had wanted to study Banking and Finance but she could not make the cut-off point for that course so she settled for Business Administration instead.

    This was how I met Vero who was just 20 years old then. It was the Christmas holiday season and I had gone to my village in the Eastern part of the country, to visit my parents and family members and reconnect with old friends. A few days after Xmas, I was driving to a neighboring village to see an aunt who lived there. I remember it was a market day. Along the way, I saw two girls with heavy loads on their heads. One of them looked familiar. She turned out to be Grace, a friend of one of my younger sisters. 

     She told me that her sister who lived with her husband in the village I was heading to, had just given birth and she was staying with her to help with the baby.

    “Our mother has travelled abroad to do omugwo for another of our sisters. I’m the only one left to help her,” she explained.

    After she had introduced her companion, I offered to give them a ride as the sun was hot that day.

    “Come in let me give you girls a ride home,” I said.

    I felt an immediate attraction to Vero that day. So much so that I made enquiries about her from my aunt on arriving at her place.

    “That must be the daughter of Mazi Polynus. They live at the other side of the village near the primary school. I know her family very well,” my Aunty, who was like a walking encyclopedia with info on nearly every family in the village and environs informed me. Then looking at me with her crafty eyes, she demanded: 

    “But why do you ask?”

    “Nothing Aunty. I was just…” I started to say but she cut me off.

    “Ekene! You think I was born yesterday? When a young man starts asking after a girl, there’s always something involved! Especially during this season when city dwellers like you come home to search for wives. Do you like her?” she bluntly asked. 

    That was one thing she shared in common with my mother, who was her elder sister- a sharp and blunt tongue. They never minced words and always said whatever was on their minds, a trait that regularly got both of them in one trouble or the other.

    I did not say anything but just smiled at her. I gave her the gifts I brought her and her family and after spending some time chatting with my cousins who were around, left for home. On my way back, I purposely drove by the primary school with the hope of seeing Vero whose house was close by. I didn’t see her then but I was not worried. I knew where she lived and I knew I could always see her with the help of her friend Grace.

    A few days later, I returned to my Aunty’s village ostensibly to hang out with my cousins, Charlie and Jude. But my aunt was not fooled.

    Giving me a sly look as I came down from my car, she stated:

    “I knew you would be back! That girl must be something for this is the first time in history you are visiting me twice in the same week since you left for the city! So, shall we go and see her father and fix a date for the Igba Nkwu (traditional engagement ceremony)?” she added teasingly.

    “Ah! Aunty! Not so fast! We’ve not reached that stage yet!” I protested, laughing.

     My aunt was something else. She was already talking about engagement when I had not even made my intentions known to the girl in question, I thought as I went into the house to greet her husband…

     ***

    I wanted to see Vero again before leaving for my base in the city. So, some days after the New Year festivities, I sent for her friend Grace. She agreed, after a hefty bribe from me, to arrange a meeting with her friend.

     There was a popular eatery and joint in her village that was always filled with revellers particularly during festive periods like the Xmas season. That was where I met up with her and Grace.

     That day, we spoke for long and I got to know her better. Some days later, before traveling back to Lagos, I saw Vero once more. We exchanged contacts and I promised to call regularly when she returned to school.

     I kept to my words. Besides phone calls, I would pay her visits in school whenever I had any spare time. By this time I had fallen in love with Vero and I had made up my mind that she was going to be my wife in the future. Infact, I was even ready to marry her while she was still in school. I was that desperate to make her mine as I did not want another man to take her from me.

     “My parents want me to finish with my education before thinking of marriage,” she told me when I broached the idea of our tying the knot before her graduation. It was the experience of one of her sisters, she explained that made her father especially take that stand.

     “One of my elder sisters got married when she was still in school some years back,” she stated. The husband promised she would continue with her schooling after the ceremony but things didn’t work out that way. She got pregnant almost immediately and due to the stress of coping with the pregnancy and her studies, the husband told her to stop school for a while.” Ten years and four children later, the sister was yet to conclude her degree programme, she pointed out.

