Desmond made some tea and sat before his laptop. He searched for a movie he could see so he wouldn’t let the thought weigh him down. He already had headache and if he should continue thinking about what to do, he might end up sick. Perhaps, telling Feire the truth would be the best, or just playing along and trying not to make Feire know anything about what was going on, or what exactly would he do that would get him out of this trouble?
He sipped from the cup of tea again and found out the movie had played for five minutes and he didn’t know what has happened. He shut down the laptop and rushed the remaining tea in the cup before going inside the room. His mind thought of another thing to do- twitter savages! He wouldn’t only stop thinking about what to do, he would even have a brightened mood.
** ** **
Feire knew he friend would have been waiting for her to know the outcome of the meeting. She wished she could just get home and rest but meeting Mosun at home is just not going to make that happen. She opened the door and met a bowl of popcorn before Mosun, with her legs crossed over the stool. “Welcome.” She greeted Feire.
Feire stood by the door and stared at her for some time. “Where did you get popcorn from?” She asked.
“I bought it. I actually needed something I’d be eating while you gist me about what happened today. Common, sit down.”
Feire hissed and sat down. “You can’t be serious, Mosun.”
“I am actually serious about this, babe. Let me know what happened today jare.”
“It was just a meeting, he wants me to be a part of his company, that he would be paying me triple of my present salary, that’s all.”
Mosun clasped her hands together. “You don’t know how to gist someone, Feire. I have been teaching you since we were in school! Was this how fast the discussion was?”
“Of course, no.” She shrugged.
“So why is the gist summarized? Alaye, explain in details jare.”
She chuckled. “You are stupid. Please don’t disturb my life.”
“Okay, I am begging. I have been bored here since morning, your NEPA people have refused to restore power and I have been waiting for us to chat, don’t spoil today jor.”
Feire laughed. “Why didn’t you switch on the generator?”
“Was waiting for you to come back.”
Feire started explaining how the meeting went to her and how Desmond had called her to find out about the guy she was sitting with. She soon joined her on the popcorn.
** ** **
It was Sunday morning. Desmond had thought it over and again and felt it would be too heartbreaking to tell Feire about the whole issue. It would just be better to play on and tell his parents about Kike, they fake the wedding and maybe break up after some months so he would marry Feire.
He went for church service and thought of going to his parents’ place from church. He drove down to his parents’ place. As he got to the gate, he remembered he should have told Kike to follow him so they could see her. He really hoped everything would be coded enough for Feire not to know about the whole issue. He didn’t want to break her heart and didn’t want leave Kike hanging because he felt he was the only help she had.
He looked around as he alighted from the car. It’s been few months he came to greet them, greeting them had only caused a discussion of him settling down. At least, the fake news that they were about to hear would make them happy that he was going to obey them. “Mama.” He hugged his mother from behind. It seemed as if they just returned from church too. Her headgear was still on her while his father had already dropped his cap by the edge of the chair, seeing the television.
“Desmond, how are you?” Joy flushed through her face.
“I am good, mum. Happy Sunday.”
“Come and sit down.”
He went to greet his father and sat beside him. They were seeing a movie on African Magic; the station they have always loved. “How was service?” He asked as he also looked at the television couple of times.
“It was fine dear. Did you go to church too?” His mother asked.
“Yes, I thought I should just come and greet you so I am even coming from church directly.”
“That’s good of you. Are you going to eat pounded yam too?”
He smiled. That was the bonus he always got from visiting his mother again. Why would he say no? “Yes.”
“I will just out the yam on fire, you will be one to pound it.”
His smile ceased. “I am not sure I am eating again.”
She shrugged as she stood up. “Even if you are not eating again, you are still the one who will pound it.”
He chuckled. “I am going to eat then. You are not even considerate, I am putting on shirt and tie and I will still be holding the pestle.”
“Who else would have pounded for you, Desmond?” His father cut in.
