Ebere
I recovered first, he kept muttering under his breath.
” Sorry about your car, i could get it fixed for you”
” Hell no! Ebere! Wow! it’s been so long!”
” Yea. ”
An awkward silence registered between us until other motorists blared their horns at us angrily.
” F*ucking Nigerians! always in a hurry! . let’s find somewhere to talk please, there’s a cool hang out spot just around the corner.”
I nodded and got into my car, i trailed my car slowly behind his until he parked in front of a cool lovers joint and i did the same.
” What will you have? Waiter!”
” Water is Okay ”
A thin and pimpled face waiter walked to our table.
” Geez! what took you so long?” He moaned.
” Sorry sir”
” How does that answer my question? get me a bottle of white wine if you please. ”
” Which one sir?”
” I said a bottle of f* ucking white wine! ”
The waiter scurried away. This Dayo was so full of himself, he reminded me of his bleaching body mother. He gave me a smile and i faked one too.
” You look so beautiful! still standing ( still working)?”
I felt like punching his face, my hands folded into a fist on my thigh. ” Still a mummy’ s boy?”
He looked surprised. ” Wow, wow, touche.” He laughed. ” What’s up with you?”
” I have my own business now and am doing well for myself.”
” That’s good. Not married? are you?”
” Are you?” I retorted.
” Actually i am and we have four beautiful kids. My wife is a cousin to the current president.”
Who asked him? ” That must be such a privilege, I’ m sure you are so happy”
” Yea i am.” He said, struggling to believe the lie that just came out of his mouth. ” I heard you came to look for me, my mom threatened to cut me out of her will if i continued with……..”
” So you chose the money over me, that’s cool ”
The waiter brought the wine with two wine glasses, he poured the wine into our glasses and fled before Dayo could call him back.
” No, no, it wasn’t like that.”
” Dayo what if i told you i was pregnant when you left and i had the baby.”
He blinked twice. ” Oh hell! you can’t be serious please! i have so much to lose now! my wife and kids, my business, my…….”
I smiled and he relaxed. ” Its okay. Did you ever love me?”
” Believe me i loved you……i wanted a life with you but i was so young, hell! we were both too young and love is a word that doesn’t exist in my world. In my world we marry for political or business reasons and never for love. Ebere i could write you a check, you know for everything. ”
A toad doesn’t give birth to a snake. Dayo was truly a son of his mother. I sipped my wine. ” I don’t have any use for your money Ekundayo.”
I stood and he gave me his card.
” Please call me if you ever need my help or ……” he said.
” Thanks”.
I turned around and left. I sat for a long time in my car playing our conversation over in my mind. I tore the card into bits and threw it out, the wind took hold of the tiny bits and blew them about. I drove off into the night, my soul was at peace.
To be continued..
