Broken Trust 2 – Episode 5

BROKEN TRUST EPISODE 5

© Jones Kwesi Tagbor

Because I wanted to give Jude a surprise visit, I skilfully asked him during one of our chats for the direction to his house but never mentioned to him that I was planning to come. I spent three days at my father’s place and continued my journey to his place. My father didn’t want me to leave but I told him I needed to go because of my mom’s health condition. Jude was staying at Koforidua while my father was at Accra; therefore the distance was not that far. I left very early in the morning with the motive of returning to my mom that very day to spend the rest of my leave days with her before I go back to work.

I followed the direction Jude gave to me and was able to locate his house safely. Actually, he was living with his parents in their own house. His mother’s shop was just in front of their house so I met her first. Luckily for me, his mother was already at work in the shop. Even though Jude told her about me, we were still strangers to each other because she had never seen me before. I greeted her respectfully and she cheerfully responded, giving me a seat to sit down with her at the shop. She told me there was nobody in the house at the moment so that suggested to me that Jude was equally not around. She welcomed me and asked me of my mission. “Oh sorry dear, I didn’t even serve you water. Please forgive me, this menopause is really affecting me oo, hmmm.” She jokingly said and stood up to get me a sachet of water. Even though I was not tasty and wished I could reject the water, I had no option but to take it and gradually I took a sip with smiles as a sign of our rich Ghanaian culture. Our culture demands that you take water when you visit someone. If not, it may mean that you have bad intentions for the person or even have an issue with him /her. She came back to her seat and asked me of my mission again. “Thank you very much mommy. My name is Xorlali, a friend to Jude. We both did our National Service at the same bank and I just decided to pay him a surprise visit today. That’s why am here.” I humbly gave my mission. “Oh my daughter, you have done very well. God bless you for being such a good friend. You welcome, you welcome, you welcome.” she shook hands with me as she again welcomed me so cheerfully. “If I may ask, are you the Xorlali Jude told me about? Did you send him money to start up a business and later, another for the payment of his father’s hospital bills?” she asked me in surprise. “Yes mom, am that Xorlali you know.” I responded with a smile.

“Hmmm, am even short of words. My daughter, God will continue to bless you. Had it not be the money you sent, his father would have been a dead person by now.” she said to me. “Please, is he around?” I intentionally asked again even though her previous comment gave me a gist of his whereabouts. “Oh no, he said one of his friends had worked out some job for him at Asamankesi so he left yesterday to check on it. He promised coming back today so I think by now, he should be on his way.” she explained and expressed her happiness of seeing me. I asked her about it and she said it was about him becoming a Finance Controller but was now going to check the details. I said ok but still felt bad because Jude never told me about it. “You see, Jude is my only son but the second son to his father. Yet, my son likes hiding a lot of things from me but I think you can tell me something. Are you my daughter in-law?” She inquisitively asked using an undertone voice. “Hahahaaaa mom, you’ve kept me laughing from the very minute I got here. Actually, your son loves me and I also love him but just that things didn’t go the way we expected. After our service, I was retained but he wasn’t. If not, he would’ve come to marry me by now.” I replied. “Oh that’s fine. I can’t allow my son to leave such a beautiful lady like you for another person. Ah! My grandchildren will take the beauty of their mother.” She said with a smile when a customer called to buy something. She went to sell to her customer and returned for more chat.

You know, one symptom of menopause is excessive talking but note that it doesn’t affect only the women. The men equally have their share. On her return, she came to ask me of the tribe I belong and I told her that just as my name sounds, am an Ewe coming from Akatsi. This woman was very happy for me. She said she knew ewe ladies are always perfect marriage materials because of the experience she gathered in her past years. Looking at things, this woman had really accepted me. She had wanted to call Jude to tell him about me but I asked her not to because it was a surprise visit. She agreed with me and asked me to follow her into the house. We went inside and she served me some food to eat. I asked her of Jude’s father and she said due to his health issues, he was advised to change his environment for a while. She switched on the television for me and told me she was going back to the shop but I said no and followed her back to the shop because, I couldn’t stay in the room alone. She engaged me in a conversation, all to the awaiting of Jude. It was past 2pm and Jude was still not back so I decided to call him in the presence of his mother. When he answered the call, I heard loud music playing in the background so I asked him of where he was. He told me a friend of his had invited him over for a birthday party. “Really?” I asked in surprise. Ignoring my question, he told me he would call me back and hanged up on me. His mother saw the change on my face and asked what the problem was. I told her Jude said he was at a birthday party and hanged up on me. She never said a word and called him back immediately.