He shrugged, “what if I didn’t come here.”
“That is another case, but now that you are here you are going to do it.”
“Mum, wait. I actually came for something important.”
“Can’t it wait till yam is on fire? I am hungry.” His father opposed.
“I thought the yam might either burn when we start talking, or it would get cold to use it for pounded yam.”
“So what is the subject of discussion?” His father asked.
“A lady is pregnant for me.” He spilled. He knew beating around the bush would do nothing than to delay. His head dropped after, not wanting to read the expression on their faces. He knew for sure that he has fumbled for getting a lady pregnant out of wedlock, they would preach the whole King James to him that morning before discussing what they’d have to do.
“Desmond.” He heard his mother’s voice approach him. She was already on her way to kitchen before, she had to take a seat beside him. He was not wrong when he said the yam would either burn or get too cold for pounded yam. He could not respond anymore, he wasn’t sure what they were going to say, but he could predict that they would first attack his spiritual life.
“And you call yourself a child of God?” He heard his father’s voice.
“How could you have slept with a woman you were not married to, Desmond?” His mother’s voice followed the torment.
“And you feel that’s good news enough for you to smile in and share?” His father added.
“It was a mistake.” He found his voice again.
“That means all the while you were in the university that I have been trusting that my son knew God and was consistent in him, you have been doing nonsense with ladies but this only turned out to be pregnancy, right?”
“No dad, actually…”
“Or maybe they have been aborting, doctor just said this time around she would die if she should abort, who knows?” His mother added more fuel to the fire.
He gushed out air from his nostrils with force and wiped his face. “No! I made a mistake and this is the first time it is happening. Things just happened between us and I regret it. I couldn’t have aborted my child, that’s why I am here to tell you about it. You two are making me regret why we never aborted the child.” He blurted out.
“Abort the child now, on whose hands would God find the blood? Don’t you know the word of God says the bed should be undefiled? Don’t you know?” His mother began the sermon. Desmond squeezed his face. He saw this coming but never knew it would be up to this level.
“Mum, I know the Bible…”
“But you never acted it out, son.” His father interrupted again. “What is the essence of knowing God’s word and not applying it to your life? Have you forgotten the book of James that says…”
“Dad! I know that scripture, I know it! I am sorry for the mistake I made, these scriptures can’t rectify it now. Let us face the reality of the matter on ground. I am so sorry but what I need now is not the torture by the word of God.”
“So what is the next step?” His father asked.
He shrugged and began to explain what happened when he went to see her father and all that they told him to do. He was as fast as possible because he couldn’t wait to leave that place. He would have loved to tell them that he was lying all along and that the baby wasn’t his, but they would just warn him not to take the child that isn’t his own and he would now leave Kike without any help?
“This type of wedding… Who is the girl in question?” His father asked.
“The man’s daughter.” He replied.
“No, I thought it was his mother. What is her name!” He hit the sofa.
“Kike. She is the only child of her parents.”
“So what do you feel?” His father asked his wife.
She shrugged. “What else? When the knife cuts the hand of the child and the child throws it away, hasn’t the knife accomplished its mission already? I just feel we should just play our part so we don’t elaborate what is not.” She replied.
The father sighed.
** ** **
Feire was back home from church. As much as she didn’t like Mosun’s stress, she would miss her now that she had gone after the church service. She was back to her boring apartment. She needed to do something to get her busy or probably go out before she gets to plan how the shows of the week would go. She barely sat down when she remembered she hasn’t told Desmond about the job offer contract and seek his opinion if she should go for it. It might be a perfect excuse to get out of the house and go visit him, she had thought as she picked her phone.
Desmond was on his way out of his parent’s place when he got her call. His heart almost skipped a beat because he felt she had heard what happened. He picked and tried to mask his feelings as much as he could. He told her he would come to meet her at home so they could talk better since Mosun already left.
