Episode 15
Emeka nods his head stopping the car and alighting, he goes to her with a huge smile on his face,
âGrace, this is really you right?â he laughs not knowing whether to hug her or shake her
Grace who had been shocked to hear her name and recognise the caller as Emeka is speechless, she is shaking her head and smiling , she holds on to her son who is looking up at Emeka and wondering who he is..
âHey little guy,â Emeka touches the boyâs face, âYour son?â
Grace nods smiling âJunior say hello!â the boy hides his face âHe is a shy oneâ She says apologetically to Emeka
âYeah itâs fine!! Grace, wow, itâs good to see youâ
âAnd you too, wow! Itâs been ages and you really cleaned up for a boy who once lived on the streetsââ
He laughs â Yes I know right? Hey I never really got a chance to thank you⊠for what itâs worth, the two thousand you gave me helped us for a week at least, but it came in handy, you helped a boy when he had no one, unlike others who left him all alone, we werenât even that close with aside knowing you asâŠerm⊠her friend but you didnât have to do what you did but you did, most people would have turned their noses up and ignored me, someone they once knew and never wanted to be associated with but you Grace, you reach out even at that moment without thinking was like giving me water in a desert and I am grateful, thank you Graceâ he says touching her hand, taking it and rubbing it, he really hoped one day he would meet her and thank her, when her friend broke his heart, didnât even spare him a glance on the street, she, Grace had shown concern⊠that was a person with a good heart, there was no vile in it.
Grace is smiling âI am sure you would have done the same, no need to thank me for nothing, I didnât do anything anyone wouldnât have doneâ
âYou know that is not true..â
She is silent, she had a feeling he was referring to Diana ,
âSo where are you going to, maybe I can drop you off?â
âErm, home.. I just need to go to the market and get something â
Emeka looks down at the boy, he was chewing his motherâs cloth âHey little guy, trying to eat mummyâs cloths?â
Grace laughs âyeah, when he is hungry he acts out like thatâ she looks down at him âStop it Junior, you will soon have food to eat okayâ
He thinks to himself, maybe he should offer âI donât know if you would mind, I can treat you both to an early lunch? Besides the weather is hot and that boy looks as though he would choke himself with your cloths before you get to the marketâ
âErm⊠I donât know, you seem you have other important things to do and donât let me keep youââ
âNonsense, one should make out time for people who, matter in a way, well unless the husband is weary about male friendsâŠâ he lets it trail off
She smiles âWell, he didnât want to put a ring to itâ she shows him her hand
âI am sorry about that, he must be a jerk not to see the good in your heartâ
âMaybe, at least he gave me this prince here, the joy to my gloomy worldâ
âShall we then, we can chat up⊠talk about lifeâ She agrees.
He ushers them into his car, and called the office he would be late.
Grace watches her son eat and play, she turns to him.
Emeka studies her for a while, Diana hadnât mentioned if they were still close friend, well they havenât talked about friends. He wanted to know how close they still were, âHow is-â
âHow is Diana!!â she turns to him
He smiles, âShe is good, she is in my house!!â
âI knowâ she smiles sadly
Okay, they were still close, he wouldnât divulge any information to her then, her loyalty would be to her friend, but then again, why that sad expression.
