In Murky Waters – Episode 8

In Murky Waters – Episode 8

© 2018 Kayode Odusanya

The house had a large compound, long driveway from the gate, and a regular sized duplex in the middle of the property. It was ancient British architecture; the kind of houses that the colonial masters lived in while still in Nigeria. The other cars were packed in the compound, and when Frank saw some familiar faces, with smiles on their faces, he relaxed. He walked into the meeting as he stepped into the living room. His eyes searched the place, but Fatai was nowhere in sight. Pascal read his mind and said, “He said you should meet him in the backyard when you get here.” Frank looked lost for a second, and Pascal pointed down a corridor. Frank nodded and walked down the path. He entered a kitchen, and opened the door to see a backyard of beautiful greenery. About ten meters from the door, in open space, was Fatai sitting on one of four cane chairs surrounding a cane table, backing him, wearing brown floral patterned Ankara attire. He was on a call, and turned around when he heard the door open. He smiled and waved Frank over.

Overhearing his discussion, Frank knew it was one of his family members, asking if he was alright. Frank took the seat opposite Fatai; he had a direct view of the kitchen door. The call went on for a while, and when Frank was starting to get uneasy, Fatai ended it and smiled at Frank before saying, “Sorry, that was my father in law, i couldn’t caught him off.”

“Oh. Okay.” Frank said and swallowed spit.

“Not the father of my current wife. I was married before, but she passed. But I’m still really close with her father.”

“Okay.”

Fatai looked at Frank for a long time, making Frank really uneasy. Then he said, “So, how long have you been sleeping with my wife?”

Frank nearly had a heart attack. He went through series of emotions in just a few seconds; fear, sadness, surprise, and shame. He opened his mouth to talk, but his brain was still trying to decide if it was better to deny it or come clean. “She told me everything, Frank, but I still want to hear it from you.” Still, Frank was dumbfounded. His heart beat went up again.

“What did you do to her?” Frank finally said, with a shaky voice.

“She’s my wife Frank, not some random woman.” Fatai said and looked deeply at Frank, waiting for him to say something else. Then he sighed and got off his seat. “Come on Frank, let’s take a walk, it would help relax you.”

……….

The option of denying the thing was no longer on the table, so he told Fatai Lion the whole truth. They had walked around the garden and were now back seated. The place was quiet and Frank started getting paranoid again. What if he kills me right here, and bury me by the dog gate, Frank thought.

“I guess if it wasn’t you, it would have been someone else.” Fatai finally spoke. “No one knows but me, you, Kiki, and Sarah. Even though my wife trusts her, I have been around long enough to know she will talk someday.” Frank stopped to cough before continuing with, “You have to disappear, Frank.”

On hearing this, Frank felt a kind of relief. The option was better than the one he had envisioned in his head.

“Okay.” Frank said and cleared his throat when he noticed how croaky his voice sounded.

Fatai looked at him for a while and then a smile appeared on his face before he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. “You are such an intelligent man; it’s a pity we have to end this. Do you have a domiciliary account?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. Please give me your bank account details.”

“Mmm. Okay.” Frank said and looked into space for a while before calling out his details. Fatai got busy on his phone, and a few minutes later, a text message came on Frank’s phone. It was a credit alert. He was stunned at the amount the man had transferred to him.

Fatai Lion smiled as he got off his seat. “I have to go and handle the stuff from yesterday now. And don’t worry; you don’t have to come with us.” Frank also got up and the two men walked into the house through the kitchen backdoor, into the empty living room, and then outside.

The men started getting into their various vehicles immediately they saw Fatai. Even Frank’s designated driver had driven their car inside the compound and he got in to start up the car. Fatai turned to Frank, smiled at him, and the two men shook hands before going their separate ways. Fatai’s grip was firmer than usual, and Frank got the message, ‘make sure you really disappear.’

The SUV with the bodyguards drove out first, then the one carrying Fatai, and then Frank’s SUV. When they got to an intersection in the road, the two vehicles ahead took a right turn, and Frank took the left turn.

____

Frank was by the bus terminus now, wearing black jeans and a white polo top, waiting for his bus to Ghana to get filled up. Even though Fatai had not given him a deadline as to when to disappear, he guessed the man would assume he would do so within the next couple of days, and that was what he did. The very next day after they spoke, he moved all his things, including his car to his parent’s house, packed a duffel bag filled with essentials, and headed out. He stopped by the ATM to withdraw a hundred and fifty thousand Naira. That was not even up to a tenth of the money Fatai had wired to him.

Since he didn’t visas to travel to any of the western countries, he had decided to try out the Anglophone countries. He had a friend in Ghana who was into gold mining that had been asking him to come over for a while now. His short trip might turn into a long term stay as he was thinking of investing in gold mining in the country. He had done his research overnight after calling his friend. If everything goes well, his life would be a great one from here on end.

Even though he felt Fatai had more or less changed his life for the better when he thought it was going to shits, he still thought about what life would have been if she was with him. Frank, don’t be greedy. He said in a low voice and shook his head. He sighed and focused on his environment. The park was busy as many people traveling interstate were coming and going. A couple standing by one of the white Toyota buses going interstate caught his eye. The man was wearing a white shirt tucked into blue slacks, with a silver watch on his wrist; the woman had a big black handbag hanging on her wrist, and she was dressed in an olive green gown with a belt at the waist, which brought out her coke bottle shape. They had been talking, and when the bus driver said it was time to go, the lady leaned in and French kissed the man. It was a beautiful sight as they were both in their forties.

His mind wondered off again, but a voice in his head said, Frank, stop it, you have thirty million Naira in your account, you will find love again. The thought of the money made him smile and as he looked ahead, he saw a little toddler girl smiling at him. He pushed his glasses up his nose bridge and smiled back at her, but when he looked well, he noticed she was smiling at someone behind him. He was about to turn around when two hands covered his eyes. “Shiit.” He cursed under his breath as he caught a whiff of the familiar perfume.

To be continued

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