    Though disappointed, I agreed to respect her parents’ hopes for her. So, I waited patiently till her graduation…

    Note:  Omugwo (usually practised by the Igbos of Nigeria) refers to childbirth and care, when a mother goes to stay for a period of time with a daughter who has just delivered a baby to help her care for the newborn as well as new mother.

     

    To be continued…

    Names have been changed to protect the identity of the narrator and other individuals in the story.

  •  A tenant’s dilemma (2)

     

  • ‘My husband is rich, handsome and kind. But refuses to sleep with me!’ (4)

    I got frightened by the fury in his eyes for a moment. But I was not ready to back down. 

    So, moving closer to him, I said in a cajoling tone:

    “Bennie darling, relax. I know you want me too. We are married so why can’t we sleep together like other couples do?”

    He shook his head.

    “That can’t be. You knew the terms when you agreed to marry me,” he pointed out.

    “That was then. Now I want to be a proper wife, for you to hold me in your arms and make love to me. To have your child, a little boy that will look just like you,” I told him.

    “That’s impossible, Amanda. So, put such foolish thoughts out of your mind and go to your room,” he ordered again.

    “Please, Bennie. Let me stay with you. Just this night,” I pleaded, reaching for his hand.

    But he flung my hand away and picking up his laptop, hurriedly left the room.

    I stood there for a minute, then collapsed on the bed, weeping tears of bitterness and regret.

    When I woke up the following morning, a Saturday, Bennie had left the house. He left a note for me, stating he was traveling out of the country on business and would be away for a while. 

    “I will ignore what happened last night and consider it a momentary weakness on your part. But this must not happen again. We have a contract. Learn to stick with it…”

    I flung the note angrily away, feelings of frustration washing over me as I recollected the previous night’s incident. I checked the time on my mobile. Normally, I would be getting ready to go to the shop as Saturdays were always busy days there. But feeling sad and depressed and not in the mood for work, I called my manager at the store telling her I was not well and would be resting at home.

      Later in the afternoon, Max called.

    “Just wanted to see how you are doing,” he stated.

    “I’m cool,” I replied, though I wasn’t feeling fine at all.

    “You don’t sound it. Is there anything the matter?” he queried.

    I sighed.

     “I’m ok. Don’t worry about me. I just feel a little bit under the weather,” I stated.

    “Maybe you need a break from work. To rest and chill out,” he advised.

    I smiled wryly to myself. If only it was that simple, I thought.

    We spoke for a while about his daughter, Lola and before hanging up, I stated:

    “I will like to see you. There’s something I need to discuss with you. Can I come over to your place?” 

    “I’m at the office right now. But I will be leaving in another hour or so. I will let you know once I’m through here,” he said.

    “You are welcome to my home,” Max stated when I got to his house some time later. He was alone as his maid had taken Lola to a birthday party of a school-mate.

    “Nice place,” I said as I took the drink he offered me.

    We chatted for a while and I felt so relaxed with him that I decided to open up to him about what was going on in my marriage.

    He remained silent while I spoke, about meeting and working with Bennie and the marriage proposal and all the strings attached to it.

    “I feel bad that you’ve been going through all this all this while,” he said quietly when I finished speaking. 

    “You have no idea what I’ve been through. My husband provides everything for me and I live in the lap of luxury. But I have realized that money is not everything. What’s the point of having money without peace of mind? And I can’t even have a child of my own to love and cherish. Honestly, Max, I’ve realized what a big mistake I made. I regret marrying Bennie. And I ‘m so confused, I don’t know what to do!” I said. I felt so sorry for myself that I broke down and started weeping.

      Max held me close and consoled me.

    “Don’t cry, Amanda. Everything will be alright. I hate to see you so sad,” he said.

    Later, after Lola returned from her outing, I made dinner for everyone.

    “Auntie, this rice tastes so nice. Will you be coming to cook for Daddy and me everyday?” she asked.

    Before I could say anything, Max stated:

    “Auntie is too busy for that. She has her business to run.”

