CHAPTER 12
SWB: Akinsehinwa Oluwaseun.
I stood up from my seat hurriedly.
“Where are you going?” Amara asked.
“To Mr Jude’s office”
“What’s the problem?”
“Damilola has been fired. Mr Jude fired her” I answered with a look of worry on my face.
Amara burst into laughter and clapped her hands before speaking.
“Mr Jude fired Dami? Men! that girl don finish finally, where she wan get job wey go dey like this one for this our kounteri?” Amara laughed again and I was beginning to get pissed off.
“Amara please stop it I don’t like it, it’s not funny”
“Which one come be your own nah? Afterall she brought this evil upon herself.
With all the notice me stunts she has been pulling on the Boss, this is what she got.
Gbam! Mr Jude land am sack letter.
Eh but wetin come vex am reach that level? I have never seen anyone getting sacked in this company for the past six years I’ve been working here”
“Look I need to go and meet Mr Jude, I think it has something to do with what happened at his party yesterday.
I don’t want wahala o. I don’t want people to begin to think I’m the one who blocked Dami’s means of survival”
“Thrash! Anyone wey talk am dey craze.
Nne sit down and enjoy the new peace of mind God has just created for you in this office.
At least no more bad belle”
“I can’t just sit down and watch, Damilola is very angry and unhappy, fine she might be very troublesome but I don’t want her to sink into depression.
You know what lack of job does to someone”
“It’s not as if I’m happy she was fired too but truth be told that girl’s own is just too much in this office. Imagine the way she embarrassed you…… “
“I need to go now Amara, we’ll talk later. Remember Mr Jude will be traveling to Accra today for a meeting and he won’t be coming tomorrow which is Friday,that means I will have to wait till Monday if I don’t see him today”
“Okay o good luck! But if I were you, I won’t even meddle in the business that doesn’t concerns me. Just a piece of advice though”
“Thanks, I’ll speak with caution” I said before rushing to Mr Jude’s office, I met him by the door, he was already set to embark on his trip to Accra.
“Sir, sir please I need to see you……”
“Nifemi I’m sorry that will have to wait, as you can see I need to leave now lest I miss my flight” he answered me and started walking away while I stared on dejectedly.
That means I’ll have to wait till Monday. Well Monday is just about four days from now. I wasn’t myself through out the working hours, I felt I was the one responsible for the predicament of Damilola.
Around five pm in the evening, Dunmininu called me to inform me that she was already in Ikare, her hometown where the introduction will be held. She asked me to come join her on Friday so that I’ll be able to assist her with the necessary things before the introduction on Saturday. I told her I’ll be coming very late on Friday because I will be going to my workplace first before coming. I didn’t inform Mr Jude earlier that I’ll be absent and doing that now, especially on the phone will be so wrong. She reluctantly agreed but urged me to make sure I arrive on that Friday and not on Saturday, the D-day.
Richard already said he will not be able to make it to the introduction, so he gave me some cash gifts to give to her. He however promised to be present during the wedding proper.
Friday came and I closed early from work to be able to set out and get to Ikare before late in the night. Damilola kept sending several threatening messages but none of it scared me, I knew they were mere threats born out of anger. Though I have made up my mind to intercede on her behalf , if ever I will, it wouldn’t be because of her threats but because I really pity her in that situation.
I got to Ikare at exactly nine pm. I put a call across to Dunmininu so she can know I’m around already, she sent two of her siblings to get me and bring me to their family house. I was warmly welcomed by everyone, Dunmininu gave me a tight hug when she saw me. She was looking all radiant and beautiful. I was really happy for her though I was a bit skeptical about her choice of a life partner. Richard my husband may not be complete but at least he’s not a dog.
After I had taken my bath, Dunmininu mother brought me pounded yam with efinrin soup. Apart from the fact that I don’t like pounded yam, it was too late to eat that kind of meal. Well as a well cultured girl, I accepted the meal with thanks but could only take a few bite. Dunmininu told me she had insisted they prepared rice or noodles because she knows the kind of friend she has but her mother said it is not right to welcome visitors with the food of birds. Huh! Rice and indomie, birds’ food? Issorite. I laughed deeply when she told me, that’s really funny because I have never heard anyone referred to rice and indomie as bird’s food before.
“If indomie company hears that they will sue you” I said jokingly.
“It’s not me who said it now, it’s Mum” Dunmininu said and we had a good laugh.
We chatted into the night, talking about different things. I asked Dunmininu why Smith was not yet around, considering the hours it will take to journey from Port Harcourt to Ikare, I believed it would be wise for him to have been around by now. Dunmininu told me he was already on the way, he said the last time they chatted on WhatsApp, he was already in Ore. That’s just about two hours journey down here. He will sleep in an hotel when he arrives and He’ll be coming from there tomorrow. She told me he’s coming with his family members and friends too.
“Why don’t you call him again?” I asked
“I’ve been calling but he is not picking, he told me his Dad is sleeping in the car and he doesn’t want to disturb his sleep, he said we should chat on WhatsApp instead. But they will all be here soon” Dunmininu said.
“He should be careful o, all this late night journey isn’t advisable these days o” I could hear Mama Dunmininu saying from the kitchen.
