About ten in the night,
I was preparing to call it a day and retire to my residence when Andy came to
my office again.
‘Hello, dear,’ he
greeted.
Who was his ‘dear’?
When did that one start?
‘Hello,’ I managed to
say.
‘So, are you coming
over to my suite tonight? Are you going to allow me to treat you nicely as you
deserve?’
I felt like telling him
to go to hell, but refrained from doing so. No, he was our customer, and I must
treat him courteously. Besides, he gave me some dollars (fake or not) not long
ago.
‘I’m sorry my husband
is expecting me at home, now.’
His face dropped. He
looked shocked. ‘You … you’re married?’
‘About to. But he is as
good being regarded as my husband. He’s been calling, waiting for me.’
He became indignant.
‘But you didn’t tell me you were engaged to a man!’ he accused.
‘But you didn’t ask,’ I
answered crisply. I arranged the table and picked up my handbag.
I looked at him and
smiled. ‘Thank you, Andy, but I’ve got to go now. We’ll see tomorrow.’
My last sentence must
have given him some hope. He grinned.
‘Alright. Tomorrow,
then.’
I paused to make him
precede me out of the office, locked the office, waved at him and briskly moved
towards the lobby. I knew he would eye me the way a cat would eye an escaped
beef. He gave the impression that he was an ‘American returnee,’ but see what
an ordinary Lagos babe had shown him. If those dollars were real, they would
certainly be useful for something.
When I got home, I mentally calculated how
much Andy’s money would fetch me in naira. On another thought, I believed I
wasn’t really entitled to the money. However, when I remembered Andy saying it
had nothing to do with trying to seduce me (which of course was not true), I
felt quite justified.
My phone rang. It was
Mola that was on the line.
‘You didn’t call me,’
he began.
‘Ah, I’m sorry,’ I
replied. ‘How’re you and how was your trip to Warri?’
‘Fine. I miss you.
Don’t you miss me?’
‘I do miss you, my
darling,’ I said. The statement was far from the truth, but it was the best I
could say.
‘I’ll soon be back in
Lagos. Then, we’ll have good time together again.’
‘I earnestly look
forward to that,’ I said.
We said some words of
endearments to each before he finally hanged up.
The following day went
smoothly. About seven p.m., Andy came to my office again.
‘Hello, Simi, darling.
Will you be able to make it tonight?’
I decided I had to tell
him some home truths. ‘No. Not tonight, not forever.’
He seemed not to be so
surprised by my declaration. Rather, he appeared to muse over it.
‘Is that your final
decision?’
‘Yes.’
He appeared to muse
briefly again. He suddenly shook his head and smiled. ‘This is wonderful. I
never knew there’re still ladies like you in Nigeria. You deserve the money
I’ve given you for your faithfulness. That hubby of yours is damn so lucky.’
I grinned at him in
return. ‘Thanks for your compliments,’ I muttered.
He nodded at me and
left my office. From that moment till he checked out of the hotel the following
morning, he didn’t disturb me again. Hmn!
Mola returned to Lagos
many hours after Andy left Comely Hotel.
‘I’m back,’ he said,
like somebody making declaration of triumphant entry.
‘You’re welcome, great
one,’ I said, trying to match his tone. He laughed over the line.
‘But really, Simi, I
missed you so much,’ he said.
I laughed too. Who
didn’t like to be missed? ‘I miss you too,’ I cooed.
‘So, tonight, I’ll send
the driver to come and convey you.’
‘That will be no
problem,’ I said.
‘There’s one thing.’
‘What’s that?’
There was a few seconds
pause.
‘The driver will not
take you to that hotel. He will bring you straight to my house.’
I caught my breath.
‘What?’
‘Yes. I want you to
know my home.’
‘But… but, what about
your wife?’
He laughed over the
line briefly again. ‘There’s nothing like wife.’ His tone became sober. ‘I lost
my wife in a car crash early last year.’
‘Oh.’ I was surprised
to hear that. ‘Sorry about that.’
‘It’s okay. Thanks.’
There was another brief
pause. ‘So, see you, dear,’ he said.
‘Alright.’
I sighed as the call
was terminated. So, Mola had no wife. Was that why he sought consolation in the
hands of somebody like me? Gosh!
I went back to work and
busied myself. By seven p.m., Manu, his driver had come.
‘You’re early,’ I
pointed out. ‘I may not be ready till nine o’clock.’
Manu grinned. ‘He said
I should wait till you’re ready.’
That meant he would have
to wait for long. I asked him to wait at the lobby. I however ensured that he
was served a pack of food and bottle water. Few minutes to nine, I was ready to
go. I had my things ready in my bag as I went to meet Manu in the lobby.
‘Alright, let’s go,’ I
said. After I had settled in the car, I asked the driver where Mola lived.
‘Ago palace way,
Okota,’ he said.
It was quite a trip to
move from Berger to Okota, but for a man like Mola, I would do it. It was few
minutes to ten when the car stopped at the gate of his beautiful duplex, off
Ago palace Way. Manu honked the horn and waited. A young man, obviously the security
guy, came to briefly gaze at the car. He went back inside the compound and soon
threw the giant gates open. The car was driven inside.
Manu preceded me out of
it to the main building. A girl with a shy smile welcomed me to the main
living-room. There was a small welcome party waiting for me. As soon as I
stepped inside the large, exquisitely furnished sitting-room, Mola and two kids
- I guessed they were his offspring - stood up to give a welcome.
'You're welcome,' Mola
said. 'And we - Kola and Maryam - are delighted to welcome you.'
I was awed. 'Good
evening, sir,' I greeted. 'How are you Kola and Maryam?'
'Fine,' they answered.
I briefly studied the children. Kola, the boy, should be about twelve years old
while his sister should be about ten. They looked well-groomed and lovely. I
should hands with Kola while I hugged Maryam.
'That is Aunty Simi,'
Mola said further. 'I asked them to wait until you come.' He said it as if he
was referring to the Princess of Wales. I was bemused by the whole scene.
'Okay, children,' Mola
said. 'You can go to bed now.'
'Good night, Aunty Simi,’ they said one after the
other.
'Good night, children.'
I turned to face him
the moment the children were out of sight. 'What was that?'
He smiled. 'It's our
way of welcoming you to the house.'
I grinned. I suspected
there was more to this, but I would play along.
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