âYou donât think she should be there?â
âI think you both are grown adults, more matured, you both can handle yourselfs betterâ
âYou donât think she should be there?â he repeats
She sighs , âWhat I think shouldnât matter Emeka, you guys are back together, she is thrilled, I am her friend v would support herâ
âYou donât think she should be there?â he repeats, there was something she was not saying or avoiding to say
A deep breathe, â No!!â
There it is, maybe loyalty wavers, she must have a good reason âWhy though!!?â
âBecause I think ten years is a long time to just rekindle with someone who hurt you once like that, majorly, and right now you say you want to marry her and forget everything, I just think itâs too soonâ
âWho says I forgot everything ?â he tested the waters
âSo you are playing her?â she turns to him
He shakes his head âNo I am not playing her, I havenât forgotten it either, I just let it go, years ago I did. Of course I didnât ever expect to see her again and you know how love works, one minute you think you hate that person that hurt you and the next when they come begging your heart speaks instead of your head, and my heart forgives her, my heart loves her. And I think itâs rare to find someone you love who wants to make amends when they hurt you, so why should I stay angry forever, why not give us a chance and for marrying her, I am not getting any younger Grace, I have all I want in life but the one to share it with⊠it has always been Diana before all this, now, years later⊠of course I sent her away but⊠she says she is sorry, my heart believes her⊠and that is itâ
âAnd all these while, there was no one who was able to make you forget her?â
He shake his head âLove is a fleeting thing, there have been women, but the heart wants what it wantsâ
âAnd Olive, the girl in your house?â
He smiles slyly, they were really really close, âI guess Diana told you about herâ
She smiles âShe has her grievance against her, you told her you want to marry her and now you have a friend in the house who seems too much of a friend⊠maybe moreâ
âDiana has too many ideas in her head, Olive has been a good friend of mine for a couple of years and I wonât throw that away because I am getting marriedâ
âSo friends stay in your room with you while your supposed fiancĂ© gets humiliated?â
âOne minute you say you donât want her in my house the next you are fighting her battles?â
Graces shakes her head âI am just trying to understand, I donât know how your mind works but I am curious here, about your intentions, I may not approve of what she does all the time and we may have fights on that too but she is my friend, and I will not close my eyes and watch her get hurtâ
âYou think I want to hurt her?â
âI want to know if that is what is happening here?â
âDid you talk to her when she did that to me? Caution her, scold her, and tell her not to?â
He saw the hurt in her eyes , âDiana lied to me, to everyone about you Emeka, she told us so many things and when you both broke up she told us you relocated to the states and wonât be coming back, she told us you found someone else, she even said you cheated while you both were together, she told us so many things that made us believe her, it wasnât until I saw you on the streets, we got home and had a fight then it all came out, how she couldnât be with anyone like you, your status, lack of money and all the stupid things she said and I had a huge quarrel with her and told her she was selfish and wicked and never loved you which she admitted to it andâ-â she trails off seeing his hard expression
Emeka tries not to show his pain and anger, Diana âŠDiana, he sqÂŁÂŁzes his hand underneath the table to calm himself, he mustnât show Grace how much he wants to repay Diana for all that, she would tell her and it would be all go to waste, his plans.
âI am sorryâ she concluded
âItâs okay Grace, v know all that, she told me worse face to face the day she left me, but that is all in the past, she told me she has changed, she told me she loves me, and that⊠she wants us to start all over, do I say no? A girl I loved in my youth, how do I say no? I thought about it and I realize that I did miss her and I want to seal it, be happy, enjoy all this with herâ
She nods her head but the sad look doesnât go âshe is my friend, but do one thing for me will you?â
âWhat would that beââ
âI know you say you care and have forgiven her, and love her, but donât rush into the permanent, be sureââ
âBe sure?â Emeka frowns âbe sure of what, what I want?⊠I want herââ
âNo, I meanâ she thins her lips, Diana would kill her âI mean â⊠oh screw it, she would tell Diana the truth to her face when she errs, and she knows why her friend wants to marry Emeka, for his money, nothing else, not for love, that girl has no love for anyone except herself, and money is the only thing she desires, a life of affluence and luxuries and an unending bank vault.. she doesnât love Emeka, and it is such a wicked and selfish thing to do and if she canât actually tell Emeka to stay away from her, she could give him a hint.. at least.
Emeka was a nice boy ten years ago, she doesnât know if he had changed, but if he was still the same, he doesnât deserve to be hurt again by her, if she did love him and really wanted to make amends, then she would have okayed it, but Diana is just throwing herself to him because of his money, and she didnât want to look as though she was part of her plan, but if she canât stop her friend, she could drop a hint so Emeka treads carefully.
âWhat are you trying to say Grace, you can tell meââ
She rubs her temple, throwing a look at her son and then back at him âJust be sure that she really means it when she says she is, I know how much you loved her then, everyone saw it, I donât know how much you still do now but, make sure that this, is for real this time before you say I do, you want a happy home, someone who loves you for you not for what you are⊠be sure first, so you donât end up more broken than you were, that is all I have to sayââ
She did have a good heart, such a rare one.
He places his hand on hers on the table âDonât worry too much Grace, I am not the boy ten years ago, I am all grown up, I know what I want and what I am doing, and I do know what Diana wants, it isnât me, but my wealth I donât intend to give it to her âshe wants me, me aloneâ he finishes
That is what he wants her to believe⊠now Grace wouldnât warn her, and he would get his revenge.