    Seeing the downcast look on her little face, I quickly said:

    “Don’t worry. I can come at weekends to prepare food for you if that’s what you want.”

    “Thank you, Auntie!” she stated happily.

    That day, I did not return home but spent the night at Max’s place. That’s how we became lovers. After that day, I knew I could no longer stay with Bennie. Our marriage was a sham and I could no longer continue with such an arrangement, pretending that all was well.

    It’s been nearly two months now since my husband travelled. In that period, Max and I have grown very close. We spend a lot of time together and I sleep over at his place most nights. I don’t care if my husband finds out about my affair with Max as I have made up my mind to leave him. 

    I know I will be losing a lot financially if I leave him before the seven year period stated in the contract. I don’t care. Besides, I’ve made a lot of money from my business so my family and I will not suffer.

    Max has promised to marry me once I’m free from Bennie. So, the first thing I will do when he returns from his trip is serve him divorce papers. I want my freedom so I can be with a man who loves me and I can have children with. I can no longer remain in a marriage that exists in name only, just for the sake of money…

    The End!


    Did Amanda do the right thing by ending her marriage to Bennie? Readers reactions are welcome.

    Names have been changed to protect the identity of the narrator and other individuals in the story.

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  • The birthday gift (3)

     

    Any hope that Thad might reconsider and come back to me were dashed on his return home from his trip abroad. At the ‘reconciliation meeting’ his mother called us to settle the matter, Thad made it clear that it was over between us. He even advised me to forget about him and ‘move on with my life.’
    “Maybe we are not meant for each other. So, just move on. Let me get on with my own life!” 
     
    I felt so angry and bitter as I watched him sprouting such words. To think this was the man I had committed myself to for years and built my future plans and dreams around. My family members including my two siblings and my mother who were with me at the meeting were so angry with him and even wanted to attack him physically. But my Mum prevailed on them to be calm.
     “Maybe, it’s God’s plan to expose him now. Is it not better this happened now than after the wedding when he might have just run away from home with another woman one day? God knows best. So, leave him. Let him go and enjoy with his new love. God will judge him. Let’s go!”
     
    We left for home and that was the last I saw of my ex-fiancé for a long time. I listened to the advice of family and friends to move on and forget Thad. It wasn’t easy as he had become such an important part of my life. I resigned from my workplace not because of Thad as he had been transferred to another branch after his course abroad but to start all over. I went back to school to do a short course in business administration as I wanted to start my own business later. I had some savings from my years of working so money was not a problem. 
     It was at the school that I met Abel. He was doing his doctorate degree which he combined with work. We got chatting one day after one of my classes while taking some snacks at an eatery on campus. We saw regularly in school after that day and with time, we became friends. Later, he wanted more than friendship but I was not too keen. I liked him but due to my experience with Thad I had grown wary of men and their ways.
    I told him to give me some time to sort myself out and recover fully from what my former fiancé did to me.
    “I will wait, Naomi because you are worth waiting for. But don’t keep me waiting too long!” he said.
    Actually it was Abel’s mother that made me to become serious with him. One day, after my lectures, he came to pick me up at school stating that he was taking me somewhere. 
    I thought it was just a normal outing so I was surprised when we ended up at his mother’s place. She was separated from Abel’s father and lived together with his younger brother. She welcomed me warmly and prepared a nice meal for us.
    Later, as we prepared to leave, she drew me aside and stated:
    “My dear, you are the first lady my son has brought home in a long while. That shows he really likes you. But he tells me you are not interested in him. What is the problem?”
    I told her that though I liked her son, I was not ready for a serious relationship because of what happened to me in the past.
    “That was in the past,” she pointed out adding: “This is the present. You need to move on and live your life. My son is serious about you; he has told me he wants to marry you. Why don’t you give him a chance? You can’t drive all men away just because of one incident in the past?”
     
