THE VILLAGE GIRL. . . . EPISODE 7

THE VILLAGE GIRL. . . . EPISODE 7

He asked Stella to take her things inside
and show
her to a room.
Stella grudgingly extended a fat hand.
‘Let me carry your bag.’
‘Worrying not, Anty Ste-llar. I carrying my
bag
myself.’
Stella took back her hand quickly. As if she
was
dying to help her with the bag before.
She showed her to a room and showed her,
all with
a bit of grudge, how to shower.
‘You smell nice,’ Nnanna told her when she
came
into the sitting room again.
‘Thanking you, jare.’
‘What fragrance is that?’
‘F-l-a gini?’
He smiled.
‘You washing oyinbo. Putting Mr. Ibu na.’
She held
her long gown together in between her legs
and
made to sit on the floor, cold and smooth
with
shiny cream-colored tiles.
‘No. You can sit on the couch.’
‘No. I liking to sitting here.’
She screamed when a Nollywood movie
came on.
But it wasn’t Mr. Ibu. Patience Ozokwo was
raving
and ranting at one of her daughters who
had
started to date the son of her enemy.
‘You like it?’ he asked.
She nodded. ‘I liking Patience well well.’
‘Hmm.’
She watched the movie with sounds, oh’ing,
hey’ing and aw’ing to the actions. ‘So
when is
Madam coming back?’ she asked.
‘Madam?’
‘Your wife.’
He stared at her before looking up at the
clock. He
picked his phone and scrolled down to the
number
saved with ‘Boo of Life.’
The reception was poor and he managed to
make
out her ‘Baby, almost home’ in the midst of
scratchy noises.
He turned the TV volume down a bit and
turned to
Mma.
‘Look, Mma, this is a mistake, you know
that?’
She nodded.
‘It was never my intention to put you in this
way.’
She nodded. ‘Stopping to blame yourself
na. I
opening my legs for you, I faulting myself
too.’
He inhaled deeply. ‘When my fiancee comes
home
we will make a decision. Hope you’ll be
okay with
that.’
Mma nodded. ‘Anything she saying, I
agreeing.’
He stared at her and then moved his head
in a
nod. ‘Ok.’ He ran his hand across his lower
lip. ‘I
promise you –‘
A noise came at the door.
He turned. ‘That must be Cynthia.’ He
looked up at
the big clock again.
‘Really late today.’
Cynthia entered, elegant in her prim dark-
grey suit
and shiny brown bag. Though her face was
dull
from exhaustion.
Mma rose quickly. ‘Good evening, Madam.’
‘Good evening.’
She hugged and kissed Nnanna.
‘Quite late, what happened?’
She shook her head, taking off her jacket.
‘The
bridge was blocked to the teeth. You have
to
consider that Lekki offer really quickly,
Richard.’
‘I think what you need is to stop work. You
shouldn’t be going through this stress
now.’
‘My leave is coming in next month.
Meanwhile, I
aint complaining yet and Dr. Hope said it’s
ok.’
He pulled down his lips. ‘If that’s what you
say.’
Mma stood there, hands folded behind her
and
head fully bowed.
‘Yes,’ Cynthia said, dropping her bag and
jacket on
the glass table. ‘If you really want to help
though,
you can do by hastening our move to the
Island.’
He made a face. Cynthia always wanted
everything
hastened; seeing her parents, moving to
Lekki,
getting a new car.
He inhaled deeply. ‘So–‘ His ‘so’ came out
loud and
his gesticulation exaggerated.
‘This is Mma. She just arrived.’
Mma gave another quick bow.
‘Welcome, Ma.’
Cynthia stared at her with pursed lips. She
did
something like a nod.
‘Richard, room.!!!’
Like a boy caught in an act of mischief by
his mom,
he followed her quietly into the room.
TO BE CONTINUED