Feire was in the kitchen when he arrived. The rice was almost ready and she still had stew in her refrigerator that she just warmed. She hugged him and told him to sit by the dining so he would be close to the kitchen, or better still, come to the kitchen to join her. He joined her in the kitchen, though just sat down as he watched her bring down the stew from fire and also get the sieve she would use for the rice.
“So how was service?” She asked him.
“Fine, what about yours?”
She nodded. “It went well. We actually had something like family talk today and it really made sense. If I had known that would be this Sunday’s theme, I would have pulled you to my church.” She winked.
He smiled. “I am a worker in my own church too.” He replied.
“It doesn’t matter. I think I have the topic for my show for this week. The pastor was sharing some experiences of how some marriages worked out, I didn’t even believe such marriages would work out. He talked about forgiveness, not hiding something from your partner and a lot of them…”
Desmond cut in. “I thought you wanted to talk to me about the contract deal, Feire.” He was not in the mood for all that, especially now that it had to do with marriage issue.
“You missed a lot jor, am I not just trying to update you?”
“Let me know the contract details so we can decide.” He repeated.
“Okay.” She began to explain to him.
“Are you sure it is not you this guy is trying to get, Feire?”
She smiled and winked. “You know how hot I am, you’re just lucky you’re the one in charge.”
He hissed. “Answer me, Feire.” He seemed too serious for her play.
She frowned. “Why are you giving me attitude this afternoon? Did anything happen in church?”
He shook his head. “I am not just in the mood this afternoon.” He replied.
She served the food and led the way to the dining. “Is there anything wrong with you that I need to know?” She crossed her hand across his neck as they sat on the dining.
He shook his head again.
“Are you sure?” She asked again.
“I am serious. I think I just need quality rest.”
“What are you saying about the deal?”
“I feel you should not do it. I think the man just wants to get closer to you, Feire. Who gives triple amount of salary just like that? What is so special about your shows?” He blurted.
Feire was quiet. Her eyes were looking straight as she seemed to have gotten lost. It took few seconds before Desmond noticed that she was lost. “Feire!” He called. She slowly turned her face towards him and stared at him.
“What is it?” He asked her.
“What is so special about my shows?” She sounded irritated.
“Oh… that’s not what I meant. I was just trying to say why would he want to give you triple of your present salary because of just one show, Feire. Don’t misunderstand me, babe.”
“Are you telling me not to take this job because of insecurity?” She dropped her spoon.
“Why would be insecure? See, Feire it has nothing to do with it. I am just trying to help you out here. Okay, go for it then.”
“Do you think I would leave you for him, Desmond?”
“Stop this, Feire. Should I not tell you what I feel about an issue ever again?”
“I just feel this particular one is to the extreme, Desmond. I can sense it in you as though you feel the man would make out with me, like I would reduce myself that low also or could it be the salary?”
Desmond smiled. “I am sorry, I think you just misunderstood me. You know what, just take the job, so you don’t feel I don’t trust you or I am threatened by the salary.”
“Why did you leave that place early that day, Desmond? I tried following you but you have gone far. What happened?”
“I got a call, I had to attend to something urgently.”
“What was it?”
He frowned. “Why are you trying to get words out of me this afternoon, Feire? Is it that you don’t trust me?”
“Stop that, don’t even try to take the issue to that direction so as to avoid my question. Where did you go to?”
“Kike called me, it was concerning the job on ground, Feire.”
“I trust you and I totally believe you. I was only bothered because I wanted to meet you but as I got out, I didn’t see you anymore. I drove after you but you were still nowhere to be found. Are you sure all is well with you? I don’t know why I am losing my peace that you are alright? Is the work posing threats?”
“No dear. Not at all. It’s just stressful and Kike herself has been stressful. She likes things being too perfect.”
“Okay.”
“So are you going to take the job?” He asked her.
“Sure. If you can work with Kike and not be affected, I should be able to work with him too without any strings attached.” She replied.
Desmond lost his voice.
** ** **