A Story Of Deceit

Episode 15

‘Errrrm, errrrm, she?, her? ‘, Dayo fumbled with words, I stared at him and acted confused, I emulated Yemisi’s inquisitive glance at him. ‘ah, ah, Uwa, how does Dayo know you? ‘, Yemisi asked, ‘I don’t know him oooo’, I denied knowing Dayo, I didn’t know Yemisi’s character well enough, I wasn’t ready to lose my job. Dayo stared at me in awe, I was scared, I thought he’d be foolish and ask more questions but he finally decided to be smart, ‘So, you don’t know me?, wow, everyone in our street knows you na, you mum runs a beer parlour, right? ‘, he asked, ‘Yes’, I said looking at him like I had never seen him before. ‘Okay, well, I’m Dayo’, he said, ‘okay’, I said. ‘Okay, I got scared, I was wondering how you would know Uwanah’, Yemisi said laughing. Yemisi was convinced with our act, if anyone had told her that Dayo and I spent time together two nights ago or that Dayo came begging at my house the previous night, she’d doubt it. I wanted to ask for my money but Mr. Shola was not around and Yemisi was not with my money, otherwise, she’d have given it to me.

I left the house, glad that Yemisi didn’t find out but I was angry at the same time, I could do nothing to expose Dayo because, I had to keep my job, I thought of possible ways to tell her that Dayo and I were having an affair without seeming like a deceptive person, but I couldn’t come up with any idea. That day was one of the most boring days of my life, I left Yemisi’s house in the afternoon, there was nothing to do at home. I planned to sleep as soon as I got home but I just couldn’t sleep, the thought of Dayo and Yemisi been together troubled me. Knowing who Dayo was, he’d talk her into having an affair and with Yemisi’s recent behavior, I knew she had fallen for him. ‘Oh, my God, they may sleep together’, I yelled. I was angry at Dayo but I was still in love with him, the thought of Dayo and someone else was driving me crazy. I even started blaming myself for throwing a spoon at him, I felt it pushed him away more from me and dragged him to Yemisi. Yemisi fulfilled her promise by giving me the clothes the next day along with the money I didn’t collect from Mr. Shola the previous day and so it continued, Yemisi started giving me my salary.

The past two months had a new turn of events. I thought Dayo’s visit to Yemisi’s house that day would be the last time or his visit would be limited but I was wrength and also filled with rage. Going home most afternoons had become the norm for me, Dayo would come and we would portray the usual strangers attitude. He even stopped calling or texting. I’d spam his phone all day long but he wouldn’t respond, he refused to pick my calls, if I called too much, he’d switch off his phone. There was nothing I didn’t do to get Dayo’s attention again, it just wasn’t working. Despite wanting to talk to him badly, I was scared of embarrassment, so, I didn’t go to his house. Yemisi’s boisterous talk of her relationship with Dayo was getting me engulfed with rage each day.
Mr. Shola started noticing my limited time at work because most times, when he returned in the evening, I wasn’t there.

He complained and threatened to tell Mr. Soji but Yemisi would defend me with the lie that I didn’t have anymore work to do. I felt like telling Mr. Shola of Dayo to prevent his constant visit whenever he was away from the house but I didn’t have the audacity and Yemisi was still my friend.

Meanwhile, I was beginning to encounter a queer illness, I felt nauseous, dizzy, and selective of meals most of the times, it became a bother to me, I boiled several traditional medicines which was something, I’d not do normally but the sickness was a draining me of strength. I couldn’t go about my daily activities as usual but, I didn’t care about my illness, it couldn’t stop me from going to work, I had already saved twice the amount I planned to save, I felt I needed more, going to the city was no more a future thing, my dreams would finally come to pass and going home in the afternoon was now befitting for me because it was enough time to rest.

The only person that knew of my illness was Yemisi, she tried to take care of me, the best way she could, I just wasn’t healing quickly.
My mother returned late at night, we hardly had time to talk. Dayo was like a person of the past in my life, seeing him everyday with Yemisi and being aware of the fact that he didn’t care hardened my heart. I hadn’t the slightest idea of what was wrong with me, some days, I’d feel relieved. Other days, I’d feel like a slug. If I ate without taking a stroll, I’d puke, I’d sweat profusely working from my house to Mr. Soji’s house, I used any slight opportunity I had to rest, the smell of smoke was irritating and laying on the mat now made my body ache.

In spite of the despicable illness, another issue came up, Yemisi said her mum would return from the city in two days, ‘what is she coming to do here Sef?’, Yemisi complained to me, ‘you’re funny ooo, she’s your mum na, after all you stayed with her in the city, it’s good if she comes’, I said, I wanted her to come to prevent Dayo’s discreet and ridiculous visits. I thought Yemisi’s mum was as nice as Yemisi so I prayed fervently for her arrival. Yemisi’s mum came in two days as she said, she arrived in the evening. I ran out to open the gate and greet her alongside Yemisi. ‘Good afternoon ma’, Yemisi greeted and hugged her mum as she came down from her car, I wondered why she had a car and Mr. Soji didn’t. I allowed them to have their “mother daughter” moment before I said anything. ‘Good afternoon ma’, I said smiling, ‘who is she? ‘, she asked Yemisi, ignoring my greeting, ‘she’s my friend ma and she works here’, Yemisi replied. ‘ Which work? ‘, she asked immediately and looked at me like I was dirt, I was still trying to smile but I felt really bad. ‘She cleans the house’, Yemisi replied, ‘She cleans the house’, she mimicked Yemisi in a sarcastic way. ‘So,you and your father are hiring somebody to clean the house, and you’re just wasting money anyhow. So, you cannot clean this house Yemisi, lazy girl like you, no wonder you’re getting fat’. she mocked Yemisi, ‘I’m not fat ooo’, Yemisi defended herself. ‘You, what is your name sef?’, she asked staring at me. ‘Uwanah ma’, I replied, ‘Uwanah, we don’t have need for a maid or cleaner in this house so I’ll give you three or four days to sort yourself out and stop coming here’, she said. She spoke English but the words seemed magical to me so, I didn’t say anything, I just gazed at her. ‘abi, you don’t understand English, I sey we no need cleaner for here, I go give you like three or four days to go find work for another place’, she said again, this time harshly.

‘Mummy, it’s daddy that said she should be working here ooo’, Yemisi informed her mum, ‘it’s like, something is wrong with your head, he’s your dad, I’m your mum, the woman of the house, I don’t want her to work here’, she said blatantly. I didn’t want to beg, I had enough money to leave for the city but I had to beg because, I didn’t want to start staying at home, I proceeded with the option of pleading,

‘Ma,please, I will work better, please ma, I don’t have any other job’, I pleaded, ‘Yes ma, what will she do if she stops working here?’, Yemisi asked her mother. ‘it’s like you both are deaf, Yemisi, I will slap you ooo, I said she will not work here, maybe when I return to the city, which I doubt is anytime soon till you gain your admission, she can’t work here’, she yelled. ‘Why can’t she work here? ‘, Mr. Soji asked as he opened the gate and came in with Mr. Shola. I thought I was cursed, why would he come in at that moment?, would they start arguing because of me, I was certain, I had lost my job.