âOkay, okay then, and your mother doesnât like her very much and this Olive is ..?â
âMama is just being protective, and Olive is a friend. Enough about me , what about you, what have you been up to lately, I hope he pays for child support not leave you to take care of the boy, it took two to tangle, I donât really like guys who leave their family to fend for themselvesâ
âYour father?â
He nods
âWell, I surviveâ
âGot a job, anything?â
âHad, looking for again, but we would be fineâ she turns to her son âStop jumping juniorâ
âWhatâs your expertise?â
She laughs âSeriously,?â
âyes!!â
âEh!! Did a course on management after school and marketing, ran an NGO recently before they parked upâ
âGreat, how about you come with me to the office, I know you donât have your Cv here or anything, but⊠I will set up a meet with you and the HR, we just relocated one of our managers to a new site, and I think you can be useful in the management department, it comes with benefits as well and because itâs you, I will give you the full package, allowances includes accommodation, for your position comes with an official car aside others and I wonât take no for an answer, this is my thank you Grace, before you refuse it, think of your son. I think he deserves a better life than waiting for a father who doesnât want to step up and take responsibilitiesââ
Grace was speechless, her eyes tears up âAre you being serious, just like that? Wonât anyone raise any query, I mean no interview no test⊠just like that?â
He laughs âItâs my company and Grace, you deserve it and I have a soft spot for those who are nice to me, and for single mothers I think⊠aside othersâ he smiles as Junior walks to his mother, he stretches his hand to the boy âhello little guy?â
This time Junior was used to his face within the two hours they were there, he didnât shy away, he touches Emekaâs hand tentatively, staring at him ⊠âhey, thatâs it, I donât biteâ he pulls him closer and lifts him on his lap⊠âI am Emeka, whatâs your name? Is it Junior? Yes it is right â the boy nods.. âNice name, will you be my friend junior, I will buy you ice-cream, yes, yes?â Junior turns to him and he smiles âOh you like ice-cream, we would get one now for you okay?â he plays with the boy, turning to Grace, she cleans the tears from her eyes.
âI donât know what to say?â
âHow about okay to my âYou start working immediately, and you get a full one month payment upfront⊠and donât think I am favoring you which I am but⊠I do take care of my staffs and they are well paid, they do a lot of work to keep the company going and⊠we do make a mean sum amount of money in a week so you keep them happy, treat them nice, they are loyal and I am never of the opinion to treat staffs as dirt, my mother taught me a whole lotâŠ. so⊠hey stop crying donât do that, just like you said, if I am in your shoes and you in mine, I am sure you would do the same thing, hey!â he laughs as her tears increases, he stands up carrying the boy and pulls her up side hugging her,
She buries her face to his chest and cries, âhey, donât! you donât want Junior to be worried that I did something to his mother right? We just became friends and I promised him ice-cream⊠stop it Grace, a smile..yes there it is a smileâ
Grace smiles, she canât believe it. Something comes to mind, âDo good to someone, show help anyway you can, if it is a smile, a hug, blessing or maybe a cup of water or a grain of food or a tiny change that helps to lift another, if you can do it, you never know when your own blessings will come when you least expect itâ.. Now she has a job? The same company she had applied to work in, wrote the test and didnât pass, the same company owned by Emeka, the same company now she is going to be in the management department, maybe even be sent to manage another relocation, getting a house and car a, a good pay⊠without any protocol. Who says God isnât in heaven, who says he lies when he says those who give would be blessed. Ha!! This was unbelievable. Now she can take care of her son, and wouldnât even listen to his fatherâs excuses about not being able to care for his son because he spends his money on women and other vices.
âThank you Emeka, God bless you!!â
âYeah!! He has that is why I am being a blessing to others, so letâs go, I need to attend to some meetings before I get home, and at work, it is Odinaka uchenduâ
âWhy?â
âPersonal reasons, my name is Emeka Odinaka Uchendu, I stopped using my fatherâs name almost as soon as I could change it, so mostly it is Odinaka Unchendu⊠my motherâs maiden nameâ
âIf you want me to call you Caesar I willâ she laughs in her tears
âNah, Odinaka is fine⊠at workâ
They nod as they leave, he stops to get ice-cream for the boy and they go to his office.