    ***
    Perhaps her words had something to do with it for I began to reconsider my stance towards Abel. We started dating fully as a couple and I even allowed him to start making plans towards our settling down some day. My mother was especially happy when I took him home for introduction. 
    “Thank God you have accepted another man into your life. I was worried you might stay single for life with your earlier no-dating, no men stance,” she stated happily.
    After I finished the programme in school, Abel wanted us to get married as soon as possible and I agreed with his plans. We were working towards that when something unexpected happened that nearly truncated our plans.
    Return of Thad
    I was at home one weekend, watching a movie with my friend, Pat who had come to spend some time with me when I had an unexpected visitor: Thad, my ex-fiancé had come to see me!
    “What does he want?” I demanded when Pat told me who was at the door.
    “Maybe, you should see him to find out,” she replied.
    “See him for what? I don’t want to, so tell him to get out of my house or there will be trouble!” I said angrily, remembering all the pain and heartache he had caused me in the past.
     
    He must have got the message for he left that day. About a week later, he was back. This time, my mother who had come visiting at my apartment, said I should see him to know what he wanted.
    He wanted me back! He stated that it was over between him and Madge, that leaving me for her was the biggest mistake of his life.
    “I regret what I did to you. Please forgive me, Naomi! I want you back; let’s start all over again!” he pleaded earnestly. I listened calmly, not saying much as he narrated what had led to the breakup with Madge.
     
    “She was behaving like a whore, going around sleeping with nearly all my friends. Not only that, she seduced my little brother, our last born who is just 16! I had travelled on an official trip and the boy had come from his school to see me when the bitch lured him to bed! Even my uncle Bernard- you know him- narrowly escaped her clutches. As if her wayward ways are not bad enough, she spends money as if it’s water, nearly rendering me broke within a short time. She can’t even cook or keep the house clean. She’s…” and he went on and on about his erstwhile lover’s misdeeds.
    “Agaracha has come back then,” said Pat sarcastically when I narrated what happened with Thad to her. “Men! They will have a good thing and throw it away for trash!” she noted with a hiss.
    “So, what are you going to do now?” she asked sometime later.
    I shrugged.
    “Just wait and see as events unfold,” I said mysteriously.
    Two grooms, one bride
    A plan had been forming in my mind but before it could be executed, I needed Abel’s support.
    “Is it really necessary to do that? Why not just tell him to take a hike and leave you alone?” he stated when I told him about my plans.
    I shook my head. 
    “No. This is something I need to do. To get closure for what he did to me,” I replied. He reluctantly agreed and I swung into action.
     
    To the surprise of many who knew us, I accepted Thad back into my life. Some of my friends thought I was crazy to even contemplate getting back with him.
    “After the shabby way he treated you, you still take him back? Naomi, are you crazy or what?” they all stated. I just smiled and said nothing.
     
    Thad was even more shocked than the others.
    “I never knew you will accept me so easily. Thanks, baby for forgiving me. I promise to make it up to you,” he said happily hugging me tightly. I told him the only condition for getting back together was that we had to go ahead with our wedding plans as soon as possible.
    He readily agreed, even stating he was ready to marry me the following day if that was what I wanted. “I never want to lose you again,” he vowed, hugging me again.
      
    So, we fixed a date which was on his birthday and made all the arrangements, including picking the church and reception venue.
    The wedding day with Thad arrived and I got dressed in a nice cream colored gown and headed for the Ikoyi registry where my beloved was waiting with his mother, his sister and a few well-wishers. My family too, were there with me. After the short ceremony, we stood in front of the registry office to take some pictures of the happy and memorable occasion.
     
    Just then, a black, brightly decorated SUV with ‘About to wed’ sign at the number plates drove up. Before it could stop properly, Thad, who was nicely dressed in a grey suit with a maroon pocket square, jumped out and rushed to where I stood with my new husband, Abel, who had his arms protectively round me.
    “Naomi, what are you doing here, with this man on our wedding day? Let’s go to the church, baby! We are running late! Our guests are waiting!” he said, trying to grab my hand.
    I snatched it away and retorted: 
    “What wedding? As you can see, I’m already married to my darling here, Abel. So, you can go and marry that slut, Madge that you dumped me for. You seriously thought I would marry you after what you did to me? That fake ‘wedding’ was my birthday gift to you. So, you go and enjoy the party. As for me, my husband and I have a flight to catch for our honeymoon in the Caribbean. So, goodbye and good luck with your slut!” I stated. With that, Abel and I got into a waiting car and we zoomed off to our new life together as a married couple.
     
