Mabel
Tade kissed my lips softly, picked up his briefcase and walked out of our bedroom. I waited some seconds to be sure he had gone before I lept out of bed. I dialed Rose’s number as I walked down the stairs.
” Hello Rose,”
” Hey Mama!” She shouted.
” Tade just left for work. You girls can come over now, please bring along with you some bottles of champagne.It’s time to celebrate! ”
” I got you covered” She replied.
I disconnected the call. My girls and I always had each others back. We fight, we cuss out ourselves but we always stick together. Thanks to them, they saved my home. I was too preoccupied with Mami so I failed to notice what Funmi was up to. She was slowly turning my daughter against me, she refused to let me speak to my child and by the time I realized it Serwa was long under her influence.
A mother would know when her child strays from the right path she had beaten for him. A hunter would know when his loyal dog strays far from him but you can never know when a friend turn against you. I knew I also had my short comings but I was a loyal wife and a good friend to Funmi. I don’t deserve what she did to me.
I recognized the greed in her immediately I came back from the states. At first I thought she was simply being protective of Serwa but I soon realized that she wanted all what was mine. She wanted my life, my family and my home. She was also trying too hard to look like me! she made any hair style I made. She sneaks off to buy any outfit that I bought.
I tried to bring it up with Tade but he brushed it aside.Too quickly, like he was afraid if I dug too deep I just might find something. It wasn’t how the Tade I knew would behave. His reaction coupled with the change in Funmi triggered my suspicion.I started watching them closely, I assigned Arianna to watch Tade and Rose to watch Funmi.
My detectives brought reports. Reports which tore my heart in two. I cried all night into my pillow, asking myself where I went wrong. Funmi had also succeeded in turning Serwa against me, I was gradually losing my family to her. I called the girls over,Rose also noticed the stain on the couch. We all peered at the suspicious stain on the couch, trying to decide if it was strawberry jam stain or blood. In the end, it was decided that It was her blood. Virginal blood.
Tade had slept with another woman under our roof. Not just any woman but someone I loved and trusted.Funmi, who I had given my love and trust had betrayed me. After crying for days, I mapped out what to do. I loved my husband and I didn’t want to lose him to some naive country hick who doesn’t even have the good sense to cover her trail.
First I dealt with her in my own way. I took her to a mall which was in another city, I made sure her purse was in my car and I left her stranded there. She looked so dusty and worn out by the time she made it back home. Another time, I mixed something into her drink and she almost popped out her anus. As for Tade, I think his conscience was killing him enough. He couldn’t even look me in the eye since I came back. I decided to forgive him even though he doesn’t deserve my forgiveness. He was a decent guy, Funmi probably took advantage of him in a moment of vulnerability. As a friend to Funmi, I could forgive her anything but as a wife I would make her pay for her sins. That was exactly what I did. Now she’s out of my home and my life.
The girls trouped in, chattering loudly. We high fived all round before we popped open the champagne bottles.
” Come here, ” Alicia said, hugging me.
The gesture brought tears to my eyes. Rose wiped away the tears streaming down my cheeks. We all sat down.
” This should serve as a lesson to us all.” Arianna said.” We should never leave our homes open to wolves.”
” Thank you sweeties, I appreciate your help. Where’s Gracey?” I asked.
” She has traveled to Italy. She finally decided to go see her husband since he’s too busy to come here.” Rose replied.” I don’t blame that Funmi girl, you awakened the demons in her.”
I nodded my head. ” That is why I paid her all what we owed her and I even sent her luggages back to Nigeria for her.”
” Mabel you are such a good actress, you gave an Oscar deserving performance! Tade almost died of heart attack. ” Arianna laughed.
” My home was at stake. I knew if I failed to convince Tade that Funmi was dangerous I could kiss my family good bye. She brainwashed my daughter! Serwa wouldn’t even let me near her anymore.” I said.
” How’s she now?” Rose asked, lighting a cigarette.
” She has been a bit quiet but she’s coming around. Last night, she begged me not to kill her! She said Miss Funmi said I would kill her. My poor baby has been through a lot because of my carelessness.” I said.
” She will be fine.” Alicia said. ” What will you do about Tade?”
” I have forgiven him. When this blows over, we will talk.”
“‘Enough of the gloomy talk!” Rose said. ” Mabel go put on some music, we need to rock.”
” Speaking of rocking, there’s a party tomorrow night at blaze’s bar”. Arianna said.
I laughed. ” Count me out girls, my partying days are over. ”
*******
Sylvester
I laughed as my new girlfriend molded beach sand around my feet. Her soft hands touched my ankles sending a jolt of lightening through me.
” Sly, pull out your leg slowly.” Dupe said.
I pulled out my leg out of the sand. She had built a castle which she named DuSly Empire. A wave of sea water washed towards us and destroyed part of the castle. Dupe moaned and tried to safeguard her castle with her hands but another surge of wave destroyed the remaining part of it. I couldn’t help laughing at the expression on her face.
I pulled her up and kissed her soundly. ” That is what happen when you build castles in the sand.” I said, pulling back.
” Where should I have built it?” She asked.”anyway that’s the fun of it. I’ll build a new one.”
” No, no. I’m famished.” I said.
She sighed, staring at the spot her castle was. My hand found hers and I gave it a gentle squeeze.
” I will take the drumsticks as compensation for my ruined castle” She said, smiling.
” No. I disagree. You were there when I was packing our picnic basket. You said you did not want drumsticks so I packed hotdogs for you.”
We argued about the drumsticks until we found a cool shade to spread our mat. I opened our basket, we both set out our lunch. A whining sound caught my ears and I looked up. A small scrawny stray dog was staring at us.
” Look at that poor thing. I think he’s hungry” Dupe said, she threw a hot dog for him. He sniffled it and ignored it.
I filled our wine glasses while Dupe tried to get the dog to eat the hotdog.
The dog was too choosy for a stray. He sniffled everything she offered him and ignored it.
” He’s too choosy,” I said.
“He has rejected everything I offered him. Maybe he wants drumsticks too” She said, looking at me expectantly.
I groaned loudly and picked up a fat juicy chicken thigh. The dog caught it midair and went to work on it. He hurriedly ate it and looked at me, his eyes glowing with excitement. Dupe was also looking at me adoringly. I sighed and threw the remaining piece of chicken for him. He gulped it down and sauntered off contendly.
” Ingrate” I muttered.
Dupe laughed and placed some of her hotdogs on my plate. I watched as she ate, savoring every bite and licking the tips of her fingers as she plucked each hotdog off her plate. I got the best deal, I thought.
To be continued..
