Behind The Mask – Episode 17

© Jones Kwesi Tagbor

*Jessica failed. Enyonam’s identity exposed.*

I opened the door and guess who? Xorsenyo.

(Speaking under tone)

Xorsenyo: John ei is Enyonam back already? I can see you are in the middle of something.

(Still under tone)

Me: Xorsenyo but what are you doing here by this time? You should be by Golder by now.

Xorsenyo: Don’t worry I won’t keep long. I met the judge that ruled our case at the appeal court today when I went to town with Golder to buy some of our wedding items. He said I should give some documents to you.

Me: Okay come in.

He saw Jessica’s bra, shoes and watches on the sofa. I just imagined when she was removing them.

Xorsenyo: I can see you are really in heaven. I won’t like to waste your time. He said I should give you this evelope.

I received the brown evelope and opened it. In the process of opening the evelope, Xorsenyo asked.

“John is that your digital camera functioning? I need one for my engagement program.”

Me: What camera are you talking about? I don’t have any camera neither is Enyonam having one.

Xorsenyo: So what is that in-between those books?

He pointed to the camera. I left the envelope and went to take the camera. Surprisingly to me it was still recording.

Me: Xorsenyo I’ve never seen this camera in this house before. It’s even recording.

I stopped the recorder and there was an hour and half video. I started playing it and the first thing I saw was when I came into the hall after taken my bath. I knew it that the next thing will be when I started romancing Jessica so I stopped it so that John doesn’t know what I was doing behind my wife. “I don’t know about this camera but I will ask my wife to know who it belonged to so that you can come for it for your engagement”. I said to him. “Alright. I will like to start going since you were busy before I came in. See you tomorrow”. Xorsenyo said and left. After seeing him off to his car I came to sit down and played the video. Seriously all that I was doing with Jessica was very clear and loud. “Jesus Christ! so who placed this camera here? Eeii so what happens if Enyonam sees this mess? No! Jessica must be responsible for this”. I said to myself.

Jessica after waiting for long on the bed decided to come out to see what was keeping me. She covered herself with the blanket and walked quietly and stood at the entrance of the hall and saw me holding the camera. “I’m doomed. This man managed to see this camera. How am I going to explain this? I need to look smart if not this guy will put me into trouble.” Jessica said to herself and went back into the room to dress up.

I took the envelope Xorsenyo brought and took time to look at the content. It was coming from Judge Joshua. He sent pictures he took with the real Enyonam who was our mate the GP during an occasion at Harvard law school when he was in school. Looking at the pictures, you could see some little deformity on her face due to the fire incident. I was getting confused with each picture that I saw. Judge Joshua added a note and said the true Enyonam will be coming down to Ghana in three months time. The note also stated that the true Enyonam was taken outside the country after the fire incident where she continued her education outside and now a lawyer. “So who is this Enyonam I call my wife?”, I asked myself.

“Fire! fire!! fire!!!!” Jessica ran out of the room shouting “fire”. I got scared and jumped from where I was sitting. My first action was to go and put off the main electric switch located in front of house. As I ran out to put off the switch, Jessica took the camera, her BRA and other things she left in the hall. By the time I came into the room, she was ready to leave. “Where is the fire?”, I asked. “In the bedroom”. She replied. I hurried to the bedroom to see what was happening only for me to see that there was no fire.

“Jessica where did you say the fire is ?” I came out to ask her only to meet an empty room. She was gone. I checked everywhere for her but she was nowhere to be found. I realized the camera was also not on the table. “This lady deceived me and ran away with this video. I will get hold of her. But what does she want from me?” I asked myself. I went out to switch on the power and came to sit to watch news.

Early the next morning, I called to find out how Enyonam my wife was doing. She said she was doing well and said she was missing me. “Enyonam do you know that I still don’t know you well? I want you to come home for us to discuss something. She said she doesn’t understand what I was insinuating and hanged up.

“What is the meaning of this? Is Enyonam not the Enyonam that I know? So what exactly is happening around me?”

Enyonam called Jessica to find out from her whether she disclosed her true identity to me. Jessica assured her of confidentiality but made her to know that she failed been able to sleep with me.

“Didn’t you add the arousal charm to the food? ” Enyonam asked. “I did but someone came to spoil the whole process.” Jessica explained.

Meaning it was a well calculated strategy to get me down again after the deliverance from my Pastor. They planned that once Jessica is able to sleep with me, I will automatically fall into their trap but thanks for using Xorsenyo to saving me. Jessica added some charm to the food which made me feel aroused. My good friend ladies, be careful who cooks for your husbands even in your presence.