    The End!
    Did Thad deserve the treatment he got from Naomi? Readers’ feedback are welcome!
    Names have been changed to protect the identity of the narrator and other individuals in the story.
    For Archive, Visit Patience Saduwa

     

  • The birthday gift (1)

    (What do you do when your fiancé dumps you a month before your wedding? Do you lick your emotional wounds and move on or you plot vengeance? This is the situation Naomi, the protagonist in this story faces.)

     ***

    He promised me forever, that our love will last till the end and we would never be apart. I gave him four years of my life and what was my reward? To be dumped unceremoniously just weeks before our big day! Even now, over a year later, the memory of Thad’s betrayal still hurts like an open knife wound that refused to heal. 

    That day is imprinted in my brain forever when Thad told me he could no longer marry me because he had fallen in love with someone else. An old school friend of mine for that matter! What kind of man does that? He did not even consider my feelings or those of our families, friends and well-wishers who were looking forward to our wedding day. Or the four years we had been together as a couple whom our friends envied because of the great love we had for each other. Four years of love, devotion and care down the drain in a jiffy…

    I first met Thad in the second company where I worked after leaving school. He was already a manager then and was full of drive and ambition, traits that I find very attractive in a guy. Maybe that was what drew me to him because back then, I already had a boyfriend, Jeff. The only problem was that the relationship with Jeff had no future as he had made it clear to me that he was not ready to settle down anytime soon. 

     “Marriage is not for me; at least not now,” he often said whenever I asked where the relationship was heading. So, when Thad started showing interest in me, I did not think twice about leaving Jeff for him. From the beginning, Thad made it clear that he wanted me for a serious relationship and not ‘just for fun.’ He said he wanted a woman who would be supportive and help him actualise his goals and dreams in life.

    “I think I have found that in you, Naomi. So, will you be my girl?” he had asked that evening after one of our dates. We had been sitting in his car by the gate of my family home where I still lived back then. 

    I told him ‘yes’ as I had fallen for him then and a few months later, we became officially engaged. Thad wanted us to get married straight away as he did not see any reason to delay the wedding. I agreed with him but my parents were not too keen on our getting married less than a year after we met. 

    “It’s too soon. You just met him not too long ago. Take your time to study him, know him better. Men are like the chameleon, they can change anytime. So, be sure, my dear that he’s the one for you,” my mother advised. Based on that, we had to shift the wedding date till the following year.

    Later, other things happened to further delay the marriage. Thad lost his father whom he was very close to. It took him sometime to recover from the shock of his father’s death. I had to be there for him to console him as his fiancée. Then, Thad was nominated by the company for a management course in the U.S. He was away for about eight months and I missed him terribly. On his return at the end of the programme, things went back to normal and we resumed our plans for the future.

    We chose a date in April last year for our wedding, which was my birthday as I wanted it to be a double celebration. 

    The bombshell

    A week before Thad dropped his bombshell on me, I had gone for the final fitting of my wedding gown. My friend Winnie had introduced me to a lady who made exquisite bespoke wedding gowns in town. Her prices were steep but she was very good and her gowns were lovely. Her store was at Lekki and I had spent a long time there while she made some adjustments on the gown and veil. 

    “Have you put on some weight? Your waist looks bigger than the last time you were here,” she stated as she measured my bust and waistline with a tailor’s tape. 

    “Maybe I ate too much at the party I attended last weekend’, I said, laughing. I stood in front of the large mirror and checked out the gown. It was a strapless design with a bolero jacket to cover up during the church service. Apart from the small train on the skirt and some adjustments here and there it was almost ready. 

    “It’s looking good,” I said, spinning round to see the back. 