“Maami put your mind at rest, they will be here safely in Jesus name” Dunmininu answered.
“Amen o, Amen o” she answered.
“Look all of you should go and sleep, you know tomorrow is going to be very hectic. Go and sleep, especially you iyawo” Baba Dunmininu said and we all pretended to obey, only to resume back to our discussion immediately he left.
Dunmininu chatted with Smith on WhatsApp before we finally slept. That was around 11:30pm and he assured her that he was already in Ikare. He said he came with about ten people including his father and mother, siblings and friends and they had already lodged in an hotel. It was until then we could sleep peacefully. Richard my husband called me and we spoke too before I slept. He wanted to be sure I arrived safely, he asked if I was comfortable and I told him “Yes” , we said our good night before I hung up.
Saturday morning came and all preparations started. The cooking, the decorations, the arrangements of things, the dressings. It was going to be more than an introduction. Dunmininu was so beautiful, she wore a nice onion colour lace with high heeled shoes and purse to match. Her head gear was the same colour, she had silver necklace and earrings on. Her makeup was moderate, the makeup artist did a nice job, I was glad she didn’t turn my friend to a pack of crayons. I could see her smiling at everything , even including the things that were obviously not funny. It made me remember the day I too did my introduction, it was really a happy day for me and my wedding day was the happiest day of my life.
“Dunmininu have you called Smith? Ahn ahn, the Alaga(MC) has been delaying things all because of him since. He and his people should have been here now. We have been waiting for the past three hours” Baba Dunmininu said irritatedly as he burst into the dressing room where we were dressing up for Dunmininu.
“Daddy I’ve been trying his number since but it’s not going through. Maybe he has a flat battery” Dunmininu answered with worry written all over her face.
“Did he tell you which hotel they are lodged? Perhaps your siblings should go and pick them up because I don’t see any reason for this unnecessary delay” he said throwing his hands in the air. His wife joined us in the room
“Calm down Baba Dunmininu, they will soon be here” Mama Dunmininu said.
“I didn’t even remember to ask him which hotel it is they are lodged in” Dunmininu said. One of Dunmininu’s siblings entered and whispered something into the ears of their father who looked up at him with shock.
“A woman and three children? What does she want” Baba Dunmininu said aloud.
“She said she’s here to deliver an important message and because the Alaga has refused to give her audience, she’s causing a nuisance. Maybe you should come and see o” he said and we all jumped up immediately to go to and confirm what the problem was.
“You sit down ni ti e” Mama Dunmininu said to her but she didn’t obliged. She followed us outside, immediately I sighted the woman and her three children, I got the message she has come to deliver. Two of the children who were twins and boys too, looked exactly like Smith while the third , a girl , looked exactly like the woman who brought them. Dunmininu looked at my face and swallowed hard. I placed my hands on her shoulder and signal to her to calm down. Who knows , they could be Smith’s nephews and niece who came to Ikare for the introduction.
“Listen everyone, I don’t have much to say but you see this shameless girl here” she pointed at Dunmininu and one of Dunmininu’s siblings stood up to hit her but for the timely intervention of one of the guests.
“This whore, who has refused to go look for a single man has been sleeping with my husband all these years. I kept doing my investigation hoping and aiming that one day I will find her. If you know what I planned on doing before, ehhhh” she moved her head as if to say it’s terrible.
“But thank God for patience nah. Well, few days ago a friend of mine hinted me and that was how I found out about her plans, plus I checked my husband’s phone and found out the address to this place through their conversation on WhatsApp, I guess he forgot to delete that one as his usual habit. Husband snatcher, so sleeping with my husband is not enough? You want to do introduction and wedding with him, I should have even waited till the wedding day , so that your shame will be immeasurable but I don’t want it to be too late before I act. Listen Smith my husband is not going to marry you, he was only using you as extra meat on his food, that’s the way the dog has been doing all around. If you know how many ladies I have had to confront and even deal with mercilessly because of him, you will not even want to dare me. I am pepper o and I have sworn that not in my lifetime will my husband, Smith marry another woman. If he likes let him sleep with millions of girls, mmnmn, e no concern me but to marry another wife? For where? We did our white wedding in 2014. He is not in Ikare o, he is in Port Harcourt right now. Don’t think he was the one you were chatting with yesterday o, I was the one behind all the messages”
“Uhmn uhmn, eh, ah, uh, shuuu” different comments were coming from different angles.
“Look at this children very well, they are Smith’s children and presently I am pregnant with the fourth child” the woman said with fire in her eyes, she was ready to fight dirty. She would do anything to anyone who tries to lay a finger on her or on her children.
I was confused, Smith had a family? But how come, I thought Dunmininu usually visit him in Port Harcourt , didn’t she for once meet this woman and her children there?
“Gbammmm!!” That was the next sound we heard, Dunmininu had collapsed on the ground.
“Yeahhhhh, e maa je n se sin (don’t let me be ridiculed)” Mama Dunmininu cried out as she stretched her hands to the heavens. Baba Dunmininu sat down and held his head that was already filled with gray hair , while the rest of us started running helter skelter to rescue Dunmininu.