âMiss Grace, the HR would see you now, I can watch over your son for you if you like why Mr Odinaka attends to workâ
âThank you!!ââ she gets up, turning to him again âThank you!!â
âThatâs fine Grace, we may not see each other as often because your office would be on the other side of the compound but if you need anything, come by anytime, I would love to give you audience â
She nods
âAgnes, get her details and tell the accountant to make the necessary payment, take her to the garage and let her pick a car meant for the staffs, you do know how to drive Grace or you want a driver assigned to you?â
âI do know how toââ she says still in shock
âPerfect, â
âExcuse us Sir!!â
Ambross grabs his bag, placing a call to his secretary
âYes sir?â
âI would be taking the rest of the day off, if anything call my mobile lineââ
âSir, there are a few people here to see you, they say itâs importantââ
âFix them up for tomorrow, I am going homeââ
âBut Sir, they say..â
âWho are these people Luke?â
âThey are from the Swartz groups they saidâ
Ambross shakes his head, do they have a knack for smelling money? He would get back to them, this one was his personally, he would deal with them later, for now⊠he canât wait to go home and break the news to his wife and search for a new house and car and have all that jazz.
He told them a month again, that was months ago, they have already given him over a year, one more month shouldnât hurt.
âTell them I already left, fix them for tomorrowââ
âBut Sir-â
He cuts the call, and leaves.
âWhat did he say?â
âHe just left Sir, he said I should fix you up tomorrowââ
They were two of them, the one who spoke smiles, but his hard features wasnât deterred â Everytime we come here its either he doesnât want to see us or fixes us up in days he never gets to see us , we gave him a year because we were trying to consider him, he took 18 months, now he gets back on track and is trying to play a fast one on us right, that is fine, we would be here tomorrow and tell your boss, he shouldnât bite the hand that feeds himâ
They leave moments later.
âDid you see him?â the car they entered, a third man sat there quiet at the back, he was smoking a pipe
âNo Sir, the same thing, he is avoiding usââ
âVery well!!â
âWhat are our orders sir?â
âDo the needful, make sure you get every single dime out of him..Whatever it takes.ââ
âYes sir!!â
They alight as the black car zooms off., they enter their own car and go the opposite way.
âBelinda honey, guess what?â he enters the house, flinging his briefcase to the corner
She rolls her eyes as she crosses her legs on the chair..âIf itâs not good news I donât want to hear itâ
âIt is, I sold the house!!â he says leaning in to kiss her, she turns her face away pushing him
âFor how much, I thought you said you werenât anymoreâ
âOh for the price I got, itâs worth itâ he sits down frowning that she didnât give him a kiss, but when he tells her she would be ready to give it to him all night long.
âNGN 30 million? That is the price there and the bank takes NGN 10 million for the loan you took from them, another good house for just us two in the suburbs would go for close to NGN 18 million, unless you want to relocate to somewhere lesser and I canât go steps down to the top I am in, so what is the good news?â
âI got NGN70 million for the house belindaâ he says excited
She turns and looks at him in shock âNGN70 million, how?â
âWell, someone who wants the house desperately offered and I acceptedâ he felt mighty proud of himself.
âAre you a fool, the person was playing youââ
He laughs âyou know nothing Belinda, here, take a look at this,â he gets up taking his briefcase and retrieving the files,. âThe originals are with the lawyer, here are the copies , the bank have these as well, everything is signed, money transferred to us⊠NGN 70 million baby, signed, sealed and delivered, so who is the fool now?â
Now she is smiling, a minute ago she was talking to her mother how she was tired of the marriage and how she would like to leave, but now that the company was looking up⊠she was thinking about reconsidering, but this just sealed it, she smiles getting up and walking to him âAh ha baby, you know how I joke now, it was just a joke, I knew you were smart, that is why I married you. Oya kiss me now hmmâ she kisses him, he grabs her
âI want more of that, you know I miss you my Belindaâ
âLet me prepare something nice for you to eat eh, then we can go to the bedroomâ she kisses him again⊠getting up âSo when do we leave?â
âIn a month, you get to pick the house you want, I can look up agents or ask for a good one who can help look for a house for usâ
âOh I am excited, a new house, car⊠everything, oh this is great ..!â she disappears into the kitchen
âYes!!â he answers his phone..
âSir⊠they said they would be back and they werenât happy!!â
He sighs âDonât mind them, when they come tomorrow tell them the same thing, they should relax, donât call me till tomorrow, I donât want any more disturbances ââ
âOkay sir, sorry sirâ
âBelinda, where are you honey?â he gets up smiling to go meet his wife.
âMama, can I talk to you, please?â Diana enters the room as soon as they returned..
âNo!!â
âPlease, alone without Oliveâ
Olive gets up âMama talk to her, I will be backâ she leaves
âThere is nothing you will say Diana, you already know my position on whatever concerns Emekaâ
âMama, please⊠I beg youâ she goes on her knees
Mercy looks at her in disbelief.
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