    “Just don’t put on more weight so it can fit properly especially in the bust and waist,” said the designer as she knelt down to check the hemline.

    “I need to do more exercises then,” I said, smiling. I was happy with the gown and our wedding plans too which were going well. It was stressful with all the arrangements, but I did not mind; at the end of the day, Thad and I would be together always.

    That evening, Thad came to pick me up for an outing we had. I told him about my visit to the designer as well as the caterer we had booked for the reception.

    “She wants the deposit by next week so she can make her preparations. We still need to make the booking for the hall at the events centre. I spoke with the manager yesterday and he wants us to come for the final inspection,” I said as we drove off.

    As I continued chatting about other matters concerning our nuptials, I noticed that Thad was a bit absentminded. Usually, he would be highly interested in what I was saying but that day, it was as if his mind was elsewhere.

    “What did you say?” he asked turning to me in the car. I had just asked about his mother but there had been no response from him.

    “You’ve not been listening to me, have you?” I said. “What are you thinking about?” I queried.

    “You,” he said with a smile.

    “I’m here with you so why would you be thinking about me?” I asked teasingly. 

    “Because you are looking really sweet tonight, baby,” he said.

    I laughed.

    “You always say that anytime I’m dressed up and we are going out,” I noted, caressing his cheek.

    Later that night, we were leaving his friend’s house where we had gone visiting when Thad’s phone rang. I sat in the car and waited for him while he took the call which lasted for a long time.

    “Who was that?” I asked when he joined me in the car.

    “Oh, just a friend I met during the training in the States,” he said, starting the car…

    To be Continued…

    Names have been changed to protect the identity of the narrator and other individuals in the story.

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  • My cousin is married to a conman but who will tell her?’ (2)

    Ella had been married for about two years and I and the rest of the family were beginning to warm to him when his true colors were revealed. And it came about in a way no one expected. It happened this way. My husband,

    Eric, is a businessman and he does a lot of travelling in the course of his business.

      

    Sometime ago, he was on a business trip to a neighbouring country when by chance, he found out certain things about Jack’s past that shocked everyone of us who heard it. Eric was to have stayed about two weeks in the country but he cut the trip short to return home. 

    “Honey, what happened? I wasn’t expecting you till next week!” I said as I hugged him before taking his bag.

     

    He sighed then sat down on the couch and said:

    “Something came up and my plans changed. Come and sit.” After I had sat down, he brought out a newspaper which he gave me. I looked at him askiance, before glancing at the paper. It was a foreign one, from the country he was returning from. It was opened to a page and a picture on it immediately drew my attention.

    “What’s this? What’s Jack’s picture doing in a foreign paper?” I asked my husband. 

     

      “Why don’t you read the text?” he said. I did and what I read left me stupefied. It was a public notice declaring Jack wanted by the police for fraud, extortion and other offences. He was said to have made away with a large sum of money running into nearly half a million dollars said to belong to his wife.

    “What? Could this be true? Jack has another wife? How come?” I asked, the questions tumbling out. I just could not believe it. Though I had had some misgivings about my cousin’s husband right from the beginning, I never in my wildest dreams knew it could be this bad. 

     

      I listened as Eric narrated what had transpired on his trip. “The hotel I stayed in distributes free copies of the paper to guests. So, one evening in my room, I was going through my copy when I chanced on the picture. Just like you, I was shocked; the name is different, probably a fake name, but it’s definitely Jack. Unless he has a twin we don’t know about. Anyway, the following day, I called one of the numbers listed there. It happened to be the said wife whom he had swindled. 

     

    “I pretended I was a private detective and offered my services to her, stating I could help her trace her missing husband and recover her money. She seemed interested. We met up some time later and that was when she narrated the whole sordid story. She said she met aback at a nightclub in the city, got talking and later became friends. Jack, the woman stated claimed to be from Cameroun, the English speaking part and was in the country for business. One thing led to another and she fell in love. Before long, they got married and Jack moved into her house. 

