Deadly Desire

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 2

It’s been a month the landlord asked Nosa to vacate the house. The business Itohan does in front of the compound had stopped too. The little she had saved has started dwindling before her very eyes. Some of the family members who promised to assist her are giving reasons why the help could no longer be possible.

Now that they have been given quit notice, getting money to rent a new house is now a problem.

Dropping the clothes she washed in the morning, she called Efosa.

“I wan go somewhere. If your papa come, tell am sey I dey come now now. Tell Osadebamwen to fetch water for house when she come back from church” she instructed.

“Okay ma”

“Make I no see your legs outside they run up and down for compound” she warned.

Efosa nodded and frowned.

Itohan wore her slippers and walked five streets to Uyi’s house. Uyi is the only friend her husband have.

Going to his house was to try her luck. Perhaps, if she shed some tears and beg, Uyi sympathize with her and assist them in any way.

Itohan knocked on the door and waited for it to be opened. When it seems nobody was going to open the door, she walked round the compound and then returned to the door. She had since made up her mind not to return to the house empty handed.

Holding the door handle, she pushed gently and it opened effortlessly. There was no one in the sitting room.

“Who dey house?” She asked but there was no response. “Why person go leave house comot. Na waooo!”she said shrugging her shoulder.

She was about leaving when she heard voices. Following the direction where the voices are coming from, she stopped in front of one of the rooms and opened the door.

The movement on the bed was quick. Uyi was with a lady on the bed. Both were stark naked. Thinking Itohan was Uyi’s wife, the lady stood from the bed and dressed hurriedly.

“Na wetin be this Uyi? Your wife dey shop and you dey here with another woman for bed. This na rubbish oo.”

The lady pushed Itohan out of the way and ran.

“How married man like you go dey cheat him wife? Talk na! You don be deaf and dumb? She challenged.

“How is it your business? You have no right coming to my house unannounced.” He said glaring at her. What do you want? He asked angrily.

“Abeg cover yourself. I dey wait for parlour.” Itohan said moving to the sitting room.

Uyi took his time but later came out and took his seat opposite Itohan.

“I am sorry” he said. “It is the first time I will be cheating on my wife”

“And you no respect her at all. You bring the lady come the bed wey you dey share with your wife. So if the lady give you disease, you go give your wife too. Na wa oo. Dey fear God abeg ” she said shrugging her shoulders.

“Abeg no tell my wife” he said.

There was a long silence and Itohan thought of how to present her intention to Uyi.

“I come beg you money. Things hard for us and we no get money again. Even landlord sey make we pack because we owe am three and half years rent. Abeg, you fit help me with money? You know sey my husband still dey look for work and very soon God go help am. Abeg!”

Uyi cleared his throat and smiled.

“Make I tell you the truth, the economy bad and market no dey move like before. E no get as I go fit help you pass small thing wey I fit spare.

He stood up, went to his bedroom and returned to the sitting room. He handed her some money.

“Na four thousand naira I get. Manage am well well.”

“At all at all na im bad pass. Thank you for the money.”

She put the money in her purse and left his house.

The thought that Uyi brought in a woman to their matrimonial bed filled her head.

She entered the market, bought some foodstuffs then returned home.

By the time Nosa returned from his hustling, food was ready. She served him Eba with okro soup then sat beside him. She watched him swallowed two big balls of eba before breaking the silence.

“How hustle today?”

“Fine. Na one thousand, eight hundred naira I see today” he said. He deep his hand in his shirt pocket and brought out the money which she handed to Itohan.

“You try na. I just dey beg God make he pity us.”

“My head don full Itohan. Where will I get money to move out of this house? Dem swear for me? I don think so tey my head wan burst.

“Hmmm! Abeg no think again. Na money matter carry me go Uyi house, whether he go see money give me.”

Nosa paused and looked at her.

“Next time, you go inform me first before going to his house.”

“No vex but he give me four thousand naira. I think sey e for give me big money but e say he no get money again, market no dey move”.

“Hmmm!

“I catch am with woman for bed oo”

“You say?”

“I say I catch am with woman for bed”.

Nosa said nothing again. He started attacking his food.

“E no get wetin you fit talk for the matter?, I catch your friend on top another woman and you no talk another thing”.

“Na wetin you want make I talk?

“You for say aah! why Uyi go do like that or wetin Uyi do no good at all, instead you kept quiet. Your silence mean sey una two na the same. The difference be sey I catch Uyi and I never catch you”.