Jessica told Enyonam that she has a video which has a playback of our romance after giving me the food. Jessica assured Enyonam that she would be able to use the video as an evidence if I tried proving stubborn.

At work, I received a text message from Jessica that she has a video of the two of us making love and for me to be at a safer side, I need to be paying her Ghc1000.00 every month for six month so that she could discard the video. In the text, she said she has duplicated the video in different forms so with the little misbehaviour from me, she will let my wife and the whole world see the video.

I was very disturbed and confused after reading the text. Xorsenyo came to visit me at my office. “Why do you look so moody like this? Why, were you not satisfied last night?” Xorsenyo asked jokingly.

Me: Xorse, I just don’t know what is happening to me. I’m just not myself. I can’t even concentrate. The envelope you brought yesterday contains pictures belonging the Enyonam I thought I married.

Xorsenyo: What are you talking about? Do you have some Enyonam elsewhere?

Me: I don’t know for now. My wife is not around. I will only know the truth when she returns.

Xorsenyo: So you mean the bra I saw yesterday on the sofa was not for your wife? So on who were you using that hard long thing in front of you last night? Hey! Have you started cheating on your wife? I won’t endorse that practice for you.

Me: Charley I’m not here to discuss that now. That is even another trouble I need to deal with.

“No John you need deliverance. The devil is just using you for anything. ” Xorsenyo said. “My friend don’t start it. Have you married Golder before chopping her day and night? stop that hypocritical thing. The devil is equally using you if you don’t know. ” I said to him. “We are only cohabitating. Everyone knows she is with me.” He explained. “Look, provided you’ve not payed for her bride price she ceases to be yours and you have no right to sleep with her. Me I nearly cheated on my wife but I didn’t do it again.” I said to him.

Xorsenyo said he had some assignments to complete so we will chat later.

After work, Jessica never showed up to present her duty report. I called her and all she told me was to stop mounting pressure on her. “I will present the report when I feel like. If you try pushing me I will expose you”. She added. “What exactly do you want from me? Why have I wronged you in any way? ” I asked her. “Stop asking me questions. ” she commanded.

After some few minutes of that call, my Pastor back home called me.

(On phone)

Pastor: John I’ve been expecting you and your wife but you never showed up. What happened?

Me: Pastor, it is a long story but the long and short of it all is that my wife has traveled so I can’t come with her.

Pastor: Did you try cheating on your wife in her absence?

I remained silent for sometime because I don’t know what answer to give. “Are you on the line?” Pastor asked. “Yes I….. I…. tried it but I stopped”. I said.

Pastor: John, you never prayed after leaving this place hence making yourself available for the devil to capture you again. Something very dangerous is about happening to you but with prayers, we can save the situation. It was revealed to me that a trap has been set for you to fall again. Make sure you come with your wife so that we avert any danger ahead of you.

Me: Pastor I think I’ve dealt with that already that was why I didn’t complete cheating on my wife. But all the same I wish you rather come to the house and clear any spirit that is hiding in the house? My wife is not around so I wish you come here. I will pay for your fuel.

Pastor: Okay. I will be there tomorrow. So be expecting me with some other elders of the church.

I called Enyonam to inform about the coming of Pastor to the house the following day. She said that was of no use because that was the essence of the holy spirit. Enyonam explained that because Christ saw the stress in moving from house to house, person to person, town to town to preach and heal the sick, He left us with the holy spirit who is always with us and all we needed to do was to call on him at anytime. She said the Pastor at Tema could also do what my Pastor was coming to do so I should spare the Pastor the stress.

I called the Pastor back and told him what Enyonam suggested. The Pastor said I shouldn’t worry about his stress so that was the work he was called to do.

At midnight, I started hearing some noise coming from the kitchen. It was as if someone was moving in there. I checked the time and it was almost 2:00am. “Who should this be?”, I asked myself. I became scared. I gathered courage and went to lock the bedroom with key. “Who is there!!” I shouted and asked whilst in the locked bedroom. After my question, the noise stopped. For after some few minutes, I could hear that the shower tap was opened and the water was pouring on the floor. The TV started talking. Upon the cool room temperature, I began sweating profusely. It never occurred to me to resort to prayers. To add more pain to an injury, the light suddenly went off. What is happening?

I opened the door slowly. “Stop there! I’m warning you for the last. Make sure that man do not come to this house.” An invisible voice said.

…to be continued