     

    Some months after the marriage, Jack, she stated suggested they should go into the importation business together. “He told me computers and mobile phones and accessories sold like hot cakes in his country and that if we imported them in large quantities from China, and took them to Cameroun, we would make double the amount we invested. It sounded like a good proposal and I decided to invest in the business. I gathered all the cash I had and even sold one of my buildings that I rent out, to raise the amount he said we needed for the business. He called me the first few days after he travelled then to my shock, the calls stopped abruptly. No calls, contact, nothing. I could not reach him on any of his phone lines? All this happened nearly three years ago.

     

      “Initially, I thought he was involved in an accident or some kind of trouble. But I found out later that he never travelled to China as he claimed. It was Dubai he went to and from there, he disappeared to God knows where. I later sent someone to Cameroun, to his house address where he claimed his parents lived. But we were told there was nobody like that living there. The address is a workshop where welders and other artisans work. The bastard duped me and made away with all my life’s savings. It will never be well with him wherever he is! I’m ready to spend whatever it takes to get him, so he can pay for what he did to me,” the woman had vowed.

     

    ***

    After Eric stopped talking, we sat down for a while in silence. It was a shocking story; the type you read about in the papers but never think it could happen to someone close to you. God, how could this happen to Ella, were my thoughts as I mulled over things.

    Later, we discussed the next line of action, especially how to break the news to Ella that the man she was married to was a big time con man, a ‘419’ (in local parlance), a man who could marry a woman on false pretences just to clean her out of her hard earned money.

     

    Was he planning to do the same to my cousin, Ella? Ella had a lot of money and investments so was that his plan in marrying her so quickly after they met? How would Ella take the news? She was already pregnant with their second child, so was in a delicate situation. How do you break that kind of news to someone in her condition, I thought glumly.

    “So, what are we going to do now? Should we tell her the truth about Jack?” I asked Eric.

    “Obviously, yes. We can’t keep this kind of information from her; it’s only fair that she be informed,” he replied. 

    The issue now is, who is going to tell her? I was reluctant to do it because I know how much Ella loves her husband. Besides, she has invested so much in the marriage that such news would be devastating to her. Is it right that we should break her illusions, shatter her dreams of marital bliss? Should we tell her as my husband has suggested or let sleeping dogs lie, hoping that she will discover the truth by herself? What if he ends up duping her like he did to the other woman whom he married before? What should I do? I’m really confused and will appreciate if someone could suggest a way out of this dilemma. Thank you.

     

    The End!

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  •  ‘My husband is rich, handsome and kind. But refuses to sleep with me!’ (3)


    "So you are married! But you don't look it," he stated, his eyes going over the blue T-shirt and skinny jeans I had on.

    I found his comment amusing.
    "So, how do married women look?" I asked him.
     "Well, most look stressed and harassed most of the time, especially the ones with young kids. You look cool and calm," he said in an admiring tone. We chatted for a while before he left.
     
     To me, he was just a customer I had to be polite to for the sake of business, but I did not know I had made quite an impression on him.
     The following week, he called me on the store's landline.
    "What gift are you getting for your sister this time?" I queried after he had introduced himself and remembering what he had come for the last time.
     
     He laughed.
      "No gift this time," he stated. "I just wanted to hear your voice."
      "Is that so?" I noted, adding: "Don't you have anything better to do than be calling to just hear someone's voice?"
     "You are right. I'm on leave so I have a lot of leisure time right now," he explained.
     "Good for you. But not everyone is so lucky. I'm a bit busy at the moment as there are a lot of customers to attend to. So, bye," I stated and tried to hang up.
     
     "Hey, hold on a minute. I'll be in your neighbourhood later in the day. I was wondering if I could take you out for lunch or something," he quickly stated.
     "Well, Mr Max, thanks for the offer but as I said I'm busy. Besides I don't do lunches with strangers. Have a nice day," and I dropped the phone, a bit annoyed. Thinking he was one of those young men who liked to date married women for monetary gains, I dismissed him from my mind. Though, he called several times after that day, I refused to speak with him.
     