Nosa washed his hands and laughed.

“Me and Uyi different for character. True, wetin Uyi do bad oo. No worry I go advise am well well”.

“Abeg advise am. E say na the first time, but Uyi na wayo man. I no believe am. Talk sense for e head abeg”.

“I don hear”.

She packed the plate then returned to the sitting room. They talked about other things until late in the night.

———————————

Uyi parked, drove his car into the compound of a gigantic structure. It was the best structure in the street. Anyone who passes in front of the house looks in awe. The house was owned by Nicole, “the rich mama” as she was popularly called.

The security man hurriedly closed the gate and greeted Uyi as he stepped out of the car.

“Is your boss home?” He asked the security man.

“Yes sir”

“Alright”

He brought out his handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the sweat from his forehead. As he walked to the entrance of the door, his gaze rested on the different expensive cars in the parking lot. He knew his car is chaff compared to the car’s in the park.

“Money is good” He said softly.

Before he raised his hand to knock, the door was opened. He stepped into the cozy duplex. Uyi never seems to be amazed by the beauty of the house. A maid greeted him and ushered him into the dinning room.

“My madam wants you to eat first”

Uyi smiled and nodded approvingly to the maid. She walked to the kitchen and returned with a tray full of sumptuous meal. It was pounded yam and egusi soup. Just the way he liked it. The maid entered the kitchen again and returned with a glass and juice. All Uyi did was eat without care in the world. The end result were the crushed bones on the plate and empty can of juice. He belched then smiled at the maid.

“Thank you”

“You are welcome sir”

“Tell your madam I have been fed” He said laughing carelessly.

The maid cleared the table, carried the tray and as she was about leaving, Uyi smacked her buttocks and laughed. The maid frowned deeply at him and hissed.

“Don’t ever try that with me” She warned.

Uyi shook his legs and laughed carelessly again. The maid got to the kitchen entrance, eyed him, hissed and pushed open the kitchen door.

Uyi left the dinning room and positioned himself on a seat in the sitting room.

“Everything here smells money” He repeated.

He was consumed by the beauty of the house that he didn’t see Nicole coming down the stairs to meet him.

“Did the maid serve you drinks” She asked.

“Oh you are here”

They exchanged pleasantries and they sat opposite each other.

“I am never tired of admiring your house” He told her, “Everything here is money”.

This made Nichole laugh. She called the maid and requested for a particular drink. The maid obliged her then disappeared from their presence. Uyi opened the drinks and they drank and reminisce.

“Nosa is suffering, he is suffering o. You won’t be able to recognize him if you see him, he is lean and so dark”.

He studied her face to see the effect it will have on her. He saw she was fidgeting and not sure of herself.

“His children are not going to school and the landlord has evicted them. Do you know his wife was in my house last week to beg for feeding money. Aah! Things are so bad for him. He even came to beg me for money” He continued.

Uyi observed that Nicole deliberately didn’t want to say anything. He left his seat and sat by her.

“You are not saying anything”

When she raised her head up, Uyi discovered that Nicole’s face was wet with tears.

“You are crying”

“The pain of yesterday is still fresh in my memory Uyi. How he betrayed me, he deflowered me and impregnated Itohan. He said he loved me and he betrayed me.

Uyi allowed her to cry.

“I have not forgiven him for that betrayal. How can one betray the person he loves?” She asked, “For that reason, I decided not to give my heart to any man again”.

“I want you to forgive him Nicole. I told him you want him back. That’s because I know you still love him. Forget the past and help him. Right now, Nosa needs the help he can get. Please don’t turn him away” Uyi pleaded.

Nicole laughed and laughed.

“I never stopped loving him. If I ever set my eyes on him again, I won’t release him to Itohan ever again. I want her to drink from the cup of bitterness and anguish she served me.

Uyi laughed wickedly.

” I didn’t know that Nosa would fall for that illiterate Itohan. Look at him, a graduate while his wife fries Akara”.

“Akara?”

“Akara oo

Nichole burst into laughter.

“I can’t believe this, Nosa with all his swag allowed his wife to sell Akara?, This is terrible. Anyway, I will help him stand again as a man”.

Smiling, Uyi thanked her. He did not leave immediately, they sat and catch up on old times. He left after Nicole had given him a huge sum of money to support his business.