In Murky Waters – Episode 9

In Murky Waters – Episode 9

© 2018 Kayode Odusanya

He pulled her to the side of the building, looked around before saying in a low voice, “What are you do here?”

“He let me go.” She said with a smile on her face. She was also wearing black jeans, and a white top, with a small black purse in her hand.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, Fatai let me go. We are separated.”

“That’s not possible, he paid me to never to see you again; why would he let you go? It doesn’t make sense.”

“I’m serious Frank. He let me go.”

He looked at her intensely for a while then said, “How did you find me?”

“Instinct; this is the closest park to your house, and I just got an urge to come here after going over to your place and hearing you had moved out.”

He was quiet for a while, studying her. “Kiki, are you sure you didn’t run away?” He said in a low voice.

She laughed lightly before saying, “No I didn’t. I will explain everything to you later.” She took him by the hand and led him into building, then to the ticketing office. “Hello, please is the bus to Ghana full?” Kiki said to the lanky lady behind the counter.

“No. But it is remaining only one space ma.” The lady replied.

“Oh! That’s just great. That’s fate.” Kiki said and turned around to smile at Frank.

……….

Two hours later, they were riding in the back of a white Toyota bus, heading to Seme border; the border between Nigeria and Benin Republic. She had no luggage with her, but they had money and could buy anything and everything she needed when they got to their destination. He wished for it, and now that he got it, he felt it was too good to be true. She had told him Fatai considered the fact that she had not been genuinely happy with him, and didn’t want to keep her around against her wish. The explanation sounded too simple and plain for Frank to buy. The Fatai he had spoken with yesterday didn’t look like someone that was ready to let his wife just walk away like that. He knew women had a way of getting what they wanted from men, but this just seemed too easy to him.

“Stop over thinking it, Frank.” She said and turned his face towards hers’. “Savor the moment.”

He smiled at her and said, “Okay.”

“Just look at it as the universe giving us some good for all the bad we have individually experienced.”

“Hmm.”

“I have been through a lot in my life, and I think I totally deserve this.” She looked into space for a while before adding, “I kissed so many frogs to get you my prince charming.”

“Wait, you mean you actually kissed frogs?” She frowned at him playfully, and he laughed a little before saying, “I’m just kidding.”

“Oya, kiss me right now.” She said with a big smile on her face. The way what she said sounded with her British accent made him laugh. He looked around; the only other person on their role was asleep. He leaned in, she met him half way, and they locked lips, kissing passionately as their bus sped through the expressway to a new life ahead.

……….

Yesterday Afternoon

Fatai sat alone in his living room with an ice cold bottle of Origin on the stool in front of him, thinking of his next move. After his visit to the police station earlier in the day, he had headed straight over to his Baba’s shrine. The man had not been too happy with the news that Kiki had slept with another man. It had totally made his juju void. And the man hadn’t been shocked about the assassination attempt against him. According to him, all protections and goodwill he had been experiencing had come to an end with his wife sleeping with another man. The old man had told him the only thing he could do for him was to renew the jazz, but that even if he did that, it wouldn’t be as potent as when his wife had not had intimate relationships with any other man but him. “Fatai, oma ni la ti fe iyawo mi.” The man had told him in Yoruba, urging him to get a younger wife, if possible a virgin.

He took a sip from his half filled glass cup of Origin and sat back in his seat. With his legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles. He thought of what to do next. When he had met Kiki, and she told him her story, he felt she was perfect for him. A girl that had gone through a very bad case of sexual molestation in the hands of her adopted father. From what he had heard from people, females like that usually didn’t really fancy sex. He thought she would be okay with security and attention. His plan would work, and she would get a home, and money to do whatever she wanted to do in this world. Never did he think she would look outside for another man. And worst of all, it had to be the man that was helping him get to the next level. He wondered how long she had been orchestrating her plan. He thought they were playing checkers, but she was playing chess with him. He didn’t blame her anyway. She was human, and he had always believed that after the basic human needs of food, shelter, and clothing, passion was the next need in line.

He heard footsteps coming down the stairs, and looked towards the direction of the staircase. He didn’t know she was home. She looked sleepy and tired and her eyes grew bigger when she saw him. He was usually never home by this time of the day, so he could understand her reaction. Plus, she was still feeling guilty for what she had done. A smile quickly took the place of the shocked look on her face. Although he was one of the most feared men in the whole of Lagos, he had taught her never to fear him. When he came home, he never wanted to feel feared. “I didn’t know you were home.” She said. He smiled at her but didn’t say anything. She smiled back and walked over to sit on the couch opposite from him. The room was awkwardly quiet for a few minutes, till she got up, picked the remote control from the glass center table, and turned on the TV. A boy screaming on screen startled them both, and they laughed. It was a horror movie titled Boarding School, about a mysterious boarding school for kids that parent’ no longer wanted. She turned down the volume a couple of notches and put the remote back on the table.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, before he sighed and focused on her. “Do you really like him?” She looked at him for a while, and then nodded. “Does he like you too?” She nodded again. He took a sip from his glass cup and looked at her intensely for a while before saying, “What do you want me to do now?”

“I don’t know.”

He looked into space for a long while, and then focused on her again. “Let me make it easy for you; do you want to be with him?” He said and she nodded. “I know Frank is your favorite writer, but you know reality is different from fiction.” She smiled before nodding.

The room went quiet again before Kiki said, “I know I might seem very selfish, but I’m just being realistic. You have been really great to me. But you know as much as I appreciate all you have done for me, I am not happy.” It was his turn to nod. “If…If there is a way I could just leave, and start afresh with him, I would love it.” She said and focused on him for his reaction. “I know things might not be as rosy as I think right now, but at least, it would be my decision. And I would live with it. I want to make a decision for once in my life.”

He smiled as he nodded. He took down the last content of his drink, dropped the glass cup and said, “I totally understand you. I will miss you. But I know the wise thing is to let you go right now.” He smiled at her as he got off his seat and heading for the door. “I have to go for a meeting now. I won’t be back till tomorrow.” He stopped at halfway out the door and turned to look at her. It was clear in his eyes that he was making a tough definition. She walked slowly towards him, and they held each other in a tight embrace for a few seconds, before pulling away. Fatai kissed her forehead and said, “Thanks for all you did for me.”

“Thank you too.” Kiki replied. They held each other one last time, before Fatai pulled away, and headed out the door. She stared at the door, blank faced for a while as the reality of what had just happened hit her, and then a smile slowly appeared on her face.

The End

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