“Jude, you have a visitor, try and come home with immediate effect.” she said to him as soon as he picked her call. Because Jude didn’t want his mother to become suspicious of him, what he did was to leave where the noise was before receiving his mother’s call. He told her that he was almost done with the business deal and was even on his way home. He asked his mother who the visitor was but she refused to tell him. “My daughter, please don’t be worried ok, he will soon be here.” she said to me after she was done speaking to her son.

All this while, when I was patiently waiting for Jude, he was busily having a good time with Ophelia. They were actually at the drinking spot having fun. This lady wouldn’t let Jude go but because he is an obedient son to his mother, he insisted to leave and told Ophelia that his mother needed him urgently. Mr Adjei also called me while I was still seated, waiting for Jude. I pretended the line wasn’t clear and hanged up on him. I later put my phone on a silent mode and placed it in my hand bag. He was actually calling to convince me to stay long with my mom because he had added more days to my leave, but as a way of trying to prevent me from coming to know about his fiancée. Thank God I didn’t pick up his call. Gradually, it was getting late and Jude was still not coming so I decided to leave.

His mother said she won’t allow her daughter in-law come to her house and return that very day so I should sleep over. She insisted so I agreed to stay. Jude never came until it was 7:30 pm. At the time he came I was in the hall with his mother doing our own chatting. “Ah! Mom who is this lady? I should know her. This is…….. Ah! Xorlali but when did you come to this house? In addition, you couldn’t call to tell me that you were even around.” He said that as soon as he entered the room and saw me. I never responded. The mother asked him how many times she called to inform him that he had a visitor. He accused the mother that she should have gone straight to the point and mentions my name to him. He came closer to me and asked for a hug. I did but he was smelling alcohol. I asked him when he started drinking and he said he needed to pass through a friend who invited him for a party so he took some drinks over there. His mother asked about the job offer and all he said was that everything was on course.

He didn’t push further to talk about it so I probed and ask him to tell me about his new found job. He said it was late so he will tell me in the morning. I told him first thing the next day I will be leaving. He said he will tell me after he has washed down and also ask of my mission. His mother interrupted him “why can’t you tell your wife about your work? Look very soon you will be together as husband and wife so you need to start sharing information among you now so that no one will be suspecting each other. You need to be open to your partner. If A is not there don’t try to say it is there. That is what grows the marriage and also increases Trust. So my dear let me leave you and go and prepare the guest room for her to sleep.” She said and started moving out. “But mom she can sleep in my room or?” Jude said with a smile. “My friend, go and marry her first so that she can sleep beside you. Until then no way. Not in my house. Or you people have started already?” She asked. “Oh… no… no mom…” Jude said laughing. He was now ready to tell me about the job. “It was a friend who worked some financial controller job at his father’s firm me oo. He told his father about me and his father seems to trust his son they invited me over. I went to see his father to show him my CV. Sorry I should have told you about it but am just waiting for everything to be ready first so that I surprise you. Sorry I came late in fact I didn’t know you were the one like I could’ve forgone that party. So how is the banking work and everything about the bank? “He asked. I told him all was well. I wished him well for the job offer and he left to take His bath. In his absence I called Mr Adjei but he didn’t also answer. I guessed He was asleep. Soon Jude’s mom came to inform me that my bed was ready. She said I should enjoy my stay in the house. Jude came to the room after his mother left to her room. We chat about issues and after some kisses in the hall, I told him I want to sleep. I went to the guest room to sleep. Jude couldn’t sleep that night. He waited for his mother to asleep and then woke up and came to my room. Hahaha that day was something different.

What went on that night? Was my pregnancy prevention drug still active in my system? What went on when I got back to Kpong where the bank was?

 

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