      About a month later, I went to the bank to transfer some money to one of my suppliers abroad. It was a large sum of money and I was directed to one of the managers to help with the transaction.
    I opened the door to the manager's office and sitting behind the table was Max!
     "What are you doing here?" I queried, surprised to see him.
     He looked shocked to see me too.
     "I work here," he stated, offering me a seat.
     "I didn't know you worked in this bank. I come here often," I said.
     "I was transferred to this branch after my leave. Besides you never gave me a chance to get to know you," he said a bit accusingly.
    "So, what can I do for you, Madam?" he asked. I told him what I wanted and he quickly attended to me.
     Before leaving, I said:
     "I'm sorry about the abrupt way I treated you the other day. I thought you..."
     "I know. That I was one of these hustlers in town," and he laughed.
     I smiled, glad that he had taken it in good faith.
      He called a few days later and we began to speak regularly on phone. I got to know a bit about him. He had been married but his wife had died in a car accident two years before, leaving behind a little girl of four.
    "My mother and sister help look after her as I'm too busy with work," he stated. I felt sorry for him, that he had to lose his wife so young.
    At this stage, Max and I were just good friends. I grew to like him with time as he was such an amiable and likeable person. I remembered the arrangement I had with my husband though and tried to keep things platonic between us. I was not ready to lose everything just for a fling.
    Things however changed some months later. It was a Saturday morning and I was in the store when Max walked in with a little girl in tow. It was Lola, his daughter.
    "This is Aunty Amanda. Greet her," he said.
    "Good morning, Aunty," she said, looking up at me with her big, innocent eyes.
    "Hi, Lola!" I greeted, bending down to hold her.
    "She's so cute," I said.
    "Yes. She must have taken after her mother," he stated, smiling.
    "You are not bad looking yourself," I said and we both laughed.
    He explained that he wanted to spend some time with Lola as it was his day off.
    "I had told her about you and she insisted on meeting you and inviting you to join us on the outing," he said. I initially wanted to turn him down but seeing the little motherless child touched my heart and I agreed to the date.
    Max drove us to a theme park in town. It had lots of games for children and Lola ran around, playing excitedly on some of them. Later, I watched as Max pushed her on a swing and seeing the closeness and love between father and daughter affected me strongly. Call it the maternal instinct, but at that moment, I felt this strong urge to have a child of my own, a little girl like Lola that I will dress in pretty clothes, plait her hair and do other things that a caring mother did.
    For one of the few times, I felt sad that I did not have a normal marriage with my husband. 'How wonderful it would have been to have a couple of children that we could take to places like this, have fun together as a family,' I thought glumly.
    "So, how's your husband?" Max asked sometime later as we had lunch at a nearby eatery.
    "He's fine. He's out of the country right now on business," I stated.
    "It looks as if he travels a lot. So, how do you cope in his absence?" he said.
    I shrugged.
    "I'm used to it. Besides, I have my own business to run so I'm quite busy as well," I explained, with a forced smile.
    He looked keenly at me for a while but said nothing.
    Days after the outing, I still could not shake off that broody feeling, that strong desire to have my own baby. I knew my arrangement with my husband did not permit that but I kept thinking, what if it happened by accident? Perhaps, we both got drunk, slept together and I got pregnant? Will he ask me to get rid of the baby?
     I thought about this a lot until it evolved into a plan. My intention was to seduce my husband and hopefully conceive!
     So, on the night of his return from his trip, I showered and put on one of my sexy nighties, a short pink one with thin straps.
     My husband was sitting in bed, working on his laptop when I entered his room. He looked up in surprise when he saw me.
     "I thought you were asleep. Is there anything you want?" he asked.
     "Yes. You. I want my husband." I slipped the straps of the gown over my arms and it slithered down on the floor. I stood naked, waiting. But instead of desire, the only reaction I got from him was anger.
     He jumped up then from the bed, his eyes flashing with irritation.
     "Amanda! What do you think you are doing? Get hold of yourself! And go to your room. Now!" he ordered, fuming...
     
    Names have been changed to protect the identity of the narrator and other individuals in the story
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